Zadison one shots

Girls & Galas

The last month had been tumtulous for the Scottish queen and anyone close to her. Within a few weeks of arriving at French Court, Katherine succumbed to an intense illness, leaving Zoe restless and paranoid for the safety of her other 3 ladies. Not to mention, her husband to be's former lover princess Camille graced the court with her presence, which made life much more stressful for the young teenager. She laid awake in her chambers, listening to the various sounds the castle around her had to offer, which took her away from her situation temporarily. She moved to lay on her side and she heard a noise from down the hall, which made her heart race a tad bit more. Deciding to be smart about the situation, she quietly crept out of the bed and slipped her robe on over her nightgown, grabbing one of the candles and a match to light her way down the hallway. She exited the room and made her way down the long corridor, expecting a maid or even one of the prestigious royals that called this castle their home, but she was surprised to see the young princess from the other night, Madison, sitting on one of the couches with a flask gripped between her fingers.

"What on earth are you doing?" She asked, utterly perplexed by the appearance of the blonde so late in the night, especially in the state she was in. She was allowing the alcohol to take over her senses, for reasons unbeknownst to her, and she wanted to know what was troubling the girl so she took the seat next to her and folded her hands on her lap in an expectant manner, hoping she would be willing to unburden herself from the things she was going through, no matter how good or bad those things may be.

"Would you like the honest answer or the answer I gave to my family?" She asked bitterly, lifting the flask back up to her lips and taking a pull before tossing it next to her, her eyes trained on the landscape trapped between the windowpane.

"Well, I prefer honesty, but you may do whatever is comfortable for yourself, Princess." Zoe answered, her eyes trained on the side of her face. She sniffled and met her gaze, unshed tears glistening in her green eyes, and she felt a pang in her stomach at seeing her in such a way.

"Well, I received news that I am officially nearing the end of my days!" She chuckled humorlessly, using one hand to wipe away the tears that were beginning to fall from her eyes. The brunette was at a loss for words, she knew death was more common in this part of the world, but she didn't understand just how common it really was before she moved to France.

"I am so sorry Madison." She said sympathetically, her hand going on top of hers to comfort her, even though she had a feeling that her attempts were in vain. She doubted that anyone who had just been told they were going to inevitably perish could find comfort in anything, especially from a complete stranger.

"I do not want your pity, Your Grace. But thank you." She replied, her hand finding the square flask once more to take a sip of whatever was inside, which was no doubt something strong and numbing to the blonde.

"It is not pity, it is simply trying to be a friend to you in your times of restlessness." She said softly, a friendly smile finding its way onto her lips, which were still stained from the ruby red lipstick she had been forced to wear at yet another banquet to celebrate her engagement to the heir of the French throne.

"Well a friend will not make this any more inevitable now will it?" She asked harshly, her green eyes shining in the moonlight shrouding them. Zoe felt hurt by her vindictive words, but she chose not to let it show, instead ignoring what she had just said and moving on to another topic, which was about as painful to talk about as the news of Madison's impending death. The two sat talking and exchanging the flask between one another until the early hours of dawn, and when they parted ways and she finally got back safely into her chambers, the brunette fell into her bed with a smile on her face.

A few weeks had passed since Zoe had learned the news of her new friends tragic illness, and she went out of her way to make her feel as included as possible, even preferring to steal a few moments away with her than her fiance, who was growing agitated with the amount of time his future bride was spending with the princess.