Tampered Beauty

Accession

"Please, you must do something for her." Greer begged, her eyes drowned in the dark circles around them. "It's been almost three days. She's no better than when she collapsed. You must do something, Matthias." she finished, worriedly holding her friends' hand as said friends' husband paced around the room. Matthias took another vial and poured it into Mary's mouth. The Lady had been up with Mary the entire night, worrying insistently as news of Mary's condition had reached her. Whilst she'd responded to some medications, that small glimmer of hope had died out, and the fever had worsened again.

Francis -who had not slept in almost three days at that point- had to have something poured into his wine the night before. His brother had continuously told him that he should leave and rest, bathe and eat, see his son. But, his protests of Francis' whereabouts fell on def ears. So much so that when he suggested going to his chambers to sleep, Francis had nearly hit him. You won't do any good standing over them as they work, Bash had told him, speaking as if he was talking to a disobedient child. It had been a miracle that the sedation had actually worked. The King had spent a few hours draped over a settee near the fire the night before, Greer and Kenna taking turns sleeping and keeping watch, alerting the physicians at every given opportunity.

"I am not sure what do to, Lady Greer. I can find no signs of infection despite the fever, I have checked for everything. Even poison." he added. 

"You think my wife is being poisoned?!" came the quick response of the King of France, who had became relentless over the past few hours. Agitation over the drama of the mother of his bastard child and worry for the mother of his legitimate heir had kept him on edge, especially because Lola still was in the castle and Mary was still unconscious. 

"I do not. I can find no traces of it. Leeching has done us no favours, nor has blood letting. My Empress' fever still is high," he placed the back of his palm and fingers across Mary's forehead. "and she shows no signs of awaking anytime soon. All we can do is attempt to lower the never and maintain liquid in her system." Matthias finished, nodding to the Emperor Consort, dismissing himself with a swift 'ma'am' to Greer, walking out the door.

"Do you think she will wake?" Greer wondered.

"I pray she does." Francis admitted. "How's James?" he asked.

"Confused. He doesn't know why 'mama won't wake up' and why he can't come in and see her. Kenna and I have tried to explain that his mother is unwell, that we wish for her to get better and for him to see her, but he is blinded with worry for her. We all are," the Lady Castleroy took Mary's closest hand and looked down at her, face contorted with worry. "Poor boy is so perceptive." Greer finished.

"I expect he still blames me? For what happened to Mary?"

"He does not," Greer revealed. "It was said in the moment, he wouldn't know what it meant, anyway. He knows his mother is sickened by a means that is yet undercovered. But, he keeps repeating something odd."

"What?"

"I don't want to see the bad boy, I don't want to see the bad boy." Greer mimicked, her words sending a chill down Francis' spine.

~~

"James." Francis said, coming into the small boy's large nursery. He sat with his usual contingent of guards, playing with some building blocks with one of his handmaidens. Usually, the royal nursery was occupied by not only himself, but Greer and Kenna's children, but they rushed around Scottish Court undisturbed by the fate of 'tante Mary' whilst said woman's son had to be close enough to be called at a moment's notice. After all, anything could happen.

The small boy looked up, eyes glowing particularly golden-green in the light. "Papa!" James chirped, bumbling up to his feet and rushing on steadying legs over to Francis, squealing softly.