Tampered Beauty

Revelation

Mary sighed. She'd always known she'd have to tell him. But never imagined it to be like this.

"Before I started showing, at around eight or nine weeks along, I started to bleed. It turns out an expectant mother cannot rule a plague stricken land and carry an unborn child. I thought I did loose him, we all did! Until I started to show and continued to show symptoms of pregnancy. Those two weeks were hell! Francis, they were pure hell! Plague, famine, a cowardice husband and a treasonous Lady, an unfortunate bastard, Catherine's scheming, Bash's blind devotion, Kenna's childish nature, Greer's troubles, two countries relying on me. England had it's sword at my neck, I couldn't handle it! And you weren't there!" Mary sobbed.

He took a step towards her involuntarily, as if trying to comfort, but she placed out a hand, stilling him, forcing him to stay where he stood.

"James was the only thing that got me through that time, I had damn near gone mad with grief and anger and anguish and pain that I nearly lost my mind. And when you were declared dead, Bash had taken it so hard! Harder than Catherine, or I, I have no idea why he serves you so valiantly as he does when you've caused him, if possible, more pain than I! You took his family from him for over half a year!"

"And you nearly took everything from me!"

"I did not! Our engagement was never truly over, you were never tripped of the title of Dauphin, your mother and fathers' marriage was never annulled. We may not have been physically together at the time, but we damn sure were still going to get married. We still loved each other, or I still loved you, you were still Dauphin, no matter what you thought at the time! When you and Lola slept together, we were still engaged, going to be married the next day and you were still going to be King! Dress it up however you want, but that is the truth!" Mary cried. "Which is what hurt worse! We were still getting married and you slept with Lola, got her pregnant and then tried to lie to my face about it! You did lie to me for all those months, until you finally came clean about four months after the fact!"

"You lied to me for Lola's entire pregnancy!"

"She made me! And you not knowing protected you from Court and the world seeing you as weak and sentimental for doting over a bastard!"

"I would have helped you find her a husband! Secretly saw him every little while!"

"You think that now, but would you have?" Mary asked, wiping her tears. "I don't think you would have. You would have claimed it the moment you knew about it and we both know it. Lola would have became yours, and because you claimed him, she is! And no marriage can undo that! That child calls you father, that girl relies on you for everything! Because you got bored and were sad that our married was postponed because I loved you so much that I was ready to sacrifice everything for you! I did what I did because I was scared, because I love you so much that I was willing to sacrifice everything to keep you safe! And what did you do? Nearly cost me my head and crown, abandoned me and your unborn child! How could you?!"

"It was not like that! I didn't do it to hurt you, it just happened!"

"Things like that don't just happen! Although she may not admit it, that girl knew exactly what she was doing! Laying with a man whilst ovulating, she didn't think would cause a pregnancy? A royal illegitimate one at that? And if she did not, she was too damned foolish, naive and childlike to lay with you anyway! But you pushed for it, she played hard to get under the delusions of loyalty, but her true feelings and actions came out when you slept together!" Mary almost screamed. "And that is treason! I could justifiably take her head for that, and trust me, it is tempting. The more and more people who know about it will no doubt reach my privy council and if they demand her head, I am without choice but to give it!"