Tampered Beauty

Menevalence

"Mama?" James' voice was loud as he entered Mary's study. It had been some days since Lola travelled to Wales with her new husband, and as far as his letters let on, the marriage was domesticated and settled. She need not worry about Lola Campbell again.

"My love." Mary smiled, watching as James walked without assistance over towards her. She beamed at him as he gave her a toothy grin. With the whole Lola thing and thinking of her unborn baby, she felt like she'd neglected her precious boy. Something that simply wouldn't do.

She lifted her little Prince up from the floor and set him on her lap, holding him tightly to her. James took her cheeks in his hands and gave her a lingering kiss, before starting to fiddle with her diamond diadem that she wore. He smiled widely at her.

"Do you need anything, love?"

"Oncle Bash says you must hurry up with the boring Portuguese ambassador." James revealed. Mary chuckled, playing along.

"Oh? And why is that?" Mary asked. 

"Oncle Bash and Tantes Kenna and Greer say we're going to the beach!" James squealed. Mary smiled widely. She and her girls had planned the day at the beach around two week after she woke up, as James had been so sad when she was unwell and being an Empress took up a lot of time that she'd prefer to spend with her family. Plus, being an Empress with personal issues like having a treasonous former Lady and being pregnant at the same time, it had to be pushed back until such a time that Mary was free to spend time with her child without the looming burden of Lola or ruling in her mind.

"We are." Mary smiled.

"Really? You and Papa are coming?" James beamed. Mary's smile faltered.

"Papa's busy with Bothwell and Rizzio, but he may join us later." Mary tried to appease. "Now, go to your uncle and get him to help with your shoes. Okay?" Mary asked.

"Yes, mama!"

The carriage bumbled around the bumpy road leading to the pretty Portebello beach. It was perfect, quiet and serene, but not too far from Edinburgh. James always wanted to go there and play with the sand every time his mother and he were in Scotland before Francis came back from the grave. The occupants consisted of said promised Empress, Sebastian, Kenna and Greer, as well as George, Rose and Meredith. It wasn't usual that they all were free from the burdeons of responsibility to go to the beach, which is why when they were there in previous times, Mary always brought a few courtiers and some advisers. But this time would be different. Plus, she had to distract James from the lack of Francis, who was stuck playing detective with Rizzio and Bothwell.

"Mama?" the young Prince asked from Mary's lap. She hoped her little boy couldn't feel the growing, sixteen week old bump that she sported, especially in the light blue chiffon gown she wore, they didn't want to tell him until the risk of anything being wrong was eliminated.

"Where's Papa?" The little boy asked. Mary sighed. He turned in her lap, looking his mother straight in the eye, taking full advantage of the fact that he was one of the few people that could do that, his big dark eyes pleading for the answer she was going to give him to change.

"He's with David and Bothwell." Mary gently said, for the third time, brushing his black curls back from his forehead. "I'm sorry, my love." she said, hating the pitiful little pout on James' full lips. 

The boy pouted and leaned into his mothers' hair, nuzzling into the scent of jasmine and lilac, with a hint of rose and lavender.

"He's always busy. You both are always busy." James complained from his position.

Bash spoke up.

"James, you know your mother and father are an Emperor and Empress, they have to rule over countries." he said, leaning over to run his fingers down James' light blue silk covered back. Being parents and rulers was a balance nearly impossible to get right, and even though she certainly had more practice than Francis, it was still hard. They both always made an effort to spend an hour with their son a day, but this was different. Now was the time where James needed to know that both his parents would do everything to make sure they were going to be there, growing into an age where he was not only perceptive, but he understood things. The sudden lack of his father after so long of having him -thanks to the responsibility Mary had gifted him- and the lack of his mother -because of ruling and because of fatigue thanks to her unborn baby- was hard. "Your father wanted to come, but he is a King, too. He can't abandon his duty, to your mothers' or his own people. You'll be a King and an Emperor when you grow up." he added. Although it could be the other way round, Sebastian was right. If Francis died before she did, he would be a King before an Emperor. But, as she very well could do, she could die before him, making him an Emperor before he even started proper lessons. And, when they were both dead, France would belong to the Empire, making him an undisputed Emperor of two of the three greatest powers of Europe, half of it, no less.