Rebirth

Chapter 22

Bothwell had kicked and screamed and thrashed desperately, but adrenaline gave her superhuman strength. The boat dangerously swung from left to right, water spraying everywhere. Mary seethed in anger, straightening her arms and forcing him deeper into the water. How dare this man betray her! How dare he threaten the King of France's safety! All her children's safety! How dare he force her hand in marriage! How dare he rape her! How dare he turn her countries against her! She could feel them turning, her countries slipping from her grasp like sand slipping through her fingers. Turning to James with her bother as regent. This man threatened her children and her countries. He would pay with his life. She would take back her countries. It was time to survive.

Mary held on tighter and pushed his head down until he stopped moving completely. Breathing in and out hard, she kept him there for another few minutes, making sure he was dead. His body had long stopped thrashing, but she couldn't allow him the slightest chance of harming her or her son or her unborn baby. She had to protect them.

Shakily, Mary let go of the dead man's head. He slumped against Francis' boat. He still didn't move. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she inhaled shakily, an equally unsteady hand running through her messy and wet black hair.

And then, she started to laugh.

A manic laugh that would have chilled the long dead King Henri's poisoned bones. She laughed and laughed and laughed, wiping wet cheeks that she didn't even realise had dampened, her skin crusted over with the long dried sea water. Mary sniffled, looking at the corpse of the man who had manipulated and tricked her for so many years.

Gripping his hair, Mary slammed his head over and over into the anchor until a crimson mask was revealed on his sinful face. She did nothing to relieve it, getting her insurance of an accident should by some miracle he survive and come back and haunt her once again.

Taking his gold, the Queen slowly slipped his body into the water, watching with tainted pleasure as it sank deeper into the water until fading out of sight.

Mary looked down at her six month old bump on her abdomen, feeling two sharp kicks. She placed a hand on it, able to feel the little feet through the soaked crimson scarlet dress.

"I won't let anybody hurt you again, love. I promise you that." she said quietly, washing Bothwell's blood from her hands and face and wherever else it had splattered. There had been sufficient time from announcing the pregnancy to his death, so nobody would suspect her. And nobody had seen what had happened. Nobody would find out.

She had learned from her only true husband's mistakes, after all.

Slowly stroking her way through the water to her guards, Mary played the frightened wife, instantly starting to sob and cry out.

"My husband! My husband, he fell and hit his head upon the anchor, he sunk into the water, there was nothing I could do! Help! Help!" Mary cried out, fully confident in the way that they were turned to sail into the water themselves, no guards would see the smirk on her face, tears suddenly dry again.

They tried to find the forced King, but it was only for show. The efforts were half-arsed after all. And it was a mere formality, all things considered.

But no King was found. But there was never really a King in the water in the first place, anyway.

That night, there wa no mourning. No mourning from Catholics, Protestants, Scotsmen or Englishmen alike. The British isles celebrated for days on end, and nobody was happier with the King's death than the Queen herself.

And then, the Queen began to rule. And rule alone, she did.

Her pregnancy progressed and life moved on after Bothwell's murder. Hardly anybody looked into the case, with most people whom weren't happy with a woman ruling over France and her own countries were pacified with gold and jewels. And she didn't have many enemies left after giving France a king and an empire, and England was rather settled with religious tolerance within their Queen and stability in the Princes.

Letters were sent back and forth from France and Catherine. The Medici co-regent was delighted to hear of Bothwell's death and to hear that the threat to her daughter and grandsons had been neutralized. She spoke to Mary of the littler things that had been brought to attention and informed her that she eagerly awaited the birth of Mary's baby to have an excuse to visit and see this new little heir and see her grandsons once again .

And she didn't have to wait for long. Three months after Bothwell died, whilst in a meeting about the finalisation of this child's future husband or wife -from her bed, no less. Confinement had always been quite dull after all- Mary went into labour with this new heir.

Power was passed onto her loyal inner circle, most notably James, and letters were written to the most important people, ready to be sent off. Heralds were alerted and cried out into the streets, alerting the subjects of the new baby.

As usual, the birth was long and hardous, all blood and sweat and tears and screams and pain. But Kenna and Greer were with her and didn't leave her side once through all of it.

And, she couldn't forget to mention a third spirit who hadn't left her for years.

And then, one cry echoed from between Mary's legs. But it lead to Mary's screams once more. But that lead to another cry.

But as she held her two newborn Princesses and young Princes in her arms, Mary thought that all that suffering over those nine months was so happily forgotten.

For she had her five children. And they were one of the only things that really mattered to her now.

~~

I'm baack!

Your girl has returned! I had an amazing trip away for my birthday, me and my bestie had such an amazing time over the last week and a half, but I'm back! Did you miss mee?

Anywhoo, we're super close to the ending of this story, so I hope you enjoyed it. There's only a few updates left, mainly filler and fluff. So if you wanna have something happen to our favourite Queen in this universe, let a girl know! Now, I found a companion type piece to this story a minute ago, but it's one of the weirdest things past me ever wrote, so it's probably not gonna be published. But, if you wanna read Mary's life from Francis' perspective after his death, let a girl know! It's super wierd and confusing, but it's there if you want it!

I'm gonna try and get a tempered beauty update up asap, but your girl is kinda struggling with francis' statements to James and in the future, John. If you haven't read that story yet, check it out! It's my one of my wattpad pride and joys!

Now, your girl wrote a modern frary oneshot whilst travelling, so it's gonna be posted asap, as well as a couple updates/alternate universes for another little piece. So, i hope you enjoy them!

See you soon, guys! I missed you all!

Love you all,

C

:)