Tampered Beauty

Superstican

"Your Majesty." a soft voice said. The aged woman in black looked up slowly, she looked so fragile now. Thinner, older, more fragile.

"What it is?" The newly appointed Queen grandmother of France said. She sounded so small, so tired.

"The Queen Regent and Mother, your grace. She wishes for an audience." the squire said. Gulping, Catherine nodded her consent and Mary walked inside the room. The newly appointed Queen Regent of France walked inside the dim chambers of Catherine de Medici. Her body was covered in a long sleeved satin ball gown with a long train and wide skirt, her shoulders and chest bare. Covering her face and hair, trailing long past the skirt of her gown, a simple, unadorned black veil. In her arms, the recently anointed King of France. He lay awake in his mothers arms, small noises escaping him. He was donned in a little black velvet suit, gripping his mother's gown and veil, watching her eyes and the thick crown of diamonds that lay upon her forehead.

"Catherine." Mary said. Catherine and the ladies in the room bowed. "May we have the room?" Mary asked, her own voice cracking with grief and pain like she'd never known before. The ladies and servents instantly started leaving. She waited until the door closed, starting to speak.

"I wanted to give you something before the King and I sail to England in three days time." the Queen of Scotland and Regent of France nodded and Lady Greer Castleroy stepped out behind her, holding something encased in black velvet. The Lady curtseyed to her, before handing her the item. Catherine unwrapped it slowly, lips parting in a gasp as the crown of gold and pearls fell into her hands. "This no longer belongs to me." she acknowledged, looking down at the four month old baby gargling in his mothers arms. "It will belong to my son's Queen, whomever she may be. I thought you should keep it safe until we return." she said, her voice so small.

"I thought I wanted this back." Catherine started. But Mary cut her off.

"Perhaps you were right to hate me." she sighed. "Nostradamus was right all along. I brought Francis' death, just like he predicted." she sniffles, grateful for the veil covering her face and her child. "I let him sleep with Lola, get her pregnant. And I didn't stop him from running to her last year. And after what the Pope just ruled over not long ago, I know it to be true. I caused his death. And the death of my Lady and their baby." she sniffed. "If I could do it all again, you must know that if I could go back in time and change what happened, what I did, then I would." Mary said, looking down at her baby, their matching eyes interlocking. "I am so sorry Catherine." she choked.

The Medici former Queen slowly got up from her bed. Mary didn't look up from her son, watching him and hearing the rustling of her gown. Soon, the tips of her court heels and the edge of her gown came into view. A soft hand cupped her chin over her veil and slowly tilted it up.

"I don't blame you, child." her voice so soft and almost maternal. She didn't dare fall into that trap. Catherine always had and always would hate her in one way or another. But she listened anyway. "Francis was his own man who made his own choices. He chose his path in Paris, he chose his actions in the plague. And long ago, he chose to love you." Catheine took a breath. "I see you as children so clearly now, as if it were yesterday." she looked down and touched James' head over the veil. James gurgled in recognition, moving his little arms and flexing his little legs. "I see Francis the same age as his own son, your baby." she looked up at Mary once more.

The new regent couldn't hold Catherine's stare, how unlike her. She bowed her head and quietly sobbed her pain and grief, sorrow threatening to choke her. The elder placed her hands on the youngers biseps. She looked up, tears gliding down her cheeks. "He loved you and you loved him. That love, it gave him so much joy. That is what you need to remember as you move ahead in this life."