Tu Es Ma Lumière

21 - Ear Infections

The Queen of France woke up, hearing her husband groan next to her. She opened her eyes and tilted her head, seeing her blonde King sitting with his back to her, feet on the floor, his body hunched over. He was gripping one side of his head, letting out groans of pain and whimpers of discomfort.

"Oh, my love." Mary whispered, crawling over towards her King. She wrapped her arms around his trim waist and leaned her head on his back. He hissed in breaths, leaning up.

"Mary," he wallowed. His wife pressed kisses to the sore ear as if it would make it better. Her heart ached. He had shared his pain with her after their scheme to bring down Conde after the attack a few months ago. Francis had known every step she had taken with Louis, but it had never harmed her relationship with her husband. Things had changed after he had collapsed, but she had delivered both Louis of Conde's head and the Bourbon's surrender of their claim to France. That had appeased him greatly, but the fact she had murdered his almost usurper didn't make the pain in his ear null and void.

"I'm so sorry, my love." she whispered. Nobody knew about his condition yet. Only Nostradamus and Sebastian. "I wish there was anything, any one thing at all, I could do to save you from this pain." she whispered, begging his ear and head back to health. She kissed the side of his neck again, before gently pulling him into the bed.

"K-keep the children from me." he stated. Mary bit her lip, nodding slowly. Their eldest, James, had been conceived just after the night with Count Vincent, borne in the time he was away in Callas. Anne conceived just before he left them to go to Lola and Jean, his second borne son. The little thing was only a couple months old, having left her mothers womb almost immediately before Francis had collapsed. "They can't see me like this," he wheezed. Mary bit back tears, placing gentle kisses onto his face. Damn Charles! She internally thought. The Queen of France was aware the child was only nine years old (I'm not ageing them up like they did in the show, I never understood that anyway, so they're their actual ages in this, okay?) but who sweeps and breaks a vial of opiates meant for their sick brother?

"Shall I send for Nostradamus?" she asked him quietly. He shook his head, but Mary could see the strain on his face as a light sweat appeared. "I'll be right back," she whispered, kissing his hair, untangling herself from him. Mary snuck over towards the guards and stuck her head out, ordering the man to attain the King's deputy and the court physician.

Mary lay upon the bed when they finally appeared. She was on her side, holding Francis' hand as he lay against the pillows. By then, a great sweat had appeared flush against his cheeks, and his wife was gently wiping a cold and wet rag against his pretty features. He looked up lethargically as his brother entered his field of vision, before the physician.

"Queen Mary, what ails the King?" Nostradamus asked, his voice as gruff and raspy as ever. She sighed softly, stroking his hair away from his face. Francis' eyes fluttered around aimlessly.

"His ear, I can't soothe him, no matter what I do." she stated sadly.

Nostradamus got to work immediately, filling three tables with the items in his bags. Sebastian knelt by the bed and began to berate the King who would have gotten over whatever was hurting him a long time previous if he only sucked up his pride and went to see the physician.

"Queen Mary," Nostradamus caught his Queen's attention. She looked up from Francis' pale face. "you have just returned from Scotland with the Dauphin, yes?"

"Yes."

"They have unconventional methods of treating illness, yes?"

"The methods work just the same as the French, Nostradamus," Mary stated, a little offended. "What is your point?"

"You sent word that the Earl of Moray had been stricken with an ear infection, what was used to heal your bastard half brother?"

"Uh-" she thought about it. "Warm oil from an olive, Nostradamus. They placed it in his ear, it hurt my brother, but he was well again in less then four days."

"Then we must try for the King's welfare." he stated. Mary bit her lip, remembering her half brothers' cries of pain as the oil had been inserted into his head. But he had been healed, so they must try.

"Yes, my friend."

Bash was ordered to go get some olives from the Mediterranean food delivery. He returned, before Nostradamus mashed them up in a bowl and morter. He spooned the mixture up, heating it over the fire for a few minutes.

"My King, forgive me." Nostradamus stated, walking over to Francis, a steaming silver spoon in his right hand. He rose an eyebrow, trying to jerk away from his brother and wife's strong holds. He moved his head, for they had him bound with his head turned to the side, exposing his sore ear. Mary bit her lip, making sure he couldn't move his head, before his brother placed a strap of leather in the younger's mouth. "for this will hurt." he stated.

"Do, it, man!" Bash snapped. "He's stronger than he looks!" he grunted, forcing his brother's arm and leg into place.

The seer murmured a quick prayer, before spilling the oil into his King's ear. Instantly, Francis jerked around. He screamed through his gag and Mary choked on a cry, choosing to hold his hand tightly, rather than to restrain his forearm and bicep. She pressed rapid kisses onto her husbands' hand, making sure to keep a tight hold onto his other leg.

The King of France jerked and grunted, twitching on his bed. Mary tried to coo at him, doing whatever it would take for him to calm and settle. He didn't, only slowly relaxed into the bed, his eyes starting to flutter closed. Mary inhaled deeply, assuring Bash and Nostradamus that this was normal, for James had also fainted from the pain of hot oil in his ear.

Francis moaned slowly, welcoming the darkness that swallowed his vision.

~~

"Francis, can you hear me?" Sebastian asked, some hours later. Mary looked up, hearing her husband moan from the bed. She held onto Anne tighter, for the Queen had sat on a nearby chair to nurse her second child. Mary slowly climbed onto the bed on her knees, supporting the babe with one hand to grasp at her husbands' with the other.

Francis' eyes fluttered open. Mary let out an exhausted smile.

"Your Majesty." Nostradamus stated, coming into his King's field of vision, joining his brother, daughter and wife. "How do you feel?" he asked. "How is your ear, King Francis."

"Perfectly fine," the King of France grinned. "I feel perfectly fine."

~~

Heyy!

Hope you like this little one shot, it's definatley the worst one yet, but I hope by switching the story up a little, I made it better. Anyway, please check out my latest one shots on my profile that focus on 2x01 and a couple others I've written recently.

If you don't know, I'm accepting requests/prompts on this story, so if you wanna see some happy frary, give your girl a little idea!

Love,

me.

:)