"He's gone!" Mary shrieks in tears, turning to her brother's in law. Were they still? Her chest heaves, a pain so strong that she didn't think it was physically possible echoing in the tattered, bloody remains of her heart. Her stomach rolled, and if they were still alone, Mary swore she would have regurgitated any and all foods that she had managed to force down into her stomach. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be gone. He wouldn't ever, ever leave her.
Sebastian and Charles stare at her, in stunned shock, it seemed. Mary continued to gasp out her tears, wrapping her arms around herself to try and get a small measure of comfort into her hallowed out body and heart. It didn't work, all she did was stare at her brothers in law and a woman she hadn't ever seen before. She looked dirty, raggedy, even. Awkward, not knowing where to look at the sight of her Queen in complete hysterics.
"This is Delphine," Charles starts, extending out an arm towards his sister in law. He looked over towards the still body of his brother, his lower lip parting from the top. "the healer. I-I've brought her for Francis." he stuttered, the shock seeming to be over at the news that a brother so dear to him was now forever gone to him. His body, once so active, now forever so still.
"It's too late!" Mary cries out in vain. Her heart was broken in a way that it hadn't ever been before. The pain was so great that she thought she would soon join her only husband, wherever he now was.
"There's no guarantee she can help him." Bash rasps, drawing his sister in law's attention from the limp body of her husband and over towards him. "And even if she can," he pauses, not able to resist the temptation of looking over at the limp body of a brother so, so dear to him. Still, the body of the King of France did not move. "there may be a price." he finishes. Mary's lips part in an exhale of confusion, her body starting to tremble from cold and shock. She sniffled, opening her mouth to speak, the hot saltiness of her tears dropping onto her mouth.
"What do you mean "a price"?" she asks, her voice suddenly being interjected by hope, hope she hadn't felt in such a long time. If they could help him, bring back her Francis, her light, her King, her husband, her heart, her everything, she would do whatever. Whatever it took, she would do it, even for the slight possibility that he could somehow become one with the living world to her again.
"The price of someone else's life." Sebastian de Portiers clarifies to his half brother and his sister in law. Mary's lips parted. Without question, she wanted to. It didn't matter who, it didn't matter if it was her who had to swap her life for his. But Francis had never been willing to sacrifice lives, would he want her? She couldn't be sure, and she perhaps may never know. But to save him, to save his country, she had to try. She had to try anything, everything!
"You can't be sure." Charles proclaims, walking into the elders field of vision, blocking him from The Queen of France. "And even if there is, he's your brother." Charles accentuates his words. He turns to Mary, then. "Your husband." he states. Mary cries openly, still. Now, Charles joins her. Of grief, of desperation, neither are sure. Charles looks over at Francis, his limp body still in the position it had been when Mary had leaped from the bed. "The king of France." he swears.
"And what's the cost of a king's life, Charles?" Bash asks his younger brother. Mary swallows thickly. "Your life?" he asks, turning to Mary. "Yours?" his voice is different, now. Mary doesn't know why. She'll never truly understand why. But now, it doesn't matter. It can't matter.
"If the price is my life for his, I will give it." Mary declares. The brothers react, but Mary doesn't acknowledge them. So, she walks rapidly to the raggedy woman who had the power to bring back her husband, the King of France. "Bring him back." the Queen begs, taking Delphine's hands in her own. Mary may be the Queen, but she would fall down to her knees and beg the woman if it could bring back her heart. She would kiss this woman's dirty hands and cold feet if it brought back the King, of this, Mary was certain. If she could get one more moment with him, even at the expense of her own life, then by God, it would be worth it.
"Are you certain?" Delphine asks, as she is dragged to the bed of the King of France. She looks into the Queen's eyes, who nods her head desperately, her cheeks covered in tears.
"Yes, I am!" Mary cries out, begging the woman to help her husband in whatever way she could. If it was possible, they had to try. Francis had died, but he couldn't stay dead. "Do it now, do it!" Mary begs again, pushing the woman over towards the bed where her husband lay limply. "Please, hurry!" Mary begs. Delphine turns to them, seemingly having accepted her task at hand given to her by her Queen.
"Everyone needs to step away." her voice is different, but Mary doesn't question it, instead is pulled back by Bash and Charles, who give her many feet of room as she requested.
"What is she doing?" Prince Charles asks.
Sebastian answers. "Be quiet. Let her work."
Mary cries desperately, as if royal tears would be the thing that brought her husband back to her. She listens to Delphine's deep breathing, holding her hand to her mouth as the tears continue to scald at her cheeks.
She closes her eyes, praying to any God out there if they could spare her husband.
Mary cries out as she suddenly hears Francis' loud gasp for air. She runs forwards, leaping onto the bed. He's there. He's moving, he's breathing, he's blinking. He's alive. He's alive. He didn't leave her.
"Francis!" she cried out. "Oh, my God." she sobs, pressing her hands to the sides of his face. His eyes are wide and he gulps in air, he's moving. Here's there. He's alive. Francis lives.
She can see him swallow, and he inhales again. His eyes haven't left hers this entire time. "Mary." he whispers with a smile. Her face breaks into a smile that hurts, but she ignores the pain for the sake of his face, his beautiful, beautiful face, moving, reacting, breathing. "You're alive!" she whispers with a smile. "Oh," she smiles, tears sliding down her cheeks as Francis presses his palms to them. "You came back to me." she smiles widely.
But then, a few hours away from western Paris, the Lady Lola Narciesse clutches her chest. She gasps for air, unable to respond to her husbands' yells for her attention. There's nothing that can be done. Within moments, her knees buckle and she falls to the floor. Her body is limp before it hits the floor like a rock. Lady Lola Narciesse is dead.
~~
Right, now where do I start with this little oneshot?
First, it's really bad, but I tried my best. It's almost 3AM in time of writing, but I really wanted to get more stuff out before I finally go to sleep for a bit. So, blame the suckiness on that fact :)
Second, I've never, ever gotten the point of Francis' first death. I know that in real life, the real Francis died of an ear infection that spread to his brain, so why didn't they just not bring him back and let Toby go in the way that Francis did? If the point was to make time for more Frary scenes, why not just do them when Francis wasn't as bad as he was like in 3x01? And if they were going to always bring him back, why kill him in the next episode? Couldn't they have killed him on at least a mid season finale if they couldn't do it on a actual season finale?
Thirdly, I've never gotten the whole bringing people back to life thing anyway. If they had magical witch power to do that, then why not keep Delphine around and not let her leave in case, I don't know, the king gets murdered and needs to be brought back? And if they could do that, why didn't they do it in 3x05? I just don't get it. Either let the guy live or let the guy die, writers. You can't have it both ways!!
Lastly, the only little change I did was the Lola thing. I think this is a viable option cause she literally did absolutely nothing in s3. What did she do? Get tricked into marrying Narciesse, get tricked into helping Narciesse, go to England, get tricked into trying to kill Elizabeth then is beheaded. Seeing a pattern here, guys? How is she intelligent? Also, I just really hate her so I couldn't resist killing her off.
Anywhoo, I'm gonna try and get another oneshot up in TEML before logging off here, so if you have any scenes you want me to rewrite, let a girl know down below!
Make sure you guys check out my newest oneshot story on my profile The Abandoned Queen!
Comments and feedback please!
Stay safe out there,
love,
me
:).
