She made Mary fill with fury. Why could Lola give Francis a son but Mary couldn't? Mary didn't understand. Mary could get pregnant, that wasn't the problem. The problem was staying pregnant. Everything would seem fine and perfect for Mary and Francis, but after 2 months, Mary would end up bleeding and crying over the lost of her baby. 4 times. This happened 4 times.
And Lola still thrived with her son, whom was conceived in only one night. Mary didn't hate the child, she could never hate the child, she hated the mother. Lola had not only betrayed her, but with her son kept Francis busy, and Lola and John were flaunted around the castle as the King's son.
Mary could only sit back as people in court gossiped. They spread a rumor that reached Mary saying that Francis would take a mistress because his own wife couldn't conceive an heir. It made Mary burst out in tears into her friend's arms in front of her family. Mary didn't want to be Catherine. She didn't want to be pushed to the sidelines while Francis thrived on the attention he got from a mistress.
Which is why she had locked herself in their bedroom and hadn't left for 6 days. Francis visited and talked before returning to his duties as Dauphin of France, only to return to her, coaxing her to rest and to spend time with him. She loved him and all his efforts to make her feel better. Which is why she was doing this for him.
She felt weird having a corset tight around her abdomen that remained empty. It had been almost a week without a corset on and Mary had appreciated the breathing room it gave her. Francis had insisted she not wear one, so not to strain her womb. She was still aching from the last miscarriage and it simply pained her to wear a corset.
Mary sighed as she clasped both hands in each other in front of her navy blue straight dress. She always hated ones that bloomed into a flower as if she was a star or something. She gathered all her courage and left the bedroom to find her husband. He told her many times that he awaited her return to society. Until then he would stay until she was ready.
At least she hoped she was ready. Francis' cousin Louis came to visit and Mary wanted to surprise them with her walking around the castle. She searched everywhere for her husband, finally finding him out in courtyard after Greer and Kenna joined in the hunt for the Dauphin.
Mary stopped in her tracks when the squeal of a baby rang out. Of course he was playing with John. Mary wasn't mad he was playing with his son, but a sickness overcame her and she turned and rushed to a pillar to hide behind. Kenna and Greer were comforting her. "Mary you can't stay hidden forever. You must go see him." Kenna whispered to her friend. Mary sobbed into her friend's arms as both comforted the Queen of Scotland.
"I can't. I can't hear John laugh or be a child without coveting what Lola has. She gave Francis what I cannot." Mary sobbed. The girls finally thought that taking Mary away from the courtyard would be better than allowing her to hear John's giggles and Francis' laughs as he played with his son.
"Come help me organize my wedding. It will be a welcome distraction." Greer suggested. Mary agreed that a wedding would help her get over her sadness. And it worked. The girls laughed and joked as they sampled desserts and treats meant for after. "Than you Greer and Kenna. I loved this afternoon." Mary said as the girls were walking through the gardens.
"Do you remember when we visited as girls? We would always come out her and pick the most beautiful flowers then braid it within each others hair. Aylee looked so beautiful with daisies threaded through her locks, and Lola with roses, Kenna with lilies and Mary with carnations. And you all said that begonia's looked beautiful in my hair." Greer said, trying to stir beautiful memories of the girls. The other two laughed at the memory.
"Mary always did look beautiful with carnations threaded through her locks. I remember mother fussing over how many times the petals got stuck in her braids." The girls looked behind them to see Francis smiling at them. "Pardon my intrusion, but I couldn't help but be drawn to the laughter that resided her and remembered the little girls that used to frolick here with nothing in the world to care of." The girls smiled at Francis.
"May me and Mary have a moment?" Francis politely asked. Kenna and Greer looked at Mary, as if asking permission. Mary nodded and the girls scurried off in giggles and gossip. Mary breathed deeply as Francis held her hand gently. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better." Francis whispered. Mary nodded, her thoughts seeming to go back to the dark part it was before.
"I am feeling much better. I looked for you but couldn't find you so me and the girls went to plan Greer's wedding." Mary said back to her husband. Francis nodded. "Lola told me she saw you 3 in the courtyard. Mary what happened? Why didn't you come to me?" Francis asked. Tears collected within the golden orbs he so loved and desired to look into for eternity.
"I heard John's laugh and couldn't do it. It hurt, Francis, to hear a child so happy with their father when I know mine didn't get the chance to see the beautiful sun, or to see their father and his blue eyes and blonde curls." She reached up and threaded her fingers in his curls. Francis pulled her close into a hug, where she began to cry in his chest. "It's not fair. I try so hard to be the perfect wife and the perfect mother and yet God punishes me this way." She said.
She pushed Francis away and sat on a stone bench. Francis sat next to her, his hand resting on her thigh. "Mary, you are the perfect wife, everything I ever wanted. Yes it is true that I want an heir, but not only so our rule is secure, but so that I can always have something of you at all times, something I can hold and love when you aren't there. Mary a baby doesn't define our love." Francis told her. She tried to believe him but her duty was to give him a child.
"Mary we can try for a child again, but do not stress yourself over it. I would be fine without a child with you." Francis held her hand and kissed the back of it. Mary seemed to calm herself as the two hugged. Maybe Mary could have a child.
