Tu Es Ma Lumière

101 - Bigamy

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Prompt - What if Henry married Mary, like he planned to do at the end of Series 1?

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When Mary Stuart was a little girl, she had constantly imagined what it would be like to be the Queen of France. She and her little betrothed would be so happy that their faces would hurt, their people would be ecstatic to have a brighter future. They would dream of their rule, a different kind of rule where it focused not on financial gain or political intrigue, but fairness and justice. She would barely keep her smile at bay when the crown was placed upon her hair, and she and her golden haired husband would give each other the most beautiful of looks. One that pushed everybody else out of their world and just focused upon them. A look that promised solidarity above all else, but most of all, love.

Well, now it had happened. The Queen of Scotland was now a Queen two times over, ruling upon France as well as the land of her birth. She had always imagined that she would cry happy tears, for now she could provide her country with the security and assistance it needed to keep the English lion from her borders at all times. Mary Stuart cried, yes, but they were from pure, unbridled, authentic, unadulterated, lucid, simple pain. Pain, sadness, disbelief, heartbreak and a million other reasons. Everything other than happiness.

The young Queen trembled from the heartbreak and the shock of what had just happened in the throne room. The mad King of France had gathered courtiers into the throne room, utterly furious that his eldest legitimate son had not been in his court for supper. He had yelled profanities, nobody able to get through to him. Not Catherine, nor the Duke de Guise. Not Diane or Sebastian, nobody.

She didn't even know what had happened. One minute, Henry had been throwing a fit about Mary Tudor, and then he had grabbed the marriage contracts of both he and his heir and thrown them into the fires. He ignored the protests and the tears. Then, Francis had grabbed her in a bruising embrace and pointed his sword at his father. Mary could honestly say she was frightened of the King of France, all her fire and passion dead as she trembled and hid in Francis' one armed hold.

She didn't even know how it happened. One minute, Catherine is begging and pleading, and then the other, she's being grabbed by the mad King. Francis is on his knees, a blade at his throat. Mary had been grabbed by her hands, she had been crying and wailing in such a way that even the terrified priest tried to stop the forced ceremony.

She had to. She had no choice. She couldn't allow Francis' death to be upon her hands. Henry would have slit his throat if she didn't do it. Nobody could stop him. Not the tears of Catherine de Medici, the now ruined former Queen of France. Nobody. 

The words came out in shaking sobs. By the end of it, the Queen of France and Scotland had collapsed onto the ground in hysteria and heartbreak and fear. Henry had stalked away, and she was comforted by her ladies. Kenna and Sebastian's wedding may have been tough to watch, but this one was downright heartbreaking.

And now here she was, the ruined, bigamous Queen of France and Scotland, crying against the door of her chambers. Her eyes were squeezed closed, her hands pressed to her mouth, begging and praying God for forgiveness and guidance. As if all of this was just a bad dream and she'd wake up and everything would be alright-

"Mary." a voice said. The voice was exhausted and familiar. The new Queen of France gasped in surprise, looking up from her black satin-covered lap and towards the chambers. From the tapestry-covered doorway, in walked Catherine de Medici and her litter of children. Everybody apart from Elisabeth and Claude. Francis -by God's mercy- lead the charge, holding small Henri and Margot upon one hip each. He placed them upon the settee near the dancing fire, and stood guard over them.