naivequeen | The long journey ahead

The long journey ahead

Mary didn't look back, not until they were miles away from the castle. Her heart was already shattered into so many pieces, hearing Francis call for her when she left him and the court behind. She knew if she had looked back she wouldn't have had the courage to leave. They managed a good distance that first night and Bash had been remarkably quiet as Mary had huddled by herself and sobbed herself to sleep. But by morning, she seemed to have put herself back into some semblance of order. Her cheeks were red from her tears, but she had managed to gather water for the horses from a nearby stream.

She knew they still had a long journey ahead of them and an even longer one by boat before they would reach Scotland. No doubt Francis would be hot on their trail, whether or not he had his father's blessing to go after her. She knew he would try to reach her, try to talk sense into her and if she saw him again she might just let him.

The next evening proved to be far too cold to forgo building a fire. Mary didn't know what use she could be until Bash sent her to gather some wood. Even that simple task left her breathless. Her corset wasn't made for any sort of labor.

She realized they hadn't spoken beyond a few small words here and there, but she was grateful for Bash's company. She didn't know how she could have ever gotten through all of this on her own. Just by being here, he comforted her. She didn't have to make this journey, this great sacrifice alone.

"Is this enough wood?"

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Bash hadn't wanted to press about why Mary was leaving so abruptly. That something had gone awry was obvious. That it might have something to do with the English queen, he could surmise. Why Mary thought leaving was the answer, he didn't know.

But he wasn't going to question her desire, not when he, himself was so intent on leaving, knowing what his mother had wrought. He wanted nothing of his brother's throne, had no desire to rule the country. The only thing he'd envied him was Mary and the way she looked at him, no matter what Francis did, or how he treated her.

Had she been Bash's he'd never have looked at another, would have defied anyone who tried to separate them.

Perhaps that was what he was doing now.

So he let her have her space and did as much of the work as he could, but he'd let her do what she could, if only to give her something to occupy her thoughts.

He looked up at her words and gave her a smile. "It will certainly do for a start. How much we might need through the night depends on how quickly it burns..."

Mary was probably one of the very few within the inner-circle of the French court who wasn't aware of Diane's rampant ambition to have her son succeed to the French throne instead of Francis. She honestly hadn't even stopped to wonder why he had been so eager to leave alongside her. He had just always been there to lend her a much needed hand, so at this point she supposed he was trying to look after her. She never would have guessed he was about to fall out of favor with the king.

"I'm sorry. I can milk a goat and I can make porridge, but I'm afraid I'm rather useless otherwise." There weren't any goats out here. The wilderness was much more rugged than she had anticipated, even for a girl who had spent the better part of her life in a convent.

"I can learn. Someone once told me, everyone should have a skill." Francis had told her that and just remembering that conversation made her heart ache. She knew Bash had to have questions. After all, who in their right mind would call off a wedding that would unite Scotland and France? Especially when she had obviously been waiting for such a wedding for a very long time.

"Well, if we find any goats, that will actually be very helpful, as I won't have any idea what to do with one," Bash told her with a small smile. "And I'm horrible in the kitchen, so you've one up on me there. Give me a fire outside, and I can manage us some meat, but anything more..."

He shrugged easily, trying not to make too big of a deal of any of it. At some point, she would tell him what had sent them running, or she wouldn't. He'd still be here.

"Skills are all well and good, but this isn't any trouble. I can teach you if you'd like to know, though. Whatever you'd like to know."

If he knew it. And if he didn't, he'd probably endeavor to learn, for her sake.

His comment about the goats made her laugh. Even she knew that the likelihood of find such a creature wandering the wilds was highly unusual. She wanted to be useful in some way. The very last thing she wanted was to be burden on Bash. He had always been so kind to her. She could love him, if she let herself, but in the wake of leaving Francis behind her heart was too much of a wreck.

"I've always traveled by ship or carriage. Do you know, I haven't been to Scotland since I was six years old? I can't say my mother will be happy to see me." She was supposed to come home with a king, but that was a dream long lost.

She sat down beside him, her eyes downcast.

"You can stay in Scotland if you like. You'll always be welcome to visit, Bash. You have my eternal gratitude for all you've done for me." At least in her court, he wouldn't have to rely on the favor of his father to remain alive.

Edited 2013-12-29 16:54 (UTC)

Bash was pretty sure that his brother didn't deserve her love. He'd been too uncertain of it, too slow to see how amazing she was, but that she loved Francis and that he had decided he truly loved her in return meant that he knew he had to keep his distance from her, at least emotionally.

But helping her, keeping her safe? That was his privilege.

And he was glad to see her laugh.

"I'm sure your mother will understand..." Not at all sure, really, honestly. His mother was quite displeased with him at the moment, after all. "And I...appreciate the offer. I might need to take you up on it. I'm not certain my father will take me back after depriving him of England."

"No, I'm certain she'll despise me, but I am queen and she is not. I'm not a little girl she can toss aside at the slightest whim." At the very least, her time at the French court had given her more than just heartache, it had also given her courage and confidence. She had grown from an uncertain young woman fresh from a convent into a strong willed queen.

She gave him a concerned look when he mentioned taking her up on her offer, "What do you mean? I'm the one told Henry I wouldn't have any part of his bid for England." She didn't yet know the circumstances surrounding Bash and his mother. "Are you in trouble, Bash?"

"You are indeed." He was watching her with admiration, a smile curling his lips. Watching her blossom had been a wonderful thing, seeing her come into her own.

Her question had him shrugging and he went back to setting up what camp they had. "Well, I am now. I've run off with the Queen of Scotland. We've spent the night alone. It's gold for both of our enemies, you realize?"

He didn't mind for his part, but he did worry for hers. He hadn't meant to risk her reputation, but there was no way some people wouldn't make that assumption.

Mary didn't catch on to what he was implying right away. Too much had happened in the last few days. She had been consumed with heartache over her choice and it didn't help that she had always been a bit naive to these sort of matters. Growing up in the convent would do that.

"Oh..." Her eyes widen when the realization hit her. "They won't think we ran off together to be....together? That's nonsense. I told Francis I was leaving of my own accord!" But she knew that wasn't how others would see it. She had been alone in the wild with Sebastian for two nights now. He was right, her reputation was at risk. Even if they had done nothing except ride together...

"We'll just have to deal with that when we come to it."

"I doubt they'll think that was necessarily our intention." Though Francis knew enough to know Bash cared for Mary, enough to warn them away from one another. "But, at the same time, I could neither allow you to go into the wild alone, nor had I any authority to drag you back bodily, so..."

He shrugged, giving her a wry smile. "You are a Queen. You will be forgiven. I...will be grateful for a place in your court."

Mary watched him move about and again, she felt more then a little useless. Even collecting firewood had turned out to be quite the chore. It was her corset, she hadn't removed it since she had left the Court. As fashionable as it was, it hindered all of her movements. Left her breathless at times.

"I'm grateful for your help. I don't know what I would have done out here on my own, I wasn't thinking clearly when I left." Then again, who could possibly think clearly under the intense weight of breaking off an engagement, ruining a wedding and an alliance, and breaking two hearts all in one day?

"You could have a land and title of your own, if you wished it." That way, at least he wouldn't have to be known as 'The Bastard' all the time. It was a very generous offer for Mary to make. He would still be ridiculed, but it would be in hushed whispers.

"I am happy to provide it." Bash gave her a sincere smile. If it was a touch self-deprecating, because both of them knew he was more than happy, really, so be it. His voice turned lightly teasing. "And you are highly resourceful. I'm certain you would have found a way to survive, even against the odds, out here alone, but. You would not have had the pleasure of my company, so I would have felt very bad for you on your journey."

He finished up getting the fire going, but looked up at her, surprised by the offer. "That's incredibly generous, Mary. And far more than I deserve."

Mary tried to memorize how he had made the fire. She knew there had to be tinder and that the logs had to be in a certain order, but she probably couldn't duplicate the process just yet. "I'd be lost without you, Bash. That is the plain and simple truth." Mary might have made it on her own, but she would have been half-starving and possibly might have fallen ill to the cold evenings.

"You were there for me when I had no one else. How can I not repay the favor? This time, you will be the stranger in my court. I do not want you to feel as I did in France."

He considered her predicament, out here without him, and gave her a bit of a smile, gently teasing. "Perhaps. Not that I doubt your capabilities, but...we are somewhat lacking both in supplies for porridge and goats."

He was still stunned by the offer. She could not make him legitimate, no, but with land, he could, at least, have a chance of making his heirs so. It wasn't like royal bastards were no ones. He did have the blood of a king in his veins. Not that there was anyone he wanted save her, but he had been raised at Court. He knew how to be pragmatic.

"Thank you, Mary." It's familiar, using her given name, but it seemed right for the moment.

"Agreed." Mary laughed alongside him. As tough as some people found convent life to be, living out in the wild was considerably worse. At least at the convent, the worst promise of food was porridge. Here, the worst promise was no food at all.

No, she couldn't make him legitimate, although if she could, she would have tried. Assuming he wouldn't try to take over the French throne. What she could do, however, is ease his transition from France to Scotland.

"It's no less than you deserve. I've never been a fan of blaming someone for their inheritance." Meaning, She never would have cared who Bash's parents were. What his status was. She had never seen him as the Bastard son of the King. He had always just been Sebastian to her.

"Of course, we have to reach Scotland first. It's a long way off."

Edited 2014-01-10 07:12 (UTC)

Bash had no desire whatsoever to take Francis's place except that if he'd been born to it, Mary might have been his. And he would have stood up far more to his father, for her. He would have had the security of position to do so.

It's not like Francis was going to get beheaded for standing up to his father.

"Well, I hate to come a beggar to your court, but I am realizing I will very much have to cast myself on your shores and beg your favor." The overly-courtly language was said with a teasing smile, serious, but not really.

He nodded a little. "It is, but we'll get there. It's easier, faster, traveling just two, with just the horses, than if you had your whole entourage, luggage and carriage."

Mary smiled back at him, laughing softly at the thought of Bash begging for anything at all. He'd never have to. She'd never allow such a thing. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?" She mused with a playful grin. Feeling for the first time as if the world wasn't ending. "I'm sorry to say you'll have to be happy with a title and land. Of course that means you'll have to stay in Scotland for awhile. You might even be forced to stay at court. How perfectly horrid."

She couldn't wait to see what her mother made of him.

"I left my ladies in waiting at court, I just hope King Henry won't send them packing for my rudeness. I'll send for them as soon as we're settled."

He considered that--or pretended to--for a moment. "Does anyone even know what to expect in a Scottish court?" he asked, teasing. She hadn't been there in a long time, he knew, but Scotland wasn't known for its luxuries. It was, however, known for its wild beauty and he was looking forward to seeing it.

"If he does, I think he would send them packing in this direction with escorts. He won't just kick them out into the world."

"No, least of all me." Mary hated how weak she sounded when she said those few simple words, but it was true. It had been over ten years since she had last been in Scotland. She wouldn't know what the current fashions were there, what the gossip was, or even what politics had come to light. But all of this could be learned and mastered in a fairly short span of time. Hadn't she done the same in France?

"But if it's not to your taste, at the very least you're always free to leave to your titled lands." Even though she knew she would see him periodically throughout the yeah, mostly during holidays when the court became overgrown with counts, lords, and dukes.

"I hope so. Especially considering his newest mistress is within my inner circle of serving maids." Mary didn't know how Henry would react, but she hoped her friend would be able to temper him if no one else would. Their actions would cause consequences, she certainly wasn't naive enough to fail to realize that.

"Are you eager to see it again, after so long away? Most of your life has been spent here in France--do you remember much of your childhood there?" Royal children were often raised in safety, but so rarely sent so far from home. He understood the political circumstances, but it still made him ache for her. Already he felt the pangs of leaving France--necessary for survival and he would adapt, but this was home.

"Which is still a little too strange to think about--especially tonight." He gestured at their campsite, their fire, giving her a wry smile. He didn't mind it, was trying, mostly, to lift her spirits.

"He does seem very fond of her, yes." But, then, Henry was fickle. The sooner her friend realized that, the better.

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The long journey ahead

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