mary, queen of scots

we all die. question is, what we stood for while we lived 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[charlesixdevalois-blog]

{ in time ;; mary }

—their last encounter had come to an end somewhat abruptly; interrupted by urgent matters to tend to while they hadn’t even begun speaking in depth yet. for the better, as it turned out, for he would have hated to leave a conversation such as this unfinished. though, he could admit to himself alone, that it saved him some trouble, given that he had not been fortunate to cease the chance to utter a response to her words and revelations. in all honesty, the matter left him a tad perplexed still. was she being honest or just desperate? he hated how distrustful of people he was being, something he’d always had, but even more so since he was crowned King of France. and he was aware that perhaps he was being unfair to her and the truthfulness of her intentions, but he should not be entirely held accountable for it; it was mainly her constant speaking of her deceased husband, even when she herself brought up a matter such as this. the mentions of how she loved, loves and will continue to love him came in absolute contradiction to her proclamation of love to him. how can she possibly love them both? It made him wonder and left him confused. angry to himself that she had gotten so under his skin; that he loved her. yes, it is something that he has never admitted out loud and very recently allowed himself to think of it, too, but it cannot be denied. she might be the wrong person, but he has fallen for her for better or for worse and he cannot forsake the feeling that he will be making a mistake if he lets her walk away without them having a decent conversation first, thorough and in depth.

he toys with what little wine is still left in his goblet, leaned back against the velvety fabric of the chair, his eyes remained fixed on the rich red liquor. being on his third glass, his nerves were not feeling any more numb than they did before he started drinking; she was late, but he knew that she was going to come, she would show up. and he would wait, like he had done before, like he did when she disappeared after Francis’ death. he brings the goblet to his lips when the door opens, eyes immediately shifting to look over at that directions, and subconsciously he shifts in his seat, sitting up straighter now. it could be anyone, but he wanted it to be her; he wanted to get this over with but he also wanted to see her again since they had seen so little of one another after that evening; him being constantly surrounded by people, preoccupied with all the troubles of the French country, and France in general. and aside of having not had the chance to steal a moment with her, it also didn’t help that gossip surrounded her and the numerous men that had extended an invitation to her for an ally; which meant a marriage and therefore her leaving the French court once and for good. the thought makes him wince, quietly, but the sound of footsteps demands his attention and still he remains, lowering his goblet to the table.

[thequeenofscots]

mary stuart was never known to be one that left others waiting, and even though she had been tought that a true queen was never late, and that the rest of the world was simply early, the young queen never obeyed such selfish morales. all it was do her was some ridiculous lesson catherine had tried to hammer into her mind when she was much younger. mary had always had a mind of her own, and she never let negative sources effect her independent thoughts. as much as catherine clawed, mary never broke.

earlier that afternoon, she had found time to sit down and discuss an awkward and difficult situation with the new king of france. and without much of a response from charles, she had been very quickly pulled from her personal life and back into court as another political issue took presidence over her personal relationships. it was one of the many burdens of behind queen, and it was truly a challenge managing scotland from another country. but, her country always came before her. no matter what. and that would never change.

what had been dramatized as an “urgent matter” wasn’t anything more than a minor error in one of her trade agreements. it took far too long to correct, and her small council at court tended to overthink everything. she appreciated their dedication, but it tended to be rather annoying comprehending information on a different level than them.

the now-nervous-woman finally found her way to the king’s chambers, soft footsteps sounding up to the front of the door before she pulled on the handle to let herself in. mary could feel her heart race as she stepped into the room, nothing but the sound of her raging pulse filled her ears. their last encounter had been rather nerve-wracking, and all of the anxiety was suddenly returning to her.

she shifted to make herself comfortable before meeting his gaze, parting her lips to speak. “i apologize for leaving so abruptly..you wanted to speak?” mary said, her voice ratgwe quieter than usual.

she feared what he might have to say, but at the same time, there was hope in her heart that his words might not be so bad. at least now she would find out.

[contarinii-deactivated20240914]

thequeenofscots:

Mary nods, shaking her head slightly. “If anything, I’m spoiled by my mother. Never knew the joys of having a father, he died when I was very young.” She says, she had really never had a father figure in her life. Henry was kind to her when she was young, when she was roaming the castle with Bash and Francis when she was young, but he never had an influence on her life. She spent half of her life away from her mother, Catherine was really the only ‘mother’ she grew up to know. The Valois line was really the only thing she would consider her family, but that might soon come to ruin if she didn’t play her next few moves carefully.

“Catherine is like a mother to me, but sometimes it’s hard to love her.” She admits, but she sort of felt bad for talking about Catherine like this, but the mother of her late husband dished out what she deserved. Mary couldn’t help it, Catherine deserved the toxic discussions because she herself was a very poisonous woman.

“Francis was too good for me at times, but trust me Amanda when I say this, sometimes it was very hard to be married to him. You don’t know all of the details, even though you were very close to him. He hid things even from me, his wife. We would tell eachother almost everything. Francis was my world, and I was his, and looking back there are affairs I wish I had forgiven, or even affairs I wish I could have stopped. Even wholesome and loving relationships can have their downfalls, but my love for him never changed. It still hasn’t. I was lucky to have spent a year married to him, and I’ll cherish every moment until I die. Amanda, as a Queen in a political marriage, loyalty can become very hard.” She admits, looking down as she says so. Amanda had a point, but so did Mary. Being a Queen was hard, and she had only ever known being Queen of Scots.

“Now that Francis is dead, I cannot stay unmarried much longer. Men are threatening me into marriage, ghossip is spreading, widows won’t stop pittying me, Protestants are uprising in my country, and England threatens my throne as we speak. Without a husband, my claim is weak. Without an heir, it is even weaker. I need to move on Amanda, I cannot stay bound to Francis forever, even as much as I want to die with him. Scotland needs me, and I warn you I might make choices you do not like. It’s all for Scotland.” She says, trying to mask her sorrows for literally betraying Francis. If only Amanda knew, but she didn’t need to know. Not yet.

Originally posted by alienas

In regards to their parents treatment of them, the two seemed to have something quiet similar in common, though Amanda doubted very much that anything else regarding family, would be anything alike. So many of her brothers had been kings, after their father’s death, yet they were now all death as well, leading to her sister now bearing the crown. And now she was the only family she had left, a sister who she no longer recognized, and who would force her to marry even if she didn’t want to, which was unlike any other previous ruler from their family.

“I wouldn’t be able to either agree or disagree, as all I have heard of her is rumors and stories around court. I’ve never held a proper conversation with her.” There was one though, one that started with the mention of macaroons. Quiet strange, really, though there wasn’t much to the conversation. 

“He was a king. Of course he hid things from you. Private or political, he can’t chance rumors, and he can’t tell you everything, that’s just not how marriage between kings and queens work, no matter how much you love each other. Reputation is everything in such a status, you should be aware of that, of all people.” When she mentioned affairs, she raised an eyebrow as she looked at her. She knew Francis loved her very much, and that she loved him as well, and despite Mary being Queen in her own right, she was married to a king of another nation; and there was one basic rule, most royals should know about the king, in a marriage. “Have you never heard of the rule that it is a kings right to have mistresses? No matter how much it hurts you, then it is a fact you’ll have to accept, if you’re married to a king. You can’t cause a scene, because it is his right to have them. You don’t have the right to complain about it. You just shut your eyes and endure.— it has nothing to do with loyalty. And you do it, even if you’re the Scotland.” The moment you enter a marriage with a king, then it is simply a fact one must accept and endure. She had been taught that long ago, in case she should ever marry one.

“And I am not saying that you should not or that you should stay forever bound to Francis, politics concerning high ranking women against men, can turn out dangerous. More than what it would had it been against another man. Marriage is a choice which would make politically, best sense for you to do. Elizabeth may not be married, but she does still have great power. And any royal needs an heir, ruling king or queen, if it is a boy or girl matters not.— even if a boy is the most preferred. I have no ties to Scotland, I have no say in what you do. Should you make choices I don’t like, I may either express my opinion or shut my mouth, because Sicily is not even near Scotland.” 

[thequeenofscots]

Mary had never known being in line, Scotland was all she had ever known. But, had been hidden away half of her life, so France was the only country she had ever considered her home. It was the only home. Losing Francis, a childhood friend and lover, really put a dent in her heart because France no longer felt like home. She was scared, vulnerable, and widowed. Men were pressuring her daily for her hand in marriage, but the Queen turned down every noble or prince that had come her way. There was only one man she wanted before moving on to another suitor, it was possibly the only thing keeping her in France. If Amanda knew of her intention, she just might lose the woman’s respect.

“Catherine and I have always had our disagreements, but we’ve grown to become closer through Francis’ death.” Mary says, Francis’ name felt like a ghost to her. His name no longer had any life. Mary was finally at accepting the fact that he was truly gone forever. She didn’t want to be on Catherine’s bad side, it was not a good place to be. And she intended to keep things this way.

Bringing up Francis brought back memories Mary was trying to forget, Amanda simply just didn’t understand her sorrows, her pains. Her words were true, as they were words she didn’t want to hear. It was a hard pill to swallow, and the stubborn Queen refuses to take her medicine when it came to her husband’s mistakes. “My reputation sadly always had to come first...,” She trails off, “as a Queen, Scotland is always my duty.” Mary says softly, with a harsh honesty in her voice.

“It’s hard to be a lonely Queen in a man’s world.” Mary says, and it was the only comment she produced in reply to Amanda’s rant about a King’s right.

Tears threatened her eyes. “Francis and I promised to tell each other everything, we were supposed to love no body but eachoher. We broke that promise, and that is where our relationship went downhill.” Mary sighs, wiping her eyes as she looks over at Amanda. “That is in the past. You didn’t love him, I don’t think you could understand how hard it is for me to move on. It is my duty, my only choice is move on for Scotland. My country will always come first, and there were moments when Francis chose me over France. I was lucky to have him. I didn’t think I could ever walk again after his death, but here I am, strong as ever. My advice as a Queen, never trust any man. Be your own woman, don’t let any King make you kneel. Scotland is weak, Elizabeth is a bigger threat as she gains more supporters. I need the power of a King to move on, and believe me that I have tried to gain power. Protestants are poisoning my country.” Mary says, stopping to look over at Amanda.

“But for now, enough of politics. And know that whatever choices I make, and even if you dislike it, Sicily will always find an alliance with Scotland.” She says, a smile masking the pain she was hiding. Amanda was seriously going to hate her come the next few days, might as well get on her good side while she could.

[lucifer-chloe]

mary & kenna. (requested by anonymous.)

[thequeenofscots]

{ starter ; kenna + mary}

Mary hadn’t spoke to Kenna for as long as she could remember. She hadn’t heard much from any of her laides, to be quite honest. She missed the company of her friends, and was glad to have reconnected with Kenna. Her mourning had kept her from reaching out to anyone, and isolating herself from the people she loved did negative things to her mental and physical health. While Kenna was technically her subject, that meant nothing to Mary. Kenna would always be a friend to her, no matter what happened.

Mary sat in her chambers with her friend, sipping away at a goblet of wine as she talked and caught up with Kenna. It was a simple activity, but hiding away in her chambers kept her away from the stresses of court. The Queen looks over at Kenna, pursing her plump lips. “How have you been, I feel like I’ve been going on for too long about myself. I’ve really missed you, Kenna.” She says, smiling gently.

[xkennafleming]

She enjoyed this, despite she having done her duty as Marys lady in waiting they hadn’t sat down like this in a while. She could understand why - she had to deal with the loss of Francis in her own way. She raised her goblet to take a sip of the wine before leaning back slightly in the chair. ”I don’t mind Mary.” She assured her, and she truly didn’t mind it. She was happy just to see that the black curtain that had covered her dear friend for so long had started to lift itself of her. ”I’ve been good. Though now since Anthony came back to court I’ve seen myself having a lot of encounters with some of his noble friends.” She answered and shook her head slightly as a soft giggle escaped her lips. She knew he did it out of good and wanted to look after his sister. ”He never seems to give up .” She added with a laugh. She had the luck of being able to find her own suitor, though after the circumstances she may have a little less to say it. But for now, she was more than happy to atleast have a saying in it - no matter how many suitors her brother presented to her.

[thequeenofscots]

Mary smiles as she listens to her friend. All of the politics were behind that closed door, she was beyond happy that they could just sit and talk as friends. This was rare for Mary, but nothing seemed to have changed between her and Kenna. They picked up right where they had left off.

Kenna had always been the most outgoing of all of her ladies, in more ways than she would like to elaborate on, but Mary never judged her for it. She only did when Kenna did something that might cost her the title she was granted, but Kenna seemed to have matured immensely. “A suitor? That’s exciting, tell me about him. Oh please tell me he’s even a fraction as gorgeous as you are.” Mary says, talking as if she was a teenage girl. She wasn’t Queen of Scots right now, she was just Mary. It felt good.

Kenna, in Mary’s opinion, was the most beautiful of her ladies. She had a hard time admitting that, and would often find herself jealous of Kenna’s beauty and charm. She was over it now, but was still cautious of Kenna’s charm.

[contarinii-deactivated20240914]

thequeenofscots:

“It’s rare a man lets a woman choose who she marries. It’s surprising your sister is in charge of who you marry, and she shouldn’t be tolerating a man like her husband. Even though France wasn’t my country, Francis always made me feel like his equal. A man shouldn’t control his wife, he should care for her and love her. You deserve something like that, I don’t blame you for wanting to riot against your sister and her husband. It sounds like she’s a respectable and clever woman. I wouldn’t allow a man to treat me like that, I’m too stubborn. I hardly ever like taking advice.” She says with a laugh as she came to the realize how hot headed she actually was. Mary had never caught herself talking this much, not since Francis passed was she so talkative. The Queen was finally starting to feel like herself again, although she was mourning the death of Francis, and always would, she knew that he would always and that she had to move on. It was a hard pill to swallow, but it just further proved how strong Mary was.

As she listened to Amanda, she began to learn how similar they were. She laughs as Amanda mentions her own stubbornness. “I too am rather stubborn, it’s probably the reason Catherine hates me. Her feelings towards me change on the daily.” Mary admits bluntly, her smile change to a sly smirk.

Mary was well aware that the friendship between Amanda and Francis wasn’t just a friendship at times. She had not been entirely faithful to Francis either. “My dislike towards you was desvered, but I honestly forgive you. I wasn’t always an entirely faithful wife.” He admits, but choosing to shove any mention of Charles far into the back of her mind. If Amanda were to discover of what was going on between her and Charles, she surely would be furious.

“I may have been a little spoiled by my father, and I don’t think my brother’s bothered to change the deal my father made. She’s not just tolerating him, the two have some sort of understanding I suppose, regarding their rule perhaps. My sister is the one who has the power, but he’s got an influence on her choices as well, I would say. It’s a strange marriage. Based on the want for power, on his behalf at least, that much is easy to see.”  It was no secret that Amanda loathed her sister’s husband. He was by no means a man she could ever grow to respect, much less care about, how her sister was tolerating him, was beyond her. “Well, I’d like to have a marriage where it is based on love and we see each other as equals. However unlikely that is for someone of royal blood.” 

“I have yet to meet her, I do doubt that she’d take a liking to me.” She had yet to have a proper conversation with the king’s mother, and she doubted she’d like her, due to her involvement with both of her sons. One she was close with, to the point of rumors of scandals, the other she had managed to create a mutual dislike with, where there could have turned into a political mess due to him being crowned king, and it then influenced his relationship to Sicily.

Amanda couldn’t help but look at Mary with a raised brow, and slight narrowed eyes. Yes, sometimes they had shared a kiss, and yes, she did flirt with him more than she should have and there was at times a tension between them, that could have led beyond friendship.— but Francis always made sure it didn’t, and despite everything, she always made sure she didn’t go too far. More than that, it had never been. “Perhaps, but by no means to the extend of what you and the rest of the court believes. No matter the situation, Francis always reminded me of his love for you, and made sure that nothing far too inappropriate were to happen.” A kiss may have been inappropriate in itself, but it could have been much worse, and she did by no means mind, reminding the Scottish queen of that. “He did after all love you dearly, and wouldn’t dream of doing something that could eventually destroy your marriage.”

[thequeenofscots]

Mary nods, shaking her head slightly. “If anything, I’m spoiled by my mother. Never knew the joys of having a father, he died when I was very young.” She says, she had really never had a father figure in her life. Henry was kind to her when she was young, when she was roaming the castle with Bash and Francis when she was young, but he never had an influence on her life. She spent half of her life away from her mother, Catherine was really the only ‘mother’ she grew up to know. The Valois line was really the only thing she would consider her family, but that might soon come to ruin if she didn’t play her next few moves carefully.

“Catherine is like a mother to me, but sometimes it’s hard to love her.” She admits, but she sort of felt bad for talking about Catherine like this, but the mother of her late husband dished out what she deserved. Mary couldn’t help it, Catherine deserved the toxic discussions because she herself was a very poisonous woman.

“Francis was too good for me at times, but trust me Amanda when I say this, sometimes it was very hard to be married to him. You don’t know all of the details, even though you were very close to him. He hid things even from me, his wife. We would tell eachother almost everything. Francis was my world, and I was his, and looking back there are affairs I wish I had forgiven, or even affairs I wish I could have stopped. Even wholesome and loving relationships can have their downfalls, but my love for him never changed. It still hasn’t. I was lucky to have spent a year married to him, and I’ll cherish every moment until I die. Amanda, as a Queen in a political marriage, loyalty can become very hard.” She admits, looking down as she says so. Amanda had a point, but so did Mary. Being a Queen was hard, and she had only ever known being Queen of Scots.

“Now that Francis is dead, I cannot stay unmarried much longer. Men are threatening me into marriage, ghossip is spreading, widows won’t stop pittying me, Protestants are uprising in my country, and England threatens my throne as we speak. Without a husband, my claim is weak. Without an heir, it is even weaker. I need to move on Amanda, I cannot stay bound to Francis forever, even as much as I want to die with him. Scotland needs me, and I warn you I might make choices you do not like. It’s all for Scotland.” She says, trying to mask her sorrows for literally betraying Francis. If only Amanda knew, but she didn’t need to know. Not yet.

[elenaalvar-deactivated20200112]

To see you smile is to feel the sun, Your Grace.

[elenaalvar-deactivated20200112]

favorite mary outfits → season two

[lipgallaghaer]

☆ mary stuart + jewelry/accessories 

[thequeenofscots]

{ starter ; kenna + mary}

Mary hadn’t spoke to Kenna for as long as she could remember. She hadn’t heard much from any of her laides, to be quite honest. She missed the company of her friends, and was glad to have reconnected with Kenna. Her mourning had kept her from reaching out to anyone, and isolating herself from the people she loved did negative things to her mental and physical health. While Kenna was technically her subject, that meant nothing to Mary. Kenna would always be a friend to her, no matter what happened.

Mary sat in her chambers with her friend, sipping away at a goblet of wine as she talked and caught up with Kenna. It was a simple activity, but hiding away in her chambers kept her away from the stresses of court. The Queen looks over at Kenna, pursing her plump lips. “How have you been, I feel like I’ve been going on for too long about myself. I’ve really missed you, Kenna.” She says, smiling gently.

[contarinii-deactivated20240914]

thequeenofscots:

“I heard about that small political rebellion.” She says with a small laugh. “I honestly slightly admired you for that, I respect a woman with a fire for her own independence. Sadly, that is something we cannot control.” Mary says with an honest sigh, moving her hands from infront of her to rest at her sides. She hated being Queen at moments.

“I could always help you find a suitor, I have many connections and could put a good word it to your sister. It would sound impressive coming from a Queen, and you wouldn’t end up with some horrible man. Oh, I would just hate an old Catholic men who sees women as these innocent little dolls. They are truly so blind and in denial. It’s just sad we aren’t seen for more than what we look like.” Mary says, enjoying how well their conversation was going.

She looks over at Amanda. “I apologize for any dislike I’ve shown towards you in the pass. It was quite immature of me, but it’s just my natural instinct to defend what I love. I really should have given you a chance as my late husband was very fond of your friendship. Perhaps we can work on starting one, to honor his menory?” She says, and she truly meant every word that just came out of her mouth.

The fact that Mary took it lightly and even laughed at it, was refreshing to her, it had been a reaction she had yet to see from anyone, and she couldn’t help the small smirk forming on her lips. “I do try. Actually, I could. For a while.— that was before my sister became queen. I managed to convince my father and brother’s into allowing me to decide who I marry.” Something she had so dearly hoped she could continue with, but in the end had been unable to.

“Thank you, I truly do appreciate the offer, marriage is however something I am very picky about. It is after all a man I will have to spend much time with, and I’d prefer for him to be someone I can care about.— to not be a total strange. Which is also why I created such a mess to begin with. That, and because I can be incredibly stubborn, when I don’t get my way. It truly is, especially when a woman often are more clever than the man trying to control her.” Amanda said, the annoyance clear in her voice. In her case however, it was her sister, but she couldn’t help but believe that awful husband of hers, had a part in it. Her sister had never acted like this towards her, despite the two not being as close as they could have been.

Once again she was surprised to hear what Mary said. An apology was not what she had expected. “To be fair, I must say it wasn’t entirely undeserved. Yes, it was only friendship and nothing more, but I tend to flirt and tease a man purely out of boredom or for the fun of it. Rumors were bound to happen. And there wasn’t made much of an effort to create a friendship on my behalf either. But I’d like that. I could use some friends at this poisonous court.” The friendship between her and francis had been friendship, but there had still been shared a kiss or two, and despite no one being aware this being an actual fact, she still found Mary’s previous dislike towards her, very well deserved.

[thequeenofscots]

“It’s rare a man lets a woman choose who she marries. It’s surprising your sister is in charge of who you marry, and she shouldn’t be tolerating a man like her husband. Even though France wasn’t my country, Francis always made me feel like his equal. A man shouldn’t control his wife, he should care for her and love her. You deserve something like that, I don’t blame you for wanting to riot against your sister and her husband. It sounds like she’s a respectable and clever woman. I wouldn’t allow a man to treat me like that, I’m too stubborn. I hardly ever like taking advice.” She says with a laugh as she came to the realize how hot headed she actually was. Mary had never caught herself talking this much, not since Francis passed was she so talkative. The Queen was finally starting to feel like herself again, although she was mourning the death of Francis, and always would, she knew that he would always and that she had to move on. It was a hard pill to swallow, but it just further proved how strong Mary was.

As she listened to Amanda, she began to learn how similar they were. She laughs as Amanda mentions her own stubbornness. “I too am rather stubborn, it’s probably the reason Catherine hates me. Her feelings towards me change on the daily.” Mary admits bluntly, her smile change to a sly smirk.

Mary was well aware that the friendship between Amanda and Francis wasn’t just a friendship at times. She had not been entirely faithful to Francis either. “My dislike towards you was desvered, but I honestly forgive you. I wasn’t always an entirely faithful wife.” He admits, but choosing to shove any mention of Charles far into the back of her mind. If Amanda were to discover of what was going on between her and Charles, she surely would be furious.

[devaneiossuspensos]

Mary Stewart + full black dresses part 3 

parts 1 & 2

[maggieandbeth]

get to know me: favourite female characters [4/5] → mary stuart (reign)

“I’d defy the Devil himself if he tried to buy and sell my country.”

[contarinii-deactivated20240914]

theroseofscots:

Mary was adapting quickly to getting back into her duties, and she was doing rather well. France hadn’t entirely forgotten about her rule, so walking the halls of court was still intimidating. She had considered returning to Scotland, but she honestly had no idea when that would be. The English were still a threat and Mary did not want to risk her life and lose her throne to Elizabeth. Scotland was her onmy true love now. While she was still pained with the memory of Francis, recovery was healthy for the queen to be going through. She had never lost anyone extremely close to her to be quite honest. There was Lady Aylee, but Mary hadn’t known her well outside of their childhood at French court.

Mary studies Amanda’s face as she speaks, keeping her hands folded politely infront of her as they walked. Amanda was rather beautiful. Her small pointed chin, tiny nose, bow lips, and sleek hair were all featured Mary was rather envious of. The Queen of Scots really wanted to overcome her jealousy of Amanda’s closeness with Francis. She needed friends at court, and Amanda was one that seemed like a respectable woman she could grow to trust. Her ladies had been rather distant lately, Catherine was always intimidating to Mary, she couldn’t remember the last time she spoke with Sebastian, and things were rather complicated in general between her and the Valois family.

Mary directs her eyes towards Amanda. She was clearly upset, and Mary couldn’t blame her. “I miss him, too.” She says sympathetically. “We all do.”

Mary let’s silence linger for a moment before changing the subject quickly. “Are you on the look for any suitors?” She asks. Usually, when a princess was at court, her intent was usually to look for a suitable husband. Mary didn’t mean to sound headstrong or intrusive, she really was just trying to make conversation.

Amanda wasn’t sure what to think of their conversation so far. It was going better than she imagined any conversation she would have with Mary, ever would be, having expected something more tense or awkward. However she also thought it may be because of the circumstances, which was probably the reason why. And despite it, she was thankful for it, she didn’t need another person to express their dislike for her.— she had enough of that at the moment.

She could feel Mary’s gaze on her, while she spoke, and for the moment, she couldn’t figure out whether or not it was a bad or good thing. It wouldn’t surprise her if the queen already had an image made of her. Court gossip wasn’t uncommon, and considering her closeness with Francis, it would be understandable if Mary had payed particular attention to those surrounding her. Many of which were all something which would paint her in a bad light. She did, after all, not have many friends at court. And she doubted it would change any time soon.

Giving a small nod, she could do nothing but agree with her. It must also have been very hard on her, Francis had been her husband, and it was obvious to most that the two had loved each other, very much.

Her question surprised her, but then again, it was often what foreign royals in foreign courts would be there for. It had also originally been what she had been there for. “I suppose I should be. I did however create a bit of a mess with the last possible suitor I had gotten arranged with, a mess which I need to fix first. I’m sure you’ve heard of that as well, around court. Prying ears and gossip is after all not an unusual thing. ”

[thequeenofscots]

“I heard about that small political rebellion.” She says with a small laugh. “I honestly slightly admired you for that, I respect a woman with a fire for her own independence. Sadly, that is something we cannot control.” Mary says with an honest sigh, moving her hands from infront of her to rest at her sides. She hated being Queen at moments.

“I could always help you find a suitor, I have many connections and could put a good word it to your sister. It would sound impressive coming from a Queen, and you wouldn’t end up with some horrible man. Oh, I would just hate an old Catholic men who sees women as these innocent little dolls. They are truly so blind and in denial. It’s just sad we aren’t seen for more than what we look like.” Mary says, enjoying how well their conversation was going.

She looks over at Amanda. “I apologize for any dislike I’ve shown towards you in the pass. It was quite immature of me, but it’s just my natural instinct to defend what I love. I really should have given you a chance as my late husband was very fond of your friendship. Perhaps we can work on starting one, to honor his menory?” She says, and she truly meant every word that just came out of her mouth.

[contarinii-deactivated20240914]

@theroseofscots

Mary’s eyes softened as she gazed upon Amanda, and she bowed her head in respect to the brunette. The Queen gave a small smile at Amanda’s comment. “Well, I am no longer the Queen of France. To be honest, wandering seems to be all I do.” Mary said with a small laugh, but a tinge if pain was noticeable in her tone.

No longer the Queen of France…

Mary winced at the memories. She tried to hide her sorrows, but the mask she wore wouldn’t get her far. While she still had Scotland, losing the French throne took a toll on her country. Losing Francis took toll on her heart, and while she was recovering well, she still was pained beyond words.

The memory of Francis was still with her although she had finally accepted his passing. It took her awhile to, but she was permitted to mourn deeply as he was the man she was supposed to spend forever with. But life changed for her in the blink of an eye, and the shock stuck with her for awhile. While she was looking a lot healthier, the Valois name was still messing with her emotions. She was flooded with confusing emotions for Valois men, so she was just happy to be faced with another female that didn’t share a relation to Francis. Catherine had been good to her since his passing, but Mary knew a part of her would always keep Francis alive for Catherine. As long as Mary was around in court, she knew it would be hard for her late mother in law to be around her without being reminded of her favorite son.

“Royal duties have slipped my mind since my husband’s death, and getting back into court has been rather interesting. I’m still adjusting to no longer being Queen, but it’s gotten much easier to be honest. Enough of me, how have you been?” She said as she walked over to join the female. It’s almost as if she didn’t want to say Francis’ name directly. She knew he and Amanda had been close, and to be honest, she was a threat to Mary when it came to her husband. The Scottish Queen was a very paranoid woman and was easily jealous of any woman who had even looked at her husband, even in the strained moments of her relationship. She had sought out the company of another man behind his back, she betrayed him in simpler words. She didn’t feel sorry for it, even in his death, but she would always have a fire for him that would never die. And it was just the truth.

Amanda had always had the impression that Mary had some amount of dislike for her, one caused by rumors about her and Francis, about how close the two were as friends.— what with everything always being twisted into rumors far from truth, in the french court. Any court, really. “That’s understandable.”  She noted, not saying much else on the topic, not wanting to push it into something that would be an uncomfortable conversation for both of them. It was easy to see on the queen, that she was still deeply hurt by it. Not that she, herself, wasn’t.

“I may not have as much responsibility as you, as I am no queen and only a princess, but I have not thought of any, either. Court is always like this. No matter which country you are in.” The only thing she had been thinking of, was her behavior, something she had to think of, but she hadn’t thought of anything else. It surprised her again, how she would ask about how she was feeling about Francis’s death. Not because she thought that Mary was rude as a person, but because of the two’s relationship with each other and how it was bound with each of their relationship to francis. “I am slowly being able to once again focus on duties, better than before.” The princess didn’t want to turn the conversation into a sad one, as it wasn’t what she needed right now. Right now, she wanted a break, she was mourning, but she needed to think of something else. As best as she could at least.

[thequeenofscots]

Mary was adapting quickly to getting back into her duties, and she was doing rather well. France hadn’t entirely forgotten about her rule, so walking the halls of court was still intimidating. She had considered returning to Scotland, but she honestly had no idea when that would be. The English were still a threat and Mary did not want to risk her life and lose her throne to Elizabeth. Scotland was her onmy true love now. While she was still pained with the memory of Francis, recovery was healthy for the queen to be going through. She had never lost anyone extremely close to her to be quite honest. There was Lady Aylee, but Mary hadn’t known her well outside of their childhood at French court.

Mary studies Amanda’s face as she speaks, keeping her hands folded politely infront of her as they walked. Amanda was rather beautiful. Her small pointed chin, tiny nose, bow lips, and sleek hair were all featured Mary was rather envious of. The Queen of Scots really wanted to overcome her jealousy of Amanda’s closeness with Francis. She needed friends at court, and Amanda was one that seemed like a respectable woman she could grow to trust. Her ladies had been rather distant lately, Catherine was always intimidating to Mary, she couldn’t remember the last time she spoke with Sebastian, and things were rather complicated in general between her and the Valois family.

Mary directs her eyes towards Amanda. She was clearly upset, and Mary couldn’t blame her. “I miss him, too.” She says sympathetically. “We all do.”

Mary let’s silence linger for a moment before changing the subject quickly. “Are you on the look for any suitors?” She asks. Usually, when a princess was at court, her intent was usually to look for a suitable husband. Mary didn’t mean to sound headstrong or intrusive, she really was just trying to make conversation.

[heavyishercrown-blog-deactivate]

[charlesixdevalois-blog]

theroseofscots:

Mary looks up at the King with an almost offended look on her face. How dare he say that about her motives. Mary was about to question his audacity, but his words repeat in the back of her head.

‘You say the words like you don’t mean them, Mary…’

She winces to herself again as the words of Charles repeat once more. She furrows her brows and feels her nostrils flare as she opens her mouth to throw a remark at him for accusing her, but she holds her tongue and falls back into her seat. She simply grows a soft expression on her face as she is immediately sorry for almost snapping at Charles. Mary didn’t need to verbally apologize, it was clear in her face that she felt bad for almost letting her anger get the best of her. Sometimes, the Scot’s fire was not her strongest trait.

It’s as if he was accusing Mary of wanting to use him as a pawn, some sort of object for her to feed off of as she mourned. While Mary will admit she that Scotland needs the support of a King at its side, Mary would never use someone for her own personal gain. She felt like France was using her before she was wed to Francis. She would especially never use anyone she loves. While her words might have sounded forced, it was all simply her trying to force herself to be honest with Charles. Mary couldn’t just hide it forever. She hadn’t been very emotionally honest with anyone lately, her mourning had gotten in the way of that. The death of her husband had caused her to go cold. Mary was truly a caring and warm person, but her warmth had been put out by the cold and she didn’t know why.

She stares at him for a long moments before she speaks again. Mary kept it quiet as she took in his few, but rather meaningful words. She didn’t really quite know how to respond to Charles, he was half right.

“I’ll admit, I am forcing these feelings from my mouth. But it’s not because I’m just trying to be blunt and cold, it’s because I have been trying to find the courage to come to you with this information, Charles.” She said with a calm honesty in her voice, for a moment, you could almost feel the Queen’s usual warmth. A distant cold was still noticeable in her voice, but it was only her grief trying to get through.

“I’m just going to be honest with you, Charles. To be frank, Francis’ passing did a great deal of damage to my heart, and I don’t think I’ll ever recover. To be quite honest, I am finally just able to talk about Francis without breaking down. I truly love Francis, I always will. But in his last months alive, he and I grew apart and I found new feelings for you I didn’t know I had. Nor did I know how much they would really mean to me. I don’t regret the moments I spent with you, please believe me me when I say that, Charles. While I betrayed Francis, I can’t say he’s innocent either. Your brother has also betrayed my marriage to him, several times.” Mary says.

The Queen leans forward ever so slightly as she continues to speak. “Charles, I need a marriage to aid in securing my claim to the throne or Scotland will fall. France has been one of our strongest allies, and I will forever be greatful. Scotland will always be an ally to France when you need us, you know that. Sooner or later I will need a husband, but I want to have a fighting chance for love, the kind of love I had with Francis. I know I can find a true relationship with you, Charles. I have come to ask you to reconsider the engagement that was originally planned out for us before Francis passed.” The Queen trails off as she contemplates her next words.

“I want you to marry me.”

“If not, I understand and will walk away with grace. Just please take a moment and think about my words.” Mary says, her usual warmth was ever so noticeable as she truly meant what she was saying.

—he watches her expression shift and alter in a matter of seconds; from cold, distant, offended and angry, to a softer one. it almost reminds him of the Mary who he came to know, the woman he spent a partial of time with at some point. even going as far as to betray his brother for her, a ultimate show of the strength which his feelings for her bore. and now he feels indifferent; he gets the impression that she feels she is obligated to do and say certain things to remain in his favor. however, none of such thoughts becomes visible by any means. and in the long, silent moments that follow, with neither of them willing to break the silence and carry on with their conversation, the King rests back in his seat, less tense now. an audible sigh falls from his lips. eyes remaining fixated on her.

she speaks and he listens, no interruptions whatsoever, not even with a slight alternation in his expression, so to say. he may have grown tougher since his coronation, but he is still the same carrying, freedom loving Charles he was before he became King of France. he needs not to make her feel bad, but this is hurting him too even though it is not showing for the slightest bit.

“you speak in contradictions, Mary…” he sighs, leaning forward in his seat for a short moment, eyes meeting her gaze. and his heart does this stupid little thing It always does when he sees her, but he quickly gets a hold of himself, determined to not let this get to him more than it is necessary. at the thought, he averts his gaze for a second, draws in a breath and pushes himself up, off of his seat. he paces a bit away, to the open window at the other end of the room, stands before it for a long moment. he wants his words to be thought out, calculated. knowing himself, he doesn’t want to say anything that will sound bad, or accusing. if anything, he wishes the best for both himself and Mary, no matter how things will end up between them, but he cannot help but feel that there is more to it than she lets on. that her feelings are not all that genuine but the main reason why she is here, in his chambers, is because she needs to find an alliance for Scotland through marriage and her last words confirm that. and it is not just that which bothers him, but also how she keeps on mentioning his late brother, their love and how much she still loves him. he already has enough people comparing him to the late king, he doesn’t need her to do the same.

“Mary….” he says, but the following words die before they reach his tongue. “I understand the position you are in, as Queen.” he continues after a short few moments of silence, eyes meeting hers, holding her gaze. “but…I get the feeling that this is more about finding a strong alliance for Scotland, rather than you having feelings about me…” he may be sounding unfair or even too suspicious and it may be irritating her, but he somehow cannot shake this feeling, which bothers him more than he lets on; if he is going to be with someone, he wants them to be with him because of him, and not for anything else. and certainly not because he reminds her of his brother in any way.

leaning against the window frame, facing her, he sighs, a barely audible sound. she says that she wants him to marry her, heart stopping for a long moment but he quickly collects himself. “besides, how would your people and the people of France perceive that?” he questions, hands crossing in front of his chest. “…how will Catherine and Sebastian perceive that?” he asks in a more of a rhetorical manner, for he believes that Catherine, of all people, would be furious with the both of them if she ever found out; Francis had always been her favorite after all.

[thequeenofscots]

Mary sits back in silence, not daring to break the dead quiet between her and the King. A nervous feeling arose in her stomach as she dared not to look at Charles, in fear of what he might say next. She bites her lip absentmindedly as her feel pull away at the dead skin on her chapped lips. The Queen was on edge, and her heart was racing beyond her control, but she kept stone cold still, again not daring to show weakness. She slightly jumps as Charles breaks the silence to speak after processing what she had said to him.

“...speak in contradictions.”

She looks up to meet his gaze as he slighlty leans over, but feels a bond between them shatter as he quickly pulls away, almost as if he was ashamed of himself. The Queen of Scots still remains quiet as he stands, walking over to the other side of the room to take a moment. He knew Charles was trying to be gentle, and she understood what the outcome of this conversation would be. Sometimes the Queen was just so direct, it pained her to have such a bold opinion at times.

“Charles, if I only wanted an alliance for Scotland, I would have left the country the minute Francis died.” She says, and then it hit her. Mentioning Francis like this to Charles? It wasn’t fair to him for her to bring him up in a conversation like this. She immediately grew solemn, and cursed herself for not ever thinking before she spoke. It was truly one of her biggest downfalls.

She stands up and takes a few steps away from where she stood, turning over her shoulder as he mentioned how the people of France and Scotland would react, as well as Catherine and Bash. Mary hadn’t entirely considered that, but politics were politics and nothing much would change between the countries, and that was a plus. Catherine always had hated Mary, so what if she pissed her off again. Bash, she knew, would never turn away from her. He had proven to be a good friend to her, even though she had chosen Francis over him in the past. The Queen closes her eyes as she releases a small sigh, shaking her head. She really had dragged herself into a mess. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have been talking of Francis when confronting you about this, Charles.” Mary says in a solemn tone as she looks over at him as he faces out the window.

“If I only wanted an alliance, I wouldn’t be asking you. There are many available men, but I don’t love them. And I don’t think I ever could. Yes, the alliance is a positive, but love is so rare, Charles. You don’t just marry for love as a royal, you marry for the alliance and power most of the time. That’s the downfall of people like us, and it’s your duty as King. France and Scotland are strong together, and we could be strong together, happy. In conclusion, I guess I’m honestly just trying to come up with a good excuse to get you to marry me because I am still in love with you.” Mary says softly

“Charles, you’re not going to find another Queen who you could have something real with. It’s just so rare for people like us, I speak through experience when I say that.” She murmurs sweetly, and she had a point. Mary knew how to run a country, she knew what being royalty was really like. Charles was young, and that was something he was going to have to learn.

“The reality of being a queen or king, not everyone will love you, and you won’t always be in love with the person you are married to. Love is so rare for people like us.” She says

“The timing is so horrible right now, Charles.”

[charlesixdevalois-blog]

theroseofscots:

Mary looks up at the King with an almost offended look on her face. How dare he say that about her motives. Mary was about to question his audacity, but his words repeat in the back of her head.

‘You say the words like you don’t mean them, Mary…’

She winces to herself again as the words of Charles repeat once more. She furrows her brows and feels her nostrils flare as she opens her mouth to throw a remark at him for accusing her, but she holds her tongue and falls back into her seat. She simply grows a soft expression on her face as she is immediately sorry for almost snapping at Charles. Mary didn’t need to verbally apologize, it was clear in her face that she felt bad for almost letting her anger get the best of her. Sometimes, the Scot’s fire was not her strongest trait.

It’s as if he was accusing Mary of wanting to use him as a pawn, some sort of object for her to feed off of as she mourned. While Mary will admit she that Scotland needs the support of a King at its side, Mary would never use someone for her own personal gain. She felt like France was using her before she was wed to Francis. She would especially never use anyone she loves. While her words might have sounded forced, it was all simply her trying to force herself to be honest with Charles. Mary couldn’t just hide it forever. She hadn’t been very emotionally honest with anyone lately, her mourning had gotten in the way of that. The death of her husband had caused her to go cold. Mary was truly a caring and warm person, but her warmth had been put out by the cold and she didn’t know why.

She stares at him for a long moments before she speaks again. Mary kept it quiet as she took in his few, but rather meaningful words. She didn’t really quite know how to respond to Charles, he was half right.

“I’ll admit, I am forcing these feelings from my mouth. But it’s not because I’m just trying to be blunt and cold, it’s because I have been trying to find the courage to come to you with this information, Charles.” She said with a calm honesty in her voice, for a moment, you could almost feel the Queen’s usual warmth. A distant cold was still noticeable in her voice, but it was only her grief trying to get through.

“I’m just going to be honest with you, Charles. To be frank, Francis’ passing did a great deal of damage to my heart, and I don’t think I’ll ever recover. To be quite honest, I am finally just able to talk about Francis without breaking down. I truly love Francis, I always will. But in his last months alive, he and I grew apart and I found new feelings for you I didn’t know I had. Nor did I know how much they would really mean to me. I don’t regret the moments I spent with you, please believe me me when I say that, Charles. While I betrayed Francis, I can’t say he’s innocent either. Your brother has also betrayed my marriage to him, several times.” Mary says.

The Queen leans forward ever so slightly as she continues to speak. “Charles, I need a marriage to aid in securing my claim to the throne or Scotland will fall. France has been one of our strongest allies, and I will forever be greatful. Scotland will always be an ally to France when you need us, you know that. Sooner or later I will need a husband, but I want to have a fighting chance for love, the kind of love I had with Francis. I know I can find a true relationship with you, Charles. I have come to ask you to reconsider the engagement that was originally planned out for us before Francis passed.” The Queen trails off as she contemplates her next words.

“I want you to marry me.”

“If not, I understand and will walk away with grace. Just please take a moment and think about my words.” Mary says, her usual warmth was ever so noticeable as she truly meant what she was saying.

—he watches her expression shift and alter in a matter of seconds; from cold, distant, offended and angry, to a softer one. it almost reminds him of the Mary who he came to know, the woman he spent a partial of time with at some point. even going as far as to betray his brother for her, a ultimate show of the strength which his feelings for her bore. and now he feels indifferent; he gets the impression that she feels she is obligated to do and say certain things to remain in his favor. however, none of such thoughts becomes visible by any means. and in the long, silent moments that follow, with neither of them willing to break the silence and carry on with their conversation, the King rests back in his seat, less tense now. an audible sigh falls from his lips. eyes remaining fixated on her.

she speaks and he listens, no interruptions whatsoever, not even with a slight alternation in his expression, so to say. he may have grown tougher since his coronation, but he is still the same carrying, freedom loving Charles he was before he became King of France. he needs not to make her feel bad, but this is hurting him too even though it is not showing for the slightest bit.

“you speak in contradictions, Mary…” he sighs, leaning forward in his seat for a short moment, eyes meeting her gaze. and his heart does this stupid little thing It always does when he sees her, but he quickly gets a hold of himself, determined to not let this get to him more than it is necessary. at the thought, he averts his gaze for a second, draws in a breath and pushes himself up, off of his seat. he paces a bit away, to the open window at the other end of the room, stands before it for a long moment. he wants his words to be thought out, calculated. knowing himself, he doesn’t want to say anything that will sound bad, or accusing. if anything, he wishes the best for both himself and Mary, no matter how things will end up between them, but he cannot help but feel that there is more to it than she lets on. that her feelings are not all that genuine but the main reason why she is here, in his chambers, is because she needs to find an alliance for Scotland through marriage and her last words confirm that. and it is not just that which bothers him, but also how she keeps on mentioning his late brother, their love and how much she still loves him. he already has enough people comparing him to the late king, he doesn’t need her to do the same.

“Mary….” he says, but the following words die before they reach his tongue. “I understand the position you are in, as Queen.” he continues after a short few moments of silence, eyes meeting hers, holding her gaze. “but…I get the feeling that this is more about finding a strong alliance for Scotland, rather than you having feelings about me…” he may be sounding unfair or even too suspicious and it may be irritating her, but he somehow cannot shake this feeling, which bothers him more than he lets on; if he is going to be with someone, he wants them to be with him because of him, and not for anything else. and certainly not because he reminds her of his brother in any way.

leaning against the window frame, facing her, he sighs, a barely audible sound. she says that she wants him to marry her, heart stopping for a long moment but he quickly collects himself. “besides, how would your people and the people of France perceive that?” he questions, hands crossing in front of his chest. “…how will Catherine and Sebastian perceive that?” he asks in a more of a rhetorical manner, for he believes that Catherine, of all people, would be furious with the both of them if she ever found out; Francis had always been her favorite after all.