Dinner and a Surprise

Celine awoke about four hours later and was surprised to see it was dark outside. She called her ladies in, Mary and Caterina, who brought a dress she had costume made for the period of mourning she knew she would go through. It is a grey flowing dress with long arm fitting sleeves. The neckline was aligned with mesh and a pearl and gold accent that matched the belt her mother had given her a few years ago for her sixteenth. She made this dress with everything she loved, a sweet heart neckline, flowing and touching the ground. She wore one of her mothers old crowns adorned with pearls and kept her hair in a braid from the ceremony earlier. Her shoes were changed to some flat gray slippers. She would wear this until the end of the week, when the mourning period ended.

She then went to the small dining hall where she had her dinner every night and was surprised to see her cousin Mary Queen of Scotts siting at the table waiting for her.

"Mary?! What are you doing here I thought mother had you locked up?"

"She did yes. But then she died and I was freed."

"I see, I have no quarrels with you. I always thought that out of everything she did you, were her one mistake cousin."

"Im glad to hear that. Now I know what you are going through, I myself went through this with the late king of France, Francis. Now his nephew prince Francis I hear is to come here for your coronation as well as the prince of Spain whom I don't even think will come in all honesty. So I am proposing you take a look at my son, James. He is only three years your elder but, he could be very good for an alliance as well as just a good person to have by your side."

"Thank you for your offer, I will send him an invitation and include information about him being a choice of a suitor. Than you Mary."

"Of course, I do hope you chose the best man for you as well as your country. Love will come in time, it won't be easy in the begging and it won't be easy ever. Love isn't easy especially not for a queen for she doesn't have the time."

Mary bowed and began to walk away, Celine stopped her and invited her to stay for dinner which Mary happily obliged to. The two women sat a chit chatted throughout dinner. Mary and Elizabeth never had a good relationship but Celine wasn't her mother. She set their differences aside and made her own friendships and allies. Mary knew this and was grateful that Elizabeth raised Celine to be strong willed and open minded and not like Elizabeth at all.

"As much as your mother and I disliked on another, she would be proud of you. You have already shown yourself to be a great queen which will make you a great mother and friend as well."

"I hope so, I want to be as fearful as my mother but as kind and gentle as the summer wind. I believe balance is one of the strongest characters I can have. The people need balance so if their queen is not balanced they will not be."

"Wise as ever Celine. I know the ways of being a queen, although Scotland was different from England but, I can still share my knowledge with you if ever need be."

"Thank you again, your help and guidance is much appreciated especially with the absence of my mother. I will miss her very much but I know her spirit is still here to help me and guide me when I need it."

"Indeed it is cousin. Now that we have finished would you like to take a walk in the gardens for some air? It has been a long day and I have a feeling we both need it."

"Yes please, lead the way."

The two cousins walked out and to the gardens at the back of the castle, this was where Celine learned how to shoot a bow and where she met one of her best friends. She never told her mother but she met a kitchen boy named Derek, who helped her align her arrow better and from that day forward became her best friend.

"Celine do you ever wonder where you'd be if you weren't a princess?"

"Yes, quite a bit actually, I think I would be a country girl or work for a family of the court perhaps a waiting lady. Where would you be?"

"Most likely living in the hills, going on small adventures to town and to the creek and also perhaps be a waiting lady. Your mother always hated Scotland because of the hills. I think she was just jealous of their beauty."

"I never knew why my mother disliked you, I believe that you were meant to be executed and on the day of my coronation if I am not mistaken?"

"You are correct, I threatened your mother because the English throne technically belongs to me since your mother was illegitimate, found as a baby outside the castle door and brought to your grandmother who decided to keep her and label her as her niece. So if I wanted to I could still take the throne from you. But, I am not going to. You and I are much alike and we have given each other no reason to dislike one another. Your mother knew that the only way or, at least in her mind, to keep me quiet was to have me executed. By the way I really hope you don't have the itch to execute everyone like your mother. But, thankfully for me the Spanish attacked, your mother called me down to her room and pardoned me the day before she died. In that moment for the very first time the air between us was calm and Elizabeth actually had a small smile on her face."

"That sounds exactly like her. I always thought her method of punishment was a bit extreme but you can not deny it was effective."

"Very true, but I hope that you will establish new methods of punishment instead of death as the first choice."

"I refuse to turn to death as a first choice. I find that barbaric, not that my mother was even in the slightest barbaric."

"Yes I do understand."

"I do remember one lady my mother had executed, by hanging? Im not quite sure, I was still young. Her name was Lady Lola I believe. One of the kindest ladies I have met but, she lied about whom she was to mother. Apparently she was a spy."

Mary sat on a near by bench and began to cry as though her son died.

"Mary what is wrong?"

"Lola, was one of my waiting ladies, one of my best friends and mother to my late husband Francis' son. I have always wondered why she just one day disappeared and never wrote. Now I know."

"Mary I... I am so sorry. I had no idea. But I do remember her with a baby, John was his name. "

"Do you know where he is?"

"Back at French court, my mother sent him back with the lord lady Lola came with."

"Thank the lord, I couldn't bare if something happened to him."

"Im sorry Mary for all the hardship that has fall on you... but, it is late. I must retire for tomorrow is a long day of planning for this coming weekend."

"Yes of course. Thank you for dinner and your time. When you do write my son, let him know I love him and that I will see him soon. Oh and mention that I am no longer a prisoner."

"Of course, let me have living quarters set up for you until your son gets here."

Mary excepted the kind gesture and the women walked back into the castle. They arranged living quarter for Mary and then went their separate ways. Celine knew that befriending Mary was a smart choice for herself but would it be a smart choice for England. She knew her mother would not think so but, she proceeded but, with caution. She trusted no one yet, not until they truly proved themselves. Celine got dressed and ready for bed. Things were changing so quickly but sleep was constant. This comforted the soon to be queen as she closed her eyes and went off into a dreamless sleep.