𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝕺𝖋 𝕰𝖓𝖌𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖉 | 𝕱𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖎𝖘 𝖁𝖆𝖑𝖔𝖎𝖘

XXIV | 𝕷𝖔𝖛𝖊'𝖘 𝕸𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝕻𝖚𝖗𝖊 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖒

Royal Court Of France

"I know what you are thinking" Catherine De Medici spoke as she entered my chambers. My ladies and I had just finished getting ready, but now they were all worried that this plan was just going to end in disaster. I wish I could reassure them, but I can't help but feel like this is us just placing our hearts on a silver platter "It's what any woman would think. But I have come to tell you not to be afraid. I'll be there when you enter the room, and I'll be there when you leave. Get through this night and these men will be gone from your lives" "Queen Catherine, we thank you for your kind words; but we have a right to be severely worried. The French Court is enough to scare us out of our wits as it is just because of how artificial people around here are. Now, there are men in here who aren't even faking their hatred towards us. You just don't understand, Your Majesty, what it is like to constantly have a target on your back" Kamille spoke up,  tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. I couldn't help but to feel a horrible guilt just because the only reason these girls are here in this danger is because of me. They came here by duty of me. Therefore, this is my fault "That is what you don't understand! I do know what it's like. When I was eight years old, rebels stormed the Florentine palace. Both my parents were already dead; but my name and my family's fortunes made me a target" I took a sharp intake of breath as Catherine's eyes began to tear up "At eight years old. War doesn't spare children. I was held hostage for years. Until finally they had to decide what to do with this Medici girl. Many of the soldiers, men just like these, they demanded that I be turned over to them so that they would...So that I would be shared" "Oh, Catherine" I spoke tenderly, taking a nervous gulp. She gazed over to me quickly before continuing "I can still hear their laughter outside the Convent. That sickening laughter" "What happened?" Jade wondered "The nuns and I prayed. We prayed for god to send the Pope and his armies to retake the city and rescue me in time. And then one day, the laughter stopped. It grew quiet. And I stepped out, into the sunlight, over their bodies, and Pope Clement welcomed me into his arms. I emerged intact and so will you if you have faith" Catherine finished as I breathed in sharply, taking a look at my ladies who all had tears in their eyes "We should get going" I spoke, wiping the tears from my eyes quickly and flattening out my gown "It should be beginning soon" I lead my ladies and Catherine out of the room as we made our way down to the feast. Prayers flowed fluently through my head as we entered the room. Being a strong Catholic by my mother's will, Catherine's faithful sorry was enough to give myself and my ladies the boost of faith that we needed "Gentlemen, please, my gift to you" Catherine spoke as we all took a seat at the large table. She opened up a chest of gold pieces, causing all of the men to laugh evilly. Their disgusting laughs were enough to make me want to vomit, the men all stood, except for Count, grabbing at the free for vigorously. As we began to eat, we heard the bell towers go off. Knowing that this was it, and Francis would be heading down to the passageways now, along with everyone who was escaping with him, Catherine and I have each other quick and unnoticeable nervous glances. I took a sharp intake of breath as I put on a bright smile and took a sip from my glass of wine. It's go time, I suppose "Count" I whispered politely over to the man, pretending as if I wasn't feeling well "I'm afraid I'm feeling a little bit...Straitlaced" "I beg your pardon?" "It's difficult to breath" I let out a quick cough, indicating to the Count that I was surely having breathing issues "Are you ill, Your Highness?" The Court leaned over, with a worried expression "No, my Lord, it's my..." I spoke, bringing my voice down to a whisper "Corset" "Perhaps you should retire until the...Uh, crisis is averted" The Court spoke unsure of himself "Thank you, Court" I let out an exasperated sigh "It's so difficult without servants. My ladies will attend me" I stood up as Jade wrapped her around my waist, helping me walk due to my sick condition. I let out a sigh of relief as we made it out of the dining room. Once we were out of sight, Jade let me go. Arriving at the place where Catherine's servant was waiting behind the door, the three of us stood around as I talked two sharp tape, like rehearsed previously in the day. Four sharp taps later, we were still standing outside with no answer to the door "Perhaps it's the wrong panel" Kamille whispered as I vigorously continued to tap the door. No, no, no, no. This can not be happening. The plan was working out so well "Glenda" I harshly whispered, now banging my hand against the door "Glenda!" "Jos-" "Where did she go?" I called out frantically "I will have her head for this" "Josette, take a deep breath" Jade tried to calm me as I did what she told. Our heads all shot up when we heard footsteps coming our way "Count Vincent sent me to find you" One of the Count's men spoke to us "We were just on our way back" I spoke up quickly with a tender smile. The man extended his hand as if saying 'after you'. I looked back to my ladies quickly before continuing our way back to the dining room when we entered the dining room, Catherine spotted us, her eyes opening wider than I thought possible "Count Vincent" Catherine spoke as she stood up quickly just before she walked over to the chest of gold "Isn't this enough? You know the King will go to war for his heirs" "What of it?" Count questioned "Can Henry give me the life I had a year ago?" He asked and Catherine sighed, knowingly "Then let the heavens fall" He took a breath before continuing "Enough. Thank you for the generous feast" Count stood up from his previous seat at the table along with his other men "Now, we will be on our way" "Please" Catherine hummed "Please do not take my children. What else can I give you?" Her eyes seemed to darken when she spoke her next words "Do you want women?" Catherine asked the man, causing me to furrow my eyebrows "Take them. Take their virtue"  "Catherine, no!" I yelled at the Queen. How could she just turn on us like this? I am appalled by this woman's actions. And to think that she was actually on our side "You liar!" Kamille hissed as I grabbed her hand tightly "They won't dare say a word about it. They would be ruined. You can have anything you wa-" "Give me your heart then" Count spoke angrily, drawing his sword "Carve it out and hand it to me, so that we might understand one another" Count angrily jammed the sword onto the causing us all to jump nervously "That is diplomacy, to understand my loss. To carry the weight of your dead heart with you every night and day until you find your grave! Roberto. Give me Roberto, and I will let your children live" Count spoke before walking past Catherine and over to me. I gripped Kamille's hand so tight that I'm surprised I didn't break the bone. I winced as Count stood so close to me that his chest was pressed up against my side "Forgive me, Josette, for I am not a gentle man" The Count gripped my waist as he pulled me to the sided harshly pressing me against the stone wall. I could hear the cries of my dear ladies being man handled by those other repulsive men. I looked around the Count's head as his hand gripped my neck, seeing a man beating Kamille on the ground "Kamille!" I cried out, tears steaming down my face "Stop this, you have no honor!" I screamed again just as the Count picked up my almost limp body before slamming me onto the table harshly "Let go of me!" I constantly cried as my vision began to blur. All I could feel were his disgusting hands roaming all over my bo dry and it absolutely repulsed me. But I was too weak. To weak to fight back to this loathsome man "Count Vincent!" Catherine screamed causing the room to go still. The Court gripped my hands rightly as I continued to shake under his grasp "Do you know why your son is dead? Because of you. Because, unlike me, you aren't willing to pay the necessary price. So, I'll make you a new offer. Take your hands off of Josette, and I will let you leave the castle with your life" Count smirked at the offer as he tightened his grip on me right before he was cut off by one of his men "My Lord? My Lord!" The Court turned back to see the men all having blood run down from their nostrils, his grip of my loosening as we watched his men fall to the ground "What...We-We ate the same food. We drank my wine" A confused look spread across the Count's face "Poison is an art" Catherine spoke devilishly "And the essence of art is surprise" "The gold" I hummed, coming to a realization. It was the gold that contained the poison. It all began to line up, even in my shaken mental state "I never touched your gold, Medici bitch" The Count pulled out his sword, but I reacted quickly by slightly sitting up from the table and grabbing a fork that was sitting on the table table already and Pierce it into the Count's neck as he fell on top of my smaller frame. I pushed him off of me, breathing heavily, tears still on my cheeks, as I ran over to Kamille and Jade. Before my eyes, Francis entered the room, finishing off the Count by amputating his hand "Your son awaits you" He hissed at the dead man before looking up to see me with tear stained cheeks and hair that was falling out of my previous perfected bun. He sauntered over to me, pulling me into his chest. I gripped his shirt as I felt him kiss the crown of my head. My arms wrapped around his back tightly, as did his to mine. I've never felt more protected in an embrace before. I let go of my love before walking over to my dear friend who had been severely beaten up "Kamille, I am so sorry" I cried as I embraced the broken girl "I'll be alright" Kamille cried into my shoulder as I calmingly rubbed her back "I'll take her to the infirmary" Francis spoke up as I let go of Kamille "Here, come with me. Take my arm" Francis gestured to my dear friend as I put a gentle hand on his back "It's alright" He spoke in a hushed toned, pulling her arm over his shoulder. I looked back at the dead body of the Count before looking at Catherine "That could have been me, Catherine. Or worse" "I know" The Queen simply spoke with a hurt look in her eyes "That story you told us. About the soldiers in Florence. The Pop and his men didn't make it in time, did they?" I questioned Catherine "The first lesson of ever learned was never to wait for a man's rescue. History is written by the survivors. And I am surely that"
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I had been tossing and turning in my bed all night. There was one thing I had on my mind. Why did Francis come back? I told him not too. What if the feast had still been going on and all of the men would have still be alive, and they would've seen that Francis had escaped. He probably wouldn't have even made it to Italy. He would've been sacrificed right then and there before our eyes "I couldn't sleep" I spoke as I entered Francis' chambers "Josie" Francis whispered, walking over to me. I immediately met my hand with his cheek harshly as he hunched over in pain, gripping his now reddened cheek "What was that for?" "Why did you come back?" I yelled, ignoring the boy's previous comment as I pushed my hands against his chest continuously out of pure annoyance. I felt tears roll down my cheeks as he tried to grab my hands and stop me from pushing him "You didn't know the gold was poisoned. It was one man against ten. They could've killed you. Why would you do something so stupid?" I yelled again as I tried to push him back one more time before his hands gripped my cheeks tightly, steadying my shaken form "Because I love you" He spoke aggressively, causing me to stop right in my tracks "And because clearly that for us to stay sane, we need to be together" "God, Francis, you are so stupid" I hissed at the boy again before he connected his plump lips with mine before I broke away again "I just can not believe-" He kissed me again, indicating that it was time for me to stop questioning him so much "You are lucky I love you so much or I wouldn't hesitate to slap you again" Francis continued to kiss me passionately as he pushed my back into his bed, climbing over me "Tell me when you want me to stop" He hummed, looking down at me as his hands brushed through my brown hair "Never" I brought my hands up to the nape of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair as our lips connected again. And at that moment there were no words that I could use to describe the love I had for this beautiful man.