Reign One-Shots

5. Francis Faints

I wrote this during history on paper, so it might not make sense. The comment asked for a sick day, but I probably made it more serious than you wanted, so I'm sorry for that.

"Darling, are you alright? You're looking a bit flushed." Mary asked in concern, putting her hand on her husbands hot forehead.

"Good God, you're burning up! Guards! Help - get Nostradamus or a physician, quickly!" Mary screamed in panic, barely able to catch Francis as he fainted. She somehow was able to keep his head from hitting the stone floor, all the while pleading, "Francis, stay with me darling, my love. Wake up for me, for James!"

Nostradamus rushed into the chambers, followed by Catherine. Nostradamus began barking out orders, servants running around like crazy, and everything was happening so fast. The feverish king was placed onto his bed, tonics being poured into his mouth at a rapid rate. Francis coughed weakly, his eyes opening to the sight of his queen crying by his bedside.

For a moment, he wondered why she was crying before he realized that she was worried about him. He weakly croaked, "Darling, don't cry, I'm not dead yet. It'll take more than a little fever to get rid of me."

"You're alive! Oh, thank God! I thought that you had left James and I - from now on you are not, I repeat NOT allowed to take care of James while he is ill. You were so hot, I thought you were dying! You simply cannot die - I couldn't live without you," Mary cried.

"I'll do my best, how is James doing? Are my sons alright?" Francis inquired worriedly.

"Jean never caught it, thankfully, and James and your fevers have broken. You evidently caught James' illness just in time, but almost at the cost of your life. To recover, you must take a tonic every hour, your wife can feed you soup with it." Nostradamus ordered.

"Of course, I'll take care of him. Can you please handle the nobles, Catherine?" Mary asked of her mother in-law.

"It will be my pleasure. Take care of my son." Catherine left.

Later that day, Francis was sitting up in bed looking at his concerned wife who was trying to get him to swallow some soup.

"I'm quite alright now Mary - but how do you feel?"

"Honestly, I've never been so frightened in my entire life. With the illness almost killing James,  I thought I would be widowed before the day was done. I worry that without you, I wouldn't be able to raise James into the man, the king he should be." Mary admitted.

" I am alive, and so is James. We will teach him how to be a great king someday - how to rule over more than one country. Perhaps his future siblings can be the Regent kings and queens of the countries he doesn't live in. Or, maybe James could be king of France, a future daughter named Anne queen of Scotland."

Francis and Mary spent the afternoon cuddling and planning their perfect future together, choosing names for their many children, etc.

"What a lovely dream, Mary."

"It is. I'll tell you more about Anne if you agree to eat some soup?"

"You drive a hard bargain, however I am inclined to agree if you add a kiss to sweeten the deal."

Mary agreed with a smile, and so Francis ate his soup like a little boy, eagerly listening to a story about a princess. Anne was her name, she was fierce, brave, loyal, beautiful, and intelligent.