Reborn to be His

Chapter Five: Change of Plans

Francis was in deep thought. He had sent away all the woman he had slept with or fancied.
He wanted to improve himself in front of Diana. She had done more for her country and others since she was a small girl.
She was loved and respected by many all over the known world, and he just had to argue this to his parents.
He thought to start off with his mother first. She was his greatest support, and if he gave her sound reasoning, then she would do what she could.
He did not want to start wooing her and then find out he had ruined it all because his father forced him to marry Mary.
He saw the way his brother Andre looked at Mary, and to be honest, he wanted to encourage that.

Francis walked through the castle to his mother's Chambers. He found her writing some letter. There had been an investigation into this boy Colin trying to attack Mary a few days ago.
The boy vanished, but the incident remained and needed a bit investigating according to Andre.

Catherine looked up from her letter and saw her eldest son. She dried her letter before walking to him and opened her arms in greeting.

"Francis."

"Mother"

"What can help with?"

She asked without question as they walked to the table and were brought wine, then sent her servants away.
Francis seemed to relax in his mithers presence and at her question.

"I do not want to marry Mary."

He stated as fact, and Catherine could see he was serious, but there was something else.

"Well, you would not end such a union without a possible alternative?"

Catherine hoped it was who she thought, but she kept a stoic face.

".........Diana......."

He mumbled her name like a shy green boy, but her name brought a smile to his face.
Catherine felt a sigh of relief at the name because now she knew her son felt for Diana. Her plans could carry on.

"Does she return those feelings?"

He seemed to deflate at those words, and Catherine frowned.

"I do not know, she avoids me were possible and I did not want to risk her hating me of I finally managed to get her to love me and then I am given away to another woman.'

Catherine softened at that because she saw Diana look at Francis when he did not notice and when Francis looked at her.
The attraction was there, and she knew it could be more.

"Start now, meet her in places, randomly bump into her and give her little gifts or she loves to sow ask her to make a gift for me then spend time with her as she does it. It is the little moments that make it work."

Francis nodded and took his mothers words in because he could not treat Diana like the other woman at court because she was not like them and if his mother was encouraging him then that meant she had a plan to help him.

"I hear she is taking a walk around the gardens this morning."

Francis was out of his seat like a shot and waved his mother goodbye while she chuckled.

*Royal Gardens*

It has been a few days since Colin was brought to me after he was arrested. He told me what happened, and I had him shipped back home within a few days under a different cover.
I informed him that he would never see Lola again. Otherwise, it could mean his death.
We were sad about that but knew I would watch out for her and make sure she was safe. She is my best friend, after all.
Lola came drying to be about everything she said to Mary and what had happened before Colin vanished. I told her what I had done with Colin, and she was thankful that he was safe. Even if she never saw him again, then I asked my to join me as my lady in waiting. I agreed because I did not want Lola to feel she had no were else to go.
I was just looking over a letter from John Knox, he was currently in Germany after he left England when Mary Tudor came to power, it was as history said that he left when Mary tried to reinforced Catholicism but I knew that it would never work.
That was a big difference between me and Mary. She was a die-hard Catholic, and I was a Protestant, not that anyone knew. Of course, I would not say I was religious at all, but i had to at least show you believed.
I think that is why John liked me so much, I was smart and did what was right for the people.
I was walking in the garden, admiring the flowers when I heard someone walking towards me. When I turned my head, I saw Francis walking my way with a small smile on his face.