Long May She Reign

s i x t e e n

A Pub Near the Castle, Scotland:

Lord Culpeper walked in the room. The others were already there waiting for him.

"The girl doesn't suspect anything, I suppose?" said Arron. No greetings, no "how are you." All this meetings were the same.. Sometimes Culpeper wondered why did he even join but it was too late to go back now. Too much was on stake.

"Of course, no." Stevenson answered sharply. "And you are back at court." he turned to the new comer. It wasn't a question. The message was clear. If you value your life than better be in the court.

"Yes, I am." Culpeper answered shortly. He didn't want to be here. He wanted this to be over faster. Not that later he will go to better place. No, he will be back at court where intrigues and murder attempts were part of every day's life. But at least he will see Mary...

"Day dreaming, again?" Stevenson smirked at him. "Don't worry I will let you have your fun with the Queen after her husband is death. After me, of course. " he laughed.

"You won't go anywhere near her!" Culpeper hissed.

"Or what?" Stevenson dared him, his smirk still on his face.

"That's enough!" Arron stepped in. "There will be no fights between us!" he looked each of them carefully. "Now any ideas how to make the king leave the castle?"

"We already decided that. It's going to be on hunting trip." Culpeper snuffled.

"Yes, but how will we kill him?" Arron corrected himself.

"Oh, that's easy." Stevenson stated "We will do it like the Italians." his smirked looking at a map.

......

The castle of Edinburgh, Scotland

Sebastian de Poitiers, a Baron now was making his way to the throne room. He was going to his first council since he was one of the crown's advisers. His heart was beating faster as usually because he was really worried. The throne room's doors were ahead of him. He took a deep breath before entering the big room. The other advisers were already there waiting for their Majesties. Sebastian noticed the way the other men looked at him. Of course they knew he was the bastard of the French king, they shared the opinion that he is nothing. And now the King and Queen dare to make him adviser! What a shame, what a shame!

After ten or so minutes Queen Mary and King Francis entered the room. Everyone bowed until their Majesties took seats.

"Today", Francis began. "We are here to discuss very important matters, gentlemen. First of all we want to announce that lord Culpeper is back!", the King smiled pointing the lord. "He gave us very important information about the English queen. She is getting married.", pause. "To a horseman."

Everybody started laughing.

"Elizabeth is going to marry Robert Dudley? Unbelievable!", said lord Stevenson as he was hearing the news for the first time. "This woman seriously lost her mind!"

"We can do nothing about it, lords, but luckily the marriage of the English queen won't bring her more forces that can attack Scotland."

"Only more horses", someone said and the room was voiced by laughter.

"Indeed, milord, although I don't think that now is the time for amusement.", Mary talked after a long silence. "My husband and I plan on leaving for France soon.", lord Stevenson looked at Culpeper. They had to do something quickly. "We will need a regent here. A man we can trust."

Bash got worried because Francis's look was at him all the time when Mary was saying her last words.

"The choice would not be easy. We ask you to be patient and we beg you not to try improve your qualities for we, as blessed by God to rule two powerful countries like France and Scotland, can make decisions by our own.", continued Mary. The gentlemen bowed and the rulers got up their thrones.

"One last thing: let's welcome the new adviser of the crown!", said Francis with a smile at his face while looking at Bash who smiled too. The lords bowed again even though they already hated the baron. Then their majesties left the room and so did the advisers. The first council of Bash was over and he didn't know what to think and how to feel about it. He didn't think it would be like this...

......

The King and Queen of Scotland were enjoying the fest separately tonight. Not because of problems between them. Not at all. They were simply interested in different topics for discussion. The women prefer to act as small girls and gossip about the prospective marriage of the English Queen to a horseman and the newest fashion from Italy. The boys, well, they will always be boys if there is no fight, it didn't intrigue him. That's why even on a fest like that, they couldn't resist making a new strategy or creating a back-up plan C or D for the upcoming war between Scotland and England in which they all believed. As the discussion went on Lord Culpeper asked seemingly concerned:

"And what if England is too scared to attack?" The immediate response to this question was the laughter of the drunk King's advisers. Francis who looked most abstinent, even though he had stopped counting his glasses of wine, answered after a while:

"Well, in that case, my dear Lord, I believe we have to find a way to entertain ourselves without the help of our eastern neighbors." he started laughing again with the group this time along with Culpeper.

"Well then, why do we have to wait for those filthy cowards the Englishmen?" said the very drunk Culpeper. "'Why don't we just find entertainment for us now and here?" they burst in laughter once again but Francis become serious for a moment.

"If you are talking about entertainment from the other gender, I will ask you to remember that most of us are actually married unlike you and Aaron." this statement made Culpeper literally fall on the floor with laughing and it took 5 minutes to Bash and Aaron to bring him back to his feet.

"Your Majesty, please! Of course I wasn't talking of these devils in human body called women." he paused to make sure Francis is listening carefully. "No I was thinking of something slightly more violent. As a hunt." he smirked at the end.

"A hunt. At these times? Would it be safe?" asked Francis concerned.

"I don't see why not, My King." Stevenson answered "And you will have the chance to get to know your own country better."

"What do you think, Bash? Are we in condition for traveling?" Francis turned to his brother.

"No harm ever came from having some fun."

"Well then, it is decided! We are going hunting." Francis announced to the hall before all of them start laughing once more.

......

Nostradamus woke up sweating. This was his first vision for weeks... Lions. Foxes. What does this all mean? He dressed new clothes thinking of what he saw. The lions are the masters of the jungle. Nostradamus drank wine. Masters... The key word. The foxes were shown basically as traitors. And the other animals as well. He remembered what he had heard when he was wandering in the villages near Edinburgh. The people no longer want Queen Mary and King Francis. So the people are the other animals. Mary and Francis are the lions. And the foxes? Who are they? Lord Stevenson? Lord Culpeper?

Nostradamus thought for a little while and got out of his chambers. Queen Catherine has to know!

A/N: Hello guys! First of all we owe you a massive apology for the late update. We have not updated in like ages??? But we hope you forgive us and we also hope that you haven't lost interest in our story. Enjoy the chapter and wait for the next one (you wouldn't have to wait that much)!! Love you and thank you for reading LMSR. Xxxxx