Tu Es Ma Lumière

64 - Meeting Family - Part 2 *Modern*

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Prompt - I know it is a one shot, but the actual introduction to Catherine might be fun

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Having grown up with a mother as absent as Marie de Guise -nee Stuart- who, most of the time, was either too drunk or high to even notice she had a daughter- Mary Stuart didn't think that she could be intimidated by a potential mother in law. Any other potential candidates either didn't like her from the start, were laid back, or at worst, a little strict. So, when she met Francis, she didn't think meeting his mother would be all that bad. After all, mostly, she had been given positive marks at the whole meeting family thing. Well, she was wrong. 

The embodiment of that theory stood a few feet away from her and one of her best friends. She was talking to her second-born daughter, Claude. Mary could sense Catherine wasn't happy with her third child, something that already put she and Kenna at a disadvantage. Something about the way Claude dressed or acted or lived, by the sounds of it. She hoped that if they stayed quiet enough, that hopefully, Francis and Sebastian would come and save them from having to meet their mother -or step, in Bash's case.

Catherine de Medici-Valois didn't seem intimidating, she noted. The woman was anything but tall, so Mary had at least ten inches on the woman, even when the woman was wearing high heeled shoes. She was dressed in an expensive looking red sweater and a long skirt, her copper curls pinned up at the top of her head. Expensive gold jewellery fell from her neck and ears, making the woman look positively regal in comparison to the younger two girls who were dressed down in comfy leggings and oversized hoodies that probably belonged to Francis and Sebastian, anyway. She had a stern aura about her that Mary would loathe to irritate on their first time meeting the matriarch of the Valois-de Medici clan. She had an authority about her that had nothing to do with the clothes that she wore or the businesses that she bore.

Mary's hope that the two could simply sneak away was proved fruitless when the woman turned away in a huff, before pausing in her step at the sight of Mary and Kenna, who stood awkwardly in the large dining room of the Valois' holiday home.

"Oh," she stated. "you're the new girlfriends, are you?" she asked, almost sneered, at the two young women. Mary nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but Francis beat her to it.

"Mother," he said, strolling into the room with Sebastian on his heels. "I see you've met Mary and Kenna." he stated, walking over to Mary. He wrapped an arm around her waist, watching Sebastian do the same to Kenna. Catherine's perfectly plucked copper brow rose as it appeared the two half brothers seemed to be shielding the two young girls from her.

"Of course," she stated slowly.

"Well, this is Mary," Francis introduced. Mary gave Francis' mother a pretty smile at penetrating hazel eyes roamed over her, top to bottom. "And that's Kenna." 

"Pleasure." Catherine stated. Mary was unable to distinguish the tone of voice Francis' mother used, and was having an even harder job distinguishing the looks that the Valois matriarch gave she and Kenna. To Kenna, Catherine gave a different look than the one she did to Mary. She didn't want to think disgust, but that was the only words that her mind could configure.

"Now, why don't we see how the boys are handling with the lake, hmm?" Sebastian asked, steering the two couples out of Catherine's prying eyesight. Mary didn't miss the lingering glance the elder woman gave the four of them as they escaped to the outside of the holiday manor.

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That night -having been prohibited from staying with Francis or Sebastian- Mary and Kenna were gathered in the small sitting area of their shared bedroom. They clutched large mugs of tea and talked over soft lamplight. Everybody else was long since asleep, but the storm that was battering the trees against the windows kept Kenna awake, which, in turn, kept Mary awake.

"I still can't believe that look she gave me." Kenna insisted, her voice low to keep them from being caught by Henry or Catherine. "Didn't you see it? The way her eyes changed when she caught sight of me? I swear she knows." Kenna shuddered, taking a long gulp of her tea to calm her nerves, it seemed.

"How could she? You and Henry were only a couple times, before you even met Sebastian, anyway. You two only met because of Francis and me, anyway." Mary whispered back. "But don't spend too much time thinking about it. Francis tells me that she hates all of his girlfriends, and most of Sebastian's, anyway." Mary shrugged. Catherine may be assertive, but she couldn't stop her son from being with her if he truly wanted to be.

Kenna choked as the door suddenly opened and in walked the woman in question. She was dressed down in silk pajamas, her shoulder length copper curls around her shoulders and neck. All her makeup was taken off, all of her jewlery -besides the wedding band and the engagement ring- removed, and she wore a thick red robe over her shoulders.

"Why aren't you asleep?" she asked the two of them. Kenna audibly gulped her tea, seeing that look again when Catherine's eyes travelled from Mary to Kenna.

Mary saw Catherine's eyes change when she looked at her. Not in the way they had this morning, but in the way they had when she looked at Kenna. Catherine no doubt recognised the black t shirt with some random white lettered design that Francis had been wearing when they came in now resting on Mary's body. Although slightly intimidated, Mary wouldn't let Catherine frighten her. The matriarch may prevent her from spending the night with her boyfriend, but she couldn't stop her from keeping his calming scent around her whenever he wasn't there. She looked her up and down, taking in her feet that were covered in fuzzy socks and her legs that were covered in black lace shorts, and to that T shirt that seemed to irritate her.

"The storm." Mary jabbed a thumb towards the window. "Kenna isn't the biggest fan of them, so I'm keeping her mind of things with some calming tea." she explained, biting back a shudder when Catherine marched deeper into the room and took up residence at the spare chair.

"Now, let's get straight to the point." she suddenly said. Mary blinked in surprise, whilst Kenna held back her own snort by using the tea mug. "I love my sons, and I will do anything to make them happy. You may be slightly out of your element right here, right now, but I can see that the two of you make them happy. The two of them seem to be rather fond of you in a way that they haven't with other girlfriends of the past. So, I may not fully approve since we do not fully know or understand each other at this point, but if you make them happy, I will not stand in your way." Catherine finished. Kenna blinked in astonishment.

"Wait, them?" she asked, raising her perfectly plucked brows. "Bash said he was-" she trailed off.

"Yes, Sebastian may not be from my bloodline, and I may dislike the fact he even exists because he is a product of my husbands' relentless infidelity-" again, that look towards Kenna, "but I can tell how much Francis loves him and how much he and all the rest of them are loved in return. The boy is useful and a rather good young man, all things considered. I have came to care for him, no matter my feelings of the past. Now, the two of you best get to sleep, it's getting late."