Mary can smell the salt that clings in the air, and the variants of leathers that reek from the luggage. It's slightly colder than usual, being that it is a crisp April day and all, and she grieves the prospect awaiting her more than she first realised. The voices blur around her, meshing into one only unless she forces herself to differentiate. She can hear the rustling of the fabrics and the clip of heels as they make their way through the old stone pathways with their cases holding clothing, pictures and dreams for the new world through the weathered little café she sits inside, looking upon the grand ship and the large quantities of men, women and children making their way to a new life, far away from the hierarchy nobility of the British commonwealth.
The young girl of seventeen years raises the china cup to her lips as she takes another sip, licking her lips free of the hot, green Indian imported tea. Half of her face is hidden by the navy headpiece she wears, its lace and satin roses and an unortadox design Kenna and Greer so adored covering most of the people in her line of vision as she awaits the stampede of all sorts of people to enter the boat now that she's gotten her luggage and her siblings settled. She finds herself growing steadily more nervous as she plucks a piece of Danish pastry from her teaplate through the navy mesh gloves and brings it to her painted red lips, large waves of raven sea falling all over her shoulders and back. Her gown is far from practical, with its wide skirt and tight corset and the many layers of skirts she has to wear over the petticoat, but she is of old money and British nobility, the heiress of the Stuart Dynasty, and she must prove her worth as se must do her duty and her fathers' will.
It's not like she will remain in America forever, not at all. Only for a few months to get the new businesses set up and to make connections for her father, to get the older children set up in school, then she will return home to collect her end of the bargain she, James and Henry Valois agreed to. Should she do this, travel to America on the newest White-star ship and set up shop there for a while, then Henry will retract his second son's hand from the D'Amencourt's girl, and he will give it to Mary, instead. After all, Henry may be her Godfather, and he may be her fathers' brother-in-arms since the battle of Omdurman, but he was a businessman and he rules his own empire in France. He wouldn't make a decision like that, the future of his family, just because his son loved a girl. No, he had to benefit from it. Take what he made uncle Robert Beaton do to allow Sebastian to marry Kenna Mary thinks with a shiver. Compared to that, going to America and bringing back new money and connections is a walk in the park. Even if it means being away for nine months, at least, she thinks with a sigh, beginning to chew at her fingertips through the gloves, looking at the boat again.
Mary looks over at the nine children she's supposed to keep track of, as they play a little game in the emptying café. There's so many of them to keep an eye on, did James really have to make her take all twelve of her siblings from so many different mothers? -not just her own- They're all different ages and so raunchy. Honestly, she doesn't even know why her mother puts up with the extramarital affairs her father has, but then she remembers what happened to her twin brothers, James and Robert, just two years ago with a soft sigh of grief, twiddling their two rings on her pointer and middle finger. And all the other illegitimate children that grandfather James kept away from her father and her when she grew up. The Stuart family is an exhausting excurgence, and Elizabeth thinks the Tudors are bad, she thinks with a bitter chuckle, draining her tea and downing the remaining bits of pastry.
"Come on, everybody," Mary says, standing up in her old booties, plucking the three babies up from the seat they had been sharing. None of them had her mothers' blood, but she accepted them nonetheless. She couldn't figure it out, but the babies -two boys and a girl- were indeed cute little things. "it's time to get onto the boat, okay? It'll be leaving soon." Mary didn't want them to be running around when people were getting set up after their multiple bags were set onto the bowels of the new ship.
Mary ushers the load of children out of the small doors and makes her way to the ship now that it's not so busy and she can keep an eye on all of the children. A staff member comes along to help her with the babies, and Mary tells her where to take the three children, and the little ones follow the older brunette obediently. The heiress with raven curls looks upon the English portside for a moment, breathing in the English air for the last time for she didn't know how long.
She turns and intends on walking up the rest of the plank to get inside the boat when;
"Mary!"
She turns around quickly, and sure enough, a lanky blonde haired figure runs along the dockside, weaving in and out of the collection of men and women walking quickly as to not miss the ship. He wears dark clothing and he's all Mary's ever wanted, the one reason why she's doing all of this in the first place.
"Francis!" Mary breathes in relief, rushing down the plank to meet him with a deep kiss. She sighs in relief, banding her arms around him as he does the same.
"Oh, I thought I would be too late to say goodbye." he breathes, pulling back to rest his forehead on hers.
"It's not goodbye-" she murmurs. "I'm doing this for you, for us. I'll be back for you, my Darling. I promise." she vows, touching his face as he smiles down at her, kissing her again.
"Write to me as soon as you get there, Mary. Write to me every week, so the distance between us won't seem so great." he requests, pulling back to cup her face, look into her eyes, the woman he loved more than anything in the world.
"I will, so long as you will do the same."
"Without question, my love."
"I love you, Francis."
"I love you, Mary." he replies, kissing her again, before leading her towards the boat as the final call echoed. "Come on, don't want to miss your ship." he says, walking her towards the plank again. They kiss once more, before Mary turns and walks up towards her home for the next few weeks.
Francis breathes out as the boat disembarks, biting his lip as it begins to move away from the dock port, much to the delight of the spectators. He observes the name of the ship as the occupants wave from the windows.
H.M.S. Titanic.
And he hopes, with all of his heart, that he will see Mary again. But there's this little niggling doubt in the back of his mind that he never will again.
/
Heyy!
Just popping in to say hi to you all, I don't think I've done an AN in a while, so I wanted to check in with everybody since I've had no comments or messages from my loyal commenters and fellow Frary lovers in quite a while, so please don't be silent out there! Drop a comment, say hi, rant about Lola and gush about frary, but don't be silent, I love talking to you all in Wattpad Land! Also, I love reading your thoughts on whatever I publish, and having like 6 votes and no comments really drives me nuts, so please give me a little feedback, it does go a long way!
Not to be picky, but if ever you guys want a part 2 to something, please don't demand, asking and giving an idea on what you think it should be about is a far nicer way to go about it, I think. If ever I have a further idea on a piece I write, I 90% of the time put that in the AN at the bottom, so if it's not there, I more than likely don't know where to take it next. So, if you want an extension, drop an idea, let a girl know what you think would happen! Even if you don't have an idea, I think asking for something is nicer than demanding it :)
Anywhoo, I think I'm getting my writing mojo back after a couple months of tediousness, and I'm starting to focus on Rule The World again (The AU where Mary's a nanny to Jean-Philippe and gets with Francis) and I've been thinking a lot about my other upcoming Frary works. So, we've got a lot coming up in the next few months, not just based in this oneshot book or Frarytales. I hope when I start working on my actual novels again, my loyal commenters will return, so I probably won't be on this or Frarytales as much in a bit.
I've got a few Doctor Mary's coming up over the weekend, so buckle up for some modernness and Frary goodness, as well as some Cathry, James and Jean!
Love,
me
:)
YOU ARE READING
You Are My Light Part II
היסטורי בדיוני-Reign Oneshots/Taking Requests- The world can be dark, Mary, and uncertain and cruel. The only thing that matters is that we face it together. No matter what happens, you are my light. Part 2! -Read TEML first!-
