Chapter 15: James

The visit of the cardinal headed for Rome was delayed by weather creating poor road conditions a few days west of the palace. In the meantime, however, the castle prepared to welcome a small Scottish envoy arriving from the north. It contained an unexpected visitor - Mary's brother, James.

Word of James' presence among the envoy reached the castle ahed of him, thanks to the guard relay, and Mary and Francis were on hand in the courtyard to greet him when the small group arrived. Bash observed the arrival from the balcony. It was not the best move, politically speaking, to allow Francis to stand at Mary's side at this moment, when so many eyes would be on them, but Mary wasn't entirely sure what James's position would be on this upstart Sebastian de Poitiers. A harsh exchange with James at this moment would do far more harm than Bash's absence from the scene. Secretly Bash was grateful that his first formal introduction to his brother-in-law would be in private.

As the handsome Scottish lord stepped forward, Mary eagerly reached out her arms to embrace him. "James, it is good to see you."

James kissed her cheek and smiled at her. "You too, little sister.

"Welcome to French Court once again," Francis said, grasping the man's arm in a welcoming gesture. "We are surprised, but pleased all the same."

"Ah, yes, pardon me for arriving unannounced. It will be only a short visit, I'm afraid, as I am headed to inspect the treaty lands which are part of the new arrangement my Queen sister negotiated with King Henry recently."

"This is hardly on the way to the treaty lands," Francis said bluntly. Mary frowned. It was not the most welcoming statement from Francis.

James' eyes narrowed a little, too, but he moved smoothly on. "True, but it is closer than I have been in awhile and closer than I am likely to be for quite some time to come. So I thought it wise to take the opportunity to see my liege and my sister."

"And I am glad you did. Indeed, there are some matters I have heard about in a recent letter from the Scottish court which I will to discuss with you. Your opinion would be invaluable. Since you are here, you can give it to me in person," Mary said, taking her brother by the hand and leading him into the castle. "Francis, I know your mother will host a grand affair this evening to welcome my brother. In the meantime, I think I shall see James settled and then we shall retire to my rooms for some private counsel."

Francis nodded his head in acknowledgement, and watched as the pair moved off. From the balcony, his half brother did the same.

Once in private, James wasted no time expressing his concerns. "It is good to see you Mary - and see you doing well. From the things your mother said, I half expected to find you confined to your chambers under order of King Henry."

Mary frowned. "The Regent has a very black view of my plans."

"Well, she doesn't much like bastard children, as I well know," James said wryly.

"Whereas I have always seemed to have a special fondness for them," Mary smiled at her illegitimate half brother.

James acknowledged the compliment with a tilt of his head, but then turned serious. "Still - is this plan of yours wise Mary? Think of the instability that you are causing. There is a reason our father gave up his plan of divorcing your mother, marrying mine, and legitimizing me."

Mary's look had a little sorrow in it now. "Had he succeeded, I hope I would have supported you half as well as you have supported me, dear James. I know how difficult a position this puts you in."

"You are risking everything, Mary. There are already those who push for me to take your throne. This will not help any. And how can you claim to be a better heir to the English throne than Queen Elizabeth, who is herself a bastard turned legitimate, when you yourself have placed a bastard on the French throne? This move makes no sense."

"This is why I rely on you James - your unfailing candor in telling me what you think. But you shall have to trust me that I am trying to make the best of a bad situation. Francis is weak, he will not go against his father - and King Henry has no intention of being a true ally. He will goad Scotland into war with England and abandon us to our fate when it goes badly."

"You have so little faith in our Scottish forces then, to think that we cannot beat back a British force on our own?"

"I do not doubt the valor and skill of our men, James, but I do doubt their will. Your letters have contained warning after warning of the disunity among our people, the division between Catholic and Protestant, even between your supporters and mine, who insist on seeing us as rivals. I will not risk the security of my country on a foolish bid for England's crown, when we are so divided."

"Then why waste time on a bid for the French crown?" James countered bluntly. "Come home Mary. You have been gone too long. The English armies are nipping at our borders. The nobles have been bickering with each other for too long. They need something to unite them. You could be that unifying force Mary - and if you chose, you could make them unify around your bid for the English crown."

"I am not interested in the English crown," Mary said firmly. "But that is not something that must be said outside this room, James. King Henry cannot know that I do not plan to go along with his little plan."

"Then what in the world is this all about?"James asked, a little exasperated. "Why care about France at all?"

"I do not want Elizabeth's crown, but I still need to find a way to keep Elizabeth from seeking mine. She has a thirst for conquering, and she already has turned her eyes northward. I must either have a strong ally here in France - one truly willing to stand by Scotland - or I must desert the French and convince England to ally with me."

James sucked in his breath. "Mary! You dare to say such a thing, sitting here in French court, wooing not one but two French princelings? I begin to see why your mother expected King Henry to imprison you in your own chambers."

"I speak frankly with you James, because I trust you - I trust you more than I trust my own mother. And when I return, your loyalty to me in the face of the calls to betray me will be rewarded beyond measure."

"If you return," James said sharply. "You haven't been home in years Mary, and while you are gone, you may lose your crown."

Mary's back stiffened. "And who exactly is going to be placed on my throne, James?" she said, her voice a little dangerous.

"You were raised in a convent, your devotion to Catholicism is well known. If I do not agree to the schemes of those who want a Protestant on the Scottish throne, then they may well turn to England and invite Elizabeth to take your throne, with a bow wrapped around it for good measure. Or perhaps they will overthrow our family entirely and seek to start a new dynasty. I don't know what might happen Mary, but whatever it is will not be good for you if you do not come back to Scotland, Mary - and soon. Very soon."

"And if I return, what then?" Mary asked, appraising him. Perhaps it was all the time at French Court making her suspicious, but she suddenly wondered if she had been too naive, putting such trust in one that her countrymen seemed to see as a rival. Queen Catherine would not have trusted someone in that position. Catherine would have eliminated him.

James seemed to sense some of what she was thinking, because he sighed and took her hand. "When you come home I will be your most ardent supporter. With the two of us standing united, we can bring the country back together. But you have to be there Mary. You have to come home."

Looking at the sincerity in her brother's eyes, Mary felt ashamed that she had doubted. The full weight of the difference between her relationship with James, and that of the current relationship between Francis and Bash, suddenly hit her. For a moment guilt threatened to overwhelm her.

"Why have you never sought the throne, James?" she asked, suddenly determined to know the truth. "It would be so much easier in Scotland than it is for Bash here in France. Why have you not reached for it?"

James met her eyes. "I know my limits Mary. The throne is not for me. I don't want that responsibility."

"You are an earl - that is a position of great power, and only a short step away from the throne. Why should being a king be so much harder?"

"There are several earls, Mary, and many lesser lords. There is only one king - or ruling queen. It is a lonely perch, and a dangerous one, as you of all people should know. Perhaps if I was not an earl, it would be different. But I have as much wealth and almost as much privilege as the crown, without the weight of a country around my neck. I would not willingly trade places with you for anything."

Mary gripped his hand, grateful for those words. It was somehow gratifying to know there was a kernel of self-interest in his choice. It made her trust his loyalty more. She thought how unpleasant a thought that was - yet again she felt like she was hearing Queen Catherine in her head. But she couldn't deny the cold logic of that way of thinking.

Still, those thoughts were neither here nor there. At the moment, she needed to address her brother's plea for her to return home.

"James, I can't come home yet. Bash is making such progress in gaining support."

"Do you really think that will matter, Mary?"

"Everyone always says it is politics not religion that Rome really care about. If that's true, then it will matter."

"Mary, your mother and I cannot hold onto your rule for you forever. You are needed in Scotland."

"I know," Mary finally admitted. The thought had been keeping her up at night - she had been gone too long. "I just need a little more time. Not long. Just a few months. You have several other places to visit on the continent before you turn homeward, correct?

James nodded silently, looking at her steadily, awaiting her decision. Mary stared out the window for a moment unseeing, thinking of Bash. Somehow, she had to make this all work. The stakes were only getting higher.

Finally she turned back to her brother. "Return this way when you have finished your business on the continent. Then you may escort me back to Scotland."

James drew in a breath. "Thank you Mary. for Scotland, and for me."

"None of the French court may know. I do not intend to tell them until you arrive back here to meet me."

"Not even your Sebastian?" James asked.

Mary paused. "I will tell Bash when the time is right."

Author's Notes:

Thanks for the reviews! I'm especially gratified to see some of my longtime readers back and enjoying continuing the journey with me! Sorry it's been impossibly long. It may be a couple weeks before the next update, as the next chapter is giving me a bit of trouble, but once I get past that, I have the following three chapters already written, including one devoted to some fabulous MASH goodness. See you again soon!