it's been a super long time since my last update, I'm sorry... *throws this at you, and cries*

Francis awoke early in the morning. He regarded the canopy of his bed with a curiosity. She was right there next to him and he knew it, and he couldn't look at her sleeping. It felt wrong to him. Watching another sleeping is intimate in itself and he still knew nothing about her. His body shifted into it's side to face away from Alice. A sigh left his lips. He slowly Sat up, letting the covers fall off of him to bare his chest again into the cold of the morning. He stepped out gracefully and slid out of the rest of the covers. He still wore the robe from last night, tying it together to cover himself before he walked towards the doors.

He opened the doors and peeked out to see a sizeable group of people talking, waiting to hear about every dirty detail. Francis pressed his lips together and hadn't noticed his teeth clenching together tightly. Almost everyone looked immediately over to him and he gestured for a maid to come over. She quickly approached him with a shy countenance.

"Your highness?" She curtseys.

"Would you please fetch me Isabelle?" He asked softly, gently.

She nodded and curtsied before running away.

"Yoooour highness!" Suddenly Francis' counselor stood in front of him, offering a bow that promised his nose to almost brush against the floor, other men and women of the court staring at him like he was a piece of meat.

"Jacques?" Francis bowed his head and smiled politely once again.

"Tell all then! Was the wedding night successful?" Jacques gave a toothy grin and the people surrounding him leaned in closer. Francis swallowed and still held his teeth close together. How much he wanted to say 'this is not a whorehouse to inquire about how many times your prostitutes come every night!' But he just continued to smile. A smile he wanted them to interpret as the smile of a sexually satisfied man.

"Yes, very much so. Thank you-" He nodded his head and the crowd seemed happy enough with his response, but still restless. "Now. If you'll excuse us... Her highness is exhausted!" There was more muttering and Jacques chuckled lightly.

"Of course. Oh my dear king." He looked knowingly at Francis before turning to the rest. "You heard the words! Off with the rest of the day!" He gestured over dramatically.

The crowd, now excitable, dispersed happily, leaving their spots in the hall to no doubt start the rumors, appropriately timed.

Francis felt himself relax ever so slightly as he watched the elderly Isabelle descending down the stairs so soon. "Your highness, you called?" He smiled and as the hall started to completely empty he moved close to the head maid, whispering.

"If you would please join me in my room?" She nodded softly and together they reentered the room. Alice still laid in her bed, comforted behind the large, thick covers as they came back in. "I would ask you to stay here until she wakes from her bed. You're one of the closest things we have to England here with your accent." Isabelle nodded. "Truth be that we...did not make love. I do not wish it to be that people know the truth, you know the dependency the court has on gossip of people's affairs. Give them what they want. Please take care of Alice...I do not want any of the other servants to know. Or her for that matter." She bowed her head a second time and smiled lightly.

"Of course, your majesty. I'll make quite sure she gets special attention."

then after Francis left to go party...

Alice woke up suddenly, her face smothered against some unusually comfortable sheets. She inhaled deeply, bringing her hand up to gently stroke the fabric under her as she sighed out. Then she remembered. This wasn't home. She was in France. She slept in the same bed with a man last night. He could still be there next to her. Her lips curled in depression and she wished she could retreat back deeper into the covers and not remove them for that day's length. Isabelle perked her head up from her needlework, seeing Alice move in the bed. "Your Highness?" She asked sweetly. Alice let out a tiny groan that there had to be someone else in the room, but her heart lighted at it not being her Husband. "Your Highness, are you awake, dear?" Oh and she was english. Alice lifted herself up, letting the covers fall around her as she looked across the room at the maid.

"Good Morning." She muttered gently.

"Good Morning, Your Highness." Isabelle smiled back at Alice as she responded. "My name is Isabelle. My King asked me to take care of you, show you to your new apartments, and get you some food. I trust you slept well?" Alice blushed and slid her legs off of the bed to stand, still wearing one of His robes.

"Yes. I slept well…" She did not want to tell this woman anything else. Not yet at least. "Thank you." She wrapped the robe around herself tighter. "But...Appartments?" She walked close to her, curiosity covering her face. "I won't….stay here?" Alice couldn't decide if she was disappointed or relieved. "And in the plural? How many rooms do I have?" Isabelle laughed and stood, readying to leave the room with her.

"Oh, excuse me, but this is Versailles! Your Majesty, there are more rooms than people!" She exaggerated, laughing. "You could spend days here and not walk all the halls, and they're still building upon it. Yes, you have your own rooms." She grinned, obviously amused with Alice's response. Alice felt embarrassed, letting her frown show freely.

"I am ready to see them then." Isabelle turned to the door, walking out with Alice and they made their way down the hallway. A group of young ladies passed them, and began giggling loudly, waving and batting their lashes toward Alice in wonder. She furrowed her brows together in further confusion and unconsciously moved closer to Isabelle as if to protect herself. They turned another corner, and Alice was forced to endure three more social encounters of people laughing and staring. By the time they made it to her apartments, she was bright red and flustered. "Isabelle...I think I'd enjoy a bath right now."

"Then i'll go start it." She gave a light curtsey, as far as her older body could permit her, and left the room to enter the bathroom.

Alice looked around the overly decorated, large room, looking from the undisturbed large bed to the sets of closets. She couldn't help but wonder why she needed such a large and luxurious bed if she was going to be the only one staying in it…

Hours later so you guys don't get too bored...

Francis sat at the large dinner table, seated with half the court of Versailles and his family, as a kind of post-marriage celebration. Alice was at the other end. Again. He casually glanced over to her between words and courses, not only finding it hard to concentrate on words, but also on his food.

"Francis…" He looked up at his mother, almost forgetting that she sat there so close to him at his right hand. "Darling. Is something the matter?" He gave a small smile.

"No, mother. Of course not." He lied, not quite feeling so comfortable as to open up to his mother at the dinner table, Jacques to one side of him listening in.

"Are you sure, darling? You look awful..." She pouted her lip at him, and his eyes widened, frown lightning.

"Awful?" He raised a perfect eyebrow at her. "You are my mother, this is truth. But have you no respect? At least choose a word more befitting! I feel wonderful, extremely healthy, dear Queen...but Awful? Might I feel it now that you've said it. Yes I am fine, I gave you my answer. Now continue on with your gossip, but don't speak of me for there's nothing new to share." She laughed lightly and shook her head.

"Oh my Son... I may just be the Queen, but your intelligence came from me, I assure you." She leaned in close enough that only he could hear. "It's the marriage, I know it because I lived it, Cher." His heart jumped softly as she struck a tender chord, and he felt... Something akin to relate ability. His mother had been in the same situation as Alice... Almost exactly. Foreign people, foreign place, foreign language. He never had felt this sympathy for his mother aside from at The King's funeral.

"How...What do I do? How do you handle a woman?" Francis asked, even quieter than before, this time looking into his mother's eyes.

"Simply... Love her. That's a feeling I've never had the pleasure to know. But I know it exists... And it's all your Queen wants." She still smiled, returning to sitting upright in her chair to start a conversation with the person on the other side of her. Meanwhile Francis just looked back across the room at Alice, regarding her soft smile. Sweet, poor sweet Alice.

Then his mother stood, attracting the attention of few at the table. "I'm off to bed now, I think. Good Night, my King." Francis bowed his head to her, still thinking deeply about his situation. His mother walked down the length of the table towards Alice.

Wait. Mom... No mom. Mom, Stahp-

On the other side of the table...

Alice couldn't help but wonder again why she sat so far from her husband. She felt... So isolated. Since she came here she felt that way all the time... Except for that moment last night on the balcony. How wonderful it felt. Her confusion still clouded her mind. Did she like him? Did she love him? Did she hate him?

Just then The Queen approached Alice, making her heart speed up. "Alice. My Son has asked that you move your seat up to his side, in my spot-I am to sit here from now on, thank you." She smiled wide at Alice as she removed herself from her chair for The Queen.

"Of course. If he has asked for it... Thank you-" Alice nodded back to her and walked slowly over to her new seat, waiting for a servant to pull out the chair for her, she tucked her large skirts under her before going to sit, all the meanwhile looking at Francis as he looked at her. As she lowered her butt, aiming for the chair, somehow, between the intensity of the french king's blue eyes, and the only half aware Alice, she missed her target by a few inches and went tumbling to the floor. A gasp filled the room, and multiple people stood to see the result of her fall, including her husband.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, how could I be so stupid, bloody hell. She looked up at the muttering, worried crowd, her eyes locking again onto Francis'.

"Are you hurt, Alice?" Was all she heard, from him, among the throng of concerned phrases. She shook her head.

"I am fine... My pride may be wounded-" The dinner party laughed as two servants helped her up onto her feet again. "Thank you-" The servant who has pulled out her chair stood frozen and horrified.

"It was you! How dare you not pay attention to your Queen!" Jacques directed to the poor man, whose head shook and face looked bright red.

"Oh no-" Alice clasped her hands together as two other men at the table looked towards the poor servant. "It was my fault, I assure you I was distracted, kind lords take your seats if you please-" The men seemed satisfied with her response and returned to their chairs, the poor servant relaxing instantly. Francis still stood, nearer to her now.

"Are... You sure you are okay ?" He asked of her again. Wow... Does he care? She gently pressed her hand to his shoulder, reassuringly and smiled.

"Yes, I'm quite sure, your highness." He laughed gently and then pulled out her chair for her, helping her sit down properly now. "Thank you-" People stared at them, aghast at the idea of a King... Their King... Serving someone else. He continued smiling, returning to his seat next to her. He didn't care. Right then he wanted to be there for her, and that's all. Yes he wanted to be absolute... And he wanted love.