(XXIV) Leave at Midnight

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Charles and Tulia were currently in their chambers getting ready for bed

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Charles and Tulia were currently in their chambers getting ready for bed. The day had been an exciting one to say the least. The game that was organised by Don Carlos and the activities afterwards seemed to tire the pair out severely. 

Tulia's hands were fumbling with the string at the back of her corset due to the fact that the Queen of France could not keep her eyes open. The pulling of the strings abruptly stopped when the end of the rope got caught in one of the many eyelets adorning the tight material

"Oh for heavens sake." Tulia hissed, pulling harshly at the string in anger which did nothing but make the Queen more annoyed. 

"Leave it." Charles sighed, making his way over to his wife. Softly he batted away her hands and began to undo the remainder of strings carefully. "Be gentle."

"I'm too tired." Tulia sighed, leaning against one of the wooden poles of the bed. "I don't have any patience when I'm tired." 

"You never have any patience." Charles smiled tiredly. He was nearing the end when a knock at the door sounded.  "Who is it?"

"It's Narcisse, your Grace." The voice sounded from outside the door. "May I come in?"

"Give us a second." Charles replied, moving over to the window seat to grab Tulia's dressing gown to give to her. Once she had it on he called Narcisse inside.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at such an hour but it is imperative that you leave the castle immediately." Narcisse spoke, a look of seriousness in his eyes. 

"Why?" Tulia asked with uncertainty laced in her tone. She did not trust Lord Narcisse in the slightest. 

"The Queen mother has been accused of poisoning the late King Francis," Lord Narcisse answered. "We must remove the King and Queen from harm immediately."

"Tough, I'm not going anywhere" Tulia denied, narrowing her eyes at Narcisse. "Catherine wouldn't do that, she wouldn't poison her own son, especially Francis."

"There is a lot of evidence-"

"Evidence that you planted?" Tulia confronted. 

"Tulia-" Charles tried to interrupt.

"Like the rat you planted in Lola's bath and blamed on Catherine." 

"Your grace, that is false information-"

"False information." Tulia laughed. "Like the information you used to blackmail Francis into using you as his only grain source."

"That wasn't blackmail-"

"No?" Tulia gasped rhetorically. "Well there is another name for it, lets call it a threat."

"I would never threaten a monarch."

"Oh but you have," Tulia smirked. " so many times." 

"Tulia-"

"It's funny isn't it," Tulia smiled, walking over to Narcisse yet again ignoring her husband. "How your affair with Catherine rekindles and then suddenly you find 'damning evidence' that links her to the death of a King. And it's also funny that the only person that benefits from this is you."

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