The Glow

One week. One week since the party. One week since Catherine and Anne had gone to bed together. One week since they've realized their feelings for one another. One week since they've decided not to confess to the other. Correction. One week and counting.

Both parties have been admitting and ranting about their own panic to the twelve year old. Whilst Mary sits, listens, and ultimately rolls her eyes at how utterly and painfully oblivious the two are. She never liked those kinds of people, the only exception being her dense father. She didn't need him butting in with her plan.

The two women did talk about the events following the party, and they're on good terms as friends. Friends with a very certain awkwardness that is usually only found in novels.

Mary finds it all extremely tiresome. As much as she assures them that the other likes them, neither of them have made an attempt at confessing. Or showing any signs of interest at all. She's very tempted to lock them in their chambers until they concede. However the young girl doesn't have access to the castle keys, and keeping the queen and the lady in waiting inside for days would certainly grab the attention of the king (the two still spent a lot of time together in the room without confessing, so it would take a while).

If the king found out, they'd certainly be punished. The amount of hate towards queer people hurts the princess, especially with being one herself. And if her theory is correct, it can't be helped if the two are soulmates. Your soulmate is determined by the universe, by God; it is not your fault if they say your soulmate is one of the same sex.

So why do people hate those who are queer? Or those with same sex soulmates? That question is one that Mary will never understand. Humans wish for peace, yet cause conflicts with those who are different from themselves. Mary can only hope that the future will treat others with respect.

However, that is getting a bit off topic.

Mary seriously needs a set plan to get her ship together. The logical solution is to wait it out, but both parties are too blind to see the other's feelings. Some of her favorite books tell her that some solutions include "accidentally" bumping one of them into the other, like a domino effect; casting a spell, though she didn't believe in witchcraft; or trapping them in a locked room, which again, would ultimately fail and result in her getting grounded.

But there is one solution that could work. The only problem is that she'd have to wait for some supplies to arrive. But perhaps......perhaps it will work.

~     ~     ~

Five days. Five painful days of waiting and tolerating the women's rants. Five days since she initiated her official plan. And it is today that her.....materials, arrive.

Yes, she had to wake up before anyone else to make sure no one else saw, but it'll be worth it. She can feel it.

She attaches the notes to the presents, hides them under her bed, then lays back down to try and get a little more sleep before starting the day. The girl falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.

It's after breakfast that she comes to a conversation with her mother. Nothing new, really. The only new thing that makes this conversation significant is the mention of a certain male ruler.

"...At this point, I shouldn't even be trying. Actually, I shouldn't have been trying to begin with. I'm married. To Henry. And--"

"Mother, why are you still focused on father?" Catherine is surprised. Normally, the child just sits and listens as she talks; she didn't expect her to politely interrupt. 

"Well Mary, he's my husband, and God knows I'm probably going to end up with him--if not, Anne."

"But do you actually love him? Is there anything you truly like about him?" The queen has to hand it to the princess, she really did know how to make her think.

"When you put it like that....." There really isn't anything. The main reason I had stayed was because I longed to feel wanted again. And currently, I don't feel that with Henry...

"But you feel it with Anne." The Spaniard pinches her nose at the realization that she had been thinking out loud. A habit that mostly occurred when she was stressed. "Another reason why you should go confess already."

"And that is where I'm going to be your mother and tell you to go do your studies for the day."

"Don't expect me to be available for a rant session later!" Mary calls out as Catherine gets up and leaves the room, the latter rolling her eyes in the process.

The sly spy lays out her books and assignments for the day, then sneaks out the other door to the other room. The entire situation with Anne had somehow given Mary the knowledge of the castle grounds. In other words, she knew exactly how to navigate to her rest stops without being seen. Plus, Mary had memorized both of their schedules long ago, upping her chances of pulling this off successfully.

When she reaches her room, she reaches under her bed, pulling out the two gifts. She can't believe how easy it was to get them, if she's being honest. The gift chosen for Anne is a rose gold choker with a small green gem in the center of it, plus matching earrings; Catherine's gift is similar, a gold necklace with a medium sized golden gemstone, again with matching earrings. For a final touch, Mary adds in some flowers she had somehow snuck into the castle--orchids for Anne, and roses for Catherine.

The investigator maneuvers her way through the corridors without being seen once more, leaving the designated presents+notes inside the rooms. Anne was the only one assigned a certain room, and the other room was their chambers, Mary knowing that her mother would be the first one back. 

Once she gets back to her study room, she sits down at her desk, letting out a sigh. Her plan was in process. Now all that's left to do is wait more, and hopefully everything would turn out dandy.

But little does she know that while she was creeping around the castle, the green and gold women were having a very......flustered interaction. They had bumped into each other before, but it was how they did that made them blubbering messes.

See, Anne had forgotten about a certain task she was supposed to do, and was running to the room complete it before anyone saw. It was as she was turning the corner that Catherine had so coincidentally walked out of Mary's study room and closed the door. Anne, panicking slightly, didn't see the other woman as she continued to speed through the halls.

Of course, this led to Anne quite literally knocking over her friend. The two let out a little yelp as they topple over.

As they land, Anne feels her lips touching something....soft. She lifts herself up to see what she had landed on, and of course, she just had to fall so perfectly that she'd be kissing Catherine. Both women can feel a blush creeping on both of their faces.

"Ahh! Sorry!" As Anne pushes up, her eyes trail to where her hands were. Aw come on! "Agh! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to I mean I wasn't trying anything!" Anne takes her hands off of Catherine's chest, standing up in the process and helping the other up. "I swear, I wasn't trying anything I just didn't see you there--"

"I-it's alright, Anne." The brunette assures, though mostly just trying to calm herself down. She has an image, after all. "Just watch where you're going. Don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"Hey! Don't you care about me?" The French woman teases, knowing she'll either get a heart-filled answer, or a flustered. She's not picky though, both are absolutely adorable.

"Of course I do, you little gremlin!" Anne giggles, blushing more at the little nickname she had been given by her crush very dear friend. "Now run along! Don't want to be scolded, do we?"

"Not unless it's you." Two pairs of eyes widen at what the lady in waiting blurted out. Before Catherine can reply, Anne immediately (and splutteringly) apologizes. "IuhI'msorryI'mjustgonnagosoImean'causeIgottagodomystuffandI'msureyourbusytodaynotthatyou'renotbusyotherdaysI'mjustgonnagoumyeahsoyeahBYE!" She calls out as she continues running toward her task, leaving Catherine checking her out staring at her, stunned.

The queen then makes her way to her chambers. No one required her presence, and there weren't any matters to attend to that involved her. What she was hoping to do was take a nap to clear all thoughts of Anne. She wasn't expecting a gift to be sitting on her bed.

Approaching her mattress, she takes more notice of what it is.....and the note that sits beside it.

My dearest Catherine,

I have something I'd like to talk to you about. Well, first off, the jewelry and flowers are yours (roses are your favorite right? Hope I got that right). It's just a little gift. The purpose depends on how you'll react to what I'm going to tell you...

Just meet me in the garden right away.

Truly yours,

Anne <3

The Spaniard doesn't understand exactly why Anne would gift her something, and send her a note. Furthermore, the note doesn't exactly sound like something Anne would write.

But if she wants to meet, then it couldn't hurt.....right?