<333 Also I RNGed for her because I could and also got a 5. Such hideous. T.TofscotsJune 17 2012, 17:51:27 UTC
She has been orphaned, widowed, and watched a friend been brutally murdered before her eyes. For some reason, none of that pain compares to seeing her sweet Leonardo-- perhaps her last hope-- brought in so injured and so aggrieved.
She is not the Queen of Scots in this instant. In this instant, she is just Mary, his Maria, and she is kneeling before him and grasping his hands in her own.
Her hold tightens briefly as she hears his words, and one hand reaches upwards to cup his face, trying to tilt his head towards her.
"My dearest Leonardo," she says, in their shared tongue of Latin so the guards ever-present in her rooms can't understand what they say to each other, "I-- I am sure you did all that you could."
But oh, how hard it was to know that this may very well be the last time she saw him.
NEVER LOOK BACK. DESPITE TEARS. >_>lightofhistoryJune 18 2012, 06:02:57 UTC
The guards can glare at them for their use of Latin all they want. He didn't care. He turned his head, unable to look at her in the eye still for his failures, and just pressed his lips against her hand, knowing this might be the last of everything in regards to the woman who was both his friend and the only person who truly captured him. She's so warm. He can never imagine her anything else as warm. The idea of her... It made him sick.
"Clearly not enough, my Maria. What is the use of being claimed as the Renaissance Man if I fail the Most Splendid Queen? I'm an idiot." The hiss came more from the fact he felt the self-loathing bubbling over than any pain. Whatever he felt was nothing compared to what Maria would feel. "I should have been more careful. Maybe if I had written with my right hand to throw him off. If only I realized the letters were being compromised. I
( ... )
"Leonardo. Leonardo." It's impossible to interrupt him when he gets into a flux like this; how she will miss it. Both hands now move to capture his face gently, as she presses her forehead against his. When he looks at her, he'll note the glistening in her own eyes that is no trick of the light, "They would not dare accept such a sacrifice, noble though it is. There is only one person in this room the Crown of England wants dead, and it is not you."
She smiles sadly, "And, even freed, I would not be able to bear allowing you to take my place were you able. There would be no happiness in my life if you were lost to the world in my place."
"It's not fair. Not at all. You did nothing to deserve what is to h-happen." They could say it all they want and even beat him but he'll never believe those damn letters. "You have a son to raise, a future ahead of you. You have people who love you. I..."
The words catch briefly in his throat, as if he was afraid to admit it. It almost feels like he couldn't breathe as he thinks and imagines what happens when he is forced off England. It's too late. So many things between him and Maria are far too late but he'll be a fool to not say it now. "Tha gaol agam ort, Maria." He couldn't help but look back at the guards, throwing a most loathsome look. They can send that to Bloody Bess. Let them know about his devotion. He isn't ashamed of it and never will be. "You are my only Queen and no one has ruled my heart like you."
"Life is not fair, Leonardo. Perhaps even more so for a Queen," she answers softly, "James is well-cared for, and even though he has never truly known me and now never will, I take comfort in that much. And until he can reign in his own right his regent will guide our people in a way I pray benefits them all. There are..." There are very people left in the world who will truly mourn me, she almost says, but then he murmurs those four words in the tongue of her homeland and she can't help the way her breath catches in her throat. "Oh..."
She caresses his face with one hand, trying to memorize it so that imagining him will bring some small, cold measure of comfort in the few nights she may have left, "Leonardo... tha gaol agam ort-fhèin." She doesn't even bother to stop the way her voice is trembling, "No Queen could have asked for better. It has been... such an honour." Too little, too late. Too much to know she could have had if things had only gone differently. It hurts and yet it heals at the same time.
"I'll let him know about you. I'll do whatever I can for him in honor of your name. By God's Breath. I'll let history know about you." He hears a guard take a weary step towards them at his words. His words are rushed now, almost stumbling on each other in his desperate attempt to finish his words before he's taken away and hauled off back home. "You are a shining drop on the night of time, Maria. You will be remembered as the illustrious light you are. It is the least I can do."
It's all he can do.
He quickly lets go of her hands, how it hurts to lose the feel of her even for a few seconds, and produces something in the palm of his. It was a small necklace, brass and with a simple picture of a tree on it. There was writing on the bottom, in his signature cryptic writing Maria would know so well. A small poem in French, his vows to carry her name to the stars and heavens since she was always his greatest muse. Je t'aime ma reine, were the final words. Vous vivrez pour toujours. I love you, my Queen. You will live forever.
She scans the words quickly, far too aware of what little time they have left, but she has to pause a moment to absorb their full meaning. It brings tears to her eyes.
A glance towards the guards tell her they are getting nervous, so she hurries to put the necklace on. The moment it's clasped around her neck, she moves to pull him closer to her, intending to capture his lips in an impetuous kiss. Everyone had always called her impulsive. Now that she was nearing her end, she found herself listening more to it-- there wasn't enough time in the world.
"Thank you, Leonardo. For everything. You-- you are the light of my life." And even now in the shadow of death, she cannot help but try to smile at him, "I will always be watching over you."
He doesn't care if he's crying in front of others anymore. Or if stories of him weeping for a 'traitor' spreads and taints his reputation. Or if she could feel the wetness of his tears against her soft skin as he cups her face in his to hold it and pretend there was enough time int he world. He would give anything up to lengthen this moment, her life. But then the sharp sounds of the guards approach breaks the spell and reminds them of the bitter reality: It is over.
Leonardo reluctantly breaks the kiss and presses his lips against Maria's forehead, taking a deep breath of her beautiful scent as he does, his eyes wide like he was a mere child again. It almost felt like it. He isn't able to protect the woman he loves, the Queen he follows so willingly all these years.
"The light will always attempt to chiefly delight the beholder of it. No matter. I am honored you will look out for a fool like myself, my Queen." There was more to say but the guards grabbed him by the shoulders, his bruised shoulders that made him shout in pain, and
( ... )
The kiss is perfect. She almost believes she's already Heaven, and faintly hopes that the afterlife will be like this-- except without the tears that stain both of their cheeks. There's no crying in the land of the Lord. No more suffering.
Not like now, when his being pulled away rips at her heart like the scream that's torn out of her throat at the same time. She fights like the wildcats of her homeland as they hold her back, sobs catching in her throat as she responds in every language she's ever learned, "Je t'aime. Ti amo. Ego amare. Te amo. S 'agapó. Tha gaol agam ort-- Leonardo, I love you. I love you!!"
Forever break each other's hearts. :<lightofhistoryJune 21 2012, 15:15:36 UTC
No no no no no. Encore un moment. One more minute. Just a second. Please. No. He reaches out for her and suddenly the two are so so far away from one another despite being so close. Before he could say anything else, one of the guards clamped his hand over Leonardo's mouth. He kicked and struggled, trying to sob out his words but it was no use. He was swept away by the men draped in black, perhaps stand-ins or representations of Fate and Death and Chance. But he couldn't give a care at that moment.
All he wanted was one more moment with Maria, one more kiss, look. Encore un moment. Just one more second with her. It was all he ever wanted.
------
He is informed of the development when the ship had just set sail. His companion on board pulls him aside when the others are busy with work on deck. The death warrant was signed today. A few hours before you went to see her. I'm sorry, Leonardo.The words are whispered and considerate even but Leonardo knows better. Everyone on this ship but him already knew of this. It was why they were in
( ... )
*sobs infintyever* </3ofscotsJune 21 2012, 16:25:19 UTC
It is far worse than the day she watched Rizzio die, or than when she heard of the explosion at Kirk o'Field. Far worse than the day she had to kiss her infant son goodbye or the day she was first imprisoned in these walls. She hears herself screaming but can feel nothing even though she is certain that the way the guards' hands are digging into her arms is drawing blood. As he is torn away from her for the last time, she watches his face through the veil of tears, praying she will be able to somehow, someway, see it again
( ... )
Reply
Reply
She is not the Queen of Scots in this instant. In this instant, she is just Mary, his Maria, and she is kneeling before him and grasping his hands in her own.
Her hold tightens briefly as she hears his words, and one hand reaches upwards to cup his face, trying to tilt his head towards her.
"My dearest Leonardo," she says, in their shared tongue of Latin so the guards ever-present in her rooms can't understand what they say to each other, "I-- I am sure you did all that you could."
But oh, how hard it was to know that this may very well be the last time she saw him.
Reply
"Clearly not enough, my Maria. What is the use of being claimed as the Renaissance Man if I fail the Most Splendid Queen? I'm an idiot." The hiss came more from the fact he felt the self-loathing bubbling over than any pain. Whatever he felt was nothing compared to what Maria would feel. "I should have been more careful. Maybe if I had written with my right hand to throw him off. If only I realized the letters were being compromised. I ( ... )
Reply
She smiles sadly, "And, even freed, I would not be able to bear allowing you to take my place were you able. There would be no happiness in my life if you were lost to the world in my place."
Reply
The words catch briefly in his throat, as if he was afraid to admit it. It almost feels like he couldn't breathe as he thinks and imagines what happens when he is forced off England. It's too late. So many things between him and Maria are far too late but he'll be a fool to not say it now. "Tha gaol agam ort, Maria." He couldn't help but look back at the guards, throwing a most loathsome look. They can send that to Bloody Bess. Let them know about his devotion. He isn't ashamed of it and never will be. "You are my only Queen and no one has ruled my heart like you."
Reply
She caresses his face with one hand, trying to memorize it so that imagining him will bring some small, cold measure of comfort in the few nights she may have left, "Leonardo... tha gaol agam ort-fhèin." She doesn't even bother to stop the way her voice is trembling, "No Queen could have asked for better. It has been... such an honour." Too little, too late. Too much to know she could have had if things had only gone differently. It hurts and yet it heals at the same time.
Reply
It's all he can do.
He quickly lets go of her hands, how it hurts to lose the feel of her even for a few seconds, and produces something in the palm of his. It was a small necklace, brass and with a simple picture of a tree on it. There was writing on the bottom, in his signature cryptic writing Maria would know so well. A small poem in French, his vows to carry her name to the stars and heavens since she was always his greatest muse. Je t'aime ma reine, were the final words. Vous vivrez pour toujours. I love you, my Queen. You will live forever.
Reply
A glance towards the guards tell her they are getting nervous, so she hurries to put the necklace on. The moment it's clasped around her neck, she moves to pull him closer to her, intending to capture his lips in an impetuous kiss. Everyone had always called her impulsive. Now that she was nearing her end, she found herself listening more to it-- there wasn't enough time in the world.
"Thank you, Leonardo. For everything. You-- you are the light of my life." And even now in the shadow of death, she cannot help but try to smile at him, "I will always be watching over you."
Reply
Leonardo reluctantly breaks the kiss and presses his lips against Maria's forehead, taking a deep breath of her beautiful scent as he does, his eyes wide like he was a mere child again. It almost felt like it. He isn't able to protect the woman he loves, the Queen he follows so willingly all these years.
"The light will always attempt to chiefly delight the beholder of it. No matter. I am honored you will look out for a fool like myself, my Queen." There was more to say but the guards grabbed him by the shoulders, his bruised shoulders that made him shout in pain, and ( ... )
Reply
Not like now, when his being pulled away rips at her heart like the scream that's torn out of her throat at the same time. She fights like the wildcats of her homeland as they hold her back, sobs catching in her throat as she responds in every language she's ever learned, "Je t'aime. Ti amo. Ego amare. Te amo. S 'agapó. Tha gaol agam ort-- Leonardo, I love you. I love you!!"
Reply
All he wanted was one more moment with Maria, one more kiss, look. Encore un moment. Just one more second with her. It was all he ever wanted.
------
He is informed of the development when the ship had just set sail. His companion on board pulls him aside when the others are busy with work on deck. The death warrant was signed today. A few hours before you went to see her. I'm sorry, Leonardo.The words are whispered and considerate even but Leonardo knows better. Everyone on this ship but him already knew of this. It was why they were in ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment