Negotiating with thine attacker

Your hand in marriage, the throne of Scotland ... those wuldst be a good start

*Gulps hard* Is that it? Can you think of anything else?

That wilst do for a start

*laughs* Do you find me that repulsive?

Before you brutally raped me, no. I found you incredibly handsome. I found you dangerous. You were like an untamed animal any minute you could show me love, scratch me do something I'd never seen. You were clever and charming, much more fun that Nicholas. Nicholas sacrifices that sense of danger in his honor. You're the best of both worlds. I thought I could teach you French, Latin, dancing and art and then you'd be perfect.

But you ruined it. You destroyed my affection for you. Now it is all I can take to look at you without vomiting out of sheer terror.

*This is all said in a tone of normal conversation*.

*chuckles* thou sought to tame the savage beast? *his voice his no longer cynical or cruel*

You wuldst have married my brother and yet taught me these things. Tell me then if thou had "made me perfect" what then? You hath admitted an affection for me, wuldst thou have taken me as a lover?

All hatred aside for my brother, I can not understand why thou chose him, he seems not your type, I fear he wuldst bore you to tears as thine husband.


*Richard conciders something for a moment. * Truth be told it was never my intention to take thee by force. Thou angered me greatly and thou thought me all talk. I had to show thee I was not one to be dismissed so lightly. I had to make thee understand whom was in control. It was an action done rashly, without foresight.

*Laughs slightly with humour and irony* I did, didn't I.

In all honesty, which is something I give everyone, when I met you I thought twice of marrying Nicholas. My love for him never dimmed, but it was never the passion I felt for you. And don't look at me like that Richard *Smiles a friendly pouting smile*, I didn't seek to change who you are, just to show you more. And I don't know what I would have done. If it had gotten much stronger I might have postponed my marriage with Nicholas so that I could have decided.

It is strange ... my first husband the little dauphin Francis adored me and worshiped the ground I walked on and as an adult he would have been the second most powerful man in Europe. My second husband was a Prince of Scotland and of England, has as good a claim to Elizabeth's throne as I she did herself, my third husband was a powerful Scottish noble. He would merely be a last step in a downward spiral. And your right, he may bore me. But he will never hurt me, lie to me or let anyone say a word against me.

I believe you Richard. I know that for all your hatred of Nicholas you are not a bad person. You are strong and handsome and used ot getting what you want.

*I lay a hand on the knee of Richard's breeches, not even thinking of it*.

*Richard conciders her words*


If thee hath no passion for him then why wuldst thou seek to be tied to him for the rest of your life ? If he possessed some power or wealth then I wuldst understand but he is nothing.

If thee had doubts then why do you still seek to marry him? Is it because you love him truly or is that he is ... safe?

No ... I love him and he is safe. He is caring ... he is kind ... I feel like he listens to me when I speak. And I didn't say I felt no passion for him, just less than I felt for you. I can imagine him cooing to our children while I lie in bed recovering from labor, I can imagine him ruling for me when I'm ill, I can imagine him crying harder than I at our wedding.


The only thing I can imagine doing with you is rolling around in the sack. You don't love me, you don't even like me. You don't even want me!

*chuckles again, this time it takes him a few moments to speak*

That sounds very much like my brother. I am not a man who wuldst ever do those things.

No I do not love you, I am incapable of such a useless emotion. But I do not dislike thee, if I were to have met thee in some other way then ours might have been a very passionate affair indeed. Thou art very beautiful, who wuldst not want you.

*Smiles genuinely* Thank you for the compliment. And that is why I cannot marry you. As a Queen I NEED a husband who can do those things. No matter how good you look in those leather breeches it does not matter. I'm not a woman who will have an affair with you, I think to highly of myself.

I see *Some of Richards cyical nature creeps back in his voice* You speak as if thou hath a choice, do not forget tis I who has the power here. If I wish to take you as my wife then I wilst ... unless of course you wish some harm to come to thine dear Nicholas?


*scowls* I am most surpised he hath not taken his own life or at least fled this realm in some foolish attempt to free you from my threats


*Richard remains silent for a few moments, when he speaks again, he voice is calm, the rage gone out of it once more*

You are wrong about me ... I am not a good person. What you see is what I am. But I am compelled to look more favorable upon thee for thinking diffrently. Tis a first.

I don't believe that you are a bad person, and I don't care what you or Nicholas says. And of course I am under your control. You can do anything you want with me, but haven't you noticed something?

*While we were talking the guards have left and we are all alone, with my hand on your leg no less*.

*smiles* I hath noticed... we are once again alone and once again you seem leave yourself open to me.


Tell me ... how is it that you profess to love my brother but at the same time you wuldst encourage me?

I don't encourage you. If you wish to take this as an occasion to tryst, by all means do so. But I wish merely to talk to someone who wishes to blackmail me and hurt me all to get back at their brother. Someone who is very ... congenial when I treat him like he is a friend.

*Richard's face grows cold suddenly. He roughly pushes her hand from his knee before getting up to pace the room.*


And why shuld thee wish to talk to me? To what end?

*Marie is quickly becoming terrified, but laughs*.

And here is the lion I was telling you about. I just wished to speak to you, I had to give you your money for your expenses. And I desired to see you. You make me feel ... I'm sorry ... my English may be good but it is not perfect and I cannot find the word ...

Ah-HAH! You make me feel excited, dangerous, aroused, animalistic. You're dangerous, strong passionate. I want nothing more than to tame you ... make you beg for mercy. But I can't.

*her laughter calms his rage, but not much. It is clear he could turn savage in an instant*

*he issues a short laugh that has no humor in it at all* No you can't, I shall be tamed by no woman.


and I know for what reason thou wuldst attempt to feign friendship with me and you art wasting thine time and mine.

I wuldst think spending time with your precious Nicholas whilst you still can wuldst be a much wiser use of thine time

I don't attempt to feign anything. If I was going to fake something, wouldn't it be love? I have spent much time with Nicholas. He is off speaking with that faithless bitch I am cursed to call a cousin. He's also consorting with her spy-master. Your brother is so totally naive that I'm sure he's telling state secrets and doesn't even know it. *Laughs an equally humourless laugh*. For all his intelligence he lack utterly your good sense. To govern, you must lie, steal and even kill. I actually think you would make a better King than he. *Shakes head as if banishing rogue thoughts*.

No, I feign nothing. Your presence makes me feel that I am an inch from death. Speaking to you is like speaking to everything I want in a man, but everything I despise in them as well. You are fire and steel. * Walks up slowly behind Richard and places my index finger on the back of his neck*.

I was consorting with no one, I was defending you, as I always do. And yet here you are with the man I fight to protect you from...

Everything you want in a man *Nicholas lowers his gaze to the floor* everything that I am not.


*He nods his head and then turns to leave*

*Richard chuckles*

And there goes poor pitiful Nicholas ... always the martyr

Perhaps if thou were not always such a sap your betrothed wuldst not be so attracted to a real man

*Grabs Nicholas' shoulder* That is nothing like what I said, Nicholas and you know it. Ask Richard what I have been saying. You took half of a sentence and made life-altering decisions on it.

And Richard, maybe I'd marry you instead of him if you weren't such a cruel man. I know you are a good person, but you're not being very convincing.

I hath made no descion on anything, I was merely leaveing you two to your conversation *he replies more harshly than he intended*

How can you stand to be in the same room with him after ... *shakes his head* Still you think there is good in him?

*Richard meerly laughs*


Do you hear this brother dear ... she wuld marry me instead if I were not so cruel