I had planned to send her to France, not Scotland - but that doesn't mean we can't have an Anglo-Scottish union in some other form, of course. Meg Douglas is always available, and will be making an appearance in a couple of years time.
The Queen is Dead!: Katherine of Aragon dies in 1518
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
I had planned to send her to France, not Scotland - but that doesn't mean we can't have an Anglo-Scottish union in some other form, of course. Meg Douglas is always available, and will be making an appearance in a couple of years time.
Mark1878
Donor
They are first cousins so I suspect not the first idea. I also suspect Henry has delusions of grandeur and is more interested in European politics and thus marriages rather than small places like Scotland
Everyone is royal families were pretty much first cousins at this time, so I don't see how that should matter?
But France might be a better idea.
But France might be a better idea.
This is true, but at least the French Princes wouldn't be Mary's direct first cousins. They were aware of the problem of marrying close relations, i think, given the degrees of forbidden affinity as per the Church. The royals just tended to ignore it in favour of keeping power in the family...
XXVI: March 1520
Almost unable to bear it any longer, almost delirious with pain, Bessie pushed down one last time with a blood-curdling scream. She felt something sort of break inside her and then the child was out of her, slithering out in one great warm, bloody, slimy rush. She held her breath, collapsing with relief when she heard it cough, then start howling energetically. It lived! It lived! She had broken the King’s bad luck! It lived! It lived!
“What is it?” She gasped, “Is it a boy? Do I have a boy? The King’s boy? The King’s acknowledged healthy boy?”
“Henry, wait…”Charles moved as though to intercept him, but at the exact same moment, the door swung open. Cecily Blount stood there, a wide grin on her face.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. My sister has just given you a healthy boy.”
“A boy?” Henry repeated, scarcely able to believe his ears.
“A boy,” Cecily confirmed.
“A boy. I have a boy. And he lives?”
“Aye, Sire, he lives. He is likely to do so for some time. Upon my word, I’ve never seen a child enter the world so healthy or screaming so loudly as my sister’s boy did.”
Cecily’s grin was wide as she spoke, but it widened still further when Henry, his face alight with joy, grabbed her, kissed her rapturously, exclaiming, “Bless you, Mistress Blount! I’ll see you rewarded for this!” and then sprinted off in the direction of her sister’s rooms.
Curtsying to the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, she retreated into the passageway, glancing round to see her cousin Mark hurrying up the hall towards her.
She met his eye, “Do you think we’ve won? With the King’s boy in Bessie’s arms, do you think we’ve won?”
Her mouthed words were met by a scowl. Grabbing her arm, Mark pulled her towards him, glancing round to make sure they were out of the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk’s hearing.
“By no means have we won, you fool! Bessie may have the King’s boy, but she’s not been around to keep his interest on her. It was cooling even before she went into confinement and Duchess Mary has been taking advantage of the King’s solitude to throw Mistress Marie at him left, right and centre and he hasn’t exactly been saying no. He’s been fawning over the Boleyn girl the way he used to fawn over your sister. No, Cecily, this game is not over yet. It’s not over until either His Majesty finds a new wife and sires a legitimate Prince of Wales or until he names Bessie’s boy his heir. So, for goodness sake, get back to Bessie. Get back to Bessie and try to make sure she doesn’t ruin our delicate game with her dratted pride.”
Alarmed, Cecily nodded. At the look in her eyes, Mark softened, “You’ve done well so far, Cecily. Just don’t let her ruin it now.”
Cecily nodded again. She half-curtsied, then turned and ran.
“What is it?” She gasped, “Is it a boy? Do I have a boy? The King’s boy? The King’s acknowledged healthy boy?”
*** *** ***
The silence in the room was suddenly oppressive. Henry just couldn’t bear it any longer. He swung round, “I’m going to see how she is,” he gasped, his voice strangled with nerves.“Henry, wait…”Charles moved as though to intercept him, but at the exact same moment, the door swung open. Cecily Blount stood there, a wide grin on her face.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. My sister has just given you a healthy boy.”
“A boy?” Henry repeated, scarcely able to believe his ears.
“A boy,” Cecily confirmed.
“A boy. I have a boy. And he lives?”
“Aye, Sire, he lives. He is likely to do so for some time. Upon my word, I’ve never seen a child enter the world so healthy or screaming so loudly as my sister’s boy did.”
Cecily’s grin was wide as she spoke, but it widened still further when Henry, his face alight with joy, grabbed her, kissed her rapturously, exclaiming, “Bless you, Mistress Blount! I’ll see you rewarded for this!” and then sprinted off in the direction of her sister’s rooms.
Curtsying to the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, she retreated into the passageway, glancing round to see her cousin Mark hurrying up the hall towards her.
She met his eye, “Do you think we’ve won? With the King’s boy in Bessie’s arms, do you think we’ve won?”
Her mouthed words were met by a scowl. Grabbing her arm, Mark pulled her towards him, glancing round to make sure they were out of the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk’s hearing.
“By no means have we won, you fool! Bessie may have the King’s boy, but she’s not been around to keep his interest on her. It was cooling even before she went into confinement and Duchess Mary has been taking advantage of the King’s solitude to throw Mistress Marie at him left, right and centre and he hasn’t exactly been saying no. He’s been fawning over the Boleyn girl the way he used to fawn over your sister. No, Cecily, this game is not over yet. It’s not over until either His Majesty finds a new wife and sires a legitimate Prince of Wales or until he names Bessie’s boy his heir. So, for goodness sake, get back to Bessie. Get back to Bessie and try to make sure she doesn’t ruin our delicate game with her dratted pride.”
Alarmed, Cecily nodded. At the look in her eyes, Mark softened, “You’ve done well so far, Cecily. Just don’t let her ruin it now.”
Cecily nodded again. She half-curtsied, then turned and ran.
I hope that since Henry has a son now even if it's a bastard, he can go to Mary and be kind? Pretty please?
Well, as I said earlier in the thread, better for a mistress to take initiative than a wife.... That doesn't hurt his pride in quite the same way.
I think it's because of who he is. He's clearly an Alt! Henry Fitzroy and Fitzroy lived, so people are assuming, understandably, that the same will happen to this one. If you mean in-story, well, it's Henry, isn't it? Of course he's going to want to believe his son will live a long and healthy life.
He's certainly stopped believing he's cursed to always lose his wife in childbed, you'll be happy to know.
Isn't Eleanor of Austria a widow at this time? She can become the next queen of England.
I'm not going to get involved with foreign wives for Henry now, because I've picked his wife already. Speculate all you like but I'm saying nothing.
