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?”
*** *** ***
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.