No disrespect at all intended to FalconHonour, but I'm not a fan of love triangles in general or most romantic subplots in timelines, so I peaced out and stopped keeping up with this a while ago. If a timeline goes down a route that you personally don't like, honestly? It's probably better for everyone to just walk away from it. It's an old fanfic cliche but I think it applies here: don't like, don't read.
A Queen Twice Over: Mary Tudor the Elder Marries Francis I of France
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
See, that's totally fair! I know I'll never be able to please everyone, so if you'd rather let my story fall by the wayside and read something that appeals to you more, I haven't a problem with that at all
I suppose it's better than her otl life. And I really enjoy this TL, it's just that part that doesn't sit well with me.
I don't think it's a moral failing. I just get somewhat frustrated with it happening again and again in TLs. I don't really remember what I said on your TL, but I don't mean to make anyone uncomfortable with my posts. So I apologise if at times I come of as a mean grouchy snapping turtle.
I don’t want to put words in your mouth, by saying the “morally wrong” part, I was trying to phrase that sometimes I get the impression from your Catherine and Mary comments are less: “I’m not enjoying this story” or “I think this part isn’t well crafted” and more “You’re wrong for having this happen”. And I want to restate, it’s just my impression 🤷🏻♀️
I appreciate you being willing to listen and your apology. 😊
Section CLVIII: February 1541
Stirling, February 1541
A baby’s wail cuts through the icy air.
Louise wants to collapse with exhaustion, but despite how tired she is, she knows she can’t.
Unlike when Isobel was born, she knows her ordeal isn’t over yet. It’s not over until the afterbirth comes out, safe and whole…and besides, she still needs to ask the midwives the single most important question of her young life.
“What is it?” she croaks, voice hoarse and cracked from hours of screaming, “Mistress Cavanagh, do I have a boy or a girl?”
Even as her mouth forms the words, however, Louise realises she already knows. If she’d birthed a boy, the midwives would have been singing a Te Deum and falling on their knees to their new King even as they washed and swaddled him.
As it is, however, the brave smile Mistress Cavanagh pastes on her face speaks volumes, even before she actually says anything.
“A healthy girl, Madam, God be praised. A sister for Princess Isobel.”
Louise’s heart plummets into her boots. She breaks out into a cold sweat.
One job. She had one job.
It was her duty, not to mention her deepest desire, to provide Jamie with a posthumous son. An heir to Scotland.
She’s failed. Failed! She, Louise de Valois, France’s cherished daughter, who has never been denied anything material in her life, has failed in this, her single most important duty!
Tears threaten to engulf her, and she has to fight them back as she beckons Mistress Cavanagh to the side of the bed, forcing herself to look down upon her newborn daughter.
The newborn’s hair is fluffy and tousled from the towel that has just dried her off. Her little face is red and wrinkled as she bellows, clearly furious at having been expelled from her warm cocoon.
Louise expects a driving urge to soothe the child to come welling up from within her. That’s what happens whenever Isobel cries around her.
To her horror, however, there is nothing. Nothing but exhausted emptiness. It is all she can do to pass a hand over the squalling child’s dark head and force her lips to form the name she’d hoped against hope she’d never have to use. The name she chose for the daughter she prayed she’d never have.
Admittedly, Louise hasn’t been sure, until this moment, which way around the double name ought to go, but her daughter’s dark hair, so like Louise’s dear Papa’s, decides her.
“Frances,” she whispers hoarsely, “She’ll be the Lady Frances Jacqueline of Scotland, after my dear departed father and her own.”
No sooner has she named little Frances than the pangs of the afterbirth overtake her. She groans bitterly and the baby is quickly swept out of Mistress Cavanagh’s arms so that she can tend to Louise.
Louise is ashamed to admit that a wave of relief washes over her as the little girl is borne from the room, still screaming fit to burst.
“Nothing’s going to change,” Sawney promises lowly, reaching for Louise’s hand. Alarm flashes through him as she flinches back. It’s taken him the better part of four days to reach Stirling from Dingwall, even riding through the night, hard and fast, as he always promised the Council he would. Moreover, the midwives say that Louise has hardly reacted to anything since Frances was born over a week ago. It is as though her failure to provide Scotland with a baby King has cut her so deeply that she is now all but nerveless, unable to take in anything around her.
Still, Sawney can’t let her shut herself down like this. Not when she has two little girls depending upon her. He has to try to reach her, if only for their sake. He owes Jamie’s memory that, at the very least.
He reaches for Louise’s hand again, this time refusing to let it go, even as she tries to pull back, “I mean it, Louise. You might not be Jamie’s Queen anymore, but you’re still my sister. I still love and respect you as I would any other member of my family. I promise."
Louise lets him say his piece, staring unblinkingly into space, but says nothing in return. By now, real worry is sparking in Sawney’s breast. He’s never known his young sister-in-law to be this stiff and silent. Conscious of her dignity and a stickler for protocol, yes, but stiff and silent? Never. Not quick-witted, sharp-tongued Louise. Christ, it was what Jamie always loved most about her – that she was never lost for words, no matter what the situation.
“I’ll not break Isobel’s betrothal,” he promises, desperation creeping into his tone, “She can stay Crown Princess of Denmark. I’ll find other matches – other crowns - for Maggie and Mary Katherine. You’ve already lost enough without losing your daughter’s future too. You have my word; I’ll not break the betrothal.”
That garners a reaction from Louise, even if only a brief one. Her dark eyes flash to his face, raking every inch of it for proof he is being sincere.
Still, she remains silent, and, sighing, Sawney gives up. He glances across at Lady Huntly, Louise’s chief lady.
“Have Lady Fleming bring the Ladies Isobel and Frances from the nursery,” he orders, “Perhaps Their Highnesses will be able to rouse Her Grace from her grief, though I cannot.”
With that, he touches his jewelled cap to Louise and rises.
He is halfway to the door when words finally come from behind him.
“Liar.”
Louise’s voice is cracked with disuse, but her scornful hatred still manages to stop Sawney in his tracks.
He whirls to face her and she stares him down, dark eyes burning.
“You say nothing’s changed. You promise me love and respect, but you’re a liar, Alexander. A stinking liar. You’re King now. You’re King and your son Robert is Duke of Rothesay. So don’t try and pretend nothing’s changed, because we both know that everything’s changed. Everything.”
Louise’s words hang in the air for a moment, reverberating with truth. At last. Not knowing what else he can do, Alexander offers her a half-bow.
She nods in return. Nods and waves him away, as though she, not he, is the reigning monarch of Scotland.
She waves him away like the Queen she was born to be.
I've done the maths and we have three more chapters to go, including an epilogue, so hopefully I'll manage to get Queen Twice Over finished while I'm on holiday this week. Then, before anyone says anything, I promise I will draw you all up a bunch of family trees!!
Already the end? Oh nooo
Poor Louise. Hopefully she'll recover from her grief in time. She's still so young after all.
Already the end? Oh nooo
Poor Louise. Hopefully she'll recover from her grief in time. She's still so young after all.
It's been three years, you know! I think this story is running its course, although I may possibly start another TL eventually. I wouldn't be me if I didn't have at least one project on the go...
And yes, I promise Louise will have some happiness sooner or later
Since she’s not the mother of the King of Scotland and she’s now only the sister to the King of France she can basically remarry whoever she wants. Well, within reason.And yes, I promise Louise will have some happiness sooner or later
I was wondering about Matthew Lennox, since he hasn't got Meg Douglas here...
Maybe not, but then again, Louise is only a Queen Dowager, and it's not as though she doesn't have Tudor-Valois spirit to stand against everyone if she decides she wants him.
Louise would definitely be taking a page out of her aunt Margaret’s playbook if she did that…
I must admit, I was absolutely inspired by @Awkwardvulture and their dynamic between Anthony and Giovanna when I came up with the idea of Louise and Matthew Lennox...
So Alexander will be king after all - Good. At least Mary’s boy will rule some day. I do hope that Louise will be able to pull through her depression. Despite not liking her, she doesn’t deserve to suffer like that. Wishing her girls all the best as well. And only three chapters left??? That’s a bummer, but I understand that you want to move on to something else