Oh okay, that makes more sense. Wonder who she'll marry (if she marries at all) in this timeline, can't wait for the next update!
A Queen Twice Over: Mary Tudor the Elder Marries Francis I of France
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
Indeed we would! Although, technically Anne is one of Marguerite's Ladies ITTL, not Marie's. She swapped households at eight when Marie was pregnant with Margot, although she was more of a companion to Renee at that age than one of Marguerite's ladies.
Very interesting, especially with the Boleyns reunited... It'll be neat to see how the dynamic with Anne and Marie develops... I also wonder if their father Thomas would remarry?
I hadn't thought of Thomas remarrying, but I could see it.
And yes, the Boleyns get plenty of family time during this great summit. Glad you're enjoying the TL!
I'm also intrigued that not one of you has picked up on the fact that Mary Boleyn and William Carey have started their family several years earlier than OTL. @The_Most_Happy I slipped that comment in for you after our discussion earlier. As I said, I see no reason why Mary shouldn't be the respectable Boleyn girl this time around...
I saw! Yay for Mary and William and all the legitimate little Careys!
Alice Carey just sounds gorgeous. I couldn't resist. But we're still due the usual panoply of Elizabeths, Anne's, Katherines and Margarets, too, I'm afraid...
I did notice her having children already, I just didn't know that it was earlier than OTL haha
But yay! I like a happier life for Mary BoleynYeah, Mary married William in 1520 and Katherine Carey was born 1524 OTL. Here they marry in 1516 and their eldest daughter, named Alice ITTL, because I like the way Alice Carey sounds, is born in 1518. They will have a Katherine too, but not just yet.I did notice her having children already, I just didn't know that it was earlier than OTL haha
Can't wait to see what becomes the next (and I'm assuming happier) generation of Boleyn girls!Yeah, Mary married William in 1520 and Katherine Carey was born 1524 OTL. Here they marry in 1516 and their eldest daughter, named Alice ITTL, because I like the way Alice Carey sounds, is born in 1518. They will have a Katherine too, but not just yet.
It would be hard not to be happier than the Boleyn girls OTL....
Section XXIII - June 1520
Balinghem, June 1520
“I still don’t see why you can’t just persuade Francis to let Mary marry François instead of Henri,” Henry grumbles, watching his sister shift her fifteen-month-old son in her arms, “Don’t you want to see your niece become a Queen?”
“Henry, we’ve been over this,” Marie sighs, “You can’t expect Francis to lose out on the chance to annex Brittany to France, which he will the moment he breaks François’s betrothal to Renee. Mary is a beautiful Princess, brother, but she can’t compete with Renee as an heiress, not when everyone knows that she will be superseded in the Succession as soon as she has a baby brother.”
“If she ever does.”
There is a sour note in Henry’s voice and Marie glances up from where she is trying to set Henri in his cradle for a late-morning nap to look at him.
“The boys will come, Henry. Mary has broken your curse and now her brothers will follow.”
“They’re being damn shy about it. And Katherine hasn’t fallen with child since her last stillbirth. That was almost two years ago. She’ll be thirty-five in December. I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me her courses have stopped one of these days.”
The bleak finality with which Henry says this stops Marie in her tracks. She stares at her brother wordlessly.
Sensing his mother’s distraction, Henri redoubles his efforts to free himself from her arms, roaring his displeasure at being told he needs a nap.
Hearing the screams, Henry turns from the window of the wooden palace they are currently staying in and plucks the toddler from her arms. He bounces his namesake in his hold until the furious screams have turned to giggles and then sets him gently on the floor.
Contented by getting his own way, Henri toddles off to play with a wooden horse.
Recovering herself, Marie raises her eyebrows, “Lady Parr is really going to thank you for that.”
“He’s a Tudor. You can see that as soon as look at him. She should know better than to stand in the way of his desires,” Henry shrugs, before a shadow crosses his face, “I’ll never have a boy like him.”
“Of course you will!” Marie has never been able to stand seeing her brother morose. As she did throughout their childhood, she springs to cheer him.
“Not with Katherine as my wife, I won’t.”
“If that’s really the way you feel, then set her aside.”
The words are out before Marie can stop them. Her heart aches with guilt for Katherine as soon as she realises what she’s said, but her brother is looking at her with such a sudden leap of hope in his face that she can’t take them back. She slips her arm through his.
“Sign the alliance, brother. Sign the alliance and help Francis secure his hold on Milan. And when we’ve made sure of Milan for little Henri and your Mary, when we’ve made them a Duke and Duchess twice over, why, then Francis and I will stand at your side as you fight for your annulment.”
Henry looks at Henri for a moment, taking in his coppery hair, his ruddy cheeks, his sturdy limbs. A flash of pure longing passes over his face.
“Do I have your word, Mary?” he whispers, not taking his eyes off the rambunctious little boy.
“You do,” she returns, just as softly, letting his use of her English name go without a murmur. This moment is too important for that.
A heartbeat passes. Two. Then slowly, oh-so-slowly, Henry nods.
Marie squeezes his arm and they stand in silence, watching absently as Lady Parr suddenly realises her youngest charge isn’t in bed as he should be. Within moments, the nursery is filled with screams and scoldings again as she chivvies the fifteen-month-old Duke of Orleans down from the window seat he is trying to climb into and towards his cradle.
Bold words, Marie... I do wonder who will be the poor soul that ends up with Henry
But with an easier (and earlier divorce by the looks of it), they might actually get a healthy son and the wife will be fine.
Maybe, but they could just as easily have daughters. Besides, no matter what Henry isn't easy being married to
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