A Queen Twice Over: Mary Tudor the Elder Marries Francis I of France
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Section XXXV - October 1521
Rouen, October 1521
Marie hears them before she sees them. The cheering is so heartfelt, it seems to be a physical wall of noise as it echoes through the narrow, cobbled streets leading to the cathedral.
She has to clench every muscle to keep herself from craning her neck to see if she can spot them yet. Such behaviour, she can hear her grandmother saying dourly, ill befits a Queen.
And then, as if out of nowhere, there they are. They enter the square at a spanking trot, their every inch alight with victorious pride, as befits the conquering heroes they are.
Marie rakes them over with a quick, assessing glance. Francis has a new scar across one cheek and Henry appears to be favouring his left shoulder somewhat, although his penchant for bulky doublets, while doing wonders to highlight his strength, makes it very hard to tell whether the joint is bandaged or not. Other than that, however, the two men appear to be blooming with health and vitality.
They are certainly in fine spirits, which puts them in stark contrast to the glowering young man to Francis’s left.
Now, Charles of Castile, Aragon and Burgundy doubtless looks sulky at the best of times, given his unfortunate protruding jaw, but his bad temper clearly goes deeper than that today. His hands are balled into fists and his face is mottled, flushed with rage and humiliation at being escorted into Rouen on a leading rein as though he is a child.
Francis holds the leading rein firmly in his left hand and Marie can’t help but smirk at his evident glee at this state of affairs as he flourishes her a bow with his right.
“Ma lionne, may I present His Grace, Charles of Spain and Burgundy?”
Marie nods and beams at her husband and brother before sinking into a reverent curtsy.
Francis laughs and tosses Charles’s leading rein to Henry before swinging himself down from the saddle and crossing in two great strides to pull Marie up into his arms.
“No burgeoning belly to greet me, my sweet?” he chuckles, cupping her cheek with his palm, “Dear me. I must have been remiss. Did I not promise you a child as a parting gift?”
Marie can’t help it. She goes rigid in Francis’s arms.
Oh, she knows he means no harm. She knows he has no way of knowing. But that doesn’t mean his careless words don’t send a knife through her heart.
She has to bite her lip hard enough to draw blood to keep the sudden wave of tears at bay.
Fortunately, Marguerite, half a pace behind her, is alert to the sudden shift in her mood and springs forward to take her own turn at greeting Francis before he can do more than blink at Marie’s sudden melancholia. Marguerite pushes Marie towards Henry and she goes willingly, pasting a smile on her face for the sake of the men crowding around her.
Henry hails her jovially, alight with triumph. His glee at having seized Antwerp is infectious and Marie finds her own mood lifting even after just a few moments in his presence.
Nonetheless, the occasion has been tainted, marred by an invisible black cloud of grief. Couldn’t Francis have kept his mouth shut, if only for a few more hours? Then she could truly have greeted him as a conqueror deserved.
*** *** ***
Marie is about to retire when a soft knock comes at her door. She has already dismissed her maids for the night, so she pads over to it herself, shaking her copper curls out of her eyes as she goes.
Francis stands on the other side. He is holding a silver platter groaning with her favourite goat’s cheese stuffed olives and manchet bread studded with sweet golden raisins.
Marie’s lips part in surprise, “Francis…”
“Shh, ma belle. Marguerite told me everything. I’m so sorry to hear you lost the child. Why didn’t you write and tell me?”
“We didn’t want to disturb you in the midst of a campaign,” Marie replies.
As she says it, she realises what a feeble excuse that is and flushes, “It’s not like you could have helped, anyway.”
“No, but I could have avoided bringing public attention to it like I did!” Francis exclaims and Marie scoffs lightly.
“No conversation about it would have been easy.”
Awkward silence stretches between them for a moment or two.
Then Francis shifts the tray in his arms and takes a questioning step forward. Marie yields without a word, stepping back across the threshold to allow him entrance to her bedchamber. As soon as he has crossed the threshold, she reaches around him to close the heavy oak door. This discussion is not one she wants the rest of the Court listening in on.
VVD0D95
Banned
Poor Charles, I feel bad for the guyHaving to be humiliated like that while also seeing his former betrothed being the wife of his enemy. Great update though! Francis and Henry seem to be over the moon!
Spain's invincibility will have been broken now as well, their place in the sun may be ending.
Great chapter, a little bit small but focused on Francis and Marie,they deserve their space together after all, Charles is definitely having his piss boil at being presented like this and knowing the fact that some of that juicy and sweet burgundian inheritance (and maybe even italian) will be carved up between the French and English and not even counting the monstrous ransom that they will ask for such high ranking prisoner, I would definitely not want to be Charlie lmao.
Oh, they are! And who wouldn't be in their shoes? The war was going so badly for them - they lost Navarre, and then barely held Milan, and then they manage a coup like this!Poor Charles, I feel bad for the guy
That's definitely the case, but I wouldn't think France will be pushing for colonies *just* yet. They've got to get Milan and whichever slice of the Low Countries they seize pacified first...
Well, yes, he does, but in fairness he had no idea Marie had miscarried...and at least he tried to make it up to her...
Hmm, wonder if this means they will get Navarre after all?
True, though I feel Spain could struggle to hold onto their Colonies in Charles’s absence.
I wouldn't either...but I wouldn't be absolutely convinced that he'll have to pay a massive ransom. Henry and Francis may decide to wring something else out of him...
Big chapters are not my forte these days - it's why I struggle with longer stories nowadays and why AH.com suits me better, where it's easier to update little and often. But yes, Francis and Marie needed to have some space together.
After Charles routed them so spectacularly there? It's the one bargaining chip he's got. He's not letting go of that for anything!
True but if it is the price he has to pay for his freedom he may have to do it.
Yes, but he's also incredibly stubborn. Let's put it this way. It takes them three months to come up with a peace treaty than anyone is even close to satisfied with.
Oh peace talks are protracted to say the least. I'm quite proud of the treaty I've hashed out, I'm hoping the rest of you will think it realistic too.
I suppose. Can’t wait to see the shenanigans that go on in the making of that treaty.