Albion Rising: A Henry Frederick Timeline
- Thread starter VVD0D95
- Start date
I don’t know if this would happen. But, I like the idea of Henry confronting Carr in public and they have a duel. It would make James have to choose between them. That’s just my opinion.
VVD0D95
Banned
Think that might get both into serious trouble. James treated duels as an affront to his person.
Oh, all right. But, I still think that a public confrontation would still be interesting.
Perhaps, Henry calling Robert the real queen of England or something along those lines. Robert would be offended and demand James to do something which would place James in a very awkward predicament.
I doubt that he'd go for a line like that. It would humiliate his mother as well.
Chapter 8: Tilting
VVD0D95
Banned
Chapter 8: Tilting
May, 1610
Henry watched as the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick missed Dermod O’Brien on the tilt, and as their horses galloped passed one another in the yard. They were in the tiltyard of Richmond Palace, and Henry was observing his cousin and his friends tilt against one another. He would have joined in, but a pain in his arm prevented him from doing so. No doubt that consequence of engaging in a bit of friendly shoving during a game of foot-ball against some of the Cornish merchants when they had been in Cornwall.
“What do you think?” He asked, turning to look at his friend John Harington.
The other man nodded. “His Highness has good posture and he holds the lance in a good manner. But he seems overly confident.”
“In that he moves too quickly and doesn’t give himself enough time to get the measure of his opponent?” Henry asked.
“Exactly, Sir.” John replied. “Dermod is far too clever to fall for the bait and switch, and I’m not sure if His Highness knows that.”
“It’s like with his sword play.” Henry said. “He moves quickly at first but quickly tires out.” Henry looked back to the tiltyard.
John remained silent as the Hereditary Prince brought his horse into position again and raised his lance. The ground shook as the two horses moved toward one another. Henry’s cousin’s lance hit O’Brien’s shield and caused it to rattle. O’Brien didn’t drop though and instead their horses moved on.
“I think he might have been drinking, Sir.” John said then.
Henry frowned. “What makes you say so?” He wouldn’t be surprised if he were honest. When they had been in Cornwall, his cousin had never gone long without having a drink in his hand. And often the longer they were out meeting people, the longer he drank. Henry had had to help him into bed one night, because he’d had far too much wine. The man had then proceeded to vomit everywhere.
“Look at how he’s sitting in the saddle, now. You see how his back shakes slightly.” John said.
“Yes.” Henry said noticing it now that John had mentioned it. “He’s had a few.”
Henry sighed. “That isn’t good.”
He watched as his cousin righted himself and then moved out to charge at Dermod.
“What do you make of him, Sir?” John asked.
“Of the Hereditary Prince?” Henry asked. Watching as his cousin finally managed to hit Dermod, square on the chest. Dermod swayed in the saddle, but then straightened and rode on.
“Yes.” John said.
“I think he’s a good man. He’s kind, charming, smart, and good at fighting. All things that one needs in a Prince. But he drinks.” Henry said. The man had almost caused a scene in Truro when he’d had a drinking competition with one of the leading merchants, one Sidney Godolphin, and had then threatened to stab the man, for some imagined slight. Henry had had to smooth feathers over, with a quick word and then a foot-ball game. The same game where he’d hurt his arm.
“Do you think the King will mind that?” John asked.
Henry snorted. “The King would probably be very happy about that. But, no, I think the King has his heart set on the Palatinate.”
“How do you know, Sir?” John asked.
Henry looked away from the tiltyard for a moment to where Lord Cranbourne was talking with Lord Essex. “Cranbourne told me. It seems the King spoke with Lord Salisbury and insisted that they start opening negotiations with the Palatinate.”
“Ah.” John said. “And, how do you feel about that, Sir?”
Henry sighed. “I do not know. I think Frederick could be a good husband, but he doesn’t offer anything of value. Not really. Especially not with the trade and political considerations that the Palatinate match would come with.” If he had his way, Henry would have Elizabeth and Frederick betrothed before the latter left. But then he remembered the man’s drinking and said. “And besides, I do not think Elizabeth would like Frederick, if she knew how much he drank. He was on good behaviour at the welcome dinner, and drunkenness does not get reflected in letters, but in person? I think in person it would be incredibly hard for him to not be drunk.”
“So, what will you do, Sir?” John asked.
“I will prepare for the disappointment that my sister will no doubt feel, whilst also trying to maintain a good relationship with Frederick.” Henry said.
As he said that, his cousin finally knocked Dermod off his horse. The Irishman landed with a solid thump and laughed as he did so.
“Well played, Your Highness.” Dermod said, extending his hand to the Hereditary Prince. Frederick took Dermod’s hand and shook it from his horse, then let go.
“Who’s next?” Frederick called out in his heavily accented English.
Henry looked around and saw that his friends were all looking at him, seeking his approval. Whilst he wanted to give them the chance to go against his cousin, he also wanted to talk about something he’d heard with his cousin, and therefore he called back in French. “Cousin, perhaps it is time for you to give my companions a rest? Let us talk?”
His cousin snorted. “Fine.” He replied in French. His cousin gestured for a stable hand to come and take the reins of his horse, he handed his lance to another servant, and then dismounted and dusted himself off before he walked over to Henry.
Henry nodded to him, and as he looked at the other man, he saw the slight blurriness in the man’s eyes, the slight sense of sleep that hung to him like a shadow. Henry sighed, then turned and said. “Walk with me.” He put one foot in front of another and walked out of the tiltyard, where he was going, he didn’t really know, but he just wanted to walk.
“I received a letter from my father today.” Frederick said.
Good. Henry thought to himself. Lord Salisbury had been the one to tell him that the Duke of Brunswick might write to his son and heir, and thus Henry had told David Murray to keep an eye out on all post that came here. Murray had found the letter, read through it, and copied it out, before re-sealing the letter and making it look as good as new. Henry knew what the contents were, and thus was waiting to see what his cousin would say.
“He says that things are getting a lot more tense in the Empire.” Frederick said.
“Why?” Henry asked.
“It seems that the Emperor is being bullied by his younger brother, Archduke Matthias, into allowing the Bavarians to keep Donauworth entirely Catholic. This combined with the Emperor’s decision to give the Duchy of Julich-Cleves-Berg to the Elector of Saxony is causing a great deal of anger and tension.” Frederick said.
“Can the Emperor do that? Especially if there are two claimants with valid claims nearby?” Henry asked. He knew a bit about the law of the Empire, but not everything.
“I am not sure. The matter is up in the air. The Emperor himself has a claim to the Duchies, but he doesn’t want to press for them in case it erodes his neutrality. Furthermore, I believe there are tensions developing between the Count of Neuburg and the Margrave of Brandenburg as well.” Frederick said.
Henry nodded; he’d been incredibly frustrated when he’d read that. Why couldn’t the Protestant powers remain united. The Emperor and his allies were the threat, not other Protestant states! “What do you think will happen?” He asked then.
Frederick sighed. “It could go either way. Either it is agreed that Saxony gets the Duchies and nobody is happy, or it goes to war, and there is a brutal and bloody struggle.”
“And which would be better for our fellow Protestants?” Henry asked, trying desperately to remain calm, whilst also trying to get across just how seriously he took this entire matter.
“I think war.” Frederick said after a long pause. “We must make the world see just how degenerate and demagogic the Emperor and his followers are. We must make the world see that only struggle can prevent them from restoring the great Anti-Christ to power.”
Henry nodded, he agreed with that. “And what about France?” France was their great hope, of that, he was sure. If they had King Henri’s backing, then the Emperor and his allies were finished.
“I think he will join.” Frederick said. “He might not go and fight himself, but he will send French forces.”
Henry nodded. “I agree.” He would believe nothing less of the man he saw as a second father.
They stopped once they came to the entranceway for the Palace proper. Henry took a breath and then nodded to the guards who opened the doors, allowing them to enter. Henry looked around and saw various servants bustling this way and that, some were preparing for the investiture ceremony that would be held next month, others were people he’d only just admitted into his household-on his father’s orders (though he suspected they were reporting back to Carr)- they stopped when they came to a painting of Henry’s great-grandfather, King James V of Scotland, in the painting he was dressed in armour, his hand pointing eastward, a smile on his lips. It was a good painting, perhaps done during Henry’s father’s reign, when the King had been obsessed with his namesake.
The silence was broken by Frederick who asked. “And what of you, cousin? Are you going to join the fight?”
Henry sighed. That was the powerful question. He wanted to. With everything in his body, he wanted to join the fight, but he wasn’t sure if his father would let him. The King was obsessed with maintaining his image as a peacemaker. “I would love to.”
“But the King won’t let you go until you’re married?” Frederick asked.
Henry glanced at his cousin and sighed. That would be the easier answer to give than to have to explain his father’s complex rationale for everything. “Yes.” He said simply.
Frederick nodded. “Has His Majesty decided on who he wishes you to marry?”
Henry laughed. “Yes. He wants either a Spanish Infanta or a Polish Princess.”
“Not a French Princess?” Frederick asked sounding surprised.
Henry shook his head. “No, unfortunately, the girl he wanted is already betrothed to the Prince of Piedmont, and the other girls are too young.”
Frederick nodded. “You’d prefer the Polish girl, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes.” Henry said simply.
“What will you do?” Frederick asked.
Henry looked back at the portrait of his ancestor and said. “Ask for an image of her from the Polish ambassador, and then make my case to the King.” He just hoped that worked. Otherwise, he’d find his own wife.
Unless she's one of those girls who thinks she can change him, of course..
oh for sure...though i wonder if he would be more bothered by the catholicism or the mistresses and bastard children lol
Could there be a possible matchup between Henry and Maria Elizabeth of Sweden. She was born in 1596 so Henry would not have to wait long to get married and I think Sweden would be a good ally.