Arthur and Catherine

April 2, In the Year of our Lord 1502

Nightfall had come. A cold, blustery wind swept around Ludlow Castle. Candles and lamps and fireplaces had been lit, and yet the whole place seem shrouded in gloom.

The castle's small chapel was dimly lit by flickering candles. Katherine had been on her knees for an hour, praying to Mary and all the Saints to save her beloved husband Arthur. For while it was true that her marriage was arranged for political reasons, she did indeed love her gentle and bookish husband and the thought of losing him to the sweating sickness was almost more than she could bear. She begged the blessed Virgin to intercede with Christ to save her husband. She would devote herself to God's service as much as a woman could who had not entered the convent if Arthur would live.

But it was looking hopeless. The doctors had done all they could do in these two weeks as Arthur, Prince of Wales, grew sicker and weaker. The bleedings had not let out the ill humours plaguing his body. He lay nearly silently in his bed now, his face as white as that of a statue saint. The life ebbed slowly out of him. It would appear that when his father the King went to his own heavenly reward (and may God preserve the King!), then his younger, very different brother would assume the throne.

Jesus Christ on his cross seemed to gaze personally at Katherine. At least, that is what she felt. She knew she would feel God's comfort in her hour of trial. But was it the comfort of pain and sorrow that her Lord would share with her ... for surely to walk in the steps of pain was to walk in the very steps of Christ himself, and could there be a better consolation in this life? Or, would God grant her the consolation of her husband somehow surviving the sweating sickness?

Suddenly Katherine felt a urge to rise and go to her husband. It was almost a compulsion she could not refuse. Her heart beat more quickly. She was not sure why she was going to the Prince's bedchamber. Was it to see him awake or to slip away into the final sleep? She almost ran down the gloomy corridor leading to his chamber. She entered and crossed over to his bed and knelt beside it. His chamber had several physicians and servants present.

Arthur hardly seemed to breathe at all. His skin was waxen. Katherine dreaded the thought of losing him but also gave thanks to God that she could be present when he drew his last breath.

Arthur's chest rose and then fell ...

And then he opened his eyes.

"Catherine?" he asked.

And Catherine of Aragon, daughter of their most Catholic majesties Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, knew that God had spared Arthur, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Henry VII of the House of Tudor ...
 
I've been watching The Tudors on netflix and thought how much better it would have been if Catherine of Aragon could have remained Queen, and without Henry as King.
 
It's interesting - England was so close to having a real Arthur as king, and in OTL, he sadly dies.

So with Arthur surviving, we likely won't get the Church of England, and this will probably also result in a more pro-Spanish England.
 
I've been watching The Tudors on netflix and thought how much better it would have been if Catherine of Aragon could have remained Queen, and without Henry as King.
But then we wouldn't have gotten to see 20 hrs of Natalie Dormer running around in a corset!
 
A Good Start...

...Presbyman, your writing shows promise. It's going to need a lot of research, but I want to read about King Arthur and Queen Katharine.

If you're short of plot ideas, introduce a French invasion, and in a battle thrice-lost, thrice-won, have him drive the enemy into the sea...

...Oh, yes - Henry can be Sir Kay and maybe one of the Boleyn sisters can stand in for Morgana le Fay. They can come up with a Mordred...
Thomas More can be Merlin...

...We'll have Wolsey get the Cistercians to cast him some iron cannon to help him with his campaign to become Pope after a failed French invasion.
 
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Given that Arthur probably died of the same genetic disorder that killed his nephews Henry Fitzroy and Edward VI...

Well, let me put this way--POD should probably be when the sperm hits the egg.
 
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Given that Arthur probably died of the same genetic disorder that killed his nephews Henry Fitzroy and Edward IV...

Well, let me put this way--POD should probably be when the sperm hits the egg.
Interesting. What disorder was that?
 
We don't know for certain. However, when a large proportion of men from the same family die (over a period of years) at around the same age, while demonstrating the same symptoms--it's probably a genetic disorder. Arthur, Henry Fitzroy, and Edward VI all went from 'hale and hearty' to 'wasting away while coughing up blood' in very short order in their midteens, dying at 16, 17, and 16 respectively. Like a switch had been turned.
 
A Change

After thinking about it, I will change the POD drastically. Instead of Arthur surviving, let Henry and Catherine have a son instead of a daughter. That will have huge ramifications. And the odds are better anyway, 50-50 instead of trying to beat a genetic problem.

I'll try to work something up over time.
 
We don't know for certain. However, when a large proportion of men from the same family die (over a period of years) at around the same age, while demonstrating the same symptoms--it's probably a genetic disorder. Arthur, Henry Fitzroy, and Edward VI all went from 'hale and hearty' to 'wasting away while coughing up blood' in very short order in their midteens, dying at 16, 17, and 16 respectively. Like a switch had been turned.

Didn't Arthut die from sweeting sickness? And couldn't be the POD simply he doesn't have such genetic disorder? After all, Henry VIII was quite healthy himself.
 
Didn't Arthut die from sweeting sickness? And couldn't be the POD simply he doesn't have such genetic disorder? After all, Henry VIII was quite healthy himself.

Hmmm ... I'll need to think about it. My problem is that Arthur's character is hard to define as he died so young. If he was more like his father he might have been a good ruler.
 
Hmmm ... I'll need to think about it. My problem is that Arthur's character is hard to define as he died so young. If he was more like his father he might have been a good ruler.

Well, he was certainly more educated to rule than his younger brother. And while you don't have much information about his character in the other hand it means that you have more freedom to make up characteristics. Also, the idea of Henry becoming a member of the clergy (probably with several bastard children:p) is interesting enough to have a try!
 
Didn't Arthut die from sweeting sickness? And couldn't be the POD simply he doesn't have such genetic disorder? After all, Henry VIII was quite healthy himself.

We don't know. Might have been sweating sickness. Might have been TB. Might have been cancer. But again--given that a surprisingly large portion of his relatives died in the same circumstance at about the same age, there's a pretty good chance there was something off in the Tudor genes.
 
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