17th of January, 1536: The King joins the joust. Over the past week he had been an active part of the festivities, dancing and joining in the sport like a young man. But the constant effort finally caught up with him when, after winning the first joust early in the day he collapsed from his horse and hits the ground with a heavy thud. Rushing to his side, the Queen is the one who pulls off his helmet and follows the men as they carry him into his rooms. She is also present when he wakes up, and comforts him when he awakes in tears. While up until now he had been simply happy with a pretty little wife he actually shows seemingly true affection, naming his wife ‘a woman without equal’ and ‘the truest queen of England since my mother herself’.
In France, Mary Tudor reaches Paris. After a long journey inland in which she progressed through many different towns greeting French villages and villagers. One person was to have said:
“…she is a true Queen. Pretty and regal, personable and distant. If she keeps this up, the French people will surely follow her gladly as a Sovereign. And what’s even better, her French would never give up for a moment that she is an English woman born, raised by a Spaniard…”
When she reaches the capital, the King and Dauphin are the first to greet her. While the king simply enjoys her company and the chance at England she possesses, the Dauphin Francis is enchanted by the pretty young woman. They are evidently compatible, sharing long conversations and planning how the two countries will work together. There seems to be real love blossoming between them. Hopefully nothing screws it up.