Six Roses, Red and White: A Tudor TL
- Thread starter HortenseMancini
- Start date
XXIX: May-June 1518
Richmond, May 1518
It was a warm day for the end of May, especially in London. Catalina could feel herself sweating through her shift as she sat in the crowded great hall at Richmond Palace, watching one of the masques that was being performed in celebration of Whitsun. On a makeshift stage, a group of three beautifully clothed young women danced, playing the role of nymphs. They were part of Catalina's household and so she knew them well - there was Gertrude Blount, her distant cousin Elizabeth, and Anne Browne, the recently arrived daughter of a knight. She smiled to herself as their dancing continued, thinking that her mother would be proud to see that she had cultivated such fine young women in her service.
It was then that the music suddenly changed, and a masked man emerged onto the stage. Catalina clapped in delight at seeing her husband’s familiar figure - some things truly never changed, the man always had to be at the center of everything. Henry looked up and flashed a grin at her, discernable even with his mask. Her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat at that. He would be so pleased when she shared her news with him…
“You are having a good evening, Your Grace?”
Catalina turned around to see Margaret Courtenay, her husband’s young cousin, standing behind her, looking somewhat sheepish.
“I am, Mistress Courtenay, thank you. Tell me, do you like the masque that has been selected?”
Margaret nodded, “Oh yes, I like it. The story of Chloris and Zephyros is very appropriate for Whitsun, do you not think?”
“It is,” Catalina said, frowning. Henry had only specified that three of her ladies would be needed to play nymphs in a masque, he had not told her anything about the content of the masque. Which was rather unusual to her.
“Erh, Your Grace, I actually came over because Lady Elizabeth has requested permission to return to her chambers. She is, to quote, ‘tired and the food is too spicy and there is nothing going on, just the stupid masque.’”
Catalina scoffed, “Please tell Elizabeth that she will stay here and behave properly until the entertainments are over. She would never have asked this before Henry took her to the Continent with him…” The last part came out mumbled, and Catalina was relieved to see that young Mistress Courtenay had either not heard or was too tactful to let Catalina know that she had.
“I’ll tell her that she must remain here, though I doubt she will like it,” Margaret said, glancing back towards where Elizabeth sat with some other girls.
Catalina sighed, “She will understand. If you must, tell her that her father will be upset if she leaves while he is onstage.”
Margaret nodded, “I will, Your Grace.” And then she hurried away back towards Elizabeth.
Catalina felt bad that she had put Margaret in such a spot, especially as the girl was no servant. But still, Elizabeth needed to know that sometimes she did simply have to endure things that she did not like. Catalina looked over to where her daughter was, now rejoined by Margaret Courtenay. Elizabeth’s face had turned red and her brow was furrowed but at least she was still there, and behaving herself. The Duke of Norfolk’s youngest girl was seated right next to Elizabeth - the two had become practically inseparable, Catalina had noticed - and on the other side of her was Ursula Pole, who was whispering with Margaret Courtenay. Hopefully the older girls, of whom Catalina was very fond, would be a good influence on the younger two.
Catalina turned her attention back to the masque then, watching as Henry danced with…was that Mistress Elizabeth Blount, the one everyone called Bessie? The dance was a close one, intimate, supposed to imply the coupling of Zephyros and Chloris to bring forth spring. Catalina could not bring herself to look away, though she desperately wanted to, as Henry took Mistress Blount’s hand, his fingers caressing hers as though he were touching something precious to him. Nausea rose in her but she fought it back. She was Henry’s wife, his queen. Let him take her to his bed if he wishes, she is a simpering thing and he will soon tire of her, Catalina thought, besides, I carry something that will be far more precious to him than some girl. With that, she brought her hand down to rest on her lower abdomen, where her and Henry’s sixth child, their son and heir, was growing strong in her womb.
Greenwich, June 1518
“Do you think Mama’s baby will be a boy or a girl?” Elizabeth asked her sister Mary, as they sat inside their chambers at Greenwich on a hot, rainy summer morning.
Mary, who was flipping through a psalter, wrinkled her nose without looking at Elizabeth, “I don’t know what it will be. Only the Lord knows.”
“Yes, but what do you think He has made it?” Elizabeth pried. She liked Mary best out of all her sisters, probably, but sometimes she was not very fun. She liked to read too much, and she was never very interested in looking at Mama’s jewels or pretty gowns, like Elizabeth was. At least Katherine and Meg would do that with her.
Mary sighed, as though exasperated, “I don’t know. Just let me read.”
“C’mon,” Elizabeth said, standing up and going to sit next to her sister, “Tell me what you think or I won’t stop talking and you won’t be able to read.”
“Fine,” Mary drawled, “I don’t know what I think, but I hope Mama’s baby is a girl.”
“Really? I hope it’s a boy. I heard Lady Bryan talking and apparently Papa will be very upset if it’s another girl. He might even…” Elizabeth trailed off, as she was somewhat unsure of what she had overheard and didn’t understand what it meant. What she did understand, though, was that Mama had to have a baby boy.
“I don’t like boys,” Mary said plainly, shrugging, “I have plenty of sisters but I don’t have any brothers. And I don’t even play with any boys. The only people I play with are girls - you, and Katherine, and Libby Howard, and Ann and Molly Brandon, and Kathy Knyvett. All girls.”
“But you’re going to have to marry a boy one day, remember? Cousin Alexander will be your husband!”
Mary stuck out her tongue in disgust, “Eww, no, boys are gross and I’m not going to marry one, not even Cousin Alexander.”
“But Papa says that you must,” Elizabeth said, furrowing her brow. It was strange to her that Mary wasn’t interested in doing what their father said; everyone had to listen to Papa, even Mama.
“I don’t care,” came Mary’s defiant response, “Papa can’t make me marry him or anyone else.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “Alright, fine, Mary, you don’t have to marry him. But I don’t think Papa and Mama are going to like that.”
It was then that Mary whacked her over the head with her psalter. Sisters.
Last edited:
Interesting to see Mary not caring for boys, I suppose we'll see how long that lasts....
She's a seven year old, I wouldn't take anything to heart yet lol
Oh shit, I meant to add another of Katherine's maids in there but I forgot
Poll available
So, I've decided that I'm going to rework this timeline. I want to know, though, if you all, as the readers, would prefer that I start a new thread for the reworked version or if you would rather I just edit the updates on this thread. Thank you in advance!