I'm glad to see that Henry is acknowledging his mistakes while also ensuring his bastard daughter and his former mistress are well taken care of. Great chapter!
The Queen is Dead!: Katherine of Aragon dies in 1518
- Thread starter FalconHonour
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Grace Boleyn, Countess of Pembroke and Ormonde sound very goodWell, except that Grace will take the name of whoever she marries, which, if George gets his way, will be little Edmund Boleyn.... I'm not planning to cover Henry's waiting for Marie's labour to be over this time, actually. I think I've written the aftermath from George and Anne's perspective this time. You can guess the birth order when it's all over
Bad things haven't happened in awhile. Perhaps Marie dies in birth and Henry can marry Honour if he has multiple spares?
Some of the bad stuff is happening off screen. For instance, a later chapter informs me that I seem to have piled all of Anne's bad luck in pregnancy IOTL on to Kathy Stafford ITTL. I can write a chapter on that if you wish?
Yes, he's learning. Slowly, but he's learning. Mary blowing up at him helped, I feel!
Section CXLV - January 1524
Greenwich, January 1524
Anne’s prediction that her brother-in-law would have the Duchy of Lancaster dissolved by Christmas was out, but only by a week. Harry Percy was ennobled as Marquis of Lancaster in a lavish ceremony on the feast of Twelfth Night. He wore sea-green velvet, his royal brother-in-law sumptuous cloth of gold, and the new Lady Lancaster was resplendent at Harry’s side in yards and yards of silver damask, glittering with happiness. As the King placed the coronet of estate on Harry’s head and the ermine-trimmed robes about his shoulders, she could hardly restrain a laugh of pure delight.
It was Princess Maria who really stole the show, however. As her mother felt too unwell to attend the ceremony and her father wished to underline the fact that she and her brother Lionel were his true heirs and he would never doubt that, even if he was now ennobling her younger half-sister as a Baroness, Henry had decided to let the little Dauphine help him ennoble her new uncle.
“Arise, Lord Lancaster, and receive the patent of your nobility.”
Her young voice rang through the hall, melting every heart with its affected gravity.
Harry rose from his knees and solemnly took the beribboned scroll out of her small hands, kissing her formally on both cheeks.
“Thank you, Madame,” he replied, “I am greatly honoured by the trust you and your father place in me by bestowing this title upon me. I shall endeavour to be worthy of it.”
“I’m pleased,” Maria answered, “Will Maggie be a part of my household now?”
“Maria!” Henry chided, shocked at his oldest daughter’s boldness and worried she had ruined the ceremony. At seven, she really should have known better than to speak out of turn like that.
Anne, however, laughed and held out her hands to Maria, “Maybe when she’s older, Your Highness. But if you have a little sister, it might be easier for Maggie to share a household with her instead. After all, you’re a big girl now. You won’t want your baby cousin tagging along after you for long.”
“I suppose,” Maria considered, cocking her head. The surrounding courtiers oohed and ahhed at the brief exchange between aunt and niece and Henry softened. Perhaps Maria’s impulsiveness wasn’t so bad after all. She seemed to charm the people, which was always important. He patted her head.
“Well done, sweetheart. You did very well. Mama will be very proud when she hears about this. Now, off you go with Aunt Anne and Uncle Harry.”
The three obeyed his wishes, bowing and curtsying once more before retreating down the centre of the hall, Maria trotting happily between her aunt and uncle and drawing many an adoring look as she went.
Henry watched her go, a wistful smile on his face, before he shook himself, turned back to his throne and nodded to the herald to call in Honour and their two-month-old daughter, Lady Grace Fitzroy.
“Just one more ceremony,” he thought, “Just one more ceremony and then I can get on with rebuilding my life with Marie and the children.”
Yes, she is, isn't she? And now that that's all done, Henry (and we) can focus on Marie and the impending multiple birth...
Section CXLVI - April 1524
Baynard's Castle, April 1524
By early March, the weight of Marie’s belly was so great, she could no longer walk unassisted. By April, when she was confined to her lying-in chamber, she was bloated to such terrible proportions that nothing but loose silken wraps would even fit her any more, leaving her bitterly cold in the draughty halls of the palace, even with half a dozen eiderdowns spread over the great mound of her belly.
By now, there was no longer any doubt that she would be having at least twins. She was too big and the child too restless for it to be anything other than a multiple birth.
Dr Linacre had been worried and had wanted her to retire to her chamber much earlier, but Marie, with an uncharacteristic touch of the Boleyn steel, had categorically refused.
“I hate taking to my chamber, sir. It is deathly dull and I never have anything to do but fret over every new twinge of pain. I am not entering that room a single day earlier than propriety says I must, do you hear?”
Unwilling to distress her further because of the children she carried, Dr Linacre had not pressed the point. However, by the first of April, Marie could not delay the dreaded day any longer, so into her chamber she went, processing there with great stately pomp, pomp she ruined on the threshold by clinging to her husband and weeping piteously.
“Don’t leave me, Henry, please! I’m scared! Don’t leave me, please!”
“I must, darling,” Henry, knowing Marie was only behaving like this because of the children inside her playing havoc with her emotions, kept his voice unusually patient and reassuring, “I must, but don’t you fret. I’ll come and visit you regularly. Anyway, it won’t be long now and you’ll have our strapping boys in your arms. Won’t that be something? Prince Edward and Prince George, hmm? After good St George and your brother, what do you say?”
Marie nodded tearfully, letting her husband calm her with kisses and caresses. Then she pulled herself together and retreated into her chambers, most of her household clustered around her. Henry turned to her mother and sister, who had hung back.
“Lady Lancaster, Lady Ormonde, I leave the Queen in your charge. Keep her safe, keep her healthy and keep her happy if you can. In short, take great care of her, for she and the children in her womb are currently England’s greatest earthly treasure.”
“We will, Sire,” the women chorused, kneeling for his blessing.
He gave it to them and then they too followed their mistress into her rooms. The door banged shut behind them with a thud of finality.
Right - to keep you updated, I've decided that rather that push myself too much and risk this dragging out, I shall cover up to the middle of 1525 in detail and then jump forward to 1530 for a few final chapters before we settle on a couple of epilogues - currently, I have one written on LIonel and one on Maria, which will definitely have a second part to it. I also owe you all a family tree, which I haven't forgotten about
Goodness...hope the pregnancy ends soon, for the sake of Marie and her attendants! Though hopefully not until those babies are ready.
Awww, it's almost over?Right - to keep you updated, I've decided that rather that push myself too much and risk this dragging out, I shall cover up to the middle of 1525 in detail and then jump forward to 1530 for a few final chapters before we settle on a couple of epilogues - currently, I have one written on LIonel and one on Maria, which will definitely have a second part to it. I also owe you all a family tree, which I haven't forgotten about
Thanks! Well, I haven't ruled out a different choice yet, but that just seems to be the easiest way of doing things, for me. I have lots of stuff for 1524-1525, and quite a bit for early 1530-1531, but nothing in between. But I am flattered you like it so much!
The good thing about multiple births is they generally come early...
Yes, at least that... Marie will be free earlier than they thinks...The good thing about multiple births is they generally come early...
and that considering her dimension and humor is a very good thing for everyone
I thought the same thing...I don't want Henry and the children losing another wife/mother, not again.