Is there a plausible POD here that gets England involved in North America sooner? Henry's life arc has dramatically changed already, after all.
The Queen is Dead!: Katherine of Aragon dies in 1518
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
I want to get more of an idea of how the Reformation will play out! Also, it seems that Henry VIII was never interested in colonization of the Americas IOTL but I can't really determine why...
Idea: Henry VIII uses the Reformation as a reason to go West early. Timber and fishing in the US Northeast - Canadian Maritimes, could be a start. When did the English tradition of the longbow fade off? I bet trading yew longbows with the Native Americans, plus yew saplings, would impress.
Reformation in England won't happen until the next generation. I do know that much. It'll be Lionel and his siblings who are interested in reform ITTL, not Henry and Marie.
I'm afraid there's at least one more chapter of suffering where Marie's ladies are concerned...
I had no doubt about this... hopefully the remaining wait will be short (as the births will be really painful)
I'm not writing the labour. It goes from Marie's waters breaking to George and Anne's reactions...
You had already said that... still poor Marie (and her unlucky ladies)
Hopefully all goes well for Marie and the children, but I suspect that it may not. Great chapter!
Section CXLVII - April 1524
Baynard's Castle - April 1524
Keeping Marie safe and healthy was one thing. Keeping her happy was quite another. The babies were far too restless to let her sleep properly and, without sleep, she became far more irritable than usual. Not even Anne, Kathy, Sarah, Joanna or Elizabeth could soothe her ruffled temper, which lashed out at the slightest provocation.
She could settle to nothing; she would call for her lute, but as soon as the string broke, which one often did, for she was too impatient to play properly, she would hurl it aside with a sigh, forcing the nearest lady to catch it before it fell to the floor and broke or else was dashed against the wall. Embroidery only held her attention for about as long as it took to sew a couple of needlefuls of thread and sometimes not even that long – if she dropped a stitch, she would snarl in frustration and shout for it to be taken away. If it hadn’t been for her far more patient ladies, the children’s layettes would never have been finished in time. Cards was out of the question – she could barely sit through the deal, much less a full hand.
Reading or being read to or possibly having musicians play for her held her attention for a little longer, for they took her mind off her suffering a fraction better, but even then, she would often be fidgeting and groaning for more pillows for her back. Rubbing her back sometimes allowed her to sleep, but never for long – either the babies would start kicking or else she would be hit with the other great difficulty that besets pregnant women.
With a squirm of realisation, an anguished wail would leave her pouting lips, and the nearest lady would have to jump up and rapidly fetch the chamber pot. She would be helped to arrange herself upon it with a great flurry and rustle of fabric, proceed to relieve herself with a splatter of urine and a guttural groan of relief and then have to be assisted back to her former position.
The whole rigmarole would repeat itself not twenty minutes later, for she needed to relieve herself at least twice an hour.
“It’s like taking care of an overgrown toddler,” Anne sighed in private to her husband. “I’ve never known Marie to be so capricious. She’s always been the easy-going one of the three of us, yet now, nothing anyone does is good enough for her. She nearly threw her lute at the King’s head yesterday. I’m not surprised he hasn’t come back.”
“You know she’s not doing it on purpose, don’t you?”
“Of course! I know pregnancy’s not easy and Marie’s got it harder than most because she’s carrying more than one child, but that doesn’t mean her fickle-mindedness isn’t tiring. You know she reduced both Mistress Seymour and Mistress Parr to tears today? Both of them experienced, patient courtiers and she reduced them to tears.”
“No! Why?”
“Mistress Seymour had put an inch of lace in the wrong place on one of the babies’ shirts. It was a mistake that would have taken half a minute to fix, especially for a skilled seamstress like her, but Marie harangued her for a good quarter of an hour over it. And when Mistress Parr suggested that she was overtired and ought to rest, Marie screamed “Do you think the blasted babies will let me!” and actually slapped her.”
“Slapped her?”
“Slapped her! Full in the face! And then she demanded that Mistress Parr fulfil her every wish for the rest of the afternoon and I swear she was deliberately difficult. She sent her dinner alone back three times and blamed Mistress Parr for getting her requests wrong every time, even though I know she repeated them faithfully.”
“That doesn’t sound like your sister.”
“I swear, I don’t even know her anymore. I just hope the babies come soon. I’m not sure how much more of this we can all take.”
Fortunately for Anne, the stress only lasted another week or so before Joanna woke her one morning with the news that Marie had gone into labour. Although she sent the older woman back to her sister’s rooms with a promise to dress and be right behind her, Anne lay back in bed for a few seconds, savouring the rare peace as Harry slumbered on beside her.
“Thank God,” she thought, “It won’t be long now.”
Things always turn out happily if Henry and family are involved. Anyone who disagrees with this statement will be taken to the tower and beheaded.
We shall have to see how this turns out, though it makes me nervous that at least one of the babies or Marie may not survive.
Next chapter, I promise!
No. It has to be rooibos. You know that!
Ha!
