The Queen is Dead!: Katherine of Aragon dies in 1518
- Thread starter FalconHonour
- Start date
I'm not sure if Anne being the king's sister in law would help or hinder her if her views were to come out. On the one hand, she's family. But on the other hand, she's family and the king can't very well allow his own family to flout the law. Also, this is a minor point, but why Philippa for Anne and Henry's daughter? Wouldn't Elizabeth be a more suitable name? And I don't think you have any Elizabeths in the story already. I would rather expect the King and Marie to name one of their girls Philippa, given King Henry's admiration for his ancestor Edward III.
I have to include the Reformation somewhere, and of course it had to be Anne at the centre of it, despite her much more conservative husband! I haven't forgotten about the Seymours, either...
Oh yeah. It sure as hell is. Hang on to this moment. It will be important later.
*Shrugs* I've always liked Philippa of Hainault, and Henry and Marie's family is complete now, not that they know that. I did debate naming Jacquetta Philippa, but Jacquetta just fitted the character better.
Plus, I like the alliteration of Pippa Percy, so it was going to have to be Anne who had a little Pippa this time around. Perhaps George and Kathy can have an Elizabeth, if they ever have a daughter.
Protestantism will come to England, surely, but that doesn't mean it'll be seen as more than the rabble-rousing of foreigners.
Let's put it this way. Anne does what Harry asks of her, at least to an extent. She doesn't show *their* children the French New Testament again. I'm saying nothing of anyone else's....
Section CLXIV - July 1525
Eltham, July 1525
Rise and shine, Lady Jacquetta,” Lady Bryan called merrily as she entered the little girl’s bedchamber and began to draw the curtains of her four-poster. As she did so, she noted the bedchamber seemed unusually quiet, but dismissed her concerns. Of course the room was quieter than normal. Caitlin and Jackie, as their family called them, usually shared a room, but the younger girl had been unusually sleepy and hot in the last few days, so, given the delicate state of her general health, the two Lady Governesses had deemed it wise to separate her from the other children until they were sure her temperature was nothing serious. Lady Bryan did feel somewhat sorry for Lady Salisbury, as the new arrangements meant that her colleague had more or less sole charge of four royal children, three of whom were under the age of five, and their companions, but then, the other woman had agreed to it, and Lionel was in Sir Henry's charge for much of the day anyway. Besides, Lady Willoughby was a capable assistant whenever the need arose.
“Rise and shine, Lady Jacquetta,” she repeated, “I’ve got some lovely berries and cream here for you to break your fast.”
She wouldn’t normally have treated the toddler to such a rich breakfast, but the little girl had also been off her food and complaining that her throat hurt for a day or two, so Lady Bryan was hoping that the unusual sweet breakfast might tempt her to eat something for a change.
There was soft, sleepy moaning from the bed, and with a chuckle, Lady Bryan laid the bowl and spoon down on the clothes press and turned to bend over Jacquetta and coax her awake. The youngest Tudor had always been the hardest of her siblings, both to settle to sleep in the first place, and to rouse once she was finally asleep.
She put her hand on the little girl’s cheek, meaning to tap it lightly to get her attention…and started.
The child was glowing with heat.
Alarmed, Lady Bryan pulled the blankets back and lifted the girl out of bed on to her knee. She ran her hands over the child’s face and neck, grimacing as she felt the large swellings below Jacquetta’s ears.
Jacquetta wasn’t keen on her touching them either, flinching away from her governess’s touch and moaning in pain as soon as her fingers so much as brushed against them.
“Well, Lady Jacquetta,” Lady Bryan said at last, keeping her tone bracing, “It’s a good job we kept you apart from your brothers and sisters, isn’t it? I think you might be in solitary confinement for a while longer yet.”
Then she tucked Jacquetta back into bed and turned towards the door, opening it only far enough to call out to one of the passing maids, “Blanche? Fetch me some cloths and some cool water. And tell Lady Salisbury she’d better write to the King and Queen. The Lady Jacquetta is sicker than I’d hoped she might be.”
Blanche’s eyes widened and she went almost as white as her name before bobbing a graceless curtsy, “Yes, Lady Bryan!”
She scurried off, and was back shortly after, bearing the wished-for items, “Lady Salisbury wishes to know what she should tell Their Majesties of the Lady Jacquetta’s condition and wonders whether we should send for Dr Linacre,” she informed Lady Bryan, as she handed her the cloths.
“Tell Lady Salisbury I suspect it is mumps. If I’m right, there will be little Dr Linacre can do for Lady Jacquetta that we can’t do ourselves. If I am not…” Lady Bryan trailed off, before being unable to stop the words leaping to her lips, “If I am wrong, then God have Mercy on us all.”
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Yup. I knew people were going to take this one hard...
I never said having triplets was going to be easy.
Noooo, poor Jacqueta. Btw, just read a comment before that you are good at writing children, i totally agree!
Poor little Jacquetta... hope sh'ell get better soon enough.
So do I!
I'll take that as her best won't be enough, or the fever will cause brain damage but not kill her.
Thanks! I love writing them and I think it shows.
Maria and Meg are definitely my favourite, though, though I do have a lovely scene between Lionel and Caitlin near the end of the TL... Well, all I'll say to that is that the last couple of months have long-lasting effects.
The future Dauphine needs to practice her French. I write this as an Uncle who had a direct role shaping my nieces reading and interests I suspect to my sister in law's mild horror.
Haha, My aunt passed me her love for horses. I rode for twelve years. My father is allergic to horses. Anything you did to your niece can't be that bad.
But yes, Maria does need to practice her French. And Dickon needs to familiarise himself with the Huguenots who have taken shelter in his new lands in Normandy...
But yes, Maria does need to practice her French. And Dickon needs to familiarise himself with the Huguenots who have taken shelter in his new lands in Normandy...