AN: I have started to write this story because I love The Tudors, and because I wanted to put Henry the VIII in a series of different situations that he would normally encounter.Obviously , the story is not history compliant ... if you want a year to place the action i would say 1531 ( Katherine of Aragon is still at court, the Legatine Trial is almost finished and the king wants to marry Anne Boleyn)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors (sadly) , yet I own Princess Katherine and the plot (YAY!) and Quadrilater, which is a product of my imagination.
Advice: Have fun while reading it!
Chapter one : Princess Kat
or How to be a Woman
The sun shone on the marble castle marking the beginning of a day that would definitely change the course of history. Its empty halls cold not know that at exactly 8 o'clock the envoys from England would come to take their mistress; their beautiful, young mistress.
"Katherine! Katherine!" a powerful voice rang through the castle disturbing the deadly silence. "Where could that girl be?" the man asked the beautiful woman next to him.
"You know her, George… she is probably in the woods…or at the stables… or God knows where..." The lady answered softly smiling at the man.
King George I of Quadrilater had a very fulfilling life. He was the king of an island located in the freshly discovered New World whose natural resources produced a fruitful economy , he was loved and recognized by his people and he was about to marry his youngest daughter , Katherine, to the king of England.
Previously a subject to the Holy Roman Emperor, George had always been a skilled fighter and a trustworthy general, so it came as no surprise when he managed to convert the savage population of his island in a fairly civilized one. He was a good diplomat convincing the kings of Europe to recognize the land he was ruling over and a decent organizer, building schools, manufactures, farms, harbours, and churches professing the Catholic Faith among his subjects. He had managed to transform an unproductive land in Europe's first weapon producer, so George I was a force to be taken into account amongst European kings.
He and his wife, Margaret, a fair woman with a sweet, gentle character, had been blessed with two daughters: Armanda and Katherine. Armanda resembled her mother in many ways: she was well-read and gentle, liked to dance and have guests, knew how to care for a household and had never taken the Lord's name in vain. She loved being a woman and wanted nothing to do with politics, wars or other manly things she considered barbaric. Three years earlier she had married one of the rulers of the New World and lead a peaceful, careless life with her husband and her two children.
Katherine or Kat as she was called by everyone but her parents, was a 17 year-old girl who was the human equivalent of a spitfire. With long, wavy auburn hair and deep blue eyes, with fair skin and slim figure she was the dream of any man. That until he truly knew her. By the standards of the time Kat was a rebel. She liked to ride horses in the way that men did, she loved to sword fight, she had never attended masses, cooked, cleaned, knitted anything and above all she loved politics. Her private teachers agreed unanimously that had she been a man she would have wisely ruled any country.
"Daddy!" a slim figure leaped in George's arms and the king smiled at the sight of his youngest child." I have just returned from the stables… they have brought the new horses… they are simply spectacular!" Kat said excited but was interrupted by one of the queen's ladies in waiting.
"Your Majesties, the envoys from England have arrived and are waiting in the dinning hall." The lady said respectfully and bowed.
"We will join them shortly…" Queen Margaret said softly motioning her daughter to walk in the opposite direction by her.
Kat knew that this was the moment she had always feared. Her mother was about to say goodbye and the young princess did not know how to respond. She had always shared a secret bond, an indestructible one for that matter, with her mother. Unlike other royal families where the offspring was sent at a young age far from home, both Armanda and she were kept close to the family. They were actually brought up and educated by Queen Margaret who showed them tenderly the ways of the world.
"My child…" the queen began when they reached the garden. "It is time for you to go far from home, to build up your own family and to take care of your own subjects." she said quite formally.
"Mother …" Kat said embracing her mother. "I… I don't want to leave… I heard that the king is cruel and unfaithful… "The girl said in despair.
"Katherine, the last lesson you have to learn before going to foreign land is that often a sovereign has to put the well being of his people before his own comfort. Your father and I have no male heirs so when we are summoned to God we have to pass on the kingdom to our daughters. The marriage you are about to make will enable you to take the throne of Quadrilater after we die, and may you rule wisely my daughter. You will have the protection of your husband and of his allies and I am sure that when you become queen you will make our small kingdom thrive." It was the first time that Kat had heard her mother talk about politics and she was impressed that her parents had decided to make her the heir of Quadrilater. Of course she knew that Armanda had no claim to the throne but she had never expected to be awarded such an honour and responsibility.
"I fully understand, mother, and I appreciate everything you and father had done for me… and I hope that I will be a good wife, a great mother and a wise ruler. " She said softly and bowed to kiss her mother's hand.
"I will miss you, my dear child…" Margaret said calmly trying to hide the tears that were yielding up in her eyes.
"I will miss you too, mother…" Kat whispered and felt her cheeks stained by warm salty tears.
Taking her daughter's hand into a firm grip the queen led the princess where the envoys from England expected to meet their future queen.
"Margaret, Queen of Quadrilater and Princess Katherine." A powerful manly voice announced the two women and they entered the room only two find two men dressed in black one having blue eyes and the other pitch black ones.
"Mister Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and Sir Anthony Knivert." One of her mother's ladies in waiting whispered to Kat's ear and she nodded in acknowledgment towards the quests.
"Kind Gentlemen, I hope that you will enchant us with your presence for more than mere days…" The Queen said seeing that her daughter was unable to speak and resumed only to smiling.
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but if the princess is ready we will begin our journey towards England today…" the man called Brandon said.
"So soon?!" Kat almost shouted with a trace of despair in her voice.
"His Majesty, King Henry is more than eager to meet you, my lady." Brandon answered surprised that the princess had such a violent reaction.
"But… I …" Kat started but was firmly interrupted by her father.
"Princess Katherine is ready … she was only taken aback by the proximity of the departure." The king tried to excuse the princess.
Katherine looked straight at her father as if she saw a stranger. The girl was surprised that the king would encourage her soon departure to that wild country. What she did not know was that the king was hiding his sorrow behind that emotionless mask. He loved his daughter more than anyone else but he had to let her go for the well being of the nation and for her own comfort. He knew that if she marries, by the laws of their country she, at the moment of his death, would become Queen Regent of Quadrilater. And she would make a good ruler, a great one.
The red-head bowed in front of her parents formally, trying to say good –bye. They both hugged her warmly wishing her good fortunes. Katherine then left the castle of her childhood, her blue eyes filled with unshed tears and her hands trembling. With a last look behind, Katherine embarked into the journey that was to bring her to her new future as Queen of England.
Across the ocean, in England, King Henry the Eight was experiencing one of that awful days when nothing turns out as you wish. In the morning, he had tried once again to convince the ecclesiastic court and the parliament that his marriage to Katherine of Aragon was invalid and that he should marry Anne Boleyn, but they had, once again, said that they would declare the marriage invalid only if the king would marry someone of royal blood, like the princess of Quadrilater, and not a commoner like Mistress Boleyn. Henry was sure that Thomas More was behind this awkward request of the parliament but he couldn't understand why More was so keen on marring him with anybody but Anne. Thomas was a loyal supporter of Katherine of Aragon, and he had not encouraged divorce, but in the last few moths, since he had proposed the Princess of Quadrilater as future bride of the king he had been openly manifesting his approval of the marriage. Why was that? Only Mores' twisted mind could know the answer and Henry, no matter how hard he tried, he could not understand the actions of his Lord Chancellor.
The king entered his private chambers where Anne Boleyn had been waiting for almost two hours. With a big smile plastered on her face she threw herself into his arms and kissed him passionately on the lips.
"How did it go?" Anne asked softly. "Did you manage to convince them?"
"No… they still wouldn't give me the divorce if I don't marry the girl from Quadrilater…." Henry replied bluntly and was surprised by the cold calculated look Anne had when she heard the news.
"It is not fair, your majesty, the men in parliament are all your subjects, they should submit to your desire without posing any conditions…." The woman said bitterly. "It has been so long… I have waited for so long… and now some other woman takes you away from me…" she whispered and Henry pulled her into a tight embrace.
"All is going to be fine, sweetheart…." He whispered allowing her to cry on his shoulder.
Thomas More was quite pleased with the outcome of things so far. He knew George of Quadrilater to be an intelligent man, a powerful monarch and a useful allay. The chancellor just hoped that the princess would be a suitable bride for the king. Katherine of Quadrilater… such an irony that she had the same surname as the current queen… More admired and respected his Queen, as the entire kingdom, he loved her majesty but in the course of recent events the chancellor had understood that Henry would do his best to get an annulment. He knew that the king was headstrong and stubborn and would ultimately, regardless of the means, obtain the divorce, so the minister thought that a foreign marriage would at least improve England's international connections. Plus, Anne Boleyn was hated by the people and would do no good to the dynasty for the king to marry her.
Having such thoughts in mind, Sir Thomas More barely noticed that he had reached Her Majesties Apartments. After being announced by one of her ladies in waiting the minister entered only to face the beautiful and dignified queen with a gentle smile on her face.
"Sir Thomas More, such a pleasure to see you." The queen said royally and offered her hand to the minister who kissed it with dignity.
"Your majesty, I am afraid that I have to bring you the most unpleasant news…" More begun but was interrupted by the queen.
"I heard… that a foreign princess will come to … marry my husband." Katherine of Aragon said, her voice quivering and her eyes full of unshed tears.
"I am afraid you are right, your majesty…but there is still hope…. Do not despair madam, in order to marry the princess the king needs to obtain the divorce… she just comes to meet him…nothing more"More tried to be soothing while the queen tried to hide her tears. Poor woman, she loved her husband more than anything in the world.
Princess Kat tried to walk properly in the huge dress that she was forced to wear. She hated dresses, preferring tights together with a knee-long tunic and a belt round her waist. Her mother always joked that she dressed like a stable boy but Kat had never changed her clothes because of that. After all, she liked what stable boys did. She loved horses…
"Do you need help, my lady?" Brandon asked amused as the princess tried not to fall on the steps of Whitehall.
"No… I don't need help…" Kat said grumpily.
"You sure look like you do need help to walk…" Brandon said almost laughing.
"I do not! … I can walk… I just hate these tents!" the princess said with a trace of laughter in her voice.
"Tents?" Brandon asked.
"Yes…. These huge dresses… "She said innocently and Brandon burst into laughter.
"Why are you laughing about, Brandon?" A firm voice was heard behind them ant both the princess and the duke turned to face a tall, well-built man with blue eyes and dark hair.
"I am afraid he was making fun of me, your majesty. " Kat said in good humour and smiled sweetly at the surprised face of the king.
Henry had not expected that the princess would recognise him. He looked at the princess closely. She was indeed beautiful as More had said. He loved her delicate and noble features, her large blue eyes with a mischievous glint in them, her red lips spread in a sweet smile, her auburn hair falling in waves on her waist, her marble chest rising and falling with the rhythm of her breath. Yes, as More had said she was stunningly beautiful…
Dear reader,
I hope you liked this first chapter... please review and tell me your opinion about the story ...
Should i continue writing it , or not?
What should I change or what should i improve ?
What should i include in the story?
Tell me all this things dear reader for this story is written for you , and you are the one who should derive pleasure from reading it...
Yours sincerely,
The Author