Glory Becomes Tragedy

~o~

"On New Year's Day 1511, Katherine was safely delivered of her baby. To her joy and relief, and to the king's ecstatic delight, the baby was a healthy boy... The baby named Henry after his father and grandfather, had illustrious godparents: Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury; Louis XII, who thought he was on reasonable terms with England; and Margaret, Katherine's childhood friend, the competent regent of the Netherlands, and informal guardian of Juana's children. Neither Louis nor Margaret could attend in person, so the Bishop of Winchester and the Countess of Surrey deputized for them. Henry, by custom was not present. Nor was Katherine."

Katherine sat waiting for her son. It had been forty days since she had been churched. Every foreign ambassador was received in her privy chamber for a person greeting from his master. The last to arrive –as always, punctuality was not among his many gifts- Don Caroz, her father's Ambassador.

"Don Caroz punctuality is not among your many qualities I see. You need a woman's touch." Katherine said extending her hand. Caroz took Katherine's hand and kissed it softly.

"Perhaps I should have someone as graceful as yourself My Lady, alas as the English say there can only be none as beautiful as Your Majesty whose light shines greater than the King."

Katherine chuckled. "Careful Excellency, we do not want to make my husband jealous, he is a very proud man."

"Duly noted"

"What news you bring me from my father? Good I hope?" She asked changing the subject as quickly as she changed her smile.

"He sends you his blessing that on this day you have produced a miracle and given the child eternal salvation, he shall make a fine King as Your Majesty will surely teach him."

"He has tutors for that." Katherine said. She ordered wine while they waited. "Care for a cup Excellency? I would offer all these other gentlemen a cup but they seem pleased eying my ladies? I fear for them."

Caroz looked to her ladies, they seemed far too entertained to heed any of her mistress' hidden warning.

"Your Majesty will ensure no bastards in their bellies."

"I will do what I can, there will be no bastards in my court." She said, not entertaining the fact of caring for her ladies' children, product of their illicit affairs. Elizabeth of York was the perfect example of how a household should be ran, her ladies were the perfect mirror image of grace and chastity –thanks to Lady Margaret's example -the King's Mother- who always made sure her daughter in law's ladies were of the best stock.

"When this event is over they will return back to their cocks and whisper how my grace inspired them. I would rather be in a battlefield, horseback, inspiring troops than senseless courtiers." She almost spat at the word 'courtier'.

The perfect courtier –she remembered her father saying- was a perfect synonym of liar. We are all actors here, Katherine thought wanting to tell her father that Kings were no different from liars and courtiers.

At last the moment came. Katherine's servant took their goblets away, and she prepared herself for seeing her son for the second time.

They had taken her baby after he'd been born, the small Princess she had given birth to the year before –a miracle really- was with them. Her governess, Katherine of York, the King's Aunt was holding her since her mother's hands would be busy with her brother.

The Countess of Surrey walked in, representing Margaret Hapsburg who had been absent of the ceremony, next to her was the Bishop of Rochester who was representing yet another absent godparent, Louis XII of France. The Archbishop of Canterbury stepped in between them, muttered a few prayers, said a few congratulations, and then allowed the Countess of Surrey to hand her her baby.

Katherine peered down at her little chub. He was a little cherub with the eyes of an angel, sapphire blue, with rounded cheeks, perfectly healthy skin and broad shoulders. She checked on his tiny body for any imperfections while the Archbishop busied himself with blessing the tiny baby again, everyone was distracted so she would not meet any odd stares.

He was perfectly fine. Her gaze shifted after she gave the baby back to the Countess of Surrey who placed him in a basinet next to her bed, to her daughter Isabella.

She was wiggling and would not stop moving in Katherine's arms. "Give her to me"

Katherine of York handed her her daughter. It had been almost a year since she was born and she was as tiny as ever, but her lungs were big and Lord could she scream!

"There, there little chub. What are you crying for? There is no reason to cry" She soothed but Bella would not stop crying until she heard the girlish sound from her brother. Her eyes snapped and looked past her mother's shoulder at the semi circle of adults formed around the white bassinet.

She looked to her mother with a curious gaze, tilting her gaze. Her mother thought this amusing and said a word she would not recognize 'Brother'.

"A?"

Katherine lifted herself and with her daughter walked to where the busying crows and hens were.

"Brother" Katherine pointed to her daughter.

Bella extended her pale little arm and pointed at the baby who smiled when he saw her. Bella was unsure whether to smile, but seeing her mother so happy she smiled back at her baby brother.

"Brother" she said making everyone gasp.

For a moment their Prince forgotten they all circled Katherine and her daughter, and remarked on how much she looked like her, except for the hair. "That is the King's heir" they said.

"See mi amor? You are a celebrity, but don't forget" she added hastily looking at her son and the large flock that had started to gather around them "you must never outshine your brother."

"Ten days after Katherine had presented the prizes to the victors of the spectacular jousts marking her son's birth came terrible news ...the grief and shock for his parents were unimaginable. Henry we are told, played the man. He took the calamity "wonderous wysely", selflessly hiding his pain in order to console his wife."

"We will have more sons Katherine" Henry promised.

"No, no he was my only boy, he was my sweet little boy" Katherine beat on her husband's chest. This was her fault, if she had not left her baby boy with Margaret Pole, with someone more qualified.

"Enough of the blame game Katherine, nobody could have foreseen this. I could not have foreseen this, you couldn't have foreseen this, we should move on with our live, we are young and we can still have more sons." Typical of Henry, he thought that a simple sentence could erase their problems.

This was not any problem, this was her boy and she had left him at the care of her best friend and he died! How could he ask her to forget?

After she stopped crying she had an interview with Margaret, nobody knew what the two women said to each other, but after they came out, to everyone's surprise, Katherine was smiling and made a forgiving gesture to her friend.

She was readmitted into Katherine's service and promised the position of governess for her next child.

A/N: The quotes above are from Julia Fox's most recent biography, on KOA and Juana Queen of Castile -"Sister Queens the tragic lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana". A really good book I STRONGLY recommend for your research, also I want to thanks Mimi and Hannah for encouraging me to write this. And hope it is to everyone's liking. I welcome all reviews.