Author's Note: Response to Kittenallie's plot bunny "Evil Arthur". Huge AU
When she married him she believed it would be the happiest day of her life. She was wrong. Just as she was wrong about many things. She believed that her friend would always stay her friends but Lady Salisbury with her husband recently created an Earl to appease his Queen, had turned her back against her Queen. Arthur heard of this and smiled with glee. He said that it was all her fault. She brought this upon herself.
"For what? I did nothing!" She protested but he just smiled, stood there and with a glee on his eyes that spoke of the torture she was about to endure he walked to her and raised her up.
"You are nothing but a Spanish whore whom my father bought me for my satisfaction. So far you've done nothing but give me dead babies."
"I have given you plenty of children but God saw fit to take them-"
"Don't give me that cock and bull story. You could have given me children if you wanted but you were too busy flirting with my brother!" He gripped her shoulders tighter.
"No Arthur please, I have done nothing I swear. I love your brother but not in that way and think of our daughters, they are proof our union is favored by God-"
"But not by me!" He yelled and dumped her on the bed where he forced himself on her and she had to endure the same pain over and over again until he grew tired of her and he ceased.
Under the pseudo-Salic Law his father had instituted, only the next of kin, male, could inherit. So that left his brother Henry and he was not about to let the throne pass up to his brother who had tried for years to steal his fame.
Henry watched from a distance as he rode through the Marshes of Ludlow palace with his niece, his sister-in-law being raped. Her niece looked at him oddly. She knew what went on between her lady mother and lord father but she said nothing. She stayed mute. She knew better than to raise her voice and she never knew who was in her father's pockets. For all she knew her Uncle could be one of them.
He and Mary entered the castle and were greeted by his wife, the Duchess of York, Anne Boleyn, who had taken the position after his first wife, Jane Seymour had died in childbirth. Their firstborn son with her. Their daughter was the only thing he had to remember her by. She came after she heard her stepmother and father's voice and ran in their direction then she went to Mary and hugged her. She and Mary were best friends.
"Cousin you are taller than me." Exclaimed little Jane, her father's sweetheart.
"I know." Mary said proudly holding her chin out as her lady Aunt had taught her. Anne took her and Janey upstairs, far away from the King's apartments.
Henry sighed and waited for an entire night to talk with his sister-in-law. He cursed his brother Arthur as he saw his sister the following morning. She bore a fake smile that so few could see through, her eyes were completely hollow.
He was surprised when Arthur accused him of having an affair. It was a bad idea for him to do this since his wife was present when he accused him. Anne was highly protective of her husband but above all she was very protective of her friend, the Queen of England. She and the Queen had arranged for her youngest daughter, Mary to marry their oldest son, Edward.
Three years later the King fell from his horse. Katherine sighed in relief as she saw the funeral processions from her window. She claimed sickness, nobody judged her. Everyone knew what really afflicted her. The Queen had been his victim for far too long and now she was finally free.
Mary was crowned Queen the day following her husband, Edward's coronation. The couple that had reigned for thirty two prosperous year, their time had come at an end. Now it was hers and Edward.
"You think she will come?"
"Who?" Edward furrowed his brow, smiling down at the crowds, among them his older half-sister Janey who looked radiant as ever.
"My mother of course, this is her moment too. She will see her daughter a Queen, just like she always wanted."
"I don't think your mother will love, she wanted you to be happy."
"And I am happy. Queen or not, I would love you no matter what, not because of your great lineage but because you are a just King."
He blinked. He had his father's example to live by and his mother had been the greatest tutor of all but he wondered if she was right, if Mary was right about him being a good King?
"How do you know?" He asked.
"Because," she paused, licking her lower lip then she leaned forward and whispered in a soft voice, afterwards bearing a smile: "I have my father's example to live by on what a King ought not to be and you are nothing like him."
He looked at her, shocked and pleased by her words. It took him a minute to come from his thoughts as the trumpets sounded and it was time for her to step down from their carriage.
She was put the large robe and he watched her as she walked to the seat destined for the future Queen of England where she would rule by his side and no sooner did she sit, did Cranmer place the holy oils on her and declared her by the grace of God and in the name of England's patron saint, Queen of England.
This was her moment. The moment that her mother had never fully enjoyed, this was for her and -she thought glancing sideways to her husband- his as well.