Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors or the History. No matter how much I want to. I own William Brent and little Beth, everyone else were real poeple so I couldn't possibly own them.
This is my first fanfic, so please guys be nice. Um... review if you wish to. Flattery is welcome by the way and so is criticism because I know I'm not the greates of writers around. Hey, but I try. That counts for something, right? Anyway, I really hope it meets your standards. I would love it if you shared ideas. Plus, anyone who wants to help me with the language and point out any mistakes. I have no knowledge of how people spoke during 15th or 16th century, unfortunately. Everything in this is what I gathered from watching 'The Tudors' over and over again in the internet. Oh and um, I love you guys who read my stuff and appreciated it.
Characters:
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey -30
Anne, Countess of Surrey - 27
Elizabeth of York, Queen of England - 36
Henry Tudor, King of England - 45
William Brent - 17
Elizabeth Howard - newborn
1502
As the sun rose on the fifth day of november, the Countess of Surrey went in labour for the third time. The two sons she bore for her husband, Thomas Howard, Lord Surrey, Henry and William had both died in infancy. A princess of England by blood, Anne of York was a viable candidate for the throne of England. Her eldest sister and brother-in-law, the present monarchs of England themselves had founded an unstable and young dynasty with as less Plantegenet blood as imaginable. Thomas Howard, being one of the most ambitious and powerful duke in England is just waiting for his chance to advance his own interests and lands.
The midwives and ladies-in-waiting for the countess rush in and out of the birthing chamber. Outside in the halls, a page awaits for news of the countess for his master the Lord Surrey. William Brent is his name, he's a farmer's son, only seventeen summers old and expecting a child of his own in the new year. A scream echoes in the chamber and he flinches thinking of what his young bride would go through in few months. He's so pale in fright for the countesses' life that one might mistake him for a ghost. A few minutes later another cry could be heard but this one was low and akin to a cat's mewling. He hears the midwives walk to the door near him and he knows that his master would be pleased.
"Master Brent." the old midwife calls for him from the door and he hurries to her, "My lady has had a healthy baby girl. The princess is fairing well though the bleeding isn't stopping" she tells him before withdrawing to the chamber once again.
Master Brent immediately gets into action. He has perfectly memorized the rooms of Framlingham and finds himself outside Lord Surrey's room, a few minutes later. His master bids him in after he knocks on the door softly twice.
Thomas Howard seemed to have aged more in the last five hours than he had in the last few years of his life, Master Brent observed before relaying him the news. "My lord, the princess has given birth to a healthy daughter." William whispered as he had been commanded few hours before by the Earl. The man gave a mere nod at the news and left for his wife's chambers. Master Brent was confused at his master's reaction. He wondered why the Earl didn't smile or even speak on the news of his child's birth. Then he remembered that this man was not a simple man. He was the Earl of Surrey and heir to the Duke of Norfolk, he needed a son to suceed him, not a daughter. Master Brent then decided that he'd be happy whether his wife gave him a girl or a boy, for he loved her. Love, he knew for sure, wasn't what was needed in a marriage for his master, so he just sighed and followed the grim Earl.
Anne of York wasn't the most happy wife in England but she had accepted that there would be no prince charming for her. Even though she was a princess by birth. Her husband wasn't the most affectionate of men but she had forced herself to be content in knowing he was faithful to her. When they were both young, they may have had some romantic assent but in time it faded along with their innocence and immaturity. After two dead son, a miscarriage and a stillborn, Anne had given up her hope for a child. But now in her seven and twenty years, she was happy. God had given her all the happiness in the world in form of her precious daughter that slept peacefully next to her bosom.
Her husband had just visited her and their only child to congratulate her, as if the child were not his. Anne knew that her husband's affections were dwindling. She had lost his heart in a time she couldn't even remember but it was good to know that it wasn't someone else's. Now though, there were rumors of a mistress he kept in court. A young maid in the queen, her sister's, households and a daughter of a baron.
But her heart wasn't heavy nor was her stomach horridly lurching to spill out bile. She simply didn't care. Her daughter was the only thing that troubled her. Her other children had been strong and healthy too and they hadn't survived their first year. Anne prayed to God to let her daughter grow up and live, love and have the happy ending Anne had never had. She wished that she'd live to see her grow but it was useless, she knew she was dying. The midwives had done what they could but the bleeding wouldn't stop. She felt cold and stiff, lightheadedness engulfed her every now and then. Anne knew what she had to do so she called for her husband.
Few moments later, she heard her husband approaching her chambers but the numbness in her body wouldn't allow her to move. Seeing her difficulty in moving, Thomas took the gurgling child in his arms and helped her sit up. "Thomas." Anne's cheerful voice was just a whisper now. For the first time, Thomas was scared that his wife may not survive the birth. "You came." she whispered as if she'd expected him to not come. Thomas scolded himself for ignoring his wife during the pregnancy. He had wanted to talk to her about their daughter's name and christening but he hadn't thought of the possibility that Anne may die in childbirth.
"Of course I did, my love." he tried to sound as affectionate as he could but he failed. He was scared and worried for his friend, his only confidant he had had when he was young. Never had he thought of Anne as weak. She may have been quite and less talkative among her sisters but she was far more cleverer than them. Her intelligence in the Latin doctrines had amazed him when he first found her reading one during their early years of marriage. They'd read some together in their spare time and discussed them in detail but in the private walls of their chamber. It was clear that women were not to be encouraged in such matters, Thomas agreed. But his Anne was so clever and when she thought something was true she'd stand beside it for her life. She was stubborn like her father. His Anne. Thomas hadn't called her that since he was a young soldier going to war with the Scots.
"What do you want to name her?" Anne's quite voice made him think. He thought of his mother when he looked down at his daughter. She had his mother's dark brown eyes but his sister-in-law's gold-auburn curls. He then realized that she was his first daughter. Anne and him had buried two sons but they had never had a daughter before. Her features were identical to his own with the exception of her nose, he observed. She had Anne's well-shaped nose instead of his sharp one. He laughed softly at how he had grieved at his beautiful daughter's birth. She'd have every lord in England courting her and asking for her hand in marriage, he mused to himself. He thought of naming her Anne but immediately dismissed the thought, his wife would never name her child after herself. There was only one another he could think of that would befit his daughter.
"Elizabeth Howard. After my mother and your sister." he said admiring his little girl's fingers and kissing them softly when she unclenched it. "Beth." he murmured and the newborn in his arms stared at him as if giving her consent. He heard Anne giggle beside him and looked at her to ask what she found so comical. "What is it, my love?" he asked in all seriousness.
Anne stopped giggling immediately and held her arms out to hold Beth. Thomas wanted to hit himself for being so harsh and reluctantly gave his Beth to Anne. He stood up to leave and placed a chaste kiss in his wife's cheeks before turning to leave. "Wait!" he stopped when he heard the pleading in her voice. "I wanted my sister, the Queen and your sister Elizabeth to be the god mothers of our child." Thomas heard her get slightly breathless at the end and his heart ached a little for his companion. God couldn't be so merciless and take my wife from me when she had just got the daughter she'd always secretly wished for, Thomas thought while looking at his Anne's paling face.
"I'll see to it. Rest, my love." he took her hand in his and then rested it back in the bed before leaving to make the arrangements for Beth's christening and send letters to his relatives for the news. He felt excitement bubble in his chest as he thought of his little Beth again. She was his jewel on Earth.
Elizabeth had been waiting for the letter from Lord Surrey and it had finally come. Of course, her mother-in-law and husband had gone through it already but she had nothing to hide. She wasn't plotting anything with anyone as her husband and mother-in-law expected. Elizabeth was more than happy to sit back and let Henry take care of politics, her heart wasn't made to be ruthless and back stabbing like many of the courtiers and politicians were. Including Lord Surrey, her brother-in-law. The Queen would never write or expect a letter from the foul man but in the name of her sister she was forced to. She opened the perfectly folded parchment and began to read.
To Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth of York,
I am writing this letter in relation to the Countess successfully birthing a healthy child. We have named her Elizabeth in my mother and your majesty's honour. Anne is healthy for now but the physicians say that it might not be as such if the bleeding doesn't stop. I'm deeply saddened to inform you that by the time this letter reaches you, your sister will be in God's heavenly kingdom. It was her wish that your majesty be our daughter's god mother. I shall be forever grateful for your acceptance to my wife's as well as mine request.
Thomas Howard, Lord Surrey
Silver water drops were leaking from Elizabeth's sea blue eyes by the time she'd finished reading it. Her heart broke hearing that her sister was no more. She'd lost her son earlier the year and her heart hadn't fully healed yet. Another death in her family only made her life more insufferable. She thought of her ill-fated brothers who had been lost to the Tower, her young siblings Mary, Margaret and George, all died so young and her own children who had died young. Her heart wasn't strong enough to withstand all the losses, she pleaded to God to stop taking her loved ones from her. After the dispute for the throne had concluded, half her family lay cold in the ground. She thought it'd never be that way again. She'd been wrong.
The child in her moved and she stopped crying after the child kept kicking. She feared for her unborn child, it kept moving when she was troubled but more so than her other children had. Only her Edmund had done that and he hadn't survived the first month of his life. Elizabeth couldn't afford to lose another child, with young Harry as her husband's only son they needed another boy to secure their line. As queen and wife it was her duty to bear children but she wished she wouldn't have to for another year or so. Her body was aching all over and her feet had swollen. Bearing a child also meant risking your own life, she didn't want to die so soon. She wanted to see her children grow, even the one growing inside her.
"His Majesty the King." the herald announced making Elizabeth jump. Henry would want to know how she was feeling right now. He'd been so grieved after their Arthur's death and she felt terrible for abandoning him while she mourned behind closed doors of her chamber. Her husband had become far more reserved with her than she was comfortable with. So she decided to change that.
"Elizabeth, why are you not resting as the midwife recommended?" Henry grumbled, clearly in a foul mood. Hence, Elizabeth decided maybe she'd try some other day when he's in better temperament.
"My sister Anne gave birth to a daughter although she lost her own life." she knew that her husband had read the letter from her brother-in-law but she had to say it aloud to tell him she was mourning her death. Henry sighed deeply next to her and put his hands on hers, clasping it tightly.
"That's exactly why I want you to rest, wife. Come now, to bed." he loosened his grip on her hand and stood. Elizabeth stood and walked to her bed to rest. The child was moving again and she didn't want to risk anything regarding her or the child's health. She stopped when she reached the door to her bed chambers.
"They want me to be baby Elizabeth's godmother." she mentioned even when she knew he had read that damned letter.
"I forbid you to travel anywhere until you have the child. I'll send our Lady Mother to stand proxy." King Henry said and the Queen nodded in agreement. She wasn't sure if she could stand to be in the place where her sister spend her last days without feeling guilty or grieved. Her husband always did the right thing so she trusted him with this as well. When her husband left her privy chambers, she entered her bedchambers and Lady Gordon helped her change into her nightgown.
She slept uneasily thinking of her sister, her newborn niece and the unborn child inside her. Her dreams were filled with the loved ones she had lost in the previous years. And some faces she didn't recognize but she could tell they were her family. They all looked happy.
