A/N: Well, looks like this is going to continue! Thanks for the reviews. And thanks especially to Lady Eleanor Boleyn, for the name suggestions!
14 December 1525
"Another daughter?" Henry asked when the news was delivered to him by one of his wife's ladies-in-waiting. "I married her to have sons! That was the only reason I married her at all! And all I've got is another daughter?"
"Your own father had two daughters," Queen Mary reminded him. "He had our sister Margaret before he had me."
"But he had Arthur before Margaret and me before you. Daughters are useful political tools, I will admit, but a ruler must have a son."
"Our grandmother Elizabeth Woodville gave birth to three princesses before the first prince, but still she had three princes, and two survived to adulthood – would have survived longer, but they were taken into the Tower."
"That is true," Henry agreed. "And one of those three princesses was our own dear mother, Elizabeth of York. I shouldn't complain. A live daughter is better than a stillborn son. Come," he gestured to the family and friends around him. "Let us go see the Duchess of York. I'm sure will be happy to have guests."
The procession walked through the halls of the castle with the Duke of York at its head. When they arrived in the Duchess of York's chambers, Henry opened to door to find King Arthur and Queen Katherine waiting to see Eleanor.
"The Duchess is resting, your Grace," one of the ladies informed him. "If you would like to see your daughter, she is here." Henry gestured to have the child handed to him.
"Has the Duchess named her?"
"No," Juana informed him. "She has made it clear that she will leave that to you."
"Very well," Henry glanced up, and his gaze fell upon his sister, Queen Mary, and her husband Charles. They had done much for him and for his children, and he could think of no better way to thank them. "Name her Mary," he ordered. "And sister, I would be honored if you and your husband would stand as godparents for the child, your namesake." Mary smiled, and accepted, rather flattered.
"And Joan," he turned to Juana. "I think my wife would like it if you would stand as secondary godmother."
"I would be honored," the lady curtsied.
"Very well," Henry agreed. "Send for me when the Duchess awakens."
15 December 1525
"He was mad, then?" Eleanor asked Juana.
"Not particularly," Juana admitted. "I've heard he's got quite the temper, but I saw no sign of it. He's named the child Mary, after his sister." Eleanor nodded, contemplating what this could possibly mean.
"He's sending Mary to Hatfield with the other children, then?"
"I would imagine so, though he didn't mention it."
"Well, he can't do anything about the child's sex now, and he loves Elizabeth. Surely he'll love Mary just as much."
"I imagine so, Your Highness. A healthy daughter is a good sign, a much better sign than a miscarriage or a stillbirth. I imagine that your husband is aware of that, and will use it to try to have a male heir on you yet."
"Yes, I should think so," Eleanor agreed. "Though, chances are that he will take a mistress soon, if I don't provide him with a legitimate male heir. And I haven't done that yet. Charles told me that with these English we must be careful. They are not as barbaric as the Scots, but barbaric enough that no woman is safe until she bears her husband a male heir."
"I hardly think it's as bad as that, my lady," Juana giggled. "They seem very civilized to me, though the culture is a bit different than it is back home. I don't think you've got anything to worry about."
"Well, I'll take your word for it, Juana," Eleanor decided. "You can send for Henry now. He did want to see me, didn't he?"
"Yes, my lady."
20 December 1525
"Tell me again, Hal!" Princess Elizabeth demanded of her half-brother, Lord Henry Fitzroy.
"I already told you, Elizabeth," Henry moaned. "We're going to spend Christmas with the grown-ups at court, and when we come back to Hatfield, we're going to bring Princess Mary of York, our sister, back with us."
"Why didn't I meet Princess Mary yet?" Elizabeth demanded. She was only two, and this was a lot of information for her.
"She's only a baby, and Duchess Eleanor only just gave birth to her," Hal explained, trying hard to be patient. He hardly understood these things himself – he was only six. Lady Eleanor Brandon, who was his age, sat next to him, equally confused, trying to act as though she knew things.
"And there's going to be celebrations," eight-year-old Lady Frances Brandon added. "There are always celebrations when a new baby is born to our family, because we're the most important family in England."
"That's because Uncle Arthur is King!" Lord Henry Brandon, who was two like Elizabeth, shouted. He was proud of himself for knowing this.
"Yes, and before Uncle Arthur was King, it was grandfather, but none of us ever met him."
"Not even I met him," Lady Margaret Douglas told them. At ten, Lady Margaret was the oldest of all of them, and the smartest, too. Sometimes, Lady Margaret would go to the French court to see her parents and her half-brother, King James. Her mother was in the midst of attempting to divorce her father, which left Lady Margaret in a bitter mood when she returned from Scotland.
"Tell me about Princess Mary," Elizabeth asked, eager to return to the subject of her new sister.
"Well we don't know her yet, silly," Frances laughed. "We'll see her when you do, and then she'll be around all the time when she comes to Hatfield with us."
"I hope I like her," Elizabeth said. "I should hate to have a sister I couldn't get along with. I hope she becomes my very bestest friend ever!"
"Best friend, Elizabeth, not bestest," Eleanor corrected, proud that she knew this. Their tutor had corrected her on it only last week when she'd made the same mistake, but she was not about to tell little Elizabeth that.
"Oh, hush, Eleanor," Elizabeth ordered exasperatedly. She turned to Hal, suddenly worried. "Will Father like Princess Mary better than he likes me?"
"Don't be silly, Elizabeth," Hal laughed. "Father loves you, and he always will. You remind him of Mama. He loved Mama's eyes, and your eyes are just like hers!"
"But what if Princess Mary has eyes like Mama's, too?" Elizabeth asked, panicking.
"She won't," Hal assured her while the others laughed, "Because Duchess Eleanor is her Mama, not Anne Boleyn, who is your Mama."
"Will she replace me? Will she become Queen after Papa and Uncle Arthur are gone?"
"No," Hal shook his head. "After Papa and Uncle Arthur are gone, Papa's son is going to be King. But he doesn't have a son yet, and if he doesn't have one, then you are going to be Queen."
Elizabeth hesitated. "I'll be Queen of England," she declared. "I know it's awful, but I hope Papa never has another son."
25 December 1525
"Merry Christmas to all!" King Arthur shouted happily, and the entire court cheered, "And a warm welcome to the newest member of our royal family, Princess Mary of York!" There were more cheers, and several people toasted the new princess.
Eleanor, the Duchess of York, looked jubilantly happy. When her first daughter, Infanta Maria of Portugal, was born, her husband Manuel I had been comforted only by the fact that he had several sons by his second wife, her aunt Maria. His son by his first wife, her aunt Isabel, and his son by her, had died in infancy.
But Henry had no son to make up for the birth of a daughter – it was a mercy he was so happy about it. Eleanor supposed having a brother who had no child at all had something to do with his acceptance of Elizabeth and Mary.
Henry was the type of many to enjoy attention, whatever forms it came it. In this instance, he would have preferred congratulations in providing a male heir for England, but another daughter brought enough attention to satisfy him temporarily. But he did expect a son soon.
He would call his son Henry… or Edward. He was stuck between those two names. Anne had wanted to call any son they had Henry, so that their children could be Henry and Elizabeth, like his own parents Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Edward or Thomas would have worked as well, naming the children after Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville or her own parents, Elizabeth Howard and Thomas Boleyn. But if the son was Eleanor's son, Thomas would be out of the question, leaving him to have his son called Henry or Edward.
He watched Elizabeth from where he sat. She would make a good Queen of any country, this clever child of his, but not of England. She would never be Queen of England, though he imagined she could be if she tried. If Elizabeth got the throne, there was no way to know who else would have it after her – sons or daughters, making the succession increasingly unstable. Queen Regnants were a bad idea, only with the exception of Isabella of Castile, but even she had needed her husband Ferdinand II to hold her throne.
And Elizabeth would not have the backing of other countries, either. Her mother's relatives were powerful in England; certainly, thanks to him and Arthur, but in the outside world they held little power. They would be unable to secure a throne for her if the Spanish wanted Mary on it – if Elizabeth and her heirs were removed by the Spanish, England would fall under Spanish control. A son would prevent that. A strong, independent man could hold his own and no one would think of removing him from the throne that would be his birthright.
Perhaps he would arrange Elizabeth a marriage that would make her Queen of France, or of Spain, and that country would gain an excellent Queen Consort in her, as he should have had in her mother.
26 December 1525
"Well, Henry didn't seem too disappointed over Princess Mary," Katherine optimistically noted. "Perhaps he isn't going to be upset if he doesn't get a son. I'm sure he will – clearly my niece is fertile – but one can never be sure about these things."
"I know my brother, Katherine," Arthur shook his head. "He'll want a son, and soon. If it takes Eleanor too long to conceive, or she has a succession of miscarriages or stillbirths, he may look elsewhere. If he doesn't get a son, he may want to attempt to legitimize Hal, or another bastard son."
"Only the Pope could do that!" Katherine was pious and had no doubt about that.
"Not if he changed religions," Arthur shook his head sadly. "Then, it would be in the hands of whoever he designates as Head of the Church to legitimize or bastardize people through the hands of God. He could designate himself, as many believe rulers are chosen by God. Or he could just ask the Pope to legitimize his son."
"He could do that," Katherine admitted, "But I'm sure the Holy Father would never do something that God did not believe it was necessary to do. If God thinks one of Henry's bastards is truly legitimate in his eyes, then the Pope will see it done. I have the utmost faith in that. And if it is fate that Elizabeth shall rule – then I have the utmost faith that that shall be done."
"You have a lot of faith, Katherine," Arthur said affectionately. "Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my brother – or for most of England, in fact."
A/N: Wow! So most important thing that happened here was Mary… kind of a filler chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it anyway!
