AN: Welcome back to another much delayed chapter of The Mare & The Rose. I am so sorry that it took this long to write but my internet crashed and then I lost a bit of muse then finally gained it back again to write this chapter and I must say I am kind of liking this chapter, suprisingly so. As usual I would like to thank everyone that has reviewed, favourited, alerted or even taken the time to just read the story.
Before I finish this off for you all to read I would like to say that I am introducing three new characters in this chapter (and no they are not any Tudor Babies or Seymour Babies) but I will let you read to find out who they are. Let me say one is a 'returning' character, one is a character that you knew was eventually going to pop up some time and another was just because I feel like writing about him/her.
Enjoy and don't forget to review!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Tudors, only the storyline that I have created myself.
Chapter Ten
1 May 1541
It was morning and it was too early for Kitty's ladies to be attending on her yet so Henry and Kitty were all alone, waiting for the sun to fully rise and her ladies to come.
This was usual for them as since they were married, except for around a week when Henry's leg was paining him, he had shared her bed and even when she told him she was pregnant he would still lie beside her but he would not 'lie' with her as he did not want to harm the prince inside her.
This morning was different however. Usually he woke up to her smiling face or her calmly sleeping but today he woke up to her back facing him and her soft sobbing. He was always worried when Kitty was distressed but when she cried he was seriously paranoid. He put a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to face him. She put on a smile but it didn't reach her now red eyes.
"I'm fine," she said shakily, trying not to disclose her discomfort.
"You are not," said Henry. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm before taking her into his arms and kissing her on the top of his head. "What is the matter? Today is supposed to be a joyous day."
It was to be a joyous day. Not only was it May Day and with that came many activities such as dancing, banquets and jousts, but it was also the day that they would be announcing that England's Princess Consort was with child.
"I am happy," she said trying to sound convincing though it was failing miserably. "It's just that..."
"It is just what my love? My rose," he said gently stroking the hair out of her face. "Whatever could be the matter?"
"Well," she started off timidly knowing that the reason she was upset was probably a silly one, one of pure vanity. "Well I feel bloated and I feel.... I feel like a cow."
Henry let his grip of Kitty and rolled back onto his back laughing. He had experienced a lot of pregnancies in his lifetime but Kitty had been the only one that had hardly been showing when she started to say she was humongous. It was usually when they hit the six month mark when they started complaining, sometimes a little earlier, and sometimes a little later but never as early as his Kitty.
"It is not funny," said Kitty sitting up and crossing her arms causing Henry to laugh more.
"It is my rose, said Henry still laughing. "I hope you do realise that you are hardly showing and that it will be getting worse."
"I know," said Kitty sadly. "But you won't love me once I become all fat and stuff."
Henry laughed and then pulled her close to him. "Don't you ever say that. I will always love you my rose. You are carrying England's next Duke of York in your womb. You will never have to doubt my love."
Katherine nodded. She didn't want to doubt Henry's love. She hoped that she had to but she hated when he referred to their child as the next Duke of York when there was a very real possibility that the child was a girl. She just hoped that he would accept whatever she gave him.
Charles laughed as he drank a cup of ale with his old friend. He was surprised when his old friend that had been at court during the early years of Henry's reign had left during the Boleyn's rise to power but it was for a legit reason. He had become married and a few years later became a single parent after his wife died of childbed fever.
All in all, he was surprised to see Anthony Knivert at court.
"I say that I have missed a lot since I left the court," said Anthony as he took another sip from his own goblet of ale. "I say the fact that the King now has two wives at the same time might be the biggest of them all."
Charles sighed. "Yes," he agreed. "I bet his father is rolling in his grave with that decision but it is all to preserve his dynasty. His father would understand that. But I think a bit too much desire for the Princess Consort might have played a part in all of this."
"I would say that it played a large part," chuckled Anthony. "He never did always think with his head."
Charles could be said of the same thing in his youth and it made him chuckle to remember the memories. But then he sighed. "I recommend that you don't say something like that to the King. He is a lot more jaded since you left; he takes more offence at many things." Anthony nodded in response. "In any case Anthony, I believe more things have changed since you left."
"Well, I don't see the Boleyn's prancing around court anymore but I did see my fair share of Howards as I was shown the way to your chambers," Anthony said as took another sip of ale. "I believe that I saw the Earl of Surrey talking to some of the ladies at court."
"Yes, you probably did though he is a lot older than what he was when you were last here. The Princess Consort finds his jokes entertaining so the he then has favour with the King though if I might say the Princess Consort finds amusement in anything. The Duke of Norfolk also likes to hang around like a plague thanks to be uncle to the favoured wife."
"What is so wrong with the Queen?" asked a curious Knivert. "The few people that I know to have seen the Queen say she is the very kind and the people seem to love her."
"That is true, she is kind and the common people do love her, they would want nothing to go against the Queen, with that notion, I am unsure of what the common people will think with the Princess Consort's condition," said Charles as poured himself another glass.
"Can I assume from that comment that the Princess Consort is with child?" asked Anthony smirking.
"Yes but I am the only noble who knows for sure, the royal family of course knows and that they will be announcing it today at the festivities. You should have seen the King's excitement when he told me that he was to be a father again."
"I see you are very high in favour then," said Knivert as he placed the empty goblet down on the table. "If he only told you and no one else."
Charles nodded. "Does the King know that you are here?" asked Charles.
Anthony shook his head. "No he does not. I am staying at my London house and not in the apartments at court so he probably wouldn't know. My daughter is staying at our country estate though. You should have seen the state of my London house when I arrived."
"That is only because you never stay there, in any case Anthony, why don't we surprise the King with your arrival. I am sure that he will be glad to see you," said Charles stood up.
Anthony did the same and followed Charles as he walked through the court. In truth, he hardly recognised anyone at the court. He assumed quite a lot had come during the time when Queen Jane was at court. He knew that her two brothers and the elder of the brother's wife were at court and were basically a constant fixture though he would have no clue what they looked like and he was sure there were others like them. Then of course there were a whole lot of Howard's running around in support of the Princess Consort. He was also pretty sure that he saw the Lady Mary but the last time that he saw her she was only a little girl so he couldn't be quite sure. He assumed the other natural daughter of the King, the Lady Elizabeth, was at court as well but he had no clue what she looked like.
In truth, he felt way in over his head, knowing that if he wanted to return to court permanently like he hoped, he would have to learn a lot of names.
As they were walking, Charles continued to ask questions. "I seem to have forgotten, what is your daughter's name?"
"Eleanor," said Anthony as he made his way through the bustling courtiers. "We didn't think that we could offend anyone with that name."
Charles nodded. He didn't reply to that though as they were now outside the King's presence chamber. One of the pages went inside to ask the King is the Duke of Suffolk could have an audience. The page quickly came back out and let the Duke of Suffolk in. Anthony would wait for Charles's queue.
Charles walked into the room and saw that the Princess Consort was sitting on one chair and the King was sitting on another. Katherine could see that this was her time to leave and quickly departed from the room with a quick kiss on the hand from Henry.
"What is it Charles?" said Henry focusing his attention to Charles after watching Katherine leave the room.
"I believe that an old friend would like an audience with you," said Charles smiling as Anthony walked through the door.
Anthony smiled as Henry got up from his seat and limped over to Anthony smiling. "Anthony, I had no idea that you were coming to court," said Henry as he gave him a manly hug. He smiled as he released him. "Where are you staying? I don't believe you have rooms at court."
"No, I don't have rooms at court but I am staying for at my London House for the moment but..."
Henry interrupted him. "I will have rooms arranged for you at court as soon as possible. You must stay at court from now on. I won't have it any other way. I need good friends like you who don't have opinions on my marriage, well with both of my wives. You don't have any opinions do you?'
"No, your majesty," said Anthony looking down then smiling. "I haven't even met either of your wives."
Henry nodded. "Very good." He turned around and paused for a moment before turning around to his old friend, who in his opinion had probably aged the best out of the three men in the room. He then turned around once again. "I would like to introduce you to the Queen. I would introduce to the Princess Consort but I am sure she is organising something for today and I wouldn't want to disturb her, I got a mock scold for it last time," he said smiling. "You may leave us Brandon while I introduce Anthony to the Queen."
Brandon nodded and left the room while Henry took Anthony through a door way that led to the Queen's chambers in one direction and to the Princess Consort's in another and to no surprise, the Princess Consort's was closer. Anthony had never been down this passage way and he understood why, it was the King's private passage way.
They soon made it to the Queen's chambers and Henry opened the door without knocking and without being announced that it startled Anne and Mary who was also in the room. They both stood up quickly and curtsied towards their husband and father respectively.
Henry smiled. "I am glad to see you back at court Mary," he said to Mary as it was her first time back at court since giving birth to Sybilla. "Where is your husband and Elizabeth."
Mary smiled this time. "Philip took Elizabeth down to the tiltyard to watch the jousters warm up after much nagging on her part. Her governess is with them as well."
"Very well then," said Henry laughing at the thought. He knew that he was just like that when he was a young boy, always wanting to go and see the men warming up for the jousts. Of course, his father hardly put them on but he loved to watch them nonetheless. "I will have to greet her to court later." He then stepped out of the way and put his hand out to point at Anthony. "Anne, may I present you to an old friend of mine, Anthony Knivert."
Anne pleasantly smiled as he smiled dashingly at her and then kissed her hand. She knew she would have blushed if she had been foolish enough to do so but she knew that on the inside she was blushing like a naughty girl and knowing that she would be scolded by her mother and brother.
"Your majesty," said Jane Boleyn as she curtsied before her mistress, the Princess Consort. "Your new lady-in-waiting is here."
Katherine was confused at first but then remembered she was receiving a new one in place of one of her other ladies who had gone and had an affair with a gentlemen of the privy chamber and now found herself with child but the father wanted nothing to do with the child so the young girl had to leave for the country in embarrassment and dishonour.
Katherine had felt sorry for the girl but Lady Rochford had told her it was probably for the best that the young girl was to leave the court as it would be an embarrassment on her and would not help her cause as the Princess Consort.
"What is the girl's name again?" asked Katherine as she played with her little spaniel that was sitting on her lap.
"Catherine, your majesty, Lady Catherine Knollys, newly married to Sir Francis Knollys last year, she is a cousin of yours," said Jane. "And my niece though I am sure her mother would prefer that I not say that."
"Why? Who is the mother of this girl?"
"Mistress Mary Stafford, your majesty, sister to the late Anne Boleyn and to my husband," said Jane without a trace of emotion across her face which Katherine thought was strange.
"Well I am sure the girl is nice and in any case," said Katherine placing her dog on the floor and standing up while placing her hands over one of Jane's. "I can make her like you if she can't already." Both of them laughed at the thought of this.
As another man fell from his horse, the crowd erupted in cheering. Elizabeth clapped her hands excitedly as the man she was thought was the better had one and felt that he would have been even luckier if he was wearing her favour but alas Thomas Seymour was the one wearing her favour but little did she know that her father had asked him to do so but she would have been excited either way.
Henry meanwhile gently touched Katherine's hand. He then turned to her and whispered to her, "I am glad that you are here." Katherine smiled but she could notice that there was something wrong with his leg all due to the way he was holding it as if to subside the pain.
"Are you alright?" asked Katherine, truly concerned. "Is your leg bothering you?"
Henry put on a smile and shook his head. "No. Everything is alright." Katherine nodded but she saw Anne's face and could see that Anne was thinking the same thing. They knew that the leg ulcer was bothering him once again and it seemed like worse than usual.
Henry could see that both of his wives were watching him intently and he knew that he didn't want them to worry. He quickly noticed that one of his young gentlemen of the privy chamber was out riding today and yelled out to him. "Master Culpepper, I presume you will not fall off your horse today."
"Not know that you have addressed me your majesty," said the young Tom Culpepper as he rode his way around to the other side of the tilt yard. Henry thought that the young boy was a bit cocky but he was a breath of fresh air against all of his other scared gentlemen of the privy chamber.
"Who was that?" asked Katherine thinking that she had never seen him before but she knew that if she had she would not have forgotten a handsome face like that. "I don't believe that I have seen him at court before."
"He is only new," said Henry as he clapped as Thomas unseated his opponent. "He came to court only a couple of weeks ago. I believe that he is related to your mother in some way."
Katherine nodded and let the matter go as she watched Henry stand up and then watch him clutch his leg with both of his hands. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Anne got up a little as well when she did.
Suddenly Henry collapsed and started shivering as if it was cold but it was quite warm. Elizabeth shrieked at the sight of her beloved papa on the ground. Mary quickly got of a hold of the situation with Elizabeth by quickly ushering Elizabeth off with her governess before heading over to her father who was surrounded by Anne and Katherine.
None of them knew what was going to happen....
AN: Okay, don't kill the writer! I am kind of smiling though as it is a cliffhanger! Oh well, I hope you enjoyed that and all the new faces that I am entering. With all these new faces means longer chapters as I have to write more and more relationships between these people and then of course add more characters and relationships (including little Tudor & Seymour Children). I hope to see you all next time and don't forget to review (and sorry if I haven't been reviewing other stories lately, I have to do a catch up and I will be reviewing those stories I usually review or have missed).
TBC
