Chapter 25

Borgia's Rome is falling to pieces beneath his father's feet. Cesare knew that his father's papacy was soon to be at an end. The pope for weeks has been moving for all of Christendom to move against the English Queen and to put the young Princess Elizabeth on the throne, yet all major principalities refused to move against the English Queen. The day after the Pope announced the first edict against the Tudor Queen, the Holy Roman Emperor sent an edict of his own saying that his armies and his armada would move against any country who dare try to attack England. Cesare's father immediately wrote to the King of France asking him to be the defender of the faith, but Francis did not respond. It was announced the next week that his oldest granddaughter, Elisabeth of Valois was to marry the Prince Phillip. The Queen of England also sent and edict that her sister, The Princess Elizabeth, was stripped of all titles and lands and put into a nunnery.

"Who does she think she is?!" Rodrigo rages. "She has ruined all of our plans!"

"She is the Queen of England. She has the right to punish treason. She made a smart move by just sending her to a nunnery." Cesare responds.

"How are we to put Elizabeth on the throne when she is confined in a nunnery? How are we to get that wicked whore off of the throne of England if the alternative is confined to a nunnery?"

"Perhaps we should not move. We have no powerful allies."

"And give up?!" He looks ready to burst. "What kind of foolishness are you suggesting Cesare?!"

"It is you who is being foolish father! The Emperor will destroy the papal army before we can even leave Italy! He can march into Rome and destroy us all before the word war can even leave your lips! Yet you want to declare war on his greatest ally!"

"If we leave it all alone, we would be letting the Whore of Babylon rule England!"

"Why is she a whore?! Because she was tired of living in a court where she was miserable?! Because she was tired of being in a marriage where she was constantly being humiliated?! Because she took her place as her father's heir?! She has committed no crime! You are doing this for my brother's wounded pride!"

"My my brother, if I did not know you better, I would say that you are in love with my sweet rebellious wife." Juan says sardonically.

"She is no longer your wife brother. You signed that right away." Cesare quickly replies

"And then she stole my children from me." Juan continues adding the part he believes his brother left out.

"If you read the divorce papers, you would have seen that in section three that she has full custody of the children and may take them where she pleases." Rodrigo straightens up from his office chair at this.

"Cesare, how did you know that?"Rodrigo asks cautiously.

"Who do you think wrote up the drafts for her? I could not bear to see such a beautiful creature being constantly humiliated by a lesser woman and my idiot brother."

"You are a FOOL! You took from us the throne of England!"

"It would have never been our father!" Cesare points towards both his father and brother. "The two of you will get us all killed. I will take no part in this dangerous foolishness."

Cesare storms away from the room his anger seething. He gets to his chambers and pens a letter. He hopes that he will be able to secure his sister into safer lands.

Mary looks down at the letter in front of her. She reads it once over and once again. She rubs her pregnant belly seeking comfort in the life that is growing inside her. She feels a strong kick against her hand. She feels in her heart that she will have another boy. The midwife predicts that the child will be large. She takes the letter and asks for her maid to call for her husband. She reads it once more to be sure that she is getting the request that is being conveyed in the letter right.

"Wife" James addresses to her bowing slightly as is due his station.

"You know, when I was younger I saw my marriage as an answer to my prayers. I had been praying to be freed from Anne Boleyn. I was placed as a maid to my sister Elizabeth and the other maids and ladies were horrid to me. The concubine ordered me flogged for every misstep. She just made sure the maids knew not to whip me where my father could possibly see. I cried silently every time begging for it to stop, for my father to intervene on my behalf, to be taken out of Hatfield. That came when my father sought peace with the pope through a marriage of one bastard to another. I heard at first, Juan Borgia refused to marry the bastard daughter of a king but he fell in love with my portrait." She gives a small chuckle. "And it was all good, but when the pope saw where I had been whipped during the consummation ceremony, he wrote a very angry letter to my father saying that he should raise my dowry because he sold them 'damaged goods'. Juan only laid me on my back whenever he took me. He then decided to take unmarked whores rather than his damaged wife and my fairy tale ended with no happy ending. I thought that you would do the same. Yet you earned my full trust when you lovingly stroked the old scars and whispered in my ears about how beautiful I was." James takes her into a soft embrace from behind and strokes her belly.

"Mary, I thought you were beautiful when your father sent me your portrait. I immediately offered your father anything for your hand. I was overjoyed when your father accepted my offer even though he was using our marriage for a foothold in Scotland; I knew I still wanted you to be the mother of my children. I thought you were beautiful the day I met you and I think you are beautiful here carrying my child in your belly. Does something trouble you?"

"Cesare Borgia wants me to allow him and his sister safe passage to England and a place in my court. Should I accept?"

Please read and review, I love hearing from you guys. Should Mary accept Cesare's plea?