Chapter 35:
Folded on the floor unable to breath Richmond silently sobbed. That had day had been the worst of his life. He knelt in front of his wife's bloodied unable to move.
"Henry." Mary stood at the door with a small bundle in her arms. "Henry, she needs to go to the wet nurse." The King walked forward from the corner of room and Fitzroy looked to his sister.
"Did you hear her Henry." A quiet, broken voice replied.
"Yes." The King nodded to his daughter and Mary quickly retried from the room.
"Henry." The King knelt next to his son and did not move in any way to prompt his son. Fitzroy's emotions over whelmed him and he collapsed into his fathers lap and clutched at the cloth of his cloths almost tiring at them.
"Father..." A heart breaking cry. The Kings eyes filled and he grabbed at his sons shoulders. The pair remained huddled like this for what seemed over an hour until Elizabeth, red faced and puffy eyed entered and collapsed on top of them. Henry pushed up against them until he was free of them. Feeling sick, he could barely look at his sister but when he finally was able to look at her, he saw staring at the bed. Incapable to look back in that direction he almost crawled of the room.
"When will she be back?"
"Who Henry?" Elizabeth's voice was broken.
"Mary, she took the baby." Henry now steered at the empty floor where his brother had collapsed only hours before.
"She will be back soon Henry." The King's face was know strong.
"I want George."
"Okay... but they should not come here. We will go to your sisters chambers, George knows it there." Richmond nodded and the King lifted his son from the floor. As soon as the door opened every moment became slowed. Hundreds of faces pressed in on him.
"Make way there... I SAY MAKE WAY THERE!" Suffolk and his retainers pushed their way through creating a path for the King and his children who had been waiting at the door for them. The King pulled at his sons shoulders to bring him close to him. It seemed like an age for them to arrive to Mary and Elizabeth's chambers but knew it could not have been more than a few minutes. The King placed his son in a near by chair. Quickly after George was brought by one of his nanny's and Mary returned with the infant girl. Almost unable to lift up his head to look at his children Richmond saw his son happy and looking at the bundle in Mary's arms, clearly still no one had told him what had happened.
"George." Fitzroy's voice was husky and broken. The young boy looked to his father for the first time and walked over to him.
"Pap ..." The boy with thick curly hair and rosy cheeks looked confused at his father who was red faced and puffy eyed. Henry pick him up and placed him on his lap.
"George, this is your sister." Richmond beckoned Mary to come closer. Mary almost curtsied so that the boy now standing on his fathers legs could see the little girl.
"What called pap?" Even though George was a good speaker for his age he still could not speak in full sentences yet. This question crushed Fitzroy because he knew what name they expected him to pick.
"Jane... Jane I think. We do not have any Jane's anymore." Henry could not bare to call the girl Mary. The thought of his daughter having her dead mothers name was too much for Richmond to condemn her to.
"I like J...ane." George struggled with saying the unfamiliar name. "Where ma?" Henry's heart sank.
"George, ... God decided that for us to have Jane... Ma should go to with him." The boy's eyes filled.
"Coming home?" The room was filled with almost silent whimpers. Lumps in the throats of those present watching the scene. However, Fitzroy could not react to this it was as though he had run out of emotion.
"No George, she cannot come home. So you and I must look after Jane." The boy's lowered head nodded and Henry squeezed him into himself and did not have the will to him of Robert. Richmond gestured for Mary to pass him, her bundle. He sat in silence with George in one arm and Jane in the other. George quietly sobbed himself to sleep. Henry watched Jane nestled in a blanket softly sleep unaware of the sadness she was born into. The King, Mary, Elizabeth and the Duke of Suffolk sat around the room watching the family of three, waiting for a sign that they were needed. The room was turning into darkness and Mary began to light the candles, still not a word spoken. Silence was only broken when the King's ushers entered the room. Suffolk stood and push the boy to the door and spoke muffled words. The only thing Richmond could make out was a single word of the boy's answer.
"...Anne..."
"What was that?" Everyone turned to face Richmond but no response. "What did you just say?" Suffolk began to answer.
"I was getting rid..."
"No, not you Charles. What did you say boy?" Brandon pushed him forward.
"I was telling his Grace... that I came to tell the King... that the Lady Anne... of Cleves has arrive." Henry's eyes still red and puffy, unable to cry twitched.
"Bring my Lady here now." The usher bowed and ran from the room.
"Are you sure that is wise brother?" Mary's voice crackled as it had been the first time she had spoken in hours and had had a constant stream of tears running down her face.
"She is apart of our family. Are Clinton and my sisters here yet... someone should be with Robert."
"They are on their way and the priest is with him Henry." Mary's words were forced and uncommonly fractured not because she dislike Robert but she had completely forgotten about him since Mary. Within moments Anne floated into the room and head straight to the little family sat in a single chair. She knelt before them and stroked the children's heads. She looked up at the haggard young man, worn out by day and smiled.
"I am so sorry Henry." Richmond gathered all his remaining strength to return it with most sincere smile he could manage and speak once more.
"I know." The room returned to silence and not another word was spoken between them until the next morn when the chamber was flooded by light.