IX. Scottish stories

In the beginning of 1578, the queen of England faced a personal problem, on top of the Spaniards and the civil war in France, which was finding a proper match for her daughter and heiress, who was going to celebrate her nineteenth birthday.

Southern Europe could not be considered, mostly because of conflicting religions, and the parcelling of some states made them puny associates as well. Marrying one of their sons to the future queen bordered misalliance. In spite of that, diplomatic letters coming from Spain arrived on her desk to suggest potential alliances that would « restore the civil peace » on the continent.

Elizabeth's counter-proposal was very simple: any attempt to interfere in the local politics would see Mary Stuart's head on a spike and the most virulent Catholics expelled from the country. As for the young king of Scotland, then twelve years old, it was high time to find him a wife, and preferably one who would make him forget any idea of ever allying with Spain – his subjects being in majority Protestant, it might cost him dearly, but who knows?

But the queen of England had only one candidate at hand, who was her daughter Matilda. It did not please her much. Of course, the Stuarts had Tudor blood, but the idea that Matilda might become queen of Scotland before inheriting the English crown, and thus appear as an equal to her mother, irritated Elizabeth greatly. However… the queen had been told, over and over, since her childhood, that a monarch should always faire passer the good of her kingdom before her personal interests. If they matched, all the better. If not, she should just be patient and grit her teeth through it.

Anyway, a wedding would have to wait a bit to be celebrated. The boy had just proven his virility and he would not be a man grown before three or four years, according to the royal doctors. One could discuss a betrothal, however.

As it happened, the princess of Wales was dreaming of an opportunity to leave Court and most of all, the omnipresent shadow of her mother. To open her mouth during council sessions was in itself an ordeal. Paying a visit to a potential fiancé would be a perfect excuse, she decided. James Stuart was not the first prince who could ask for her hand, but until then she had only received letters from second or third sons, and none who understood the English situation. Furthermore, the Lutheran doctrine practised by her would-be husbands did not fit a marriage where the wife would have more power than her husband.

# #

Two months later…

The northern road was the most calamitous that Princess Matilda had ever used. As much as the ones in the south had been at least partially paved and built with ditches to gather rain water, this one was just a succession of muddy ruts. The princess had given up any idea of travelling by coach, to ride her horse all the way, except of course when it started to rain, which happened quite often.

The progress was slowed down by numerous stops the various castles along the way, where the lords all wished to welcome properly the crown princess, an event that their grandchildren would still talk about, probably. Fortunately her steward had made sure several trunks of presents for those provincial lordlings were loaded in the wagons; enough would remain to satisfy the Scottish Court.

The slate roofs and granite walls of Edinburg appeared in sight in the first week of May, and the sun which for once accepted to show up gave them a rather nice air. Letters travelling between the two capitols as well as messengers wearing the princess of Wales' livery had forewarned the king of her coming, so that she would not find closed doors when she arrived, standing straight on the saddle, before the city walls. A score of lancers walked before her to open the path to the castle. A bit gloomy for her tastes. Hampton and Whitehall showed a more pleasant aspect. Matilda even repressed a small shiver as she passed under the arch leading to the first courtyard of the royal residence.

A somewhat overawed chamberlain had their mounts and coaches sent to the stables; the man seemed quite embarrassed regarding the protocol he should follow. True enough, an English prince crossing the border usually meant nothing good for the Scots.

Matilda and her retinue were able to wash and dress in clean clothes, more fitting for their rank and Court, in chambers decorated in a French style, a memory from the years Queen Mary had spend along the Loire. Some of the tapestries must have come from Aubusson, by the way.

The princess of Wales walked to the great reception hall wondering what she was going to find; she had no idea of her cousin's personality or appearance.

She discovered a twelve-years old boy with a rather sad and shy face. Small wonder for a prince who had grown up without sans parents, and had received a crown still in the cradle. With blue-grey eyes and chestnut hair, he gave quite a melancholy impression. Nonetheless, he produced a kind enough smile to greet his cousin, bid her welcome and invite her to join him at the high table.

She came to sit to his right, aware of all the more or less curious gazes upon her. At least none seemed openly hostile. She gave King James her most charming smile and watched the servants carrying in napkins and cutlery, while musicians started a discreet melody to entertain the guests.

# #

Three months later…

Matilda had dawdled in the Scottish capitol more than scheduled, so much the nobles and her cousin had thawed towards her?. She had been riding, hunting, had travelled on the river in an ornate barge, spent a lot of time reading and playing music… James had offered her a well-trained falcon as a parting gift, not as a farewell. The visit had been fruitful, and she had not forgotten to slip some… gold and silver incitations to several of the king's councillors to make sure they would oppose any other union, particularly with a Scandinavian princess.

"You took a lot of time," was the first thing her mother told her when they met again.

Matilda bit the inside of her cheek so she would not reply too sharply. Elizabeth could be just as frightening as her father Henry, though in a less spectacular manner. The princess made herself remain and held forth to detail all the results obtained during her stay, without too many embellishments, as she knew very well that her mother would never be entirely satisfied. Elizabeth always found something to nitpick about in what her daughter did, and that since she had been granted the title of Princess of Wales. At least the commoners loved their future queen, if the warm welcomes they had given her along her travel were any indication.

"You certainly did not waste your money. Our position is reinforced in Scotland, and we just have to wait for the king to come into manhood, while cultivating his interest, of course. On another topic, during your absence, we received excellent news from Captain Drake's expedition."

The princess was all ears.

"His squadron captured two Portuguese ships in January, before sailing for the crossing of the Atlantic, and we know that they reached the American coast. It is not, from what we were told, a good season in that region, so the ships should not cross the straight to the Pacific ocean at once. But we will receive other news soon, at least through the Spanish ambassador's complaints."

# #

Matilda champed at the bit, patiently waiting for her cousin James' fourteenth birthday to leave again for Scotland and be able to marry him. Not that she was madly in love with the boy, though he did not lack for conversation nor kindness in the letters he wrote her, but it was high time to get a crown and escape a bit from maternal influence.

King James too had to face à a mother who was, to say the least, troublesome and quarrelsome. Since Mary Stuart had heard about the marriage project, likely thanks a servant gossiping, she harassed her son and her former councillors with a constant flow of letters either furious or supplicating, endlessly arguing that they should not pursue such a plan. The young king finally resolved to pay her a visit to put an end, at last, to this tiring power play.

He could as well be talking to a wall. His mother was a perfect stranger for him, and reciprocally. Mary saw her son as a usurper, and she had not renounced to get the English crown as well yet.

"No, Mother, I am sorry," James cut in in the middle of one of those rants, "but your claim to the throne of England is tenuous at best. After Elizabeth, Matilda will be queen. If Matilda dies before her mother, or is crowned but dies without issue, your ambitions will not go any further. Alice Tudor, as far as I know, may have signed sign a renunciation to her rights when the married the duke of Ferrara, but you must not forget the Suffolks, whose claim will surpass yours. You arrive only after them in the succession line. Our best chance to ever get this crown that you desire so much is my marriage to Matilda. Which, honestly, would not displease me."

The son's visit ended with a scene from the enraged mother, and King James thought wiser to leave the place to go back to Edinburg et wait for the opportunity to marry the princess of Wales, older than him of course but gifted with so many qualities… not even counting her crown. He was legally an adult, but he still lacked one year or two, according to his personal doctor, to be a fully grown man.

# #

April 1580

At last, after seemingly endless talks and hair-splitting about the future queen of Scotland's dowry and residence, the wedding could be celebrated.

The ceremony that married by proxy Princess Matilda et King James via his ambassador was remarkably simple, and if the queen of England witnessed it, she did so with a disgruntled face from start to end. She signed the marriage act with an angry swirl and left even before the small feast that followed.

The princess and her cousins Boleyn, arrived from Hever for the occasion, had to entertain the courtiers and manage servants and musicians. Fortunately they succeeded without a hitch and put the queen's hasty departure on her age. For the first time, the courtiers allowed themselves to laugh at their monarch's expense. Then they followed the bride's lead to dance all night, pausing only to drink a cup of wine before going back to their merriment.

The revelries lasted for another day, then the princess of Wales prepared her luggage to leave for Edinburg. Elizabeth had rather strictly limited what her daughter could bring: books, clothes and tapestries were allowed to travel with the princess, but jewels and money would have to be recounted by the Exchequer before her departure. Matilda greeted her teeth but did not comment, not wishing to give her mother another opportunity to mock her "immaturity". She left London behind with a huge sigh of relief.

Once on site, she could see that the Scots reacted exactly like the English when they were promised two days of revelries and good meals at the king's expense: they rushed into the streets, sang their king's praises… and joyfully overindulged in beer and grain alcohol.

The ceremony was a bit more lavish than in London, according to the princess, who spent a good part of the night dancing – and get to know – with all the high lords of the Court, avant before the courtiers escorted the newlyweds in their bedroom with cheers and encouragements.

The young king must have taken a few lessons with a chambermaid, as he seemed rather at ease and knew his business. At least, that was Matilda's impression on the following morning. This being said, the long hours she had spent on the saddle had also certainly helped a lot.

At last, the marriage was valid and no one could contradict that.

Not even Felipe II of Spain, who raged in his office of the Escurial when the news reached him, furious to see Scotland escape his grasp. He did not despair, however, to succeed one day in conquering England to put his daughter Isabelle Claire on its throne. The infanta would just have the North Sea to cross, after all, as she was already governor of the Netherlands. But for that to happen, he would have to drive out the current tenant.