A/N: I do not own anything you recognize. This chapter's rated 'T' for minor swearing and implied stuff.
Again, a thanks to Unknown Miko for the dress design.
Summary: Brand new Mommy dearest indeed.
1530 AD
Jamie's wedding seemed as if it'd be grand.
I didn't mind, though, considering England was going to show a united front with Scotland, and the (permanent, if I have anything to say on it, and I do) Peace Treaty and marriage alliance between our two countries was going to be announced; if anything, this was good PR.
My about-to-be-kind-of-sister-in-law – and would-be mother-in-law to my son – Dory (no, she doesn't know I call her that as well) aka Princess Dorothea of Norway and Denmark was pretty nice. That is to say, she almost didn't seem to have a rude or unkind bone in her body.
Every single piece of that judgement didn't disappoint.
The wedding of King James V of Scotland and Princess Dorothea of Norway and Denmark was a beautiful occasion, with the monarchs of Norway and Denmark, Portugal, England, Spain and Holy Roman Empire, France (albeit grudgingly), and the Governor of the Netherlands were in attendance. The rest of the countries were fine enough to be represented by their ambassador.
Francis was doing his best to outdo Charles and avoid me. John III of Portugal was, as I'd suspected, playing diplomacy with nearly every country he found advantageous or dangerous; obviously, he didn't have to play diplomacy with England as we were family by blood, and to be family by marriage in a month or two anyway. Frederick was more concerned with his daughter (Good man). Charles was doing his best to outdo Francis, and alternating between me and John: we were all family. The Governor of the Netherlands, my cousin Mary (God, how many Marys were there between these royal people?), was also there, trying to pacify the tension every time when Charles and Francis faced each other. James was smitten with his new bride.
This was, of course, done discreetly. Couldn't have nobles and ambassadors saying the kings and queens were behaving like school kids. Not that they knew what school kids were, but the description seemed fitting.
Jamie and Dory the couple in love, Francis and Charles the two rival team captains, Mary the person with a foot in both teams trying to pacify everyone, John the guy who wanted peace with it benefiting him, and me? I like to think I'm not the person who behaves like a little schoolgirl.
Anyways, I had no doubt that a baby in the cradle wouldn't take very long.
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
Now that Jamie's wedding was over, Aunt Margaret decided that she, Aunt Mary and Mother would partake in an alliance to fulfill one of my father's wishes. I remember him telling me: when you walk down the aisle, we'll make sure you're the envy of Europe and every woman in it.
I thought he was jesting and played along. Except: he wasn't. Father had somehow gotten hold of a bunch of things from previous royal weddings, a lot of silk, and had set aside a whole lot of money for mine and Mary's wedding.
Apparently, the dowry had already been decided when I was four and Mary two, and God was it huge. Even in death, Henry VIII made sure he and his family got amazing PR from other countries.
'Envy of every European lady', yeah, with the things he's doing, even Asian ladies could get jealous. Just saying.
Of course, he'd left us to choose the colour of our gown, so I could choose my colour. The white dress for your wedding thing hadn't been invented, so most women wore their best dresses. But...
I decided that: if Father wanted me to look like the most beautiful woman in all Christendom walking down that aisle, then why the hell not?
So, in the end, after a whole lot of thinking and tiring work, it was decided that I'd have a flow-y gown (and didn't I just introduce a fashion even Italian women were fawning over?), and a veil and circlet. The best part – the design was overly similar to that of a few of Elizabeth of York's 'important occasion dresses'. I did, of course, add a little Elizabethan Age stuff.
The planning, well, I wasn't exactly allowed in the planning of my own marriage ceremony, as it had been taken over by two aunts and a mother (get it?). My darling sister helped those three women.
They were laughing at my misfortune, (I didn't even know what I was about to get into during the celebrations!), so obviously I, being my naturally retaliating self, gave them a budget to work with. When I told them there was a budget, Aunt Margaret gulped, Mother blinked and Aunt Mary groaned. Mary – my sister – gave me those cute seal eyes, so I increased the budget just a smidge: it seemed reasonable enough to me, I don't know why Maria thinks it's too less.
I mean, going from 5000 crowns to 5100 crowns is hardly too less for arranging everything. Father would've no doubt caused the celebration cost to be somewhere near 10,000 crowns. Then again, he's Henry VIII.
I wondered what this marriage meant for the Portuguese Succession crisis. Would one of my kids be King or Queen of Portugal instead of Philip? After all, his claim came from a female, and Antonio's came from the second son, but then Antonio was also illegitimate. Technically, that would mean Duarte would have the strongest claim, and by extension, his children, who'll just so happen to be my own. I mean, Catherine, Duchess of Braganza was mostly dismissed on account of being female, I think; besides, her grandson ruled anyway.
Who knows, maybe there'd be a Tudor Empire one day like the Hapsburg one?
(Little I knew of how right I was; I didn't know, years later, I would look back to this very day and wonder if wishes were indeed granted.)
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
Edward of Portugal (Infante Duarte)
He was about to get married, married, to Lisa. He did not know when 'Your Majesty' changed to 'Lady Elisabeth', or when that changed to 'Lisa', but he liked it nonetheless.
He knew the full extents of the marriage contract, of course: he and their children would take the Tudor name in order to continue the dynasty of England, their first son was going to be betrothed to King James V of Scotland's eldest daughter, he would bear the title of Prince Consort rather than King (he didn't mind) and he'd have to live in England, obviously.
It also had other clauses just for safety, like the fact that although their first son, as Prince of Wales, would be unavailable to sit on another throne by birth, the (hopefully existing) Duke of York would have a claim to the Portuguese throne after Juan or Luis' legitimate lines.
Duarte had heard the Margaret Tudor, Dowager Queen of Scotland, Katherine of Aragon, Dowager Queen of England, and Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France and current Duchess of Suffolk had taken over the preparations, which Lisa was quietly lamenting over. Apparently, the celebrations would be a surprise for both of them.
Though, knowing Lisa, she'd be secretly overjoyed at the show of affection.
Still, none of that prepared him for the sight he saw when she walked down the aisle, hand-in-hand with Lord Suffolk, her uncle, considering her father wasn't here to give his eldest away.
When he saw his bride-to-be, he remembered when he saw her for the first time – she looked as regal and elegant as then (and beautiful).
Her gown was flowing, made of gold and silver silk, with gold threads and purple lace. Lisa's fiery red Tudor hair was covered with a white laced veil, that was held in place with a gold circlet that was studded with no small amount of gems, though its crowning jewel was the Tudor Rose made purely out of, well, jewels: pearls for the white rose, rubies for the red rose and emeralds for the leaf and stem.
(Though, nothing was better than the look of pure bliss on her face.)
Queen Dorothea, now Dorothy, of Scotland was there looking as much in love with her husband as James himself was, and quite well-wishing.
What amazed him, though, was that his soon-to-be wife had driven the cultured Isabella d'Éste to jealousy. Then again, there were rumours saying that the late King himself had written in his Will that he wanted his daughters' weddings to be so grand and his daughters looking the best they could and be "the envy of Europe and every lady in it". Looking at it now, he could see those rumours being more than rumours, but possibly the truth.
Henry VIII's love for his children was well-known.
Out of the corner of his eye, Edward (he was Edward now, no longer Duarte, he was well and truly English after this ceremony) saw eleven-year-old Lord Henry Fitzroy, newly-appointed Earl of Durham looking very joyful for his sister.
But back to his (admittedly gorgeous) about-to-be wife.
The Archbishop of Canterbury started the ceremony.
"We are here to see Elisabeth Tudor," it was something she'd insisted on that she not be addressed by her title, but her Christian name and family name. "Join in holy matrimony with Edward Aviz." He naturally followed her lead. "This..."
After the Archbishop was done recanting, it was his time to recite the wedding vows; "I, Edward Aviz, take thee, Elisabeth Tudor, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love, to cherish and to honour and until death do us part."
Lisa was obviously next. "I, Elisabeth Tudor, take thee, Edward Aviz, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love, to cherish and to honour and until death do us part."
With that, he was finally married to Lisa.
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
Mary Tudor, Duchess of Aquitaine
She was so very excited for the celebrations!
Mary couldn't wait for them, since Lisa was sure to love the celebrations.
She wouldn't deny that she almost wished to be Lisa on her wedding day, not when her darling elder sister looked like the picture of queenly grace; Mary wondered if her father had done the same for her, but then quickly berated herself because of course he had: Papa had never been one to a favour one child over the other.
-At the feast—
She quickly readied herself for the bride and groom's arrival on the raised dais.
"Her Majesty, Queen Elisabeth Tudor, by the Grace of God, Queen of England and Ireland, Defender of the Faith." For some reason, her sister had dropped her claim as 'Queen of France', which English kings and queens since Edward III or Henry V usually kept; when Mary asked, she only winked.
"His Most Royal Highness, Prince Edward of Portugal, by the Grace of God, Prince Consort of England and Ireland." He certainly couldn't be called 'King', that would more or less be saying that he would rule, and no one wanted the nightmare that implicit statement might bring.
Besides, Lisa had been a just and true Queen, she had the nobles' respect and the people's love: two things most needed as a sovereign, apart from heirs, of course.
Her sister looked stunning, as she always did when she wore red or green. But Lisa also looked happier and less stressed than she was 'queening' as the older woman liked to call it.
Just recently, an explorer – Sir James Bryan – had gone to the Far East on an expedition, and found this land called 'Calcutta', and as he entered farther, he found more places. Apparently, it had "many foods and riches, with the most beautiful of courts, save Her Most Gracious Majesty's of course"; Lisa only seemed amused by the flattering added in.
The Emperor Babur had just recently died, leaving his son, Emperor Humayun on the throne; as it looked like a powerful monarchy, her sister was more than content to play diplomacy: it was a rich, though newly conquered, court that looked like it would thrive. However, there was definitely a reason she was not very keen on an alliance with the other Emperor (not their cousin) just yet.
Regardless, the food imported from there was simply delicious, and the princess had no qualms admitting that she adored it. There were things she'd never heard or thought of, like: 'Aam Poro Sharbot', 'Tangra Macher Jhol', 'Rasgulla' and so on. That didn't mean the the English and Portuguese cuisine was left out, though.
Elisabeth
As an English immigrant living in India with my family in my previous life, I'd always adored the food and the history. So, when I had the opportunity to ally with the place, I took it. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't Akbar or Babur's reign that the country currently was in, but the start of Humayun's. And I knew that he'd be unseated by Sher Shah Suri in ten years, eventually reclaiming his throne another fifteen years later, and dying within two months (if I remembered correctly). Though, if I lived that long, I'd hopefully be able to ally with Akbar the Great himself.
Now, though, I was going on progress with my husband (it was pretty strange to think of Duarte that way).
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
The progress was progressing well and we were currently staying at the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, Agnes Howard/Tilney's home due to certain...reasons.
I was taking a walk in the gardens when a little darling came, gave a clumsy but cute curtsy, and handed me a rose, "For you, Your Majesty."
I bent down to her height and gave her a smile, "Thank you very much, it's quite beautiful. What is your name, little lady?"
What can I say? I have a soft spot for kids.
"Catherine Howard, Your Majesty."
What [censored].
This was my future would-have-been stepmom, Daddy-dearest's would-have-been fifth wife: a naive little girl unready to be queen who fell for Thomas Culpeper's charms and committed adultery. I couldn't believe that same adulterer was this sweet kid who gave me a flower.
Oi, Wikipedia-gained knowledge, help me here!
After a while, I remembered something about the Dowager Duchess' laxness that caused the other girls to eventually get Catherine in it.
So, I made sure to send a spy here to check what was really going on.
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
It had been five months since our wedding and I hadn't had my 'moon's blood' yet. Come to think of it, I'd not had my moon's blood for a long time now...and I wanted mangoes real bad...and my mood wasn't staying the same for a long time...
"Get a midwife or physician." I swiftly ordered.
In record time, Jane Taylor, a midwife, entered, gave a deep curtsy and intoned, "You called for me, Your Majesty?"
"Yes...I have reasons to believe I am with child." The woman's face immediately smoothed out as she checked me over.
After it was done, her face was one of pure joy, so I supposed I was pregnant after all. I was Queen, therefore my child was heir, and after the relative stability and peace I'd given them, all that was left was a kid to take my place after me, and then the Tudors would be kinda secure.
"How long?" I asked.
"You are around nine weeks along, Majesty."
Huh. That means I am a little more than two months along: another month later, the fear of miscarriage is lesser.
I also heard that Dory was a month along with her second kid. Nearly everyone's hoping it's a boy, considering that they only have James, and he's sickly.
So, I've got around four months before my confinement or lying-in.
Hold on a second, who'll run the kingdom when I'm secluded in a room? Right, got to speak with Mother and Aunt Mary.
Katherine of Aragon, Dowager Queen and Queen Mother of England
Her hija had called her and Mary to her rooms for an 'important matter', as the pageboy said.
As they entered, Katherine saw her daughter sitting with something pressing on her mind.
"Mi hija, what is the matter?"
"I am with child: the midwife confirmed I am about nine weeks along."
"This is wonderful news, Lisa!" Mary exclaimed, "But what has gotten you so worried? You know you mustn't stress at this time."
"I know, I know, but I am Queen; it comes with the job. Not to mention, who will govern the country during my lying-in?"
That was indeed a matter of great thought. Kings never had to go in confinement, so this was never bought up, but now that they had a Queen...
Then again, Isabella had gone to war when she was eight months along with her youngest (Catalina, or Katherine), so why did Lisa have to isolate herself? She had to rule someway, didn't she?
When Katherine voiced these thoughts, the gleam that entered Lisa's eyes reminded the Dowager too much of Lady Beaufort and her father, Ferdinand. There was a distinct smirk on Mary's face.
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
Anne Boleyn
She'd just heard that Her Majesty wasn't going to go into seclusion for her lying-in, but rather, the court would stop and all courtiers would go back to their homes, save the Royal Family, the ladies of the duchesses, little ladies, Queen Mother/Dowager and Queen.
(Good for her, because she was one of the Queen's ladies.)
It humbled her, to know that there was someone who could stop court with its plots and intrigues with a few words, the flourish of ink or the clap of her hands.
She didn't leave court; she made sure the court left her: Anne Boleyn was once again amazed by the Queen of England.
She wondered if this was how it'd be with every single one of her pregnancies.
But to know what the Queen decided wasn't her place; she'd faithfully do her duty, and be rewarded well for it.
As for her duty: Jane Seymour was being particularly vexing. It was as if the girl was raised to be nothing but another brainless wife! Or perhaps that was just Anne's taste for adventure and challenge speaking.
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
It was an early September morning when she heard the young Queen's cry of "Fetch Jane Taylor!"
And Seymour's confused "Who?"
Which she was rewarded for by the words "The midwife!"
Quickly, the midwife, Madam Taylor, as well as the Dowager Queen Katherine and Princess Mary, Duchess of Suffolk, entered the room and began to work.
She would not lie, hearing the Queen's agonized screams and shouts of "Mierda!" and "Maldito!" or pain-filled croaks of "Madre, duele..." and just "Duele!" chilled Anne to the bone: was this what childbirth was like? She had a sudden respect for every queen who was expected to fill a whole nursery.
The first one was a boy, who was immediately christened 'Henry' by his mother.
Then there was a second one, a Duke of York for them as well.
This was immediately followed by a third one, a girl, after which the long birth (it lasted eleven hours) was finally over, and their Queen, Princes and Princess looking perfectly healthy; only time would tell, though.
"Prince Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales; Prince Edward Tudor, Duke of York; and Princess Victoria: the Tudor Princes and Princess of England. The Tudor dynasty is secure at last." Her Majesty decided; breathless due to tiredness. She went to sleep, but not before murmuring to herself (though Anne, her mother and her aunt heard, not anyone else), "Father, Grandfather, Great-grandmother, we're finally safe on the throne again. Ydw i wedi gwneud pob un ohonoch chi'in falch?"
Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina-Elisabeth Regina
Bonus: blame my overly active brain popping up ideas for this mini-crossover.
Hermione
There was a problem in the machine she was testing at the Unspeakable department, when somehow, Ron tumbled and all three of them were unceremoniously transported to...somewhere.
It looked quite filthy though, so this was either a place without hygiene, or a medieval time.
"Ronald! Harry! What have you two gotten me into this time?!" she all but shrieked.
"I'm offended by the notion that I did absolutely anything in this." Harry asserted.
"It was a mistake!" Ron defended.
A/N: Heh, the golden trio's in...guess where? Yeah (duh), England. Also: tradition breaking with triplets! We've got little Harry, Ned, and Tory Tudor. I was originally thinking of changing it to either Mary or Katherine, but frankly, there were too many Marys, and Katherine...just didn't stick like Victoria. So we'll have a Princess Katherine or Mary (or maybe both) later. Also, yes, Dorothy has given a sickly baby James (*sigh* another James of Scotland).
And translations:
Both "Maldito" and "Mierda" are censored Spanish.
"Madre, duele..." – "Mother, it hurts."
Naturally, 'duele' means 'it hurts'.
"Ydw i wedi gwneud pob un ohonoch chi'in falch?" – "Have I made you all proud?" (roughly). That paragraph's dialogue was to put in, that despite everything she does, Lisa still worried about the Line of Succession, and in spite of being from an alternate universe, she wants to make her parents and ancestors and the rest of her family proud like any kid: it sort of shows her almost devotion to the Tudors and Lisa-type of love for them after seventeen years of being one.