CHAPTER I
"Queen Catherine?" a pageboy stuck his head in the royal chambers where Catherine de' Medici was preparing some tinctures for Mary. She wanted to avoid the same thing happening to the young Queen as it had happened to herself - ten years childless. A hell, no doubt. Although Catherine was sure that her son would be much more tolerant of his wife than Henry had been of her, she knew how important it was for Mary to bear an heir to France and Scotland.
"What is it?" she wanted to know, and with a furrowed brow looked at a vial of transparent liquid in her hand before putting it away.
"You are needed in the council chamber." Catherine raised her eyebrows in astonishment. She was usually not wanted there from Henry's side, and she avoided arguing with him. It was tiring. The pageboy disappeared after nodding briefly, and Catherine rose from her chair with a sigh. She smoothed the heavy, soft fabric of her dress and took a quick look in the mirror, making sure that her elaborately styled hair was still in place, as well as her crown. Resigned to her reflection, she left her warm chambers and walked through the dim corridors.
Two of her guards accompanied her wordlessly; their heavy steps followed her until she gave them a sign to wait outside. Catherine took a deep breath. She hoped it was something important because, in fact, she had better things to do than to deal with the corrupt nobles who manipulated her husband.
One of her guards opened the heavy wooden door, and to her surprise, there were only three people in the room. Henry sat on a chair. His royal looseness almost wholly disappeared, and Catherine acknowledged his appearance with a disapproving look at him.
At his glance, the door behind his wife fell shut. Catherine lifted her chin slightly, straightening her back, whilst taking a closer look at Henry. He looked tired, exhausted and... Frightened. A frown appeared on her face, Francis, her eldest, stood behind his father with a severe and worried expression. At the same time, Mary of Scotland paced restlessly around the room.
"What is going on?" the Queen asked dangerously quiet, but only looked at Henry. Whatever it was, it was unquestionably his fault. Why else did he seem so anxious?
Mary interrupted her silly walking. Francis put a hand on his wife's back, which Catherine reacted to with a questioning look in his direction. One of them would have to speak, one way or another.
"Did anyone follow you? Did anybody see you?" Francis wanted to know, and Catherine shook her head in confusion.
"My guards, of course," Catherine corrected herself with raised eyebrows. She stepped up to the table, putting her fingertips on the wooden surface, "I'm asking again: what's going on here?"
"We'll have to deal with the guards later," Francis murmured in Mary's direction, and Catherine noticed the blood draining from her face. She hated this feeling of helplessness, there were only a few things she hated more. Catherine wanted to know who was responsible for all of this, but her patience was tested further.
"Henry", she looked at him sharply, and he seemed to become smaller under her gaze - untypical for him. Now Catherine began to worry seriously, "someone should tell me instantly... "she began but was interrupted by his sigh.
"I... I was with the Bohemian Countess in my chambers and... Well," Henry finally began under the piercing gaze of his wife. Almost immediately after she had processed his words, Catherine relaxed.
Rolling her eyes, she sat down on a chair opposite him, almost bored. How old did they think she was? Seventeen? The times when she had wasted her hatred for the women in her husband's bed were over. After all, if she was not mistaken, Francis had six younger siblings lying peacefully asleep in their beds. Heaven knew Catherine had done all she could to secure her place at court, as Queen by Henry's side; no whore would ever get in her way again.
"And that's why you're making such a fuss? It's more conducive to politics," she replied calmly, slightly mocking him, her anger disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "So if we are here to discuss your constant infidelity - with our son in the room," she snorted scornfully, "I really have better things to do, Henry."
"No, you don't understand Catherine", Henry was in a panic, and his tone made her stop, "she fell out of my window... to her death..."
"You mean..." all of a sudden, Catherine was utterly stunned. Just when she thought nothing could endanger her anymore. She rose again, walking slowly towards him.
"Henry. We are trying to prevent a war with these people", the end of her sentence had become louder and grabbed his shoulders. She knew how risky it was to approach Henry physically. After all, they had already fought the war of their marriage on all sorts of levels, verbally and physically, she knew him and his rage well.
"I am well aware of that," Henry replied sharply and violently shook off his wife's hands. Catherine was getting ready to verbally attack him when Francis reacted and quickly pushed himself between his parents to avoid a catastrophe.
"Mary and I have a plan," he tried to calm his mother down, and Catherine was distracted for a moment from her anger at Henry.
"Oh, yes? And what do I have to do with it?" Catherine was visibly unhappy with the situation and did not hesitate to show it openly. Looking back and forth between her son, his wife and her husband, she was unwilling to accept even the slightest inconvenience for Henry's infidelity.
"Well, it's not so much a plan as it is an... emergency measure," Mary spoke up and threw an insecure look at Catherine. The girl had every reason to be. The Queen was furious.
"The Duke already knows of the matter," she went on, and Catherine gasped, "and he will withdraw the declaration of war on one condition only."
"Which one?" Catherine took a few quick steps and grabbed Mary by the shoulders, who flinched slightly, "WHICH ONE?"
"You have to leave. Henry will step down and give the crown to Francis. You will be taken to a safe place which-", Mary babbled desperately. Apparently, Catherine's behaviour had the desired effect.
"WHAT?!" Catherine cried frantically and felt Mary trying to back off, "Because of HIM, I have to give up my crown? There would be nothing left for me! What about my other children, Francis, your younger brothers and sisters?" She let go of Mary, who was reeling slightly and Catherine turned to her son, blind with rage.
"Don't forget that you got your crown from me after all," Henry added inappropriately and looked at her, after which all her rage now concentrated on him again.
"How could I? You always like to remind me of that, you stupid-" she hissed but left her sentence unfinished when Henry rose from his chair.
"Catherine, people will think you're involved," Mary's voice gained strength, "We'll find a reason for your resignation and your disappearance. But you must leave here as soon as possible."
Her anger gave way to pure despair, and she felt trapped in a nightmare. This couldn't be true. Where would she go? To Italy? At the thought of Florence, the idea of escaping suddenly didn't seem so terrible to her.
"You can't be serious... no... What about Charles and Henry and...? They are too young to undertake such a long journey," she choked out, trying to suppress the rising panic within her.
"Mother," Francis' voice was firm but soft, "they will not come with you. Claude will stay in the country for the moment. Elizabeth is safe in Spain. Charles, Henry and Margot will stay here at court."
"No", Catherine shook her head, "without my children I'm not going anywhere, not to Florence and certainly not with him", with a short twitch of her head she pointed in Henry's direction. "He can go, I'll just stay here-"
"Catherine," again Mary interrupted her mother-in-law, in Catherine's eyes an incredibly courageous move, "it will be associated with you. You are not known for your goodness."
"How dare you-" Catherine roared, but knew, even if she would not admit it, that the young Queen was right.
"We will take good care of your children, Francis' brothers and sisters..." Mary tried again, but she was interrupted by the older woman this time.
"Oh, yes? Will you do everything to protect them? Will you die to protect them?" she exclaimed to the Queen of Scotland.
"That's enough now," Francis touched his mother's arm, but she immediately withdrew his touch, "you must leave immediately. Please," he almost begged.
Catherine could not believe what she had lost in those few minutes. Her crown, her children, now she had to flee with her cheating husband and had no chance to disappear. Even before she had the opportunity to reply, Francis interrupted her again, "A carriage is waiting for you in the castle courtyard. We have found a place for you in France to bring you back when the situation calms down again. You have no more time, go now," Francis looked at his parents pleadingly, and Catherine's heart broke.
She shook her head slightly, full of disbelief and despair. One blink of an eye later, she had taken Francis' face in both hands stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. He let it happen, and Catherine only shook her head. Where had the time gone? When had he grown so much? She had no time to think about it. Catherine closed her eyes as her eldest son kissed her forehead.
"Come on," Henry grabbed Catherine's arm rather roughly and pulled her out of the room with him.
"How dare you," Catherine hissed and fought back with all her strength, but his grip was iron, and she had no chance as her husband pulled her along the dark corridor, his gaze fixedly turned to the front.
"Let go of me, Henry, right now," she ordered him, her voice trembling slightly. Finally, Catherine managed to push her heels into the ground, and Henry reeled. "Let me go, or I'll scream," she threatened, boiling with rage, "I just want to see our children, your daughters and sons one last time." If she really never would return, she wanted to see their little faces at least one last time.
Henry looked at her briefly and loosened his grip. "Go on, but hurry," he grunted, and Catherine broke free, ran away immediately to look after her children.
She slowed her steps only when she stood just outside the door of the children's room. She wished Claude and Elisabeth had been here, so she could at least see her princesses again. Catherine ignored the clump that formed in her throat and carefully opened the door.
It was dark except for the moonlight shining in through the windows. First, the Queen stepped to the bed of her second-oldest son. Charles slept peacefully snuggled into his blanket, and Catherine stroked his dark hair tenderly. He looked so much like Henry. A soft sigh broke the silence as she kissed his forehead, muttered a few loving Italian words and stepped up to his younger brother's bed. Henry had instead taken after her, his hair light brown and curly, she was almost sure that he would later look more like Francis and therefore her. She pulled his blanket back over his shoulder and lingered a little while to memorize the slight smile on his little face.
Finally, Catherine stopped by her youngest daughter's bed.
Little Margot lay in her crib with her eyes wide open, gurgling happily as she saw Catherine's face appear above her. "Mama", babbled and stretched out her arms for Catherine. The Queen blinked back a few tears, kissing her tiny fingers. "Sleep, little one," she whispered and slowly retreated. Margot was silent for a moment, then she began to whimper.
"Mamaa," she repeated, turning over on her stomach in her bed to pull herself up by the edge. Catherine closed her eyes for a moment, she knew her daughter too well to hope that she would be quiet. She quickly lifted the girl from her bed and tried to calm her down as her whining continued. "Shhh", the despair in Catherine grew abruptly along with her panic. The crying toddler would cost her and Henry their heads if they didn't leave at once. As if on command, Henry opened the door to the nursery and stared grimly at Catherine, who felt like he had caught her committing a crime.
"Hurry up now," Henry growled and gave her an annoyed look.
"I would," Catherine hissed back, causing Margot's cries to grow louder, "damn it."
Catherine very rarely cursed in the presence of her children, but at that moment she had every reason to. With her free hand, she reached for her daughter's blanket and stuffed animal, rushing out of the room past Henry.
"What are you doing?" Henry asked confusedly and gazed at his daughter, who was only calming down very slowly after closing the door behind him. Catherine had already decided that she was not willing to be dissuaded by him. "We'll take her with us."