Despite their high hopes King Edward had died not long after the announcement had been made of Elizabeths' pregnancy. Fortunately no one at court thought anything was sinister regarding the timing. In fact many court claimed that King Edward died of a broken heart. Elizabeth couldn't help but agree as it was Jane's selfishness that led not just her death but her son as well. Elizabeth made a silent promise to herself that she would never be the cause of her childs' pain the way Jane had inflicted pain on Edward. Nor would she allow any conflict with her husband to harm her child in the way she and Henrys' parents caused them. Henry agreed with his wife and promised to do the same which Elizabeth was grateful for.
Elizabeth was currently busy arranging the coronation for her and her husband. Her sister Mary offered to help her sister as pregnancy had made Elizabeth tired at times. However the physician assured the family that all was well. Elizabeth had adapted to her duties rather easily whilst her husband Henry was rather exasperated. Henry was used to having his own privacy and doing things for himself now he was constantly followed by servants ready to cater to his every whim. What had made it even more worse was that lords who knew Elizabeth was going to be in confinement soon had begun to throw their daughters at him. Elizabeth showed that she was every inch her father and mothers' daughter when she raged at the lords for insulting her in this way. The lords looked to Henry for his support but he gave them none. Most of these women did not so much as glance at him when he was the Duke of Suffolk why should pay them any mind now that he was essentially King. Henry assured his wife that he would remain faithful to her and Elizabeth believed him. Mary assured Elizabeth that the lords would give up eventually once they realised Henry was not going to stray from his wife and Elizabeth trusted her sisters' judgment.
As Elizabeth was looking over some paperwork when she heard a familiar voice behind her, "Your majesty."
"No just cousin." Elizabeth smiled and turned to hug her cousin Annie. "I'm so glad you could make it. Is George with you?"
"Sadly not." Annie smiled looking at Elizabeths' belly, "It seems you were not the only one to be blessed with a child. Kathy is now expecting a child of her own."
"That's wonderful." Elizabeth was truly pleased for her cousins. "Henry will be so pleased for his niece."
"I see you are just as in love with him as the last time we spoke." Annie smiled, "To think it was you who believed it would never happen."
"I know Annie but then you were always more optimistic than I." Elizabeth laughed.
"Well I'm certainly going to need that optimism going forward being married to Charles." Annie tried to smile despite the sadness.
Elizabeths' own joy suddenly faded when she thought of her cousins' predicament. Elizabeths' Aunt Mary wrote to Elizabeth of how the Duke of Orleans practically forced Annie to marry him. Annie didn't deserve that, "I'm so sorry Annie."
"It's not your fault Lizzie." Annie tried to reassure her cousin, "He's not a bad husband and I'm trying to make the most of it." Annie had only been half lying when she had said those words. Although Annie had tried her best to please her husband he still strayed from her bed and she could only assume there was one reason Charles agreed to join her on this trip.
Elizabeth knew her cousin well enough to know that she was lying to her and wanted to box Charles Valois ears for causing the light to go out of her fair cousins' eyes. "Annie I'm Queen now and as Queen I can offer you protection should you need it." Elizabeth could see that Annie was about to protest but Elizabeth interrupted her, "I'm not saying that you need it now but I just wanted you to know that you have been like a sister to me and I will not see you hurt by him or anyone else. Do you understand?"
"Thank you Lizzie." Annie cried holding Elizabeth tightly until she had felt a kick from her cousins' babe. "It seems the little one agrees with you."
Elizabeth laughed, "Can you believe it I'm going to be huge by the time of the coronation."
"Well maybe it was fate." Annie placed her hand on Elizabeths' belly, "Your mother Queen Anne was carrying you when she was crowned Queen. Maybe it was always your destiny to become Queen."
"I never thought of it like that." Elizabeth wondering of her own childs' fate. "I pray that this childs' path to the throne would far easier than mine."
"That is something we all pray for cousin." Despite her husbands' infatuation with Elizabeth Annie couldn't bring herself to wish ill upon her cousin. Though they did not share the same parents they were sisters in a way that truly mattered. No one, not even Charles Valois could break that bond and no one ever will.
Henry was barely taking his sister in-laws words as she was trying to prepare him for the coronation. Whilst he knew important people were in attendance he would have never expected the Duke of Orleans to make an appearance. Henry Brandon remembered the countless of letters the French Duke had sent to Elizabeth which made his blood boil in fury. The news of the Duke of Orleans marriage to Anne Stafford did little to as ease his suspicion. In Henrys' view Charles Valois was merely settling for the Boleyn girl he could have rather than the one he could not. Henry did not know Anne personally but he knew how much she had meant to his wife. Elizabeth would often speak of Annie and her joy for life. Henry could only wonder what joy Anne would find being married to Charles Valois.
His thoughts were interrupted by his sister in-law, "Am I boring you your majesty?"
"I'm sorry Mary," Henry apologised sincerely, "I've got a lot on my mind."
"If it's about the coronation you have nothing to worry about." Mary smiled ruefully, "Provided you listen to my advice rather than silently ignoring me like you have done these last few moments."
"It's not about the coronation Mary." Henry stood up in frustration and stared out of the window. "It's about a certain guest in attendance."
"Ah of course our close friend the Duke of Orleans." Mary poured some wine and handed it to Henry to calm his nerves. "You do know that you have nothing to worry about. Elizabeth chose you remember?"
"But he was trained to be a Prince." Henry took a sip of wine that was served. "His family probably groomed him to marry Elizabeth and take the English throne."
"Well if he was they did a poor job of it." Mary reasoned, "Elizabeth told me how much of an immature buffoon he was and Elizabeth certainly had no desire to marry him. To be honest up until she had met you she had no intention of marrying anyone."
"To be honest I never thought of marrying anyone until I met her." It wasn't as if Henry hadn't got any offers but after witnessing the results of his fathers' haste to marry Catherine Willoughby he decided to be more cautious in his choice. However all thoughts of caution disappeared when Henry met the English Princess.
"Well try and remember that it is you that Elizabeth loves. You are the one she married and it is your child that Elizabeth carries inside her." Mary reminded him with conviction. "Do not let him provoke you the way his father provoked mine at the Field of the Cloth of Gold."
"I don't suppose Elizabeth would forgive me if I got into a wrestling match with the Duke of Orleans." Henry laughed thinking of the spectacle. However he wouldn't want to risk Elizabeths' famous Tudor temper which had only become worse now that she was with child.
"Would it make you feel any better if I said that you would beat Charles Valois hands down?" Mary remarked playfully.
"Haven't been crowned yet and already you would try and flatter me." Henry joked with his sister in-law.
"You better get used to it your majesty." Mary advised, "After the coronation they will be plenty of others who will try and flatter you to earn royal favour. When my Father had finally managed to learn that lesson England prospered."
Sadly it wasn't soon enough to save Elizabeths' mother Henry thought bitterly. At least he could count on Elizabeths' honesty. It was a promise they had made even before they were married that they would be always honest with each other. Henry would not break his word and nether would Elizabeth. He would trust that his wife would not succumb to the Duke of Orleans flattery and Elizabeth would trust Henry not lose his temper when dealing with the French Duke.
At the feast Elizabeth could not help but admire her husbands' restraint as he sat and listened to Charles Valois brag about the French court. Elizabeth remembered being told of how the King of France goaded her father into competing in a wrestling match at the Field of the Cloth and Gold. Elizabeth silently wondered if King Francis had been half as irritating then as his son was being now. She would ask her sister Mary but she was chatting with Lady Essex about her Aunt Juana's health.
According to Mary the old woman had made a promise to herself to try and outlive her treacherous son the Emperor. Elizabeth had only wished her brother possessed the same fighting spirit Juana did. Henry and Elizabeth could have been sitting in Suffolk Manor preparing for the birth of their child in peace. Unfortunately they were stuck here at Hampton Court surrounded by people and forced to enjoy the company of this arrogant Duke.
Henry noticing his wife's discomfort placed his hand on hers, "My love?"
Elizabeth whispered quietly to her husband so that Charles could not hear, "I grow weary of the fool's company. How soon can we retire?"
"You're Queen my love." Henry kissed his wife's forehead in affection. "You're free to retire when you wish."
"Not without my husband I hope." Elizabeth showing her love with a kiss. "After the coronation I will have very little time to have you to myself."
"I'm beginning to think that your sister was wise to refuse the crown when she did." Henry lamented the time alone he could have spent with Elizabeth. "Is it too late to back out?"
"And hand England over to the Scots Queen?" Elizabeth teased, "My Fathers' ghost would come back and haunt me for doing such a thing."
"Well I wouldn't want to upset your father." Henry joked, "He was scary enough when he was alive."
Elizabeth giggled and kissed her husband again which made Charles seethe in jealousy. It was not common for royal couples to show the affection freely in public but there was his Elizabeth freely enjoying the attentions of another man and not only that she was carrying the man's child. Charles had to prove once and for that he was superior to this Henry Brandon. Charles stood up and turned to the yet to be crowned King, "Your majesty I was wondering if you wouldn't mind engaging in a friendly competition?"
Henry raised his eyebrow the Duke of Orleans suggestion, "What kind of competition your grace?"
"A chance for an English King to regain the honour his father in-law lost at the Field of the Cloth and Gold." Charles smiled smugly whilst the poor French ambassador had stared in horror. Up until now France enjoyed a prosperous alliance with England and now this fool had threatened to tear it down out of petty jealousy. The Spanish ambassador saw this as good opportunity for if the French and English alliance fell Spain may once again regain some of the power it had lost thanks to the failed kidnapping attempt.
Elizabeth couldn't help but growl at Charles Valois' impertinence, "My father may have lost a silly little wrestling contest but he won the battles that mattered for it was his victory over France that secured my return to England."
Henry Brandon could see that a fight was going to happen between Elizabeth and the Duke of Orleans so he decided to intervene. Henry turned to sooth his wife, "It's just a friendly competition my love," then he turned to the Duke, "which is why I accept your challenge your grace."
"May the best man win your majesty." Charles bowed mockingly and turned to get ready. Charles felt he wouldn't have problem at all beating this upstart and showing to Elizabeth once and for all who the better man is.
Unfortunately for Charles, Henry Brandon was the superior athlete. Elizabeth knew this as she would often watch as her husband practiced. Before she had met her husband she thought such sports were childish but to watch her husband compete brought on certain feelings of lust that she didn't think even she was capable of. Elizabeth would enjoy watching her husband flatten the foolish Duke.
Annie couldn't help but look on in panic. Whether Charles won or lost she would be forced to endure her husbands' attentions. If Charles won Annie would be expected to reward her husbands' victory in many ways. However if her husband lost she would have endure rough treatment from the Duke. A part of Annie wished she could go to her cousin and stop this match but she knew her husband would not thank her for it. Either win or lose Annie would bare the consequence.
Henry could see that Charles was clumsy in his technique. The Duke of Orleans kept sneaking quick glances toward Elizabeth which made Henry angry which almost made him lose his concentration. However Henry would not lose this match, with a few precise manoeuvres Charles Valois was down. The English courtiers cheer as their Kings' hand was raised in victory but nothing was more rewarding than to have his beautiful Queen throw her arms around him and passionately kiss him in front of the entire court. Some would say that such behaviour was not proper for a King and Queen but it was hard not to be swept up in the romance of this young couple. The people loved the idea of chivalrous King and his beautiful fair Queen.
All night Elizabeth couldn't help but feel uneasy. The look on her cousins' face as she and her husband retired for the evening set Elizabeth on edge. Her husband tried to reassure her that everything was fine but the thought would not go away. The next morning Elizabeth made her way to Annie's rooms after she finished breaking her fast. Elizabeth had asked her husband to take Charles out hunting as peace offering whilst Elizabeth visited Annie. Henry didn't like the idea of spending the morning with the arrogant French man but he would endure it for Elizabeths' sake.
As Elizabeth arrived she was greeted by one Annie's ladies, "I'm sorry your majesty but the Duchess is not well."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Elizabeth certainly not happy to hear that at all. "Perhaps I should send for my own personal physician to make sure that my cousins' ailment is not too serious."
"I can assure you my lady that my mistress' illness is not serious." The woman insisted nervously.
"Then it should be fine for me to see my cousin and lift her spirits." Elizabeth was growing more suspicious of the servants' behaviour. The woman eyes kept shift from Annie's bedchamber to the Queen in fear.
"My lady I have orders from the Duke…" The servant trying to insist but Elizabeth interrupted her.
"Madam, do I need to remind you where you are?" Elizabeth glared angrily at the servant. "This is my palace. Now I command you to let me pass so I can see my cousin. If you do not follow my command I shall be forced to order the palace guards to remove you from my sight."
Defeated the servant reluctantly moved out of the way. As soon as Elizabeth walked into Annie's chambers her anger was soon turned to fear. "Annie!" Elizabeth cried and rushed to her cousins' side and inspected Annie's injuries. Annie was lying naked face down on the bed unconscious with red whip marks down her back and bruises around her waist.
"You majesty is something…" A palace guard rushed in when he heard his Queens' cry then he saw the state of the woman lying in her bed. "Merciful heavens!" He cried staring the state of Annie's injuries. Having a wife and a daughter of his own he was equally horrified as the Queen was.
Elizabeth quickly turned to the stunned palace guard, "Summon the royal physician and have some new rooms prepared for the Duke Orleans. He will not touch her this night or any other if I have my way." As the guard went to carry out Elizabeths' orders Elizabeth held her cousin close whilst being careful to avoid her injuries. "Don't worry cousin." Elizabeth kissed Annie on the forehead, "He shall never harm you again. I'll make sure of it."