King and Queen's Chambers, Greenwich Palace, England
December 25th 1502
Queen Genevieve POV
I see my babies react to their first Christmas and I smile at them as I am so happy to have them here until they are fifteen months as they are the heir and spare that the King, my husband needed.
I rub my five-month pregnant stomach and hum as I think of what my unborn children shall look like. Shall they take after me or my family or shall they take after the Tudors?
I wonder how many I am having as the midwife says after a multiple pregnancy, I conceive multiples again and easily.
Even though sons are preferred, I wish for daughters as I wish to dote on them. I always have wanted both sons and daughters.
I then think of Catalina, pregnant in the tower and hope the babe will be born healthy as only Catalina planned what she did as I think of her four-month pregnant belly carrying an innocent child.
England has heard of my sister's crime and call for her blood as soon as the babe will be born. Arthur as King Arthur II of England has proclaimed that the children shall not know of their mother's/aunt's crimes.
I hear mother plans to marry Maria to Edward Stafford, Duke of Buckingham as there is talk of making Catalina's children illegitimate to please the other Kingdoms of Europe.
Arthur has told me that it is so but they shall not be raised any different and will have advantageous marriages. Oh, Catalina, how I wish you hadn't have plotted as your children shall suffer for it.
Even though one shall be a Queen, it's only through Edward asking Scotland's King to give her unborn daughter a chance and that the babe is innocent of the mother's crimes. Edward can be very persuasive.
Prince Edmund's Chambers
December 31st 1502
Prince Edmund POV
As the identical twin to Arthur, I am next in line should something happen. And I cannot help but wonder who my bride shall be when I see the most gorgeous woman. She is the illegitimate daughter of Thomas Boleyn, Camellia Boleyn but I care not and since she is 13, the age to wed, I marry her and make her my princess, the Duchess of Richmond as I would have let Henry become the next King should anything bad happen to Arthur and his wife and children.
I am happy just to be a Duke worthy of my princess, Lady Camellia Tudor nee Boleyn, Duchess of Richmond and future mother to my children.
As the forgotten Prince, England expects Henry as the next in line had Arthur had died childless. I go to my sister-in-law and tell her that I pray that she gives birth to healthy children.
I go to my chambers afterwards and consummate my marriage with Camellia, impregnating her with a Tudor child.
I then go and talk to my siblings, telling them of my marriage to Camellia and they congratulate me as they do not blame Camellia for what her father tried to do as it is the father's sins and not his children's.
Princess Camellia's Chambers
February 11th 1503
Princess Camellia Tudor POV
I feel sick to my stomach and go to the bucket and lose my breakfast. I go to the midwife and she asks me when I last had my monthly and I realize that it was three weeks before the wedding and I have not had my monthly since.
I tell Edmund and he tells me after this pregnancy, he will wait for my sixteenth. He says his twin may not wait that long for his wife as he considers her a beauty who looks even more beautiful when pregnant. I roll my eyes at that and hope he does wait as she's already given him an heir and spare.
I honestly don't see why Arthur won't give the poor girl some rest. She needs it with how many children she may have. I hear he may want ten children! Doesn't he realize the pain we women go through giving birth to just one child?
Edmund better make his brother realize this or I swear I will throw him in the river Thames.
As it is, I will have to experience the pain of childbirth in 8 and a half months' time! As a Princess and a Duchess, I have to birth at least two sons and mayhap a daughter. At least he's giving me a few years' time before the next babe as it shall be painful enough the first time around.
