The Boleyn King
Chapter 4
23rd August 1554
Greenwich Palace, Greenwich
The day in which Queen Joanna entered confinement was supposed to have been a day of celebrations, of jousting and feasts for the impeding birth of his heir. But instead it saw the entirety of the court watching the enraged King, all of King Henry VIII's children having seemingly inherited the infamous Tudor temper.
And what news was it that angered him so? Well, it was the news of the Lady Mary Carey nee Tudor's pregnancy, a much downtrodden looking Henry Carey being dragged into his presence.
"You impregnated her, against my specific orders?" King James I demanded as Sir Henry Carey knelt upon his knees in front of him, his sister – Catherine Knollys nee Carey – as well as his oldest nieces Mary and Laetitia (Lettice) watched with eyes averted from the scene.
"I am sorry, my King," Henry apologised, not daring to look the King in the eyes, "she purposely tempted me, she wanted-,"
"Of course she wanted it! She wants her own brats upon the throne, to bring back the Catholic religion! You, Sir Henry Carey, are hereby exiled from court to Blicking Hall to live with our Howard cousins in hope that they will teach you how to behave. Your wife will remain at Hudson House and is not to leave, neither of you are to meet again until you receive my expressed orders," James commanded as he stood tall from his throne, towering over Henry Carey, "get out of my sight."
Threats to England were coming swifter than ever before; for the Catholic faction is sure to begin to rise.
God forbid if Mary was to have a son but not he.
18th September 1554
James could not count the hours in which he had paced the outer chambers of Queen Joana's rooms, wincing at every scream that passed her lips.
It was in these moments that he yearned for Bess to be here instead of being the Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway; but she was seas away, and he would have to be strong for not just himself but Joana as well.
And yet it had been thirty-four hours and he could not lose her, not now and not ever for within the months of marriage had come to love her; truly love her. His mother's motto the most happy wrung in his head as he thought of her, seeing the clear similarities between the two in more than just looks; they were both devoted to those they loved, though forced into situations that neither one had wanted.
"Your Majesty," one of Queen Joana's Spanish Ladies-In-Waiting stated at such a pace that if he had not improved his Portuguese from all the time he had spent with Joana then he would not have been able to understand, "the Queen has entered complications, the midwives doubt her survival. They say that there are two children within her womb."
Not listening to the loud protests of the Ladies as he entered and Councilmen as he fled the room into his wife's chambers.
"Your Majesty, it is not proper to-,"
"I do not care about how proper it is," James snapped back, rushing to the panting and sweaty Joana's side as her eyes began to close slightly in exhaustion, "which of you is going to throw me out then, hm?"
None protested to his movements now as he moved to Queen Joana's air, whispering sweet nothings of the lives they would have when she survived this, of the beautiful Princesses and the handsome Princes, of the Camelot that they could create within England, "you can do this Joana, be strong, my love."
Gripping onto his hand to the point where he thought she might of broke it contraction came after contraction as she put more and more effort into every push before a cry from the midwife informed them that the 'head was crowning'.
With every screech he kissed her sweaty head and brushed her hair from her head before the cry of a child greeted the room and he saw relief in Joana's eyes before the pain came once more, James gazed at his first child, glad of it's obvious health but did not speak to query of the gender for all that mattered to him within this moment was Joana and the children's survival; for even if they were not males then they could have more, they could have their Prince if only they survived now.
More than ten minutes later another healthy cry entered the room as Joana seemingly collapsed out of exhaustion, falling back onto the bed as James turned to midwife who readily answered, "Your Majesties have two healthy daughters."
Any feeling of disappointment vanished as he looked at their tiny faces, far smaller than any babe he had seen but the midwife had reassured him that that was perfectly normal for twins and that they would both grow.
Looking over at Joana he saw her sickly looking skin and irregular breathing and all but ran to her side, touching her skin to feel it as cold as ice, "call Doctor Linacre, the Queen is as cold as ice."
Throughout the next night King James I never left Queen Joana's bedside, even when, at two the following morning, the Queen passed away of childbed fever.
TBK-TBK-TBK
25th September 1554
Hudson House
The now noticeably pregnant Lady Mary Tudor stood in her parlour, awaiting the news that would determine the fate of herself and her child, a rather nervous looking servant standing in front of the once Tudor Princess' presence, "well?" Mary snapped, overcome with anticipation for the news she had long awaited to hear.
The young boy shifted uncomfortably in front of the rather formidable women before stated, "Her Majesty gave birth to healthy twin daughters before succumbing to childbed fever."
A bright smile lit up Mary's face as she laughed, quelling any pity that rose within her for the factor that her brother had lost the woman that he loved in favour of remembering the factor that James now had two daughters and no Queen.
The Catholics already supported her, at least the true ones anyway, and with a son, well, she would simply be an unstoppable force.
"They are named the Princess Joana of England and the Princess Anne of England," the herald stated but Mary payed him no mind, other than feeling irritation at the Princess being named after the person who stole her father from her mother; for she was on the edge of having the world, having the throne.
TBK-TBK-TBK
October 18th 1554
The days in which the you King of England, Ireland and of France had spent locked within his chambers the past month had been considerable, and yet he had tore himself from his bed, though still deeply dressed within all colours black to go and see+ -the daughters that he had only seen upon birth.
Heading towards the nursery he felt immense guilt to how disappointed Joana would have been in him for neglecting them so; and what his mother would think when she had only been able to spend one single, precious year with the both of her children before she had been taken from the world, and how he was wasting his moments with them.
Lady Laetitia Knollys, Lady Anne Stafford, Lady Katherine Grey and Lady Joan Percy were all Ladies to his daughters now after the death of their mistress, many of Joana's other ladies in waiting having been called back to their family homes or back to Portugal or Spain.
They bowed to him as he entered before he strode over to the cribs, looking down upon the babes who lay awake.
The one in the first mahogany crib – J.T inscribed upon it giving away the factor that the babe it held was his eldest, Joana, named for her mother – had both Joana's stormy grey eyes and blonde hair yet with his aristocratic features and his face shape as well as his creamy skin – the Princess Anne, on the other hand, had Joana's oval face shape and sharper features as well as his aristocratic high cheek bones and Joana's strong jaw line, also possessing Joana's stormy grey eyes and slight tan yet with his dark, glossy hair.
Looking down he found himself transfixed, swallowing the lump within his throat as he thought of how Joana's eyes were staring back at him, the love of his life who now lay within Westminster Abbey awaiting him.
But he would be strong, just as he had been when Joana and he were married and had their relationship consummated; just like then he would not be strong for himself but for another, for his daughters who within a look into their eyes he felt as if his world had shifted to revolve entirely around theirs.
"My own heart," he whispered the endearment as if it came naturally from his lips; not releasing that he had echoed the nickname that his mother had once called his sister and himself.
TBK-TBK-TBK
November 17th 1554
Christiansbourg Palace, Copenhagen
The Princess Elizabeth, Consort to the Crown Prince of Denmark and Norway, found herself most enjoying her time within the country she would one day rule; except for a matter involving her husband: Anne Hardenburg.
This woman was a Lady In Waiting to the Prince's mother, a most kind woman by the name of Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg, and, worse of all, the Prince's Mistress and possessing much influence over the court as the 'Prince's love'.
She scowled at the mere thought of in her reign that this woman would have more influence than she; nay, she did not come to Denmark and Norway to be some spoiled Prince's brood mare. She came to be a Queen and a Queen she would be, she would preside over Empires just as her father and mother had proclaimed that she would. She would make her brother and her little nieces, the Princesses of England that she longed to meet, proud by creating a true ally in Denmark and Norway rather than just a contract to be broken at any point in time.
She was determined that she would rule as Frederick's equal, that together they would bring about a Golden Age for their country; she could already hear them crying out for her, 'Gloriana' they would call her, 'Good Queen Bess'.
But for the continuation of the Golden Age that she was determined to bring about she would need a son, one that would hopefully make the Prince realise to direct his attentions to his true wife, and not to some Mistress.
Pulling upon the royal purple gown of which she had specifically ordered for this banquet she smiled at her own reflection the mirror, after this night he would no longer share his whore's bed but hers; after all, the Boleyn's were famous for their skills at the Volta.
Anne of Hardenburg be damned, she was going to claim what was hers and she was going to create a dynasty and legacy for all Danish and Norwegians to be proud of.
Hi, sorry for the long wait in updates I've been really busy and will be for a little while with my MOCKS coming up but I thought that you guys had waited long enough for an update :)
Anyways, what do you think will happen next?
Will James ever get over Joana? Will he mourn her forever or could his heart fall for another, willingly or unwillingly?
And what families will be plotting for their daughter to be Queen next?
And the gender of the Lady Mary's baby?
Find out next chapter ;),
I hope you enjoy your weeks and have a great night or day,
-LadyHallows.