Author's Note: This took too long to write… Way too long. I blame school. Anyway, this will be the last chapter because I don't think I'll be able to write anymore considering there are lots of things that I actually have to write, like thesis. Please read, review, and enjoy this last chapter.
And please say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
~I Want to Hold Your Hand, Beatles
King Henry smiled at the image he saw through his glass window. He has always pictured that perfect moment but it was just now that he did get a chance to live it. He bowed his head a little as the little boy outside waved and curtsied, almost tumbling. Behind him, a little girl was running, grasping the ends of her dress. She plunged herself to the little boy and they both dropped roughly on the grass.
Henry laughed at the sight. The most precious boy – his little boy – was always carefully protected by his governess and the rest of his household but he knew he needn't to worry. He knew that boy – he was once like him. Everyone may try to protect him, try to stop him from approaching danger, but that boy can manage on his own.
The two children stood up giggling with traces of dirt in their clothes. "Papa!" the girl shouted and blew Henry a kiss. Every day, Henry's little girl looks more and more like her mother.
Princess Mary stared at the gray horizon in front of her. The cold autumn wind gushing through her face, drying, and almost cracking her lips. She has a brother and a sister; she should be happy about it. But as Mary slowly approached London, she realized that there was something missing in the news that the people kept on telling her. They forgot to mention her beloved mother. Mary had been debating about it in her head. If she was sick from childbirth, they someone would surely tell her. But someone must tell her that her mother is safe. It tormented Mary not to know anything.
She wanted her horse to pick up pace. She wanted her horse to be running towards Whitehall Palace where her mother was waiting for her. She never imagined her return to court to be such a glorious event. She thought she would never return to court at all. Moreover, she thought that if she ever did, she would be a bastard. She would be addressing another woman as queen.
"May we please pick up pace?" Mary said, loud enough for the guards who were leading the way to hear. She saw that Lady Salisbury was about to say something and she added, "I'm excited to see the little prince and princess. Besides, it's freezing out here."
This time, it would be different, Princess Mary told herself as she made her way towards the Queen's bedchamber. Long gone are the adoring looks people at court give her when she comes their way. Most importantly, no one would ever look at her with eyes full of pity over the annulment of the King and Queen. She is a princess, and nothing will ever take away that right from her. No, not now that she has a baby brother sleeping safely in a cradle.
She longed to catch a glimpse of Anne Boleyn. How humiliated and disappointed she must be! She no longer holds the King's heart. King Henry shall now forever be with his true wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Mary prepared her best smile for her mother – she had no other expression in her face anyway. But her smile lessened when the Queen smiled back weakly, color still not present in her face.
"Mama!" Mary hurried towards Katherine of Aragon. "You look very tired," she observed. "I should have just allowed you to sleep, I'm sorry."
But Katherine knew that no matter how much she wanted to sleep, she couldn't. The arrival of her daughter to court brought about so much excitement in her. She would finally be able to see her daughter after a long time, to see her smile and stroke her hair. "I wanted to see my beautiful daughter," she smiled. "And I know that you also want to see your siblings," she motioned for the wet nurses to pick up the babies from their cradle and show them to Mary.
Mary's face glowed as she saw the pink and puffy faces of the little prince and princess. She was very happy to see the little prince in particular. He came at the right time and saved her mother from being replaced by a harlot, saved Mary from being declared a bastard, and saved England from destruction. "I am so very happy that you are here," she said softly to the little prince. "And I am very glad that you have brought along a little girl with you. You are only days old and yet you already managed to find a way to please me."
Katherine laughed softly at the image in front of her. Every word that Mary said is right. The little prince is their knight in shining armor. "I was thinking of naming them Edward and Isabel. I already talked to your father and he said that I can name them whatever I want to."
Mary found a way to make Edward grasp her finger with his hand, pleased to see that he has such strong grip. "Papa wants me to play one of my compositions tonight in front of the whole court," she said as Edward finally let go of her finger. She moved on to Isabel, stroking her pink cheek slowly. Having a girl would have never been enough for King Henry VIII. He was determined to have a boy. All he wants is a male heir and Mary is smart enough to notice that. No matter how many times he calls her his "Pearl", it would never be enough. You're not going to feel rejected the same way I did, Mary promised to her little sister.
"I still think you'll make a great Queen of England, Mary," Katherine said, noting her daughter's silence.
Mary went on to sit at her mother's bed, the fresh linens felt smooth under her palm. "But mama, we both know that the road towards becoming a Queen of England is not easy. There will be a lot of sorrows and heartbreaks. I think I prefer this one, where we could all just be a happy family."
Happy doesn't even begin to describe the days that followed the birth of the twins. Following the christening of the Prince and Princess was a jousting tournament. There was no doubt in the people's minds that King Henry will win. Everywhere he went, his happiness just flowed through.
As Katherine was about to take her seat among the audience, she felt a hand slowly touching her back, making her turn around and be welcomed by a kiss from her husband. "I shall be asking for your favor today," he said in a sweet voice. "There is no one else out there."
The King's words made Katherine blush, color slowly seeping to her face. "Henry," she said, catching his hand before he went away, "ask Mary's. It will make her happy."
"Alright my love," Henry said, kissing her cheek. "I'll ask for her favor before somebody else does," he said jokingly.
"Did you love her papa?" Mary asked in a soft but determined voice. She looked down, staring at the black fabric of her dress as she heard the heavy footsteps of her eight year old siblings just outside the door.
"Of course I did," Henry said, suppressing an angry feeling for her daughter for what she asked him. I still do, he thought. How could he not love the mother of his children? How can he not love the mother of his heir?
Mary bit her lip. From her observation, her father just loved her mother for giving him a male heir – no more, no less. She would have believed otherwise, if it weren't for – "Elizabeth. How would you explain Elizabeth?" her voice was revealing a hint of hatred.
But before Henry could look at her daughter, the door opened with two children running in with full energy. "Papa!" Prince Edward said loudly, beating his sister in running towards their father.
Henry hugged them both tightly when Isabel finally made it in her father's arms. "Have you been crying again, my dear Isabel?" he whispered softly in his daughter's ear. Isabel already forgot about crying, but her father mentioning it made her want to cry all over again, no matter how many times Lady Salisbury says that it is not proper for a princess to cry.
To say that things went on the way it should upon the birth of Prince Edward and Princess Isabel was an understatement. The Queen, for most of her time, stayed in the Queen's apartment, sewing clothes for the poor or embroidering the altar cloth. She no longer joined the court in their every night merriment. Some say that childbearing took a toll on her health – that she could no longer resume her usual activities. Some say the Queen has been like that even before the Prince and the Princess was born. Before, she was slowly being isolated because of the presence of the King's mistress – Anne Boleyn. Before, everyone at court thought that it was just a matter of time before the King banished the Queen.
Nonetheless, Katherine of Aragon is still Queen of England. She is also the mother of the Prince of Wales.
But Anne Boleyn wasn't to be defeated that easily. Seeing the voluntary isolation of the Queen, she immediately grabbed the opportunity to still be lady in the King's heart.
"Kings always have mistresses Mary," Katherine calmly said when Mary found out that Anne Boleyn has once again ensnared the King. "Just remember, she can't do anything to you, to us, as long as we have Edward. You have to protect him Mary, for your sake, for Isabel's sake."
"I understand Mama," Mary said. "But don't you…" she didn't finish her sentence, she didn't think she could. She was, after all, still the King's subject – she must still be loyal to her father. "Forgive me," she just added softly. Don't you think he went a little too far this time? Mary wanted to ask her mother. First, Henry Fitzroy; and now, Elizabeth.
The news of the King's mistress giving birth to a healthy baby girl was kept from the legitimate children of the King. They wouldn't have to know – especially Edward who is constantly given the impression that he has the perfect family. But Mary knows. Even before, when no one would tell her about her parents' annulment, she knew – she always knew. It was not hard to notice the difference in the behaviors of the members of their household, especially the decreasing number of the Queen's visit.
Mary soon found out. She could not help but overhear the whispered conversations of her ladies. An illegitimate brother and sister, she counted. And for the first time in her life, she doubted if her father ever loved her mother.
"I miss mama," Isabel tried to stop the tears from flowing. But it was her first time to experience something that made her want to cry so much. She has yet to master the will to hold back the tears – just like her sister Mary.
Henry held his little daughter tightly. His children have lost the most important woman in their lives. He knew that no matter how hard he tried to find someone else, no one is ever going to measure up to Katherine of Aragon. He has lost the mother of his children and his great queen.
Katherine of Aragon laid in her bed, color totally drained from her face. She was in no condition to see anyone and most of her ladies were dismissed, seeing as they can cause more stress than help the Queen. Despite the thick blankets covering her up to her chest, she could still feel the coldness of the January wind. She looked at the beautiful tapestry that covered the walls of her bedchamber – memories flooding back into her mind.
This was it – the end of her destiny. She indeed became Queen of England, just like what has been told of her since she was a child. Not with Arthur but with Henry – the strong, robust, energetic Prince, and later, King of England. Childbearing started out as a tragedy, but there was nothing that a pious Queen could not resolve through her prayers. God has given her Mary and for many years, has been her only source of strength. She was willing to fight for Mary's right and also for her position. God has made her Queen of England and no one is going to replace her or her daughter.
For quite some time, she feared the impulsive acts of her husband, even demanding an annulment but once again, God has heard her plead. The birth of Edward and Isabel secured her position but most importantly, she fulfilled her destiny – to be the Queen of England and to be the mother of the next King of England. For eight years, she has supervised her son's education, made sure that he was going to be England's greatest King – even greater than his father.
She can now rest.
"Catalina," she heard Henry whisper.
She must've been dreaming – must be. But the heat she could now feel on her right hand was proof that she was far from dreaming. Henry is with her.
"Don't go, don't leave us," Henry's voice was pleading. "Your children need you… I need you…"
"Mary," Katherine said. "She is old enough to marry. Find her a good husband, Henry. And promise me that Edward and Isabel will grow up with your love, especially Isabel. She should feel just as important as her brother. Promise me, Henry." She smiled at him. Her destiny was inevitable.
Henry tried to hold backs the tears that were threatening to fall. He tightened his grip on his wife's hand. "I know I don't say this often, and I don't think my actions reflect it, but I love you. I always have."
Katherine smiled her heart full of joy. "I know…"
And then, just like falling asleep, Katherine of Aragon took her last breath. King Henry beside her no longer fought the urge to cry. Tears went down his cheeks freely. He has lost his wife, his friend, his Queen. For the first time in his life, he understood why his father never remarried after the death of his mother. He never thought he'd feel the same way. He just lost the woman whom he truly loved and no other woman could ever replace Katherine of Aragon in his heart.