I'm alive and I'm so, so sorry!
Hopefully I'm not contradicting myself now but Mary's second son is born march 12 1524. Mary and Henry have been together so to speak for about four years.
Thanks Leah for spotting the typo!
June 15 1524
The Queen and Mary had stayed longer than planned at Hatfield with the children due to the arrival of Mary's new nephew. It gave them an excuse to stay with the children and travel to the manor Anne had been staying in during her lying in. Anne had wished to remain close to her son and siblings at court and had thus had her lying in at their estate in Hertfordshire that the King had awarded them with after the birth of Mary's first son. All of them had been too scared after Mary's poisoning to bear being far from their children. The fact that Edward and Jane Seymour had been executed and the family banished and stripped from all honours unfortunately helped little with this fear. There was always someone new who wanted more power. Mary and Anne had seen this in their father and the Queen had learned that lesson young in her parent's court.
Anne held her little son in her arms and watched him gurgle. With the arrival of her second son many families considered her blessed, after all so many children die young. The presence of two heirs was always beneficial a lesson to be seen daily as the King had once been the King's second son, the Duke of York. For the moment however none of this was on Anne's mind as she watched her little son blow spit bubbles. She laughed in delight and rocked him gently humming on a lullaby. The Queen was holding a tired but happy elder brother in her arms while Mary was entertaining the other children in a room further down. Her youngest son was also sleeping in Anne's room at this moment.
The King had allowed his children and their companions to accompany the Queen and the Marchioness when they greeted Anne's new son. He had been happy for Anne and her husband Hal and had already hinted that this second son might receive a title of his own so that he would not need to take orders like the King himself had once upon a time almost been forced to do.
Otherwise the two ladies of the King, as they were sometimes referred to by the commoners, did not know what was on the King's mind and he seemed to be happy that they wished to spend some more time with the children. He obviously was planning something. However with the King one could never know what it was he was planning. It could be anything from a banquet or gift to a title or something more sinister. It could be purely political and in need of some very hard work. This new King was more responsible but also much less predictable. They tried not to worry, but as worry always does it infested to their minds. The arrival of small children and bigger children to play with helped them think of more pleasant things however.
Meanwhile at court the King was pouring over documents while Cardinal Wolsey stood anxiously awaiting approval. The King was solemn as he read the papal bull. He disliked these heretical learnings and the pope knew it. The Pope also knew that the last time a woman tried to become the ruler of England things ended up in a state of chaos. The matter of succession was a very important issue. Henry loved his little pearl, but in their wedding wows women promised to obey their husbands. A ruler should never be obeying someone else Henry thought. This compromise was border lining what papal authority could authorise but it could be done. He sincerely hoped the Pope would agree. For all of their sakes.
July 5 1524
The King took Princess Mary in his arms and swung her around.
"I've missed you sweetheart!" he held her close before setting her down and talking to her little brother's as well.
"Have your brother's been good to you, my pearl?" Mary nodded solemnly, while Catherine, the Queen, and Mary, the mistress, looked on smiling. The King's reunion with his children continued for the day, before the King and the two ladies followed him to the main summer progression.
Later on that night Mary stirred from her sleep in a chair by the fire when she felt Henry, gently brush his knuckles against her cheek.
"Hush, do not stir darling, you look so peaceful right now." Mary slowly opened her eyes and saw him crouch beside her with a tender look on his face. Unexpectedly her swept her up and carried her to the bed.
"I missed you my darling, I think I should make it a decree that you're not allowed to get pregnant again, I missed your presence in my bed too much." Mary simply laughed.
"Well you would miss your son's presence in your life even more, my love. Sometimes good things comes to those who wait." Henry raised an eyebrow with a challenge.
"Well then why don't you show me?" And that she did.
The next day Mary had a slow morning playing with her eldest son and a little kitten with a ball of yarn that the kitten especially loved very much. Giggles and purring came from the heap of limbs on the floor beside Mary as she played with them. Mary's new attendant, Catherine Parr, was looking on and mending some of the linen. Young Mistress Parr was very young for her role as a maid of honour to a Lady, but her mother had been an appreciated and loyal Lady-in-waiting to the Queen. Mistress Catherine's father had died many years previous and while they could live comfortably her mother Maud would not be able to arrange good matches for all of them with the money she had. She had requested a place at the Queen's household for her daughter, but when the Queen had been unable to find a place she had suggested that Catherine joined Mary's household as it was as prestigious as the Queen's these days but significantly smaller. Maud Parr had to Mary's surprise agreed as the Queens approval of Mary apparently could make even moral and staunchly loyal Maud Parr accept her.
Mary's cousin and previous attendant Margaret had thankfully after a long wait married her sweetheart the King's friend Sir Antony Knivert and was now Lady Knivert and waiting her first child. As her husband was rich and had been made a member of the Privy Council, after he had grown up that is, Mary had released her from her service. Ladies of such high standing could only serve the Queen and that Mary was not and would not pretend to be.
Mary looked up when her page door opened the door and the King swooped in. He picked up his eldest son and kissed him, before he swung him around making the boy giggle. The kitten decided to chase the yarn ball that was trying to escape into a corner and completely missed the commotion as everyone suddenly was in a hurry to stand and then sink down before the King. Mary rose from the floor and curtsied to the King with the rest of her household. The King smiled indulgently at her and waved for her to get up.
"None of that my dear. One day I will get you out of that habit." Mary smiled impishly.
"Perhaps your majesty, but you will always be my King and everybody in England kneels, bows or curtesies to the King." The King laughed and kissed her on the cheek before gesturing for her so sit down on a sofa and sat down beside her with their little boy in his arms. He turned to is son.
"What do you think my little Edmund? Should mama curtsy so much?" The boy shook his head and snuggled against his father.
"No I do not think so either. Perhaps if I make her a Duchess she would stop with it in her own chambers at least. Should mama be a Duchess like you are a Duke my little Duke of Richmond? Perhaps the Duchess of Derby so that she is closer to her sister?" Edmund smiled at his father.
"Mama like me." The King nodded solemnly and turned to Mary who looked quite shocked.
"Well my Lady, I expect you in your finest in the throne room at eleven tomorrow then, before he leaned forward and kissed her briefly before exciting the room wearing a smug smile. Shaking, Mary rose from her position and turned to her household. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I need not tell you that this is to be kept quite 'til tomorrow, so I shall not waste my breath. James could you please send a message to the Queen that if it's no inconvenience I would like to speak with her? Catherine I need you helping dressing appropriately for my elevation tomorrow. Let us go and deliberate." Mary excited the rooms with her son in her arms wondering what on earth the King was plotting.
Outfit and jewellery chosen, hair fixed from the damage from playing with her son and a visit to the nursery with her son later Mary entered the Queen's chambers and sunk into a deep curtsy. The Queen gestured for her to rise and the two ladies withdrew to a table of cards were Mary hurriedly explained this new puzzle to whatever the King was plotting. While this seemed promising, they could still not be sure of the King's favour of both of them. Mary's earlier elevations had been because of her giving birth to sons or being pregnant. This time they were confused.
The next day at eleven Mary, in green with emeralds and diamonds bedecking her, walked regally among the courtiers towards the dais holding the King, Queen and the Princess Mary. Everybody held their breath as Mary kneeled before the King and Cardinal Wolsey read her elevation to Duchess of Derby.
"To all and singular as well as nobles and gentles as to others to whom these presents shall come, it is the King's pleasure by these patents to confer on Mary Boleyn, Marchioness of Devonshire, Countess of Rochford in her own right and on her offspring the noble title her Grace the Duchess of Derby and also by these patents grant her land of fifteen thousand pounds a year for the maintaining of her dignity." The Cardinal rolled the papers together carefully and smiled benevolently at the new Duchess of Derby.
The Queen smiled with more sincerity and nodded to her as the King rose and motioned for her to rise, knowing that Mary would wish him to follow normal procedure no matter how much he wanted to touch her. He took the coronet and placed on her head before he swept the mantle over her shoulders. They kept eye contact until the Cardinal stepped down with the letters patents and bowing gave them to the King who with ceremony gave them to Mary before motioning for her to step to the side to follow the King and Queen to the banquet hall where she would sit as the honouree by the King. Mary kept her head high while speculation ran wild as the banquet and dancing continued around them.
On what path had they entered now?
Please review so that I know if you forgive me for my really bad updating habits, perhaps I should make it a late new year's resolution? Oh and I copied the ceremony from the show and Anne's elevation. The reason that she is given fifteen thousand pounds of land is because she already has quite a bit of land.