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Chapter 59: Sun Always Shines

"In this fair world, there is no blood, there is no lullaby
because I have drawn regret from the truth of a thousand lies
so let mercy come and wash away
what I've done"

"What I've done" by Linkin Park

1574. September 6th.

England, South Surrey,

Richmond Palace:

William opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of his beautiful wife. The sunlight hitting the top of her head created the illusion of a halo. It added more to her splendor and he raised his head slightly to admire the rest of her. He was lucky to have her.

"If you are going to stare at me, at least kiss me." Beth said through her closed eyes.

He rubbed his nose against hers. "Better?' He asked.

"Much but this is even better." She said opening her eyes and kissing him, pinning him against the softness of the mattress, their bodies sinking in a wave of heat and passion.

He sighed. "You are too fast" She silenced him with a rough bite to his lip. He licked the blood smeared off her lips and roughly grabbed her waist pulling her closer and entered her.

"Ah" Her whole body ached with the pleasure, feeling rhythm of his body. "William, stop it …" She said but in no time she began to say otherwise. He pushed himself deeper into her sex until he reached her belly and wasted himself in her.

"Oh" she found herself saying, bracing herself for what came next, her own release. Beth struggled to breath, the immensity of what she was feeling became to much to her and when William saw it he pulled out of her.

Beth gave an exhaustive sigh, gasping as she touched the rough spot William had left on her between her legs. "Oh mother of God" she swore digging her nails into her sex. That boy, that man … no, that God, had done more than claimed, he had marked her as his own.

Indeed, she thought. If she were to die now, she would die a happy woman and Queen.

Queen, she delighted herself in the thought. Queen of England, France, and First Lady of Ireland. No one else in her family had rose this high, no one. And she owed it all to her ambitious mother and her quick thinking. It is all thanks to me. Me, and no one else.

William put his hand on her stomach feeling the spot where he had pressed his hands hours ago. He turned to her and muttered "Sorry" many times he lost count.

She brought her body closer to him. "I do not care, I think our child grow stronger when you are inside me. He likes it."

"You are very beautiful Beth." He complimented feeling the smoothness of her skin.

She pushed his fingers away from her face and brought them to her hair. It felt more comfortable that way.

Why was it she had this complete control over him?

"You are not so bad yourself but I guess you have heard that too many times already." She said, making circles on his back while he massaged her head.

He looked down with relief at her midsection. "I can't believe we have gone this far. Can you … I mean, we are so young…" He was uncertain that they would be able to be good parents. His mother was absent for most of the time, raising his half-siblings with his stepfather, Philip Hapsburg, in Spain; and then his father had died before he was born. He had grown without any parental figure or strong male figure in his life and he did not think that his grandfather counted for he was hardly there except when he needed to bring William to court, to show him off before all the foreign dignitaries.
His only true parental figure had been Aunt Bess, but after she had Roxanna she had left court in favor of raising her …

He was afraid of what terrible parent he would be.

To think that I will be responsible for this one child, this one life –put too much stress on him.

Beth moved her hands to his face. Knowing what he was thinking, she said –"You are going to be a terrific parent." William was not convinced, but she spoke with such conviction, that her next words made him feel more at ease. "I am sure of it."

He caressed the right side of her face and slowly moved down to her upper lift where he bit after she bit his own.

"What if I am not ready for this? With the war and my cousin … it is a terrible time to be a parent." He said softly and there was a terrible silence, he lowered his eyes afraid to look her in the eye for fear of seeing the hurt he had caused.

Beth cleared the throat and broke the silence. "William listen to me, William …" she sighed "Eyes on me Your Majesty" She said in a commanding tone, William begrudgingly lifted his eyes.

"We cannot change who we are. You are a King and you have enemies that seek to destroy you, that is a reality you must face and the sooner you have a child, not just any child, but a boy will your position be safe. I speak from the heart, I love you but I also worry for you, and the only way you can keep your kingdom safe is through the child that lays inside me." Beth grabbed his hand and put it against her midsection.

"Everything else is inconsequential." She said.

As long as he continued to plant his seed in her and allowed it to grow they were safe.

"As long as we have each other" –she added in murkier tone bringing his other hand to join the one on her womb, knowing what he thought. "-Providence will always be on the side of England."

"The Sun always shines but you have to make it shine, otherwise our children's future will turn to dust." She said moving her hands through his golden hair.

"The sun did not shine.
It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house
All that cold, cold, wet day."

from "Cat In The Hat" (1957) by Dr. Seuss.

September 16th.

Bavaria.

They had moved to Bavaria in the high mountains of what used to be his grandfather's high castle, when they received the news of the Queen's pregnancy.

Gertrude growled.
"Ugh they just had to have it, their first child and meanwhile we sit here with an empty cradle" she chastised her son.

"Once I conquer England-" He began but she interrupted, flinging her hand at him.

"You idiot, how can you let this opportunity pass by. It does not matter whether or not you conquer England, the sooner you squirt a belly in one of your whores' bellies, the sooner you prove yourself better than your cousin."

"And let everyone call me a lecher?" Albert asked, laughing. "I do not think so. I shall wait for Margaret."

"You fool. Margaret is in England and promised to Rudolf and Sebastian. What makes you think you will conquer England anytime soon? His wife has the whole of the Swiss Palatinate on his side," Gertrude screamed, speaking of the Queen of England.

"And how is that my fault? I told you I would solve it." Albert said. "I have the German Palatinate on my side."

"But not the Netherlands and the more Henri III of France fights with the Huguenots and Henry of Navarre to keep his throne, the more our plans are delayed." Gertrude said. As if a thought had suddenly occurred to her, she crossed her arms against her chest and gave a wicked smile. "Marry a German Lady, the daughter of one of your cousins, I hear the King of Poland has a lot of sisters. He is a Bathory and has made claims to our lands for a long time, marry either his sister or his infant daughter, you can consummated the marriage on the latter case later on. What matters is that we break the Bathory clan."

"And what if I don't want to break the Bathory clan? What if the King of Poland turns against us as he's done with his former allies?" Albert inquired.

"It is a risk worth taking. Our enemies seek to destroy us. We will do the same turning them against each other, and at last your father's dream will be complete"

Albert shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The Captain of the guard he had sent earlier to the Palatinate and the Low Countries and the Netherlands for support had come almost empty handed. The Netherlands were not all too keen to be involved in war, and the Low Countries with most of their ruler's sons in custody of the Imperial or Spanish Hapsburgs, were too afraid to incur the wrath of Spain and the Empire on them.

France was a lost cause, but Albert yet had faith the tide would turn in their favor. He was an optimist.

"Captain Sanders, what say you the entire duchies in our favor will do if I decide to go to war?"

The Captain answered honestly. "They will hesitate but given the right incentives and for their freedom's sake, they will follow His True Majesty to the ends of the world."

Albert turned to his mother who sat beside him in the dinner table. "See mother I told you we still have allies."

"Flies compared with the resources our enemies have."

"Henri III has a daughter. I could marry her."

It was Gertrude's turn to laugh.

"Enlighten me mother" Albert said snappishly, offended by his mother's laughter.

"France has the Salic Law or have you forgotten my son?"

"No, that I have not forgotten but I have decided to ignore it. Look at Francis I of the Valois line. His claim came not through his 'fine' line as he would have made others believe but his wife who was the daughter of Louis XII."

Gertrude smiled at her son's ingenious. However, she pointed one flaw in his argument.

"Francis I had Capetian ancestors, so does Henry of Navarre, you my son have none."

"On contraire mother, I am a Tudor and the Tudors owe their ancestry to the Welsh Princes and Katherine of Valois, a French Princess."

"Said French Princess' claim is null and void. Salic Law prevents this, you have no claim through the male line."

"The Salic Law can be repelled."

Gertrude shook her head. "Talking with you is impossible, but if you want to go ahead be my guest just don't be crying when the little whelp dies, I hear she is as weak as her father. You would have more luck with the King of Poland's sisters or daughters or Princess Margaret. I know where she hides, and our spies tells us that Doña María is the spy in the King's castle"

"Not here" Gertrude snapped looking at her servants, with one wave she dismissed them, including the Captain.

"I know what secrets the King of Spain hide. Their line is a bastard one just as the Tudors, ours is a pure one untainted by bastardy and peasantry."

"You have said it before my son."

"But don't you see mother? This time the people of Spain and England will see it. I do not intend to take just England, I intend to take on the whole world and when I have a son of age old enough to marry, I will betroth him to Fenrique's son and Spain will be ours too."

"And if he has sons?"

Albert chuckled under his breath. His voice dropped a dangerously low, "I am afraid you did not hear me mother, Spain will be mine, there will be no sons to compete with mine."

Gertrude lips curved into a dangerous smile, her eyes shined with pride. "You have done well" Don't disappoint me, her eyes warned.

Alfred rubbed is mother's hand. "I won't let you down mother, I said so and I never fail on my promises. You will see, I shall marry whom I please and that great lady will bring me and my kingdom many sons." He vowed.

And it did not take long to fulfill his promise as Henry, tired of the Huguenots and the false friendship of the King of Spain pushing for Henry Bourbon, and this King of Navarre, declared in favor of Alfred.

The war had started and with Europe divided, a war –no longer of religion- but for lust and power, erupted.