Disclaimer: If I did I would be Goddess Supreme wouldn't I?

I do own however my OCs and the plot.

Thanks to all my reviewers, and once again to the great writers of old, Norah Lofts, Plaidy, and the few good modern exceptions out there, Small, Mantel for all their inspiration and to my dearest friends and those of you have continued to stick with the fic. Especial thanks to my good friend MimiDubois for all her support and help in previous chapters. Thanks. We are near the end, I hope you enjoy the ride.

Warning: Sad, death involved.

Chapter #61: Just Close Your Eyes

"I remember tears streaming down to face
When I said I' never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and past tonight
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you know
Come morning light you and I'll be safe and sound
Don't you dare look out your window everything is on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby even when the music is gone
Gone ...
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you know
come morning light you and I'll be safe and sound
Just close your eyes ...
You'll be alright
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound"

~"Safe and Sound" (Civil Wars) by Taylor Swift; Hunger Games soundtrack

1575, March 10th

Spain, Madrid

Alcázar Royal Palace:

"Mother" Annie wined sitting at the edge of her bed. She asked to be alone during her confinement but nobody ever left. They could not afford to leave her alone.

Philip visited her daily but his visits were taking a greater toll on her health, speaking constantly of her health and her appearance. How pale she looked and how barely she ate,. She was frustrated about it. There was no one to talk to. Diana had moved to Navare and she had not had the chance to say goodbye because Philip said she was too sick and heavy with child -children -it made no difference anymore.

She just wanted this pregnancy to end. Her due date was in a week but the pains were getting worse every day. She was not getting any better or any younger. At her forty first birthday she was carrying the next in line to the throne of Spain after Ligo and his half uncles and siblings and daughters and aunts if this was a girl.

Philip was getting tired of her warning but he did not have the heart to tell her so. He sent one of his secretaries to tell her he would visit her.

She thought it would be better if he came to tell her himself.

"His Majesty, Your Majesty." The Herald anounced as he came into the room. Annie looked up and waved him of, "Leave us." Unfortunately Philip would not her ladies go.

"They can stay. I have something to tell you though that is for your ears only, we can have some privacy in your bedchamber." She was about to protesst but his look silenced her.

They moved to the bedchamber. Philip helped her take a seat in her bed where he took a seat himself right next to her. "What is it you want to talk about?"

"How are you holding up here?" He asked keeping a sure distance between them as if her touch repelled him. Truth to be told, he was afraid he would break her as she never looked so fragile as she was now.

She was far from being the angry and fighting girl-woman she had married. Her eyes were always red from so much crying and she was always sad about something, if it wasn't the health of the child it was the welfare of her daughters, Margaret and Diana, the last which she regretted not being there for her wedding. She had cast a toast in honor of her mother at her wedding and the King of Navarre as a humble servant of France but playing it safe with the Hapsburgs had allowed the gesture and toasted in her honor as well.

"It has been really quiet here and of course there are many things I have to take care of and since Diana is unable to come ... there is nothing much I can do." She paused. "... I would love a little fresh air once and a while and to see Ligo Philip, I always enjoy his music."

"Annie you can't see Ligo or the children we've talked about this. You have to get better. You will deliver the baby in less than a week and after that you can home right after you've been churched and it will be as if this never happen." He sighed. "I know it is difficult for you but you must be realistic. I can't let you out of my sight not when we have many spies at our door."

"I understand." She said but Philip didn't think she did but at least she did not try to argue with him this time. And he did not whether to feel relieved or more miserable.

She thought of the baby or babies inside of her. At times she dreamt of them, at times she dreamt they were only one and she no longer knew whether she was dreaming or not. Life had become a blurr. Wars, famine, plagues ... the entire world had gone mad. The map fo Western Europe was changing again.

She was proud of her son. What he had achieved, what he had done, his prowess in battle. She was so proud of him ... she smiled gazing down at her belly where she rested her hands.

Philip smiled knowing what she was smiling about. "The French front lines were broken and their armies defeated in less than five hours or so the Duke of Alba likes to boast of"

She chuckled. "I figured he would love to boast of his prowess." She said. She felt grateful for Philip helping her to cope. She lifted her eyes at him. "How is my son? He promised he was going to write to me, I have not heard any word of him and my women are not exactly all too keen to tell me."

Concern washed over all his features.

"Please tell me, I am used to bad news. When Edward was in the front there was not a day that I did not worry. I always remained strong. I am strong" She rephrased. Her hand reached to Philip's and grasped it tightly. "Just tell me Philip, it will not affect the health of this litle one."

Philip started slowly to explaining. "He received an arrow to his shoulder, he was taken to camp immediately" He stopped watching her features, but they showed nothing, he continued -"They cured him but he remained unconscious for a day or two, nobody is really sure. When he woke the first thing he asked was quill and paper to write to his family and to you."

An open smile reappeared on her face, broader than ever before. "How sweet of him. I knew he would not forget me. Did you know when I visited him with Fernando and Isabel, all he asked for was me?"

"I know, Fernando told me. He remembers how you threw him in the air despite your condition and catch him and did the same with him when he began pouting."

She snorted. "It was more aking to whining for attention to me. They were such good friends. Maybe after this conflict is over, we can visit England again and you can come with us. I know William would love to introduce us to his wife. She is expecting very soon."

"Of course Annie, but you must first rest. We do not want to get this little one excited yet now do we?" He rested his hand on top of hers on her swollen stomach.

"No we do not." She said and sighed, concern flashing on her features.

"What ails you My Lady?" Philip asked, deeply worried for the change in his wife's features.

"Nothing serious. When this war is over, you will promise me we will travel to England to see my son? I want to be there for the birth of my grandchild." She looked at him intently.

She didn't want to consider the possibility of death but it was there, including in Philip's mind. They did not need to bring their whole family, just their eldest son and daughter, they would not have to stay more than week, she reasoned. By the correspondence she kept with her daughter in law, Beth sounded equally as frustrated as she on every pregnancy. It would do good to have a maternal fifgure.

"I will do what I can." It was the best he could say. He rose and kissed her hand and left.

In that moment she heard the doors closing she clutched her stomach. "Ah!" Annie fell to her knees. Her scream was widely heard, making Philip return to her side and her women flocking aroun her , forming a protective circle.

"Annie!" Philip shook her so she would not lose consciousness. Her eyelids felt heavy against the beads of sweat dropping from her forehead. "Annie! Annie my love stay with me, stay with me!"

The ladies around her looked shocked. They had never heard the King of Spain speak this way before.

"Annie!" One more shook and it did it.

"Phi-Philip" Her voice was raspy and her throat felt dry. "I-I n-need lemmons."

Philip's eyes grew wide. Alarm bells sounded in his brain. I-I-I need lemmons. It had been Maria Manoela's last words, his first wife, before she drifted into an eternal sleep.

"Annie ... Annie you belong to me, come to me Annie. Stay with me woman!" He raged.

The physicians came to attend her but he refused to part with her. "Your Majesty we must if we want to save the mother and child" Finally Philip let her go but he would not leave her side, they had no choice. To refuse His Majesty would be the death of their careers.

They fought a battle against time to help her. Annie spit up at them begging them to cut her open but Philip unable to fathom such procedure at the expense of his wife's life, kindly refused.

"Save my baby, save my baby!" Annie cried. "Philip tell them! Cut me open I am your Queen."

Her pleas went unheard of. She felt the pain beginning to deep withint her, so deep that her body became tense and her back arched as she let another powerful scream.

"Philip please! Save my baby" She did not care for her own, her child's welfare was more important. Philip please save the child! By all the forces in heaven, she pleaded.

She wasn't even aware that she was clutching her husband tightly, or that she drew blood from his sweaty palms but Philip relished the firece grip that almost rendered his hand numb.

"My child Philip, please Philip our child, I need him to live ... I need him to live" Her breath slowed beginning to drift into unconsciousness again, "My children."

"Annie, Annie please ... wake up." He lightly slapped her. She opened her eyes more fully as she felt another hot stabbing pain in her midsection.

The pain were coming more frequently now; they could not afford for her to fall asleep, and with the knowledge that this was sixth pregnancy and she was in her fortieth year, Philip despaired the worst may happen.

Suddenly Annie groaned and her breathing slowed, she started pushing and the women around her flocked to her side like mother hens. "Another push Your Majesty." The midwives urged. "Madame you are very near," The physicians chimed, the oldest and more experienced of them extending his hands ready to receive the child.

Her back ached further as another pain rushed through her body and she pushed the child out of her body.

"It is a boy!" They cried. Annie dropped her head against her pillow. Lost in the excitement they did not notice the child was hardly breathing and crying.

"My son" Philip was gulity of this excitement, leaving his wife aside to cradle his newborn babe.

The physicians cleaned the babe but by the time the change was noticed, it was all too late and the child was barely an hour alive when he looked at his father with pale blue eyes -same as Annie's- and then drifted into a peaceful sleep, its cried drowned by death.

"My son ..." Philip said still cradling his newborn son. "My son ... Lázaro." They had intended to call him Lázaro after the uncle their Lord Jesus Christ had ordered to be risen from the death.

He was no Lord Christ, despite his kingdom and his riches and his empire, he could not order his son to rise from the dead. He kissed his unbaptized head and put him back in his cradle.

I am sorry The words almost escaped her lips. When Philip turned he realized that he heard wrong. The words were his own and Annie was sleeping comfortably with a smile on her lips and her eyeslid closed forever as she descended into the underworld. Her soul rejoicing after a life, two lives, one misserable, the other very well spent.