Hey guys :) I've had a bit of a crazy working week this week so it's just a little filler chapter for now with a bit of history (well from the series anyway haha) hope you enjoy it.
Shortly after Isabella and Henry's private meeting in Catherine's bed chamber the Queen gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. The newly born Princess brought joy to the entire Kingdom and also began to repair the damage that the deaths of their previous children had done to Henry and Catherine's marriage. As a token of gratitude for all she had done over the years Henry appointed Isabella as Princess Mary's head ladies maid, a token Isabella warmly and happily accepted.
The Princess grew into a beautiful young girl and an ideal wife for any Prince to marry. She was taught to be well versed in both French and Latin and her manners were impeccable. She was a wonderful daughter and a wonderful Princess and Isabella soon became her treasured friend and confidant. This new position of Isabella's meant that Henry found many more excuses to go and see her alone and gradually their friendship was restored to its previous state. Their affair was also rekindled with the two of them stealing chaste, and on occasion passionate, kisses in secluded rooms once Henry's young daughter was fast asleep.
Isabella refused to take their relationship any further, stating that it would not be right considering the role she played in the lives of both Mary and Catherine. Henry, although frustrated by this in numerous ways, agreed. Isabella was the only woman that could turn Henry down without making him fly into a rage; she was the only woman who could refuse him and be so moral and sincere in her reasoning that he found himself agreeing with her opinion. He loved her so that he would do anything to please her even if that meant being sexually frustrated until she decided she was ready again.
This did not last. Even though his love for Isabella was stronger than his love for Catherine Henry found it hard to stay faithful to both without indulging in his primal lusts. Henry took for himself a new mistress, one Lady Blount who replaced Isabella as one of Catherine's ladies maids when she went to look after Mary. Isabella could not help but notice the similarities between Lady Blount and herself – both were blonde, with blue eyes and pale skin, both were slightly shorter than the King and both were of a similar build. Isabella knew that this was not Henry trying to get back at her; this was him finding a substitute until he could finally have her once again.
Women were not the only problem's Henry found himself facing though. A number of political difficulties began to surface in the years after Mary's birth. His uncle was murdered in Italy by the French and after mourning his death Henry stated that this act of violence was just cause to go to war with France. Catherine, Thomas More and Cardinal Wolsey (both of whom had become confidants to the King in the last few years) begged him to reconsider, change his mind or sign a treaty with another country. Isabella, when asked by Henry, made no comment on the subject aside from to say that she knew nothing about politics so her opinion would be redundant.
Wolsey and More managed to change Henry's mind about the war against France, pushing him in the direction to sign a peace treaty and untie England, France and Italy stating that is was the 'application of humanist principals to international affairs'. Catherine was not happy about this as it seemed to her that Henry was spurning her family and she was even less happy about Mary's arranged marriage to the Dauphin of France. Henry stated that Mary was his to do with as he willed and her marriage would help bring peace to a number of nations and that was the final word of the matter.
Not only was a potential war with France and a peace treaty a problem but Henry was facing opposition from one Lord Buckingham. Buckingham was convinced that he was the rightful heir to the throne, stating loudly that Henry's father had stolen the throne from his family and often challenging Henry's authority openly and in public. Isabella had heard him make many comments that could result in him being executed for treason but she had no desire to get involved with politics or Buckingham's pathetic feud. She knew it would never come to anything; the country loved Henry as King and they would never side with Buckingham if he tried to overthrow him. Also Buckingham could (and would) easily be dealt with if he tried to take the throne.
Isabella knew the vast majority of what happened within the castle walls although most of it she kept to herself, not wanting to rock the boat with her opinions – especially if it concerned things that she had no real knowledge of. All she knew was that Henry was headstrong and would do as he wished regardless of the advice of others. Henry was passionate and often let his emotions get the better of him, on one occasion it almost cost him the treaty with France. He may have been headstrong and prone to fits of rage on occasion but to Isabella he had never been anything but loving and kind because he knew that she would not stand for his acting like a petulant child.
Whenever he did fly into a rage Isabella would be there to comfort him, to calm him and to listen to him. She never commented on his situation, always saying that it was not her place to comment on. On occasion the only way that she could calm him down would be to make him forget about his troubles and she soon found herself becoming his mistress once again. He had dalliances with other women but he always found himself returning to Isabella, his other liaisons were short lived and he tired of them quickly but he had a special place in his heart for her.
Luckily for Isabella, as well as Henry never tiring of her, one thing she managed to escape was the fate of another of Henry's mistresses. Isabella found out about the condition that Lady Blount found herself in after her dalliance with the King shortly after Lady Blount herself. The young woman found herself pregnant with Henry's illegitimate child and she knew that eventually she would no longer be able to hide her condition from Catherine and would be dismissed when the Queen found out.
Once she discovered her condition Lady Blount had begged Isabella for her help, she had implored that as a close personal friend of the King (because of the role she played in his daughter's life, of course) she would be able to ask for his help with the child when it was born. Ever wanting to help someone in need Isabella told her that she would help the Lady; she would tell the King and get him to provide for the child when it was born. When he heard the news Henry was overjoyed with the prospect of having a son for his heir and made all the necessary preparations for when the child was born.
Although illegitimate the King was overjoyed when Lady Blount gave birth to a son; Henry Fitzroy. Henry rejoiced in finally having a male heir and the rest of the kingdom celebrated with him. Henry was so thrilled he shouted it from the rooftops, held parties all over the kingdom and fireworks were set off above the castle. The child was recognised as legitimate (meaning that he would then become king following Henry's death) and a small part of Isabella suspected that this was only because it was a boy – if the child had been born a girl the circumstances of their legitimacy would have been very different.
Unfortunately Henry Fitzroy fell ill and did not survive passed the age of seven. His death devastated Henry and his mother Lady Blount. Lady Blount was cast aside by Henry and was no longer his mistress, all Henry cared about was the fact that he had lost his only male heir – he had lost the son he had so desired from Catherine. This illegitimate child, no matter how short his lifespan was put great strain on his marriage to Catherine. Henry was angry that she had failed to produce a son and Catherine was angry that Henry had legitimised his bastard child over his daughter and with both husband and wife confiding in her Isabella found herself caught in the middle of it all.
Sorry if this was a bit boring/just kinda sucked I'll get back to the actual story when I'm not working 13 hours a day every day haha