The night before Charles departed for the north, Mary had a few things to say to him. He was sitting behind his desk when she found him. She entered his study and stood before him with her hands clasped. Her voice is strong and sincere. "Charles I feel it would aid your cause if I were to write a letter, as the Princess of Wales and Suffolk— as the King's daughter."
He grew a little relieved at that because her words very well could be the thing that clinches the negotiations. His mouth opened to speak, but she cut him off and told him something else. Something he was not prepared for. It cut him to the quick and hit him in the heart.
"I could do that, Charles, but I'm not going to. I've been thinking about this and pondering over it for many days now. You see the thing is, I may be the Princess of Wales and Suffolk, but you're the Prince. Whether you feel it or not, whether you want it or not, whether you're capable or not— You are a Prince of England." She came to sit on his desk instead of standing, and she wasn't finished talking. There are still many things to say about this and he needs to hear them.
This is where she stopped looking at her hands but looked him in the eyes. "The thing about being a Prince or King, and even a Princess or Queen, is you can be born into the position like I was. But even so, a Prince isn't born, he's made. A person doesn't automatically know how to rule or how to reign as a sovereign. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of mistakes, a lot of learning from those mistakes, a lot of listening, a lot of forward-thinking, and a lot of trust from your people."
Taking his right hand in her own, she explained "Take my father for example. He was the second son of the King. He wasn't born to be King only a prince, the position of a duke. He wasn't trained in the ways his brother was. But then the Lord gives and takes away, and he became the King. So he had to learn everything. Through his reign as Sovereign, he's done a lot of good for the country but he's also made a lot of mistakes too. Some he's learned from and some he hasn't— like now in the North. He wasn't born a King. He was made a King."
She placed a kiss on his knuckles, then turned it over and kissed his palm. "Charles, you may not have been born a Duke or a Prince. But as I said, the Lord gives and takes away. You're a Prince now and there's a lot of good that you alone can do with the position you've been given. This uprising in the North is just one way of showing the people you can be a good ruler. Our people in Wales and Suffolk know this, so let the rest of the kingdom know it too."
Sliding off the desk, she came to sit on his lap. Her hands raked through his hair, moving it to the side. His eyes closed at her ministrations. "I have a little more to say, then I'll be quiet. You've got to have faith. Take the first step even though you may not see the whole staircase. And don't be afraid of making big moves. While a lot of Princes and Kings look for what they can take, a true Sovereign looks for what they can give back. Remember that. I believe in you and so did my mother. Now believe in yourself." She wiped a few fallen tears from his eyes.
Having inhaled her sweet scent, he took his head up from her neck. His arms tightened their grip on her. "I am much more confident and competent with my sword and my shield than I am with my voice. I've been in the background playing the irresponsible friend and acting foolishly. I was OK with that. It's comfortable and what I know, but it's only a small part of me. Now that I'm a Prince all of my beliefs are called into question. Who I am is called into question. I'm not in the background anymore, not really."
He's not sure how he feels about that. It's one thing to be the center of attention for being "fun" or silly, it's entirely another for being a possible King of England. "It's scary, Mary," he admitted.
She kissed his forehead. "I know it is. But it doesn't matter how talented you are, how big your dreams are, or what you do or do not stand for. If you don't believe in yourself, then no one else will. Great things happen when you stop listening to everything you think you can't do. You have infinite potential and the power to change." After kissing his lips, she got up and left him there to help the servants finish up his packing.
As he stared at his negotiation points, he thought about what his wife said. He didn't ask to be made a Prince, but he was given the title all the same. So he needs to stop running from it and hiding away, to actually do something with it. As she said, this is a great opportunity to do just that.
What he's really afraid of is upsetting the King and doing something that he doesn't like. However, Henry uses him in situations like this. He has before and trusts him to work things out. The King hasn't entirely specified what he does or does not want with this, so it's his own decisions that will shape the outcome. He's done so in the past, as the head of parliament. He can do so now as a Prince. Really it's no different when you put the two positions up side by side. They're very similar. He just has a little more authority now than in the past.
With a little more confidence than he had before, he went to bed. And when he woke up, it was still there. His Sweetheart also woke up when he did, to make sure he got off on the right foot. "I had Mrs. Evans pack you a food basket. You look Princely in your black velvet brocade doublet. Please make sure to remember to wear your new livery collar and chains, with the Tudor Rose of rubies and gold. And—"
He stopped her with a kiss. A kiss that made her feel as if she were the only star in the still darkened sky. The kind of kiss that makes the mind stop thinking and the body swoon. He broke away and told her "I love it when I can feel you smiling in the middle of our kisses. It only makes me want to kiss you more." His fingers traced the outline of her face before he leaned in and kissed her forehead.
Taking her hand, they walked across the hall to the twin's room. The boys aren't up yet, but he crept in and placed kisses on their heads. He did the same to Elizabeth and intended to do likewise to Gillian, but he had a nice surprise from her. His one-week-old baby was wide awake, looking up at the ceiling. Reaching into the crib, he picked her up.
Lady Agnes's assistant Gwyn had already changed the babe. But Mary could tell she is hungry, although she didn't make a fuss. So far they've been very blessed to not have a bunch of cry-babies. The twins weren't cranky babies and Gillian seems to not be either. She's a happy, calm baby.
Charles carried his little girl all the way downstairs. His boys are his pride and joy, but his little girl is the world. His heart is a little bit softer because she's soft and sweet. Unlike his wife's father, he's going to be there for his daughter. He's going to teach her to value herself, and he supposes that starts with him first. He can't teach someone else to do something he doesn't do for himself.
In his office, he single-handedly picked up the household ledger and folder, which he gave to his wife. Then he kissed his baby girl and picked up the folder going with him to the North. In the foyer, with much reluctance, he handed Gillian over to Gwyn. He and Mary hugged and shared tender affection again. "I'll send a message letting you know I arrived safely. If all goes well, I could be back by Friday. I'll let you know either way. I love you always My Darling." After a final kiss, he left. If he even turned to look back he'd never leave.
It's funny because he knows how much his wife misses him when he's away, but he misses her just as much. To keep himself occupied, he pulled out the breakfast portions in the basket. He ate while going over the items in the folder. The trip to York will take almost a full day's worth of travel. Tonight he'll stay at the King's Manor. It's also where the negotiations will take place.
Due to the dissolution of the monasteries, thanks to Henry killing most of the monks during Sir Thomas More's trial, the estate and house were passed onto His Majesty. In one of the final meetings with the King, before he and Mary left for Cardiff, he mentioned bequeathing it to his oldest daughter. This makes him feel really strange walking into an already hostile situation, sleeping in a disputed estate.
As he reviewed the underlying causes of the rebellion, he tried to think of solutions. There are two parts to this: social and economic unrest. The economic part is the easiest to handle. The rising prices, new land ownership laws, and general opposition to Thomas Cromwell. The social part is due to the dissolution of the monasteries and the reformation. Since Cromwell seized control of the abbeys by labeling them as "corrupt", the functional charity system is gone. That system offered support to the lame, the destitute, and the orphaned.
Charles kept this part of things away from Mary's knowledge. If she knew what her father was up to, especially with the orphans, she would be beside herself. And with her having been pregnant he just couldn't have risked anything happening to her or the baby.
But truly he's up against a losing situation. The Duke of Norfolk botched it up with the first round of negotiations by "appeasing" the people. That fell through thanks in part to the King's dishonesty, which the Prince will never say out loud ever. So now here he is going to try to renegotiate, all while the Royal Army reforms from the South to head North. To quote the King "Use whatever force necessary to halt this rebellion."
It sickens his stomach all this lying and treachery to people who are upset over problems stemming from poor policies. If he and Mary can rule Wales and Suffolk with booming economies and charitable infrastructures in place, then why can't the rest of the country do the same? He knows why— greed. As long as greed is greater than compassion suffering will always be had. And as his wife says "Greed is not a social or financial issue, it's a heart issue." If only that could be said to the whole of the King's court.
As he rode, he continued to think about practical solutions to these problems. There has to be a good compromise to be had for both the King and the people of York. Hopefully, by the time he reaches the destination, something will have popped into his head. Luckily it did. By the time he and the traveling party, of eight thousand men, reached mid-way he had thought of a few things. For the rest of the ride, he napped and read.
By nightfall, they were almost to King's Manor. He can see the rebel forces and it's quite alarming the number of torches that are lit up around the area. By the looks of it, his eight thousand men are paltry in comparison and he began to pray for safety. Once the carriage stopped, he was ushered inside by some of the Royal Soldiers.
Not wanting to talk to Seymour or Norfolk, he went to his quarters and organized himself for the morning. Once he bathed and ate, a letter was penned to Mary letting her know of his arrival. Maggie carried it off to the "Apple" of both their eyes. And finally, the bed beckoned with the anticipation of the morning hanging in the air.
Before the sun rose on a new day, the Prince of Wales and Suffolk had already dressed and eaten. Remembering the words of his wife, he set out to make inroads with the rebellion leaders. The only problem is he had to listen to Seymour and Norfolk discuss strategy beforehand. Never once did they even consider the other side. It was all "His Majesty wants this, we need to use force, or let's stall negotiations until the Royal Army's power can fully meet us."
OK, he understands that really he does. But "We need to make as much peace as possible. The King would rather us negotiate than be bloodthirsty. These are our fellow countrymen we're talking about here." The look on Norfolk's face was foul, but then he always sort of looks that way.
As the sun started rising, the rebellion leaders, headed by Robert Aske, were brought into the negotiating room. A fine hearty breakfast with wine was laid out. After the meal, they talked. Norfolk in all his pomposity opened the round of discussions. "On this Tuesday of March, we asked you here on behalf of His Majesty, King Henry. We will listen to your demands and report back to him. Sir Robert, you may commence." Charles had to control himself not to roll his eyes.
Sir Robert Aske, folded his hands on top of the table. "Our position has not changed. We still want the same things as before. The twenty-four articles still stand."
That is when arguments between Norfolk and Aske arose. Chairs were pushed back, fingers were pointed, and shouting began. His Highness started clapping. All eyes turned to him. Finally, the Prince had his say. "What a great display that was. You both give my one-year-old twins a run for their money. It's just like I was at home and Owen took William's toy elephant away. The crying and the screaming and the pouting that ensues is awful. But then they're little boys who don't know any better and you're both grown men."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Edward Seymour smirking. Charles stood up and began to walk around the room, stopping every so often to speak. "Now I've read over the twenty-four articles and I understand the reasoning behind them. Each one is very well thought out and not without some kind of merit. Take for example the dissolution of the monasteries which help the underprivileged and disadvantaged."
He stopped and opened up his folder. All eyes and ears were still on him. "In the city, the charitable organizations are still in place, but in the countryside— where the programs matter most— those are all but gone with the monasteries. That is something that should bother and affect us all. This is one of the articles that I think we can all agree on. A solution needs to be had to fix this. Even the King would want it."
Sitting back down, he took a paper and put it on top of the folder. His hand waved over it. "Now, on the other hand, the article declaring England to be returned to the Pope is not going to happen. You know it to be so even when you wrote it down on paper. But the part about stopping the attacks on the monasteries, well that is valid. So this is what I suggest, let's work on the things we can do something about. The ones we can't, the ones we know the King will never change his mind on, we leave them alone. Because at the end of the day, it's better to be productive with something than nothing at all. The ball is in your court Lord Aske."
Both the Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Shrewsbury, who was also present at the behest of King Henry, agreed with the Prince of Wales. And so, negations started in earnest. At the end of day two, a lot of points had been resolved. Practical solutions had been thought of and messaged off to the King. Now came waiting for his reply.
They waited and waited for two weeks. During this time of postponement, Charles met with Sir Robert to talk about the items on the list that cannot be changed. This is when he posed an important question "Is it really worth it to keep digging your heels in over things that have no hope of changing?"
He saw Sir Robert wanted to respond, but he raised his hand to stop. "Look I realize those are important points too. The only way those will change is through an act of God, because it would take one to alter the King's mind."
Looking at His Highness, the lawyer told him "Your Lordship are you sure you weren't a lawyer yourself before? You are quite the problem solver and negotiator. I wish I had been dealing with you all along. I think if the King went along with all that we worked on the people will be pleased. As for the other items you talk about, we'll just have to pray for modifications be it through the current King or another who comes after him." He gave Charles a look that said you.
When the His Majesty's reply finally came through he agreed to the points of interest. He also asked for the names of as many individuals as possible who he could pardon. Almost immediately the Prince became suspicious. He knows Henry never does ANYTHING without thinking it out to its furthest conclusion. His wanting to pardon people does not sit right.
Charles's thinking was proven correct. Almost a week later a minor skirmish broke out in Cumberland. Sitting in his tent a note came from the King to him and Norfolk. They were to put the skirmish down with force, along with other instructions that he had included. He did as told and also began launching mass arrests of leaders, which were part of the names of the men to be "pardoned". Those men were hung.
Then the unthinkable happened. The King wrote back "This is not enough. Carry out tenfold reprisals. The north must be taught a military lesson." Charles slumped his head in his hands as horror and anger coursed through him. After speaking with the military leaders, the rebellion was squashed completely.
Around two hundred people were rounded up and executed for their part in the rebellion. This included Robert Aske, who was hung in chains from Clifford's Tower in York. He was an example to all the people and it broke Charle's heart. The man trusted him, negotiated reasonably with him, and reported back to the people. The people were going to go peacefully back to their homes. All Henry had to do was carry out the parts that could be done something with. Instead, he called for blood and lessons taught. The north is no better off than they started, only worse now.
After almost two months, he finally went home to Cardiff. When he arrived his wife met him with open arms. His children showed him love and when he looked at his baby girl, she was no longer a tiny babe. She had grown and he had missed it, all for nothing.
Mary, knowing how to read his moods, made sure each of the children was properly attended to. Then she pulled him into their bedroom, where she closed the door. Once they were alone, she begged him to talk. But he couldn't. All he could do was weep.
In her arms, he broke down and got it all out of his system. Holding onto her, he spoke about what happened. He told her everything. "And what hurts the most is that we had settled the issues. He trusted me, Mary. He trusted me. The people trusted me and I broke that trust. And nothing has changed. No new policies for the poor and unfortunate. It makes me angry."
Her heart broke for him. "My Love you are a beautiful soul. I knew you could do it. I knew you could be the Prince that you are. And I'm sorry my father is such a pompous, prideful ass that he couldn't see he was messing things up. So first you're going to heal yourself from this hurt. You're going to take time to take care of yourself and your mind. Then you have a decision to make. You can either fight for the changes that need to be made, like the charitable causes, or do nothing."
With a kiss on both of his hands, she spoke a bit more. "If you decide to speak to my father about the charitable issues, then know this. Don't feel bad for something that upsets him. You're not responsible for his happiness. You're responsible for your own. Either way what you choose is up to you and I love you regardless." He nodded and closed his eyes at the nimble fingers running through his hair. There's nothing like being home around love.
What the Princess didn't tell him was that he may be only a Prince but he behaved more like a King than even the King did. Because a king remains the king when he behaves like one, not when he acts like it. It's not found in the attitude of a man. It's found in the standards of one. Her husband has those whereas her father does not.