Katherine Tudor was supposed to be stillborn. A dead daughter of Elizabeth of York whom would die days before her mother.
That is no longer the case. Instead she became Queen of France at 13. The wife of Le Garcon Roi; the boy king. The Queen Mother...
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Making a home takes time, especially when one has never truly had a home.
To Katherine, Cambridge was not home. The castle she was forced to live in was cozy but also empty with few children her age to talk to and this left her longing for friends. She began forming bonds with the servants but Lady Margaret put a stop to that as soon as she found out and Katherine once again found herself friendless.
So she buried herself in her studies, in music, in learning a new language, in dance, and in art. Art, she would find, was an escape from reality and she had quite the talent for it. It gave her comfort and soothed her anxiety.
The first thing she did after the wedding was prop up an easel on her balcony and begin to paint the scenery she could see. She painted some trees, the skyline, the fountain, the garden and the nobles who walked through it. Katherine sat there for what had to be hours, though to her it felt like mere minutes.
It seemed, for however long she was sitting there, someone told the king and he too began to wonder where his wife was. Eugene decided it was time to give her a visit.
He didn’t bother to knock (why would he, he was the king) and so simply let himself in. Silently, as if he wished to sneak up on her, he made his rounds around the rooms to search for her before seeing her on the balcony.
“Ah,” he said, causing Katherine to jump from the sudden noise. “There is my darling wife. Is this where you were hiding all day?”
Katherine turned around confused, “I’m not hiding, and I wasn’t here all day.”
“Really? Because it’s almost time for dinner. It’s five in the evening, Kat.”
“Don’t call me Kat,” Katherine rushed out before she took a glance at the position of the sun. “Oh, it is rather late.”
“Yes, I’ve come to fetch you for dinner. But if you would prefer, we can just eat in your rooms,” Eugene said.
Katherine paused for a moment before agreeing. “Why not,” she said as she began to put away her art supplies. Eugene smiled, “Excellent, we’re having brawn and roast beef,” he told her before turning to inform the servants of their wishes.
When he returned, Katherine had changed into another gown with the help of her servants. This one was a bit more structured and of higher quality without any paint stains.
Eugene had a table and chairs brought into the receiving room and Katherine began to order the servants on how to set the table.
She gazed at the boar's head as it was set on the table and inwardly gimced. They sat across from each other and smiled awkwardly before digging into their meal.
February 1519 France
Two years had passed and Katherine….was at home.
“Happy birthday your highness!” Anne exclaimed as she raised her glass to cheer for the princess. The other ladies followed with their well wishes and cheers.
