Festina Lente

Chapter Ninety-Two: Life and Death

12th of December 1535 - Château de Fontainebleau, France

"How are things with His Grace?" Marguerite of Navarre asked, her breakfast set out before her and she looked over the table to where the Duchess of Orleans was seated breaking her own morning fast. 

It had been a long time coming and Marguerite had put off this conversation for as long as she could, she had been distracted by affairs of the court and helping guide the Dauphin while he learned to govern the country. 

The arrangement between France and the duchy of Brittany had been regularized and the union between the two had been made permanent only a couple of years earlier. 

It was a good place for him to start learning governess and preparing him for the day that he would be King; he was fast learner and Marguerite was certain that France would be in good hands upon her brother's eventual passing. 

It allowed Marguerite's attention to shift to his younger brother and his wife, she was greatly concerned that in two years of marriage there was still no sign of a pregnancy for the Duchess of Orleans. 

"Things are very well with His Grace. He is most tender to me," Catherine lied lowering her eyes to slice through the sausage on her plate and trying her best to keep any emotion from her face lest she offend the Queen of Navarre. 

This was the last place that Catherine wished to be that morning, she would rather have spent the morning in the company of her trusted ladies than be sat here discussing her marriage with the Queen of Navarre. 

Marguerite raised an eyebrow at her, she didn't believe that for a second and she knew that her nephew was enamoured with his mistress; there was no unseeing the favour that Henri granted to Diane wherever the two of them were. 

It made her wondered if perhaps dismissing Diane from court was the thing to be done, similar actions had been taken with Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly, Duchess of Étampes. 

Marguerite had taken deliberate actions to conceal her brother's chief maîtresse-en-titre who had been in King Francis's life since his return from captivity in 1526. 

The last thing that Marguerite wished to deal with was Elisabeth and Anne clashing before Francis was even here, it was important that the new Queen found her feet quickly and without distractions.

Elisabeth was a kind woman, she deserved such happiness but Marguerite knew that she was going to have to hold her head high when Francis returned and summoned his mistress back to court from her husband's estates. 

Marguerite opened her mouth to question Catherine more when the doors to her chambers swung open and one of the Queen's ladies hurries inside. 

"What is it?" Marguerite asked getting to her feet, it had been weeks since Elisabeth had entered her confinement and she prayed for good news. 

The House of Valois needed good news, it was important that no matter what happened that Elisabeth did her duty and further the Valois succession. 

"Her Majesty is in labour," the lady announced rather out of breath, she had come as soon as the midwife had bid her to do so; they were expecting the child to arrive swiftly and it was vital that the Queen of Navarre was there to witness the birth. 

Her announcement caused several attendants to gasp in excitement, it had been many years since the last royal birth for the House of Valois. 

Princess Margaret had been the last child born to King Francis and his first wife, twelve years prior and they had long since lost hope that there would be any more children for the King instead all attention had moved on to his married son.