Festina Lente

Chapter One Hundred & Six: A Reason to Hope

12th of September 1537 - Greenwich Palace

Taking a deep breath as she approached the royal chapel, Queen Anne steeled herself knowing that her husband did not like to be disturbed when he was in prayer. 

Since the death of the Duke of Richmond, Anne had seen a change in Henry one that set her on edge no matter how contented she was with her position as his Queen. 

The death of his longest living son, illegitimate as he was had shaken Henry to the core; nothing that the doctors had been able to do seemed to have been able to save his son. 

Henry Fitzroy had left the world barely seventeen years old, his one year old son now the Duke of Richmond and his wife a widow at the tender age of seventeen. 

Henry had ordered that Alexander, Elizabeth and Beatrice should be moved from Hatfield in fear of the sickness that had taken their half-brother would also claim their lives. 

Henry would take no chances with his only son and daughters, his nights plagued with visions of the Tudor line ending and the crown being ripped away from his dead fingers. 

The news of the Dauphin's death had reinforced Henry's need to strengthen his own line, Francis was at least blessed with three other sons that could take the throne after their ill-fated brothers death. 

"Henry," Anne called softly, stepping into the chapel to find her husband alone in prayer while her ladies waited outside for their mistress; only Madge was in the know about why Anne was seeking out her husband.

 They had recently celebrated the third birthday of Princess Elizabeth, gifts from her intended from Sweden had arrived pleasing the King and breaking his melancholy for a brief moment. 

"Anne," Henry greeted, his eyes fixed on the cross as he rested his arms on the pew in front of him as he prayed; he prayed that God would bless his line, that perhaps all was not lost and that his son Alexander would be king after him. 

The Tudor line should not, could not end with him. "My apologises in disturbing you," Anne stated moving to be seated beside her husband, she did not wish to upset him further than he already was. 

The news of his son's death was something that Anne could not imagine and she had invited his widow to court when she was ready; a place in her household waiting for her so that she might support herself. 

"It's quite alright," Henry insisted with a weak smile, he was most grateful for her company at times like this; she was a soothing breeze against the pain that filled his heart. 

It saddened him that Mary was so far away, although for the best his eldest daughter would be greatly missed but had recently discovered that she was with child again. 

God willing, she would give her husband a second son further securing the Medici rule over Florence with Lucrezia and Giuliano likely to make strong alliances in the future. 

"Is there news from George?" Henry asked knowing that it was important that the killer of the Dauphin be found and punished, the actions could not be allowed to slip by them. 

The murder of a member of the royal family could not be allowed to go unpunished, the death of an heir was something that some monarchs never recovered from. 

"There was. Sebastiano de Montecuccoli has been arrested for the poisoning of the late Dauphin, it is said that he confessed to being an agent of the late Emperor Charles," Anne admitted softly. 

It was rather strange in her opinion, although a relief that the man had been caught before he could strike again and murder another member of the Valois family.