The Queen

Chapter 45

Once Catherine and Hal exited the study, they happened upon Matthew who had been waiting and guarding the door. The look on Matthew's face confirmed that he had heard what was discussed with Lord Ansel.

"I'm sorry, Catherine." He said quietly to his new friend, her returning the phrase with a sad smile.

King Charles never made it to breakfast, Catherine was assured a company with him later that afternoon when he was feeling more up to it. So the rest of the breakfast was close to impossible for Catherine to endure. The mood had shifted drastically. Where King Henry and his entourage had at least the false pretense of the upper hand at their surprise arrival yesterday, after their discussion with Lord Ansel, it was clear that the upper hand was lost. Everyone who had previously been speaking English for the benefit of their English guests, abruptly switched back to French during breakfast, starting with Lord Ansel. While this served no communication problem for the King and Queen, the intent was clear, the French court was not going to cater to their guests.

When breakfast was over and the court split off to different parts of the castle and its grounds, Hal called for their group to meet in their guest room within the hour, there was a lot to discuss.

When the English group was all gathered together an hour later, King Henry was the first to speak.

"Matthew, were you able to get the information I asked for?" he sat down in a chair in their guest room, ready to absorb whatever Matthew could find out on such short notice.

"There are plenty of questions about the legitimacy and many people going after the French throne. We already knew Catherine's brother, Charles was going to be a contender for the throne." Matthew started, but Hal held his hand up here and looked to Catherine.

"What can you tell us of your brother Charles?" he asked his wife.

"I only grew up with him until he turned 15, once he held the title of Dauphin there were immediate threats to his inheritance and he was forced to flee to Bourges. I haven't seen him since. My father was particularly displeased with him when he heard a rumor about him from that part of the country. It is rumored he disguised a meeting of peace into an ambush, killing a Duke under a false pretense of diplomatic negotiation."

"Ah, that is why your father was willing to delegitimize Charles' inheritance and make me and our son the heir to the French throne in the case of his death..." Henry chimed in.

"Exactly," Catherine continued, "He is very brave, if not flamboyant and conceited. I can see him gathering a substantial amount of support from his region in Bourges."

"Plus, the servants of the castle just confirmed he has just been married just last month." Matthew interjected, "To a Marie of Anjou."

Catherine nodded, "He has been betrothed to her since he was young. This marriage alliance will only pull more to his support."

"Who else is trying to stake a claim to the throne? We already know that many of the French nobles and court do not view our Treaty as legitimate and are actively working against it, so who else do we have to possibly contend with?" Henry asked.

"The servants mentioned that some Frenchmen view Charles the Duke of Orleans, your cousin," he looked at Catherine, "to be next in succession to the French throne."

"That shouldn't cause an issue, we have had him as a prisoner of war since the Battle of Agincourt," Henry replied.

Catherine let her frustration settle when Hal had said this. One of the things that her father had hoped would come of her marriage to Hal, would be the release of her cousin Charles, back to France. While she was not able to secure his freedom, she was glad that her cousin's terms of imprisonment were rather loose, he could largely live how he had grown accustomed as a royal noble, he just was guarded and not allowed to go back to France.