Festina Lente

Chapter Forty: Mary, Queen of France

Her beautiful face was covered in blood and Frances cared not for her own nightgown as she pulled her mother's shaking body into her arms; the look on Mary's face, Frances was certain would haunt her for the rest of her life. 

"My Mother. My Mother! Please help her!" Lady Eleanor Brandon screamed, her tear-filled eyes looking to those who had gathered around them but were doing nothing to help. 

Standing at the end of the corridor, Charles could only watch the scene before him too shaken to move at the sight of his wife laying dead in the arms of their daughters. 

The sounds of Frances and Eleanor crying broke his heart and he wished that he had been kinder in this last days then he had been. 

***

"News from the Duchess of Hertford," Cromwell stated reading through the letter that had arrived from Ragley Hall from the King's bastard daughter; he had to admit that he was surprised how well she had taken everything since her mother's fall from grace. 

A part of him had been convinced that the Lady Mary would prove to be as stupid as her mother; that she would cling to titles and honours that had been wrongfully given to her. 

Instead, it had been of great surprise that she had done as the King had asked and had been a good and loyal daughter to her father even when he had remarried. 

Now she was a Duchess and even Cromwell could not deny that the King's plan to keep Mary from the throne and from becoming the focus of those who might wish to place her upon it was genius. 

If Mary were not in England then she would not be a threat to her brother's throne, thus preventing another war like the one that had marred the country not so long ago. 

"She is most pleased to inform Your Majesty that she is with child," Cromwell continued looking through the letter that had arrived, it was joyous news and with the plans that they had for her soon she would not be an issue. 

Anne would be delivered of a second son soon enough and they would have a little Duke of York meaning that even if something happened to the much-loved Prince Alexander then they would still have the spare. 

A title that had once been held by the King, he had never been expected to take the throne and it was only the sad death of Arthur that had allowed him to take the throne when his father passed. 

The news that their King would be a grandfather would certainly be welcoming if handled right, they did not want people to think that Mary and her children by extension would take precedence over her brother. 

"Then we must send our congratulations to The Duke and Duchess," Henry stated leaning back in his seat, the news was most pleasing especially with Anne already being pregnant with a second son. 

He was most certain that things would look up from here, he was still carefully planning their next move and the last thing that he wished for was to find themselves in a position that would lead to people thinking Mary was still the rightful heir. 

"There is also a letter from the Duke of Suffolk," Cromwell murmured moving onto the next letter that had arrived that day, he turned it over in his hands; a small frown forming on his face not looking forward to giving the King this news. 

He stared down at the contents of the letter that had arrived, he wanted nothing more than to have someone else break the news but that was not possible and he doubted this would end well. 

"His Grace writes that he wishes to share the grave news that Your Majesty's most beloved sister, the Duchess of Suffolk, Queen Dowager of France has passed this morning," Cromwell stated softly, he looked at his King not sure how he was going to take the news. 

It was sudden and they had not been expecting this, not when she was due to come to court and things had been going smoothly since she had accepted Henry's marriage to Anne; though it was clear that her actions when Henry had been courting Anne had not been completely forgotten. 

Cromwell had no doubts that if Katherine had not been found out then people such as the late Duchess of Suffolk would have continued to support her; she had been close with the disgraced Infanta when she had falsely been named Queen of England. 

Henry was silent at the news, he could not believe that his beloved sister was gone; he had named his daughter with Katherine after her and they had always been close when they were growing up. 

He had not even known that she was sick, he would have sent the best doctors at court to treat her and Henry felt angered that the Duke of Suffolk had not even come to court to tell him the news that his sister had passed. 

Henry thought of his two nieces and nephew that his sister had left behind that morning, he was sure they were devastated by the news and he would make sure that they were cared for and would find fine marriages. 

If his line were to fail then he wished for the line of succession to pass to his sister Mary's children rather than his sister Margaret's; he could only hope that would never come to pass. 

His line was strong, Henry was certain of that and he had high hopes that with a second son that everything would be well; the Tudor line would not fall while on his watch.