2nd of April 1537 - Palace of Fontainebleau, Paris
The news had spread quickly when the Dauphine of France went into labour, the excitement in the air was hard to ignore as the palace repaired for the birth of the future heir to the throne.
There were high hopes that the Dauphine would have a son this day, that the line of Valois would be further secured and that the future king would have an heir of his own.
That after the death of Prince Francis all was not lost, that the line of Valois could survive past King Francis; that the new Dauphin would have an heir of his own in a matter of hours.
Henri was the same age now as Francis had been when he had been murdered, great care had been taken to make sure that what happened Francis would not be repeated.
The Dauphin had gone hunting that morning to celebrate the news that his son would be born that day, he had vowed to gift his wife a new fur coat for her efforts before he had disappeared for the day.
Today was his victory, something that his own brother had not been able to achieve; his line would continue past him, he would have an heir for when he became king.
Shut away in her rooms, Catherine screamed as she laboured to bring her son into the world; her much needed and desired son that would secure her position; she would be hailed for her victory in giving Henri a son.
The dark room where she laboured was filled with ladies of the court, her own ladies staying close to her mistress as she tried to push her baby into the world; the process was slow and several of the ladies whispered that the Dauphine was not trying hard enough.
The labour was slow to process and Catherine cursed, clutching at the bed sheets as she tried to force her baby out; she didn't understand what was taking so long, surely it could not be this difficult to birth a child.
Clarice had done it, she was about to have her fourth child and Catherine couldn't understand why her labours were taking so long; she didn't even think that Queen Elisabeth's labours had taken this long.
"You must push Your Highness," the midwife urged the Dauphine, the labour had started early that morning and now they were pushing into the afternoon with no sign of anything happening.
Catherine screamed, throwing her head back as she tried to force the baby from her; frustration growing as she wanted this to be over.
"What do you think I am doing?" Catherine snarled glaring down at the midwife as if she wasn't trying with all her might to push the baby from her body; she had been trying since her water had broken that morning.
The midwife pursed her lips at the way that the Dauphine spoke to her, she had delivered both of Queen Elisabeth's children; the Queen had not treated her that way when she had laboured with Aubert and Yolande.
The Queen had been fine spirits when she had been delivered of both her children, she had rewarded those who had helped her birth the Prince and Princess greatly for their services.
The light outside slowly slipped away as the day left them, the Dauphin returning from his hunt to the news that his wife had still not delivered their child into the world.
Catherine gritted her teeth as she continued to push, her ladies doing their best to wipe away the sweat from her face as she laboured; she screamed and cursed, wanting it to be over so that she could hold her son.
It was close to midnight when the room was filled with the screams of a newborn, there was a hush over the chamber as the midwife took the baby in her arms; a sense of uneasy that was hard to ignore coming with it.
"What is it?" Catherine demanded, she pushed herself up to look at the midwife who was holding her baby; her eyes darting to each of her ladies who could not meet her eyes.
There was a silence for a moment while the midwife handed off the newborn to one of the ladies behind her so that she could continue her work; the lady wiping down the newborn while another left the room after checking the gender.
"You have been delivered of a very healthy baby girl Your Highness," Mathilde, one of her ladies, told her wiping the sweat from Catherine's head and trying to sooth her mistress as Catherine shook her head.
The tears came before Catherine could stop them, unable to believe that her chance to secure her position.
***
The news spread around court and there was no hiding the disappointment that Henri had felt when he had heard that Catherine had been delivered of a daughter; the sounds of things being broken had been heard from down the hall.
Madeleine had avoided her older brother, not wanting to be on the end of his wrath as he raged at the news that Catherine had failed; instead she wandered back to her own chambers.
The celebrations were rather muted for the birth of the new princess, with the announcement coming from Henri that his daughter would be named in honour of the Queen of France.
Elisabeth of Valois looked just like her mother from what Madeleine had heard from her aunt, with Henri refusing to visit his wife and daughter instead he seemed to be trashing his own chambers at this time.
"I hear we have a niece," James stated from his place by the fire in their chambers, he was sat with a book and a goblet of the finest wine that France had to offer; he looked completely at ease in the chamber that Madeleine called her own.
Madeleine smiled at the sight of her husband, she knew how truly blessed she was to have a husband that her adored her so much.
"We do. Elisabeth after the Queen," Madeleine replied with a sigh, she knew that Henri's decision to name his daughter after Queen Elisabeth was a slight to Catherine who would have wished to name their daughter for her mother.
The name would have also honoured herself, but it was clear that by naming the child after the Queen of France that it was meant to be a slight towards the Dauphine.
"A fine name for a fine daughter I am sure," James stated setting aside his book and goblet, he had heard about how the Dauphin had reacted to the news of a daughter.
It was a shame that he had such poor control in his opinion, it was unfitting of the Dauphin to act in such a way especially when the entire palace knew of his displeasure that Catherine had given him a daughter.
A healthy daughter was better than a dead child, there was always next time and James knew that with the birth it meant that Catherine was capable of giving the Dauphin many more children in the future.
They only had to look at her cousins to see that she was from fertile stock indeed, the Duchess of Bedford was expecting her fourth child in a couple of months' time.
"It is, a fine name. Although I would not have chosen it myself," Madeleine admitted with a small smile, she would have named her first daughter perhaps after her late mother rather than the Queen who would be honoured in other ways.
Madeleine had no idea what her future children would be like, she prayed that she would be able to do her duty to her husband and give him a strong heir that would take the throne after him.
James smiled at that, he looked at his wife and seeing the look on her face; he had thought of what their children would be like and he prayed that they had a large family, to rival the one that King Henry had.
"You had thoughts on that?" James asked watching her, he signalled her to come closer knowing that he had many illegitimate children and sons that could never inherit the throne.
James, James, John, Jean and Robert were all well cared for and he provided for them as best as he could given that their mothers had been his mistresses.
"James, Robert and Arthur for our sons, Mary and Claude for our daughters," Madeleine stated with a small smile, knowing that she would love any child that she had and she prayed that her health would allow her to give him many sons and heirs.
It was her duty as his Queen to do so, that was why they had married and Madeleine was determined to do her duty to the realm and provide her husband with his heirs.
A smile formed on James' face, he stood from his chair and approached Madeleine who smiled up at him; she took his hand in her own before pressing it to the small bump that had started to make itself known.
"You're with child?" James whispered in awe, his hand pressed against the small bump that Madeleine carried and he couldn't stop the smile that was forming on his face.
Madeleine nodded her head, she had waited until she was sure before she had told him but there was no doubt about it; she was carrying their first child and she couldn't have been happier.
"Our son. Our James," Madeleine vowed knowing that she could not let him down, she was going to give him an heir that he could be proud of.
***
A carriage moved down the lane towards the Palace, white horses pulling it along and moving at quite the pace as they made their way towards the royal court of King Francis and Queen Elisabeth after months spent away.
It was her triumphant return, one that she had known was coming from the moment that she had been dismissed from court and now she would return to her rightful place.
On the steps of the palace, Henri was waiting with several members of his own court; a look on his face as he watched the carriage slow down as it made it's final approach, a mask in place revealing nothing of how he was feeling.
The carriage came to a stop before him and Henri moved down the steps as the door was opened allowing Diane de Poitiers to climb from the carriage with a look of victory on her face.
She took Henri's hand as he helped her down the steps from the carriage that had brought her back to him; her face shifting into a grateful look as she stopped before Henri and dropping into a curtsy.
"Your Highness," Diane greeted, she stayed low to the floor as she humbled herself for the Dauphin knowing that her return to his side was one that she had to play out careful.
Never again would he send her from court, she would have complete control this time and she would never allow him to cast her aside for the Italian witch again.
Henri raised Diane from her position before him, he took her hand and pressed a kiss to it making her smile at him while her two daughters disembarked from the carriage behind her.
It was high time that Françoise and Louise found themselves husband and Diane was going to use her return to power to secure her line and make sure that her family benefitted from her return.
"I am most pleased to be back at court," Diane stated linking arms with Henri and allowing her to lead her into the palace, she smiled politely at those who acknowledged her upon her return.
It had been many months since she had been sent away shortly after the death of his brother when she had tried to comfort him only to find herself shunned and sent away so he could have an heir with his wife.
"I must congratulate you on the birth of your daughter, I hear she looks just like her mother," Diane stated rubbing salt into the wound that Henri no doubt had.
It was a shame that Catherine had failed as Diane knew that Henri needed an heir, she knew without a doubt that she'd have been able to give him one if Francis had not been so stubborn and allowed them to marry.
"It matters not. Boys will surely follow," Henri dismissed, if Catherine had fallen pregnant once she could do it again and in time they would surely be blessed with many sons; Elisabeth was proof that Catherine could do it again.
Diane smiled and nodded her head, she would play the long game if needed and she knew that meddling in the royal marriage was the only way to ensure her own position at the end of the day.
"Of course," Diane stated squeezing Henri's hand in comfort as they made their way inside; her daughters close on her heels and she knew that she would need to find them grand positions at court.
Watching the scene from the windows of her chamber, Catherine rocked her baby in her arms as she watched Henri parade his whore around in front of everyone to see.
A lump formed in her throat as she moved away from her window, her eyes casting down to the baby in her arms as she tried to wrap her head around the fact that Henri would do this to her so soon after she had given birth.
The fact that he had brought his mistress back to court, to shame her for failing to give him a son instead of the healthy daughter that she had.
Catherine squeezed her eyes closed, trying to keep the tears at bay as she remembered what the witch had told her all those years ago.
She still believed what she had heard, that her sons would be kings and she prayed that it would come to be; that she was the saviour of the Valois line and it was through her that they would expand their empire.
"Your Highness," one of her ladies greeted making Catherine shake away her sadness before she turned to her ladies knowing that she could not believe that she was in this position.
That she was truly no better than Clarice in all of this who had given her husband two daughters before she had birthed a son.
"Call the nursemaid," Catherine ordered setting a fussy Elisabeth into her cot, she turned away from her baby knowing that she could not hide away forever and she needed to prepare to fight for her marriage with Henri.