Fanfic: An Endless Supply of Rubies Ch 38, Tudors | FanFiction
A/N: There have been many speculations about Thomas Culpeper and his affair with Katherine Howard. It is suspected that he flirted with her for political reasons. If she believed that they were in love, then she would have most likely shown him favor had Henry died. Keep in mind, Henry was much sicker than the show lets on. Much heavier, too.
I like throwing wrenches in history. Let's keep on doing that.
13 November 1541
"Certain accusations have been made against the Queen," Henry told Charles one day as they played cards.
"What kind of accusations?" Charles asked.
"Oh, that she was light, immoral, dissolute..." he trailed off. "With certain men, before she came to court."
Charles looked at him, an almost pitying expression on his face.
"I can't believe it to be true," Henry replied, shuffling the cards in his hands. "But, since the accusations are made, I must know all the facts." The king leaned forward, his voice lowering. "But since this inquisition is in progress, be careful who you speak to. I'll have no spark of scandal against her name."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Charles replied automatically.
"I have news," Charles told Amelia as they sat down to sup. "The Queen is being investigated for things that she did in her youth."
Amelia simply raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that a teenager is being investigated for things that she did in her youth, during which she had no parental figures or guidance?"
"What are you trying to say?" Charles asked.
Amelia sighed. "She didn't have anyone to look up to when she was younger," Amelia said. "And she's still young. With the number of children that the Dowager Duchess has in her care, I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of them did something regrettable. I pity Katherine. I don't think she entirely knows what she is doing."
"Were you raised as the Queen was raised?" Charles asked, picking at the food on his plate.
Amelia set her fork down and gave her husband a stern look. "I was not raised as she was," she stated. "She was raised by older girls and boys. I was still raised to be a lady. I was ignored, yes, but the moment I stepped out of line, the Dowager made sure to put me back in my place. What I'm saying is that it does not appear that Katherine had any form of discipline like that, whatsoever."
"And you feel pity for her," Charles concluded.
"Exactly," Amelia said. "She was undisciplined from the very beginning, and now, her lack of discipline threatens to destroy her."
22 November 1541
Amelia's heart broke when she heard that Katherine had been removed as Queen, and she felt especially guilty over this fact when she realized she was also happy. Katherine had gotten what she deserved, a voice said in her head. She was foolish, frivolous, and stupid. She did not deserve the title of Queen, or the duties and responsibilities that came with it.
But on the other hand, she was a child. Anne Boleyn had been a full-grown, adult woman, capable of knowing exactly what she was doing. Katherine was now. When Amelia was sixteen, she had almost no idea what she was doing. She was a naïve, innocent child. But Amelia was older now. She knew that everything she did would be under scrutiny. Sometimes, she knew that it was better to say nothing at all. Katherine simply hadn't known that there were very few people that one could place their trust in
Amelia knew that there were people she could trust without any doubts. Mary was one of them. Charles was another. Edward Seymour, surprisingly, was a third. They had bonded over a mutual love for the little Prince. He knew that she was the best person to care for the boy, and she knew that he would look out for his nephew's best interests.
What kind of world did she live in, where she couldn't even place her trust in her own father?
29 November 1541
From what Amelia heard from Charles, the accusations seemed to move in a circle. Katherine blamed Jane Rochford for the whole thing, Thomas blamed Katherine, and Jane to an extent, while Jane blamed the both of them.
Amelia wasn't sure she knew exactly who to believe. Honestly, it could really be anyone's fault. She wondered exactly how Jane and Thomas got tangled up in this mess. Amelia had known Jane for a while. They had both been victims of the Boleyn family's plays to stay in power.
Thomas, on the other hand, was someone that Amelia tried to avoid. Amelia had met him shortly after her arrival at court, just as he was beginning to come into the King's favor. She had found him charming and pleasant enough, but with a lecherous stare that made her feel as though she was not fully clothed. She had again run into him when she and Charles had gone to greet Anne of Cleves, as he was one of the courtiers selected to come along. Even though she was married, it seemed as though Thomas was very insistent on flirting with her. After that, at some point, he had been accused of rape and murder, which made Amelia go out of her way to avoid him.
She hoped he'd rot in hell, or, at the very least, suffer a painful end.
18 January 1542
He felt numb, sitting in his chair by the fire. One moment, his wife was there, pregnant, carrying his child. Now, his child was in his arms, and his wife was gone. It was painful to think about. Three days ago, they had welcomed their son, Thomas, into the world. Everything had seemed well, even if things were tense between them. He thought that he might have loved her when they had first been married, but after a while, the spark just seemed to fade away.
Then, Sir Francis had come, and Edward had realized that his wife preferred the spy's company. It was around this time that he realized he loved his wife more as a friend than as a lover. Marriage, he thought, should be both.
In fact, he still wasn't sure that the baby he held was his. But, since Anne hadn't told him anything, not even with her last breaths, Edward was left to assume that Thomas was his son.
And now he sat here, with his three-day-old son, wondering what he should do.
A soft knock on his chamber door startled him, and he turned to see both Amelia and Charles entering. He bowed his head to them, and they bowed their heads back.
"We came to offer our condolences," Charles said, a solemn expression on his face.
Condolences. More condolences. It was the same when his sister had died. She had died the same way, too. It seemed unfair that every woman in his life that seemed important to him, save for his dear mother, seemed to have died from childbed fever.
"May I hold your son?" Amelia asked softly.
Edward looked surprised, but agreed. Amelia took the baby from his arms, gently lifting him, and cooing ever so lightly. After five children of her own, and two siblings, to look after, Edward knew that Amelia would be able to handle a baby, but unlike some other women he had encountered, she did it with a certain skill that he had not expected.
"He is a beautiful and healthy little boy," Amelia said. "Anne would be very proud."
"Would you act as his governess?" Edward blurted out before he could stop himself. The two adults snapped their heads towards him. "I mean, I know so little about raising children, and I figure have done an amazing job raising my nephew, so..."
It took Amelia a few seconds to overcome her shock. "You want me to act as a surrogate mother?" she asked in clarification.
"If your husband would allow it, of course," Edward said. "And if you were willing yourself."
Amelia didn't know why, but she found herself nodding.
Edward didn't know why, but he felt his heart leaping at her agreement.
Charles didn't know why, but he agreed as well. Perhaps it was out of pity. Perhaps it was because he considered Edward an ally. Either way, it seemed there would be one more child in his household.
13 February 1542
Katherine was dead, executed that very morning. Edward had come by afterwards to visit his son and nephew, and wound up telling Amelia all about it. Amelia was surprised that Katherine had handled her execution with all the grace that a queen would, despite only being eighteen years old.
Baby Thomas had been widely accepted by the Brandon household. All of the children loved him dearly, as if he were their own sibling. Edward made sure to visit them all frequently, since all the children loved their Uncle Edward as well.
Edward had begun to visit more frequently, bringing with him gifts for all the children of the household. Mary and John treasured the new books that they had been given, while Owen and Edward got wooden swords and Eleanor and Jane had both gotten dolls.
The King, as far as Amelia knew, had not yet started looking for a new wife. She was grateful for this. When Henry had married Jane soon after Anne's death, Amelia had felt that the wedding had happened too quickly. It would be good to have the nation recover from the loss of their Queen before the King moved on to his next one.
Mary had come by with Philip and Margaret, and Amelia had cooed over the precious little girl. It was obvious that both Mary and Philip were completely in love with their daughter, although it seemed to Amelia that Mary seemed still slightly uncomfortable with the fact that she had a daughter and not a son.
War was on the King's mind, and Amelia knew it. She just hoped that it wouldn't come anytime soon.