BLOODLINES
— 47. Secret Dealings
It was nighttime and in the hallway of Westminster, Kathy walked up to where little Mary stood, staring blankly at the door in front of her. The door that led into Henry's chambers.
"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked her niece in a concerned tone, only to have her question answered when she heard glass shatter.
"No! I will not hear this! You stand before me and you tell me another son of mine is dead!" Henry had shouted as glasses continued to shatter, "What demon are you? How shall I bear this?"
The argument continued and just as Kathy was about to lead Mary away, the doors opened and Henry appeared before them.
Henry froze in place as he was on the verge of storming off. He was silent for a long moment, glancing down at his daughter.
He inhaled sharply and with that, he looked away. "Bring me my son Henry Fitzroy to me. And Edward, George, and Edmund Stafford as well," He ordered in a stern tone before he began to walk away, "I will have my sons here at the palace."
Just then, Catherine walked out of the room, on the verge of tears as she had a hopeless look on her face.
Kathy sighed in defeat as she stared down at Mary, who looked frightened. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, the two of them watching as Catherine walked closer to them.
"How can you bear him, Catherine?" Kathy complained as she stared at Catherine in disbelief, "He flays you, wounds your innocent daughter, now brings Marie and her innocent sons into this, and takes the lives of loyal men—"
"Do not malign the king," Catherine argued in a stern tone.
"Excuse me?" Kathy scoffed loudly as Catherine began to walk away, "He is a monster!"
"I will not allow my daughter to hear your poisonous words," Catherine complained as she held her hand out to her daughter, "Mary, come."
Catherine looked directly at her daughter, who remained in place. "Mary, come."
Mary remained silent. She glanced between two women before she finally walked over to Kathy. She wrapped her arms around Kathy, who smiled and hugged the girl back while Catherine's smile faded.
____
At Pembroke Castle, Marie walked into Pembroke Castle with her daughters and her sons. Margaret and Henry laughed as they ran to find themselves a room alongside Edmund and George. They didn't laugh as their younger brother and sister did, however. They hadn't laughed or smiled since the moment they learned of their father's execution. A man who was, in truth, not their father at all.
Nora glanced around the castle, scoffing before she followed after her younger brothers and sister.
Edward, on the other hand, stood beside his mother, a smile on his face as he stared upwards. It was his now. The castle was his. He was an earl in his own right and he was only thirteen.
"Have you been here before, Lady Mother?" He asked his mother curiously, noticing how his mother smiled sadly in admiration as she glanced around.
"No," She confessed, shaking her head, "Your great-grandmother, Nora of Lancaster...She met King Henry, your grandfather, here for the first time. Many years ago. It was long before he ever became king. At that point in time, there wasn't even talk of him being King. People were so busy trying to put Nora on the throne that they didn't even bat an eye in his direction. She told me the story herself. She had been pregnant with her son Thomas at the time."
Edward smiled, nodding his head in understanding. He always loved it when she told him stories of the past, especially when it involved his great-grandmother.
"We should eat. It was a long journey," Marie decided and Edward nodded in response.
_____
That afternoon, Marie sat at the large dining room table with all her children, little Charlie sitting in her lap. The dining room was silent, but it wasn't a comfortable sort of silence. It was awkward.
Marie sighed as she glanced around, noticing how all her children couldn't bring themselves to look her in the eye. None but Edward and Nora. Edward looked sympathetic while Nora seemed to be glaring at her mother.
"Is there something you would like to say, Nora?" Marie suddenly asked and Nora scoffed as she turned to glance at her mother.
"Yes, there is," Nora confidently responded as she roughly placed her eating utensil down and turned to her mother, "How could you? How could you betray Father by being with the King? The whole of England thinks you to be a whore now and all of us bastards."
"Long ago, before I was married to your father, I loved the king. I grew up with him," Marie replied, trying to contain the hurt she felt at her daughter's words, "Times have changed since then. I married your father and I fell in love with him. I was already pregnant with Edward when I married your father. I just hadn't known it. When Edward was born, I think a part of your father knew but he never said anything. He didn't question it and raised Edward as his own. I suppose that was one of the first things that occurred in my marriage to your father that led to me falling in love with him. Although I was in love with your father, King Henry refused to accept that. He wanted me, despite us being married to other people. He continued to pursue me even though I refused his advances on many occasions. You were born and you were your father's. The day your aunt Kathy was set to marry King Louis of France, I traveled along with them. King Henry got me so drunk he managed to get me into bed even though I didn't want it. I told your father but there was nothing he could do about it. Henry was his king and one of his closest friends. From there, Henry's advances continued, but I never wanted it to happen. I loved your father, not King Henry. But there was nothing I could do. Henry was King and I was but a Duchess of Buckingham who not too long ago was Henry's father's hostage."
"So you're saying you never intended for my brothers and Margaret to be the king's?" Nora asked and Marie nodded, causing the girl to scoff, "Why don't I believe you?"
"Then that's your problem," Edward snapped at Nora coldly, much to the girl's shock, "I believe Mother. And you should be ashamed of yourself for not believing the same. She is our
mother, Nora!"
"Mother is the king's whore!" Nora shouted at Edward angrily, not caring that her younger siblings were witnessing the whole scene occur, "We are ruined and it is all because she couldn't keep her legs closed when the king gave her the slightest bit of attention. Just like all the others that came before her."
Nora froze at her words. She gasped softly and placed a hand over her mouth, clearly regretting all that she had said. She turned to see Edward glaring at her hatefully while Marie looked betrayed. "Mother, I didn't mean--"
"Of course you meant it. There's no point in lying," Marie answered in a calm tone, being quick to wipe her tears, "You are not old enough to know what it truly means to be a woman. Your father shielded you from it. He indulged you and allowed you to swordplay with your brothers. If only you knew you'd be burned as a witch for doing the same outside our castle walls. You're a girl. A day will come where you will have to marry well. It is a woman's greatest achievement. For that is all we're made for. To marry well and give our husbands many heirs."
"Father wasn't like that," Nora argued as she shook her head in disapproval.
"Your father wasn't like many other men of his time. He gave me the freedom that many other wives of dukes and earl never got to have. I was lucky. I doubt you will be able to find the same. Especially in an arranged marriage," Marie answered her daughter truthfully, "I was happy with your father. He loved me and I loved him. We didn't love each other at first but over the years we grew to love each other deeply and passionately. But in the end, it was what caused his death," She explained, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "The King has always viewed me to be some forbidden fruit. He aches and longs to take ahold of me, to possess me. And since he is a king, there is nothing I can do about that. You must understand that."
As she stared at her mother, Nora sighed, realizing she had a bit of a point. She lowered her head, sighing as she nodded in response.
Marie stood up from her seat and walked over to Nora, wasting no time hugging her. "I love you, Nora. You must know that. I love all my children. More than anything in this world. You are all that matters to me and I will do anything to protect you. No matter the costs."
_____
At Bedford Castle, Kathy and Charlie were sitting together in their study when it was announced that someone had arrived. "Sir Thomas Boleyn, Your Graces," He announced, causing the duo to look up to see the familiar man standing before them.
They sighed, standing up together before they walked closer to the man. "My Lord," Kathy was the first to greet the man, bowing her head to him politely.
"Your Graces," Thomas responded, bowing to the married couple.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Charlie asked, shooting Thomas a questioning look.
"May I speak frankly?" Thomas questioned, glancing between Charlie and Kathy.
The truth was, Thomas was mostly there for Kathy, but he knew if he wanted to involve Kathy, he'd have to rope Charlie in as well.
Charlie sighed, exchanging a look with Kathy before he poured the three of them some wine.
First, Charlie handed Kathy a glass, just before handing one to Thomas and then keeping one for himself.
"To your health, my Lord," Charlie raised his glass before the three of them clinked them together.
"And yours and your wife's," Thomas replied, taking a sip of his wine while Kathy tried not to feel uneasy, "Your children's' as well. I hear another is on the way."
"Indeed," Kathy confirmed and nodded her head, smiling as she lightly rubbed her hand over her belly.
Charlie sighed, walking back over to his seat. He sat down while Kathy walked closer to him, leaning against the arm of his chair.
"Now, why is it that you're here?" Kathy suddenly asked the man, a suspicious man, "I know you didn't just come here out of the blue. You're here for a reason. But what is it?"
"I am here because although we don't always see eye to eye, we share a common foe," Boleyn informed them, gaining Kathy's interest.
"Wolsey," Kathy spoke up, her eyes widening in realization.
"Of course. You know that better than anyone, Your Highness. Not everyone at court is as fond of the Cardinal as your brother is," He replied, nodding his head slightly.
"But what is that to me?" Charlie asked, an annoyed look on his face as she gestured to himself and Kathy, "What is that to either of us?"
"Do you miss the court, Your Graces?" Thomas questioned, glancing between the married duo, "You do not attend or visit as you once did and I believe that Wolsey is the reason for it. So tell me, do you miss it?"
"What do you think?" Kathy retorted with an attitude.
"Perhaps you don't," Thomas replied, clearly trying to taunt her, "Down here, in this green space, you have so much leisure to enjoy. So many idle pursuits. And yet I have heard it said by some that the King's presence is like the sun and when you are away from it, there is only eternal night."
Thomas shot Kathy a look, knowing he was referring to her in his statement. He was talking about the codependency issues Kathy and Henry suffered when it came to each other. Henry most of all felt as though he couldn't survive without her.
They were like twins in that way. The type of twins that are unable to function correctly without each other. Years of being neglected by their mother and having no one but each other did that to them.
Charlie sighed in defeat when he saw the look on his wife's face. She was just starting to get used to life away from court after Stafford's death. However, it took one sentence from Thomas to ruin it all.
Charlie placed his wine down, just before standing up. He walked over to the fireplace, an annoyed look on his face. "You're a clever man, Boleyn. That is what people say. People like my wife. She says you are charming and clever."
"He is charming and clever," Kathy spoke up in a stern tone as she walked closer to Charlie, "He wouldn't be here without reason. What do you want from us, Thomas?"
Thomas smiled slightly, placing his cup of wine down before he walked closer to the duo. "I want the two of you to help me destroy Wolsey. And in return, I will make sure you have all that your heart desires once I gain the favor of the king," He explained, pausing to turn to look directly at Kathy, "I need you, most of all. You are the key to everything."
Charlie sighed, noticing how uneasy Kathy looked after being put on the spot like that. "Thank you, My lord," He spoke up, which was his way of sending Thomas off.
Thomas sighed, glancing between the duo. Kathy nodded slightly at him, which was her way of agreeing with her husband that he had to go.
With that, Thomas bowed to the duo, just before leaving.
Once Thomas was gone, Charlie sighed in defeat and sat back down in his chair.
Kathy walked over to him, standing behind him as she wrapped her arms around him from the back. "What will you do?" She suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them.
"What will we do," Charlie corrected Kathy as he stared up at her, an uneasy look on his face, "Actually, the better question is what should we do?"
"Wolsey helped my mother execute Nora of Lancaster, her own brother George, and my cousin Teddy. He did it because he knew it would earn favor with my father if he was helping my mother. He does the same with my brother. He'll do anything to keep the king's favor and if it came down to it, he'd destroy us both to remain in power," Kathy explained to Charlie, who sighed in defeat.
"You believe we should help Boleyn?" Charlie asked, a confused look on his face.
"I think we should make him think we're helping him and working for him, but in truth, we shall work for ourselves and our own gain. He could gain us favor back at court, but we both know if he were taken down, he'd drag us down with them so we must be careful. I know what Boleyn is up to," Kathy explained, causing Charlie to give her a concerned look, "Even here, I hear rumors of Henry looking to divorce Catherine."
"That could mean only one thing," Charlie replied, his eyes widening in disbelief, "He's trying to marry Marie once and for all," He paused, letting out a large sigh, "But Marie would never agree to that. She hates Henry. And she has every reason to. She pities Catherine already. She might not particularly like Catherine, but she would never do that to her."
"Exactly," Kathy replied in a calm tone, "Either way, Henry will get that divorce, but if Marie refuses to marry him, as she surely will..."
"Someone else will swoop in and bewitch Henry while he's in that state of impulsivity, as he usually is when Marie pulls something like that," Charlie realized, only to tense up when he noticed the look at Kathy's face, "Thomas Boleyn has two daughters. I hear Henry has already bedded one, but the other, Anne, she's unmarried. She could easily swoop in and take that place."
"And she will," Kathy replied in a calm tone, leaning closer to her husband, "I've seen the way she parades herself around court. If Marie hadn't been around, Henry would have surely tried to bed her already. She's clearly ambitious, just like the rest of her family. She will try to be Queen and I fear she will succeed."
"Henry will tire of her," Charlie argued, shaking his head in disapproval, "He'll tire of her, just like he's tired of all the others. The only one he's never tired of is Marie. But that ship has sailed and sunk."
"Whatever happens, whatever you choose to do, Charlie..." She trailed off, moving to sit on the desk in front of him, "I'll stand by you, no matter what. I promise. We're in this together."
Charlie sighed, nodding his head in understanding. He grabbed onto her hand, pressing a kiss to it as they sat in silence together.