The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 16

June 23rd, 1537, Westminster Palace

All night I screamed in pain until my body gave up. I experienced the contractions without making a sound, I couldn't do it anymore, my body was too tired.

The next morning the contractions started to get more intense and painful and the midwives told me to push.

"Aaah!" I screamed as I pushed "God help me!"

"I see the head, keep pushing madam." cried the midwife. "Ahhh!"

I felt myself getting lightheaded as I squeezed for the last time. I felt the child leave my body and felt a flattest relief.

The room was filled with the sound of a strong cry. "What is it?" I asked directly.

Giulia sitting next to me tried to look at the baby the midwife had taken to the bowl of water to wash the child.

"What is it?" I asked shrilly as I sat up straight, I immediately felt a burning pain between my legs but ignored the feeling. "Give my child right now."

The midwife looked at me with a smile as she walked over to me with the baby in her arms and placed in my arms.

"You have a son, a beautiful healthy son." She said.

A smile broke out on my face and I felt myself relaxed. "I have a son." I whispered softly, I looked at giulia who was still sitting next to me "I did it."

She smiled emotionally. "Yes, you did it." She looked up at the midwives, chambermaids, and ladies-in-waiting in the room. "Clean it up here and help the queen bathe. When that is done you inform the king of the birth of his son." she commanded.

~

After I was bathed and dressed in a clean nightgown, my chambermaids helped me into the clean bed. My swaddled son was placed in my arms again.

I looked at his face. He still had his eyes closed. His dark brown hair sat straight on his head.

I could immediately see that this child had inherited many of my Italian traits.

My bedroom door slammed open and Henry came running into the room. He stopped briefly in front of the bed and looked at me.

"Come Henry, meet your son" I said smiling. He came walking next to the bed and carefully took our son in his arms.

"Is he healthy?" he asked me. "As healthy as he could be. He drank well from the nurse, they said, and he has a strong cry."

He nodded blissfully and kissed our son on the forehead. "I've been thinking about a name for our son but I'm still torn between the names Charles, James, Henry and Edmund. I named Edward Edward because I wasn't sure if you would have a son."

I felt offended by the last sentence but decided to ignore it. "You have already had two sons named Henry, I am afraid it will be confusing to name our son shortly after the passing of the second Henry, perhaps the next son. We still have time to name him, your majesty, until his baptism at least."

He nodded in agreement "I'll think about it but for now you have to rest, I heard it was a hard delivery."

I nodded, "I am indeed exhausted."

Henry stayed a little longer and then left for his own quarters to get ready for the festivities he had organized on behalf of the birth. From my bedroom I could even hear the music and laughter.

Writers note~ Which name do you like best: Henry (Harry), James (Jaime, will get confusing as the story progresses), Charles (Charlie). Other suggestions are welcome.