The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 44

August 27th, 1540, Greenwich Palace

I held my cross chain tight in my hands as I watched the doctors prepare their materials.

I had made the choice to have the bulge cut open, in the hope that everything would be fine, but now that I saw the different types of blades I started to doubt my choice.

One of the doctors turned to me."We're ready, maybe it's better if you look away." He said. I nodded "Do it."

Charles looked at me with concern. "Your Majesty, perhaps it is indeed better that you..."

"I stay. Get started." I interrupted him. The doctor nodded and they started cutting the bump open.

It was terrible to watch and I would have looked away if I could, but as the Queen I mustn't show any weakness. I simply couldn't.

It took the doctors a while to finish. When they were done, they bandaged the leg and covered it with the blanket.

"The next few hours will determine whether His Majesty will survive. If he gets through the day and night without a fever, the hope is quite high, but if he gets a fever or the wound ignites, I fear for his life." said the doctor as he gathered his things.

I felt myself stagger. "Thank you, you can go." said Charles. "Perhaps it is better if you rest too, Your Majesty. I'll stay here with the king and let you know if there's any change."

I sighed. "I'm staying too, I have to see with my own eyes that it's going to be okay otherwise I won't be able to rest." I sat down on a chair next to the bed. "Where's Cromwell? Why wasn't he here?" I asked.

Charles himself also took a seat next to me. "There are tensions in the north, we fear the northerners will revolt, but now that the king is unwell we can not act uppon it, at least everyone except Cromwell. He decided to take matters into his own hands and now rules the country now that the king is unwell. He has already made several decisions without the permission of the king in this matter."

I sighed again. Not only did we have the problem that France wants to go to war with us, but now we also have problems with our own people.

"I pray to God that all will be well and that the King will put Cromwell will soon be in his place. It is ridiculous that he should decide for himself what will happen, let alone that the other councilors should listen."

"Most councilors disagree with his choice. He wants to suppress and punish the northerners. He has already had several people executed and more people are getting angrier because of that." Charles replied. "Bad as it sounds, but I think this is exactly what we need to get rid of him." He whispered after it.

I looked at him questioningly. "How can this help us?"

"When the king wakes up again he will immediately be told what is going on in the north and how Cromwell has ruled the country. Now is just the right time to tell him about the fraud Cromwell has committed and the dozens of money he has made from the Nobels." he explained to me.

"In that way the king will become suspicious and perhaps banish him from court and take away his titles and land." I said.

"Precisely."

I looked at Henry who was still motionless in bed. "Then we must hope that the king awakens."