The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 52

December 4th, 1540, Kingdom of Spain

When I awoke a few hours later, my ladies-in-waiting helped me get ready for the evening.

They put me in a burgundy red dress and put my hair up in a neat bun.

I continued to have a painful feeling in my stomach but decided not to say anything so as not to worry my ladies-in-waiting and Henry.

Knowing Henry, he will immediately make sure that I go back to England for fear that something will happen to me or the baby.

I couldn't let that happen. I could finally increase my role as his consort, I couldn't miss the opportunity.

"I can see there's something wrong with you Lucrezia, what is it?" Giulia whispered as she put on my jewelry. Clarice and Bianca were far away from us and couldn't hear a thing.

"It's nothing giulia, I just have stitches in my stomach, but I'll be fine. I'm probably just too tense and miss my kids too much." I whispered as I took the earrings from her and put them in my ears myself.

"Do you think there is a chance that you will give birth?" she asked concerned. "Of course not Giulia. Come it's time to go, walk with me." I said without looking at her and walked out of the room towards Henry's rooms.

Henry had just come out of his room and together we walked, followed by the courtiers we had brought with us from England, to the palace dining room where Charles and Isabella were already seated with some of their chief courtiers.

When the food was served and the background music was played, everyone started chatting with each other. Henry was talking to Charles and I was talking to Isabella.

She told me about her childhood in Portugal and when she first arrived in Spain. She also talked about her early years of her marriage.

I listened carefully to her and also told about my own childhood and the early years of my marriage.

I noticed that in Isabella I found a friend whom I could trust, as if I had known her for years. I looked up to her as she assisted her husband as a consort while also making sure her children were well.

I had to admit that I wanted to be like her, but the question was whether I could handle it.

Suddenly I felt a sharp twinge in my stomach. The pain was so bad I felt like I couldn't breathe. As if my whole stomach could burst open at any moment.

I had to get out of here. I had to lie down or something.

"If you'll excuse me." I got up without waiting for their response and walked straight out of the room with Giulia behind me, but when I got to the hallway I had to cling to the wall.

I bit my lip, the pain was too intense for me.

"Lucrezia! What is it?" Giulia yelled startled as she hurried over to me and supported me.

"I'm in so much pain Giulia, so much pain. Help me to the room." I lamented.

She nodded and we walked to the room. Suddenly I felt another sharp stab and slumped to the floor.

I screamed, it hurt terribly. I put my hands around my stomach and moaned in pain again.

"Help the queen! the baby is coming! She's bleeding!" I heard giulia calling. I felt shocked under the skirt of my dress and then held my hand above my face

Blood.

I was losing my baby that's why I got those stings all this time. I could have saved my baby but I didn't.

"Giulia...my baby." I said weakly. "Everything will be fine yes, everything will be fine yes." Giulia tried to reassure me.

Several people came running up the hall and I felt myself being lifted up.

"Giulia, tell Henry." I said. She looked at me doubtfully. "I can't leave you alone."

"Clarice and Bianca are in the room, warn Henry now!"

Giulia nodded and ran in the opposite direction as I was taken to my room where Bianca and Clarice immediately turned towards me.

I was dressed in my nightgown and helped onto the bed while the midwives rushed into the room and started getting everything ready.

The room door opened again and Giulia came running into the room with Queen Isabella and a doctor chasing her.

"Lucrezia, is everything okay. I brought a doctor with me, he has helped me in all my deliveries and is excellent. I will stay here with you and support you." she said as she sat down at the bed and took my hand.

"God help me." I pleaded in a whisper as the doctor examined me. He whispered something to the midwives, who looked up in shock.

"What is going on?" I asked startled as I looked concerned at Isabella. "Your Majesty, something is wrong here. You say you are 8 months pregnant and due at the end of January but I can clearly see here that you are really nine months pregnant, in fact you already showed signs of giving birth. but you are bleeding too profusely and I am afraid that the bleeding will kill you"

"My God." I groaned from the sudden contraction I got. "Will the baby survive?"

The doctor looked at me with pity. "I can not promise anything. What is most important to me now is that you survive this and that I can stop the bleeding." He turned back to the midwives and gave them some clues.

I held out my hand to giulia. "Giulia, if I don't survive this I want you to take care of my children, I entrust them to you." The tears ran down my cheeks.

Tears ran down her cheeks too "Everything will be fine with you, you will survive this."

"Promise it!"

She nodded."I promise, Lucrezia."

I turned to Isabella who still had my hand in hers. "Please pray for me and my child as we will need it."