The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 53

December 5th,1540, Kingdom of Spain

Pov Henry

I paced anxiously through my rooms, waiting for the news from Lucrezia.

She suddenly disappeared at dinner and then I heard from her lady-in-waiting that she was in labor and was losing too much blood.

And to make matters worse I find out that Lucrezia was not 8 months pregnant but 9 months.

Had she lied to me or did she really not know?

What mattered, all I cared about now was the well-being of my child and that of Lucrezia, if anything should happen to him, and Lucrezia especially, I would go mad with grief.

In the last few years I've come to love Lucrezia more than I thought I could love her.

She was my everything, the mother of my children and the queen of my dreams.

She often reminded me of my own mother, Elizabeth of York.

My mother had been a perfect consort. She supported my father in everything and was always by his side. She was also a good mother who loved the children and tried to take care of them as much as possible.

Lucrezia loved my children, not only James and Arthur but Elizabeth and Edward. Catherine and Anne had never looked after my bastards.

No one was like Lucrezia.

And now I'm here to lose her any moment.

~

December 6th,1540,Kingdom of Spain
Pov Lucrezia

"One more time, Your Majesty." cried the midwife.

I sat up wearily. I had been in labor since the night of December 4. I had passed out several times from fatigue and had been pushing since early in the morning.

For two days I was here suffering the pain and I was sure my baby would not survive. It should be a miracle if the baby survived such a long labor.

I thought about what I should tell the kids when I was back in England. Anyway, they would notice that I didn't have a big belly anymore and would ask about their sibling.

How could I tell them their sibling was stillborn? It would break their world.

I squeezed one more time with all the strength I had left into my body and felt my body release itself from the child.

But the room remained silent, I heard no crying.

I looked with watery eyes at Isabella who had stayed with me the whole time. "It's dead isn't it?" I asked.

She said nothing and got up and walked over to the midwife who was carrying the silent baby in her hands and took it from her.

She placed the baby on the bed and rubbed its back.

"No..." I whispered as I burst into tears. "God I beg you help my baby, save my baby it deserves to be alive." I whispered.

Isabella still had the baby in her hands and I was beginning to give up hope.

It was over.

I had lost my first baby.

And it was my fault.

Suddenly I heard a faint cry and immediately looked up.

The doctor went straight to the bed and took the baby from Isabella and emptied her mouth.

"My God, the baby is alive." Clarice said standing next to the doctor. It's alive!"

I smiled as the tears continued to run down my cheeks.

The sound of the crying grew louder and louder, sounding more and more like the cry of a healthy, living baby.

The midwives rushed around the doctor and my ladies-in-waiting helped me wash and change the bed.

Isabella herself also left the room to wash and rest.

~

After I was washed and dressed in a clean nightgown, I was helped back into the made-up bed.

The midwives had left the room with the baby to feed the baby.

The door opened and Henry walked into the room. He immediately went to the bed and took a seat.

"You're fine." he said with teary eyes as he kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you too." I also said with tears in my eyes. "It was so scary Henry, I thought the baby was dead but Empress Isabella did something that brought the baby back to life."

"I am infinitely grateful to her then. She saved my wife and child." He said.

"Have you seen the baby yet? I don't even know what the gender is." I asked. He shook his head, "I don't know either. I couldn't even ask, I was too concerned about you."

I smiled and leaned against him as we waited for the midwife to return with the baby.

When the door opened again I saw Giulia walk in with a swaddled baby.

"I bring you your daughter." She placed the baby in my arms.

She was beautiful. She had the same red locks as Elizabeth and beautiful blue eyes. She was an real Tudor princess.

She was my princess.

"She's beautiful Henry, don't you think?"

Henry nodded emotionally. "She is beautiful, a real beauty just like her mother."

I smiled and looked at our daughter. "She has a bright future, I can already see that."

"Oh yeah? What do you see for her future?"

"She will be Queen of Spain, wife of Prince Philip. There is a reason she was born in Spain, her future is here. She came to life in Spain, in this palace. That must have been a sign from God."

Henry thought, "We can always change James and Joanna's marriage for Philip and our daughter, if Charles agrees."

I smiled." We'll call her Isabella, after the woman who saved her life. She will be Queen Isabella of Spain."

"Very good, Isabella it is then. Princess Isabella Tudor of England, Queen of Spain."