The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 56

December 15th, 1540, Greenwich Palace

"Mother, Father!" I heard the kids yell as we walked into the nursery.

I knelt on the floor and held my arms open to hug the children.

"Oh James, Arthur come here let your mother hug you." The boys ran into my arms and I kissed them both. "My golden boys I have missed you." I whispered in their ears. I broke free from the embrace. "Edward come here so I can hug you too.". I kissed Edward on the top of his head. "You don't have a big belly anymore, Lady Mother." Edward noted.

"You got that right my boy." said Henry. I got up and walked over to the nanny holding Isabella in her arms and took her from her.

I sat down on the chair. "Children come and meet your new sister, Isabella." The children gathered around me and looked at their little sister.

The boys seemed unimpressed with Isabella. "It is a girl." Arthur noted. "Yes indeed, aren't you happy about that?" Henry asked with a laugh.

"I like it, but she's so small." said James. "In time she will grow and you can play with each other." Henry replied. He continued talking to the boys and I gave the baby back to the nanny.

"Where is the Lady Elizabeth?" I asked. "She is walking with the lady Mary, my lady." said one of the nannies. I nodded and grabbed Henry's hand. "Let's go Henry, let's get the kids back to their studies. Little Isabella needs to sleep and you must be tired from the journey too, there's so much we still have to arrange."

Henry smiled. "Very well, we'll see you later." He said. I patted the boys' heads and then walked out of the room with Henry.

A few hours later, when I had rested and freshened up and changed I took a seat in my audience room.

My ladies-in-waiting Catherine Carey and Catherine Howard had gathered around me. I had sent my other ladies-in-waiting: Giulia, Bianca, and Clarice to their own quarters so that they could rest and alert my younger ladies-in-waiting to me.

When we went on a trip I chose to leave them here so they could have time to visit their families again.

"The Lady Mary and the Lady Elizabeth!" I heard the footman yell as the door opened.

Elizabeth came into the room and when she saw me they immediately ran into my arms. "Lady Mother!" she cried happily. "My daughter Elizabeth, my beautiful girl. How are you? Have you done your best with your studies?" I said kissing her cheeks.

Lady Mary and Elizabeth's governess, Cat Astley, came running into the room and made a curtsy. "She certainly did her best in school. Tell the Queen how well you speak French now." said Mary.

"Oui, madame ma mère, j'appris a parlé le française." said Elizabeth proudly. I smiled "very well Elizabeth, I'm proud of you. Once you master French you can learn Spanish, which ties in well with our new Spanish alliance."

Mary looked surprised. "A Spanish alliance?" I nodded. "Yes, Charles and your father will soon be working together against the French and Turks. Also, the alliance will be linked to a marriage between the prince phillip and your younger sister Isabella. By the way, have you been able to meet Isabella yet?"

"Yeah, she has hair like me and Edward. I'm so happy to have a younger sister." said Elizabeth enthusiastically. "She is a beautiful infant. I am happy that she will follow in her godmother's steps and also be Queen of Spain. I am also happy that my father is giving Spain another chance." Mary said, I could hear sadness in her voice, probably because her younger sister had been married before her.

I smiled at Elizabeth. "You're going to play, Mary and I have some things to discuss."

Elizabeth nodded and made a curtsy before walking away with her governess cat Astley.

"Is something wrong, madam?" Mary asked concerned. I motioned for her to sit opposite me. When she was seated, I began to speak. "Mary, you are 23 years old and still unmarried. I thought maybe it was time for you to get married." I said cautiously, my ladies-in-waiting were still near us and I didn't want them to know about our plan.

Mary looked shocked. "I don't want to get married."

"Don't you want to have your own children and have a good marriage?" I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders. "Mary, we only want the best for you, you know that, right?"

She looked at me incomprehension. "Who is 'we'?"

I bit my lip. "The King and I." I lied. "If so, I assume that the king has already chosen someone for me and that I have no further choice in the matter." She said.

"The king doesn't know I'm talking about this. He doesn't know anything about the fact that we're talking about a possible marriage, and I suggest you don't tell him about this."

"But you just said that the king and you..."

"Empress Isabella and I." I interrupted her. "She came up with the idea. It was she who felt sorry for you and asked me to discuss this with you."

She still looked at me with incomprehension. "Why should she care whether I get married or not." "She's your cousin, she wants to see you happy, just as much as I want to see you happy." I sighed. "Should I discuss it with the king, yes or no? Say yes and I'll take the subject to His Majesty and you'll soon be married, say no and I'll never mention it again."

Mary thought for a moment. "Even if I say yes, what are the chances that the king would accept it, how can you persuade him. How can you persuade him to let me marry a true Catholic and not a Luther or Protestant?"

I smiled briefly. "The king's love ensures that I can ask him anything."

"The king only loves you because you have given him two sons." She said. I looked at her startled, I had not expected those words from her.

"Excuse me?"

"My father loved my mother when my brother was alive, then she had a daughter and then that same love disappeared. My father loved Anne Boleyn when she was pregnant with Elizabeth because he thought she would give him a son, when Elizabeth was born that love disappeared again. He loved Jane when they had Edward and then loved you when you had James. He loved Jane until Arthur was born because now you have two sons. Do you think if Jane, or anyone else, has more sons than you, he'll still love you?" She looked at me. I felt the tears prick my eyes. Not because of what she said but because she said it to me.

"My father only loves himself and his sons and if you think he loves you then you are a fool." She continued.

I looked at her intently, again in control of my emotions. "You know Mary, forget what I told you. Stay the miserable woman you are, you'll never get a marriage. You may go."

She looked at me hurt. "Majesty...".

"Go!" I raised my voice. My ladies-in-waiting in the corner of the room looked up from their embroidery, curious about the sound.

Mary stood and made a curtsy before rushing out of the room.

I also got up from my chair and went to my bedroom. "I don't want to be disturbed."