The Serpent Queen

15. Margaret of Navarre

October 28th, 1533
Chateau de Fontainebleau, France

"No, give me that blue dress." she said as she threw the dress she was holding on the floor.

She could hear her ladies-in-waiting sigh and she glared at them all. When Francoise approached her with a blue dress but not the dress she wanted.

She pulled the dress from Francoise's hands. "Not this dress!" she cried angrily. "Laura, Camilla, get a blue dress!"

Francoise rolled her eyes. She was completely out of touch with the pampered Duchess's behavior. She walked to the audience room.

Camilla hurried to her closet and pulled out a simple blue dress with white lace. She took it for Catherine, whose face now appeared with a satisfied smile.

"This is just the dress I needed." She felt herself calm and looked across the room.

Seeing the mess she'd made in the past half hour made her feel guilty. After all, it would be her ladies in waiting who had to clean it up again.

"I'm sorry for the mess. My nerves loved me. I'll help you clean up later, promise." She smiled shamefully at her ladies-in-waiting. "It's alright duchess." said Marie. She helped Catherine put on her dress. Then Catherine sat down at her dressing table where her hair was tucked into an Italian chignon by Camilla.

Catherine was to meet the Queen Margaret of Navarre today and she was nervous. She'd heard so much about the Queen that the thought of her alone was terrifying. She had never felt so nervous about meeting another woman.

She'd already changed into a different dress three times that morning, and it had made her and her ladies-in-waiting anxious.

It was only today that her new ladies-in-waiting had become acquainted with Catherine's temperament, only Laura knew how to calm Catherine down.

"Do I look good?" She asked uncertainly to her ladies-in-waiting when they had finished preparing her. She looked at herself in the mirror and nervously picked at her dress.

Laura moved behind her and placed her face next to hers. "You look beautiful Nanita.".

Catherine smiled at Laura and took her hand.

Francoise walked into the room. "The Queen has arrived." she announced. Catheeine nodded and took a few deep breaths in and out. "Shall we go?" she asked her ladies-in-waiting.

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Arriving in the throne room, she joined the line Henri and his siblings had formed next to the thrones of the king and queen.

She glanced briefly at Henri, who was talking to the Dauphin Francis. He looked totally oblivious to Catherine.

"Good morning husband." She tried to get his attention anyway. Henri didn't respond.

Catherine sighed. She had at least tried.

They had been in Fontainebleau for three days, and despite the fact that their rooms were close together, she had hardly seen her husband.

She had had breakfast alone in her room the last few days. She ate her lunch and dinner with her sister-in-law Madeleine, in whom she had found a loyal friend.

It had also been Madeleine who had told her about her aunt's arrival and what to expect from her.

Her ladies-in-waiting Marie and Jacqueline had also tried to inform her as best they could, but they had heard of her more often than they had ever seen her.