The Serpent Queen

30. The Scottish Alliance

16th of January, 1536, Paris

Madeleine walked into the cathedral on her father's arm to the singing of the choir. She was dressed in the dark blue velvet dress she had had made weeks earlier in front of her sisters and stepmother.

Madeleine looked anxiously at the group of people gathered in the cathedral and at her husband, who stood at the front of the chapel with the archbishop.

She had looked back on this day for days. The day she would get married and have to leave her family.

She clung even tighter to her father's arm. Francis smiled at his daughter and placed his hand reassuringly on hers.

From the moment Madeleine married James she would be Queen of Scotland. She would be the first woman of the court, after her stepmother, and would be allowed to stand in front at official occasions.

Arriving at the altar, she released herself from her father's arm and placed her hand in James' open hand.

Her father whispered something to James to which he nodded and then sat next to Eleanor in the front of the chapel.

"Kneel, children." said the archbishop. Madeleine and James knelt down on the prie-dieu and the Archbishop began the nuptial mass.

After a mass that seemed like ages for Madeleine, they stood up and said their vows to each other.

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Back at the palace, Madeleine changed into a new dress. This time it was a red velvet dress with dark brown fur around the hem. It had small lilies embroidered on it that were barely visible to a distant person.

They sat in the middle of the dais at the long table where the royal couples of the French and English royal houses also sat.

Her siblings, including her sister-in-law Catherine, sat at the shorter tables.

The musicians played a happy tune and the hall was noisy. There was a pleasant mood around the room causing Madeleine to relax a little.

She looked at her new husband who was talking to her father. She and James had spoken little after the ceremony. They couldn't do anything else, of course, because as soon as they arrived at the palace, Madeleine was taken by her ladies-in-waiting to her rooms to change again.

She turned her gaze to the table below her where her siblings were laughing happily together. Madeleine wondered what they was laughing at. She wished she could sit with them so she could laugh with them.

Catherine, seeing Madeleine's wandering gaze, smiled at her, then stood up and walked over to her table.

Catherine sank into a brief curtsy. "You look lovely dear sister." Catherine complimented her as she faced her. She ignored the look of the English king burning on her belly.

"Thank you, Catherine, your too look beautiful." She looked at Catherine's pink dress. The color looked good on Catherine and made her look soft.

Catherine was known to dress only in colors that made her shine, often light, soft colors. Black didn't suit her; she then looked paler and immediately radiated sadness. Dark colors made her almost unnoticeable.

"How does the Queen experience the party so far?" Madeleine smiled at the word queen. She was still getting used to being queen and barely realized it herself.

"I'm glad everyone seems to be having a good time." she replied with a smile. Catherine rolled her eyes. "I want to know how you are doing, not the rest of the people present. I remember very well that I was very nervous during my wedding, even after I had made my vows and was officially married,"she leaned forward a little,her belly touching the table, towards Madeleine's ear. "Are you nervous about tonight?"

Madeleine shook her head. She had heard enough from the married women around her that she was sure she couldn't be surprised by the wedding night.

"Very good then. I'll sit back with your siblings, it looks like dinner is about to be served." Catherine curtsied again and returned to her seat at her table.

As Catherine mentioned, food was served soon after. The kitchens had done their best to put the best meat on their tables. There were also pies, vegetables and desserts, each meal as tasty as it could be.

After dinner, there was plenty of dancing. Madeleine and James opened the first dance and were soon surrounded by the others dancing.

Henri was also on the dance floor, dancing with one of the Guise sisters, when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

He looked over his shoulder and a smile soon appeared on his face at the sight of the person who had tapped him.

He freed himself from the hands of the Guise lady and turned to the woman behind him. "My Lady Diane." He greeted her.

Diane de Poitiers curtsied. "My Duke of Orleans. I am glad to see you again." The older lady said with a smile.

"Likewise, you have been long absent from court, madam. I hope you are all right?" He walked Diane to the side of the room where they weren't disturbed by the dancing people.

"I felt it was time to take my rest from court and retired to my own estates. Now I'm tired of the rest and I miss the court, so I asked the queen again for a place at her court." She smiled.

Henry smiled back. "And your daughters: Francoise and Louise?" Henry asked curiously "Soon they will visit court, I hope to find them a place in the court of your younger sister, the Queen of Scots."

"I am sure the Queen will be pleased to have your daughters as ladies-in-waiting. I just wonder if you could handle having your daughters so far away from you?"

Diane's look changed briefly to a sad face and then she smiled. "When one has daughters, he or she is already preparing for the loss they will experience in the future," she glanced quickly at Catherine, who was sitting at the table further down the room and seemed to be talking to one of her ladies-in-waiting. "I see your wife is pregnant? God bless, that's wonderful news. I hope you are blessed with a son so that you will never have to feel the pain of having daughters."

Henry smiled. "My wife and I both pray for a healthy child. We will be happy with any gender. If the first is a girl, the second will probably be a boy."

Diane nodded once. "A healthy child is indeed more important than a child with the desired gender. If you'll excuse me, I want to greet the king."

Henry nodded. "Go ahead, Lady Diane." Diane curtsied, then walked over to the table where the kings and queens sat. Henri himself returned to the table at which his wife was sitting.

Catherine smiled at him as he sat down next to her. "Has my husband had a nice time dancing?" she asked kindly. "I have, but I am tired now and will like to sit with you." Henry smiled at her and briefly placed his hand on her stomach to which the baby responded and kicked his hand.

"I wish I could start dancing too, but I'll have to wait a few more months I guess," she stroked her belly with her hand. "I have just received an invitation from the Queen of England; if I would like to come to her apartment tomorrow afternoon with the Duchess of Longueville. Should I accept it?"

Henry thought briefly. "Yes, I think that's fine, if you refuse you risk her getting offended."

Catherine nodded. "Very well then, I will accept it then." She gestured to her own lady-in-waiting Camilla and asked her to pass on her answer to Kings Anne's lady-in-waiting.

Henri and Catherine watched the people dancing in front of them together. They greeted the people who came to their table for a chat and laughed with his siblings.

The evening went well and everyone had a good time.

After a while, Madeleine rose from her chair with Queen Eleanor, which meant it was time for her to get ready for the wedding night. Catherine also rose from her chair to follow them into the room.

Henri and Francis shared a look. They had to be present at their sister's wedding night. Something they both did not want to.

Francis poured a glass of wine for them both. "If we have to attend this, we'd better be drunk, shouldn't we?"

Henry nodded. "You are absolutely right Francis." He took a long sip of his wine.