The Other Henry VIII

A Spanner in the Works

It had all panned out rather nicely, Diana decided. She had sent for Louisa Bradley, who had arrived looking radiant and cautiously accepted her husband's apology. Anna, however, watched them leave with a sour look on her face.

"I poured out my heart to you, and you have crushed it in your palm like it was nothing!"she had cried shrilly at Diana. "That wretched woman doesn't deserve Edward!"

"She does, Anna Talbot, she does,"replied Diana smoothly, shaking her head at the servants who were about to make for Anna. "And after all—wouldn't you prefer if he was to be content instead of displeased?"

"Is that your idea of love then?"
"No, but it certainly seems to be yours."

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING YOU—"began Anna, but she was grabbed by the wrists and tugged away from Diana by the surrounding servants, who had apparently decided she was dangerous.

Diana, on the other hand, resisted the impending urge to shout back a sharp retort and stood rather still as Anna was pulled out (shouting threats as she went). She wasn't sure how she managed to contain herself, but it proved to be possible after all.

Meanwhile, Catherine slipped away unnoticed from the scene and strode carefully down to where the Duke of Norfolk was rifling carelessly through some small cases with the remaining members of the Privy Council.

"My Lord, may I speak with you?"asked Catherine quietly as all the eyes turned to her.
Sensing the urgency in Catherine's manner, her uncle rose and joined her in a small chamber nearby.
"So what is so important that you had to interrupt my meeting with the Privy Council?"he asked irritably.

Catherine recounted the conversation between Anna and Diana slowly, watching her grandfather's calculated expression.

"It seems,"he said finally after a few thoughtful minutes, "that our little Queen is getting rather good at having her way."

"And do you approve, My Lord?"asked Catherine carefully.

"Well, it is some improvement,"he replied. "Considering the last time we encountered her she was standing stupidly in the sun with not a care in the world."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10th May 1521
Henry's POV
The war has gone well.
I am sitting tiredly in my tent, resting from our recent battle with the Scots after winning an easy battle 40,000 men to 15,000. My secretary Robert Mansfield has written a letter to London so that Margaret can organise a grand ball, banquet and parade to celebrate my victory.

I sift through papers reporting the latest on the borders (in case the Scots try to sneak in), my head spinning in exhaustion. It is bad enough that I have been away from my court this long, considering that I shall not sire a much-needed son while out on this battlefield, but I also hear that Margaret's son Henry is growing healthy and strong while my daughter Esther is turning sickly as the weather becomes warm. I do not wish to hand over my kingdom to my silly sister and brother-in-law's son, a boy conceived in exile, but if my wife keeps having girls I fear that I must do this.

Life would indeed be a great deal easier if my poor son George had not perished, but I, the King of England was unlucky enough to lose his wife and son in the same week. It is a curse.

Perhaps when I return to court, Diana will give me the son that she has been promising for four years and I can finally feel secure on my throne.

The Wars of the Roses took place because there were too many heirs.
But now, there are so few that I am wondering if the country will be in turmoil simply because I failed to produce a male heir.

"Your Majesty!" calls a voice from outside my tent.

"Yes?"I reply tiredly, not looking up from my makeshift table.

"Your Majesty, a note of great importance has reached us from Her Highness's court."

I sigh, turning to Mr Mansfield with a bored expression. "I am waiting."

A bead of sweat trickles down his forehead. "His Grace the Duke of Richmond is reported to be ill."

"Mr Mansfield, you know I don't keep track of my unimportant dukes. Suffolk and Norfolk are all I need. Who is the Duke of Richmond, then?"

"Her Highness has recently made her son the Duke of Richmond and her husband is now the Earl of Rochford instead of a Baron, Your Majesty..."

"Yes, Margaret would do that..."I answer, waving Mansfield away. So Margaret has made my namesake a Duke and he is sick... I have mixed feelings about this, because as much as I want a Tudor heir to sit on the throne after me, I want to be my Tudor heir. I want him to be my son. However I would much prefer for Margaret's little bastard (I assume that Henry is a bastard, considering the size he was born at compared with the months Margaret carried him for) to fall ill after I have produced a healthy male heir.

I wonder... is a bastard from me a better heir than a questionably pure-born child from my sister?