Festina Lente

Chapter Sixteen: The Pope in France

18th of February 1531 - Paris, France

Stepping out of the carriage, Catherine de' Medici dressed in her finery couldn't help but feel nervous as she took in the French court that had gathered to greet her upon her arrival from Rome alongside Pope Clement. 

It had come as a great surprise to her when he had surged forward in arranging her marriage to Prince Henri; he had insisted that it was for her own good but she didn't quite believe him. 

Clarice's extended absence had been hard not to notice and Catherine found herself wishing that she had been able to travel with her cousin to England; she had hated being left behind with Clement. 

The two cousins had always been close and Catherine didn't have to guess to know why Clement had asked Clarice to go to England; she was also not surprised when Clarice had failed to do that. 

One of the many things that Catherine admired about Clarice was her kindness, she didn't have it in her to be any man's mistress nor would she be able to seduce a King from his lover. 

The news that Katherine of Aragon had been found to be a liar and traitor to the English crown and the Archbishop of Canterbury had annulled the marriage when Clement returned to his watch and see habit. 

Watching Clement introduce himself to King Francis, Catherine lingered just behind him allowing her eyes to scan the Princes that were stood behind King Francis. 

One of them was to be her husband and Catherine was sure that he was just as pleased as she was with the match; they were both being pushed into this especially considering the expensive dowry that Clement had promised the French King for her hand. 

"May I present Catherine de' Medici," Clement stated stepping back to show her off, a forced smile on his face knowing that all his best laid plans had gone out of the window once Ippolito and Clarice had betrayed him to the English King. 

With each passing day he got reports that King Henry was pulling away from Rome and towards the teaching of the heretic Martin Luthor. 

A man that had once defended the Catholic Faith, now was turning against it and it's teachings; King Henry had been heard loudly stating that he found the Catholic church to be corrupt and was ordering investigations into the clergy.

"Your Majesty," Catherine said curtsying to Francis, she recalled the last time that she visited the French Court having come with Clarice as her guest; she had been treated with respect and had enjoyed how unstifling the court was compared to Rome. 

Now things felt very different and Catherine was under no illusion that things for her were going to change; she would be the Duchess of Orléans. 

"It is a pleasure to have you here with us, Madam de' Medici. I trust you shall be most comfortable here," King Francis told her, he stepped forward to take her hand and offered her a reassuring smile. 

There was no denying that his son had been far from pleased to hear that he was to marry Catherine, he had hoped for a more adventitious marriage especially since he had little hope of becoming King. 

"Allow me to introduce my son, Prince Henri the Duke of Orléans," King Francis said introducing Catherine to the man that would become her husband in two years' time. 

She had been brought to France to adjust to the court and if possible, to secure an even better alliance with England now that King Henry had Ippolito as an advisor and Clarice was set to marry into the Boleyn family. 

A part of King Francis had regretted his actions in agreeing to stripe Clarice of her birth right at Clement's orders for disobeying him but he was proud of what his dear cousin had accomplished while she was in England.