The White Rose

The Interview with the King, White Oaks Palace

There he was standing by the stair watching the other ladies going out to play at bat and balls or shuttlecocks, or bowls and pins. I curtseyed low to him, today dressed in a gown of deep green silk, again the green for the Queen's colours. The king dressed in a doublet of wine red velvet lifted me to my feet, "Lady Kathlynne." He said, his merry eyes twinkling so, "Majesty." I said not daring to curtsey again even though my knees were quaking to do so. "Are you enjoying life at court?" "Oh yes my king." I said breathlessly. For though a man more than twice my age still was strong and vigorous. this would not be like the king before him old before his time. "Are you glad that I sent for you myself?" He asked next, "Oh majesty you do me Honour, such a low woman of birth common." "You are the daughter of a Baron no?" He asked next, "Yes Majesty of course but my mother." "You are not your mother." He says quickly. "No majesty i am not." I say head bowed demurely, He brightens at this, "I f I were a young man." He says looking me up and down like a person gone to market to gawp at wares. Another head bow at this. "what is he thinking?" I ask myself but force my attention upon him again as he asks, "Do you like to ride?" "Yes Majesty." "Do you hunt?" "I do your Majesty." I say, "What is he thinking?" I ask myself again. I notice that courtiers and pages and guards are all standing around looking at us, their eyes surveying us with veiled looks.
The king reaches out an arm to me and I am stunned. Why would he the king want me on his arm. the countess of Ailshum has come out of the chamber where-we have all been serving the queen and curtseys deeply before the king, "Lady Ailshum." He says putting his arm back, the picture of kingly dignity. I take this opportunity to fall back among the other court ladies to watch, "the Queen is in her time." She says.
Just as she says this the bells peal throughout the palace and I am certain down into the city as well. the King nods and gravely clasps his hands together and bows. this is the sign before the gods to say that it is their will what happens. "I will go to pray before the Gods." He says, "But I must clear my head first." the countess only bows her head for he has not permitted her to rise. "Lady Kathlynne will come with me to ride." there are smothered gasps from the courtiers all up and down the hall at this for should he not be in his chamber praying? Another bow from the countess's head at that, "you may go." He says then crooks his finger at me. The countess gives a slight nod. the courtiers all give me pitying looks as I pass by on his arm. They know. She knows that this is not my wish. They know as she knows that the king's will is-the king's will and if he calls for anyone to ride with him that they must dance to his tune.
We enter the stable yard and the servants jump to get his horse and when I say i have nine he calls for a white mare for me. then placing his hand on the mare he says quite loudly so no one mistakes it, "this is a gift from me to Lady Kathlynne." I bow my head, face flaming with embarrassment. He helps me to mount her and we are off riding in the park nearby.
"Thank you Majesty." I say softly as the horses move through the manicured bushes, the trees artfully pruned, the flowers lovingly planted. "It dismay wish to gift you with such." He says simply. Then with the mercurial mood of a king he asks, "Do you hawk as well?" "Yes back home I have a bird." "But he was given to my brother as he is heir." I say, "Ah then we shall go hawking together soon, and I shall gift you with a bird." I blush at this, "Majesty you are too generous." "I am the king." He says simply, "I do what i please." I nod and he says, "How good a rider are you Lady Kathlynne?" "I am a good rider Majesty." With that he spurs his horse forward into a gallop and I follow. The thunder of horses of guards follow us.
We come back flushed from the spring air and the exercise. He lowers me to the ground as the sun sets and says, "that was lovely." "It was indeed." I said with a laugh, "But now we must pray." We are entering the chapel when a servant comes forward bowing low. His face is filled with grief. the King looks staggered at this, "What?" He asks, "It is the Queen." "She is failing, and the babe, it is said, is also failing." "The death priests have been summoned."
I stand there frozen like a block of ice. I was riding with the king and here his wife is dying. The king nods curtly to the servant.  He sees me, white to the skin, as pale as a snowdrift. He takes my hand warmly, "Lady ." He says kindly, "Do not worry yourself so." "You have done nothing wrong." "You have pleased your king, which is as it should be for any servant-of the kingdom." I nod and remember myself, "Yes your majesty." "So we will pray together, asking the Gods for their will." We kneel as the Priest began the opening steps to the rites of reflection.
We rose after the rites and the king said, "i shall have to leave you, and you should join the others." He looks to the servants, "I will dine in my chambers tonight." With that he leaves, boots thudding on the marble floors.

Countess Briana Countess of Ailshum, Queen's Chambers. White Oaks Palace.
The young girls have gone from the chamber as we ladies await the birth of an heir. the king wouldn't care if it were a girl if it lived at this-point. It was my fear that I'd said that to poor little Kathlynne. But he wants an heir. the Queen suddenly rises from her bed, and I  take it in turn with lady Rutland to walk the rooms with her. She pauses, then her waters give in a puddle-on the straw covering the-floor for just-this purpose. I nod to one of the servants who rushes forward to clean that spot. We are all women together. We have all laboured and brought forth pain into the world. Many of us have lost a child in the womb or out of it. We have all felt the pain and humiliation. Queen or beggar every woman in Wyngaard lets her waters fall upon the straw. Everywoman has squatted down to kneel in the rushes to labor and birth.
We change her immediately into a loose gown made for such purposes. Her first cries are genteel, soft and nearly audible among the other whispering nervous ladies. But soon enough her cries are louder. She waves at me to sit her down. But soon she is up again pacing. "I can't." She says, "I can't go any more." I exchange a worried look with the other women. This is only her seventh hour and she is already weakening. "Call the healer, the Priests." I say. One of the Duchesses is her, higher ranked than I but she too is with child, in her first bloom of it. She nods to me effectively giving me full rank and power in this. Me who has born my own lord five sons and two daughters. How comes it that I, a woman in her forties has succeeded in bearing my beloved lord husband seven children and survived them all but she can nearly survive this?
We hear that the king has gone riding with Lady Kathlynne, and then to the chapel to pray. We are surrounded by priests and incense and the queen lies groaning on her bed from time to time. "She fades fast." Says one of the midwife healers. Suddenly there is a flurry of activity, the baby is out but blue. The queen is fading fast. "Gods." I pray, the Queen is weakening. "She will be dead soon." said the head priest, "Gods give her a peaceful death."
"Eldygande!" She says loudly, "Eldygande!" I exchange a look with the priest who leaves, returning with the king. He is grief stricken at the sight of her. "Eldygande." She says again, "I am here my love." He says. He holds her hand as she takes a few laboured breaths, then in the wee hours dies.