Empire of Dreams

*39*

The days that followed were a struggle. Mary was upset that Kathyrn, so younger than her, was married while she wasn't. Aunt Catherine had predicted such an outburst in her most recent letter, but when the wedding day passed unceremoniously, everyone assumed she was not hurt. Now Mary was at Westenhanger with Aunt Catherine while Elizabeth had taken off to France for some convention of the French Cartographers' Society. 

I was left alone in Greenwich with an extremely sick Edward. Libitina tried her best to contain his illness, but it seemed whatever was Edward's illness had come back three times as stronger. He coughed aggressively in front of his ministers that morning in the court and the whole court was now busy making assumptions. Is he going to die? Poor child, the crown was too much for him. But none of his heirs are married, who will inherit the throne? Will it be Mary, as she is the oldest? What of his cousin then? 

The rumour mill was at work, but I was busy assisting Libitina. Edward's face was pale, the colour drained from it as if the nectar from a flower. At the age of merely 15, he looked like he was a century old. His body was shrivelling as if life was being sucked out of it. After a week of hoping he would improve, I sent letters to everyone of importance about his condition.

Mary moved into the palace immediately and Elizabeth returned two days after that. Meanwhile, both Aunt Catherine and Queen Anne tended to Edward. Mary couldn't say anything but she sobbed uncontrollably. My mother soon arrived with some foreign doctors who at last recognised the disease. 

"It is consumption" the French doctor my mother had brought gravely said in a hushed voice outside Edward's room.

"It cannot possibly be! I would have known!" Libitina confidently protested. After all, she was a learned doctor, she couldn't be mistaken so easily.

"What do you suggest then, honourable lady?" The doctor asked mockingly, clearly upset at being contradicted. 

"It would perhaps be better if we heard out the actual doctor, dear. After all, this is the question of the King's health" My mother interrupted unapologetically.

Before Libitina defended herself, I replied instead, "She was employed to look after the king when the other doctors here could not and she is a real doctor"

Libitina quickly shot me a grateful look. "I think the king's kidney is damaged due to some kind of blood infection he has"

"You mean to suggest there is something wrong with the royal blood? the king's blood? I don't think you understand what this implies! You are questioning God's chosen!" My mother overreacted as usual, but she wasn't entirely wrong. Even such a childish excuse could be used by traitors and schemers to remove Edward from the throne. There needed to be some solution to clear this mess. 

Once Edward was informed, his first step was to update the succession, but what he did was not only shocking but also very unfair. He removed both Mary and Elizabeth from the line of succession, leaving the throne in my favour. It was what I had feared and it caused a rift unlike any other. There was screaming, crying and a lot of accusations. Both Mary and Elizabeth went to stay at Westenhanger while here at the palace Edward vomited a mixture of some blackish substance with blood which puzzled the doctor and Libitina. 

After continuous disagreements with Libitina, the doctor soon returned to his homeland but he wasn't going to rest easy without revenge so he told everyone in France how weak the King of England. By the end of the month though, he started to look miraculously better. He asked for a tour in the country to be arranged and his orders were followed, but it was soon realised that he wasn't getting any better, his body was swelling up. 

The whole thing was a chaos and being able to handle it any longer, I went back to Westenhanger, preparing for a trip to Italy to strengthen my connections and take a break from the court. It was all like a nightmare. That night I dreamt of Little Mary's wedding and Uncle Thomas was there. I confronted him about how he could leave me to fare for myself in this cruel world and he refused to reply. but hugged me and cried. The following morning while Sia packed my belongings for the impending travels, I took out a horse from the stable and went out to ride.

As the wind touched my face, I wondered how everything was so tangled up. I didn't have any idea what I was doing and I had no idea what was happening. I returned after dusk and was just settling for supper when a servant rushed in with a messanger. 

"What happened?" I asked in panic, looking at the royal messanger. 

"The king is no more, Long live Queen...." He said, suddenly kneeling before me. 

For a moment I was so surprised that I almost fell down upon hearing the news. Elizabeth immediately steadied me and then stood at a distance, an unexplainableemotion on her face. 

"Sia, prepare a carriage immediately" I ordered, "we will all go to Greenwich".