Son of Hope

Chapter Eighteen - The First test

We looked upon the troops as the stood to attention before us, ready for war at the lead of my brother and Lord Stafford.

"Move out! to France!" Harry called and and the marched off.

"And when the French are routed, the Scots will lose their wealthy patron and be less trouble on the borders." Catherine smiled

"My warrior Queen." I wrapped my arm around her waist and looked down to my brother "Look after yourself Harry." he looked back and bowed his head

"Brother." he rode off with the troops and we watched till all of them were out of sight and then we headed back inside.

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Weeks had past and according to my brothers letters there was no sign of Ferdinand just yet, but I was sure that he would not even dare to defy his own daughters wishes and hard work. Charles was still young but surely he had some sway over the rule of his own kingdom. I was in a meeting with Wolsey, Boleyn and Charlie when Catherine burst in. We stopped short.

"Leave us." she ordered and the all looked to me for confirmation. I nodded and they took their leave with a bow and closed the door behind them.

"What is the matter?" I question her

"He is not coming." she informed me "My father has taken his army to Navarre, 200 miles to the south to reclaim his lands there from the French."

"Why...why would he do that?" my fist clenched in anger

"He has used us as a decoy to draw the French leaving Navarre for him to take. He has betrayed us, Edward!" she handed me the crumped letter in her hand "The alliance was a lie. I am sorry that I...trusted him. He has humiliated both of us. It is my fault." I slapped my hand on the table

"No, no listen to me." i too her face in my hands "It is not your fault, you warned me how your father treated you as a child. I myself had a bad feeling about him but I ignored it in hopes of brings some glory to the Tudor name. It was vanity and lust for something we haven't had in a long time. I am sorry. Not you, your true to unite us through marriages and sheer will, I will not fault you for that and neither should you." I leant in and kissed her passionately then broke away.

"We must convene the council tell them what has happened and we will think of our next move. Go and change be ready to face them with all the will and might you can muster. Okay." she nodded and I let her go. She did and i brought the others before us. We sat down and faced them

"We have been betrayed. Two hundred thousand ducats wasted and two thousand soldiers dead, from hunger or disease." I stated

"Tricky as a fox turned out to be true." Wolsey commented

"Hold your tongue Wolsey." I snipped and he bowed his head "Bring our survivors home now, they will be given shelter, rest and care for all they have done."

"I apologise to this council." Catherine spoke

"Your Grace, you must not blame yourself." Boleyn reaffirmed my earlier statement.

"I believed my fathers sincerity, but he betrayed us. Not the Spanish. Him alone."

"The shame is not upon my Queen. She did what any dutiful daughter would have done but her father was a lying bastard." I stood and left the council and made my way to the nursery to be with my son who settled my temperament.

--3rd Person-

That night, Catherine wallowed in pity only to find out that Lina was with child by accident. The two of them had a heart to heart and then Catherine ready herself for bed. She went to her husbands chambers but Edward was already fast sleep with documents surrounding him. Catherine gave a sorrowful smile and tided the papers putting them to one side and climbing in beside him.

The English Army returned. Edward, Catherine and a very pregnant Eleanor exited the castle. Edward made his way over to them.

"General Howard, My lord Stafford, dearest brother, good men of England." he greeted them "We are sorry. You brave men did not deserve to languish in such ignominy."

"King Ferdinand!" Catherine stuttered out "King Ferdinand betrayed you and me too."

-Edward-

"But you did not betray yourselves." I continued "Captain Oviedo, step forward." he did and bowed to me

"My brother praises you that you tirelessly worked to maintain morale, and that you even brought back some who deserted. The Queen and I wish to bestow a gift upon you." Catherine opened up a package and took out the sword we had made.

"Oviedo of Maceta, for your services to England, we make you a commoner knight. Receive the title knight banneret with our gratitude." he took the sword from her

"Thank you for such a blessing, your majesties." he bowed once more. I turn to my wife.

"I'm going hunting, I will return soon." I kissed her head and left with my hunting party. To relieve some tension from the whole thing. During our hunt a messenger came from the palace that I was to return immediately. So I rode with haste and was met by my brother and Wolsey.

"What is it? What has happened." I jumped down as Harry came over to me

"it's the Prince Henry..." he began and I felt as if a piece of my heart had been torn out by the look of pity and sorry he held in his eyes.

"No. No." I deny and run inside to Catherines rooms, she laid there sobbing on the bed. the crib to one side empty and cold. "Catherine." she looked up her eyes stared with tears.

"I am so sorry, i'm so sorry." she wept

"leave us." her ladies curtsied and left the room i moved to the bed and wrapped my arms around her.

"What if he is cold, Edward. What if he lies there cold? Does he have enough swaddling?" she cried "Why? Why?"

"My poor, sweet wife." I held her tighter

"Why would God. Does he punish us? Is this punishment?"

"No my love, no. He loves us. He loves us as we love him. Children even Princes are so vulnerable to the world. They give us love and life and lessons to learn whether they grow or if God takes them. Please, I beg of you don't think like that. I love you Catherine, I will love you to my dying breath. We will have more children, children who will grow and flourish. I know it, I've seen it." She lean up and kissed me pushing me to the bed

"I cannot lose you Edward."

"You never will." I kissed back

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The Palace went into mourning as did we all and I sat with my wife at the funeral of our son. I had seen a better future to come on our marriage and though i thought it would come easy, clearly it would not. This was a future to fight for and to win. I kept Catherine close for her and myself and we grieved the loss of our son. But she parted still stung with her fathers betrayal admits the loss of Henry. Lina followed her and i gave them a moment before joining. Lina comforted her friend and Queen then left us.

"Do not be like the English." she scoffed quoting her father "Edward, you were right to speak of strength. We were strong enough to build this Camelot. now we must be even stronger to keep it." i nodded and kissed her head. Then lead her to speak with the court. We stood together but i gave her a look to speak to them.

"Why do I speak and not the King? Because your pain is mine and i have caused it. We were children...but we are not children anymore. Our innocence is lost and our new wisdom forged in pain and grief and terrible sadness. We have lost our precious son and we have lost our dignity to Spain. My father wrote to gloat about his victory but I will tell you this; we do not drown when we feel grief . We do not shy from our mistakes and we do not stand to be betrayed by allies! We called you here because the whole of England must know this. I am reborn! I am English! God save King Edward." she turned to me as everyone repeated her sentiment Wolsey blessed me.

"God save Queen Catherine of England!" Oviedo called and the chanted God save the Queen as she was blessed

"We will go to war with France, but this time on our own." She declared to me then turned back to the court silencing them "England, you shall have your victory, and you will also have a new heir from my womb. I stand here as a daughter of England and make you that promise."