In 1547, a newly crowned King with a heart of stone who is displeased with his marriage takes mistresses to fulfill his carnal desires. But when the woman he most desires refuses to be his mistress, he sets out to destroy the line of succession to h...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
*
*
*
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
PROLOGUE
"How is he today?" Queen Mary asked the doctor who examined King John.
"Your Grace, please sit down," he said.
Mary sat at the foot of the bed, placing her hands on her husband's feet as she prepared herself for whatever bad news was coming to her.
"Tell me quickly," she said.
"There is nothing more I can do for him, I'm afraid. We must prepare for a new King," the doctor said.
"But... the King and I have no heirs. The only successor is his brother."
Nodding, the doctor said, "Though I understand the loss this will be for you, you must prepare yourself. I am sorry, Ma'am."
"No!" she said, her tears turning to sobs. "You must do something!"
The doctor stood and said, "There is nothing more to be done. The King will soon die."
He left the room and Queen Mary dropped her head onto her husband's side as she cried and listened to the doctor inform the Lords standing outside the King's chambers of his condition...
"I am sorry to be the one to deliver this grave news, but the King's condition is worsening. He will not recover."
"What is to be done?"
"There is nothing to be done. Prepare the kingdom for a new King."
***
"Prince Henry?" Lord Chancellor Scott said, knocking on the Prince's chambers.
"Who is it? What do you want?"
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but it's about the King."
Prince Henry went to the door, swinging it open. "What about him?"
"He has died... Your Majesty," Lord Chancellor said, bowing to the new King.
"Why was I not informed that his illness had become so grave sooner?" Prince Henry asked.
"We did not think because of the nature of your relationship that you might care, sir."
Giving him a confused look, Prince Henry said, "You did not think it was wise to tell me, the successor to the throne, that my brother, the King of this nation, was dying?!"
"No, sir."
"Where is the Queen?"
"She is still at his bedside, sir."
Prince Henry glanced behind himself at Lady Ursula Hillsdale in his bed before he said, "I shall be to the throne room momentarily. Then he shut the door with a sigh and returned to Ursula.
"Henry," she said, massaging his shoulders where he sat on the edge of the bed with his head draped in his hands. "What is going on?
"I'm no longer Henry to you, Ursula. From this moment on, I'm Majesty, My Lord, or King."
"What?"
"My brother has died. I'm the king now. Life from this point on will be much different. It has to be."
"But..."
"There is no room for negotiation here, Ursula! I am now the King of France. Please take your things and leave my chambers."
"I was good enough for you when you were the prince," she said as she slipped into her gown.
"That was then."
"Whom will you marry?" she asked as she went towards the door.
"I do not believe I will have much choice in whom I marry," he said as he slipped a shirt over his head.
"No, I do not believe you will," she said and closed the door behind her.
Prince Henry dressed in his robes and put on his crown before heading to the throne room to meet the Lord Chancellor. He stopped before opening the doors, inhaling deeply as he digested the reality of what was before him. His life as a prince was easy and free with little to no expectations of him other than political obligations in times of war. But now...now would be so very different. He was the king. His brother and the queen had been unable to produce a living heir. Though they'd had children, all three had died, and his queen had lost two, which now left the burden of being the King of a country on him. Henry believed birth order was a real and true thing. His brother was born for the task which had been given to him, but he was not.
