The Royal Family

Back to Court

"Mother, do we have to go back to court?" "Yes my little one we do" Arthur sat bouncing on my knee just giggling away as Mary was playing with his feet. "When will we return?" "We will be leaving for Windsor tomorrow Emily" "Mother what do you think the baby will be?" "I think we shall have another boy" "Oh I do hope so mother. Arthur needs a little brother to play with" "Yes I think he does as well" "Where is father?" I sighed, "Your father is out hunting with his men before we have to leave for court" "Will Aunt Elizabeth be there when we return?" "Yes my dear she will and her daughter as well." "Mother have you and father decided yet about our marriage proposals?" "We have and we will tell you all together when he comes back from the hunt" "Yes mother" "Now shall we go walk in the gardens while we wait?" "That sounds like a wonderful idea." We rose from our seats and walked to the side doors out by the gardens. "Mother will you please tell us if you accepted the marriage proposals." "We will wait for your father" the girls ran and started chasing each other while I sat on the grass with Arthur. He is such a happy, strong baby, always wanting to follow his sisters around and laughing all the time. "Mama" "Oh you are going to be a wonderful king my dear little Arthur, just like your grandfather" the girls came over to me and Arthur and sat down with us in the grass. We heard horses coming through the gates and we got up to say our hellos to my husband and his gentlemen. Edward jumped off his horse and picked Mary up and swung her around. "Father! We've missed you!" "I've missed you all too very much" "Father will you please tell mother to tell us if you accepted our marriage proposals?" "How did you know about that?" "We may have heard you and mother talking about it one day but we didn't hear who our betrothals were to" "Okay, let's go to the garden and we will talk about it." We walked back out to the gardens and sat on the bench while the girls sat across from us. "Emily, the King of France wants you to marry his son the Louis. Isabelle, the Queen of Austria would like you to marry her son Charles. Mary, the King of Scotland would like you to marry his son James. And Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand have also requested the marriage of our young Arthur to their young Princess Katerina." "So what have you decided?" "We have decided that Emily will be married to Louis after her fourteenth birthday, Isabelle will be going to Austria to get to know her new kingdom and Mary will be going to Scotland to meet her future husband and learn about the kingdom. Katerina will be sent here to visit after her fourth birthday to get to know Arthur and England." "So you agreed to the marriage proposals?" "Yes we did, but if you find someone you love before the wedding and you want to marry them then we will let you and not force you into a marriage." "Really mother?" "Yes dear, I will let you decide like my father let me" We finally decided to get up off the benches and make our way into the palace so we could leave for Windsor. I would have to ride in the carriage the whole way there because I am pregnant again. "Mother when will we have our own carriages? I don't want to ride in here anymore." "When you are all grown and have children of your own you shall have your own carriages but until you can ride safely next to your father on a horse you will ride in the carriage. Am I understood?" "Yes mother" they all said in unison and even Arthur said yes. "Shall we have nursemaids now that we are going back to court?" "I think you girls are old enough to start your lessons with the tutors and have households of your own." "Even me mother?" "Yes my dear Mary, even you." They looked over joyed at the thought of not having a nursemaid anymore. I remember when I was to have my own household, I was so scared and I didn't want to leave my nursemaids. We finally all made it back to the palace and went to our rooms to make sure our stuff was packed and we got back together to go to the carriage. The three girls sat on one side and Arthur and I sat on the other. "Mother, could you put Arthur on your lap so I could sit next to you?" "My darling he will no longer fit on my lap, my belly is getting too large." She sat there pouting, acting like a spoiled child. "Mary, the same thing happened to Isabelle that is happening to you now, when I was pregnant with Arthur I couldn't put you on my lap because it was too big. One day my dear you will not want to sit on my lap, you'll want to be running around with your sisters." "Yes mother." We sat there for a little bit and the girls started drifting off to sleep while Arthur was looking around wildly and soon we eventually all nodded off to sleep. We were awaken by the jolt of the carriage coming to a stop. "Mother what is going on?" "It seems that we have arrived children" the girls fixed their hair and straightened their dresses and I put Arthur on my hip so I could carry him out of the carriage. We heard people yell our names and "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!" many times. I looked out the window and there were my ladies standing there waiting for us to exit the carriage, in front of all my ladies was my sister, Elizabeth, with her daughter Alexandria in her arms and a very large belly. We exited the carriage and all we heard was the applause for us. We stood there looking tall and regal. I walked forward and everyone bowed and followed in behind my daughters. I turned around and looked at everyone "We will have a grand feast in honor of returning back to court and in honor of the next prince. When he is born we shall have a grand celebration! I want you all to start planning for this. I will be in my chambers with my ladies and daughters." We walked up to my rooms and I realized my husband was not at my side but then I remembered he said he was going to go on a hunt with his gentlemen. We continued on to my rooms where I could sit. I sat on my throne and the girls to my right and my ladies to my left. "Elizabeth, please come sit by me. We have so much to catch up on." Elizabeth waddled to the chair to my left and sat down. "How is Alexandria? I have missed her and you so" "She is doing wonderful, she grows so much and is very strong." "And the child you're carrying?" "Yes, he is strong as well. Just like his sister." "He?" "Yes, that's what we're calling it. Dylan thinks that if we call it a he, it will come out a he. I have told him that's not how it works but he is a man and will not listen to his wife. What of you sister?" "Edward has got his mind wrapped around it that we are to have a girl but I told him it will be a boy. I knew what the girls and Arthur was going to be. The women in this family just have a gift. We will name him Henry." "When will you lie in?" "After the feast" "Who will you have go with you?" "I was hoping you would be in the room with me, mother of course will be there, Charlotte, Abigail, Anne, Sofia, Maria, and Ava." "I would like to be in the room with you but I must prepare my lying in. I must also go in after the feast." "Then we shall lie in together!" "I thought we couldn't do that?" "I am the queen and ruler of England, I will do what I want. The next prince and his cousin shall be born together" Zoey, Ruby, and Ella started getting the room ready for not just one but two babies to be born in my lying in chamber. "Ruby, Ella come here please." "Yes your grace?" they bowed. "I think it is about time we get tutors in here to really teach the girls about what it takes to be a princess. Now that they are older they will have to be seen more. They are already extremely well behaved girls but they still have a few things to learn." "Yes your grace" they bowed and went back to getting the chamber ready. A few hours later we were ready to go down to feast. The girls followed behind me and my ladies behind them. "HER MAJESTY, THE QUEEN!" I was announced and everyone stood and clapped their hands to me. I walked to my chair while my ladies sat in their respectable places and my daughters next to me. "Your grace?" I looked up and there was Diane Boleyn asking for my attention. "Yes Ms. Boleyn" "I would like to present my son to court." I looked down and there was a boy standing next to her, he was about Isabelle's age and he looked scared. "What is your name child?" "My name is Charles your majesty" he bowed after introducing himself. "Well Charles you are welcome at court, I would like to introduce you to my daughters, Emily, Isabelle, and Mary and my son Arthur. I hope you like life at court and become great friends with the children here." "Thank you your grace" he bowed and the two backed away and went back to their table. The whole night I seemed to notice Charles looking at Isabelle and Diane looking at my husband. Both Edward and Isabelle never seemed to notice either person. My girls were too busy dancing the night away, Emily only accepting specific suitors, she would look to me for agreement but Isabelle and Mary danced with anyone that asked. Emily is a lot like me, she only talks to people her parents approve of. One day she will be a great ruler. She looked over to me seeing if I agree to the boy who asked her to dance, I motioned for her to come to me, and she politely declined him and walked over to me. "Did you need something mother?" "I wanted to talk to you about giving you your own household and sending you to your own castle." "Really mother?" "Yes my dear." "That is wonderful mother. What castle shall I be leaving for?" "Would you like to have Warwick Castle in Warwickshire?" "Oh yes mother, that is my favorite castle" "I hoped so my dear. You will leave after I get out of lying in" "Yes mother" "Now go back out and dance and have fun Emily" she left and went to dance with the boy that had asked her before.