A collection of short stories that center around Tudor times and a few that are filler stories about background characters found in my other Tudor Stories.
Warning will be given for mature themes at the beginning of the chapter.
The beads of ivory and coral that made up her rosary were like ice in her clammy hands. She recited her prays by rote, the Latin phrase second nature to her now. The chapel was dimly lit, with only a few dozen fat short candles lit for light, but she paid it no mind. She was to focus on her cause to care about anything else, save how she ended up her in the first place so late at night.
When Sir Thomas More came rushing into her chambers early tonight, panting and out of breath she had been alarmed. She had been having a silent meditation over the book of Job in her dressing robe and a fur to keep away the chill. She had pulled her robe tighter, asking Thomas what had him so out of sorts. The news he gave her shook her to her core.It had been an accident, he claimed, not meaning to eavesdrop of King Henry and that crooked Cardinal Wolsey but the information he had heard, he had to get it to her quickly. She had thanked him quietly, swearing him and the few ladies she had present to tell no one else what had been learned. She had bid Sir Thomas goodnight, before dismissing him. As soon as he was gone, she called her ladies to dress her richly.
Her finest gown was brought to her, kirtle of scarlet with gold and purple embroider, and a crimson overcoat hemmed thickly with gold thread. Her sleeves were in the Flemish style, a style she was fond of, in the same matching pattern as her gown. Her sleeves, collars, shoulders, and hem were adored with either gems or ermine to show her status. Her faded red blond tresses that usually reached her back in waves when she was alone, was caught up in a net of gold with rubies woven through it. A thick veil in crimson was placed on to her head, before a Spanish styled cap in a matching color with amethyst embedded in it was secured on top. She clasped her simple gold cross around her neck herself before picking up her rosary, a gift from her mother Queen Isabella before she had left Spain forever. She examining herself for a moment in the polished silver mirror. She usually refused for her subjects to see her as anything but a Queen. That rule was to be reinforced ten-fold as of now, she would show them who she really was by always looking and acting like a Queen should.
"Ladies I must pray; Maria Willoughby and Maud Parr will accompany me. The rest are to stay here till I return." She smiled at her ladies before she headed out, quickly making her way to the chapel. A wave of her hand, and Maria and Maud sat in the back to give her some privacy.
Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England, wife and consort to King Henry VIII for nearly 24 years bent onto her knees at the foot of the stairs looking into the golden face of Jesus Christ that sat on the alter. She began to go through all the information Sir Thomas had given her. Truly the news wasn't that shocking, Henry had been wondering for years from their marriage bed but he always came back to her. To hear he was moving forward with the idea of annulling their marriage and would fight tooth and nail till he got it, it was ludicrous. She had been a good and just wife to him, and the perfect Queen. Yes, it was true they only had one living child, her sweet Mary, to show for their years of marriage but the lack of a son was not solely her fault. If her husband would stop flocking to the women of the court like a bee to fresh flowers, perhaps a son would have lived.
She focused her thoughts harder on Mary, her sweet innocent Princess. If Henry, by some miracle, got his annulment her daughter would be declared a bastard and become a laughing stock throughout Europe and Catherine herself would be avowed an unchaste woman for being married to her late husband's brother. That was something she would not tolerate what so ever. Henry had to be stopped, and quickly. Catherine's lips moved through the Latin phrases with ease as she continued to think. Her young nephew, Charles, was the Holy Roman Emperor, her parents had been warriors in the name of the Catholic Church, and she herself was a strict and devout Catholic as well, she easily had some of the most power allies in all of Europe. Combing through her family history, Catherine knew she had a claim to the English throne, a stronger one then even her husband. She was a descendant of John of Gaunt on her mother's side, third cousins with the late King Henry VII and fourth cousins with the late Queen Elizabeth of York! She had also already shown what a good leader and tactician she was with her victory at Flodden Field against the Scots. With help from her nephew and the church, she could easily mount an army, and dispose of her husband. Mary would be her heir and she would be Queen Regent instead of Queen Consort.
'Yes,' Catherine thought to herself, 'that has been my destiny all along. I was born to be Queen of England, but not as a consort. But as a ruler, like my mother before me, a ruler in my own name.' Catherine smiled up at the statue of Christ as it glinted in the soft candle light. "If Henry wants to fight for an annulment to keep his crown," Catherine said softly yet sternly, her smiling growing wider and fiercer, "I'll give him a war he can never win and take everything." Catherine clutched her mother's rosary tight to her chest, kissing the golden jeweled cross that hung from it happily knowing deep down that her victory and crown was assured.
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Catherine in her dressing gown in her chambers.
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Catherine in her richest gown.
A/N
I might add on to this story, and do skip chapters as I call them. So we would see how the battle rages on and if Catherine gets her crown and how she handles being Queen of England in her own right. Let me know if ya'll would enjoy that. I decided to write some inspiring COA cause I'm going to be rather harsh with her in the upcoming book two of the Rose Falcon series. This story was inspired by a post I saw on tumblr by user tldaaollf, and I've had it circling inside my mind for hours now so I had to write it. If you want to see the post it's tagged as COA on my tumblr blog, you'll find a link in my profile. I hope you enjoy this short story my lovelies.
Also please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers as my home state is being hit by Hurricane Harvey. I'm safe from most of the storms power, so far there has only been some mild rain but I've already had family evacuate that live near the coast and much of my family is scattered through out Texas. Please just keep us in your prayers as this storm rages on. Thank you.
