89 Chapter 14: Behind her smile

Hello guys! English, it is not my motherly language, I'm French so I apologize if there are some mistakes. Don't hesitate to tell me where they are so that I can improve.

This is my first full length fiction, with chapters, I hope it will please you. It is a AU where Katherine Howard does not marry Henry and where Cromwell is spared. Instead of Katherine, Henry marries a french noble lady, on the advice of Cromwell.

I hope my little story will please you..

Sincerely

Marina Ka-Fai

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The French Bride

Chapter 14: Behind her smile

This day was quite a hard one for the young queen of England. Ursula left to her house in the country to give birth to her child. Marina had finally met Francis Bryan on this occasion and she found the man a bit scary. She did not show it though. And above all, it was the fateful day when her children were to be established in their own castle. Henry found one near Hatfield. Marina kissed her babies' foreheads, trying to hold back the tears she wanted to cry. Henry was here with her and he took her in his arms to ease her. She tried to think that they were going to be okay but it was beyond her control and her tears rolled silently on her cheeks.

On the afternoon, even if she was with her ladies, Marina felt lonely for the first time since she married Henry. Elizabeth went back to Hatfield, Edward to Windsor. Only Mary stayed because her husband was needed by Henry's side. She noticed then that Katherine was looking at her, it seemed that she wanted to tell her something but because of court's rules, she could not unless she was invited to.

' What is it Katherine?'

Marina looked at her, she looked still like a child but her belly was proving the contrary. And she realized that she missed being pregnant. Was it because her babies were sent away this day? She did not know.

' Your Majesty... My husband and I would like to ask you a favour...'

' Which one?'

' We would be honoured if Your Majesty agreed to be our child's godmother.'

' It would be an honour for me, sweet Katherine. Do you have a name in mind already?'

Katherine smiled, quite proud.

' If it is a girl, we want to call her Elizabeth. To honour the king's mother, grandmother and daughter. If it is a boy, we think of William.'

The queen smiled to this. Katherine always had the best way to light up her day. Thanks to her and to her activities, she did not really think of what happened in the morning. But when dinner time arrive, for the very first time, Henry did not come to meet her. And she could not help thinking that something happened.

Three days later, it was the same thing. Henry did not come. That scared her. So she decided to check herself what was going on. She did not notice that everyone bowed when she walked through the corridors. She found Charles Brandon leaving Henry's office.

' My lord, I'm quite glad to meet you.' Marina said in relief

' Majesty?'

' Something happened to my husband, did it not?'

She looked at him directly in the eyes. She saw surprise in it. Something did happen.

' Answer me.'

' It is the king's leg, Your Majesty. The ulcer has burst again and it gives the king a terrible fever. It... It had been quite a surprise for his physicians and ourselves, since his health was a lot better since he married Your Majesty.'

' And why did no one send someone to tell me?'

Marina tried to remain calm but she was worried about Henry and also angered by the fact that it was known and yet, she was let in ignorance. Her, the queen of England, mother of two princes and a princess!

' It was a direct order from the king. He did not want to worry you.'

She sighed.

' Well, now that I am here, I'm going to pay him a visit. For I married him for the best and for the worst, and I promised to be there for him in health and sickness.'

She went into the room. The physicians froze. She asked to one of them to tell her about the situation and then, she went to her husband's side. He looked so weak! So fragile! He was shaking because of the fever, sweating and he was exhausted.

' Marina...' He whispered softly

' I'm here and I will not leave until you are feeling better.'

Her kind smile warmed his heart. A physician had to touch the injured leg and it caused Henry to scream of pain. Immediately, Marina took his hand and she tried to comfort him. She gently stroke his hair, whispering soft words of love. It lasted around half an hour. Henry passed out because of the pain.

' As long as the king is ill, I shall have my bed next to his, so that I can look after him.'

They bowed.

When night started to fall, Henry awoke and he was surprised to see a bed in his office. Marina's bed. She was doing some remedies, like the physicians told her to do, in case of an incident.

' Sweetheart?'

She looked at him, relieved.

' How are you feeling, Henry?'

' I've been better to be honest. But... How...'

' I've guessed. When you did not come three days ago, I already knew that something was wrong. And time approved my thoughts. And Charles Brandon needs to learn to hide feelings, his eyes spoke for him.' She answered with a smile

' Why is your bed here?'

' For a very simple reason. As long as you are ill, I'll be your personal nurse.'

A silence came for a few minutes before Henry said that he did not send someone to tell her because he wanted her to be okay and he did not want her to see his leg.

' I'm your wife Henry. It is my duty to be here. When I married you , I meant the words I pronounced at the altar.'

The king smiled to this.

' Marina?'

' Yes?'

' You know almost everything about my family but how come I do not know about yours?'

Marina froze and Henry could feel that it was a sensitive subject for his young wife.

' If it is your desire, I can tell you.'

' I wonder how you became Francis' ward. You father is still alive, so I have heard.'

' Indeed. The man who fathered me is still alive.'

The bitterness in Marina's voice surprised Henry but somehow, he wanted to know more about it. He asked her to tell him everything. She sat next to him and he could see that it was quite hard for her.

' My father murdered my mother.' Her first statement was.

Henry did not understand. What happened?

' My mother almost died when she gave birth to me. My father was expecting me to be a boy and he was disappointed. My mother tried to have another child after but she only miscarried and physicians said that the cause of that could be the difficult labour she had with me. My father could not hide his anger and he simply started to hit my mother whenever he could. And since I was responsible for his misery, he hit me as well. I survived but my mother did not have this chance...'

Marina held back her tears. Memories came back to her. Her mother screaming in pain, begging for forgiveness and apologizing and her father, just selfish and cold, deaf to his wife's pleadings.

' He pretended that my mother's death was due to a sudden illness and he continued to hit me. Francis discovered it a few days after you met him in Calais in 1532. He noticed that I was limping, he saw proofs of my misery on my skin. I could not lie to him. He could not imprison my father since the only male heir of the Champagne's house was only a boy of nine, my sweet cousin Ambroise, but he made his life as living hell. He was deprived of his powers, his right to remarry, his rights upon me, he was only there to keep Ambroise's place warm. I became then Francis' ward and to protect me even more, to ease me, he sent me into a convent where I could recover. I left when I was eighteen and then, my life changed. I was going to be queen of England.'

To say that Henry was stunned is an understatement. He wanted to murder Marina's father. How can you do that to your own daughter? The blood of your blood, the flesh of your flesh! No wonder why his wife was so bitter towards her "father"!

' I want him to come to your coronation. He will see you becoming what a son of him could never have become. And to make him suffer even more, he won't be able to talk to you.'

Marina was grateful but she simply said that her father did not deserve any special treatment. The best thing was ignoring him.

' Do you miss France?'

' Sometimes. I miss Francis of course but also my dearest cousins. Ambroise and Eric. I love them so much! They are like brothers to me.'

Henry made mental notes: invite those two to court and attend to the coronation and try to be a best father to his daughters, praying not to fall into the extreme Marina witnessed. He closed his eyes and he fell asleep slowly, his beloved wife looking after him.

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A week later, Henry was in much better health. Marina asked a mass to be celebrated to thank God for her husband's life. When he felt strong enough, the king wrote a letter to Ambroise, Marina's cousin and heir to the earldom of Champagne. He also wrote one to Francis to explain him his wish. And since it was for Marina, he immediately said yes.

France, in Ambroise's household.

A young man in his early twenties was reading a letter. His sapphire eyes could not believe what they saw. The king of England, writing to him and to his younger brother.

' Vous m'avez fait mander, mon frère?' A boy said, entering in the room.

' Indeed.'

' Pourquoi me parlez-vous en anglais?'

' From now on, we will speak English, you need to practice your accent. The king of England has invited both of us at his court and we will witness our dearest cousin Marina's coronation.'

The youngest boy had a magnificent smile. A few days later, the queen of England's cousins were on a ship to England.

To be continued