BLOODLINES
— 35. Infidel

     It was nighttime and at court, Marie walked toward the long table set out in the dining hall. She walked toward her seat beside her husband, rolling her eyes as she watched Wolsey seat Anne Hastings to Henry's right.

"What does that butcher's boy think he's doing?" Thomas Boleyn asked Charlie and Marie as he let out a large scoff.

"I've seen you chattering with the king, Wiltshire," Charlie retorted in a taunting tone, "You're not above your own maneuvers."

"No idea what you're—" Thomas began to say, causing both Charlie and Marie to laugh as they stumbled and leaned against each other for support, "You're drunk, Brandon. As are you, Lady Stafford."

"So what if we are?" Marie retorted and she and Charlie chuckled as they sat down in their seats across from each other.

"Lady Anne, perhaps you'd like to make a toast to the newly promised couple, given that you are lady aunt to the happy groom," Henry spoke up and Anne began to smile at Henry widely.

"I-I-If Your Grace wishes," Anne replied before standing up, smiling as she raised her glass, "To my nephew Henry Stafford and his betrothed, Ursula Pole. I wish you many children and all the joys of love."

"Hear, hear," The group spoke up as they raised their glasses as well.

"The wedding night is brutal, Ursula," Anne spoke up as she leaned closer to the girl.

"Go easy on her, boy," Edward commented, causing Marie and Charlie to laugh.

"But you will only ever be a virgin once and will be glad when it is passed," Anne continued to explain with an assuring smile on her face.

"He won't," Charlie remarked and Marie laughed once more but was quick to cover her mouth.

"I mean to say..." She trailed off and leaned closer to Ursula, "There will be blood."

"Well, not every maid is thus afflicted," Henry spoke up and Marie turned to him, a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, yes, they are. The first time, yes," Anne informed him, causing Henry's smile to fade.

Marie's eyes widened and she turned, exchanging a look with Maggie. Henry was clearly thinking about Catherine.

Unable to take the tension any longer, Maggie smiled and raised her glass. "As mother to the bride, I would like to wish Henry and Ursula good health, good fortunes, and a nursery full of babies."

"Your health," Marie spoke up and many others followed after her.

"To Wolsey's swift demise," Stafford spoke in a low tone as he took a sip of his wine.

Marie smiled and turned to her head to glance at him. "Hear, hear," She replied softly, nodding at his words.

____

That evening, Stafford had his arm wrapped around a giggling Marie as he led her back to their chambers. What started off as Charlie and Marie only being the slightest bit buzzed at the beginning of dinner soon led to them both being utterly wasted and while Charlie could somewhat hold his liquor, Marie could not.

"Do you know what Charlie pointed out to me today?" Marie asked Edward, smiling sheepishly as they both stumbled into their chambers, "I have completely lost my accent. I no longer sound Burgundian. I sound like an English woman. And I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse. The English will not treat me differently now, but the people of my homeland will view me to be some traitor."

"I don't think your accent matters to anyone, Marie. It is just an accent," Edward assured her and Marie grunted as she fell onto the bed.

"It does to me," Marie complained as Edward helped her remove her shoes, "It was the only thing I had left from Burgundy. Now, I am just like any other lady at court."

"Not to me you aren't," He argued, cupping her face in his hands, "To me, you're the most beautiful, kind, and selfless woman in England and I am privileged to call you my wife."

"I don't deserve you," Marie admitted in a soft tone and Edward scoffed in response.

"Believe me. It's the other way around, love," He responded as he began to untie the back of her dress to help her get into her nightclothes.

However, as he did so, he suddenly frowned when he looked down to see Marie attempting to untie his pants, but failed miserably in doing so. "What are you doing?" He asked as he looked down at her.

"Taking off your pants," She answered casually, staring up at him with an innocent look on her face, "It's not fair that I'm the only one undressing."

"I'm not undressing you to have sex," He reminded her, smiling in amusement, "I'm helping you get into your nightgown because if I don't, I won't be surprised if you fall asleep in this dress."

"But I want to have sex," Marie continued, standing up slightly before she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Let us have sex."

"You're drunk," Edward complained as he gave her a sincere look, "I will not take advantage of you."

"We are husband and wife and I want to have sex. You wouldn't be taking advantage," Marie assured him, only to sigh in defeat when she saw the look on Edward's face, "You're not Henry. You have nothing to worry about."

"It wouldn't be right. Not after what happened in France," He told her, a sympathetic look on his face, "I want to, I do. But I don't believe it's the right idea while you're drunk."

"It is times like these where I understand why I love you so damn much," Marie bluntly commented as she threw herself onto the bed, causing Edward to smile in amusement, "Can we have sex in the morning, though?"

"Yes, we can," Edward replied, laughing at the way she spoke. She never spoke so bluntly sober. She practically blushed solely when sex was even mentioned when she was sober, "Now let us go to sleep."

Marie nodded, allowing Edward to slip off her dress, which left her in her underclothes. She smirked, watching as Edward stripped from the day's clothes as well and placed his nightwear on.

He then walked over to the bed. He climbed underneath the covers and Marie smiled, wasting no time snuggling up to him. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him while Marie placed her head on his chest. "I don't deserve you," Marie told him softly and Edward shook his head at her.

"Believe me, it's the other way around," He assured her and Marie smiled, tilting her head slightly to look him in the eyes, "You have made me the happiest man, which was something I would have never expected when we were first wed."

"Who knew an arranged marriage could result in such a loving marriage," Marie remarked with a smile on her face.

"Thomas Fitzroy and Katherine Neville, Queen Lizbeth and King Henry—" Edward began to say and Marie was quick to cut him off.

"Katherine Neville was a jealous, spiteful woman and only cared for Thomas because he was so close to the throne. And King Henry killed Queen Lizbeth's brothers so I wouldn't call either of those marriages good ones," Marie explained and Edward smiled in response.

"No one's marriage is perfect," He reminded her and Marie sighed, nodding her head since she knew he had a point. Theirs surely wasn't.

______

A few nights later, at court celebrations, Marie was smiling as she danced with her husband. Henry was nearby, dancing with Anne Hastings.

As the song ended and Anne was called away by Maggie, Marie was on the verge of walking to stand off to the side with her husband when a voice called out to her.

She turned and sighed when she saw it was Henry. "May I have this dance?" He asked her and Marie opened her mouth to answer.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but the Lady Marie has already promised me a dance," A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Marie to turn and sigh in relief as Charlie linked arms with her, "Didn't you, my lady?"

"Indeed," Marie replied, nodding her head as she turned to Henry, "Perhaps next time."

Henry sighed and nodded, watching as Marie walked to another part of the room with Charlie to dance. "Thank you," Marie told Charlie, a relieved look on her face.

"Anytime," He assured her, smiling down at Marie as they began to dance.

After the dance was finished, Marie and Charlie made their way over to where her husband stood with Henry. "Your Grace," She heard Edward began to speak to Henry, "General Howard writes that your sister's husband, Angus, has betrayed her. Her heirs have both been seized, and she and Howard are riding down to London."

"I said sending Howard was a stupid bloody—" Henry began to tell Edward as Wolsey inched his way over to them.

"No, no, Your Grace undoubtedly made the right decision in sending him," Edward assured Henry, causing Charlie and Marie to exchange a smile since they knew he was just saying that because sending Howard was the opposite of what Wolsey had wanted.

Henry glanced at Wolsey, just before looking back at Edward. "Well, perhaps she's learned her lesson now," He stated and Edward nodded in response.

Marie turned her head, only to have her eyes widen as Anne kissed William Compton as she danced with him. "My God."

"Stafford, your sister just pounced on Compton," Charlie spoke up, causing Edward to turn and frown while Marie chuckled, despite trying her hardest to contain herself.

Just then, Bessie Blount ran in, causing Marie to turn and frown. "Your Grace, your child is coming early," Bessie informed Henry, whose eyes widened in shock, "Lina is with her."

"I will go," Maggie quickly spoke up and Marie nodded.

"As will I," She added in, and with that, the two women ran off.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Catherine's chambers. When they did, Maggie tied a rope to the bed before turning to Bessie. "Come, Bessie, help me with this," She insisted and the two women began to place a sheet on the ground while Lina and Marie led Catherine over to the bed

"Will he die?" Catherine asked them worriedly, "He will die if he comes this early, won't he, Lina?"

"Highness, God sends him to you when He wills," Lina assured her and Catherine groaned loudly in pain as she grabbed onto the rope, "But you must push now. Push."

"We are with you, Catherine," Maggie assured her as Marie knelt behind Catherine, "Push."

Catherine continued to push and Marie sighed, lifting up the woman's gown slightly. "Your Grace, he is coming," She informed the woman, smiling up at the woman, "He is nearly here. Just push."

"One big push," Lina told her and Catherine strained as she pushed as hard as she could.

As the child was born, Marie quickly caught the child in her arms and placed him in the sheet.

"He is here," Bessie spoke up, smiling widely, "He's here."

The baby cried and at the sound, Catherine sighed in utter relief. "Our baby. Our new prince Henry."

Glancing down at the child, Marie's eyes widened. It was not a boy. It was a girl.

She turned to Maggie and Lina, her eyes wide in alarm. Once seeing what Marie did, each of the women's smiles faded while Catherine was left oblivious to what was going on.

"Give him to me," Catherine insisted as she turned to face them and sat down on the bed, "Give him to me."

"Her," Marie corrected her, smiling uneasily as she held the baby girl out to Catherine, "It's a girl, Your Grace."

"Oh, no," Catherine responded, crying as the baby was placed into her arms, "No, no, no. It can't be. It can't be."

"How is my son?" The group of women heard Henry ask from outside the chamber, "Tell me I have a healthy boy."

Catherine handed Maggie the child before walking toward the door, a devastated look on her face. "The...The baby is healthy," She managed to get out, causing Henry and the others to laugh and applaud, "She...is healthy. It's a girl. Will you hold her?"

The baby began to cry and Marie sighed, listening as the footsteps receded from the room.

"She's crying for you," Maggie informed Catherine, who cried as her back faced them, "She needs her mother."

Catherine turned to face them, only to walk past them and away from her daughter, sobbing.

_____

Days later, at court, Henry seemed to be distancing himself from Catherine as much as he could. He never once went to see his daughter, even after Catherine's confinement was over.

In the gardens, Marie walked toward her queen with a soft smile on her face. She found Catherine standing there beside Meg, who had just returned since her regency had been taken from them.

"Your Grace," She greeted them both as she curtsied, "I will take her swaddling to the laundry."

Carrying the linens belonging to Catherine's daughter, Marie began to walk toward the laundry room. The moment she arrived there, however, her eyes widened at the sight of Henry standing there.

She jumped in fright, dropping the linens in the process. "Henry!" She exclaimed, shocked to see him there, "What are you doing there?"

Henry smiled and walked toward Marie. Before she could react, he cupped her face in his hands. He ended up kissing her roughly and wasted no time pushing her against the wall.

She gasped at the sight but forced herself to kiss back. She felt uneasy as she felt Henry lift up her dress, only to gasp as he wasted no time thrusting into her. She didn't stop him, though. There was no use. Now that Catherine had failed to give him a son once more, there was no denying he'd be taking Marie to his bed now more than ever.

Nearby, Catherine walked toward the laundry room once finding that Marie had forgotten something. She walked down the steps, only to have her eyes widen in horror as she found Marie pinned each the wall as Henry was thrusting into her.

They were both moaning loudly and Henry was smiling as he kissed her neck. "I love you, I love you," He had told Marie in a low tone, causing Catherine to look horrified.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Lemme just clarify something, Marie is not back with Henry. She's doing it to make her life better cuz there's not a chance in hell he's going to leave her alone so she thinks that giving him what he wants will benefit her and everyone else around them.

Also im gonna say this again but...

Charlie and Marie ——> A friendship I never knew I needed until now 😭