The Other Henry VIII

Wedding Rings

19 February 1524
Henry's gaze moved upwards from his plate of quail eggs to the goblet of ale ahead of it, to the breakfast spread before him, then finally to his wife. She was gazing off into the distance, her food almost untouched, eyes like stone. Even now she looked beautiful, he thought with a faint touch of pride, despite her blank expression. The air was filled with the gentle clink of his cutlery and the violent beating of rain against the window.

"I have invited Charles to court," he announced.
His wife remained motionless as she met his eyes. "Brandon?" she inquired casually.
"Yes, the Duke of Suffolk," returned Henry. "I believe he is newly-married to Agnes Lloyd."
"The Lord Chamberlain's cousin?"
"Yes, that's her. One of the wealthiest eligible young women in the country, they say."
"How very like him."
"Indeed." The two of them shared a subdued chuckle and Henry gestured for a serving boy to remove his plate. "His two daughters will accompany him, I expect. Will you take them as your ladies?"

Leia wiped her lips nonchalantly with her napkin, though she had barely eaten a mouthful, and folded her hands like cards on the table in front of her. "Of course. Perhaps they will be suitable replacements for my cousins." She studied her husband's expression to see if he had taken the hint. "Now that Verity is soon to be wed."
"She can still serve you as a married woman," suggested Henry, rotating one of the gleaming gold bands on his finger. When his wife did not answer, he finally glanced up. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Why did..." she said, mirroring his action with her own wedding ring, "... why did you give consent for Verity's marriage?"
"Why shouldn't I?" the King retorted, his attention drawn faster than lightening.
Leia's voice remained as composed as it had begun. "He will be Duke of Buckingham one day, while she is... she has not much more than nothing."

They shared a stubborn moment of eye contact.
"Leave us!" barked Henry to their attendants, standing up from his seat with an ear-splitting creak of the chair legs against the floor. Once they had scurried out of the chamber, he paced slowly towards his wife with his hands clenched in a fist. "That is not what this is about, is it? Answer me!" The Queen maintained her silence. "ANSWER ME!" Nothing. Her head was wholly turned away now, as if she could not bear to look at him.

Roaring in aggravation, the King pushed over the table with such immense force that the metal plates clattered across the wooden oak planks of the floor and hit the opposite wall. Then, his own haggard breath seeping into his ears, he snatched hold of his wife's wrist and pulled her out of her chair so that their faces were inches apart.

"TELL ME ONCE AND FOR ALL: ARE YOU STILL IN LOVE WITH THE CAVILL BOY?" Leia seemed completely unperturbed. "DO YOU HOPE TO MURDER ME IN MY BED AND SCUTTLE BACK TO HIM, THEN? IS THAT WHY YOU REFUSE TO CONCEIVE? DO YOU STILL PINE AFTER HIM EVERY NIGHT AND PRETEND THAT IT IS HE WHO YOU LIE WITH?"

"I do not love Richard, Henry," she said levelly, taking a step away from him. "I thought you knew that. I do not understand why you always seem to doubt what I say." Leia swallowed the pangs of her indignation. The argument would get nowhere if she were a stubborn as him. "Listen, I have something to—"
"Charles V will pay us a visit by the end of spring," spat her husband sourly, marching towards the door with his fingers combing through his hair in agitation. "I no longer give a damn what you think. I can marry my daughter to whomever I please, do you understand? I have given you everything. All I ask in return is one male heir, is that so much to ask?"

"Henry—"
"No, I refuse. I do not wish to hear whatever you have to say to me. I have some advice for you if you want this marriage to be successful: do not ever cross me again, especially when you have no legs to stand on. I love you, Leia, but that will not be enough if you fail to provide me with what I need." He allowed her no time to defend herself before he stormed out of the door and slammed it aggressively behind him. The thunder of his footsteps echoed through the walls of the palace in his wake.