Tudors Betrayal

Frances/KOA

Henry scowled as he watched the handsome youth walk towards him. He never thought he would live to see the day that he would allow the son Katherine of Aragon and King Francis in his kingdom. But he had been curious about the boy. His name was Arthur after his brother. He had been furious that Katherine, or Catrine of France, as she now styled herself, had named her bastard after HIS brother.

He felt that it was a deliberate attack on him. He remembered writing Katherine; she wrote back a scathing reply that he should get over himself. Her naming her son Arthur had nothing to do with him. It had to do with the admiration and love she felt for his brother, and it was a shame that he had died early, because he was a far better man then Henry ever was.

Henry had thrown the letter in the fire, he wouldn't admit at the time but he had been hurt by her scathing words. Looking back at her son, he noted the lad looked mostly like his father, but he had Katherine's blue eyes.

A wave of longing washed over him. Despite what he told everyone Jane was not the love of his life, it had always been Katherine.

"Arthur," a female voice said out of nowhere, they both looked to up to see a surprised Mary. She then broke out in a bright smile. Henry couldn't help but feel envious, even on the best of days he couldn't make Mary this happy. "Sister," Arthur greeted and walked over and hugged his elder sister. He then spun her in his arms causing her to laugh.

Watching the two interact, He couldn't help but feel bitter. Arthur should have been his son, and not that bastards. He gritted his teeth as memories that he tried so hard to forget all came back to him.

Flashback

King Francis watched the Queen of England, Katherine of Aragon, with almost an obsessive gaze in his eye. He was currently sitting besides his wife Claude in the banquet hall of Hampton Palace. He, Claude, and their two sons were currently in England on a diplomatic trip. He was hoping to better his relationship with King Henry, who seemed to have a negative view of him. No doubt from his wife, and his wife's nephew Charles V, his worst enemy. Who was no doubt slandering him whenever he had a chance.

Not only was he wanting better relations with Henry, he was hoping to unite their two Kingdom by uniting their children in marriage. He grew excited at the thought of his future grandson inheriting his kingdom, but English properties as well. Not only there was no better way to sticking it to Charles. He could imagine the shear anger and hatred coming from Charles when he learned that his former betrothed was now marrying the son of Francis.

He had yet to take his eyes off the Spanish beauty ever since she and Henry had entered the hall. She by far the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He remember the first time he had seen her, he felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. He couldn't understand how Henry could not see her beauty.

He watched the King, who seemed annoyed at the very presence of his wife. Instead he kept throwing longing glances over at one of the queen's ladies. He immediately recognized her.

She was former lady-in-waiting to his wife. Despite her beauty, he had never been interested in making Anne mistress. There was something about her that didn't set right about him. She was far too ambitious for his taste. After having Mary her sister as his mistress for a minute, he didn't relish the idea of having another Boleyn girl.

Henry was nothing more than a fool. If he didn't appreciate the treasure that he had in his possession, he would take her from him and make his own, and treat her like she deserved. First he needed to show the Queen that he was not the big bad Frenchmen that she created in her head. It amused him that she was keeping him at arm's length. He was not used to denied by any woman, and the fact that she was resisting him made him want all that more.

Francis deep in his thoughts didn't notice that his wife was watching him. She watched her husband as she watched the English Queen. She was used to her husband's philandering.

But never before had Francis looked at his harlots the way he was looking at Katherine of Aragon. Her heart clenched, there was something inside of her telling her that nothing good that was going to come from this.

Flashback

Claude stared at her husband in shock. Francis immediately hardens his heart to the devastated look on his wife's face. "You want a divorce?" she repeated, finally find her voice. She had just gotten done with her prayers; she had been surprised to see her husband enter her chamber.

"Francis," she gasped, she smiled broadly, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She couldn't believe that he was willingly visiting her chambers. There was a part of her that was hoping that he was coming to share her bed. It had been almost a year since the last time they had made love to each other.

She couldn't help but bitterly think that it was due to that harlot Queen, Katherine of Aragon. She remember the last time she had been in that woman's presence, she had the audacity to wear a broach necklace that HER husband had given her. Fuming mad, she had ripped the necklace off her neck in-front of everyone, Francis, King Henry, and he entire English court. Katherine had looked at her in shocked anger, a blush blooming her cheeks. She then smiled cruelly at her, telling the woman silently with her eyes that she was not going to have her husband.

She knew that acting in such a way was unseemly for a Queen, but she couldn't deny the pleasure that she got from doing it. She had stood by for too long and watched as her husband made open love for the woman right in front of her. Yes, Francis had mistresses but never before had he flaunted them in her own face like he did with Katherine.

She was now even happier they were returning home to France. She was sure that Francis would mourn the loss of his harlot, but like the rest before he would forget her within a month and everything would go back to normal.

But she had been wrong on that, Francis had openly shunned her and her bed. He refused to take any other woman either from what her ladies was telling her. She also heard that he was writing the English Queen non-stop with love letter, poems, sending her gifts, like art pieces, and jewelry.

She could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong. "What is it?" she questioned. She began to panic thinking that maybe it was one of their sons.

"Is it Francis? Henry?"

"NO," he said quickly, not wanting to alarm her. This was harder than he thought it was going to be.

"Claude, I have to come to the realization that I no longer love you." She gasped, he watched as tears filled her eyes. He waited for a second and continued. He knew this sounded cruel but he was going have to say it. "I realized that our union only served one purpose and that was bringing me this crown, though in God's eyes I was meant to have it anyways. For that I will always be grateful to you."

Claude let out a loud sob, her legs felt like her legs were going to collapse underneath her, but somehow some inner strength inside of her kept her standing. She couldn't believe this was happening, all this felt surreal to her.

"What have I done you majesty, why are you being so cruel?" she asked, looking at him in bewilderment. Where was the man who told her that he was going to love her as long as there was breath in his body?

"Cruel?" Francis questioned, he looked at her perplexed. "Madame if I was being cruel, I would never come here in the first and just written you with my intentions."

"And what are your intentions?"

He took a deep breath, "My intentions are to divorce you, and end this farce that is called a marriage."

Claude whole body was shaking with grief and anger. "It's all due that old hag, that your acting like this," she spat venomously. Francis looked like he wanted slap her. She could see his fist clench. "I knew it was a bad idea to come here," he grounded out.

He turned to leave, "what about our sons," she questioned. He turned to face her one more time. "Despite what you may think Claude, I will take care of you and the boys. I will give you one of my castles, and a generous dowry, and you and the boys will stay there. The boys will keep their titles as Prince. However, should Caterine give me a son once I marry her, her son will come first in the line of succession? "

Claude looked at him with disbelief and betrayal. He could do what he will to her, but he would not deny her sons their rightful inheritance. "How dare you! How could you do this to your own sons? Usurp their spot as your rightful heirs, and give it to some bastard that you made with your mistress."

"He won't be a bastard, unlike the heirs I created with you Madame; this child will be created from love, and not out of duty. And will take his rightful spot as my heir, and one day King of France."

"I will never divorce you," she countered viciously, so any dreams of having your mistress bastard as King, you might as well forget them."

He looked at her stunned for a moment. "My God Claude, what hell have you turned into?" he questioned, wondering when his wife had suddenly turned into the bitch from hell.

"The question is Francis what have you become? I'm fighting for my sons, and our marriage, which is holy and just in the eyes of God. Not this obsession that you have for a married woman, whose husband will probably would give his life before letting her go."

There was a part of Francis that knew she was right, he then became frustrated. "I will have my divorce, and I will have Catrine," he said harshly. "And no one, not you, or that bastard Henry will stand in my way."

He then walked out of her chambers, passed her startled ladies, who heard them yelling from the other room.

Once she no longer saw Frances, she collapsed, ignoring the voices of concerns from her ladies, and she let out an anguish scream, and began to cry bitterly.

To be continued...


End file.

Tudors, Drama, Romance