- In Cold Blood

𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙉 𝘼 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙋𝙇𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙆𝙎, Wolsey was sitting at his desk signing important documents when the door opened and the page announced told him, " Eminence, Lady Armstrong and Lady Evans are here"

"Very well," Wolsey replied rolling his eyes in slight annoyance, " let them in" Sophie and Emily both  walked into the room as the door closed behind them as the blonde looked at her sister with uneasiness before walking over to Cardinal Wolsey, "Your Eminence" Sophie greeted with a slight smile as she curtsied before him.

"What can I do for you, Sophie?" Wolsey asked, looking between the twins not using formalities  since he's known them since they were children as he was close friends with their parents just like Thomas was. Emily stepped closer to her sister taking ahold of her hand nodding in encouragement as Sophie took a deep breathe and revealed, " I am... with child, your Eminence"

"Yes, what of it?" Wolsey asked with furrowed eyebrows not seeing why she's come all the way here just to tell him she was pregnant. "It is his Majesty's child" Emily answered for her sister causing Wolsey to freeze as he stopped what he was doing looking up at the blonde twin with wide eyes.

"You are certain?" Wolsey questioned causing Sophie nod her head in confirmation as she quietly answered, " Yes" looking down at the ground uncomfortably. "Have you told the King?" Wolsey asked making Sophie shake her head with tears forming in her eyes and explained, "No, I haven't seen much of him lately"

"Good," Wolsey exclaimed as he sighed before placed his quill down on the table, " I will inform his Majesty in due time. In the meantime, you will say nothing to anybody on pain of death. Just like we did last time. Do you understand?" 

Sophie nodded her head as she glanced at her sister and replied, "Thank you, Your Eminence," the twins both curtsied going to walk out of the room only to stop when Wolsey spoke up."If you give birth to another boy, I can't promise you will be able to keep him like you did the other two. His Majesty might decide to publicly announce this one, which will ensure that he will remain at court and not join you at Armstrong Place." Wolsey explained

"Yes, Your Eminence" The blonde softly replied before walking out of the room with her sister following after her, " What am I going to do Em? If I have another boy Henry will surely take him away from me" Emily brought her sister into a tight hug stroking her hair as she assured, " Henry loves you Soph, so much, but the only person who's given him what he wants is you. You've given him two sons and even if Henry announces this one you know he'll be in safe hands"

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Meanwhile, Later that day Henry went hunting with Charles, Anthony, and William and when they got back Henry had a meeting to go to with Wolsey and Sir Thomas More. both of them wanted to speak with him about going to war with France.

"Thomas" Henry greeted as he walked into the room as Thomas bowed to his majesty as Henry took a seat at the end of the table. Wolsey turned around with a slight smile on his face as he told Henry, " I trust your Majesty enjoyed hunting today."

"How are the preparations going?" Henry asked glancing towards Wolsey talking about going to war with the french. "Very well. Both your army and fleet are assembling." Wolsey replied as he took a step forward, "Stores and provisions are being laid in. You could go to war in a matter of weeks."

"Excellent," Henry told him nodding his head with a beaming smile on his face, " I knew I could depend on you. "I am grateful to your Majesty," Wolsey exclaimed with a smile as he bowed his head to him. The room was silent for a moment as Henry began to eat his apple but as he looked up he noticed the looks he was receiving form Thomas and Wolsey making him furrow his eyebrows and ask, " what is it?"

"Your Majesty..." Wolsey trailed off as he moved closer to Henry feeling uneasy, "Wars are expensive. To pay for them you have to raise taxes. That is not always popular. What if Your Majesty could gain more power and prestige by other means?"Henry tilted his head to the side at his suggestion curiously as he raised his eyebrows and questioned, " other means?"

"Peaceful means," Wolsey replied making Henry scoff in disbelief and exclaimed, " what? No battles? No glory?" Henry looked between the two men with an confused frown on his face, "I think your Majesty should hear him out," Sir Thomas More suggested as he took a seat, making Henry sigh in annoyance and gesture for Wolsey to elaborate on what he's suggesting

"In the past few weeks, I have conducted, on your majesty's behalf, an intense round of diplomatic talks. Not just with the French Ambassador but also with representatives of the Emperor, with envoys from Denmark, Portugal, the Italian States..." Wolsey started ti explain only to be cut off by Henry.

"What for?" Henry asked raising his eyebrows suspiciously at Wolsey who calmly responded, " To make a treaty" Henry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he questioned, " What kind of treaty?"

"A Treaty of Universal and perpetual peace," Wolsey answered as he sat down across from Thomas causing Henry to bust out laughing thinking he was joking only to stop seeing the serious looks on both Thomas and Wolsey faces.

"How is it to be effected?" Henry asked looking between the two men with his eyebrows raised waiting for either one of them to answer. "In several stages. In the first place, there would be a summit meeting between the Kings of France and England," Wolsey started to explain, "At the summit, your Majesty's daughter would be betrothed formally to the French Dauphin. And at the end of the summit, you would both sign the Treaty."

"The treaty is entirely new in the history of Europe, committing all its signatories to the principles of collective security and universal peace,"Thomas explained making Henry lean forward in interest as he hummed in curiously glancing to look at Thomas and asked, "How would it be enforced?"

"If any of the signatory countries suffer aggression, all the others would immediately demand that the aggressor withdraws. If he refuses, within one month the rest would declare against him and continue until peace is restored," Wolsey spoke up trying their hardest to try and persuade Henry to not go to war.

"The Treaty also envisages the creation of pan-European institutions," Sir Thomas added on to Wolsey explanation making Henry sigh as he leaned back in his chair thinking about the suggestion.

"In some ways, I like it," Henry exclaimed making Wolsey smile in satisfaction, " I recognise it. So do you, Thomas?" Thomas nodded his head in agreement sending Henry a small smile and replied, "Indeed"

"It's the application of humanist principles to international affairs," Henry continued speaking turning his head to send a smile to Wolsey, "Your Eminence is to be congratulated"

"I don't seek praise," Wosley exclaimed shaking his head as he stood back up, "Your Majesty would be known as the architect of a new and modern world. That would be reward enough."

"Always, be assured of our love," Henry told Wolsey with a small smile as Wolsey nodded her head and bowed to him before Thomas stood up as well.

"Goodnight, gentlemen." Henry told them as the two men started heading towards the door when Henry's page announcer entered the room, " what is it?"

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Buckingham insists upon an audience" The young man informed Henry who tried to hide his amused smile on his face making him sigh and gesture for the young man to let him in.

"Your Grace," Henry greeted Edward Stafford as he walked into the room as Edward walked closer to Henry and informed him, "Your Majesty ought to be made aware that I have discovered Mr. Charles Brandon in flagrant delicto with my daughter"

Henry stared up at Edward trying his hardest not to laugh as Edward continued speaking, "Mr. Brandon has brought shame to my family. I demand that your Majesty banish him from court with whatever other punishment your Majesty sees fit."

"There will be no punishment," Henry argued standing up and slamming his hand in the table narrowing his eyes at the duke of Buckingham, "Unless your daughter accuses Mr. Brandon of rape. Does she so claim?"

The Duke of Buckingham stayed quiet making Henry angrily shout, "Does your daughter claim Mr. Brandon raped her?!

"She doesn't need to " Buckingham snapped at Henry just as furiously, "The offense is against me and against my family!"

"As far as I know, there has been no offense," Henry answered calmly causing Thomas and Wolsey to share an uneasy look, "So there is no need for any punishment." Edward Stafford shook his head in disbelief glancing around the room before bowing, " Your Majesty"

"Your Grace" Henry sarcastically replied watching as he felt the room angrily before he leaned against the table and room a deep breathe trying to control his anger. Wolsey and Thomas moved closer towards him as Thomas calmly told him, "Be careful of Buckingham, Harry. He may well be stupid, but he's richer than you are and he can call upon a private army. Not even your father crossed him."

❀❀❀❀

It was nighttime, when Sophie and Emily were with the rest of Catherine's ladies in waiting helping the Queen into her nightdress like they normally did every night. The twins were going to walk out of the room following after the rest of the ladies only to stop when Catherine called out, " Lady Armstrong"

"Go I'll catch up" Sophie whispered to her sister who nodded her head as the blonde turned around with furrowed eyebrows looking at the Queen in confusion as Catherine softly told her, " please stay"

Catherine sat down before she gestured for Sophie to do the same, which she ended up doing immediately as she started playing with her fingers nervously. "I have not truly talked to anyone for a long time," Catherine told Sophie with a sad smile on her face, "Cardinal Wolsey dismissed my Spanish confessor and most of my Spanish ladies, in case they were spies" Catherine paused as she let out a large sigh, "And I cannot trust my English confessor. But I can trust you though, can I not, Lady Armstrong?"

Sophie sighed as she turned her head to look at the Queen with furrowed eyebrows wondering where she was going with this. The blonde opened her mouth to say something in my for Catherine to continue speaking.

"After all, we've known each other since we were teenagers. You coming to live in England after leaving France with your family and me coming to England to marry the King's brother only for everything to turn out so differently" Catherine explained with a soft smile. Sip sighed and nodded her head before replying, " Yes, you can trust me, madam"

"What is my sadness?" Catherine asked looking up at Sophie with tears in her eyes smiling sadly, " it is that I... I cannot give the king a living son. I gave birth to a baby boy once. A sweet boy. But he died... In my arms...After just four weeks of life."

Catherine began to cry as she trailed off looking at Sophie and told her, "The King blames me. I know. He thinks it all my fault! He does not know how much I suffer, how much I pray." The blonde began to feel guilty as she looked to ground, not able to look at Catherine in the eye as she knew Catherine loved Henry only he's heart belonged to Sophie.

Sophie also felt bad for Catherine as she's tried having sons but they always seemed to die while the blonde on the other hand had given Henry two sons with no problem and it's probably why he loved her even more.The blonde let out a deep breathe as she stood up wrapping her arms around the crying women as the two were close when they were teenagers only it changed when Catherine married Henry.

Catherine was jealous of the beautiful blonde, she had Henry's heart no matter what and even after she married him... she witnessed the longingly looks and knew he would never love her the way he did with Sophie. She was beautiful and had this light about that drew people in and she had always brought out the good in Henry with her bubbly personality and kind nature.

"It's not your fault and we both know that" Sophie softy told her causing Catherine to look up at her with a frown on her face, " it's the Tudor curse. Everyone's heard of it before and I know you have" Catherine sighed in defeat as she shook her head and exclaimed, " The king does not know that, though. He doesn't believe in something like this especially since you've given him two sons. Sometimes I even think it's not real"

"It is indeed real, Madam. The King sister, Princess Margaret told me hers and Henry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth Woodville had laid a curse on those responsible for her children's death. This isn't your fault and nothing you could of done to change a thing" Sophie explained with a saddened look on her face.

"That May be true but the curse hasn't taken your first born. All your children are Henry's aren't they?" Catherine asked making Sophie hesitate but slowly nod her head looking at Cathrine in confirmation, " I always saw the way he looked at you, I was he's second choice because he couldn't marry you as your were already married to your husband"

Sophie shifted on her feet nervously as she nodded her head and told the Queen, " there's always going to be a part of me that's afraid and scared that I'll lose one of my children"

"It scares all mother to lose a child, I just hope you don't go through what i did" Cathrine whispered softy with tears pouring down her face causing the blonde to sigh as she placed a hand over her stomach feeling uneasy about the whole thing.