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It had been over a year since Henry and Danielle were married, and they had since welcomed their six-month-old daughter, Princess Nicole Augusta.
Their days were filled with plans for the university, that they hoped to build, while also embracing married life and devoting themselves fully to raising Nicole.
One afternoon, they were summoned by the king to meet him in the castle gardens. Danielle was delayed, so Henry went ahead alone.
As he approached the tent, the guards bowed deeply, as he acknowledged them with a nod before stepping inside.
“You asked to see Danielle and I, father?” Henry said, though his attention quickly shifted
The queen sat nearby, gently cradling Nicole in her arms, “hello, mother.” He said walking toward her, “there’s my little girl,” Henry said warmly, crossing the space between them. He brushed Nicole’s cheek with his fingers before lifting her into his arms, “keeping your grandparents busy?”
The king cleared his throat, “Henry, I asked for both you and Danielle”
“She’s on her way,” Henry replied calmly, “what did you need from us?”
The king rubbed his forehead, visibly uneasy, “this is a delicate matter. Your mother and child shouldn’t be present”
“Oh, Francis, I already know what this is about, so do get on with it,” the queen said dismissively
Henry frowned slightly, “what is it?” he asked, pressing a gentle kiss to Nicole’s cheek
“Well, son,” the king began, “there are two matters we wished to discuss with you and Danielle. First, Nicole is six months old, and she should be moved…”
Henry raised a hand, stopping him, “I’m going to stop you right there, father,” he said firmly, “as we’ve already made clear, our children will live with us at the manor. We have a governess, but no wet nurse…and we do not intend to change that”
The king glanced at the queen before giving a small, reluctant wave, “very well. But the other thing…we are also aware that you and Danielle share a bed, so…”
Henry’s eyes narrowed slightly, “what about it, father?”
“Francis, just say it plainly,” the queen urged
The king hesitated, then spoke, “are you and Danielle still…lying together?”
Henry’s expression hardened, “father, that is none of your business”
“It is my business,” the king insisted, “we need an heir. Danielle is still nursing Nicole herself, yes…but if we were to appoint a wet nurse, it would free her…then you and Danielle could begin trying for a son”
“Father, Danielle and I told you when she was pregnant with Nicole that, no matter boy or girl, the child would be our heir,” Henry said firmly as he glanced down at his daughter, softening, “little Nicole here is our heir”
The king’s expression tightened, “a girl as heir? Never such a thing has been done”
“Francis, tell him the rest of it,” the queen prompted
The king exhaled, clearly reluctant to drag it out further, “there is a treaty in negotiation with Scotland. Your next child, if a boy, will be betrothed to Princess Margaret”
Henry blinked, “betrothed?”
“Which is precisely why we need you and Danielle to act quickly,” the king added
Henry let out a slow breath, forcing himself to remain calm for Nicole’s sake, “why can’t our children choose their own futures?” he asked, “the way Danielle and I did? Why can’t they marry for love?”
“Henry,” the queen said gently, “what you and Danielle have is rare…once in a lifetime. You were fortunate to find one another. But that is not how things are done for most royals” she said, casting a pointed look at the king
He rolled his eyes and muttered, “not this again”
At that moment, Danielle entered, as she curtsied quickly to the king and queen, “my apologies for being late,” she said, moving toward Henry. Her eyes immediately found Nicole, and her expression softened as she took her daughter into her arms.
“You’re right on time,” Henry said, though his tone carried an edge. He looked toward his father, “go on, tell her”
The king explained, his voice measured, laying out the expectation, the treaty, and the urgency.
By the time he finished, Danielle stood frozen, her face pale with shock, “can’t we wait a few more months?” she asked quietly
“Danielle, my dear, we must secure this treaty as soon as possible,” the king replied, “it will strengthen the alliance”
Danielle didn’t answer right away, she looked down at Nicole, then back at Henry…uncertainty and distress clear in her eyes.
Slowly, she handed Nicole back to him, and without a word, bowed to the king and queen and hurried out of the tent.
“Danielle?” Henry called, concern instantly replacing his restraint, He gently passed Nicole back to the queen before turning sharply to his father, “see what you’ve done?”
The king only sighed, rubbing his temple as if the matter were an inconvenience.
But Henry was already gone, striding out of the tent in pursuit of his wife.
Danielle moved quickly through the garden, her pace just short of a run. Guards and courtiers bowed as she passed, but she barely noticed them, her breath unsteady and her thoughts racing.
“Danielle…darling?” Henry said as he caught up to her, gently reaching for her arm, “are you all right?”
She turned to him, her composure already beginning to crack, “Henry…this treaty…I’m afraid”
“Afraid?” he asked softly
Her eyes filled with tears, “what if I can’t bear more children…for this treaty?”
Henry hesitated, his expression shifting, “we don’t even know if you can…since you…”
Danielle looked up at him, tears spilling over, “Henry…I was with child after Nicole”
He froze, “you were?”
She nodded faintly, “when you were away in Paris with your father…two months ago” her voice trembled, “I miscarried”
For a moment, he couldn’t speak, “why didn’t you tell me?” he finally asked, his voice low with hurt and concern
Danielle shook her head, wiping at her tears, “I was only a few weeks along. It didn’t seem to matter”
Henry gently lifted her chin, making her meet his gaze, “no, darling,” he said firmly, “even if you were only a few days, it matters”
Her expression broke, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she clung to him.
Footsteps approached softly, “someone is quite insistent,” the queen said gently
They turned to see her approaching, with Nicole in her arms, crying softly
“Come here, my darling,” Danielle said, her voice tender as she reached for her daughter
Nicole settled almost instantly as Danielle held her close, “I’ll take her to our room in the castle to feed her,” Danielle added quietly
Henry nodded, his hand brushing her arm reassuringly.
The queen gave a small, knowing look before stepping back.
Danielle walked away with Nicole in her arms, her pace slower now…but her thoughts no less heavy.
Henry remained where he was for a moment, watching her go, the weight of everything settling heavily on his shoulders.
Their chambers they had, only when they were visiting the castle, was always quiet, with the window facing the gardens.
Soft light filtered through the tall windows as she sat near the hearth, Nicole nestled in her arms. The baby had already calmed, nursing peacefully, her tiny hand resting against Danielle’s gown.
Danielle leaned her head back, closing her eyes for a brief moment, though the tears still slipped through, as she heard a soft knock at the door.
“Who is it?” she asked
“It’s me, darling” Henry said
“Come in” she said quietly
Henry entered quietly, and closing the door behind him slowly. For a moment, he said nothing…just watched her across the room, taking in the sight of his wife and child.
He crossed the room slowly, “how is she?” he asked gently
“Hungry,” Danielle murmured, managing a faint smile as she glanced down at Nicole, “but content now”
Henry knelt beside her chair, his hand resting lightly on her arm, “and you?”
The question lingered, but Danielle didn’t answer right away. Her gaze stayed on Nicole, her fingers brushing softly over the baby’s hair.
“I didn’t want to burden you,” she finally said, “you were already under so much pressure with your father and Paris, with the University…”
Henry’s jaw tightened slightly, “you losing a child is not a burden,” he said quietly, “it’s something we should have faced together”
Her eyes filled again, “I didn’t even know how to face it myself”
He exhaled slowly, then rested his forehead gently against her arm, careful not to disturb Nicole, “but still, I should have been there,” he murmured
Danielle shook her head, “you couldn’t have known”
“That doesn’t make it easier,” he replied
Silence settled between them again…but this time, it wasn’t tense. It was shared.
After a moment, Danielle spoke, her voice softer, more uncertain, “just the need for another child and the pressure of that treaty.”
He shook his head, as he gently too her free hand, ground her, “listen to me. We have a healthy child, and not matter what my father or the stupid treaty, Nicole is our heir.” He continued softly, “and if we have no more children, that changes nothing. Not how I see you or how I love you. If it’s just us three as a family, than I will be the happiest man, prince and future king in the world”
A tear slipped down her cheek, “but, Henry, again the treaty and crown?”
“I’ll talk to my father again and his advisors.”
“What if they won’t listen?”
Nicole shifted slightly between them, letting out a soft sound. Danielle instinctively adjusted her hold, and Henry smiled faintly at the sight, “they will have to listen. I won’t back down. Nicole is our heir. She already has your strength, Danielle, and one day when she becomes a queen, she’ll be an extraordinary ruler”
Danielle smiled, watching the two of them, “she will be an amazing queen with her father’s stubbornness”
They both let out a laugh, enjoying their time together as a family.
The next day, Henry and Danielle stood their ground, and despite the king’s insistence, the advisors and the pressure of the treaty, the matter was thrown away. Nicole was their rightful and it was final.
The End