Topic: Blessings

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:49 EST
September 4th, 1615

The summer felt long this year. Not simply because of the heat, which could be oppressive in the heart of Pomerania, with no coastline to draw cool breezes to the people; but also because of the anticipation. Not only were the people eager to see the grisly outcome of the trials that had dragged on for weeks, but everyone was anxious for news that the Crown Princess had delivered her child. She had been sent into her confinement earlier than most had been expecting, forced to rest and keep away from exertions, but today was not a usual day.

As the summer began its gentle spiral down into autumn, the sentences for the five lords convicted of treason were announced - death by beheading. There could have been no other response. Crowds gathered at the place of execution, eager to see these traitors done to death, and offered a surprise that no one could have foreseen. There, on the wide balcony of the castle itself, was gathered the entire royal family and their entourage - not only the High King and Queen, but the Crown Prince and his brothers, and the Crown Princess, come out of her confinement for this one moment in time. It had been the worst threat to their security House Hasperan had ever faced; they would be there to see that threat ended.

The High King's brother was there, as well, along with his son and daughter, Henry and Elspeth, and their friends, Jane and Thomas Montague, all of them looking grim. There wasn't a smile among them, none of them happy to witness the traitors' punishment, but expected to attend so that all could see that the threat to House Hasperan, if anything, had only made them stronger and more resolute. The Crown Prince stood tall and silent beside his wife, who was seated, one hand resting gently against her shoulder, as if to remind her that she was not alone.

Of all those who were to be executed, there was only one whom a few of those royal watchers were glad to see die. They knew, as few did, of what Ferdinand Maverly had done to the most vulnerable of their number, and they wanted him wiped from the face of the earth. At a nod from the High King, the Lord Chief Justice gave the signal, and the jeering began as the five men, stripped of their finery and denied water for washing for over a month, were escorted from the gaol to the scaffold placed at the center of the square.

Behind the Queen's chair, Elspeth's hand gripped Jane's as she looked on what had become of the man who had hurt her, shocked by the part of herself that wanted him dead.

Jane gripped Elspeth's hand tightly, well aware of the pair of brothers who stood behind them in case their sisters were unable to stomach the executions that were about to take place.

Harry had tried to convince Elspeth not to come, but she had insisted on seeing it through, insisting the man who had violated her needed to see he had not destroyed her, though Harry thought it was more about what Elspeth needed than Maverly.

It seemed to take a long time for the prisoners to reach the scaffold, jostled and insulted by the common people and the nobles gathered there to watch their deaths. The noise did not abate, no one willing to listen to the gallows speech of men who had dared to threaten their king. Garet was first, defiant to the last, speaking his piece to the jeering crowd and kneeling to place his head on the block without even a flicker of fear. The axe rose and fell, and the body keeled away from the block, cleanly cut and spraying blood from the neck.

"Good Goddess," Marianne breathed, reaching up to grip Stephan's hand as she fought down the natural desire to retch.

Jane had gone pale, gripping Elspeth's hand tighter, and even Harry was looked a little peaked from where he stood behind them, but he remained where he stood, in support of his family.

As for Stephan, though executions were grisly business, he had been to battle enough that he had seen far worse than this. It was Marianne who chiefly concerned him, as well as the other women, especially considering how far along with child she was. He leaned close, whispering softly in her ear so that his voice did not carry. "You do not need to watch this, love," he reminded her gently, not for the first time.

She drew in a deep breath, the hand not holding his laid over the wide rounded belly she was supposed to be resting. "I know," she breathed back to him. "But we should show a united front."

Down on the scaffold, Garet's body was pulled away from the block, the blood mopped up with straw, and Maverly's name was called. There was no brave defiance in this one; he sobbed and fought as he was brought to the block, earning the crowd's ire for his cowardice in the face of his own death.

Beside the King's seat, Maksim stiffened, his jaw clenched in anger at the fact that this man could so casually assault a girl, and yet had no courage to be a man when it mattered most.

Harry, too, stiffened, though for reasons different from Maksim's. He wouldn't have minded gutting Maverly himself, if he'd had the chance, though Maksim had reminded him that public execution was a far better fate for the coward. He, too, clenched his jaw, eager for the man's death and hoping he would not dare say anything to Elspeth before the axe severed his head from his body. No apology was good enough for what he had done and what he had attempted to do. He had done enough damage, and now it was time to face his fate.

As for Elspeth herself, she was pale as a sheet, holding to Jane's hand as though it were the only thing keeping her upright. As she watched the man who had ruined her dragged bodily to the block, she felt her lip curl in a disgusted sneer, hate flashing in her eyes as he blubbered his way through what few words he could make out. But Maverly's torment was not done with a single blow of the axe. It took three blows to sever his head from his shoulders, and there were not many ladies or gentlemen present who were not sickened by it. Marianne gasped sharply, wincing as she looked away.

Stephan was there to clutch her to him, allowing her to hide her face against his side, if she so desired. It was a grisly sight even for a man who had seen battle, but he thought it important that these men men publicly punished and humiliated, not only for their crimes but to deter anyone else from considering the same. "Almost over," he whispered, though they had hardly begun.

She closed her eyes, pressing her face against his doublet for a long moment, tense and uncomfortable. When, finally, she raised her eyes, it was to whisper back to Stephan. "I do not think it is almost over," she murmured reluctantly. "I think it is just beginning."

On her other side, the Queen looked sharply at them, experienced eyes seeing what the inexperienced princess was only groping toward. Catherine turned her head. "Elspeth, Lady Jane ....please help the princess to her chambers, and have someone send for the midwife," she said calmly. "Stephan, you will stay here. There is no need for all of us to go."

Stephan's gaze slid from his wife to his mother, eyes narrowed in puzzlement for a brief moment before realizing what his mother was saying. "It's too soon," he whispered back, a worried expression on his face. If she went into labor too soon, the child or children she was carrying might not survive, and he wasn't sure either of them could manage the heartbreak.

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:51 EST
As for Jane, she nodded and tugged at Elspeth's hand to help Marianne from her chair, relieved they would not have to witness any more of the grisly bloodshed, but worried for the princess.

"Not at all," the Queen answered her son, calm and confident on the outside for his sake. "Children come when they decide to, that is all."

Below them, the process of mopping up was just finishing, the third execution about to take place. Elspeth moved with Jane, both of them gently helping Marianne onto her feet to ease her off the balcony and out of public sight as she fought not to cry and disgrace herself in front of everyone there.

Stephan touched gentle fingers to the swell of her womb as she moved past him, a strained smile on his face, though it was killing him to remain there while she labored without him. "It will be all right," he whispered as Jane and Elspeth took her in hand, hoping she would recognize more than just that gentle reassurance in his eyes and his touch and his words.

Marianne met his eyes as he whispered to her, nodding her head quickly in recognition of his reassurance, and the love they shared. She did not dare linger in that glance, unwilling to show him how frightened she was of what was about to take place.

As the girls left the balcony, the menfolk stepped nearer to the King and Queen, all but oblivious to the slice of blade through flesh and bone beneath them on the gallows. Felipe laid a hand on Stephan's shoulder, forcing his brother down into the seat Marianne had just vacated. "She can do this, brother," he promised quietly. "Be strong, for her sake."

Stephan nodded as he was forced into the seat that had been Marianne's, his thoughts with her, even as he watched each of the men meet their fate with the executioner. He secretly prayed to the Goddess to be kind, to give his wife a quick, easy labor and to finish it with the birth of a healthy child or children. There was not much more he could do than that, knowing women sometimes died in childbirth, though he had no reason to suspect Marianne would be one of them.

For all of them on that balcony, the executions were now of secondary importance. Their thoughts, and prayers, were with the little princess as she labored. Yet there was still business to be done, and though his presence was not strictly necessary, the King commanded Stephan accompany him to the council meeting that was held immediately following those executions. The meeting dragged on, arguments back and forth offered by those who were the most trusted in the land, their advice weighed and considered, and even when they were dismissed, Stephan was not.

"They will come for you when it is time," Philippe assured his son, handing him a cup of wine. "I want your advice, however. What do you think we should do about Edessa, short of going there to turn my interfering sister over my knee and give her a hiding in public" There has been some talk of offering the princess to Christian of Francia."

"The ambassador from Francia has suggested a match between Princess Brynhilde and the King of Carib. It would be a purely political match, but Peter is old and not likely to live much longer, and it would make Brynhilde queen. That way, both will have a throne of their own, as well as achieving a strong alliance with Pomerania and Francia, and averting civil war. It is not the best of arrangements, but could work in everyone's favor," Stephan suggested, having given it some thought, though his mind was obviously distracted by Marianne's labor, not to mention the executions that had only recently taken place.

Philippe frowned as he considered this thoughtfully. "It is a good idea," he admitted, taking a slow drink from his wine. "We would, of course, have to provide her with a second husband as soon as Peter finally goes to the Goddess, but an Edessan on the throne of Carib is an intriguing thought. She would certainly be able to exercise control over those horse lords, and once she had their support, she would be able to create a functioning government. We couldn't risk her marrying one of them, however. Hmm." He leaned back in his chair, his mind already turning. "Of course, I do have two sons and a nephew who might be just the thing in that case."

"One of them does seem the logical choice," Stephan replied. He didn't want to suggest one of the three men in question by name. Though any one of them would make a good choice, he had plans for his brothers' futures once he was king. That left only young Henry, which would elevate his station from earl to king, but they would have to appoint someone else to take over the duchy someday.

"Well, it's a decision that would not have to be made until next summer at the earliest," Philippe mused. He sighed, rubbing his brow. "I'll have to go to Edessa personally. Anne needs reminding that she is not a one-woman crusade to turn the world into an echo of our own Pomerania. This civil unrest is her fault."

"Might I suggest you take one of the candidates with you?" Stephan said, more suggestion than question. He was leaning toward Henry himself, but he didn't want to throw the boy to the dogs, so to speak. "What do you think of young Harry?" he asked after a moment of silence, idly fingering his wine glass.

Again, Philippe paused to consider his answer to his son's question. "He is a surprise," he admitted. "The boy seems naturally talented, and with his friend to help him, he is navigating the court remarkably well. A little too attached to his sister, perhaps, but in time, that will fade. You think I should take him to Edessa with me" It's a rough court, very different from our own."

"Father," Stephan started, not bothering to ask permission to speak frankly, since they were alone. "I will have need of my brothers, as you well know. I plan to make Maksim my Chancellor and Felipe, my Commander General. Though this match is important for both our alliance and the peace of Edessa, I can spare neither. On the other hand, Harry shows promise, and we have time to groom him for the throne. Such an arrangement would solidify our influence in both Carib and Edessa."

"You've been thinking about this," Philippe accused him fondly, chuckling at the frank turn the conversation had taken. "You're right, of course. Those positions are the closest to the throne, and as such, need to be held but men you can trust. Both your brothers have proved their loyalty beyond all doubt." He was silent for a long moment, frowning into the middle distance. "Do you believe young Harry could handle such a position?" he asked then. "Being a king is no light matter, and he would be the king of a country struggling to stand on its own. Not to mention the fact that he would have a queen who will be, by that point, in sole command of the armies by sheer force of will, if nothing else. Could he manage that, do you think?"

"Take him with you, see what he's made of. If nothing else, it will afford you time to get to know him. He may surprise you," Stephan replied, smiling at his own suggestion, knowing the young man and his sister had both surprised him. "We will have time to prepare him and make him ready."

"Yes, we will," Philippe nodded. "And it would be better for him to at least meet the girl. We should -" He was interrupted by the sound of running feet, and the impatient declaration that a young boy needed to see Prince Stephan. Gesturing for the lad to be allowed in, Philippe glanced at his son.

The page stumbled in, and performed the worst bow either one of them had seen for years. "Your Majesty, your highness," the boy gasped. "The princess is delivered of a healthy boy, and ....and two healthy girls."

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:52 EST
It wouldn't be easy, but they'd have time before the old king died to ready young Harry for the throne. Whatever else might have been said between them would have to wait, as news of the impending births reached them at last. Though he had learned how to hide his nervousness, Stephan had been on pins and needles ever since Marianne had been taken away to birth. "Out with it, boy!" he exclaimed, as the boy hesitated to catch his breath before sharing the news. "Two?" Stephan echoed, brows arching upwards. He wouldn't have been surprised to have heard of two healthy babies, but three" "Are you certain, lad?"

"Lady Bryant was ....was very clear, your highness," the boy nodded. "She-she said to come and tell you, and to say that the princess and your children are ready to see you and be presented to the King and Queen."

Philippe was chuckling, calling to his secretary. "Mr. Manero, go and tell the Duke of Ayleth to get those celebrations started," he told the man with a grin. "This is a rare day, indeed."

"Five deaths and three births," Stephan murmured quietly, mostly to himself. "The Goddess has been generous." He lifted his glass to his father. "A son to groom into a future king, and two daughters to make Mother happy," he said, toasting to their good fortune.

"And a princess to mother them," Philippe added, raising his own glass with a smile. He assumed nothing untoward had happened to Marianne; the page would have been sent for Stephan sooner if his wife had been in any danger. "You have filled the royal nursery on your first try, Stephan. I think someone should teach your wife how not to conceive for a few years."

Stephan, too, assumed his wife was well, or the boy would have said otherwise. He chuckled at his father's remark, feeling a swell of pride that they'd managed such a feat, though he though Marianne deserved more credit than himself. "Thank the Goddess for wet nurses and nannies," he added with a grin, draining his glass.

Of course, there was every chance that this very unusual pregnancy had taken away Marianne's ability to conceive at all, but the king was not about to mention that. "Go and see your wife and children," Philippe told his son. "I will collect your mother, and we'll get the official presentation over with in about an hour."

Stephan wasn't too worried about the possibility of more children yet, when the Goddess had just granted them three at once. "Very well. One hour," Stephan replied, as he moved to his feet, unable to stop smiling, despite the way the day had begun. It seemed the Goddess was smiling on them today, and he couldn't wait to see his Marianne and meet his new son and daughters for the first time.

The corridors close to the princess' apartments were crowded with people, all eager to catch a glimpse of the new prince and princesses, and all destined to be disappointed. The King's Guard held them all back several feet from the doors that led into the shared rooms between Stephan and Marianne's chambers, and even inside, Lady Bryant was standing guard. She was a formidable opponent if you were not supposed to be there.

But they would not and could not keep Stephan at bay. He was the Crown Prince, after all, and it was his wife and children who were behind those doors. He could, however, help disperse the crowd, raising his hands and calling for silence. "I ask you all to please disperse and go about your business, as usual. We will officially present the new prince and princesses to the court in a few days. Until then, we must have order, so please, I am not asking you - I am telling you - to clear the corridor and go about your business."

Of course, what he missed was the look of smug pleasure on the faces of the guards behind him as he gave this order. The Kings Guard now had license to remove all malingerers from the corridor, at the prince's command, and those who knew the court knew that for a fact. With much grumbling, good-natured and otherwise, the courtiers began to disperse, giving Stephan the freedom to enter his own rooms in peace.

Lady Bryant greeted him with a low curtsy, a delighted smile on her face as she rose. "Your Highness, it is a great day," she gushed, her reserve around him apparently gone after several hours spent helping his children into the world.

While Stephan understood the court's excitement at the news of the births - especially since there was not just one but three births to celebrate - but he could not condone a crowd milling around outside the princesses' rooms, and he didn't want them there when the king and queen came to pay their first visit. "It is a very great day," Stephan agreed with a grin, as he pulled Lady Bryant to her feet and kissed both her cheeks. Now that he was safely away from the prying eyes of the court and the guards, he was able to release some of the happiness that he'd had to keep in check since the page had brought him the news.

For all her decorum, it had been a long day, and Lady Bryant had grown fond of the prince for the sake of her little mistress, who loved him dearly. She laughed as he kissed her cheeks, drawing back with a faint blush. "She is well," she told him quietly. "It was an easier birth than we were expecting, though none of us was expecting a third child."

"No, we thought there might be two, but we were not expecting a third," he said, echoing her thoughts. "May I see her?" he asked, knowing she would not deny him such a request. As anxious as he was to meet his children, he first needed to see Marianne and make sure she was, indeed, well.

"Of course, your highness," Lady Bryant assured him. "She is ready for you." She gestured toward the barely used bedchamber that was set aside for the Crown Princess - like his parents, Stephan and Marianne shared a bed every night without fail.

For some odd reason, Stephan felt a strange sense of mingled nervousness and excitement, knowing things could still go wrong, but hoping all would be well. It seemed the Goddess had truly blessed them, and he would have to make sure he gave thanks in Her name. He flashed a nervous smile at Lady Bryant before finding his way into the Crown Princess' bedchamber to see his wife for the first time since she'd given birth. "Mari?" he greeted her quietly, not wanting to wake her if she was resting.

She was not sleeping. Marianne sat in the center of the wide bed, clean and fresh, her hair braided neatly away from her face, and in her arms was one small bundle. The other two bundles were held by Elspeth and Lady Jane Montague, both of whom rose from their seat on the bed with the new mother to turn and curtsy carefully to the Crown Prince. Marianne looked up at Stephan with a bright smile. "I hope my lord is satisfied with his bounty," she teased him affectionately in greeting.

"He is very satisfied," Stephan replied, referring to himself in the third person as he nodded a greeting to his cousin and Lady Jane, each of whom was holding one of his children in her arms. "And who have we here?" he asked, as he settled himself beside his wife and peered over at the bundle in her arms.

"This is your son, Stephan," his wife told him warmly, nodding to the ladies to seat themselves again on the end of the bed. "Would you like to hold him?" In Elspeth's arms, one of the newborn princesses sneezed abruptly, making everyone jump and laugh as she was rocked back to sleep. Marianne chuckled, looking to Stephan. "That one made the most noise when she emerged."

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:53 EST
"And which is she" The eldest, the youngest, or the troublesome middle child?" he asked as he glanced over at the sneezing one in his cousin's arms. He'd been certain his wedding day had been the happiest day of his life, but now he wasn't so sure.

Marianne opened her mouth, and realized she did not actually know the answer to that. "Uh ....all I know is that your son is the eldest," she laughed softly, glancing to Elspeth. "Do you know which is which, Els?"

Elspeth looked cornered for a moment, glancing to Jane for help. "Everything happened rather quickly, your highness."

"Hmm, well, no matter, I suppose," Stephan replied. "I'm sure Lady Bryant will know which is which," he said, as he looked back to his wife and son. "May I?" he asked, holding out his arms to collect his newly-born son, though Marianne had already offered before their daughter had distracted them with a sneeze.

"Did you think I would say no?" she smiled, leaning close to ease their son into his arms before she settled back against the pillows. The baby boy was larger than his sisters, though not by much, and seemed to be the reddest of them, sleeping peacefully as he was settled in his father's arms. "You recall I said there were too many Philippes in your family?" Marianne murmured to her husband fondly. "I do not think there is a Philippa."

For a man who was rarely moved to tears, the Crown Prince found his eyes growing a little misty at the sight of his newborn son there in his arms. "He's a fine looking boy," he praised both his son and his wife, who had borne him. "No, I do not think there is," he replied to Marianne's remark with a chuckle. "Do you think the king will mind a granddaughter bearing his name, rather than a grandson?" he asked, as the boy in his arms searched for his own fingers.

"Well," Marianne mused with a smile, "we could either call him Christophe Stephan, or Christophe Philippe. Which name would you rather Katarina's sister have - Philippa, or Stephanie?"

"As much as I love my father, is it too egotistical to call him Christophe Stephan?" he asked, letting the small boy grab hold of his father's finger in his surprisingly strong grip, his question answering her question.

"Of course it is not," Marianne chuckled softly. "He did not name you after himself or his father, but after his own wife's father, after all. Why should he mind, especially when his own name will be given to one of the girls?"

"I'm not sure what he'll think about a Philippa, rather than a Philippe," Stephan said, chuckling at the thought of it, which amused him for some reason. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when we hand him his namesake," he added with a gleam in his eyes. "So, Christophe, Katarina, and Philippa then" They are good names."

"For our parents," Marianne smiled, not giving even a moment's thought to the mother who had given her so little over the years and was now in disgrace. "I think, next time, I will hope for just one child in my womb. I was quite exhausted when they were done with me!"

Stephan couldn't help but chuckle at her remark. "I think it will be some time before we have another," he assured her, though that could prove a challenge, considering their open affection for each other. "My parents will be here in a short while with the royal chaplain," he warned her, though this was to be expected.

"The midwife said she would teach me how not to conceive," his little wife assured him. "She seemed quite astonished that we all came through it without hurt." Resting her cheek against his shoulder, she smiled at the sight of their son gumming on his father's fingers. "I had expected them to come in with you," she admitted when he warned her of the impending invasion. "Just your parents, or your brothers and cousin, too?"

"Knowing my brothers, I do not doubt they are eager to meet their nephew and nieces, but I do not wish them to stay long," he said as he looked from the bundle in his arms to the mother of his children. "The Goddess was with us today, Mari, but you need your rest. I will not risk your health because my family is over-eager to meet our children. There will be plenty of time for that later." He leaned close to touch a tender kiss to her temple, in full view of her ladies.

She smiled as he kissed her temple, resting against him affectionately. "Perhaps the Queen will banish them from visiting for today," she mused. Catherine had been full of advice about how to recover from childbirth, after all. "I am going to miss you while I am recovering, though. If only tradition did not forbid me from lying next to you until I am churched, I should truly be the happiest woman alive."

His smile softened, touched by her words. He was a very lucky man to have a wife who was not only devoted to him, but who loved him and shared his bed gladly. "It will not be for long, and I will come see you and the wee ones every day. I promise," he murmured quietly back at her. There was much he wanted to tell her, even now, but not while the walls had ears.

"I will never begrudge your company, love," she promised him, smiling as she touched a kiss to his lips.

A knock sounded on the door - a knock belonging to Lady Bryant, who entered formally. That was all the warning they were going to get, it seemed. "His Majesty King Philippe, and Queen Catherine, your highnesses," she announced, lowering into a curtsy as Stephan's parents swept into the room, both doing a terrible job of looking regal while desperate to see the babies.

Stephan had not even had a chance to properly greet his daughters yet before the King and Queen were anxiously swooping in to meet their grandchildren, but Stephan knew he'd have plenty of time to spend with them later. "That was not an hour, Father," Stephan teased with a grin.

"Shh, we have to get the formalities out of the way," was his father's response, sending Marianne into fits of giggles as Elspeth and Jane rose to curtsy to the King and Queen themselves. The chaplain, to his credit, didn't even blink at the sight of the revered mother laughing uncontrollably, simply forging ahead with the blessing he was expected to give over the three miraculous babes.

"Philippe, I do believe you have broken her," Catherine murmured to her husband beneath the chanting, charmed by the sight of her eldest son and his wife sat so closely together.

Stephan said nothing, knowing the formalities were mostly an excuse for the eager grandparents to swoop in and see their new grandchildren. After all, it wasn't every day three babies were born all at once to one set of parents. Thankfully, Stephan did not hear his mother's teasing or he might have joined her. Instead, he was too busy beaming proudly at his newborn son and watching quietly as the chaplain murmured his blessing.

"Goddess, in Your goodness, grant prosperous life and long to this new prince, and these new princesses," the chaplain intoned, raising his thurible to incense the room before ending his prayers. He bowed to the monarchs, and to the royal couple on the bed. "And my own congratulations, your highnesses," he added with a smile, turning to slip from the room to leave the grandparents with the next generation.

As soon as the door closed, Catherine swept down on Lady Jane, her arms outstretched. "May I hold her?"

Jane had been quiet through the proceedings, a little in awe of the tiny girl in her arms. Until now, she hadn't had much experience with babies, but it seemed all that was about to change. She wondered if she'd ever have one of her own, but for now, she was simply happy for the princess and her family. "Yes, of course, Your Majesty," she replied, carefully handing Baby Katarina to her namesake. Apparently, Jane knew a little more about proper court behavior than she'd let on in the garden.

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:54 EST
Marianne glanced at Stephan as his mother took her eldest granddaughter into her arms, mischief in her smile at knowing that each grandparent would soon be holding their own namesake. Catherine was truly delighted with the baby girl in her arms, settling herself comfortably at the end of the bed as she cooed to the infant. Philippe, on the other hand, was lurking behind Elspeth, looking at the smallest of the babies over her shoulder.

Marianne laughed. "Your Majesty, anyone would think you were afraid of holding an infant."

Jane hovered close, in case she was needed, but once again remained silent as the king and queen greeted their grandchildren for the first.

"Her name is Philippa," Stephan offered with a smirk, wondering what his father would think of that. As for himself, he looked quite content to hang onto his son for as long as they'd let him.

Philippe blinked in surprise, his head snapping up to stare at his son in disbelief. "Which one?" he asked, the first question to come into his mind even as Elspeth finally caught onto Marianne's gestures and turned to hand the baby girl into her grandfather's arms.

"That one," Stephan replied with a nod of his head to the baby girl Elspeth was getting ready to hand to the king. "And she sneezes. Don't say you weren't warned!" he added with a grin. "That one ..." he said, looking to his mother to indicate the little bundle in her arms, "....is Katarina."

"This one?" Philippe chuckled as he took the tiny Philippa into his arms, confident enough to hold her one-handed to chuck Elspeth's chin as the girl slipped away to stand quietly beside Jane. "It is an honor to have a little princess named after me."

At the end of the bed, Catherine looked up from where she had been counting tiny fingers. "You did not name one of your daughters after the pretty princess who gave them to you?" she asked curiously. "We were expecting a Maria, if it was to be a girl."

"She's Katarina Marianne," Stephan explained. "And the other is Philippa Elise. As for our son, we have decided on Christophe Stephan. I hope those names are satisfactory with you both." He did not bother to explain that there had been enough Philippes, but no Philippas. They had found a way to honor both parents and grandparents, save for Marianne's mother, who was hardly worthy of being honored.

"Ah, for Christian, yes?" Catherine smiled, practiced arms jostling the little sweetheart in her grasp as she looked at her son and his wife. "They are good names."

"Strong names," Philippe added with a smile of his own. Marianne was treated to the sight of the stern, sometimes intimidating High King bending his head to kiss little Philippa's cheek and getting a sneeze right in the face for his efforts.

Stephan mirrored his mother's smile, glad they were both pleased with the names, but laughing at the sneeze. "I did warn you, Father!" he said. "We must send word to Christian that he is a grandfather."

Philippe chuckled, wiping his face with his sleeve before gently wiping the baby's face with her own cloth. "You are going to be a handful, I can tell," he informed the infant girl fondly. "Now their names are decided upon, we shall have them all christened at the Temple as soon as may be. Christian will be informed, I promise you that." Though it might seem unduly hasty to already be talking of a christening, these first days and weeks were critical in any child's life. The sooner they were absorbed into the Goddess' love and protection, the better.

"Perhaps we should invite him here to meet them," Stephan suggested further. He and Christian had become friends on the field of battle, and now that there was relative peace with Coimbra, he saw no better reason for the King of Francia to visit the Pomeran court than the birth of his grandchildren.

"Indeed, we should," his mother was quick to agree. "It has been too long since we have hosted a royal guest, and Christian is family now."

Marianne's face had lit up at the prospect of a visit from her father. "I am sure he would be happy to come," she said, almost shyly. "If only to strengthen the ties between our countries."

Philippe smiled gently. "Then the invitation shall be sent," he assured them. "Perhaps he will spend the Solstice with us."

It was a given that if Christian came to visit, he would bring a small entourage with him, which might include Marianne's brothers, though Stephan was not sure who else might accompany the king to court. "It will be hard for him to decline such an invitation," he pointed out, knowing how Marianne missed her father and brothers, and how pleased and proud they would be to see her happily settled and with three small babies to carry on the bloodline.

"And given his ....change in circumstances ....he may well wish to be reunited with the daughter he kept so well protected from those who would have seen his blood come to harm," Philippe added. Marianne's smile faded a little, knowing he was referring to her mother's involvement in Bereth's crimes, but she did not say anything to argue with it, resting comfortably against Stephan's side as she toyed with their son's fingers.

Catherine threw her husband a reproving look. "There will be celebrations throughout the country at this happy news," she told them, seeking to lighten the feeling of the young princess. "Indeed, there will be a joust here at court, and fireworks to be set off. You will be able to see it all from your balcony here, Mari. You will not be left out of those celebrations, though you cannot be seen publicly until you have been cleansed."

"Today is a happy day," Stephan added, echoing his mother's thoughts. He wanted no more talk of executions, plots, politics, or war. Today was quite possibly one of the happiest days of his life, if not the happiest, and they had not only one reason to celebrate but three. "I can't help but wonder what Christian will say when he learns we were thrice blessed."

"He'll be jealous," Philippe predicted laughingly. "Every king and queen will be jealous that the Goddess has blessed you so openly with Her favor. To have three healthy babes at once, and the mother fit and well to raise them ....it can only be Her blessing."

"Well, they will all be jealous but Benedict of Cicile," Catherine mused with a smile. "He has been blessed with nine children, after all."

"We are already a third of the way there," Stephan pointed out with a grin, though he doubted the Goddess would bless them with multiples births again, and he would never expect Marianne to give birth to six more children. They had already caught up with his parents, who had been blessed with three sons, but no daughters.

"There is a saying in Edessa ..." Philippe mused with a faint smile. "That a man is not a man until he has a daughter. If that is true, Stephan, then you are twice the man I am."

His wife laughed, shaking her head. "They are beautiful," she complimented the parents fondly. "All of them."

"Ah, but they are your granddaughters, Father. That must count for something," Stephan pointed out. After all, they were still of the same bloodline, still royal princesses in their own right - and one prince who stood to inherit the kingdom from Stephan in due time, but the Goddess willing, that would not happen for a very long time. In the meantime, there was good cause for celebration.

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:55 EST
"I will have the heralds sent out this evening," Philippe told them, gently jiggling the baby in his arms with an absent-minded gesture borne of practice. "The people will know how blessed we are, and by extension, how blessed they are. I'd like to see the heretic council make us out to be evil after hearing about this!"

Stephan thought they could try to claim witchcraft or some other such devilry for the triple birth, but the truth simply was that they had been Goddess-blessed. "I don't think we need to worry too much about the heretic council. Children are a blessing after all, and we've been thrice blessed." He paused a moment to look at the future king in his arms. "Would you like to hold your grandson?" he asked, not yet having properly greeted his daughters.

"Oh, very much so," Philippe chuckled, knowing his queen was likely to set herself up in these rooms for the foreseeable future, just to be near the babies. He rose to his feet, moving to give little Philippa into her mother's arms briefly, rather than try to juggle infants with his own son.

"He seems larger than the girls," Catherine commented from where she was quite content to cuddle with her namesake.

Marianne nodded as Philippe settled closer. "He is the firstborn," she told her mother-in-law. "Thank goodness ....the girls were easier, coming after him."

"Aren't boys usually bigger than girls?" Stephan asked, not really knowing for sure, though it seemed likely. There couldn't have been much room in there for all three of them, and he was just happy they had all been born healthy - or so it seemed. "I haven't had the chance to count fingers and toes, but I assume someone has," he added, as he moved to his feet to hand off his son to the king.

"You were smaller than young Kat here when you were born," Catherine chuckled to her son warmly. "And Felipe, too. Maksim was enormous."

Marianne snickered softly into Pippa's blanket, understanding all too well now just why women tended to exaggerate their childrens' birth sizes in later years.

Philippe's grin softened as he took his grandson into his arms, looking into the red face with solemn paternity. "He will be a great king, like his father," he predicted quietly, drawing one rough finger gently over the child's cheek.

"Like his grandfather," Stephan corrected gently, as he watched his father get acquainted with the newborn before turning his attention to the daughter he had not met yet. "She is as lovely as her mother," he said just as quietly, mirroring his father's gentle caress against his daughter's cheek, both proud and clearly in awe of the tiny miracles that they had brought into the world.

"They are both lovely," Marianne murmured back to him, gently transferring little Pippa into his arms so he could greet her properly. "I knew they would all be handsome. All I had to do was look at their father."

"I do not think our daughters should look like me, Mari," Stephan pointed out with a chuckle as he took his youngest into his arms. From the look on his face, he was obviously charmed, his heart swelling with love and pride for the tiny princess.

"How could they not be beautiful?" Marianne pointed out with a soft smile. "You are by far the handsomest man of my acquaintance, born of a beautiful woman and a man who has aged like a fine wine."

Philippe snorted with laughter at the compliment as Catherine's smile grew. "Little daughter, are you trying to rush us out so that you may rest with your husband and children?" the queen accused her gently.

"And how many men were there in your acquaintance before we were betrothed, my love?" Stephan teased, knowing what she meant but unable to resist teasing her.

"Three," Marianne answered promptly, offering her husband an innocent smile. "Though I must admit, one was my father, and another, my cousin. Both handsome men in their way, and both of whom you have met on the battlefield, dear heart."

"Hmm, who is the third and should I be jealous?" he asked, though there was a twinkle in his eyes that proved he was still teasing. "I should like to think my daughters are beautiful like their mother, not handsome," he further pointed out.

She giggled softly, aware that the king and queen were witnesses to this gentle teasing between their son and his wife. "The third is my cousin's husband," she assured Stephan warmly, leaning close to touch a kiss to his cheek. "He and Will were good to me when my father lost interest after finally having a boy. I should always like to consider them friends." She made no comment on her own looks, acutely aware that she was tired and in need of a good wash in places no well-born lady ever mentioned in public.

"Perhaps they will accompany Christian when he visits," Stephan suggested. Not if but when, presuming the King of Francia would accept their invitation to visit, perhaps, as his father had suggested, for the solstice festival. "Your friends and family are always welcome both here and at Peronell," he added with a warm smile.

"Perhaps," Marianne smiled faintly. "Alys is not so long delivered of her first son, though. I do not think she or Charles would be willing to leave him behind, and it is a long journey for a small child to make. But perhaps Will might come, with his wife and boys."

"We shall see," Stephan replied, unworried either way. Nothing could steal his thunder today, now that he was a father - not of one child but three. He had done a good job of restraining his emotions, but he could not hide the smile from his face.

Catherine, however, had been watching Marianne as she spoke, recognizing the signs of a woman growing weary of being on her best behavior while she was so tired from her day of work. The queen rose with a gentle smile, gesturing to Lady Jane to take little Katarina from her. "I think we should leave you now," Catherine told them, moving to kiss first Marianne's cheek, then Stephan's. "We have a court to entertain, and the celebrations will be starting soon."

"Oh, are we leaving?" Philippe asked, chuckling as he, too, stood to lay the little prince into Elspeth's arms. "Don't drop him, sweetling."

Jane happily rescued little Katarina from the queen - or vice versa - careful in her handling of the precious bundle, already charmed by the tiny girl in her arms. "Aren't you the sweetest thing?" she cooed at the small child, tickling her cheek.

Stephan was frowning suddenly at the thought of being dragged away from his wife and children, once again. "Would it be horrible of me not to attend?" he asked, allowing his father to make that decision for him.

Philippe chuckled as Elspeth blushed and curtsied to him, the precious bundle that was the new prince held safely in her arms. The king turned to his own son with an understanding smile. "I should think no man or woman would begrudge you these first hours with your family," he told Stephan gently. "The court will have your brothers and your cousin to keep them happy with royal company, and besides, they will be enjoying the rumors that will abound before they are set right."

Catherine rolled her eyes, laughing as she moved to her husband's side. "He means no, you may stay and not worry about appearing before the people today."

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:55 EST
"Rumors?" Jane asked, eyes wide, though she'd kept silent until now in the king and queen's presence. She thought again of both Felipe and Henry, unsure which she found more attractive, knowing it was unlikely she had much of a chance with either, except perhaps as a mistress.

"Thank the Goddess for that!" Stephan said with a grin, obviously relieved. It had been a long day for all of them, and longest for Marianne. Though it had not started out on a happy note, it seemed it might end with one. And with any luck, they'd be able to watch some of the celebration from the window.

"Ah, Lady Jane, minds will be turning to which of the princes will be next to marry," Philippe told her with a teasing smile. He wasn't blind to how young ladies viewed his sons and nephew, after all. Offering his arm to his wife, the king nodded to Stephan and Marianne.

"Be well, children," he told them, gently leading Catherine from the room.

Jane frowned at the king's explanation, knowing she wasn't high born enough to have much of a chance with either of the princes or even their cousin, but for her, it wasn't all about elevating her station. The truth was that she envied Stephan and Marianne, and to a lesser degree, even the king and queen. Marriages such as theirs were rare indeed.

"Thank you, Father," Stephan replied with a nod of his own. "Good evening, Mother," he added. He would have gotten up and kissed her cheek and escorted them properly to the door, if he didn't have his arms full of a small child who was just starting to make a fuss.

Catherine smiled at them before the door closed behind her, leaving the parents and their helpers alone once again.

Marianne rolled her eyes as she looked down at little Philippa in her father's arms. "Oh, now, you shush," she told the tiny girl. "You can't be hungry again already, surely?"

At the end of the bed, Elspeth's brow furrowed suspiciously, and she raised the little prince up to sniff at his rear end. "Ah ....she may need to be washed, your highness," she offered reluctantly. "Should we call for the nursemaids?"

"I think you may be right," Stephan said, wrinkling his nose at the unpleasant odor that was just reaching his nose. Thankfully, there were nursemaids for that unpleasantness. "She's making quite a fuss for such a tiny thing."

"I think the little prince may need a wash, too," Elspeth commented, bending to sniff at Katarina's blankets where the third child lay in Jane's arms. "Goodness ..."

Marianne laughed at the redhead's expression. "You had better call the nursemaids and help them settle the new members of the royal family," she suggested, brushing her cheek against Stephan's shoulder. "Bring them back when you are done."

Jane was astute enough to see that the princess was tired but might want a moment or two alone with her husband before they were inundated with babies and nursemaids and wetnurses and ladies-in-waiting and everyone else who would want to eventually get a personal peek at the royal triplets. "We shall do better than that," she volunteered. "We shall take them to the nursemaids," she said. After all, the girl babies were tiny enough that she could fit one in each arm, for now. "If you would just give me the sneezy one, Your Highness?" she asked Stephan as she stepped closer.

"The sneezy one," Elspeth snickered softly, hoisting little Christophe up onto her shoulder as he began to stir as well. Marianne laughed, shaking her head.

"Her name is Philippa, Jane, as you well know," she chastised her newest friend with a warm smile, grateful that the two women she considered closest to her were so prepared to take charge of the prince and princesses so soon.

"Yes, Philippa, the sneezy one," Jane said with a grin. "How else do you expect us to tell them apart?"

Stephan snorted quietly as he carefully handed her "the sneezy one". "They're not identical," he told her, pointing out the obvious.

"Yes, Your Highness," she replied with a small nod of her head. It seemed now that Felipe had corrected her, everyone was "Your Highness".

"I suspect it will become easier to tell them apart as they grow," Marianne suggested with a smile, anxiously watching to be certain Jane was not overburdened with the two little princesses in her arms.

Elspeth giggled, gesturing to her friend to come with her. "Lady Bryant will make sure we do everything properly," the redhead assured the new parents. "Come along, Lady Jane, and bring Smelly and Sneezy with you."

Jane couldn't help but giggle at Elspeth's nicknames for the newborn girls who would one day grow up to be royal princesses. "We shall have to find a suitable nickname for His Highness, too," she said, referring to the third child, easily juggling the two babies in her arms as she followed her friend from the room.

"Oh, that's easy," Elspeth was saying as the door closed behind them. "We'll call him -"

Marianne sighed, amused and disappointed not to have heard what their cousin had planned to nickname the new prince. She leaned back against the pillows, smiling at Stephan. "And how are you, dearest?"

"Not too smelly or sneezy, I hope!" Stephan replied with a chuckle, his expression softening as he was finally able to give her his full attention. "I believe I should ask that of you, Mari," he told her softly, with a gentle sweep of fingers against her cheek.

She giggled quietly at his joke, tilting her cheek into his touch. "Exhausted," she admitted ruefully. "I do not believe I shall ever be frightened of giving birth again, though. The midwife was wonderful."

"You will not need to worry about that for some time, my love," he assured her, hoping Lady Bryant would know a trick or three about preventing pregnancy without inhibiting their love life too much. He knew there were ways, but that was the sort of thing women whispered about in secret and did not share with their menfolk. "You should rest," he told her, knowing he would be chased from her rooms before long so that she could do whatever it was that women did after giving birth, besides resting.

"I do not want to rest yet," she told him rather petulantly, and in her defense, she had spent most of the day being told what to do and how to do it, not even allowed to hold her newborn children until the midwife and physicians had declared them fit and free of deformities. She sighed softly, knowing her tiredness had made her irritable. "I am sorry, my love," she apologized for her snap. "I have wanted nothing more than to be with you all day, yet now you are here, I am shrewish and unpleasant. It is not a good welcome, I know."

"You are anything but shrewish, dearest," he assured her with a soft smile, warm with affection. "It has been a long day for all of us, but most of all you. You have not only birthed one but three children. It makes me weary just thinking of it." His smile faded a little as he turned serious, once again. "I will stay close as long as I can, before Lady Bryant shoos me away."

Relieved that he had not taken offense at her snapping, Marianne's smile returned as she wound her fingers through his. "Lady Bryant will be busy supervising the bathing of the babies," she assured him. "And, in truth, I am not likely to stay wakeful much longer. But I do not wish to chase you out when I am not yet ready to sleep." Thankfully, the next weeks would be easy on her - as a newly delivered mother, she was expected to remain in her rooms with her children for the most part. She would not return to public life until after she had been cleansed at the Temple, and even then, she and Stephan had already decided to retire to Peronell at the earliest opportunity. "I had heard that the king took you in the council with him. Is there anything afoot that will affect you?"

Marianne

Date: 2016-01-31 09:57 EST
"Is there anything you need" Are you hungry?" he asked, stroking his fingers through her hair, the fingers of his other hand tangling with hers. He shrugged lightly at the mention of his conversation with the king. "He is worried about the situation in Edessa. It seems his sister is stirring up trouble, and he is considering going there himself to sort things out."

She shook her head, smiling at his concerned questions. "The physician says I should not eat until the morning," she said, "and I do not feel the need to. I am simply weary, my love, that is all." As Stephan mentioned Edessa, she frowned a little. "There was talk before my confinement of the princess being offered to my father as a bride, to make her queen of a different country," she commented, though Brynhilde of Edessa was only just a year older than Marianne herself. "The king will go himself to Edessa?"

"He seems set on it," he replied, frowning thoughtfully. He was obviously not telling her everything, but then she knew most of it already. Unlike some men, he had never kept any secrets from his wife, valuing both her opinion and judgment, as much as any of his advisors. "He is taking young Harry with him. I'm afraid that is my fault."

"Harry?" Marianne's frown deepened for a moment, before her expression cleared. She had been well educated, after all, and had been in Pomerania long enough to have seen firsthand the way Philippe and Stephan dealt with political instability. "Oh, I see. You hope Harry will at least make a friend of the princess while he is there?"

"I hate to use the lad for political reasons, but the only way to stabilize the situation and make everyone happy is to marry one of them off to another royal. The King of Carib, while not a suitable husband for a young woman, is old and has no heir. If the princess were to marry him, she would become queen, and if Harry were then to become her husband, he would not only be king in his own right, but the marriage would forge a strong alliance between all our nations."

"And putting an Edessan on the throne of Carib would make Lotharingia think twice about trying to annex the country when Peter dies," Marianne nodded. "It is a good plan. Harry does not have to like it; like all of us, he has his political place. If I had not been sold to cement our alliance, we would not be so happy now."

"Yes, but we grew to love each other, Mari. I am not sure Harry would be so lucky as us, and it pains me to think we should use him for a pawn when he has been through so much already. I have thought to give him a choice, but he is a good man and will do his duty, despite his personal feelings. I am only glad that Elspeth is in your care. I do not wish to use her for political reasons. I have become rather fond of the girl," he admitted with a shrug, but then he'd never had a little sister.

"So do not tell him that this is what is hoped and planned," Marianne suggested. "Tell him only that he is to escort the king as a representative of the royal family, and encourage him to learn about Edessa. From what I have heard of Brynhilde, she would teach him if he asked, and if the king truly does intend for her to marry Peter of Carib, she will return with them anyway. They will have opportunity to at least know one another before she moves on to Francia and takes ship for Carib, and in knowing one another, Harry might well volunteer to marry her when Peter dies, if only to save a young girl he knows personally from being trapped in a second, unfortunate marriage."

Stephan remained quiet as he listened to his wife's advice, knowing she was wise beyond her years before he spoke again. "You do not think my suggestion was a poor one, then" I do not wish my cousins to be unhappy, but they are of royal blood and acknowledged as such. I cannot protect them from everything, but I can hope for their happiness."

"They are aware of how changed their circumstances are," Marianne told him softly. "For Elspeth, it is a difficult thing to come to terms with, and she is very much afraid of marriage because of her treatment. For Harry, he revels in his new position and he understands that he has to accept the responsibilities, along with the rights. He may be concerned that his marriage might be a political one, but if he and Brynhilde are able to be friendly with one another, he may well suggest himself for her second husband. He has a good heart, and if I am honest, I think he would thrive better away from the Pomeran court."

Stephan arched a brow, agreeing with most everything she said, until she came to the last part. He hadn't really considered it before, but now that she had mentioned it, he thought she was probably right. "Agreed, though I hate to separate them. They are unusually close, you know, but they need to find their own place in the world, and I fear they will not do that unless given a push. I am in no hurry to see either married off. Elspeth is happy and safe with us, but Harry must find his own purpose." Though there was nothing wrong with the young man inheriting his father's duchy one day, he was nearly as noble as Stephan's own brothers. "Am I selfish for wanting to keep Maks and Felipe close" Shouldn't I wish the same for Harry?"

"Dear heart, you grew up with your brothers close to you," she reminded him gently. "You have protected them through your childhood, fought alongside them as you came to manhood. Harry is no less a man for not having been a part of this, but here in this court, he will always feel watched. He will never settle truly, for it is this court that produced the men who killed his mother and dishonored his sister. I should like to keep Elspeth with us, to be able to find her a good, gentle man to be her husband, but if she should choose to go with Harry when the time comes, I will not stand in her way. It is the way of the world, my darling. And it does not make you a bad man for wanting something more for others."

"Let us hope Harry and Elspeth see it that way when the time comes," Stephan replied. Having had enough of politics for one day, he changed the subject once again, the smile returning to his face as he touched her fingers to his lips. "Have I mentioned lately how much I adore you, my love?"

She laughed, twisting to curl her arms about his neck and shoulders and embrace him tenderly, no longer needing to maintain that pristine appearance of the madonna now there were only his eyes to see her. "I do not need for you to say it," she promised him, brushing her lips to his neck. "I see it each time you look at me. You are my heart, Stephan."

"As you are mine," he replied, his arms going around her to hold her close. "I only hope my brothers and cousins are as lucky as I, when it comes time for them to marry," he added, turning his head to capture her lips with his own in a kiss that was more tender and loving than passionate.

She smiled into his kiss, certain that no one could ever be as lucky as they had been, to find such love in the midst of their political match. She had been chosen by means of a portrait and because of a policy, and yet she was a happily married woman, not even a year wedded and already the mother to children who would influence not only this land, but all the vassals Pomerania had gathered to itself over the centuries. But that was not what mattered to Marianne. What mattered was right here in her arms, in the person of the man she loved and who loved her. And with a full royal nursery already, no one would ever be able to tear them apart.

((Phew, long scene! But a good one, I hope - hugely sparkling thanks to my partner in crime!))