The Pearl Of Great Price

Chapter 52: Conquered

When summer faded into fall, Mary missed her treasured friend. Though she was born in the bleak mid-winter, she is a summer girl at heart. But Autumn came in all its richness with the leaves dressed up in their finery of rich gold, Tudor red, sunny yellow, and leather brown. The old season brought forth apples. This new one turns them into delicious cider.  

During the last few days of September Mary's favorite person paid them a visit. The Royal Rider came bearing a message from the King. She hates the Royal Riders. Anytime one of them arrives frustration follows close behind, and this time is no different. Once His Highness read the message he told her "Your father requests our presence at Hampton Court Palace. For one he wants to celebrate the twin's birthday and for another he wants us to be there to witness the birth of his heir." He passed the letter to her.

Her eyes scanned the royal document. "Of course he does. It just figures he wants us there for the birth of the babe. But it irritates me to have to celebrate William and Owen's second birthday at the palace. I wanted to have an informal gathering here like we did last year." She got up from her seat beside him on the sofa and started walking around the room, where she picked up a small round object. 

Tossing it from hand to hand, she turned around and looked at her husband. She spoke again. "Another thing that bothers me is the fact Elizabeth had her second birthday earlier this month. Do you think he sent her anything? Do you think he wrote to acknowledge it? No. His Big Fat Royal Majesty did not! But he wants to celebrate his grandson's day of birth." 

Charles chuckled at her choice of words. "I don't disagree with you. I'm not keen on going back to London any more than you are, but if we don't go there will be hell to pay. Of that I'm sure. How are you feeling in regards to the possible birth of a son, a brother?"

Putting the object down on the table where it was plucked up from, she went over to sit beside him again. Snuggling into him with her feet tucked under her, she declared "I could care less. I'll still be the Princess of Wales and Suffolk and you'll still be the Prince. The kid will just be named Duke of Cambridge or something like it. He'll be the King one day, while I'll still be ruling alongside you in our provinces. It changes nothing except for me never being Queen. Which is fine because who needs that headache, really?"

His eyebrow raised at her saying this. "I suppose so, but you aren't the least bit sad that you may never be Queen? Enacting policies for the whole country? Being replaced by a boy?"

Turning herself so she can sit crisscrossed, covering her legs up with her printed silk skirt, she decided to address his last question first. "Let's start with the being replaced by a boy part. I understand my value and worth in my father's eyes. But that is not where my value and worth come from. It also doesn't come from my gender, or what I can and cannot do. Just because I'm not perfect, I'm not a boy and cannot rule a country, does not make me any less worthy."

She picked at the black lace ribbon stitched onto the skirt. "As you know it's taken me a long time to realize that my value and worth come from my heart and my mind, and also God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made just how I am— with or without a crown. I have more love in my life than I have ever known and that has nothing to do with my father because he's not around me to show me, love. I'm grateful to be who I am and where I am right now in my life."

Then her eyes fixed on his. "It's funny because I think everyone expects me to base my life as if it's centered on one single moment--- the moment this new child is born. And the thing about that is it's entirely too easy to get caught up in what people expect of you that you forget yourself and lose who you are. I know because that was me before you. But now I have a life, a life I'm proud of and I really, really try to live each day with unshakable joy for the things I've been given. Crown or no crown, princess or no princess, I'm just me— Mary Brandon, wife, mother, friend."