Falling Pomegranate Seeds: The Duty of Daughters (The Katherine of Aragon Story Book 1) by Wendy J. Dunn

Author:Wendy J. Dunn [Dunn, Wendy J.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: MadeGlobal Publishing
Published: 2016-08-20T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

We do not easily suspect evil of those whom we love most.

~ Peter Abelard

Not long after the fall of Granada, Beatriz discovered the reason the king detested his second daughter Juana. That same year, Maria had returned home to welcome her newly born brothers, Pedro and Ferdinand – twin boys, as if God gifted back to her mother two of the babes lost to her while in service to the queen. Maria’s father, with Francisco, still fought Moors who refused to admit defeat. When Maria joined her family to celebrate the births of her brothers, the queen sent Beatriz to accompany her, knowing she missed her friend too.

She came for another reason. Queen Isabel had also brought forth twins into the world and almost died in doing so. The first twin, her daughter Maria, came into the world easily, but not so her sister. It took two days of dreadful agony before the queen, near to death, brought forth her dead babe. Queen Isabel, remembering that experience and how close her cousin came to dying three years ago, wanted Beatriz to assure her all was well and remained well for her cousin.

Arriving home, little Maria found her mother and grandmother ready with gifts for her – for the most part, additions for her clothes chest, gowns or undergarments to replace those outgrown since the child’s last visit home. Largely, the clothes were once worn by her older sisters – made anew by a new collar, girdle or sleeves – but amongst the gifts were two garments made especially for her by her mother and grandmother. Maria’s grandmother gave her a chemise, one so sheer Beatriz wondered if she had made it from silk. Seeing the fine, skilful embroidery at neck and hem, she thought it fit for the queen or her daughters.

Maria gasped with happiness when she opened her mother’s gift. Josepha had cut down one of her favourite court gowns to her daughter’s size, making it a smaller copy of the original, yet leaving seams for room for the child to grow. The last cords tied on the gown, Maria turned to her mother’s mirror. Beatriz recalled Josepha in this gown, her long, thick, black hair adorned with pearls, hanging in a plait down her back, one of the few times she ever did so, going against her usual choice of keeping her hair veiled under the toca. Black hair, dark eyes, olive skin, all melded with the red velvet gown and made her a paean of beauty. Now, Beatriz saw the same promise in Josepha’s daughter.

Day-by-day, Josepha recovered her strength. Beatriz and Maria spent much of their time in her chamber, keeping her company while she lay abed, wet-nurses now attending to the needs of her sons. Early one morning, Maria asked what was often in Beatriz’s mind. “Mama, why does the king hate Juana?”

Working on a new chemise for the queen, Josepha stitched with care, her needlework a labour of love, readying it for when Beatriz and Maria returned to court.

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