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Entry tags:
Marriage
Title: Marriage
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Miranda married three times for her family, and once for herself.
Warnings: Implied sexual assault and domestic abuse, outright murder.
Notes: Been watching The Tudors.
AU: Tudors
She was married three times. For the good of the family.
--
Her first husband was a Howard, one of that innumerable clan, a cousin of the Lady Anne. He was sweet but spineless, and Miranda despised him, but he kept her family safe.
While she was wife to him, Charlotte could be as Catholic as she liked, and no one said a word while she was safely in the country. They could all be Spanish, they could all be safe, and all for the mere price of her body.
He was executed in the summer of 1536, mere months after the Lady Anne his cousin. She could hardly remember his name.
--
Her second husband was one of the Seymours. The king would never turn on them, not when they had given him his heir; it seemed a safe choice.
Miranda didn't despise him as she had her first husband. He maneuvered around the king's volatile temper and asked nothing of her in return but children, and that she would give him gladly for her family's sake; or she would have, had he not died of the sweat.
She regretted him more than the first, though not as much, perhaps, as she should. Perhaps more than anything, she regretted her empty womb.
--
She married for the third time as the king's reign came to an end, as he slid gently toward death and the young Prince Edward arose. Her new husband was related to the Dudleys, and he... he was a mistake.
He never filled her belly. For all that he did to her, for all that he threatened to do to her family, she never allowed that. He beat her, called her barren, took his rights and through it all she could be grateful that she never conceived a child.
He went after Charlotte next. For that, Miranda smothered him herself.
--
She married once. For herself.
--
She was two months into her second marriage when she met Peter. He wasn't noble; he was some sort of soldier, some baron's son from the north, and he looked at her... she couldn't even say how. Not acquisitively; she was quite familiar with how that felt. Not lustfully either, although there was desire in his gaze. It disturbed her that she couldn't read him.
But he was just one of the king's young gentlemen, in some insignificant place in his household. He didn't have to matter. She turned away to follow her young mistress, and soon forgot him entirely.
--
Miranda left court after young Queen Katherine lost her head; when she returned the strange young soldier had gone. It was a surprise, well into King Edward's reign, when she saw him again. It was troubling, and oddly compelling, when she realized how much his eyes were on her.
"Why do you watch me so?" she demanded at last.
He inclined his head. "I beg your pardon, my lady. I did not mean to offend."
"I am married," she told him, and afterwards was never sure why.
"It does not make you any less beautiful," he said.
She remembered that.
--
It was not much longer before she took him into her bed, and her heart.
She waited until her third husband died, and still she was careful, so careful. She loved Peter so dearly but if anyone found out-- she had to keep herself in reserve, if her family should need another protector, and he would ruin any chance of another husband.
Then the king died, and Queen Mary took the throne, and she didn't need to be careful. Charlotte was one of their new queen's dearest friends; she held the family's future now. And Miranda... she could be free.
--
She married once for herself. Never again.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Miranda married three times for her family, and once for herself.
Warnings: Implied sexual assault and domestic abuse, outright murder.
Notes: Been watching The Tudors.
AU: Tudors
She was married three times. For the good of the family.
--
Her first husband was a Howard, one of that innumerable clan, a cousin of the Lady Anne. He was sweet but spineless, and Miranda despised him, but he kept her family safe.
While she was wife to him, Charlotte could be as Catholic as she liked, and no one said a word while she was safely in the country. They could all be Spanish, they could all be safe, and all for the mere price of her body.
He was executed in the summer of 1536, mere months after the Lady Anne his cousin. She could hardly remember his name.
--
Her second husband was one of the Seymours. The king would never turn on them, not when they had given him his heir; it seemed a safe choice.
Miranda didn't despise him as she had her first husband. He maneuvered around the king's volatile temper and asked nothing of her in return but children, and that she would give him gladly for her family's sake; or she would have, had he not died of the sweat.
She regretted him more than the first, though not as much, perhaps, as she should. Perhaps more than anything, she regretted her empty womb.
--
She married for the third time as the king's reign came to an end, as he slid gently toward death and the young Prince Edward arose. Her new husband was related to the Dudleys, and he... he was a mistake.
He never filled her belly. For all that he did to her, for all that he threatened to do to her family, she never allowed that. He beat her, called her barren, took his rights and through it all she could be grateful that she never conceived a child.
He went after Charlotte next. For that, Miranda smothered him herself.
--
She married once. For herself.
--
She was two months into her second marriage when she met Peter. He wasn't noble; he was some sort of soldier, some baron's son from the north, and he looked at her... she couldn't even say how. Not acquisitively; she was quite familiar with how that felt. Not lustfully either, although there was desire in his gaze. It disturbed her that she couldn't read him.
But he was just one of the king's young gentlemen, in some insignificant place in his household. He didn't have to matter. She turned away to follow her young mistress, and soon forgot him entirely.
--
Miranda left court after young Queen Katherine lost her head; when she returned the strange young soldier had gone. It was a surprise, well into King Edward's reign, when she saw him again. It was troubling, and oddly compelling, when she realized how much his eyes were on her.
"Why do you watch me so?" she demanded at last.
He inclined his head. "I beg your pardon, my lady. I did not mean to offend."
"I am married," she told him, and afterwards was never sure why.
"It does not make you any less beautiful," he said.
She remembered that.
--
It was not much longer before she took him into her bed, and her heart.
She waited until her third husband died, and still she was careful, so careful. She loved Peter so dearly but if anyone found out-- she had to keep herself in reserve, if her family should need another protector, and he would ruin any chance of another husband.
Then the king died, and Queen Mary took the throne, and she didn't need to be careful. Charlotte was one of their new queen's dearest friends; she held the family's future now. And Miranda... she could be free.
--
She married once for herself. Never again.