King Henry

Chapter 13 - Legitimate Heirs

**** Eleanor's Point of View ****

KNOCK ....... KNOCK ...... KNOCK

Eleanor heard the sound of knocking, and she slowly blinked her eyes open, looking around the room and realizing she had fallen asleep on the sofa in Henry's private chambers.

"Your highness?" a voice called out. She recognized it as the voice of Henry's royal advisor, Duke Montelbane.

"Are you ill sire? It's not like you to still be resting this time of day."

She sat up right as Henry was coming out of the other room where his bed was and she was surprised to see he had on long sleeping trousers but no shirt.

He cleared his throat and said in a gravelly voice, "No I'm not ill. I'm just tired."

The door slowly creaked open and when he saw Eleanor on the couch and then Henry standing there without a shirt on his eyes widened in surprise.

Eleanor knew this looked bad and that he would make assumptions. Her cheeks blushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for the intrusion your highness. I just presumed you were alone because your female guests don't usually stay over," the Duke said, looking surprised.

"No, it's not what it looks like. Eleanor and I were talking last night and she had a bit of wine and fell asleep on the sofa. That's all," Henry said, pulling on a white tunic. "Did you need something?"

The Duke looked flustered as he looked back and forth between them and then said, "Yes sire. Your mother and Joan and Richard are in the dining hall awaiting your arrival for the morning meal and then we need to head over to the jousting tournament and start preparing."

"What about my sister Guinevere? Is she not in the dining hall as well?"

"No. I'm afraid she is still taking her meals in her room and refusing to apologize, not even to get out to attend the tournament. You know how stubborn that one is sire. Like a mule."

"Yes she is," he said with an exhale, shaking his head. "Duke, will you please inform my mother and Joan and Richard that we'll be down shortly."

"Yes your highness," he said with a bow of his head, opening the door and exiting through it, closing it behind him.

Eleanor groaned. "Well that was embarrassing. Judging by the look on his face, I don't think he believed you when you said nothing happened between us," she sighed. "Now everyone is going to think you laid with a commoner and your reputation will be forever tarnished and it's all my fault for falling asleep on your sofa."

She felt upset and guilty, but Henry looked amused.

"I told you last night, I don't care about my reputation. Now let's go down to the dining hall and eat. I'm starving."

When they got down to breakfast his family was already seated but no plates were in front of them. Eleanor remembered that it was against the rules of etiquette for them to start eating without the King,  so they looked a little put out about having to wait so long.

"What kept you so long Henry?" his mother asked as they approached the table. "It's peculiar that you and Eleanor both arrived so late and at the same time. Were you together?" she asked, glancing over at Eleanor and then back at her son.

"It's purely a coincidence Mother. I assure you," he said, giving Eleanor a knowing glance with a hint of a smile as he took his seat at the head of the table and Eleanor's face was blushing as she took the seat to his right, directly across from his mother. She could only imagine what she must be thinking.

Attendants came around and sat a plate down in front of each person and lifted the cover off. There were boiled eggs, sausages, sweet bread, figs, dates and an assortment of fresh fruit and nuts. Eleanor had seen drawings of figs and dates in books but she had never tried them because they were rare and very expensive.

She noticed that Henry started eating immediately so everyone else started too. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she smelled the food and started eating it. The food at the palace was always so much better than anything she had ever had before, but she was careful to mind her manners and not eat too fast.

She looked up and noticed Henry's mother glaring at her as she ate, so she looked down and tried her best to avoid eye contact with her. She wasn't even attempting to hide the fact that she hated her.

"Joan, Lord Walton is back from France and he'll be jousting in the tournament today," Henry told his sister and Eleanor was thankful that he broke the awkward tension in the room.

Joan smiled and said, "Oh good. I haven't seen him in some time. I'm looking forward to it."

Henry leaned over and whispered to Eleanor, "Lord Arthur Walton is my best friend. He's just come back from a long trip to Paris." Then his eyebrows scrunched like he was thinking. "Actually, come to think of it, he could be a really good match for you. He's a wealthy landowner of noble blood and he's the same age as me. All the women seem to think he's really handsome."

"Really?" Eleanor whispered. "Do you think he might be interested in me though?"

Henry nodded. "I think he would and I think you'd like him too. He's nice and he's funny and fun to be around, which is why he's been my best friend most of my life. You can meet him at the tournament and see if you're interested."

"Okay," she whispered with a smile, feeling excited about the prospect of finding someone other than Thomas to marry.

"Do you know who else is going to be at the tournament Henry?" his Mother asked. "Jacqueline, the French Princess. Her father sent word that they were coming to London early for the ball so they could watch you joust."

"Great. I can't wait," he grumbled under his breath.

His mother looked offended. "Henry, that's no way to speak about seeing your future wife," she scolded.

"Mother, you are too hasty. You forget I haven't proposed yet. I only said I would consider it."

"Well what are you waiting for? You're twenty three and you're the King now. It's time to stop messing about and start seriously considering marriage and making heirs. You know, your brother doesn't want to be King so if something happens to you, your cousin Tristan would take the throne and no one wants that! He would have us in every war possible because he thinks we're invincible with an endless supply of money and soldiers. He would be the ruin of England for sure!"

Henry took a deep breath in and let it out.

"I'm well aware of our situation mother. There's no need to remind me."

"You may be aware Henry, but you don't act like it, gallivanting around with women that could never be the legitimate Queen and can only give you bastard sons that can't legally take the throne," she said, eyeing Eleanor across the table before looking back at him. "You're a King now Henry. It's time to stop thinking only of your own selfish desires and start thinking about what's good for the kingdom."

Eleanor had always heard that the King couldn't marry a commoner, but she didn't realize that if he did, they couldn't be the Queen and their children couldn't rule.

Henry looked irritated. "I will propose to the person I choose, when I'm ready and not a moment sooner. It's not a decision I'm going to make lightly. I'm the one that has to spend the rest of my life with them, not you."

The rest of their meal was spent in tense silence until Henry finally said, "The jousting tournament starts at the eleventh hour. We should probably be heading over that way soon so I have time to get my armor on and warm up."

Eleanor nodded and stood up, and the rest of his family did the same. As they all walked together down the wide arched stone hallways of the castle, the guards and attendants stood against the wall with their heads bowed as they passed out of respect.

It felt strange that Eleanor was walking among the royal family as if she belonged there, when she was really just an imposter. Soon enough she was going to be back in the real world where she was a commoner and all of this would feel like a dream that never really happened.