Courts of Navarre

A letter sent by the Duke of Genoa, accused the queen Francesca, of adultery.
The queen was imprisoned.In a prosecution she would prove her innocence...
Henry entered the court and sat in his chair...The nobility of Navarre were present...

I arrive at my day of judgment, head held high. I am dressed in tne latest court dress in silver and green with black lace trimming. I weartne crown of the Queen Consorts of Navarre upon my head. The door slam open and I begin to walk in as I am announced, Her Majesty The Queen. As I walk in, I see Henry looking angry as can be.

Quiteria was in the judgment...She was sitting with her son, little Francis Phoebus.Princess Madeleine was sitting on her lap...
Quiteria, looked at Francesca, with fury in her eyes.
It is shameful...The queen consort is an adulteress...Quiteria said evilly.Madeleine, looked at her and she did not understand the words of her aunt to her mother.

Henry looked at Francesca angrily.
He felt a great hate ...In his hands, Henry held the letter of the Duke of Genoa.He felt humiliated, cheated ...

Blanca went to judgment with the Duchess Quiteria.
She felt shame about the Queen, she had a feeling that the queen was innocent of those accusations.

I curtsy as I reach my husband. I raise up and my gaze meets his, our eyes lock and never part. I await the charges to be read.

Henry read the letter, but he was embarrassed.He thought in his ex-wife, Queen Margaret ...
His feelings were confused, he was now for many people a "wimp"...His sisters warned him about the Queen Francesca, but he did not listen ... maybe they were right.
Henry looked at Francesca, with contempt in his eyes.He destroyed letter of King Henry of England and coldly told members of the court ...you read the charges against this woman...
An old man of the court stood up and he began to read:

"Francesca Benedetti this court charged with the more serious the offense against His Majesty the King of Navarre.You have committed the gravest sin in the eyes of God, the church and the kingdom: Adultery.Immediately you are stripped of her rank of Queen of Navarre, and if you do not prove your innocence will be punished with the most severe penalty of this kingdom: The gallows...the accused can speak for to defend herself".
The old man said, and he sat down again. Henry looked at Francesca.He was feeling humiliated by her

Quietly I stand and my gaze never leaves Henry. I know that I have not done wrong. I feel deception is rampant in this Kingdom, as if someone plots against me. I carefully remove the crown from my head and set it down on a nearby chair. I begin to speak, shaky slightly as I hold in my emotions, Your Majesty, My Lords....... I look around the room .....These charges of which you speak, of which you accuse me of are completely false. Never in my entire marriage have I strayed from my husband's side nor will I ever. I take a deep breath before continuing, I am a faithful wife, a loving mother to my beautiful daughter, an able and kind Queen. I have come to love Navarre and its people. I am stopped with chants coming from outside saying, "God Save the Queen!" I smile before continuing. The Duke of Genoa is only craving what he cant have and that is me. He chases anything with a skirt. It does not surprise me that he accuses me of adultery. My heart, soul, and body belong to my husband for eternity.

When Quiteria heard the words of Francesca, she stood up...
Quiteria looked at her sister in law with contempt...
And the letter that my brother received?..you're lying!!!.
Quiteria exclaimed angrily

If you believe him Henry, then you must be insane. You know that I love you and I shall respect your wishes whatever they may be. I sit down in the chair provided for me, my head in my hands and the tears flowing. Everyone can hear me cry...

Henry got up from his chair with great fury
you Duke, do you have the gall to come to my kingdom, and say that my wife and you have slept together?ARREST HIM!!!
Henry exclaimed with violence...
I curse the day that you and I were married.Henry said looking at Francesca violently.

Henry....!!!!! I scream out. I am on my last nerve. I begin to yell and a look of surprise spreads across his face. You know that I have done nothing with him and how dare you curse our wedding day!!!! I have been by your side through thick and thin and helped to obtain allies for you to fight off the French. Does that mean you regret our daughter as well? I hold onto the chair, shaking with an immense amount of anger that I have never felt in my whole life. The room now grows silent.

Princess Isabella was sitting next to her sister Quiteria.She heard the words of Cesare and Francesca and she was perplexed...

_"this is an embarrassment...People rumored that the Duke of Genoa has a strange disease...The disease is on account of his constant sexual relations.People say that he smokes opium to ease his pain..."


Isabella said quietly to her sister

I continue to sit in my chair, seething with anger when all of a sudden, I hear Madeleine scream out MaMa! She breaks away from Quiteria and runs up to me and jumps into my lap. I smile and tears fall as she wraps her arms around me. You okay MaMa? she asks me. I look at her and smile, MaMa is fine my darling. Don't worry about me. I look back to Henry....

Yes, I have heard of the disease...
Quiteria said and she got up from her chair angrily and went in search of Magdalena.
Magdalena, ven con la tia Quiteria...(Madeleine, come with Aunt Quiteria).
She said proudly and she grabbed the girl's arm

The news of Francesca's judgment, it came to Naples.Martin decided to travel to Navarra.A servant anounnced him: "HIS MAJESTY, MARTIN OF ALBRET, KING OF NAPLES"....
Martin entered the room and he looked at the Duke of Genoa with contempt.
He sat down with his sisters

Sancha accompanied her husband to Navarre.She had a special love for the king Henry.
She approached the king and she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
Then, she sat down in a chair and she looked at her cousin, with suspicion...

Henry felt himself totally humiliated...
He up from his chair and went to his room...People looked at him with pity

I shake ,y head and take my daughter from her aunt and leave with her to my chambers. My life is now ruined over something that never happened....

Quiteria called the guards...
Guards!!!, bring to Princess Magdalene next to me, she is now in my care, she is a Albret, a daughter of Navarre ...

I felt sorry when I saw my brother....Really the whole thing seemed to me a farce, The Duke was a troublesome man, and all my brother's problems were due to bad actions and conspiracies of the Duke.
I was sure that it was a calumny to Francesca ....Toward some weeks the Duke had been to Naples ....He entered the throne room, and he told me that he was going to tell me a delicate matter....but he did not speak and was silent...

Catalina heard the news of the issue was happening in Navarra, and she immediately went to court.
She entered the court with her ​​exquisite manners and sat down in a chair.
She felt a great concern for his brother Henry.She had a great feeling maternal toward all her brothers and sisters, especially since the death of her older sister, Sister Ana.