Border: The Border Vixen Part 32

The Border Wars, often known as Henry Tudor's rough wooing of Scotland's little queen for his son and heir, lasted between 1544 and 1549. The strife peaked with the Battle of Pinkie on the tenth of September 1547. The English took over a great deal of southern Scotland after Pinkie. The wars finally ended two years later in September 1549 when the English were forced to withdraw entirely from Scotland, as their forces were needed elsewhere. The new French king, Henri II, Scotland's chief ally, had laid siege to English-held Bologne.

Although Henry VIII had died in January 1547, the new king's uncle, Edward Seymour, now the Duke of Somerset, was the protector of the realm. He was as eager for a match between his young nephew, Edward VI, as Henry had been, which meant there was no change in England's policy towards Scotland. The brutality of the Border Wars, however, had united Scotland firmly against England.

With the death of Franois I, Henri II came to the throne in France. His closest advisers were the brothers of Marie de Guise, Scotland's Queen Mother. Because of the English, the little queen had spent her early years being moved from one castle to another. She had survived chicken pox and the measles. Now in June 1548, the five-year-old queen, formally betrothed to Henri II's son and heir, the dauphin Franois, was taken to France to be brought up with her future husband.

In her greatest sacrifice, Marie de Guise elected to remain behind in Scotland to protect her daughter's interests. As her daughter's regent, she ruled with equanimity. The Reformation came to Scotland, and Marie de Guise practiced open tolerance, allowing the pastors of the Protestant pursuasion to preach openly and without hindrance. When King Edward VI died, his sister Mary Tudor took England's throne and began a ferocious persecution of the Protestant faith. Marie de Guise offered sanctuary to those persecuted Protestant English ministers.

Sadly, all her good work was for naught because most of those holding high office in Scotland at that time as well as the army were French. An anti-French sentiment began to arise, and leading it were those very Protestant churchmen and lords Marie de Guise had protected. However, the dissidents represented Scotland and a cry for freedom from the French. The Queen Mother was French despite all her years in Scotland. Her popularity began to disappear. She died in June 1560.

In England, Elizabeth Tudor, the Catholic Mary's Protestant half sister, now sat on the throne. She watched with careful eyes as her fabled beautiful cousin, the elegant and sophisticated eighteen-year-old Mary of Scotland, now a widow, returned home to rule. But that is a different story for another time.

As for the Aisir nam Breug, it was never reopened, and in the years that followed, its existence was completely forgotten. Scotland and England entered a different era. With the death of Elizabeth I, Mary Stewart's son, James VI of Scotland, became James I of England. The few roads running through the Borders were now as safe as any of the many roads in the two united kingdoms, and the families at Brae Aisir and Netherdale survived for many generations to come.

About the Author.

Bertrice Small is a New York Times bestselling author and the recipient of numerous awards. In keeping with her profession, she lives in the oldest English-speaking town in the state of New York, founded in 1640. Her light-filled studio includes the paintings of her favorite cover artist, Elaine Duillo, and a large library. Because she believes in happy endings, Bertrice Small has been married to the same man, her hero, George, for forty-seven years. They have a son, Thomas, a daughter-in-law, Megan, and four wonderful grandchildren. Long-time readers will be happy to know that Nicki the c.o.c.katiel flourishes along with his housemates: Finnegan, the long-haired, bad, black kitty; and Sylvester, the black-and-white tuxedo cat who is the official family bedcat.

BOOKS BY BERTRICE SMALL.

THE BORDER CHRONICLES.

A Dangerous Love.

The Border Lord's Bride.

The Captive Heart.

The Border Lord and the Lady.

THE FRIARSGATE INHERITANCE.

Rosamund

Until You

Philippa

The Last Heiress

CONTEMPORARY EROTICA.

Private Pleasures

Forbidden Pleasures

Sudden Pleasures

Dangerous Pleasures

Pa.s.sionate Pleasures.

THE O'MALLEY SAGA

Skye O'Malley

All the Sweet Tomorrows

A Love for All Time.

This Heart of Mine

Lost Love Found

Wild Jasmine

THE WORLD OF HETAR.

Lara.

A Distant Tomorrow

The Twilight Lord

Crown of Destiny

The Sorceress of Belmair

The Shadow Queen.

MORE BY BERTRICE SMALL.

Darling Jasmine.

Bedazzled