Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Fanfic / Handmaid

Go To

OR



* TooDumbToLive:
** [[spoiler:Thomas Seymour, as lampshaded by his brother Edward.]]
** [[spoiler:Their sister Jane isn't all that bright either]].

to:

* TooDumbToLive:
**
%%* TooDumbToLive: %%How are they stupid enough to cause their own deaths?
%%**
[[spoiler:Thomas Seymour, as lampshaded by his brother Edward.]]
** %%** [[spoiler:Their sister Jane isn't all that bright either]].

Added: 6136

Changed: 19

Removed: 6133

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/167057 Handmaid]]'' ([[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5488685/1/Handmaid FFN Link]]) by [=PanBoleyn=] is a ''Series/TheTudors'' ForWantOfANail Alternate Universe FanFic.

to:

''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/167057 Handmaid]]'' ([[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5488685/1/Handmaid FFN Link]]) by [=PanBoleyn=] is a ''Series/TheTudors'' ForWantOfANail PointOfDivergence Alternate Universe FanFic.



* ForWantOfANail: Two. One is the existence of the handmaid privilege, the other is that Anne falls in love with Katherine instead of Henry.
** By taking Anne as his handmaid, Henry does not have to set Katherine aside, leaving Mary legitimate and easing tensions both at court and on the international field. Anne's own status at court is much more respected; while she isn't universally-loved, she isn't outright hated like she was in the show and in history. [[spoiler:After Anne successfully delivers a son, securing her position, Henry has no reason to seek another spouse and remains with her and Katherine until his eventual death in 1547]].
*** As a consequence, the English Reformation starts at a much slower pace, due to Henry having no need to break from Rome or disregard papal authority -- taking a handmaid only requires the consent of the local papal legate, in this case Wolsey. The Sack of Rome isn't mentioned, most likely due to being less of a concern to Henry since he has no plans to divorce Katherine or annul their marriage.
*** Thomas Cromwell's own ascent is stalled due to Cardinal Wolsey never falling out of favor and Thomas More replacing the latter first after his death before his own resignation. When Cromwell finally does become chancellor, he deliberately stays neutral with the Boleyns despite suspecting they may have similar religious leanings to his, due to Anne's friendship with Katherine.
** Since Anne starts coupling with Henry earlier, she has another daughter named Cecily before the historical birth of Elizabeth. [[spoiler:Elizabeth is born with a male twin named Edmund, who replaces Edward VI as Henry's legitimate heir. She also gives Henry a second son, named Owen]].
*** As all of Anne's children are considered legitimate under the auspices of the Catholic Church, they're considered perfectly viable marriage partners by the rest of European Royalty straight from the beginning[[note]]Elizabeth I was only really beset by foreign suitors when she finally ascended the throne[[/note]]. Mary is allowed to marry the Duke of Bavaria, since she has two younger sisters to make dynastic matches in her place and her children won't be threats to the royal succession. In turn, Cecily is engaged to the future Philip II of Spain, while Elizabeth is saddled with the Duke of Orleans. [[spoiler:She later marries her childhood friend Robert Dudley after Charles dies soon after their marriage]].
*** [[spoiler:Edmund, Elizabeth's twin, is the one to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, instead of Francis II. Mary herself is implied to have been raised in Scotland rather than France, like she historically was]].
** Since Anne is in love with Katherine and not Henry, she never becomes jealous when Henry starts sneaking around with Jane Seymour; Henry himself is being a lot more discreet so as to not upset her during her pregnancy. This also means their relationship is much healthier, due to Anne not quarreling with him so much and only exerting her influence on him to either help her family out of the occasional jam or to convince him of something that Katherine cannot on her own.
*** [[spoiler:This has also a negative effect, in that Anne's lack of interference with the affair causes Jane to become pregnant with Edward far earlier and prompts her brother Thomas to attack Anne in hopes of killing her so she can be replaced by Jane. While Anne survives, it causes her to miscarry her and Henry's second child -- the boy they and Katherine had all been hoping for]].
*** [[spoiler:Since his difficulties with Anne aren't as severe, Henry actually resolves himself not to blame her in case her "fall" was a genuine accident. After a barely lucid Anne wakes up and confirms that she was shoved, he has Cromwell and Suffolk interrogate everyone who might have motive, including Margaret, his sister and Suffolk's wife. This puts even more strain on the Suffolks' marriage, eventually causing them to briefly retire from court to fix their relationship]].
** Since his relationship with Anne isn't strained, Henry never truly attaches himself to Jane Seymour, viewing her as just another mistress but still feeding her false platitudes to keep her in his bed. [[spoiler:Subsequently, after Thomas Seymour is revealed as Anne's attacker, Henry starts losing any fondness he once had for her, and after Jane accidentally reveals to Katherine that she ''knew'' about Thomas's guilt but decided to keep mum, he outright comes to hate her, going as far as to have her executed after she delivers Edward. This entire situation permanently ends the Seymours' ascent to power before it can even begin]].
** Since Margaret Tudor never contracted consumption, Charles Brandon never marries Catherine Willoughby. She instead joins Mary's household after her marriage to the Duke of Bavaria, eventually finding her own husband in Cleves.
** Henry's other three historical wives have different (happier) fates as well:
*** Anne of Cleves marries the Duke of Lorraine and gives birth to his son. She also befriends Mary after meeting her during one of her visits to her cousin, Mary's husband, helping her with one of her pregnancies.
*** Katherine Howard is taken on as one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting after [[spoiler:her ascension to Princess Consort]] before Katherine can be sent to Lambeth, preventing her from suffering sexual abuse from Henry Mannox or meeting Francis Dereham. As Henry has no need for another mistress or wife, this means she's completely free to marry Thomas Culpeper when they fall for each other. They later join Cecily's household after she departs for Spain to marry Philip.
*** Katherine Parr becomes one of Anne's companions after she becomes Henry's handmaid, and thanks to some happenstance, marries Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Their happy marriage manages to temper his impulses, and they become Duke and Duchess of Norfolk upon Thomas Howard's death.
** Thanks to the Boleyns' increased status in court, George never marries Jane Parker due to conflicts over the dowry. Eventually, he publicly stays a bachelor while carrying on a secret relationship with Mark Smeaton.


Added DiffLines:

* PointOfDivergence: Two. One is the existence of the handmaid privilege, the other is that Anne falls in love with Katherine instead of Henry.
** By taking Anne as his handmaid, Henry does not have to set Katherine aside, leaving Mary legitimate and easing tensions both at court and on the international field. Anne's own status at court is much more respected; while she isn't universally-loved, she isn't outright hated like she was in the show and in history. [[spoiler:After Anne successfully delivers a son, securing her position, Henry has no reason to seek another spouse and remains with her and Katherine until his eventual death in 1547]].
*** As a consequence, the English Reformation starts at a much slower pace, due to Henry having no need to break from Rome or disregard papal authority -- taking a handmaid only requires the consent of the local papal legate, in this case Wolsey. The Sack of Rome isn't mentioned, most likely due to being less of a concern to Henry since he has no plans to divorce Katherine or annul their marriage.
*** Thomas Cromwell's own ascent is stalled due to Cardinal Wolsey never falling out of favor and Thomas More replacing the latter first after his death before his own resignation. When Cromwell finally does become chancellor, he deliberately stays neutral with the Boleyns despite suspecting they may have similar religious leanings to his, due to Anne's friendship with Katherine.
** Since Anne starts coupling with Henry earlier, she has another daughter named Cecily before the historical birth of Elizabeth. [[spoiler:Elizabeth is born with a male twin named Edmund, who replaces Edward VI as Henry's legitimate heir. She also gives Henry a second son, named Owen]].
*** As all of Anne's children are considered legitimate under the auspices of the Catholic Church, they're considered perfectly viable marriage partners by the rest of European Royalty straight from the beginning[[note]]Elizabeth I was only really beset by foreign suitors when she finally ascended the throne[[/note]]. Mary is allowed to marry the Duke of Bavaria, since she has two younger sisters to make dynastic matches in her place and her children won't be threats to the royal succession. In turn, Cecily is engaged to the future Philip II of Spain, while Elizabeth is saddled with the Duke of Orleans. [[spoiler:She later marries her childhood friend Robert Dudley after Charles dies soon after their marriage]].
*** [[spoiler:Edmund, Elizabeth's twin, is the one to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, instead of Francis II. Mary herself is implied to have been raised in Scotland rather than France, like she historically was]].
** Since Anne is in love with Katherine and not Henry, she never becomes jealous when Henry starts sneaking around with Jane Seymour; Henry himself is being a lot more discreet so as to not upset her during her pregnancy. This also means their relationship is much healthier, due to Anne not quarreling with him so much and only exerting her influence on him to either help her family out of the occasional jam or to convince him of something that Katherine cannot on her own.
*** [[spoiler:This has also a negative effect, in that Anne's lack of interference with the affair causes Jane to become pregnant with Edward far earlier and prompts her brother Thomas to attack Anne in hopes of killing her so she can be replaced by Jane. While Anne survives, it causes her to miscarry her and Henry's second child -- the boy they and Katherine had all been hoping for]].
*** [[spoiler:Since his difficulties with Anne aren't as severe, Henry actually resolves himself not to blame her in case her "fall" was a genuine accident. After a barely lucid Anne wakes up and confirms that she was shoved, he has Cromwell and Suffolk interrogate everyone who might have motive, including Margaret, his sister and Suffolk's wife. This puts even more strain on the Suffolks' marriage, eventually causing them to briefly retire from court to fix their relationship]].
** Since his relationship with Anne isn't strained, Henry never truly attaches himself to Jane Seymour, viewing her as just another mistress but still feeding her false platitudes to keep her in his bed. [[spoiler:Subsequently, after Thomas Seymour is revealed as Anne's attacker, Henry starts losing any fondness he once had for her, and after Jane accidentally reveals to Katherine that she ''knew'' about Thomas's guilt but decided to keep mum, he outright comes to hate her, going as far as to have her executed after she delivers Edward. This entire situation permanently ends the Seymours' ascent to power before it can even begin]].
** Since Margaret Tudor never contracted consumption, Charles Brandon never marries Catherine Willoughby. She instead joins Mary's household after her marriage to the Duke of Bavaria, eventually finding her own husband in Cleves.
** Henry's other three historical wives have different (happier) fates as well:
*** Anne of Cleves marries the Duke of Lorraine and gives birth to his son. She also befriends Mary after meeting her during one of her visits to her cousin, Mary's husband, helping her with one of her pregnancies.
*** Katherine Howard is taken on as one of Anne's ladies-in-waiting after [[spoiler:her ascension to Princess Consort]] before Katherine can be sent to Lambeth, preventing her from suffering sexual abuse from Henry Mannox or meeting Francis Dereham. As Henry has no need for another mistress or wife, this means she's completely free to marry Thomas Culpeper when they fall for each other. They later join Cecily's household after she departs for Spain to marry Philip.
*** Katherine Parr becomes one of Anne's companions after she becomes Henry's handmaid, and thanks to some happenstance, marries Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Their happy marriage manages to temper his impulses, and they become Duke and Duchess of Norfolk upon Thomas Howard's death.
** Thanks to the Boleyns' increased status in court, George never marries Jane Parker due to conflicts over the dowry. Eventually, he publicly stays a bachelor while carrying on a secret relationship with Mark Smeaton.

Added: 174

Removed: 209

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:


* LoveTriangle: Henry loves both Anne and Katherine. Katherine loves Henry; Anne cares for Henry, but only truly loves Katherine. [[spoiler:Later, Katherine falls for Anne.]]



* TriangRelations: Type 12. Henry loves both Anne and Katherine. Katherine loves Henry; Anne cares for Henry, but only truly loves Katherine. [[spoiler:Later becomes a Type 6, after Katherine falls for Anne.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** The fic's version of Prince Edward, [[spoiler:due to him being born a bastard and a traitor's son, never becomes heir to the throne, let alone king. The epilogue shows that he eventually reconciled with his father, was named Earl of Richmond and married a daughter of the Stafford’s'.]]

to:

** The fic's version of Prince Edward, [[spoiler:due to him being born a bastard and a traitor's son, never becomes heir to the throne, let alone king. The epilogue shows that he eventually reconciled with his father, was named Earl of Richmond and married a daughter of the Stafford’s'.Staffords.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
spelling


* DistantFinale: The epilogue shows [[spoiler:the wedding of King Edmund and Mary of Scotland, well after the death of Henry, Katherine and Anne.]]

to:

* DistantFinale: The epilogue shows [[spoiler:the wedding of King Edmund and Mary of Scotland, well after the death deaths of Henry, Katherine and Anne.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
spelling, grammar and wording


** The fic's version of Prince Edward, [[spoiler:due to him being born a bastard and a traitor's son, never becomes heir to the throne, let alone king. The epilogue shows that he eventually reconciled with his father, was named Earl of Richmond and married a daughter of the Staffords'.]]

to:

** The fic's version of Prince Edward, [[spoiler:due to him being born a bastard and a traitor's son, never becomes heir to the throne, let alone king. The epilogue shows that he eventually reconciled with his father, was named Earl of Richmond and married a daughter of the Staffords'.Stafford’s'.]]



* FanCreatedOffspring: Before Elizabeth is born, Anne gives birth to a daughter named Cecily. Elizabeth also has [[spoiler:a twin brother, Prince Edmund, whose birth grants Anne the rank of Princess Consort. The epilogue reveals another son named Owen, Duke of York.]]

to:

* FanCreatedOffspring: Before Elizabeth is born, Anne gives birth to a daughter named Cecily. Elizabeth also has [[spoiler:a twin brother, Prince Edmund, whose birth grants Anne the rank of Princess Consort. The epilogue reveals another son named Owen, the Duke of York.]]



** William Stafford is often called "Will".

to:

** William Stafford is often called "Will"."Will" by those close to him.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: [[spoiler:One of the reasons why Jane thinks she would be a better handmaid than Anne is that she would ''try'' to be kind to Cecily (Anne's daughter). As Katherine coldly points out, there's nothing noble about trying to be kind to a toddler who has done nothing wrong to you.]]

to:

* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: [[spoiler:One of the reasons why Jane thinks she would be a better handmaid than Anne is that she would ''try'' to be kind to Cecily (Anne's daughter). As Katherine coldly points out, there's nothing noble about trying having to ''try'' to be kind to a toddler who has done nothing wrong to you.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
wording, correction


* AdaptationalJobChange: Both in regards to the series and history.
** Jane Seymour [[spoiler:never becomes Queen and instead is executed as a traitor after giving birth to Edward.]]
** Due to similar reasons, Edward Seymour [[spoiler:never becomes regent for Edward VI as the Duke of Somerset, instead being locked away in the tower.]]
** Mary and Elizabeth [[spoiler:never become Queen of England. Mary marries the Duke of Bavaria, and while Elizabeth was briefly married to the French Dauphin before his death, she eventually marries Robert Dudley.]]
** The fic's version of Prince Edward, [[spoiler:due to him being born out of wedlock and after his mother's treason, he never becomes heir to the throne, let alone king. The epilogue shows that he eventually reconciled with his father, was named Earl of Richmond and married a daughter of the Staffords'.]]
** William Stafford [[spoiler:becomes a fully-fledged courtier due to his Anne's influence and is eventually named Steward of her household.]]

to:

* AdaptationalJobChange: Both in regards to the series and history.
AdaptationalJobChange:
** Jane Seymour [[spoiler:never becomes Queen and instead is executed as a traitor after giving birth to Edward.]]
** Due to similar reasons, Edward Seymour [[spoiler:never becomes regent for Edward VI as the Duke of Somerset, instead being locked away in the tower.tower instead.]]
** Mary and Elizabeth [[spoiler:never become Queen [[spoiler:both never ascend to the throne of England. Mary marries the Duke of Bavaria, and while Elizabeth was briefly married to the French Dauphin before his death, Dauphin, she eventually marries goes on to marry Robert Dudley.Dudley after being widowed.]]
** The fic's version of Prince Edward, [[spoiler:due to him being born out of wedlock a bastard and after his mother's treason, he a traitor's son, never becomes heir to the throne, let alone king. The epilogue shows that he eventually reconciled with his father, was named Earl of Richmond and married a daughter of the Staffords'.]]
** William Stafford [[spoiler:becomes a fully-fledged courtier due to his Anne's influence and is eventually named Steward of her household.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
spelling


** Jane Seymour originally tries to name her son Henry, [[spoiler:but is forbidden to do so after her treason. After briefly considering the even worse "Thomas" (after the man who tried to kill Anne), Kathy managed to talk her into naming him Edward.]]

to:

** Jane Seymour originally tries to name her son Henry, [[spoiler:but is forbidden to do so after her treason. After briefly considering the even worse "Thomas" (after the man who tried to kill Anne), Kathy Kate managed to talk her into naming him Edward.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* UnderstandinBoyfriend: Mary Boleyn's eventual husband, [[spoiler:William Stafford]], doesn't care about her sexual history and deeply loves her.

to:

* UnderstandinBoyfriend: UnderstandingBoyfriend: Mary Boleyn's eventual husband, [[spoiler:William Stafford]], doesn't care about her sexual history and deeply loves her.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* FanCreatedOffspring: Before Elizabeth is born, Anne gives birth to a daughter named Cecily. Elizabeth also has [[spoiler:a twin brother, Prince Edmund, who's birth grant Anne the rank of Princess-consort. The epilogue reveals another son named Owen, Duke of York.]]

to:

* FanCreatedOffspring: Before Elizabeth is born, Anne gives birth to a daughter named Cecily. Elizabeth also has [[spoiler:a twin brother, Prince Edmund, who's whose birth grant grants Anne the rank of Princess-consort.Princess Consort. The epilogue reveals another son named Owen, Duke of York.]]



* HappilyMarried: A lot of the background-couples get to marry for love, such as [[spoiler:Kate and Hal, Mary Boleyn and William Stafford, Princess Mary and Duke Philip and ,eventually, Princess Elizabeth and Robert Dudley.]]

to:

* HappilyMarried: A lot of the background-couples get to marry for love, such as [[spoiler:Kate and Hal, Mary Boleyn and William Stafford, Princess Mary and Duke Philip and ,eventually, and, eventually, Princess Elizabeth and Robert Dudley.]] Dudley]].

Top