Chapter 1:

Apples.

That's what I see when I look up at the trees here at my castle. No, it is not a castle for a King or Queen but I call it so because I believe it is in my eyes. Some people disagree but I don't care. I have been here for exactly five months from court. Waiting for my invitation to come back to court. I still haven't the slightest idea what I have done to offend the King this way? But still I love the country so and try my best not to be home-sick as much as I can. And I still miss him even after everything he has done…

"Mama!" My daughter yells running towards me with a wide grin on her lips and sparkle of joy in her eyes, as she runs from my dear sister: Cara. I picked her up, twirling her around as she giggled in my arms. Oh how I loved her and adored her. My beautiful daughter. Margaret is only seven years old now, as is her brother: Nicholas. They are two wonderful children. I had hoped they would know of their brother, Henry, but I can see they do not remember him. They were only babies when he was gone. He was sick by early January and gone by May.

They know who their father is but they do not know the truth of what he has done. I do try to shelter them from it. I truly do but gossip leaks around her like loose faucets. I only hope that my children do not receive the deceiving traits from their father. That's all I can for now: Hope.

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"Cara, stop fussing about." I told my sister as I tied the ribbon in her hair; she was annoying me slightly while she fidgeted about on the cushioned seat in front of a vanity mirror in the room. She made a face at me in the mirror, I only smiled in returned. If our Father had seen her do that, she would have been whipped or worse. Father disapproves of her so. I don't see why there is so much loathing vibrating off of him whenever Cara is in the room. She's a good girl and does as she is told…well, half the time she does as she is told.

"Well if you'd stop the pulling, I would stop moving." She told me with a slight giggle. Today was a special day for us. We were to meet the King and Queen. I was also anticipating with amusement and joy at the same time. I had only met the King twice before and the Queen once; so I was making sure I would be more prepared and more mature this time than I was before. If only I could get Cara to sit still for five seconds…

"Cara! Marie!" I heard my mother's voice yell from the bottom of the stairs down the hallway. We were going to be late if Cara wasted time like this. I helped her with putting on her necklace and putting the hair pin in her hair. Then I pulled her by the hand, dragging her out of the room "Come on now, you dull girl." I told her with a sly smile, teasing her while we practically ran down the stairs like we did as children. She giggled in response but stopped when we saw Father was also in the room standing with what looked like authority and annoyance at us.

He did not speak but shook his head in disappointment and disgust; then he walked outside of the house near where the carriage for us was waiting. When father did not speak, that was a sign of bad things to come. But if he did speak, we knew he would slowly but still calm down.

Our mother came over quickly with two of her ladies behind her "You girls are going to be the death of your father. Why must you keep your father waiting like that?" She said in harsh tone of voice, not even giving us a chance to explain and walked outside to Father.

I looked at Cara with a small smile "See now, sister? I told you." I said walking outside with her beside me, then our brother Thomas came rushing about over to us with a wide grin on his face.

"Ahh, dear sisters. Finally you come and grant us with your presence." He said in an amused tone; that silly ol' boy. If had been born a girl, he would have made an excellent gossiper with the Queen's ladies-in-waiting.

I looked away from our brother with a sly smile as always; brushing past him with my silken violet dress-sleeved arm brushing his arm as I walked past him and over to Father and Mother.

Today was a special day, yes. Today, we were going to meet King Henry the eighth and Queen Katherine of Aragon and England.

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