We slowly exited the carriage slowly I helped Caleb get out as well. He looked astounded by the sight in front of him. "where are we?" I smiled at him. "Hush now child." I picked him up and walked to the door. A doorman answered and looked at me some what amused. "Master Seymour called for me." He let me in and left the room. I looked around the home. Edward had done well for himself. the servant man came back in and announced me properly. bowed gracefully as I held the young child "Welcome Kendell." "Edward." He placed me at a seat next to him. "I need your help." "With what Edward?" "the young mistress that tutored the prince has fallen quite ill. Will you take up her position." "As long as I can keep Caleb with me, I am bound by the duty of serving my family and beloved king." He kissed my forehead. "Bless you cousin." We all went back into the carriage and road to the prince's estates. We arrived early in the morning. "You will love him dearly Kendell. He is a lively intelligent child." "I will love any of my rulers, with much of my heart and soul." We entered the small room. "This is the lesson room, now come." He pulled me and Caleb to a large door. He opened it and inside with an adorable blonde child, but he wasn't alone. There were also two men. I bowed automatically. "Your majesty." Edward lifted me back up. "your highness and Lord 'Brandon, this is the new tutor for the young prince." I kept my eyes lowered until a hand gently raised my face. "what is your name mistress?" "Kendell Seymour my lord." "Seymour?" "Yes I am kin to Edward." He laughed. "Then you are kin to my son and I as well. who is this child?" "Caleb Seymour." "Also kin to me and my son." He turned and I looked up. I noticed one man starring at me for awhile. "Lord Brandon introduce yourself." the man walked over to me. I lowered my head. "My lord." "Good Lady, I am Charles Brandon." "You know who I am sir, do you not?" "Yes madam. How old are you?" "I am nineteen sir, how old are you?" He chuckled. He bowed and left the room. The king came back over. "I hope to see you at court Lady Seymour." "I will attend only when my duties of teaching the young master are completed for the day." I bowed "I cannot wait for you to meet the rest of my children." He kissed my hand gently. "The master is very pleased with you." I glared at Edward. "I will not be some whore." "You are cousins to Jane, he wouldn't make you his whore." I bowed to Edward. "Young prince come here." the bubbly child came over. "This is your cousin and your new tutor." "It is very nice to meet you." "Your young majesty I am Kendell and this is Caleb. We are your cousins." He looked at Caleb and smiled. "We will e great friends. Caleb eagerly left my arms to go play with his new fund friend. "Come to court tonight. There will be no lessons till after Sunday." "what of Caleb?" "He will stay here with the prince." I knew I had to go. "of course your lordship." "I'll be back later look proper." "There is no other way to look my lord." He smiled and left.
I was washed and bathed by the ladies. I was helped dressed and my make up and hair done. "Thank you very much my good ladies." they bowed and left. Edward came back smiling. "You look radiant." he helped me onto my horse and we road off. We came to court after a short ride. He led me inside. The dancing had already started. Edward walked me through. "Bringing a mistress out into public, a bold statement Lord Seymour." "what makes you believe I am a mistress to his lordship. Do I look whorish or perhaps like I belong in a brothel, sir?" He smirked at me. "Whorish no, ravishing yes. I do not believe you are from any brothel because I would know you personally. I am Lord Francis Bryan." "Kendell Seymour." "where have you been hiding this treasure Edward?" "You may do what ever you please with my wife Sir Francis, but you will stay away from my cousin." Sir Francis kissed my hand. "till next time love." We sat at the table a couple of seats from the king. His new queen glared at me. "only nobility is allowed to be seated here." I did nothing, Charles glared at her, and Edward did his thing. "She is cousin to Jane Seymour, mother of prince Edward. She is also my cousin." she sat silent for a few moments while the king chuckled. "my dear lady would you care to dance?" I looked up and his majesty. "If it would please his majesty." "It would please me very much." I got up from my seat and went to dance with him. glares thrown from the queen and Charles Brandon. "you move very gracefully." "You do as well your majesty." "Why did Jane not mention you?" "We had an argument that couldn't be overlooked. I loved my cousin very much but I did a terrible thing and her forgiveness angered me." he laughed. The song was over. "Charles." Sir Charles came and took the kings place. He wouldn't stop glaring at me. "Sir Charles have I done something to offend you?" "No." "than why do you stare at as if I did something horrible to you." "If you are here to seduce the king I bid you get his attention soon. For he may move on from your womanly assets." "I do not want to be with someone who my cousin has given a son to. I do not want the kings attention to seduce him Charles. And as for my womanly assets they are mine until I choose who to give them too." He pulled me roughly closer to him. "Why are you here?" "Edward called upon me as a tutor, nothing more. I am no Anne Boleyn sir. I have no conspiracy to be queen, I do not want that power." His touch became gentler but the space between us did not grow. "You sir, do you have a family?" "I have children but my wife died in childbirth. The child survived." "I am very sorry for your loss sir." We finished our dance and returned to our seats. "Do not be sorry for something you had no control over." He whispered in my ear. He bowed and returned to his spot near the king. The young queen came over to me. "I'm sorry for being rude. I am not used to this." I smiled at the younger girl. "Do not worry. You will catch on soon." She smiled at me. "Would you like to be one of my ladies in waiting?" "Your majesty I am truly honored, but I cannot. I am the tutor of young prince Edward but if you like I shall be a friend to you." "That would please me very much. You are truly very kind." Suddenly the hall broke apart. "The Lady Mary." She walked in and bowed before the king and queen. Henry walked down. "come my child there is someone I think you would like to meet." He took her by her hand. Charles led me over to her. She gave me a glare, probably thinking I was one of her father's mistresses. I bowed and smiled at her. "Lady Marry I am so happy to meet you. I am Lady Kendell Seymour, Cousin of Queen Jane." Mary threw her arms around me. I held her just as tight. "I have heard many great thing about you Lady Kendell. Her Majesty praised you." the king was taken back by the fact Jane said nothing of Kendell to himself. "I am truly sorry for your loss Lady Kendell." "Thank you your grace." Charles and the king looked at each other confused. "Meet me later Lady Kendell. We have much to discuss on." We both bowed gracefully. She smiled and left me to explain our meeting to the two gentlemen. "How do you know my daughter, lady Kendell?" "When Jane would write to me she mentioned lady Mary a good deal. Then I would wrote back to Jane a lot. Mary and I know each other from my cousin's letters. do not worry your majesty, you were also mentioned along with your other two children." I bowed and walked back over to my seat. "The Lady Mary seems to like you." The queen seemed sad. "She knows me through Jane. Do not be troubled by her way your grace. She is just adjusting to her father's new wife." The queen gave me a big smile and hugged me. "I hope one day I can be as kind an gentle as you are." She soon went and started dancing. "You have a way with the women." I turned to see Sir Francis Bryan. "Are you jealous sir?" He smirked and laughed. "no I'm just observing you dear lady." "well you shouldn't my cousin doesn't approve of you and I'm sure his wife would be upset." I smirked back at him. "Tell me are you truly cousin to lady Jane?" "Yes sir, why do you have some other theory to my name?" "I believe you are here to distract his majesty." "Sir I am not like your cousin I have no need to marry a man for his money, power, or name. I am merely a tutor to dear prince Edward. Nothing more." He was now sitting next to me. My body language must have been tense because Sir Charles came to my rescue. "Sir Francis you are not welcome around Lady Seymour." "have you already claimed her Charles that doesn't mean I'm not interested." "Sir Francis please leave us. There is no need for any unkind words or actions after all it is suppose to be a feast to his good grace. you wouldn't want to ruin the pleasantness would you?" He stood. "Of course not Lady Seymour. I wouldn't want to make anything unpleasant for you dear." he kissed my hand. "Lord Brandon." he walked off. "You have a way with words." "I just say things that must be said but in good manor." "You make the king, queen, princess, Sir Edward and Sir Francis happy. how do you do it?" "It's in my nature to be kind and gentle sir. do I not make you happy?" he seemed baffled. "why do you ask?" "You left your name off of the list of people." He chuckled but did not answer my question. Edward walked over to me. "Are you enjoying yourself dear cousin?" "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" "the king wishes to speak to you." I stood and went over to his majesty. "You called for me?" "Yes Lady Seymour sit?" I sat in the chair next to him. "Lady Seymour what was Mary speaking of?" "What part sir?" "Your loss." I put my head down. "My husband died sir." "how?" I looked up to the king and sighed. "He was a traitor to his majesty and all the reasoning I did with him he still protested against your majesty's humble name. when he spoke of joining the rebellion in the north I left him. That was the argument that happened between me and Jane. I moved in my uncle and aunt." he nodded his head. "Your son?" "what of him?" "How old was he when this happened?" "He was two, he is now almost four." "A year older than Edward." "they are becoming very good friends." The king seemed to be deep in thought. "I think lady Seymour that some changes shall be made." "what changes?" He smiled at my worries face. 'The boys will be moved here for their lessons and to live here. You will be able to accompany the queen and whoever else wants to visit you." I smiled that would be wonderful." "I thought you would say that. Now I would be very happy if you went and visited with my queen" "Of course" I stood and left. "What did he say?" "He is moving the children here for lessons so that I may be at court with you." She smiled. "I asked him to do it." I smiled at her. "Thank you very much, mistress." Later that night I went to the Lady Mary's room. "Lady Kendell." "Princess Mary" We smiled at one another. "Tell me why have you come to court now." "I have been called on to tutor the young prince. Through that and prayer I hope that Jane will forgive me for being unkind to her." Mary smiled. "she did not find you unkind in any way. She said that you were just stubborn. Tell me of your son." "Caleb. he's my pride and joy. The one good thing that came out of a horrid union." "Jane told me that your husband was very handsome and near you in age." "Yes I fourteen and him twenty when we wed. That was not the horrid part my lady. he was a traitor to the crown and a cruel man." She nodded. "tell me Mary what do you think of the new queen?" "I do not like her." "Why?" "She is young and unreal." I knelt before Mary. "Mary it was not her fault your father found comfort in her. After Cromwell set him up with the protestant right after Jane left this world. True she is young but do not hate her for something she truly has no control over." Mary looked at me. "How can you be so kind to everyone?" "because hate grows and kills you. it makes a person bitter. I know you have been through a great ordeal in your life Mary but do not let all the pain block out all the happiness in the world." unknown to either one of us the king was spying on us. He was happy with our conversation. We had not been lying to him, which he found comfort in. "now Mary I bid you goodnight. I hope to see you later some time." I bowed and left her. Standing outside was my cousin. "Come I will take you to your chambers." We walked side by side. "Thank you Kendell for coming." "The truth is I did not come for you, I came for Jane." He nodded. "Good night dear cousin." I walked into my chambers to see the queen and king there. I bowed. "Lady Kendell we just wanted to wish you a goodnight." The queen ran over to me and hugged me. "thank you for all your heavenly kindness." The king came before me. "you are truly an angel Lady kendell." I smiled to them. "I thank you your majesty's." they both left my room and I locked the door. I had two women waiting on me. "what are your names?" "Lady Rochford and Lady Berns." "you do not have to tend to me. You may go to sleep I am sure you are both tired from the long day." they smiled at me and went to their chambers.