Prologue
Sir Thomas Boleyn, a newly knighted knight of England was on route to a new land with his young family. His lovely wife, Elizabeth Boleyn and his two children; daughter Mary, eleven and growing into a beautiful young woman and son George, ten, a playful, smart young man in the image of his father. The had to travel by land due to a task in Paris that the King had tasked Sir Boleyn with, a letter to the King of France from the King of England.
But, now they were on their way to the border with the Netherlands and the court of Archduchess Margaret of Austria where Sir Boleyn was to become the English ambassador and Mary, a maid of honour to the Archduchess. The journey was slow but a steady one. Breaks were taken at local inns as the road at night was too dangerous and the comfort of the warmth of a fire and mug of beer a welcome award after a long day in the families' carriage.
On the fourth day of travel out of Paris, the family had reached the Ardennes Hills and were traveling through one of the many forests and woods of the region.
"Papa, look there's a girl up ahead," called George from inside the carriage his head out of the small window opening. The driver pushed the horses to go faster. He did not want to stop. For there were bandits and highway robbers active in the area.
"Oh Holy Lord Above! What is she doing in the middle of the road?" said Thomas, hitting the top of the coach to get the drivers to slow down to possibly stop if needed.
The girl was a mess of dark almost black hair; her face was caked with mud and her clothes no more than rugs. Her eyes appeared to large of her face sparkled. She was wildly waving to get them to stop.
"Arrêtez! Il y a un arbre devant. Arrêtez et revenez! Il n'y a pas de tête mais à pied. S'il te plaît, arrête! Arrêtez!*" The little girl shouted over the noise of the horses. "Stop!"
The carriage stopped in front of the girl.
*Stop! There is a tree down ahead. Stop and turn back! There is no way head but on foot. Please stop! Stop!