-1Dmitry had arrived early at the royal banquet but the grand hall was already bustling with courtiers. There were servants in black carrying chairs and plates of delicious looking food. There were men debating and discussing politics and money, and women in bright gowns gossiping and dancing. Lively music was playing in the background, though not too loudly.

Perhaps we have to wait for the King to arrive.

He decided to go walking about and start to mingle with the English courtiers, but many looked on him suspiciously. There was a vast difference in cultures between the two countries which might make it harder for him to befriend here. After all, Eastern courts were far more brutal and treacherous than the more civilised courts of the west, so the English thought anyway. But the Russian found these western courts rather flamboyant.

He immersed himself in the crowd and walked amongst groups but most turned their backs upon him. He was about to give up and sit at the side on his own until the King arrived, when all of a sudden he saw a lone girl standing with the same weary expression on her face that he was wearing. He thought she was very pretty and positively angelic with her ivory skin, golden locks and big blue eyes. And she looked even more pretty when she smiled at him kindly.

Well at least I can go over and talk to her.

"What is your name, mistress?" he immediately asked the girl when he approached her, taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips, planting a kiss upon her dainty knuckles.

"I…I should not say" she replied with the utmost modesty, trying to keep from smiling herself. She had been watching the man wander around and found him intriguing, and perhaps a bit handsome, but thought it was best not to talk to a stranger unchaperoned. Especially when he was a foreigner.

"Then I shall have to call you angel"

She blushed terribly and she cast her eyes down to the floor, unable to stop a coy smile forming on her lips at the compliment and attention she was receiving. Then after a moment, she looked up at him, her cheeks still pink and opened her mouth to speak when she was interrupted.

"Sister, our father craves a word with you. Now!" the girl's brother informed her, emphasising his last word. He had hold of her arm and was squeezing it rather tightly. She nodded her head in obedience to her brother, and then curtseyed to Dmitry before she was dragged away by the arm.

"Don't talk to him again, Jane. Lord knows this family has enough scandal about them!" Edward chastised her.

Yes, but it wasn't me who sullied the family name was it Edward!

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After an hour of observing English customs and watching his beloved angel, the long wait was finally over as the King and his queen finally arrived in the hall to the sound of a fanfare. The courtiers who were dancing immediately stopped and created a parting down the middle of the hall so they could walk down it and towards their throne. The men bowed and the ladies dropped into curtseys, and Dmitry followed suit. Then when they had set themselves upon their thrones, the courtiers stood up and applauded their sovereign. The King raised his arm up, commanding that they continue. The music started up again and everyone began to dance.

Yet it was another half an hour before the King came down off his throne to talk to talk to his people. And it was another half an hour before he came to talk to Dmitry. But he waited patiently until he saw King Henry approach him with his queen alongside him.

"Danilovich, this is my Queen" Henry announced to the Russian envoy, Anne's hand lay on top of his in midair, and they looked as if they were happily married. Nothing was further from the truth in Henry's mind.

"I am most honoured, your majesties"

"As am I to meet you, master Danilovich. I hope we will become good friends through the cementation of our daughter to your kinsman in marriage"

"Anne!" Henry coldly warned his wife. He didn't want her meddling in this. "So, how do you like our court, Danilovich?"

"It is magnificent. I have decided not to tell my mistress about the greatness of the English court or else she will be green with envy" he joked to which Henry let out a light laugh. Dmitry was just thankful that he had gotten the expression right.

"And the women," Dmitry continued, smiling at thought of his angel, "English women are so beautiful. Your queen is prime example" he lied, trying to flatter the woman. It seemed to work as she smiled widely, trying but failing to look coy at the compliment. She was not an ugly woman, or even plain, she was just not attractive in his eyes. But he did hate her smile, he noticed that she had a lopsided smile that seemed forced and crooked.

"Ah, and which lady has caught your eye?" Henry grinned, turning outwards towards the courtiers so that Dmitry could point out which lady had captured his attention. Dmitry complied and looked around the hall in search of his angel. He looked amongst the scores of women in bright, garish dresses and then at last spotted her because she contrasted against the others with her porcelain skin and pale blue dress.

"The lady in blue" Dmitry informed, pointing her out to the King and he wasn't even aware that a smile had formed on his lips at the mere sight of her.

Henry grinded his teeth together when he saw who he was pointing at. Jane. His beloved Jane. It made him angry that another man was captivated by her. He could steal her away because she was not his to command.

"Ah, that is Mistress Seymour, she is one of my ladies" Anne informed Dmitry, smirking at the fact that she could take advantage of this situation and push it to her own favour. "Nan, summon her over" she looked behind at her reliable and loyal lady, Nan, and both women exchanged smug smiles as they could read each other's minds.

Nan curtseyed and did her mistress's bidding, interrupting Jane's conversation and bringing her over to the royal couple and their guests. Jane looked quite confused.

"She is the sweetest creature" Anne whispered in Dmitry's ear as Jane joined the little gathering and curtseyed to the King and Queen. "Mistress Seymour, have you met Master Danilovich? He is here on a diplomatic mission" she winked in Dmitry's direction, causing Henry's blood to boil.

Jane smiled kindly at Dmitry but was confused at the Queen's behaviour and suspicious of her motives. She was midway through her curtseying when she realised it was the man she had been talking to before Edward had dragged her away. He returned her curtsey with a bow and gave her a cheeky grin in triumph of discovering her name.

"Ah Lavolta!" Anne suddenly cried out as the musicians struck up a new tune on their instruments. Nan stood looking at her mistress in total admiration. She was quick on her feet and could see where this was going already. "Danilovich, why don't you ask Mistress Seymour to dance? I am sure she is in want of a partner"

The whole congregation looked at each other a little shocked. Jane was still questioning her mistress's motives, and even Dmitry seemed a little suspicious. But he was also delighted to have such an opportunity to danced with his angel. If the Queen had commanded it, her brother couldn't come over and disrupt it half way through. Henry, however, was trying to suppress his anger. He bit his lip but his fury could be seen in his eyes. She had gone too far this time!

"May I have the honour?" Dmitry asked Jane, offering his hand out to her. Jane looked at it for a moment, not knowing what to do, but then decided she had best obey the Queen's wishes and accepted his offered hand with a shy nod of the head.

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Dmitry walked Jane to the dance floor, her hand still in, and started a conversation up with her as they participated in the dance with the other couples.

"So will I ever discover your first name, mistress Seymour?" he asked her teasingly.

"Jane" she simply replied. He realised that she was a woman of very few words. Or perhaps she was just shy.

"Jane" he repeated after her, causing her to smile and blush once more. Her name seemed less ordinary when he said, his accent and pronunciation made it sound more exotic.

"And how old are you Jane?"

"Eighteen, sire" he squeezed her hand a little as she leapt in the air, but didn't loosening his grip on it once her feet were back on the floor.

"Eighteen. So I suppose you have never left England?"

"I have not"

"That is most unfortunate, there are many beautiful countries in the world"

"Whats it like in Russia, sire?" she unexpectedly asked him, and he himself was amused that she had spoken more than three words to him, never mind asking a question and trying to become more dominant in the conversation.

"Cold. Colder than it is in England anyway, though it is really more wet than cold here"

"Yes, it does tend to ruin one's plans" she replied with a sigh and he questioned her with his eyes, "I like to go out riding" she further explained.

"So do I. I wonder if your Queen would allow me to steal you on the next clear day"

The music came to a climax and once again he brought Jane's hand up to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on her hand before leading her back to a satisfied Anne and a jealous Henry.

I hope she would!