THE MANY SUITORS OF ELIZABETH TUDOR
(Suitors, as in, men who desired her and she wasn't so keen or sure if she wanted them as well.)
Two: Thomas Seymour
She was fourteen, he was forty. When Arthur thinks of it now, he realizes how filthy and disgusting it had been, to hear of a royal daughter be touched by such a man.
In any other case, it would actually be quite normal for a girl to marry that young, and to be married to a man that old, and older. He remembered the Duchess of Suffolk, when she married the French king.
But this wasn't a royal marriage. This was abuse of an heir to the throne, by her guardian. Of course, the enemies of the Princess Elizabeth would say she was like her mother, who had no shame. But Arthur, no matter what half the court was saying, believed anything of it, or at least, decided to hear the princess out.
But did it matter what he thought now? Arthur regretted the attitude he had back then, before she was queen. He cared for the princess, but at the same time, he wasn't so kind to her.
The interrogation was quite intense. The princess couldn't have been more than fifteen, and despite the harsh words and cold looks given to her, she held her composure. Naturally, had had tried to look for a kind soul. She even took about a minute to stare into Arthur's eyes, but when she saw a steady, uncaring gaze, she stiffened. It wasn't until much later, after the interrogation when Arthur grabbed her arm.
"Unhand me, my lord." She snapped, trying to free herself. Arthur ignored her and made her face him.
"Tell me the truth, Bess. Did you agree to marry Thomas Seymour?" She lifted her brow when he called her 'Bess', and snickered at his question.
"My lord Kirkland, you were there when I declared I'd marry no one. It doesn't matter whether their wealthy or devilishly handsome—I will not wed." Arthur frowned, getting the feeling that she asn't telling him something.
"When will my servants be freed?" She said, after he released her. That infuriated him, but all he did was clench his jaw.
"That isn't important, what did that man do?" What he once thought were dead eyes, he later remembered them to be cold. Cold eyes that reminded him of her father, despite the color.
"What man? All I know is that my step-father hath done something. However," she fixed her headdress and walked to the door. She turned her head, giving him a view of her slender neck and part of her red hair.
"You will find no visible marks. Plead to my lord Somerset that I am innocent, through and through." She swept out of the room, leaving Arthur to slump over the interrogation table.
"Why?" The person who could answer was almost dead.
HN (Historical note):
Now, we don't really know whether or not Thomas Seymour took Elizabeth's virginity but the psychological effect it had on her implies that either he came close or he did. But it add to the trauma she went through when Kitty Howard died (see previous chappy). Now, this takes place in Edward VI's reign, and even if Arthur liked her, the thought of her bearing Seymour's child while not married is a high offense, it might have even be considered treason, because as royal heir can't marry without the monarch's permission. What we know what happened between Thomas and Elizabeth is that he 'playfully' romped with her, and Catherine Parr, Elizabeth's guardian and Thomas' wife, allowed it (she actually held Elizabeth while he cut her gown to pieces in a garden) Whether Elizabeth's servants plotted to marry her to him, it was known that Mistress Ashley asked Thomas Seymour to stop, but he refused.
Again, constructive criticism is welcomed!
