chapter 1.
"I hate you!" screamed the small blue eyed girl at the boy she was pushing off her, he had a naughty look in his eye when he was trying to push her down into the mud next to the small stream at the bottom of the large field in which his father owned. His father was a great friend to the king, and the kings younger son was his best friend, the little girl had thrown a stone at little henry and Charles had become so enraged at someone hurting his best friend. How dare this girl come into their domain, they wanted nothing more than to play knights and climb trees and try and slay the large dragon monster they had invented at the bottom of the gardens, but she had interrupted this. "well I hate you too! You ugly witch!" he shouted back. His father ran behind him and told him never to speak to lady like that, "but…but she is" , "no but's Charles! Now go home and washed for dinner, I am away tomorrow to court and want some peace at home first. The little girl patted down her dressed, staying angry and pursing her lips as though she could not give a damn what anyone said to her, of course she was hurt, but best not let anyone see. Never let anyone see you upset she said to herself.
Many years had passed, and the little boy Charles was now a man, charming, handsome, he had a charisma that many men where jealous of and that weakened many women. Being one of the kings closest friends helped in his many mishaps at court, from bedding lord Buckingham's daughter to an unfortunate incident involving 2 lady's in waiting to Queen Katherine, the Queen nearly fell off her seat as she was given the scandalous details from another of her maids. "apparently Mr Brandon was kissing one lady as he was bedding another!" hints of girlish giggles came from Katherine's voice as she tried to remain as Queen like as possible saying " my god, such a whore is Brandon, and my Lady's of course will have to be punished". He practically had a smile on his face every minute of the day as he walked around court, laughing, drinking, playing games with the other courtiers.
"Lady Blount, are you enjoying your time at court? I hear you are to be in the service of the Queen soon?" "Yes your Grace, it has only been a couple of days and although I am tired from my journey I am enjoying the liveliness, I look forward to waiting on Queen Katherine" Lady Blount stood with her eyes a little heavy from tiredness at the window overlooking the palace gardens, sun streaming in and lighting up her face, high cheek bones, full lips, she was nothing less than beautiful. No doubt the king would eventually notice her. She and the Lord where interrupted by a door swinging open at such a force it crashed into the wall followed by laughter and a man and woman practically falling through into the hall. She knew the man, the woman she did not recognise, she was brunette and before she could even look at her face to see if she was a fair maiden she seen the very ample cleavage fully on display in her tight corset, the man's eye where drawn here too. How surprising she thought giving him a smirk, "Mr Brandon, do you usually enter rooms with such delicate manners?" he glanced, a little shocked if he was to be honest at the woman he was looking at, she had changed since the last time they met, she was a woman now, those lips distracted him from the woman in front of him "chaaarles, come on, let's go" she whispered in his ear grabbing at his waist. "Elizabeth Blount! Why on holy England's name are you here on this fine day ruining my lovely walk with lady….lady…jane?" Elizabeth walked towards him and turned to walk out of the door he had come swinging through….he grabbed her arm and pulled her a little closer, she could feel his breath on her, "why are you ignoring me and why are you here?" "let go of me Brandon, I am here to join the Queens service, nothing more, now leave me alone in peace" she continued on through the doorway and onto her quarters. How could such insufferable man continue to even be in her thoughts, he would torment her as a child, embarrass her as young teenager, last time they met was at the kings wedding to the Queen, he was taken with her and her with him but after they shared a dance Elizabeth was pulled to the side and told he was dancing with her for a bet, Charles was told the same, it was such a shame that the only bet being made was one to make them hate each other as they did when children.
He walked into the bed chamber with the eager lady who's name evaded him again, his mind was on Elizabeth, she annoyed him, he of course wanted her, he thought what it would be like having his her over and over in his mind, her long golden hair, soft lips and smile that made him flushed, not that he saw that smile often. Onto the bed he jumped and sat on, his white blouse un tied, he waair s needing someone to relieve his appetite, he was hungry and not for food. His golden skin and toned body woke up some hours later, he smelled of sweat and sex, staring at the woman next to him sleeping he proceeded to get changed and head back to his own room. The corridors where cold, candle light was fading as it was so late, his head hurt from the wine he had earlier and with some rough hair pulling that he smiled at the thought of. Again he seen her, he had to adjust his eyes to make sure it wasn't someone else. "twice in the one day Elizabeth" she couldn't help but smile a little when she seen Charles walking along the corridor holding his jacket and shoes, when she realised why he was half dressed the smile quickly disappeared. "not with your little friend from earlier Charles? Or are you finished with her now?" "if I didn't know better I would say you where jealous?" "don't be ridiculous you fool, why would I be jealous of such woman, no girl! With her breast on display like that I thought she had mistaken court for a brothel!" "definitely Jealous!" Charles laughed back to her with his wide smile, "I am not jealous" "are too" "I am not" "are too" they burst out laughing, his heart felt fuzzy and warm at seeing her like this, she was thinking that she had never seen such handsome smile. Laughing they slowly regained composure, almost sighing Charles said "I remember our dance fondly" "and I remember you pulling my hair and telling all the boys I had webbed feet!" laughing again he said "but they still wanted to be your friend, such a devil child I was, haha I still remember your face as they asked you to swim in the lake as they thought you would be the fastest with your webbed toes!" tears of laughter nearly falling down his cheeks he looked at her again "im sorry for teasing you…you look nothing short of…." two men interrupted him, Lady Blount the King will now see you they said, charles lost the happy look on his face, "the king?" he said shocked, "yes he wishes to see me to welcome me officially to court" "welcome you? at this hour!?" "now who is the one who sounds jealous?" she quipped back.
"beautifull" charles said finishing his sentence as she walked with the guards into the Kings chambers...i was going to say you are beautifull. get a grip charles, get it together, get back to bed.
Have never written a story before so reviews are more than welcome***
Chapter 2
His teeth where biting his wine cup, in a daze he sat staring out of the bay windows looking onto the miniature maze gardens, such a hot day, sweat was creeping down his back under his shirt and jacket. Why on earth does the king need to have us out on a hunt on such a day Charles thought, he would much rather be lying under shade, preferably with a beautiful young woman feeding him fruit and wine, now there's a day well spent. It had been two days since he saw Lady Blount and although she crept into his thoughts he dismissed them as quickly as they entered. Henry entered the room "Charles are you ready to set off?" he asked excitedly, "yes, of course your majesty" Charles clambered up off the chair ad made his way outside with the king, "what a day! I feel today will be a good day Charles" "indeed" was the only reply henry heard back, "what troubles you? Are you fretting about competition?" laughed henry, "or are you saddened there will be no women there to keep us company?" "I would be lying if I said that didn't sadden me" Charles smiled back "well Charles I assure you that when we return tonight there will be plenty woman at our dinner and hopefully the one I have my eye on joins my bed chamber tonight" henry rode ahead laughing, Charles took a deep breath feeling his face flush with heat, mixture of dread and jealousy stirred within him, he was hoping the woman in question was not Elizabeth.
"My sweet Lady this weather is no good for women, these corsets are frightful, they may as well tie rope around our bodies and call it fashion" Jane Grey said in an out of breath voice to her new found friend Elizabeth, Elizabeth was fond of Jane already but knew she could be nothing short of annoying at the best of times. Still she was warm to her and seemed to know everything you would need to know about the court. "there is always the lake" "the lake?" Jane asked "we could bathe in the lake" "are you insane!?" "there are no men here today are there? The king has organised a day out hunting, we should bathe in the lake and cool down, the only men that would perhaps stumble upon us are the chamber boys who would not speak of it or the old grumpy Lords that can't ride anymore and they would probably die before they would be able to speak of it" Elizabeth giggled and made way down towards the still lake, Jane followed a little reluctantly and two more giggling Lady's followed. Once there she took off her dress, still covered up in the under garments she made her way down into the water, the coolness on her legs was like heaven, not before long the water was at her shoulders and her long hair ends where soaking, Jane and the others when feeling the water suddenly loved the water, it was almost like they found a freedom from being a woman in the tudor court, so restricted and restrained their lives could be at times that they almost forgot that they where still a second class citizens in some respects, made to marry and bare children and grow older in the shadow of their husbands, IF they survived child birth of course. Elizabeth was trance like floating on her back when something tugged at her calf, she jumped so quickly she startled herself even more, looking around her, her heart pounding out of her chest, again she was grabbed from under the water, this time with more force, was she being attacked by rebels, was she going to be eaten by some strange lake monster, all sorts of thoughts ran through her mind, she felt hands grabbing her downwards, big hands, male hands. Before she could muster a scream she was under the water with his hands on her waist, her screams where then silent under the water, she turned and opened her eyes that where stinging under the water, a blurry face stared back at her, not a horrific monster face, a blurry handsome face that she could barely make out but knew it was a pretty face. The pretty face came closer, she needed to breath but didn't want to go up yet, she couldn't wait any longer as she could feel her lungs longing for air, she waved her arms down and before she leapt up the pretty face with its lips came in close and gave her a kiss on the lips, soft lips that she wanted more of. She could feel his few days growth against her chin, his hands holding her and before she could lean in further the face was gone. Elizabeth flew up and out of the water so fast that her hair was nearly smothering her face, she could here shrieks coming from the other lady's and roars of laughter, with his back to her she saw the pretty face's body walking away from her and out of the water, she ran, quite a difficult thing to do in water and slapped him on the back. Charles Brandon turned to her, laughing he said "so Lady Blount did you get a fright?" in shock she shouted "Brandon you shouldn't have done that! You grabbed me and and…" she trailed off realising she had an audience, the king was high on his horse at the side of the lake, two other men who had stripped off their jackets where splashing Jane and other, "I shouldn't have frightened you I know! But how could I resist!" Charles said aloud, slower Elizabeth walked to him "that's not what I was speaking of Charles" whispering now she said "you kissed me, you put your lips on mine" "that's generally what happens when you kiss someone" Charles butted in, he knew the king was close by too and reduced to whispers. For a moment they stared at each other, Charles' eyes moved down slowly from her eyes , to her neck and then her body, her garments where now thin and wet and Charles could see her every curve, he felt his mouth become dryer, he wanted her there and then. Elizabeth placed her arms in front of her body and for him to fetch her dress, "Lady Blount feel free to stay as you are!" shouted Lord Buckingham, Charles glanced at him with hatred in his eyes, he had always hated Buckingham and even more so now he was looking at Elizabeth in such a way, Charles ran over to her clothes and then back to Elizabeth, "put this on for god sake!" he almost threw the dress into her arms, he stormed off. Henry still staring at Elizabeth noted Charles' mood and rode on "I hope to see you tonight Lady Blount, your presence will of course will make many of my men happy , and I happiest of all".
Elizabeth walked slowly up the grass from the water, she pursed her lips and licked them, Charles Brandon's lips where still on hers, she flushed a heat she had not felt before.
