Hi! I really want to thank who follows this story and the one who left me a review:) I wasn't supposed to update today but anyway I've found some free time so here it is! I hope you like it!:)
In this chapter will appear Catherine of Aragon, Kathryn Howard and Anne of Cleves. Anyway, to not create confusion with Anne Boleyn, I'll call the German princess Anna.
Haven't Met You Yet
Second Chapter
"Your Majesty, Sir Thomas More"
The Queen looked up to Lady Elizabeth Darrell, leaning the shirt she was sewing, with an unaware smile forming on her lips. She simply nodded, allowing his entrance to her most trusted lady that, after introduced the Lord Chancellor in the room, left with a bow.
"Sir Thomas!" Catherine said standing up at his sight. He was one of her most loyal friends in England and besides Lady Elizabeth, the ambassador Chapuys and Cardinal Fisher, she believed the only one.
"My Queen!" he answered returning the smile and taking her hands in his own.
"I've known that now you're the one that take care of the King's list…" she started mentioning the news heard by her ladies in waiting.
"Yes, but I'm not here for that…" Thomas interrupted her leaving her hands and looking away, trying to find the right words "There's another list…" he finally revealed looking up to her "A list that isn't about the King nor about ladies… A list of men, suitors for you"
"For me?" Catherine repeated in a whisper "I've clearly expressed to the King my will to not remarry…" then weakly protested.
"Of course, but he's the King and this is his will…" Thomas sighed resigned "But the worst part is that Thomas Cromwell is in charge of the list…" he added then staring at her eyes watching them wide again for the astonishment.
"Cromwell? But that man is… terrible… my future can't be in his hands!" the Queen exclaimed regained strength in the voice that slowly stained of the color of annoyance.
Thomas bent his head in front of that look; he would have done anything for his Queen but at that moment there was nothing he could do. Catherine sighed trying to regain her control and approached the Cross in her personal parlor in her chambers, then gave her hand to the man.
"Pray with me, Sir Thomas" she said in a whisper with the smile of who has faith, the smile she knew only one person could really share. The person that at that moment was in front of her.
The Lord Chancellor didn't hesitate not even a second, took her hand and knelt beside her.
Thomas Cromwell took a breath entering the big royal parlor: there were about twenty girls, different for age, feature, social background and native land, waiting for him. Because of the fact he was the first one to do the King's list and of his good memory of the portraits the ambassadors had showed him, he could already recognize, with a simple look, some of them: a couple of imperial ladies, the ambassador Boleyn's young daughters, the King of Portugal's youngest sister.
"I welcome you at court, my Ladies" he said moving his look above each of them "I believe you already know the reason of your presence here… There will be Balls and banquets every night, where you'll have the chance to make yourselves known by the King… Among you there is the next Queen of England"
The excited whispers, naturally caused by the Secretary's last sentence, suddenly stopped with the arrival of the King himself. All the ladies moved to the sides of the room, to let him walk between them, and bowed to him at his passage. Henry smiled and, giving them an interested look, approached his advisor, talking in such a low tone to be sure of being heard only by him.
"Who's that young lady?" asked with a pleased smile on the lips, pointing a blonde girl with a still childish face that passed joy and freshness.
"Kathryn Howard" Cromwell answered following the direction of his look "17 years old, relative of the Duke of Norfolk"
"Well, tell her that I would like to speak to her this night…" he said not looking away from that beautiful seventeen years old girl.
After he said this, the King left again the parlor while Cromwell continued to say the last information about the ladies' stay at Court. At the end of his speech, he dismissed the women with a bow and, watching them going out by the main entrance, was about to exit himself, when he heard a voice calling him.
"yes, Princess" he answered turning back and bend his head in front of that girl he had recognized as a German princess, one of the Duke of Cleves's sister.
"I…I'm afraid I haven't understand well some things…" she revealed a bit hesitant in that bit of English she knew.
Thomas sighed slightly: Anna of Cleves was the lady he stake all on as possible new Queen, the woman who could clear, for his own profit of course, the way to an alliance with the Protestant League and he was so convinced by the project, to write himself to the Duke William to invite the girl, even though her name wasn't on the list anymore. Something told him, however, that the situation would have been more difficult than what he had though, even if in front of the naivety of the Princess he couldn't suppress a smile.
Ok, I want to say to everyone that despite what may seems I'm not going to write about Henry/KH pairing, instead I've decided to Henry/Anne, but it will take some chapters before he'll fall for her:)
