Barely weeks after Elizabeth's arrival, Arthur sat by the door of Mary's bedchambers and leant his head back against the wall, closing his eyes in an attempt to soothe his pounding headache. He hadn't slept in upwards of forty-eight hours - none of them had. Only days earlier, he had been anxiously expecting the arrival of the heir to his kingdom. Only days earlier, he had been convinced that Mary I, his Queen, was about to give birth to a healthy son. But now she lay just beyond this wall, surrounded by maids and midwives who had privately told him only minutes earlier that their worst fears had been confirmed. There was no baby.

He did not honestly understand the details - such things were a woman's domain, after all - but she had been pregnant and now she was not, and that meant that there would be no heir. And the Queen was not young; her chance for a child had clearly passed.

There would be no heir.

The sound of footsteps and rustling skirts made him lift his head and open his eyes; Elizabeth was hurrying down the corridor, an expression of urgency and concern on her face. She had not slept either, and it showed in her pale skin and the shadows under her eyes. She went to open the door to Mary's bedchambers, then saw Arthur sitting alone merely feet away. She paused and looked at him with a question in her eyes. He held them for a moment - was it normal to have eyes that brown with hair that red? - then sighed and shook his head. Elizabeth's mouth opened in a tiny 'o' and her hand dropped from the doorknob to her side. For a moment Arthur was sure she would collapse - she appeared to sway on the spot and her face drained of all its remaining colour - but within seconds she had composed herself.

"Come on," she said, her voice barely trembling at all. "If this is true, then I must speak with you." The door opened and two handmaidens left Mary's bedchambers. They spared only a mournful glance for Arthur and Elizabeth before hurrying away down the corridor. Elizabeth watched them go, then added, "Alone."

Arthur climbed quickly to his feet and followed her, wondering what she could possibly want to say to him. Everything that could be said had been - Mary had no heir. Elizabeth would become queen. Surely that was all that mattered in the world at the moment. Still slightly dazed, Arthur barely noticed as she led him into an empty room and shut the door. Arthur was not a frequent visitor of this area of the Palace, but he guessed that this was the bedchamber of an attendant or handmaiden. He glanced around uncertainly, unsure if it was proper for them to be invading some poor woman's private space.

"Why are we in-"

"England." The use of his real name caused him to shut his mouth abruptly, and the conviction with which she had said it made all his questions wither away. "As your future queen, I feel I must... say certain things to you. Assurances. Promises."

He watched her, unsure of what to expect; she was staring at her feet and searching for words, but still kept her poise. She didn't know what she was doing but she was doing a good job of pretending like she did.

"I swear," she said, bringing her suddenly fiery gaze up directly to his eyes, "to serve you. I give my life to you. I swear upon the tombs of my ancestors that I will do everything in my power to lead, help and protect you and your people. Mary... I know that she was flawed, and I know that I will be flawed, but I ask you to forgive me these flaws and to know that all that I do - all that I will ever do - is for you, and for your country, and for your people."

And then, to his utter shock, she dropped to her knees in a puff of silk skirts and bowed before him, sunk low to the ground with her head bent as though praying. There she stayed, stock still, as he gaped at her. Never before had one of his own monarchs bowed to him. It had always been the other way around; he had been a subject, a trusted advisor at the best of times and an annoyance at the worst, but never more than a representative of those who served and followed. He was unused to seeing a member of his royal family bowing to him so sincerely and it made him feel a little strange, so he extended his hand to her to help her up. She raised her head and looked at it in surprise, then hesitantly took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"I am glad to hear that," he said, trying his best to smile warmly at her. It was not an expression he was well practised in, but she looked so nervous he couldn't help but try. "But you really do not have to say such things, or bow to me. I will not simply judge your reign from a distance - I plan to help you. If you will allow me to, of course."

A smile broke out across her face, wide and relieved. "Of course I will. Then we will rule together?"

"We will."

"Splendid!" Her smile was even broader now, lighting up her whole face and dazzling Arthur like the sun. "That is a great relief. No-one's ever taught me... of course, no-one ever thought I'd... well, you have far more experience as a ruler than I do. I would be most glad of your help. And I do mean those things, you understand. You may not think them necessary, but I mean them. I live only to serve you."

"You-"

"I will be moving to Hatfield House to live until it is my time to succeed," she continued, caught up in her own monologue. "It is nice there, very green. I like it. You must come and visit sometime. We should stay in contact - I've already started working on plans for my government and I would be most pleased if you would review them."

"Of course I will," he said, a little dizzied by her words combined with recent events and his severe lack of sleep.

"Excellent. I must go and make the necessary arrangements." She opened the door to leave, then stopped with only one foot in the corridor. "Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. Your support really does mean... well, it means everything."

Unsure what to say, he settled for a smile and a little bow. She laughed and disappeared off down the corridor, leaving him with only the fading sound of her footsteps and the lingering smell of her perfume.


Please leave a review and tell me what you think so far! I know they're short at the moment, but this is just the beginning. They'll get longer, I promise.