Chapter X

January, 1552

Anne glowered furiously as she sat on the throne beside Arthur in the morning meeting. She was unwell from the amount of wine she consumed last night, but she had no choice but to attend.

She wondered how Mary – sitting on the smaller throne on Arthur's other side – could manage a realistic smile in such a humiliating situation. At times, Mary could be as stubborn as she could be, yet Mary was always capable of smiling pleasantly in any situation. Then again, thought Anne. Mary was a princess since birth and raised to have passive expressions in any circumstances, while I was just the daughter of a knight.

Bowing in front of them were the de Luils – all three of them.

Surrounding them were the rest of the royal family and the Court, some more eager than others to see what will happen to the infamous de Luils.

"My dear brothers and sister," said Arthur warmly. "I must apologise for the humiliation of servitude you suffered, and I will compensate you for your pain. Guillame, you will be given the viscountcy of Hereford and position of Gentleman in the Privy Chamber in my household. I have also decided for you to marry Mistress Alice More – niece of your guardians Sir William and Lady Margaret Roper – who will be given a generous dowry." He nodded at the plainly dressed girl with prominent eyes who stood near the doors. "Henri, you have mentioned interest in joining the clergy," he continued. "I have arranged for you to join Shrewsbury Abbey and succeed the current Abbot when the time comes. As for you, Isabelle, you will marry Sir Henry Ughtred and I will give you an ample dowry as befitting my sister." He turned to the nineteen year old Sir Henry Ughtred who stood beside his mother. "Sir Henry, you will also be a Gentleman in the Privy Chamber," he added. "As you are marrying my sister, I will grant you a barony and upon your wedding, you will be the 1st Baron Ughtred."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Sir Henry, with a bow.

"We are extremely grateful to Your Majesty," spoke Guillame. "We hope you will view our loyalty without traces of doubt like others." He dared to glance in Anne's direction. "It is indeed an honour to be your brother, even if we are illegitimate."

Arthur smiled. "Rise, dear brothers and sister. We will have a small feast in your honour."

"That was brave of you," Mary praised Anne as they slowly made their way to the feasting hall. "You survived the degrading meeting and you will remain at Court as the Queen Mother. You do not ever have to see the de Luils again."

"I will," grumbled Anne. "Arthur informed me that the future Lady Ughtred will transfer to my household, and if I force her to complete any demeaning tasks, I will still be exiled. I cannot believe my own son would do such a thing!"

"Perhaps if you are kind to the future Lady Ughtred, she will return to Elizabeth's services."

"Hmmph. I hope Guillame is not given a place in the Privy Council."

"He won't. If he does, I will not accept it and exile myself until he sees sense. Guillame will be in Arthur's favour for a week or two, and then he will be just an ordinary Gentleman in the Privy Chamber and a viscount looked down upon by the old nobility."

"I hope he will be banished from Court."

Mary sighed. "I don't like the de Luils any more than you do, but they are still part of the family. I will tolerate them the best I can. Will Alice More join your household too?"

"I don't know. Arthur hadn't mentioned it yet."

"We must keep our eyes firmly open. Perhaps the impending trip to Navarre should wait...I cannot leave England with Guillame slithering around..."

"No! You must relax and go to Navarre! I will keep an eye on those evil de Luils for you. Let's go to this feast and get it over with. Come, those de Luils are always up to something."

Hal walked in the gardens with Lady Jane Grey after the awkward feast. The more he spent time with her, the more he felt drawn to her. Lately, the Queen Mother and Arthur had often paired him in dances with Princess Eleanor, and he was encouraged – or obliged – to visit his fiancé quite often. He liked Eleanor as a cousin, but always carried second thoughts of marrying her. However, he was a man of honour and would one day – in the distant future – marry the Princess.

"You did not dance with me last night," said Lady Jane softly.

"I wished I could," sighed Hal glumly. "Arthur kept insisting for me to dance with the archduchesses and his younger sisters. Eleanor loved it and my parents were pleased with me, but all I wanted was to sweep you off your feet and dance with you."

"I'm a hopeless dance partner, and I would've only embarrassed you if you danced with me. My parents encourage my sisters and I to engage in womanly activities, yet they neglected our dance classes. My lady mother always called me a clumsy child. I hope my future husband will not be a keen dancer, or I will disappoint him as a wife."

"Are you betrothed yet?"

"I don't know. My parents have not yet mentioned one for me. My lady mother said you are betrothed to the Princess Eleanor. Is that true?"

"Indeed. Princess Eleanor praises you quite often, and mentions you as her dear friend. I'm happy you are kind to the Princess. I hope when I marry her, you will remain in her service. Life will get dull if you disappear from my life."

Jane blushed. "You flatter me, my lord."

"Can you call me 'Hal'? We are friends, are we not?"

"If you insist, Hal. In that case, you must call me 'Jane'."

The two smiled at each other.

"This garden is empty," said Jane suddenly, looking around. "Oh! Did we stray from the usual path?! I do not recall it being so dark."

"It seems we have walked further than we intended," agreed Hal, leading her to the abandoned wooden bench he noticed a second ago. He plucked a rare rose – its petals adorned with icicles – and placed it on her cupped gloved hands. "This can be our special garden," he suggested. "The trees have not been cut and the vines have gone wild. Clearly the gardeners have neglected this place, and I like it. It's dark, and it reminds me that you are the light in my darkness. What do you say, Jane? As there is little chance we can see each other soon, what do you think of this place as our special...spot?"

"It is a lovely grove. What if my mother discovers us alone here? She will thrash me until my back and her hands are red!"

"I will protect you. Your mother will never beat you again."

"You are fortunate your mother and father are so kind." A tear fell onto the rose. "I can never escape the shadow of my mother, unless I am married, but even then, she will reign supreme over me. My time abroad in Bavaria serving the Duchess of Bavaria was splendid. I wish I could go back, but Princess Eleanor needs me here. My first duties are to the Princess, not to myself."

Hal patted her hand gently.

"Dance with me," he said abruptly.

Surprised, and a little delighted, Jane rose and the two danced the steps of the Pavane clumsily in the snow-covered ground, laughing as they tripped over each other's feet.

They continued dancing and laughing in their secret grove until the sun began descending from its throne in the middle of the sky.

"It had been a wonderful afternoon," commented Hal, handing Jane another rose.

"Indeed," agreed Jane, smiling broadly at him. "Thank you...Hal."

Silence approached as they stared at each other deeply in the eyes, their hearts beating faster, but not from the exertion of dancing. Feeling as if he was breaking every rule of chivalry his mother drilled into him, Hal leant forward and kissed her.

When he broke apart, he said breathlessly, "I'm sorry...it was-"

"The right moment?" supplied Jane.

Hal nodded, taking a deep breath.

"There's one way," he said slowly. "You can be happy in England and away from your mother."

"What?" said Jane, her heart pounding faster again.

"I know it is um, very sudden." He turned away from her for a second before gazing back into her eyes

and a ruby ring on his open palm. "I cannot wait," he confessed. "It may come as a shock to you."

Jane stared at the ring, open-mouthed.

"Lady Jane Grey," said Hal, getting down on one knee and holding the ring towards her. "Ever since I first danced with you, I had a growing affection for you deep in my heart. I was a coward, and I hid my feelings for the past couple of years, getting myself tangled into a web of intrigues, including a betrothal to a princess I am fond of, yet do not love. In doing this, I will break my mother's heart, lose the King's trust and friendship and humiliate Princess Eleanor, but I will save you from the shadow of your cold-hearted lady mother and bring you to overwhelming happiness. Lady Jane Grey, will you marry me?"

Arthur's younger siblings gathered in the throne room after the feast, wondering why they were summoned there at such a time.

All of them were surprised when Arthur announced the de Luils were their illegitimate half-siblings, and were even more shocked when a feast was prepared in their honour!

A minute later, Arthur, their mother, Elizabeth and Mary entered the room, all with surprisingly broad smiles on their faces.

"Children," acknowledged Anne. "Arthur has good news!"

"In what way, dear Mother?" said Edmund cautiously.

"You are all old enough to be betrothed and married," explained Arthur. "Edmund, you are already affianced to Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria, and as you are fifteen years old, our mother, Elizabeth, Mary and I agreed that it is time for you to be married. However, as Maria Anna is still eleven, you two will remain in separate households until Maria Anna is fourteen."

"If Maria Anna is still eleven, why should we wed so early?" said Edmund, with a frown. "Brother, I always thought you and the Queen of Scots will marry before me, even though the Queen of Scots is a year younger than Maria Anna."

"Yes, but plans have changed. It seems the Duke of Bavaria's brother – the Elector Palatine – will not have any children (even if he does marry) and the Duke of Bavaria will succeed him as Elector Palatine. His children will be the jewels of Bavarian political alliances, and we thought it would be best for England to firmly ally itself with Bavaria through your immediate marriage with Maria Anna."

"I see. Will you be angry if I have a child before you?"

Arthur shook his head. "No," he reassured him. "I will be glad to welcome a Tudor niece or nephew in the royal nursery before I have any children of my own."

Edmund smiled. "Did you inform Maria Anna yet?"

"Not yet. We will after we receive the letter of consent from the Duke and Duchess of Bavaria."

"We have good news for you too, Cecily," added Anne. "We have signed a peace treaty with Poland, and you will be the fortunate bride of King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland! His second wife has died three months ago, so we thought it would be wise to wait before proposing you as his third wife. You will be the first English princess to be Queen of Poland! Isn't that exciting?!"

Cecily paled, speechless.

She often talked of marriage with her ladies, and they all sang praises of the French and Spanish Courts, and she believed one day she would marry into either the royal French or royal Spanish family. She was aware that a Scottish match may be made for her, but a Polish spouse?!

"Poland is so far away," Cecily managed to say.

"It is a powerful kingdom," said Arthur gently. "I heard the Polish Court is magnificent and as grand as ours and France's."

"I will be alone..."

"You will be a queen."

Cecily frowned a little. "Was that why I was taught Polish?"

Arthur nodded guiltily. "You and Eleanor were both taught Polish for the hopes of a Polish match. On the bright side, Edmund will accompany you to Poland and stay there until you settle in and um...have your first...child." He blushed as Cecily stared at him, horrified. "King Sigismund II is desperate for an heir," he explained, turning redder. "He married twice, yet has no heir. As the last male of the Jagiellon dynasty, it is imperative for him to have an heir to continue his lineage. I'm sure before your wedding night, Elizabeth or our mother will um, inform you of...what to expect." He glanced nervously at Anne and Elizabeth, before continuing, "King Sigismund II will also marry you in person."

"I was told I would always have a proxy marriage before my real marriage...will the King of Poland come here to marry me?"

"Yes," said Anne, surprised at her younger daughter's slowness. "You should be honoured, Cecily. The King of Poland himself, is coming to England to marry you! After the festivities, Edmund will travel to Poland with you."

"When will I be married?" inquired Cecily.

"In April," answered Mary. "We have decided that during this spring, we will hold all the wedding festivities, such as yours, Arthur's, Edmund's and Eleanor's. The people will love the continuous celebrations and it will motivate them to work harder."

"Who will Eleanor marry?" asked Edmund.

"Hal," said Arthur promptly.

Cecily's mouth dropped open. "Hal?!" she demanded with indignation. "Eleanor will marry our cousin Hal?! That is not fair!"

Arthur sighed, "Cecily-"

"Why must I be shipped off to Poland while Eleanor marries a man she knows and stays in England! I will not go! Elizabeth also married the man she loves and is here in England! Besides, she broke her betrothal to Archduke Maximilian and you allowed Katherine to marry him instead!" She shot Elizabeth a scathing look before fleeing the room.

"What a child," sniffed Anne. "She should've known her duty is first and foremost to England. She is fortunate to marry the King of Poland here in England first rather than to marry a stranger in Poland. Why can't all my daughters be like Elizabeth?"

At that moment, Elizabeth could not resist a triumphant grin.

"I will talk to her," said Arthur uneasily. "Perhaps you should show more affection to her? Not everyone is like Elizabeth."

"It causes attachment!" exclaimed Anne.

"Anne," said Mary quietly. "A word?" She led her to the corner before saying flatly, "You should not have said that in front of your children."

"Why?" said Anne, still a little grumpy from the morning. "I wish Arthur was tougher on Eleanor and arranged a political match for her."

"Technically her betrothal to Hal is political. You have made it obvious that you love Elizabeth and Arthur more than the rest of them, and you supported Elizabeth's marriage to Robert Dudley. You should've comforted Cecily instead of berated her." She lowered her voice. "I know Eleanor isn't your favourite child because of the time you conceived her, but that does not give you an excuse to be cold to all your children except Arthur and Elizabeth! Cecily is frightened, and it does not help that Elizabeth is standing right there with a smug smile on her face!"

"By your tone, I'm assuming you no longer wish to be my ally?"

"I am just advising you on mothering methods. However, I will ask Arthur to postpone giving titles to Robert and Elizabeth for Cecily's sake. I do not want her relationship with Elizabeth to deteriorate because of marriage. I helped you avoid apologising to the de Luils, but I do suggest you speak kindly to Cecily. You are more than welcome to ignore my advice, but Cecily will be Queen consort of Poland in a few short months, and if she has children and is widowed, she will have a strong say in their marriages and in the Anglo-Polish alliance."

"If she dares break it when she is older, she will find she won't have a home to go back to."

"Make your peace with Cecily. She is your daughter, not a ward, niece or unwanted child. Love all your children. If the day comes and you need them, they will help you because they love you. Cecily needs you now. Don't abandon her."

"When did you get so knowledgeable about children?"

Mary smiled sadly. "I miss my girls. Katherine is still here, but for how long? We hardly had a proper chat since her arrival, and Annie, Bess and Margaret are in France. Georgie and Ned are good boys, but I wish my daughters are here with me. I wanted to watch them grow up, but for the political good of England, I have given them up."

"You will see them again."

"I must go. I do not want to be late for a meeting with the FitzAlans. As my friend, go and talk kindly to Cecily. Don't take Elizabeth with you."

She hurried off, almost colliding with George in the corridor.

"No rush," said George, bemused. "We can walk to the FitzAlans together. Was that Cecily I saw running to her chambers about ten minutes ago?"

"Yes," replied Mary. "She did not receive the news of her impending marriage well. Anne did not help the situation either, by comparing her to Elizabeth. You might need to talk to her about using her maternal instincts more. What is the latest development in the FitzAlan plans? I'm afraid I didn't catch up with the newest outcome yet."

"Lord Arundel is quite willing to give us the wardship of his younger daughter, and all we have to do is sign the contract and agree on the price of Mary FitzAlan's wardship and dowry. Lord Arundel is also eager to hear our advice for a potential daughter-in-law."

"Oh yes, his son is still unmarried I believe. I'm astounded that a powerful man like Lord Arundel will seek our advice in finding a noble-blooded daughter-in-law!"

"Perhaps he is worried?"

"Worried about what?"

"Certain families 'stealing' all the noble-blooded ladies before he had the chance to choose one for his son? I heard Lord Warwick offered Lord Arundel his youngest daughter Elizabeth as a wife for Arundel's heir, but Lord Arundel refused it outright."

"It will be an insult to him."

"I'll probably suggest to him a Neville or Percy girl. Then again, his mother was a daughter of the 4th Earl of Northumberland and he is related to the Woodvilles. If I was in his shoes, I would be absolutely furious at the idea of my son marrying a girl of common background."

Mary arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

George stopped in his tracks. "Huh?" he said, confused.

"You remind me of your father," said Mary quietly. "Please tell me you did not change your attitude about marriages just because our Katherine is an archduchess by marriage, our Hal is betrothed to a princess of England and our Margaret is affianced to the Dauphin of France. What if Hal decides to marry a knight's daughter? Will you disinherit him?"

"Of course not, but-"

"But?!"

"What if she is only after him for his fortune?! I do not want a daughter-in-law who is only interested in him for his wealth!"

"And you think that comes from commoners? Many of them are kind-hearted! I admit some may have overly ambitious fathers, but if Hal wishes to marry a commoner for love, I will support him."

"And risk angering the King? He loves his sister and will be furious if Hal chooses a commoner over Princess Eleanor. I respect present Arthur more than the old Arthur, but something tells me we will endure his wrath if Hal marries someone that is not his sister."

"Do you think Hal will be happy married to her?" She added, "And don't say yes because Hal is marrying our niece and a royal princess."

George thought for a moment.

"Yes," he answered. "They know each other and have danced upon numerous occasions. Who else will make Hal happy? Princess Eleanor is the perfect wife for him. It is a tremendous honour for our son to marry a princess. Why are you doubting their betrothal? Is it Anne? I know I should listen to your conversations during feasts more often, but I thought you two were allies and good friends? Do we need to call Jane back from Bavaria to smooth your relations with Anne?"

"I do not like how she treats her children apart from Elizabeth and Hal."

George sighed, "I know you want everyone to see you as the perfect, concerning mother, but I must tell you the truth: you are not as dedicated as you hoped you would be." Seeing Mary's enraged expression, he said quickly, "You love all our children as a mother should, but what did you actually do that is different from Anne's treatment of her own children? You are the Lady Protector and you left our children in the care of governesses and tutors."

"What are you implying?! I am not a good mother?!"

"No, I'm just saying you shouldn't judge Anne for her mothering skills. You wouldn't be Lady Protector for much longer and you will no longer be a powerful figure at Court. As the Queen Mother, Anne will still be an influential individual. If you want our children to marry well, remain as her friend. She will always favour Elizabeth over her other daughters, and whatever you say or do, will not change her opinion. She was like that when we were children. Our father once gave us a collection of spaniels and she grew attached to one – the most intelligent spaniel. She would spend time with the spaniel and ignore the rest of the litter. Anne will not change."

As they approached Lord and Lady Arundel, Mary turned to George. "We will never talk about this again," she said coldly. "I hope what you say about Hal and Eleanor's betrothal is true and they will have a content married life." She suddenly smiled and squeezed his hand. "Once the regency is all over, I will show you how good I am as a mother," she whispered. "Now put on a smile, will you? By tonight, you will forget all about our argument..."

It seems PopRockShawty was correct - I'd made the mistake in the last chapter of Guillame stripped of his earldom of Nottingham, when it is actually supposed to be the earldom of Somerset. Brilliant memory PopRockShawty! :) At the moment, both Anne and Mary are stressed at the political movements of England and worried about the de Luils' future plans, so their relationship is a little rocky. Hopefully they will both calm down when a wedding comes along... ;)