Edward's Reign
April 1556: John Dudley attempts to kidnap Princess Margaret. King Edward and Princess Margaret have a moment together.
Chapter X: The Heiress's Kidnapping
24th April 1556: Whitehall Palace, England
"Here he is. My black hunter. I call him Achilles. Would you like to stroke him?" John Dudley spoke to the Princess Margaret kindly, and she smiled, reaching out her small hand. He lifted her up into his arms, glancing around to see if anyone was watching, and cursing as a gaggle of pageboys crossed the yard.
"Ach-lles." Margaret repeated softly, patting the horse's nose. John Dudley nodded distractedly.
"Yes, yes. That's right."
The last of the pageboys disappeared. It was now or never. John Dudley moved faster than he'd ever moved in his life, throwing Margaret into the saddle, and swinging himself up behind her. The Princess screamed as he kicked the horse forward, but he didn't slow down, didn't hesitate, didn't even say anything to try to reassure her. He just gave the horse its head, longing to get to the safety of the woods, hoping and praying his head start would be enough.
Mary Knollys, meanwhile, had finished mending the pile of linens she had been assigned, and was just folding them in the window seat, when a flurry of hoof beats in the yard outside broke into her concentration. She glanced up, just in time to see Lord John Dudley jump the palace gates, Princess Margaret held firmly in the saddle in front of him. Even from this distance, Mary could see the terror in the little girl's eyes. This was no pleasure ride that she was on.
Mary didn't even stop to think. She snatched up her skirts and ran.
Ran through the palace to The Queen's bedchamber, where she burst in, wildly out of breath.
"Cate! Come quickly!"
In her panic, Mary didn't even realise that she'd used the childhood pet name for her friend- the one Catherine had dropped in favour of her full name when they had come to Court as maids to poor Queen Katarina. She didn't also realise she had just used the childhood name in front of the Queen's other ladies. Catherine looked up, fully intent on scolding her maid for forgetting - and then saw the panic in her eyes. In an instant, she was at Mary's side, holding her close.
"What's wrong? Mary, tell me. For God's sake, what's wrong? Is it the King?"
"Lord Dudley - Princess Margaret - kidnapped!" Mary panted. It was all she could manage, but Catherine needed no more than that. Keeping a tight hold of Mary's arm, she ran to the door and dashed through, pulling her young maid with her.
"Come on! We have to tell the King!"
"I'll kill him! If he has hurt her, I swear I will kill him!" Edward raged, the crown, which normally sat straight on his head, was lopsided, as he fumed with anger. Barnaby Fitzpatrick put a calming hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I'm sure Lord Dudley does not plan to hurt the Princess, Your Majesty."
"Why? Because she's worth more to him alive?" Edward snarled. Barnaby held up his hand reluctantly.
"Touche, Sire. But it will not come to that, I promise you. I have four dozen of my best men already giving chase, and Queen Elizabeth has gone with them; Queen Catherine, has not, but she has sent several batallions of her father's men after the Princess - Lady Frances is furious. Queen Elizabeth rides like a Diana. She can use a bow as well as any man, and Queen Catherine cares deeply for the Princess. No man will be able to resist the pair of them together. They will bring her back, safe and sound. They will bring her back."
"Stop! Stop in the name of the King!" Elizabeth was ahead of the pack, her cry echoed over the horizon. Her bow and arrows hooked over her left shoulder, shaking in the breeze from the speed she was going, she was giving Lord Dudley. She would have to thank her father - by visiting his grave - for teaching her how to ride when she was younger, that is, if she came out of this fiasco alive. She shook those thoughts from her head and concentrated on the task at hand. Her niece had been kidnapped my a man, whom, at the moment, she assumed was completely mad, and when she caught him, not if she caught him, when she caught him, he would pay dearly for this act.
Lord Dudley heard the shouts behind him, and urged his horse on yet again, but the animal was jaded. Tired, exhausted, worn out. It could do no more. Even as he spurred it desperately, it stumbled, and then crashed into the holly bush it had been attempting to jump. By the time he had backed it out, and swung its head, it was too late. He was surrounded, and Queen Elizabeth, looking like someone had just said something bad about her mother in front of her, was pointing a bow at his head.
"Hand over the Princess and give yourself up." Her voice was cold, clear and hard, as befitted a Tudor's. John bowed mockingly to her; if he could get the King's half-sister to think kindly of him, despite what he had done...
"I said; hand over the Princess Margaret, and give yourself up." Elizabeth glared daggers at him. Ah. It wouldn't work then. Lord Dudley released his grip on the royal girl in front of him, and Kat Ashley, her eyes flashing sapphire blue with relief, rode up to him, and tenderly placed the young Princess on her own saddle, bending her head and crooning to the little girl to reassure her. Sir Henry Bedingfield, one of the King's finest soldiers, dragged John from the saddle, and forced him to kneel on the cold earth of the forest, pinning his arms behind him and lashing his wrists together firmly.
"Lord John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, I am hereby arresting you on charges of High Treason in the name of His Sovereign Majesty, King Edward VI."
At those words, John crumpled. The fight went out of him. It had always been a daring plan - to kidnap the Princess and to use her as a hostage to force the King into giving him more power at Court; and now it had failed. He would have to pay the price.
He heard Kat Ashley say to the Princess "It's all right Jane. You're safe now. We'll get you home to Papa." and then Kat pulled the Princess close, holding her, tightly with one arm while the Princess curled up in her protective grasp, and John knew that, for him, at least, it was a lie. It wasn't all right. He was charged with treason, and sooner or later, he'd be going to the Tower to reside at "His Majesty's Pleasure". There was nothing, nothing he could do about it. John Dudley let himself be dragged away, as the convoy turned and galloped off, Elizabeth's bow and arrows hung over her shoulder again, her long, red, hair cascading down her back and flapping in the wind.
Later That Evening: Whitehall Palace, England: Chambers of Princess Margaret
"Where is she?"
The door to the chambers of Princess Margaret burst open with a loud thud; King Edward, dressed in a nightgown, was stood in the doorway.
"Papa!" Princess Margaret, crying loudly, threw herself at her father; King Edward stooped and caught his daughter, before hauling her into his arms and holding her close. Placing several kisses onto his daughter's head, he allowed her to curl up in his arms. While, like his father, not emotional, he adored his daughter and would do anything to protect her.
"Oh, my darling. Thank goodness you're safe. Did Northumberland hurt you?"
"No Papa." Replied Jane from her father's arms as she looked up at him with two blotchy red eyes that meant she had been crying.
The door behind the King burst open with an almighty crash, sending one of the portraits - of Queen Elizabeth of York - clattering to the floor with a crash, causing one of Princess Margaret's ladies to leap up, shrieking in fear; Queen Elizabeth, The Ambassador to the Netherlands and Lady Mary were stood in the doorway, both of the King's sisters looking white as the living dead. Lady Mary gave a shriek of delight, whirled forward and pressed several wet slopping kisses to the head of Princess Margaret; Elizabeth meanwhile, hand still over her thudding heart and heaving bosom, took several heaving breathes and leaned on the Ambassador to the Netherlands.
"She'll recover?" Inquired Elizabeth; the King looked over to her and nodded, causing her to give a large sigh "Thank heavens; Queen Jane is watching over her - Queen Katarina too."
Lady Mary pulled away from her neice, muttered something about "praying to the true god" for saving her niece and fled; Elizabeth gave her a small smile as she passed and placed a kiss onto Margaret's head herself. Stating that "urgent business" awaited, she left with the Ambassador of the Netherlands.
"Will she be alright?" Inquired Margaret's governess, Mary Fitzroy.
"I think so," Began the King, handing Margaret back to her aunt and governess "If she awakens during the night, then do not force her to go back to sleep; stay with her and read to her until she feels safe enough to fall back to sleep herself. I do believe that this might happen several times during the night and during the next few nights. She is not to be punished, Lady Fitzroy, for she has had quite a scare."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Be safe, Margaret." The King kissed her head and held her closer to him than a King should for longer than a king should, before turning and leaving; as he left, Mary Fitzroy heard him say "Barnaby! I want Northumberland's head on my desk as soon as possible! Make sure it's a painful death!"
"How?" She heard Barnaby inquire.
"My sister, Lady Mary," Began the King in reply "Has a very strong wine that only she alone can drink; give some of it to the executioner - I want him drunk beyond sense when Northumberland's head is severed; if the executioner has to chop him into bits to do it, then so be it, but he will pay for kidnapping my daughter - I will make sure of it. Oh, yes, I will make sure of it. Yes."
To Be Continued
Review please. Reviews are what inspire me to continue.