Henry looked into Mary's deep blue eyes and looked sadly at how once again he was about to let her down. He finally admitted his guilt.
'Philipp has requested permission to enter this realm rather often over the past several years, in hopes no doubt to marry you' Henry said keenly aware that Mary was unpeeling herself from his arms and had a horrified look on her face, Henry's heart began to beat quickly at the thought that he might die and she will cheer.
'I was concerned over Edward's welfare, it would not fare well for him to be challenged by an adult sister and a militarily able brother in law with catholic sympathies' Henry said lamely and he could hear Elizabeth scoff and Kate sigh 'Oh Henry'. Mary looked revolted at him.
'I wish to God….' She began in a cold whisper,
'…..that I was not born your daughter' She continued with twenty years worth of pent up hatred. Before Henry could answer her, she turned and swept out of the room, Henry could hear chairs scrap the floor behind him and saw Elizabeth rush past him without looking his way, Kate followed and she did not bother hide her contempt. Henry stood as they closed the door behind them and remained standing unmoving.
'Well this has been an eventful night' Arthur said and Henry turned on him angrily.
'None of this would ever have happened if it weren't for you' He said bitterly and Arthur nodded.
'True if I had not died from the sweating sickness things would be different, perhaps us Tudors would like one another' He conceded and Henry looked at him darkly.
'You know what I mean' Henry said and Arthur shook his head, stood and looked down on Henry through his blue eyes, the same colour as Mary's, and the same colour that their father's had been.
'This is only your own fault, no one made you send the duke of Bavaria away' Arthur defended and Henry dropped into his chair and sighed.
'She hates me' He said sadly thinking perhaps he should not have admitted his guilt, Arthur rubbed Henry's shoulder compassionately.
'She already hated you Henry, she just does not feel so guilty about it anymore' Arthur said and Henry looked up at him with his mouth open. That hurt, the idea that his pearl hated him, he moved his shoulder away from Arthur. Arthur dropped down into a chair once more and they sat in silence, Henry thought over the state of England. Edward was nine, a minority was needed but he couldn't think who to trust with Edward's care. He thought back to previous boy Kings, he thought sadly of his own uncle King Edward V, and how his uncle had murdered him, the other boy King had been Henry VI, whose care had been in the hands of his uncles the duke of Bedford, and another duke of Gloucester. Neither were a happy prospect, Henry racked his brain trying to remember hours upon hours with his father while his father list the monarchs of England.
'Richard II' Arthur offered and Henry looked at him sharply.
'Give me a moment, I am fifty five' He said annoyed taking his anger of the events over dinner out on Arthur and felt no guilt about doing so. Henry thought about Richard II another boy King and another bad example.
'Henry III' Arthur said again interrupting Henry's thoughts but Henry did not bother to say much. Henry III was not so bad, father had never complained about him.
'Barons Wars' Arthur said simply and Henry sighed ignoring him, he ordered a groom to attend to him and then sent the youth on his way. Henry gulped down the French Wine he much enjoyed and looked at the remaining food on the table, his physicians - not that they were brave about it - but lately they have been telling him in some sly ways that they believed that he was too fat, Henry picked up a huge portion of spiced fruitcake and proceeded to eat happily remembering he was dying anyway.
'Have you any words of wisdom?' Henry asked with his mouth full, Arthur grimaced and reverted his eyes to Henry's.
'I cannot tell you what to do' Arthur said with a shrug but his face implied he would very much like to. Henry thought about Hertford's deceit, it had been rather cunning Henry would give him that, but Mary's happiness was vital at the moment for Henry's own conscience. And Tom Seymour planned a role also, Kate was fooling herself. Who to leave in charge? Mary would not be able to help herself over religious matters, who knew if Philipp of Bavaria had the wits to do any good to England, hadn't the man admitted to Mary that he was more brawn than brain. Well at least Mary's husband could admit that but if Henry left Kate in charge of her beloved stepson, she would ruin herself by marrying Tom Seymour who thought he had brains. That left Edward Seymour who although colourless was capable. And yet disaster after disaster would fall on Hertford's rule, leading John Dudley to take up the reigns of the Kingdom, so many people, so many poor choices.
'Hypothetically speaking of course Arthur, if you had a son who was going to be King in his minority who would you leave as regent' Henry asked and Arthur rolled his eyes.
'I believe we have already had this discussion, and I answered my wife' He said and it was Henry's turn to roll his own eyes.
'Say the only candidate were your sixth wife, your elder fanatical daughter or your sons maternal relatives' Henry said and Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment.
'You know Henry VI had two regents, his elder uncle John, Duke of Bedford had been regent of England however his commitments to the war in France meant that he was often away leaving Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester in charge of the boy King, so my answer would be how Henry V had done it, by choosing two candidates whom he could trust, and who he knew had the best interests at heart for his son' Arthur said and Henry realised that ruled out Edward and Thomas Seymour. Henry gave up and decided to give his aging mind a rest for the night and ordered Arthur to help him to his chambers, Arthur wouldn't until he asked nicely, and through gritting teeth he did so. Following a good nights sleep Henry was brought to Kate's chambers where it had been agreed the night before that they would have breakfast there. Henry entered the room missing Arthur who was gone again today, Henry was expecting to walk into a room where he would find Arthur conversing with Anne Boleyn or Jane Seymour any moment. Henry sat down at the top of the table and waited for his family to join him, sadly Edward of course was hurtling his way towards the coast with the Dudley's, Henry Brandon and Barnaby Fitzpatrick. Henry was rather worried about seeing Mary and hoped there would be no ill feeling towards them, he accepted what she said when she wished she was not his daughter and could forgive for it, it was up to her now to return the favour. Henry drummed his fingers impatiently along the table waiting for one member of his family to appear as the grooms moved around him to set the table, and serve him ale as he waited for his food and family. Henry dismissed all when the food was presented but no family member came to the room, silently he began to eat alone. He could understand Mary's anger, he knew where Edward was that left his ungrateful sixth wife and his second daughter as ungallant members of his family. Henry cut up his ham roughly thinking what he would say to Kate and Elizabeth when he saw them next. Henry thought over what he would do with Hertford, having him executed was too extreme, letting him go free was too lenient. Henry decided to maintain his course by making sure Hertford and his wife were confined to their apartments at court until the arrival of the lackey Tom Seymour as well as Richard Rich. Henry in many ways hoped Edward would hurry up but worried for the boys safety and hoped the boy in his excitement did not ride too hard. Henry poured himself his own ale in the lonely room as he wondered where Elizabeth and Kate were? Were they angry with him? He was not sure why, any faults done to Mary had not been done to them, unless Kate found out recently that when he was courting her - along with Tom Seymour, he sent Seymour to the Netherlands as ambassador on purpose to dismiss his rival. It was rather tiring having rivals for affections, not sure who the object of affection favoured, Henry had for so long been confident of Katherine of Aragon's love for him, now with Arthur here, he was doubting it, Anne Boleyn had been known to have had a brief flirtation with Thomas Wyatt - whose poems suggested it was not just brief nor just a flirtation. Sweet Jane had apparently a suitor who was not allowed to marry her, Kitty Howard -, everyone knows about Kitty Howard, and now Kate who still lusted for Tom.
'I really should have stayed married to Anne of Cleves' Henry muttered chopping some black pudding and placing it onto his plate. Perhaps he would invite the lady Anne of Cleves to court, even after he reputed her she forgave him. Henry paused eating as the door to the chamber opened and in stepped Elizabeth, Elizabeth smiled tentatively at him and Henry delighted that someone had come to him, grinned back in response. Before he could muster the strength to rise from his chair and bring her into a hug - keenly aware he never usually did - Elizabeth quickly sat down on the opposite end of the table and avoided his gaze for a moment. He was never sure about Elizabeth since he beheaded her mother. One moment she would show a rush of love for him but a lot of them time she did not know how to act around him.
'Where is the queen?' Henry asked and Elizabeth hesitated before answering in such a clear concise tone it confused Henry if she was truly nervous around him or not.
'The queen is speaking with Arthur' She said and Henry nodded and looked to his plate wondering what Arthur and a different Katherine were discussing. Maybe all Arthur really did was talk. Henry carefully cut his pudding into small portions when something came clearer in his mind. He looked up at Elizabeth so elegantly taking some meat onto her own plate, he fought a smile as he asked his clever child.
'Why did you call Sir Edmund "Arthur"?' Elizabeth paused for a moment, and Henry could have sworn he saw a ghost of a smile grace her lips.
'He forgets to answer to "Sir Edmund" so I call him "Arthur" to which he responds to' Elizabeth said coyly and Henry smirked, so Arthur could make a mistake, Henry hoped their father was watching.
'Like this morning when he was watching Mary play the virginals' Elizabeth added cutting her meat up softly and Henry frowned, that is where everyone was, watching Mary play music, that was where Arthur was. Henry felt left out, he should have watched his daughter play her instrument, music had always been a passion that he and Mary shared between them. Old jealousies sprung up on Henry and he asked Elizabeth.
'Can Arthur play anything?' He asked wondered knowing Arthur for a fact could not dance to save his life, he almost died again when Mary and Elizabeth enticed him at a court dance, and Henry remembered an age ago when Arthur married a Spanish Princess and stayed away from the dance floor until their aunt Cecily of York grabbed him herself and forced him out. Aunt Cecily had earned herself several shillings from Henry and Arthur's amused father.
'He can play the virginals very well but he said it has been some time since he last played, also he has an excellent singing voice' She said sounding impressed and Henry spluttered into his cup, Arthur could sing! He found it hard to image, although Henry acknowledged that he and his family were a talented bunch, Arthur must have inherited some good traits.
'Will Arthur and the Queen not be joining us?' Henry asked curious as to why Elizabeth was not asking more about "Arthur". Elizabeth nodded her head and looked to her father.
'Yes your majesty, Arthur sent me ahead to tell you they shall not be delayed long' She said and Henry nodded.
'What are they discussing?' Henry asked curiously and Elizabeth did not answer, and Henry was at a loss to say what it could have been. Maybe his dear wife was hoping Arthur might have some influence over his little brother, not that Kate even realised that Arthur was his brother, Elizabeth though…..she was very clever and whatever she was thinking she was keeping it to herself.
'How are your studies coming along?' Henry asked wanting to speak with the girl more freely, and he remembered his own father often started a conversation like this. Elizabeth looked up almost surprised at being addressed.
'They are going very well your majesty, I am blessed to have such talented tutors such as Roger Ascham' She said and Henry nodded, it seemed wiser for Edward and Elizabeth to share tutors whenever they could, and Elizabeth hopefully benefited from the education Edward was supposed to enjoy. Silence fell between them and Henry drummed his fingers on the table, she was rather like her mother in this light, although she had red hair. What did he talk with Anne about? Well the divorce, then Mary, then Katherine of Aragon. There were happier discussions, Anne loved the political scene, and she was a ferocious believer in reform. Henry did not want to discuss religion or politics at the moment, bringing Katherine of Aragon and his divorce up would only unsettle Elizabeth, the result of seven years of political and Christian scandal. That left the safe topic of Mary.
'How is Mary?' Henry asked and Elizabeth frowned and stopped pouring herself ale and looked at him masking her annoyance almost in time, perhaps it was not such a safe topic.
'She had been upset last night, myself and the Queen calmed her down and then raised her spirits' Elizabeth said proudly and Henry nodded smiling, sadly he knew their intimacy would not last long after he died.
'Are you excited for the wedding?' He asked remembering how when he was young he loved weddings, in fact he loved them so very much he married six times. Elizabeth looked noncommittal for a moment.
'I hope we hear the duke's response soon' She said continuing to pour more wine for herself, Henry sighed, was there no optimism in this family anymore? It was beginning to worry Henry how doubtful people were about Philipp coming to England, Mary, Kate, and now Elizabeth. Henry thought back on Arthur, did he show any signs that he thought Henry was making again another momentous mistake? Shoving away daunting thoughts Henry turned his attention back to Elizabeth. He had been very curious on her view of marriage since he saw her insisting to Mary that she would never marry, surely she had just seen how her elder sister was reacting to Philip of Spain and thought better of it all.
'One day it shall be your wedding' He said smiling and saw how she grimaced at the very thought, she was different in that respect to her mother who hounded him for marriage.
'You don't wish to remain an old maid do you?' He asked curiously and Elizabeth smiled politely.
'I am not yet fourteen, as of now marriage is not something that I have considered' She said and Henry nodded, but he knew when she was almost five and twenty she would still not be inclined to marry.
'Marriage can be very nice' Henry said quietly to her and Elizabeth looked up at him in surprise, her mouth opened slightly as she took in his words, and how odd of him to even mention anything personal such as that. She remembered herself and nodded politely again forcing a smile but Henry wasn't satisfied just yet.
'I mean it, there is something nice and soothing for the soul when one has a life partner' He said knowing well that he had chosen six of them and discarded them, Kate was hanging on by a thread at this point if she did not stop plotting with his brother. Thankfully saving Elizabeth from answering Arthur and Kate chose that moment to enter the room and look at Elizabeth and Henry in surprise.
'Oh forgive us your majesty, we did not realise how late we were' Kate said slightly flushed and Arthur grinned and nodded, Henry narrowed his eyes at the two. Kate sat down next to Henry, and Arthur moved closer towards Elizabeth, it seemed unspoken that Mary would not be joining them as Kate ordered an emerging groom to take away Mary's plate, Henry had not got the heart to ask where she was. Discussion moved slowly throughout the meal and Henry barely acknowledged Kate when answering his decisions about Hertford and eventually Tom Seymour, his decision was that they would be under house arrest and considering what they had tried to do, that was kind of him. Henry reminded Elizabeth to go with Mary to Hans Holbein for their portrait and she nodded, and ran along, Kate left to read some more radical reforming books on religion as Henry and Arthur went outside to the gardens of Whitehall, as Arthur insisted fresh air will do him some good from the stuffy palace. Henry donned his thickest furs and leaned heavily on his cane as he and Arthur went outside. Arthur offered him a hand but Henry was determined to do it himself once and for all. They walked slowly around the garden's, the weather was still cold but was becoming slightly warmer, very well for a January day. Henry looked around Whitehall and thought how he came to acquire this beauty of a palace. It had belonged to Thomas Wolsey, and it had been called York Palace. Henry thought back remembering his second wife Anne, how she loved Whitehall. It had been one of the few palaces where Katherine of Aragon hadn't swaggered around as Queen of England. Hampton Court Palace he more associated with his third wife and true love Jane. She had given him a boy there, and that boy was now a young lad of nine and on his way to Dover to fetch his elder sister a husband. Henry stopped and turned back to look at Wolsey's former building project. Henry always liked Whitehall but his heart himself lay in Greenwich where his younger years were spent, where his nursery with the unruly sisters who lived with him was, and then there had been his little brother, his death had been painful. His father had adored Richmond Palace, he had chosen to die there by returning to it when he felt too ill to travel elsewhere and knew his time had come.
'Was father afraid of dying?' Henry asked his brother, Arthur hesitated.
'He was…. but he also welcomed it, he knew he was apart of a dying age, and that a new era in England was beginning and all those at court were simply waiting for the young phoenix to rise to replace the old one' Arthur said and Henry felt very sorry for his father. He tried to remember the last days of his father's life but came up blank. Henry had been too busy speaking with advisors, and boasting to his companions how in a years time, he and they shall invade France and reclaim his birthright. Henry could not remember visiting his father often, there were times when his grandmother had him gripped tightly and pulled him towards the chambers where his father lay pale, sunken and ghastly waiting for death to take him. Henry wondered if the old man tried to bring his horde of gold coins with him, but that was ungrateful, his father had left him a vast fortune and he in turn had bankrupt Edward. Henry did remember the last time he saw his father, his grandmother had pulled him from a banquet, disallowed him to bring Charles and marched him to his father's rooms. Henry could still remember the stench of illness in the air, he could still see his father's councillors gathered around the bed, some were genuinely sad others not so much. Henry remembered seeing his father who had been reduced to skin and bones, his hair completely grey and thin. His father's eyesight had deteriorated and considering what happened next Henry always assured himself throughout the years whenever he thought of his father that his father had simply not seen correctly. Henry came towards the bed and one of his father's councillors - was it Dudley or Empson? He had never been able to tell the two much apart seeing as they were attached by the hip. Either way one of the councillors had bent down towards his father's ear and gently spoke.
'Your son is here' Henry remembered seeing his father's eyes flutter open with difficulty but with urgency Henry hadn't understood at the time. It was hard to remember what he had been thinking looking upon his father ill and dying. He tried to remember if he felt any sadness? Perhaps some, but he remembered feeling more regret, regret that he could never make the man love him as much as he wanted to be loved. There he had been seventeen years of age looking at his father's face as the man squinted out into the room looking for his son. Henry had remembered a warm feeling rise within when he saw his father smile sleepily but contently, a look he had not seen on his face in many years. The happy feeling disappeared as the old man spoke weakly in his delirium.
'Arthur?' Henry remembered being sickened by the deep longing in his father's voice. He remembered thinking how even in death Arthur was still their father's star. He remembered the councillors taking pity on him and glancing awkwardly to one another, the lady Beaufort had stepped forward and perhaps felt a smudge of sorrow for her grandson and came towards her only child. She had told him that it was 'Harry'. His father had sighed wearily and looked as if he would cry. Henry remembered hearing his father mutter 'my boy', he tried to ignore it but it hurt far too much. Elizabeth of York never compared them in the way this man did. The longing for his mother to be by his side was intense and he remembered thinking just by standing before his father, he had again without meaning too, disappointed the man. Lady Beaufort dismissed the councillors as Henry had stood there unmoving staring at the dying man. He was unsure how long had passed, minutes? Hours? Eventually his father had come out of another slumber and had taken his hand.
'Harry…' He rasped the sickness draining his face, Henry had tried not to flinch from his dying touch.
'Be good and you will be great and they shall love you' He said weakly and let go of his heir. Henry had sat there silently and watched as he never woke up, afterwards he left his grieving grandmother sobbing her heart out and went to see his councillors, they set down the transition of power, confirming their positions as councillors, and then they spoke of marrying Henry to Eleanor of Hapsburg. He remembered still seething from rejection one last final time, and he remembered ordering them to prepare wedding arrangements for himself and Katherine of Aragon, Arthur's virgin bride. Some objected, he set down his will firmly, it had given him some satisfaction that he could do something that his brother couldn't, and it came to be quite a happy marriage, he had grown to love her deeply. She had been beautiful, she had been from the powerful Spanish royal family, she was gentle, she was kind, she had kept England safe from the Scots at Flodden Field, but of course in the end by spiting his father and his brother he never had a son and he spited himself. By trying to rid himself of her he also saw that she could be a formidable stubborn opponent. By insisting to be great and not merely content with being good, he lost the love of his people and they were waiting once again like they did all those years ago for the old dying phoenix to waste away for a young cub to come to the throne.
'You know he only called you my name because he saw me' Arthur said quietly, and Henry jumped forgetting he was there. Arthur smiled at how he startled him and Henry frowned annoyed that Arthur could know what he was thinking.
'You were there?' Henry asked disbelieving and Arthur nodded. A thought occurred to Henry.
'Did you show him the fate of his children, how myself, Mary and Margaret were to live and die?' Henry asked and Arthur chuckled.
'No, you, Margaret and Mary ruined yourselves, little Mary, Edward and Elizabeth were guided on a mistrustful path by you, it's different, I was there at father's side because he wanted me, it would calm his fearful heart, and he cried when he saw me again' Arthur said with such love and such gentleness others would find it hard to believe he was speaking of the distant and suspicious Henry the seventh.
'And you could just appear at deathbeds?' He asked and Arthur chuckled once again as if Henry was being very silly.
'We can appear at anything we wish to see, when you die you can see Edward's coronation if you like, you can see Mary praying if it pleases you, you could watch Elizabeth dancing, the choice is yours, sometimes you may cry at what you see' Arthur ended somewhat darkly and Henry smiled.
'Such as?'
'Well I cried throughout your coronation, not only did you have my throne, you had my wife' Arthur said with a faint smile. Henry had the good sense to look regretful. They continued walking silence, Henry thinking of his mother and her undying love for him. He not seen her as she lay dying, but he did see her lying in state, he and his sister Mary looked upon her white face as she lay dead. She had looked like an angel, and the image had haunted him for many years.
He and Arthur slowly made their way inside, Henry's energy was once again exhausted and he leaned on Arthur more, and less on the cane as they made their towards Henry's rooms. There he and Arthur entertained themselves playing cards and dice. He and Arthur were evenly matched and their winnings crossed between them constantly. Henry felt a pang of regret that Arthur had died, it may have nice to have an older brother guiding him throughout his life. Charles had been a great and true loyal friend, but in the end he had been a friend, not a brother. And if Henry had wanted to he could have easily sent Charles away from him if he annoyed him, and he did, so theirs were an uneven friendship, neither ever truly forgot who was master and who was servant. Arthur was an equal and if Henry was able to look past their childhood he was also enjoyable company. They had just poured themselves some wine when the doors of Henry's chamber's burst open and Edward came rushing in excitedly. Henry was glad to see the boy had not one scratch on him, and looked perfectly in good health.
'Father' He said happily and Henry stood as quickly as he could and hugged the boy tightly breathing his scent in. Edward pulled his golden hair back behind his ears and looked up at his father.
'Father, he is here' He said happily and Henry was slightly thrown off wondering who the he was? Tom Seymour and Richard Rich were supposed to be in the tower of London just as he ordered. Not unless Edward had learned to fly in the past day and flown to the low countries could Philipp of Bavaria be here.
'He is outside father' Edward said happily and Henry looked to Arthur who was grinning.
'Philipp of Bavaria?' Henry asked in surprise and Edward nodded barely able to contain his glee at performing a task given to him by his father. Henry laughed and ruffled his boy's hair and hugged him. He took his cane and took Edward's hand and they walked out towards the corridor. Edward was right, John Dudley stood speaking with Philipp of Bavaria. Also there was Stephen Gardiner and Risley who were speaking in serious tones. Henry looked towards his son in law, and felt a little worried. Philipp of Bavaria had been a tall, strong shoulder, handsome young soldier with fluffy brown hair on his previous trip. He did not look as strong as before, he was still handsome - Henry supposed -, but he seemed almost tired, and his shoulders sagged, as well as that there was an obvious scar from the centre of his forehead scratching in a downwards spiral to a halt on Philipp's right jaw.
'Your majesty' Philipp said in a Hans Holbein accent. Henry recovered himself and nodded graciously as Edward hopped up and down in the most excitement the boy had ever been.
'Philipp said that he would teach me jousting father, of course when I am a little older perhaps twelve' Edward said and Henry took that to mean Philipp accepted the marriage proposal. Henry looked to Philipp and smiled.
'Did he now?' He asked and Philipp looked a little alarmed.
'With your majesty's permission of course' He said and Henry nodded and gestured for them to come inside to his chambers. In the light Henry took a closer look at the German. He was right to see that in the seven years since Philipp has been here he aged ten, he and Mary should make a fine match together. Henry greeted Bishop Gardiner, Risley and Dudley, they sat down quietly.
'Well first I wish to thank Viscount Lisle, Bishop Gardiner and of course Risley for their roles in uncovering this duplicity at court, I hope my wishes have been confirmed and the Lord Admiral and Baron Rich are in the Tower of London' He said and Edward nodded seriously and puffed his chest.
'Yes father, I did as you asked' He said before anyone had the chance to speak, and with little sympathy for his own uncle, nevertheless Henry smiled at him. John Dudley nodded gratefully, as Bishop Gardiner sat with a soured expression, Henry's faint memories of Jasper Tudor were always of a smiling man, and Henry was left wondering how this man could be the grandson of the great Lancastrian duke of Bedford.
'I am of course grateful to you Viscount Lisle, Mr Risley and Bishop Gardiner' Henry said as grooms came to pour the men wine.
'Now would someone please tell me the sequence of events that led us here?' Henry asked and sat down with Edward on his lap. Gardiner of course took over and began.
'Myself, my lord Rich and the Lord Admiral reached Dover when discussion sprung up between them that my lord Hertford was anxious to secure the governorship of the prince Edward in what is being rumoured your untimely death' Gardiner said looking cautiously to Henry who nodded for him to continue.
'We had just reached Dover, the roads had been well for us, and we were setting out to sail while rather ludicrously I was arrested by lord Rich and detained, the lord Admiral asked for me to join in their plot to stop the marriage of the Princess Mary and of the duke of Bavaria as they were worried that you your majesty would appoint them regents to his grace the prince' Gardiner said and Henry nodded not as angry as he should be, he felt a little disappointed in himself, he should have known the extent of Hertford and Tom Seymour's ambitions, Arthur did everything except spell it out for him.
'I managed to send a message to London through a faithful servant of mine, it was some time later when the duke himself appeared with some men, and released me and I had Seymour and Rich arrested and we made our way back north towards London, that is when my lord Lisle came to me with the prince himself and Mr Risley' Gardiner said and Henry turned to look at Philipp who nodded assenting to the story.
'My uncle Frederick has been in France for some time, he had heard from Calais merchants that there were rumours that Mary had been asking for me, I was close to the boarder at the time and he summons me to him, from there he urged me to go to England, I arrived in Dover and was greeted by some of my lord bishop's household who told me of the sorry tale, and the my lord Bishop assured me of the lady Mary's availability, here I am now your majesty' He said looked anxious.
'It is true of course I wish for you to marry my daughter Mary' Henry said and was pleased when Philipp smiled happily.
'I am truly honoured your majesty, your daughter is a fine woman' He said and Henry smiled.
'Now I shall send for her' Henry said about to clap his hands to one of his grooms when Philipp looked up alarmed.
'Would you be content your majesty….. If I…. if I… If I asked her myself if she would do me the honour of being my wife?' He asked nervously as he stood in the centre of several grown men. Perhaps Philipp expected Henry to frown and order him away from sight but Henry was glad that Philipp was a bit of a romantic. Mary needed all the love a man could give her truly and deeply.
'Of course, I suppose you wish to know about the dowry' Henry said as Philipp looked up again broken away from his thoughts, it hadn't seem to dawn on him that there would be a dowry and Henry watched in some amusement as the man tried not to look even more pleased.
'And of course you will like to know about the castles, manors, other grants of land I wish to bestow on you, you will be the husband of my daughter, she is used to a certain standard of life' Henry said thinking especially of Mary's gambling habits, insistences on the latest French fashions and her need for the best musicians, all these things Henry had read in her account books with some infuriation. Philipp nodded, eyes wide with surprise.
'Therefore it is only fitting for you and Mary to have the finest estates in England, you are to remain in England with Mary of course and live here, and I wish to make my daughter a duchess, therefore you shall be an English duke' Henry said knowing that the real power of the 'duke' of Bavaria actually rested on Philipp's elder brother Otto's shoulders. Philipp's mouth had slowly over time opened further and further and Henry took a great pleasure out of the bewildered face of the German.
'You are content with me to marry your daughter?' Philipp asked and Henry nodded and frowned.
'She is of a great royal stock, daughter to you, cousin to the emperor, and granddaughter to the Catholic Monarchs, and of course daughter to her mother, and you shall let her marry me?' He asked in surprise and Henry found himself smiling at the man.
'And you wish for me to be a duke, of course Mary shall be a duchess, you are a very kind father to her' Philipp said and Henry stopped smiling in shame.
'You shall be a good husband to her, my lord duke of Somerset' Henry said to him and Philipp smiled in wonder. Henry stood with Edward and Arthur.
'Come we shall go now to her chambers' He said and Philipp nodded brushing his fingers through his hair nervously, Henry ordered Dudley, Gardiner and Risley to sit comfortably and he made his way to Mary's rooms. Edward was describing his trip to Dover with great detail to Arthur, as Philipp kept fixing his tunic, fixing his buttons, then changing his mind and fixing his hair. Eventually they came to Mary's chambers and Henry strode through the door with great intent of marrying Mary to a good husband. Henry stood in her chambers and he could see Mary's ladies scuttling about packing her clothes and possessions. Henry spotted Kate and Elizabeth speaking to one another, they turned alarmed at the sight of him and bowed, Mary came into the room with an armful of clothing and stopped sharply at the sight of him.
'Are you going somewhere?' Henry asked quietly, annoyed that after his hard work she was fleeing. Elizabeth and Kate glanced to one another with some concern.
'I wish to return your majesty to my estate in Hunsdon' She said formally, she noticed Edward's head peeking around with a frown.
'Sister! How could you leave when I said I would bring him back?' He said annoyed, Henry tried to shush him but the lad had a strong will of his own, and hopefully they would not come to blows over it. Mary handed the clothes silently to a lady in waiting as she looked at them confused.
'You have been to Dover and back?' She asked suspiciously. She glanced to Kate and Elizabeth who shared her confusion.
'I was halfway there when Philipp arrived in Faversham with Gardiner' Edward said and Mary sat down rather quickly.
'He's here?' She asked shocked, Henry smiled and turned towards the door and Arthur shoved Philipp through it causing the man to trip up slightly, Philipp smiled straight towards Mary and she smiled back at him. Henry felt his throat tighten as he watched how happy Philipp was making Mary. She managed to stand to her feet and went towards him.
'It is good to see you again my lord Bavaria' She said with a small smile and Philipp took her hand and kissed it.
'And you Princess' He said assured her and Mary laughed nervously with a big smile, Henry could see she was on the verge of crying once again and hoped this relationship would not be as unhealthy as her one with Spanish Philip. Mary looked at Philipp's face and finally spotted the harsh scar which caused him to shift on his feet as she looked at it curiously.
'What caused that scar?' She asked softly, Henry had to distinct impression she had suddenly forgotten that she was surrounded by others and she only saw Philipp especially when she drew her hand towards his face and traced his scar tenderly.
'It was a wound from the Siege of Esztergom my lady, while I was fighting for the emperor against the Ottoman empire' He said and she smiled and Henry could see friendship with Charles V, and fighting against the Turks were reasons enough for a place in her heart. Henry cleared his throat loudly and Mary and Philipp sprang away from each other in fright, and looked around at him as Edward and Arthur chuckled rather similarly to each other as Elizabeth and Kate grinned.
'Well… this is good, Philipp is there not something you wish to ask her?' Henry asked knowing the man probably wanted some more time and less people around, but Henry's hourglass was running out and he wished to see his daughter safely married. Philipp looked at Mary awkwardly for a moment as she frowned in confusion. Philipp turned around from Henry and got on one knee. Henry had proposed several times but could not remember ever making such a gesture. He remembered sitting across from a table following a drink of ale, asking a bewildered Katherine of Aragon, he remembered leaning over a bed with Anne Boleyn underneath him while he promised passionately to make her his wife sadly while his hose and doublet were still on. He remembered rather unromantically how he asked Jane Seymour while her family eat and drank beside him, the last three were not important and even less spectacular. Philipp held onto Mary's hand and it dawned on her face what he was doing.
'Mary, I still remember the moment I met you, you were walking through the great hall with some ladies, I introduced myself and you said how you were about to leave court but you changed your mind' He said and Mary smiled and so did Henry remembering their first meeting himself.
'That short time with you while I was in England has come away with me for many years while I was in France, in the low countries, in Hungary, no lady I have come across has more beauty than you and no lady I have met has had a more kinder heart than your own, I am a mere German soldier with some noble blood, you are from some of the greatest families in Europe, you are obviously by blood and virtue in every way more greater than I am, and I would always treat you as such, would you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife' He said as of course the tears began to leak from Mary's eyes but she was frowning as if afraid of what her answer might do to her life. Henry for a horrible moment thought she was about to say no.
A/N: I know I made it out that Henry only chose KOA to spite his brother and father, and perhaps some Henry/KOA shipper mightn't like that... oh well it's just fiction. Henry probably didn't know himself which wife he liked best, how am I suppose to? Personally I believe they can all do much better ;) I'll try update sometime this week, not far to go now three or four more chapters. Hope you enjoy this chapter, please review.