Den of Lionesses
~o~
"I hate the world today
Your so good to me, I know
But I cant change
Tried to tell you but you looked at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath
Innocent and sweet
Yesterday I cried
You must have been relieved to see the softer side
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I don't envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
All rolled into one
I'm a bitch
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm you dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
So take me as I am
This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
Tomorrow I will change
And today wont mean a thing
I'm a bitch
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm you dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
Just when you think you got me figured out
The seasons already changing
I think it's cool you do whatcha do
And don't try to save me
I'm a bitch
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm you dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way
Im a bitch
Im a tease
Im a goddess on my knees
When you're hurt
When you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been numb
I'm revived
Can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it any other way"
~ "B.I.T.C.H by Meredith Brooks
"The really clever thing, in affairs of this sort, is not to win a woman already desired by everyone, but to discover such a prize while she is still unknown."
~"This Business of Living" by Cesare Pavesse
March-July 1539
The King discussed with his Master Secretary and leader on all Spiritual Matters about a possible betrothal with his eldest daughter Bella.
"I do not think she would fancy herself in love anytime soon Your Majesty. With all due respect, we … you should discuss this matter with the Archduchess Dowager before bringing it to the Privy Council."
"Nay" Cromwell's slip of tongue went unnoticed. "I shall voice my decision to the council and Cromwell, you shall convince them."
Cromwell understood, he nodded and bowed, leaving His Majesty's office.
He sighed sinking in his chair. He told Richard all about what His Majesty planned.
"First Nonsuch now this monstrousity." Rich began.
Thomas nodded. His Majesty was getting ahead of himself. Lady Isabella Tudor, the Archduchess Dowager did not believe in marriage, it was clear by her actions that she had only one master and that was herself, besides if the King were to have no more sons, than –if something should happen to his beloved son- his eldest daughter would be the heir and Cromwell dreaded what would happen to England under the influence of a foreigner.
He shifted his gaze to his state papers. There were so few that came to mind, whose religious beliefs could benefit them should she become Queen.
"I have tried to speak this with His Majesty but he has set his mind on marrying all of his daughters, even his youngest."
"To whom?"
"He has not said, he entertained a Hapsburg match but I convinced the Council against it."
"Why? The country could benefit, there are some, amongst our kind, who argue that Lady Elizabeth is the true heir and should something happy to his divine Grace then what better than the child of the Reformation?"
Thomas laughed, how naïve his friend was. Anne Boleyn was no friend of the Reformation, she merely used it because if benefit her and her family. Thomas Boleyn did not believe anymore in the disciples than Luther did in the Bishop of Rome.
"But her last confession to Cranmer-"
"Was merely an act." Thomas cut him off but seeing the disappointment in his friend's eyes, he decided to elaborate. "Even if it was not an act Richard, she only used it as her last resort, it was a desperate woman's plight, desperate situation people resort to desperate things."
"What about the Prince? His cough stopped once his middle sister went to visit, perhaps she has the divine touch and not her elder sister?"
"Can her younger daughter inherit before her eldest, can her unborn son come before his oldest Boleyn sibling? No. Lady Hertford cannot inherit before her sister. It would break tradition."
"Perhaps it is time we challenge tradition."
"And just who is we Richard? Five years ago a man not so pragmatic as yourself came to sit before a line of judges including myself. Cranmer sought to destroy him, to his misfortune Cranmer was still and idealistic fool and could not break the mighty saint." He sneered. People worshipped him claiming he was a saint. Rome had declared him a martyr but so few knew the dirty truth about their idol. "When they asked him why he had not accepted His Majesty as Supreme Head of the Church he said what he said stating his beliefs as a good Catholic should that only the Bishop of Rome, the pope should be the handler of all Divine Matters. When it came to the succession and we asked his opposition. He did not oppose it, it was a shock to us all. He said that it was a matter of Parliament and what Parliament decides the King must respect. The King MUST respect, that it was set the whole council off. Not his rejection of the King as Supreme Head but that Parliament, England's most noble tradition, should set the rules and not the King. Do you know where that man is right now Richard? No? I will give you a hint then, his head rots six feet under with the rest of his body. That man's name was Thomas Moore and his crime was not dying for his beliefs but defying the King. Do you understand what I am saying? Nobody defies the King. No one. If the King believes the succession should not be altered then it should not. We are merely here to advise His Majesty, make sure he takes the right decisions. If Parliament were to insist on Lady Elizabeth's supremacy over the other royal bastards it is our job to derail Parliament from such things."
Sir Richard swallowed. He had never heard Thomas speak so strongly before.
"So you believe that the Lady Elizabeth shall not make a great Queen?"
"I do not believe in things Richard, I know things and I know that not only would she not make a good Queen she would make a vain one just like her mother and her little cousin, she cares about nothing but beauty. Everything she does is to oust everyone else, she does not care that the people outside beg for food and liberty of worship. She only cares about one thing like all good Plantagenet Royals and that is herself. Do you understand?" Richard nodded gravely. "She is as vain as Lady Hertford's oldest child. They want one thing Thomas and that is power and I do not doubt they will give some amenities to the people here and there so they would kiss their feet when their popularity drops. They possess after all the greatest political talent of all and that is acting, they are very good actresses but they care about no one but themselves. Good Queen no doubt. Ha! By the end of the day my dear friend it comes to: Do we want another Henry VIII in the throne of England or another Plantagenet, or do we want a true Tudor, the true Dragon and Lion's daughter?"
Sir Richard sighed, it was clear what course of action they should take yet he still felt Lady Elizabeth was the best choice, but if his friend had picked the Princess Dowager's oldest daughter, clearly he had a reason for it.
Bella woke at the sound of that dog barking. That thing was driving her crazy. She rolled on the opposite to find Liam smiling at her.
"If your father knew what we did last night he would have both our hides"
"You are missing a body part, our heads dear, learn to speak well Liam." She said, it was followed by a long yawn. There he was again overreacting. Sometimes she wondered if this was her atonement for mocking him when they were little.
Nay it was fun.
"Last night was a mistake." He said giving a fierce kiss to her shoulder, it annoyed her the devotion he showed but he was the only one she could trust, and he was close to Cromwell so it was an added bonus.
"True and the night before that and before that, and" she moved closer and kissed him "before that."
"Dear God, Bella, yer father be killing us right now if he knew what his favorite daughter be up to!"
"Learn to speak correctly sir and it is not my father ye should be worried about" she said, mocking. "But Mister Cromwell, big bad man believes he is such the master mind in father's operations, no one knows anymore who is ruling the country. Him or father." She said going down to lick at his member.
"Ah … calm ye … ah … calm ye woman I said!" Damn her, Liam clutched the sheets. It had only been a week since they had begun their affair. No, not affair, he told himself, something else. Bella was a widower and he was not married, in the eyes of the Lord they were as clean as newborn babes –and naked too, his mind added as she reached for his waist.
It was not enough that she tortured him below, wild vixen she wanted it all like her father!
"I swear Bella if His Majesty were to find …"
"Shh," she put a finger on his mouth. "Do not worry so much about him Liam. I escaped his wrath once and I was only sixteen, besides can my father really expect me not to have fun once in a while. It is not fair parents should keep all the fun to themselves."
"Honey ye are digging our own grave but I will not have ye drag me with you-" She silenced him with a strong kiss. "Mmmm you have lips like a women have they told you that?"
"Nay, not kissed many women sweetheart."
She laughed. "You remind me so much of Mary's husband, except you are much lighter, funnier and you do not sport that awful grin on your face."
"Ye think me handsome."
"No, just better."
"Down there?"
"Much better, and the answer is no" she said knowing what was going through his mind. His brow stopped creasing with worry. "I have never lain with another man but you since Nando died."
"Good to know I made ye so happy Belle-Belle" He teased.
"Stop it Liam, I have been knowing to chop heads with my stare alone. Remember I am the last drago, the lion's cub."
"Aye sweetheart, ye want to be a pretty Queen like yer mum"
"Nay Liam" she said, her voice reverberating through the walls as she parted her hips and began riding him slowly, stimulating his thrusts. "I want to be the Queen."
Bella heard the animal barking again. "Someone kill that damn animal!"
"That animal is one of God's sacred creatures Bella" He said as she finished riding him and rolled off him.
"Not anymore." She said with a smile the dog stopped barking.
"Ye naughty, evil wench." Liam said coming on top of her.
"Not now…"
"Yes now, I am tired of denying us our pleasure, I am tired of waiting on yer comands Bella."
"No… Liam… pretend, as long as we are not seen, you are safe. Don't you want to be safe?"
"I rather be with you Bella." She smiled.
"I am lucky that father got rid of that whore, but I am bothered by his new business of getting a new wife, it has taken long enough. I did not think my father would marry after his son took Jane Seymour to the grave. Not that I am surprised, my father wants it all, he wants to have as many Princes in the Tudor nursery so he can boast of his virility. Even if the Cleves woman Cromwell intends him to marry falls with child I doubt they will survive a year." She muffled her laughter imagining the poor little babes with gaunt appearance, struggling to breath.
"God Bella, have you no mercy? Anne of Cleves is said to be a good woman, different from the other one he married. Otherwise why would Cromwell of all people propose her to yer father?"
"As long as my father is married to ambition, my children will never be safe. Do not cloud yourself Liam, no woman in the throne of England can afford to be good. Anne will probably give him no sons, Edward was his last and even if she does, she will become as ruthless and ambitious as two of her predecessors had to be to survive this climate."
"But this is different Bella. We do not know if the King be accepting of Cromwell's proposal he has not agreed to it-"
"But he will"
"Alright, suppose he will but it be not yer problem, you have said you do not want to be Queen. With another son in the Tudor cradle, you can be free from your father's burdens and who knows? Maybe Cromwell seeing His Majesty so happy will intercede on your behalf and dissuade him from marrying to her cousin"
"The Protestant League is ambitious and will do anything to have the throne in England within their grasp, Thomas Cromwell is on a thin rope right now if he does not secure this alliance –by any means necessary- his career is finished, his life is finished."
"Stop speaking in wild talk sweetheart, I prefer ye when ye are more refined."
"You would not like me when I am refined, my claws are sharper." She answered getting off him.
"Ah" Her legs, she could barely walk in this condition.
"Any chance your morning aching be my seed's fruit Bella?" He asked wickedly grinning as his eyes roved to her midsection in search for life.
She burst out laughing. "Liam, Liam you know that is impossible, thanks to his." She pulled a small vial from one of her coat's inner pockets and then began to dress.
He threw his hands in the air and smiled sheepishly. "Eh, ye can't blame a guy for trying Belle-Belle, and besides wee Charlie needs a brother don't ye reckon?" He asked walking to her. Seeing his eyes were filled with lust, she began undressing. She moved her legs to make sure she could still take it.
"Much better" She said letting herself be pinned to the bed by him
"I never liked ye in any of those dresses."
"What? You would like me to dress in one of your dirty ones?"
"Bella, Bella you are a bad, naughty, no decent woman."
"I never pretended I was. Would you love me more if I acted sweet and mellow like Maggie or melt at your touch like Mary?"
He shook his head. "I love you just the way you are."
"Ha! Love! Nando said he loved me and look how he ended. You do not love me Liam."
"But I do and I could leave everything, pawn my house, pawn my shoes just for you, what little money they could get me I would burn all the metal coins, all the silver, all the bronze, all the pennies, all the gold in the world just for you. To make you a ring you could be proud of."
"Do not burden yourself Liam, all the gold in the world could not make me love you."
"But you do love me sweetheart just as you desire the crown, I see it in your eyes. You just cannot admit it yet but when you do, my doors will always be open for you and Charlie."
"No one can replace his father Liam, my father has tried for years to since he married that whore, Anne Boleyn, but I refuse to replace the memory of Charlie and Kate's father with you or any other man for that matter."
"So you did love him?" He asked, his voice unsettling her. She could not tell if he was hurt or serious.
"I loved him, I still do but for my cubs' sake I have to move on. I am the only thing that stands between them and our enemies."
"You overreact Bella, soon everyone will forget about them, when the King has another son, if he does no one will target your cubs anymore and you and them can live happily ever after.
She chuckled. "I reckon it could happen but Charlie needs an uncle, otherwise my father will start demanding his presence more and more. It bothers me how he looks at Charlie. I do not want him to infect my son with his disease. If I were to wear his crown, I would swear not to make his mistake and teach my son true devotion to his family and country."
"I sense there is something else bothering you" He said reading in between the lines.
"There is" She said, she did not want to admit it but she did not like him spending too much time with her younger sister, Bess. The way that girl could dominate, unnerved her.
"I know she is just a child but every time I look at her, I see her mother's eyes staring back at me and they are cold and calculating just like her. I do not want her starting too early on the next King to be."
She returned her attention to Liam. "When I return to court, you know my father will have me tangled in another alliance."
She had rejected him far too long, he would not be too lenient this time. He meant for ALL of his daughter to be married and if there was one who could gain him an alliance he would mean to wed her by any means necessary.
"Damn ye Bella!" He said as she twined her arms around his neck. "Yer father has been swearing to alliances for his daughters for years, 'tis only by dumb sheer luck you married that snob."
"Nando was a good man and a good husband!" She protested withdrawing her arms.
"I get it, I get it, ye love him, I respect that, sorry I am a fool. But yer father is content with having less sons from his oldest daughter to worry about. Charlie and Kate be alright for now but imagine ye were to marry and have more children, boys … that would be a setback to his son, if he has another son."
"And if he does not?"
"Then ye be Queen." Her face turned grim. "I know how much ye despise me talking of this Belle-Belle…"
"I told you not to call me that!" She said through gritted teeth but he ignored her, how hot the vixen felt when he kissed her. Aye she is mine, but Bella would not be mistress to any man, like her father she wanted it all and she violently pushed him away only to bring him back again. The message was clear –not without my permission.
"Sweetheart I be playing with you!"
"Do not then, for I am Mistress in the bedchamber."
"Aye, ye could be Queen though Bella." She rolled her eyes. "Ah come on darling, ye know ye want the crown much as any of your sisters. And like it or not, yer father may nominate ye as his heir or Charlie if there be no direct Tudor heir in his nursery. Ye would be Bella, Isabella the First, First Queen of England."
Bella chuckled and poked his nose. "Nay I will not. I swore I would be Queen someday, but when I saw what it entailed and after mother died I withdrew from that promise. I shall never be Queen and I shall never have to be married a bunch of idiots, bigots and religious divisions which are the ones running this country and tearing it apart. I shall be my own mistress instead."
Liam shook his head. His Bella was full of surprises but she still had her head stuck on that clouds, she didn't realize the great destiny she had ahead of her, and he only wished that Master Cromwell could help him convince her of it.
"We will have to wait until Master Cromwell convinces the Duke that ye are not a good catch."
"Who says I am not a good catch?" She lowered herself and began sucking off his lance.
"A-ah Bell-la that is enough … that … ah!" He entered a sweet state of ecstasy as she continued on sucking, her movements slowing and feeling her fingers on his abdomen. Ignoring the pain of his nails, he tried to bring himself into focus. Clutching the sheets he gave a long, heavy sigh of relief as he let himself be possessed by her and let his reason go.
Bella wiped the milky substance from her lips and pushed herself up, crashing her lips on him. He was so weak, she had to guide him, and work harder to stimulate his senses.
"Ye are worse than your father"
She smiled. "And you are learning to talk more like a gentleman, now let me give you more lessons, please Liam, push yourself inside me, I want to feel your seed in me, I want your bastard in my belly."
"Bella you are mad" He said, panting as his member grew large and felt her hands guide it to her sheath.
"Bella …" he was barely breathing now. "I don't want to this now."
She devoured him with her lips, his tongue submitted to hers. "But I do" She said feeling him in a complete daze, his heart beating fast against his chest, his loins stirrings, his lance having a mind of its down piercing through her sheath. He could not hold it any longer.
Bella gritted her teeth, mentally screaming as she tried to keep up with the rhythm of his thrusts.
"I should be calling you My Lady." Edward teased landing a huge kiss on her navel. Three days and four nights and he was still eager. It was a mystery to her how he could be this energetic while he barely had enough strength to get out of bed.
"Fiend! Knave! Edward stop it! You are going to get us both into hell! Edward I said stop!" She slapped him on his head but he continued to lick.
"Edward I am not joking! You are … ah! Edward t-that is enough, please." She cried, giggling as he reached the soft skin of her nether lips. "S-Stop it! E-Edwar …. Ah! Edward … ah! Stop, love, please stop, please" Her voice drifted into a barely heard whisper, she moaned and clutched at the bed sheets then buried her fingers in his golden hairs, feeling her body undulate with every one of his movements.
"Oh Edward, oh Edward … oh!" She moaned licking her lips as she realized how hungry she was for him. More, more, she found herself asking as she reached her peak and he tasted the essence of her passion.
He licked his lips and came up to kiss her greater lips where he buried himself in later. "Ah" His whole body arched, going backwards as she made very soft movements with her tongue, careful that he would reach his peak slower, and careful without ruining their hunger for later when he buried himself inside her.
"Mmmmm" Mary moaned against the feel of his member in her mouth, he fought hard to sit straight, but his strength failed him and fell back to the soft mattress. Mary continued her soft movements, stirring against the pressure in his member Edward clutched the bed sheets feeling himself explode.
"Ah!" He cried louder than ever before when his release explode, his vision became blurry. Mary smiled coming up, locking his waist with her legs, she lowered herself down again and began to stimulate him, encouraging him to take her. Here and now.
"I think it is time …" She said panting, breathlessly as the pressure in his enlarged member build and she was on the verge on transporting herself, to heaven. She sighed, tried to breath but it was impossible, his movements became too quick and her body was shaken, it was moving fast trying to keep up with the rhythm of his thrusts. "… we give Meggie a sibling, don't you think so My Lord?"
He did not need to be told twice, he moved fast inside her and released all his essence, Mary collapsed kissing every part of his chest, biting his waist and clawing her nails on his shoulder as she felt his hot seed seep through her.
"Ah!" She gave one final battle cry and rolled off him. God damn you! He swore, the flaming vixen left him without breath, she had sucked him dry and he could still feel her in between her legs, she was not letting him go so easily. He closed his eyes, panting wildly as he felt her tongue and the ripples of pleasure she sent through him.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's supported me and to my great Beta Reader, my reviewers and the books that have served for inspiration. Tomorrow is the Olympics so I have a special something ;)
R/R