Chapter 24

A month later, Edward came running into my bedroom as my ladies were dressing me, brandishing a letter. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth!"

"What is it?" I turned from where I was sitting at my dressing table and, handing me the letter, he took the rope of pearls that Lady Lucy was about to loop around my neck from her and did it himself.

"It's from Prince Phillip, the Emperor's son. Seeing as he's Regent of Spain, His Majesty passed the decision on Mary's marriage on to him."

"What did he say?"

"Read it for yourself," Edward chuckled, playing with my hair gently as I unrolled the letter and began to read.

As I finished, I glanced up into the mirror, a wide smile slowly spreading over my face.

"He said yes. He'll let them marry. And he's creating Ruy Prince of Eboli. My sister's going to be a Princess again."

"The title she always believed was hers," Edward smiled, and I nodded.

"She's going to be delighted."

Then why wait to tell her? Let's go and find her and Ruy now."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed, quickly pulling on my hood and rising from my chair. Edward was beside me in an instant. "Careful, darling."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"I just…I don't want anything to go wrong."

"It won't. My mother gave birth to four healthy daughters, the last two of which were twins, and survived, remember. And her father fathered ten children in total. I'm made of stronger stuff than you sometimes seem to think, My Lord of England."

"I know you are. You're my Tudor Queen. My Tudor Queen of Roses."

"Then act like you believe it. Please. For me?"

Raising my eyebrows, I stroked Edward's cheek, and then slid my hand down to entwine my fingers with his. He pulled me closer and dropped a feather-light kiss on my skin at the corner of my temple, just where it disappeared into my hood. Exchanging a quick smile, we went out among our Court hand in hand, bestowing regal greetings upon any of the nobles who greeted us as they parted before us.

As we turned the corner of the corridor leading to our Privy Chamber, I turned to Lady Lucy, one of the bevy of ladies who had followed us from my apartments, "Lady Lucy, fetch my sister Mary and Señor Gomez for me, would you?"

"Of course, Madam."

I sensed her fall away from my shoulder as she turned to do my bidding. Meanwhile, Edward and I went to hear the rest of the petitioners.

However, I was distant and distracted, barely taking in a word they said until our herald cleared his throat and announced, "Lady Mary Tudor, Countess of Salisbury and Buckingham and His Excellency the Imperial Ambassador."

Straightening instantly, I watched my sister and her fiancé pay their respects before rising, gripping the Prince Regent's letter tight in my hand.

"Lady Salisbury, Your Excellency. I have here a missive from the Prince Regent of Spain."

"Yes?" Mary's tone was light and respectful, as befitted any good courtier, but, looking at her, I could read the hints of tension in her body. Catching her eye, I smiled encouragingly, continuing hastily "He says he can think of no serious impediments to the marriage and gives his blessing for your union."

Mary's face broke into a smile and Ruy Gomez's cheeks coloured slightly with pleasure. As she turned to him, he clasped her hand tightly and touched her cheek briefly yet tenderly. Knowing as I did that Ruy was a born Ambassador and therefore not a man prone to showing his emotions in public, I was grateful for the gesture on Mary's behalf. It showed that he really did care for her. He was making an effort for something that didn't come naturally to him.

"That is not all, either." Edward interjected, coming down from his throne to stand beside me. "His Highness also writes that he has plans to create you Prince of Eboli, Ruy. He wants to do so on this, the occasion of your marriage, in recognition of all your services to him over these past years."

Mary gasped and Ruy – I mentally refused to call him anything else, now that he was going to be my brother – inclined his head.

"Your Highness. Please convey my most fervent and humble thanks to my master."

"Of course," My husband promised, before saying, "Now, we'll let you go, for I'm sure you'll have plenty to discuss, now that your marriage can go ahead."

Nodding, Mary curtsied to us arm in arm with Ruy, her future husband, who sank into the deepest of bows.

"Your Majesty. Your Highness."

"Your Highness." I replied, nodding to Ruy before gripping Edward's arm for support and sinking into an awkward half-curtsy to my eldest sister. "My Lady Princess."

Hampered by my rapidly swelling belly, the movement caused me pain, but the tears of joy in Mary's eyes as I honoured her more than made up for it.

I stayed in that position until the great doors had swung shut behind the couple and Edward had to help me up.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," he chuckled.

"I know. But she deserved it. After everything my mother and I put her through, Mary deserved to hear me call her "Princess" again."

Edward's eyes softened at my words and he captured my lips with his in a tender, cherishing kiss.

"I do love you, Elizabeth Tudor."

"And I you, My Lord of England," I whispered throatily, as we both forgot that there were petitioners outside waiting to speak to us, instead letting our passion take us over.

Wanting me to be able to be present at the ceremony, Mary decided to have a March wedding, which gave us just over a month to prepare.

She also chose to wear a gown of ivory silk encrusted with seed pearls; a gown in the Spanish fashion, highly reminiscent of the one her mother, the Dowager Princess, had worn when she married my uncle Prince Arthur as a girl of sixteen.

Ruy's older brother sailed over from Portugal as soon as the sailing season began so that he could act as best man, while Mary asked Blanche and Mary Clarencieux, her dearest friend's eldest daughter, to be her bridesmaids and Katy Stafford to be her flower girl.

They were all to be gowned in Lancaster Red satin, so that, together with the bride, they made up the colours of the Tudor Rose.

It was also a good colour choice in terms of their complexions, for dark red suited them all perfectly, particularly Blanche, the fairest of the three. She looked stunning when her maids had laced her into her new gown, brushed her hair until it shone and woven the strings of emeralds she had begged to be allowed to wear into her hair.

I was with her when they dressed her and I couldn't help but catch my breath when she straightened up and I caught sight of her full regalia.

"Do you like it, Bessie?" she asked, as she twirled slowly for me; still, at that moment, very much the young girl seeking her older sister's approval. I nodded.

"You look so pretty, one might even think that you were the bride," I teased, stopping short at the utter shock on Blanche's face. "Don't look at me like that. It'll be your turn next, don't think it won't. You're thirteen in June, don't forget."

"But you were sixteen when you married Edward. And you wanted to. I don't want to marry. Not yet. Please, not yet." Blanche pleaded, voice shaking. Alarmed by her tone, I suddenly looked at her hard, realising as I did so just exactly how worried she was.

"Good God, Blanche! Did you think I'd brought you back from Ireland to marry you off?"

At my horrified gasp, she shook her head, causing waves of relief to wash over me. Unfortunately, they were only short-lived, as, a moment later, she continued "Not married, exactly. I was thinking betrothed, maybe."

"No! Of course I haven't!"

Realising that my adamant denial might cause my little sister to believe that I was planning on never making her marry anyone or into any country, I quickly clarified "I'm not saying the day won't come, Blanche, but it hasn't come yet. I promise it hasn't. So go out there and meet Mary and the others with a smile on your face, all right?"

"But Mary's moving to Portugal. To Spain. How am I supposed to be happy about that?"

I was about to laugh and say "Because you're half-Tudor, half Howard and a Princess to boot," when I became conscious of the fact that my sister was in fact desperately serious. She didn't need to be laughed at; she needed to be comforted.

"Oh, sweetheart." Pulling her against me as best I could, I wrapped one arm around her and stroked her beautiful golden hair with the other hand. "You never did like change, did you? But honestly, Mary will be fine. Of course we'll miss her. And she'll miss us. It's natural. But Ruy's a good man, and she's so happy to be marrying him. She can't wait to go to Spain and see where her mother lived as a child. Anyway, it's not like she won't be coming back. Even if Ruy wasn't the Spanish Envoy to our Court, he's Earl of Salisbury and Buckingham jure uxoris just as much as he is Prince of Eboli. Of course he'll need to come back to administer to his lands. I'm sure Mary will come with him. So today isn't the last time we'll see her. Seeing as that's the case, can't you find it in your heart to smile for her? Just for today if you can't bring yourself to do it any other time?"

Gradually, Blanche's trembling ceased and she eventually pushed herself away from me.

"I'm ready."

"Good. Then go and find Mary and tell her I'll see her in the chapel."

Even as my younger sister turned for the door, however, I called her back. "Hang on. Take this with you."

I pulled a pearl rosary out of my skirt pocket, one hung on silver thread and made into a necklace by adding a garnet clasp on to the head of the chain. A garnet clasp in the shape of a pomegranate.

"It was her mother's. I found it in a jewel casket the other day; one of the ones I haven't looked at for years. I'm sure she'd like to have it."

"I'll give it to her," Blanche promised, closing her slim hand over the beads of the rosary and heading for the door. I watched her go, unable to deny that I was secretly relieved at the fact that she had almost broken down in my arms. It showed that, despite everything, she was still my younger sister. Still my precious pearl of a younger sister.

I waited a few minutes to let her get ahead of me and then slipped out of the side door to go down and meet Edward by the door to the Chapel Royal.

"I, Ruy Gomez de la Silva, Prince of Eboli, take thee, Lady Mary Tudor, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part and thereto I plight my troth."

Ruy took my sister's hand as he finished his speech, squeezing it gently and slipping a heavy silver ring on to her finger. Eyes downcast, she smiled shyly in response and then it was her turn.

Reaching for his hand, she raised her head to look up at him, sapphire eyes gleaming through the ivory gauze of her veil. She cleared her throat and then began, her voice ringing out clear and pure as a silver bell.

"I, Lady Mary Tudor, Countess of Salisbury and Buckingham, take thee, Señor Ruy Gomez de la Silva, to my lawfully wedded husband. I vow to have and to hold thee and to be bonny and buxom at bed and at board from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part and thereto I plight my troth."

Finishing her speech, Mary took her own ring from Thomas Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, who was acting as ring bearer, and slipped it on to Ruy's finger.

"I now proclaim you man and wife."

Bishop Gardiner, who was conducting the service, intoned, before raising his gaze to include the congregation as he continued, "Whom God hath joined in holy matrimony, let no man tear asunder. Your Highness, you may kiss the bride."

Ruy quickly lifted Mary's veil and complied, kissing her determinedly to seal their union and then they joined hands. With the herald striding before them, proclaiming "His Highness, Prince Ruy of Eboli, Earl of Salisbury and Buckingham" and "Her Highness the Princess Mary of Eboli, Countess of Salisbury and Buckingham", they went into the Great Hall to preside over their wedding feast.

My sister, Lady Mary Tudor, Countess of Salisbury and Buckingham, had become Infanta Maria Gomez de la Silva de Eboli.