So sorry it took me a lot longer than I expected to write an update!

As always, thank you so much for the reviews! They motivate me to write!

I hope you all enjoy this update!

It is with a heavy heart I offer you my condolences on the death of your father.

I hope you find at least some solace in knowing that my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

Sir Philip de Saint-Remy was a remarkable man who was great ambassador to France.

I always looked forward to his meetings even if I didn't always agree with what King Francis demanded from my country.

I shall forever remember Sir Philip de Saint-Remy as a man of honor, high morale and good graces.

Your father always spoke very highly of you it was evident you were and always will be his true pride and joy.

As your father's tenure as the French Ambassador to England, he negotiated very well for his country.

Yet I would argue that his greatest legacy lies in you, Duchess Amelie de Saint-Remy.

If I wasn't the King of England I would come offer my condolences in person.

Alas I hope you would give me the honor to do so in person by visiting me in England.

Forever Indebted In You For Saving My Life,

King Henry the 8th of England

Ever since Amelie received the letter from King Henry she kept it by her side. She had come to recognize the King's handwriting, strong & sturdy yet with a bit of flair at the end of certain letters. She smiled when she knew that he had personally taken the time to write to her...after that night she spent in the King's chamber and received a letter in the King's name but not in his handwriting, Amelie had become keenly aware the honor it was to receive a handwritten letter from the English King. There was a warm and highly pleasant feeling associated with knowing that a King, a very handsome and powerful King, who she shared her first kiss with took the time to write just to her.

Amelie and King Henry corresponded in letters for couple of months after her departure from England. But the correspondence was short lived. After Amelie sent a letter to England, she never heard from the King again, till her father's death. She couldn't deny the irony, the sense of exhilaration of receiving a letter from the man she promised her love to but only because he wanted to give her, his condolences on her father's death. A death that had taken the usually outspoken, unorthodox, and independent Amelie to retreat back to her Chateau, back to her roots, back to where she called home.

Along with the letter from the English King was a letter from her half-brother John. Amelie was, as always, glad to hear from her brother but she already knew what the letter would state. The same thing his letter stated when her aunt arrived; when would Amelie consider visiting England again. Amelie knew that her brother meant well, but Amelie had no desire to leave her French Chateau. Her aunt had questioned it as well. Amelie's aunt, Lady Holland, made it very clear that even though she would stay with Amelie and keep her company as long as her niece desired she had no intention of transplanting her life to France. There was an unspoken understanding that Amelie would not be allowed to live alone in France. She is after all merely a young woman who had not yet even lived two decades on Earth. Unless Amelie was to marry, which her guardians knew well enough not to arrange such a commitment for the grieving Duchess, Amelie was to visit her mother's homeland.

Several days after receiving the letter from the English King, Amelie finally arrived at a compromise with her family along with the French throne. The French admiral, Admiral Philippe de Chabot is to visit England as the representative of the French throne to answer the inquiries regarding betrothing the English Princess, Princess Elizabeth to a French prince. King Francis hoped that inviting Amelie on this trip would allow some private time between them as he had always held an intrigue towards Amelie. Her beauty and her skills as a hunter was well known in the French royal court.

When Amelie and her aunt arrived at the French court to meet with the French party leaving for England, the French King attempted to use his charms to flirt with the Duchess of Saint-Remy. But it was evident with the black dress and the black lace veil she wore in public, that the young lady was still mourning her father's death. Amelie carried an air of dignity and grace along with sadness in her eyes that made King Francis halt any flirtatious advances towards Amelie. She was only in his court for a handful of days, the last thing he wanted was her to think of him as a womanizer. Even though Amelie is the daughter of a royal bastard, her father did leave a strong and formidable legacy. With the royal Valois blood running through Amelie, even if it is illegitimate, the Saint-Remy name was not to be taken lightly and King Francis knew that very well.

Amelie mingled well with Admiral Chabot, his niece and his secretary, and the rest of the party leaving for England. They all gave their condolences of her father's death and regarded Amelie in a high manner. Admiral Chabot was well acquainted with the late Duke Philip de Saint-Remy and he heard countless of stories of his beautiful and intelligent daughter, Amelie. Admiral Chabot had also overheard the rumors of an affair between the English King and Amelie during her last visit to the English court. The Admiral secretly hoped that bringing Amelie back to the English King would soften King Henry's heart and allow the Admiral to do his job as the representative of his country.

The travel to England went smoothly. The Admiral's niece, Mademoiselle Germaine Chabot attempted to befriend Amelie to which the latter complied. But there was an air about Germaine that Amelie did not care for. Like Amelie, Germaine's beauty never went unnoticed. But unlike Amelie, Germaine had no problem using and manipulating others to get what she wanted by flaunting her looks. Although the two regularly conversed there was little the two had in common. Amelie thus preferred to stay with her aunt and found refuge in needlework.

When they arrived to England, Amelie went her separate way and rather than going to Sir Charles Brandon's estate she went to her mother's family's estate. It was noted that Amelie would join the group back at the English court but Amelie could tell that her aunt, Lady Holland, longed to go back to her own estate. Amelie could have allowed her aunt to travel on her own, but as she still grieved for her father, the last thing Amelie wanted to be was away from family.

The trip to the Holland family estate was short but it allowed Amelie to be in the rooms her mother grew up in as a child. As Amelie's mother died giving birth to her, Amelie always felt responsible for her mother's death. Amelie knew that childrearing was a great honor and no one in her family despised Amelie because of Lady Philippa's untimely death. Nevertheless Amelie felt cheated by God as she had no memory of her own mother. But, walking around in the grand Holland estate, being in the rooms her mother grew up in always gave Amelie great comfort, something the grieving young woman needed at the moment.

By the time Amelie and her aunt made their journey to the English court even though Amelie was still mourning her father's death there was an uplift in her spirits. Amelie's aunt had a suspicion as to what was cause of to Amelie's newfound cheer, but she did not want to say the English King's name. Amelie's aunt was still feeling conflicted about the King Henry's favoritism of her niece. There was great honor in being favored by the ruling King. Yet with the blood of the Plantagenet running deep in both Amelie and her aunt's vein, there lied a distaste for the Tudors. As they are the family that took the royal throne from them and killed many of their family members all in the name of securing their throne. A tragedy that deeply hurt Amelie's aunt.

Yet Lady Holland understood that was the way of politics and she made sure to never give the Tudors any reason to suspect her or the rest of her immediate family of treason. Amelie's aunt knew that Amelie's brother, John, greatly favored King Henry's extra attention toward Amelie. John made it very clear to his aunt that he was disappointed that she did not ask her to stay in England as he expected her to. There was the uncertainty of whether or not King Henry still held feelings for the beautiful Amelie de Saint-Remy as he did when Amelie last visited the English court.

But as Duchess Amelie de Saint-Remy was preparing for the formal dinner to introduce the French Admiral to the English King, Lady Holland couldn't think of a reason why King Henry wouldn't attempt to seal the deal with her niece. This both worried and intrigued Lady Holland.

I hope you enjoyed this update!

I'm going to try a lot harder to be more consistent about updating and what motivates me to do that are...REVIEWS! So pretty please review!

xoxo