Chapter XXVIII

May, 1537

"D-duke of Bavaria?" stammered Jane, automatically falling into a curtsey. "My lord! You should not be here alone! There are...bandits!"

The Duke smiled. "Like the one I saved you from?"

From the faint light produced from the moon, he saw her blush rather prettily.

"Come with me, my lady," said Philip, offering her his hand. "My carriage is close by, and I cannot allow you to stay here without protection. My servants can handle your possessions, and I will ensure this man to be buried with honour for defending a beautiful lady such as yourself. I am on my way to Hampton Court with my cousin, Princess Anna of Cleves. We have been chosen to represent our respective duchies of Cleves and Bavaria in allied negotiations with England."

"I...I cannot return to Hampton Court," said Jane, looking away sorrowfully. "I apologise, Your Highness, but I cannot go with you. If you be so kind, can you take me to the nearest tavern? I will purchase a room for the night and buy a few horses for the remainder of my journey."

"Oh? Where are you intending to go, good lady?"

"I do not know. I plan to retire to Lancaster Abbey in a year or so as a nun, and live in my estates quietly, probably learning to read and write more."

"You must be jesting, beautiful lady! You must have wit and intelligence that challenge a princess's! I wager a hundred crowns that your writing is enchanting!"

"If that is the case, Your Highness, you will lose your wager."

Philip laughed jovially. "See? A talented tongue already! You are a clever lady! You are as lovely and witty as a princess, my lady! Come! No use standing here in the cold all night! We will journey to Hampton Court, and you must tell me how such a noble and honourable lady such as yourself was banished! If you were in my Court, I would never send you away!"

Smiling, Jane followed him to another, more grander carriage hidden away by trees. Philip opened the door, and helped her in. He looked back and nodded at a servant to collect Jane's belongings.

Jane looked around and saw a tall woman with flaxen blonde hair and odd clothes, yet with big, kind, blue eyes and a sweet smile.

"Hello dear," she said slowly in English, with a strong German accent. "I am Princess Anna of Cleves, the chosen representative of my brother, Wilhelm I, Duke of Cleves. It is a pleasure to see you. What...what is your name?"

"I am Jane Seymour, 1st Countess of Hertford," said Jane politely with a curtsey, intrigued at the sight of the German princess. "The Duke of Bavaria saved me from a bandit."

Anna frowned a little. "Who is a bandit?"

" Räuber, dear Anna," explained Philip. "One of them attempted to attack this poor lady."

Anne nodded sympathetically.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness," said Jane gratefully. "I had a fright, nothing more."

"Are you tired? Thirsty? Hungry?"

"No, Your Highness. Thank you for asking though. I slept most of the afternoon, and I was too alarmed to be hungry!"

"Please call me 'Anna', Lady Jane. Philip and I have actually arrived in England a few days ago, and we wanted to see the English people without a fuss and large entourage. From what we had seen, England is very pleasant and full of kind people. My brother, the Duke of Cleves, expects us to be welcomed with pomp and ceremony by the King, but we heard he is not even in Rochester when we arrived! From what we heard from Lord Lisle, the King is in a place called...Hampton Court?"

"Oh?"

"You do not know, Lady Jane?"

"No...I'm sorry...um Anna, I was not even aware that the King is having a diplomatic meeting with you and His Highness, the Duke of Bavaria."

"Eat something at least," said Philip, offering Jane an apple. "Your King of England is quite infamous throughout Europe. He dares to divorce a Spanish princess for a noblewoman from England, and his numerous affairs with women are quite legendary. Is it true that he planned to execute a mistress, but left her to die slowly after she gave birth to a daughter?"

"Yes," said Jane uncomfortably, accepting the apple. "The King has her children in the royal nursery, raising them along with his own legitimate children."

"Ah...kind to his children, is he?"

"Yes. Very kind...Your Highness." It was a lie she was certain the Lord would forgive.

"Call me 'Philip'. You have not told me why you do not wish to set foot in Hampton Court. I was told it is one of the most glorious royal residences in England! It is only by right that a lovely lady like you can be part of the Court there."

Jane played with the apple, unsure what to say.

"I am not wanted in Hampton Court," she said finally. "I was not a good courtier. I was a knight's daughter before I arrived at Court with my brothers and sisters. I suppose my place is better in the countryside than at Court. The King's mistress does not approve of me and convinced him to send me away. You see, um Philip, it is the one who holds the King's heart that controls affairs of England, not his councillors, nor queen."

"Who would not want you at Court?!" said Philip with wonder. "You look as if the angel had blessed you with purity and virtue! I insist you come with me as a guest!"

"That is not right, Philip. You are the guest!"

"I will insist you return to Court!"

Anna nodded in agreement.

"It is unheard of!" she declared. "In my brother's Court, he would never allow a mistress to rule affairs in Cleves! He stresses on virtue and plans to have a Court without debauchery and corruption. If he hears one of his noblemen is having an affair with a noble lady, she would be sent to a convent and he would be banished from Court for a few months."

"I do not think I want to return to Court," confessed Jane.

"Why?" said Philip, with disbelief. "Do you have a husband who is violent"

"I'm not married. I too have committed sins that I am ashamed of, and I wanted to go to Lancaster Abbey to repent. All my life, I wanted to be a nun and live a life of piety. However, my father and brothers had other ideas..."

"All English noblemen seem to have those 'other ideas', my lady Jane."

"I was the King's mistress for a year or two. I was dismissed because his new mistress does not want me at Court and he felt he does not love me any longer as I gave him a deformed daughter, who does not even bear his name. He even announced to the Court that my-no, our-daughter was dead. Yes, he gave her a household and wealth, but she is hidden away under the last name 'FitzTower', while her illegitimate half-siblings flourished in the royal nursery under the names of either 'Fitzroy' or 'Tudor'. I did not want to be his mistress, but my brothers made me."

Philip was silent.

"The nunnery is my future home," Jane continued softly. "I will never be a proper courtier."

"You poor dear," said Anna sympathetically. "Being a princess is not any easier. My brother arranges marriages for us, and we have to obey."

"It is not you at fault," said Philip gently. "You were only obeying the wishes of your father and your brothers. I will still ask for your permanent return to Court. You do not deserve to be sent to a nunnery on a whim from the demands of a mistress and for giving the king a deformed daughter. I am certain she is as beautiful as her mother."

Jane's eyes met that of Philip's, and she smiled.

Ever since the beginning of her tenure as mistress, not many people had been genuinely kind to her, and those who did, were ambitious and only wanted something.

Of course with the exception of Mary, who had been her friend until the day she supported the King in banishing her from Court.

Then again, the survival of a princess at Court was not any easier.

"When I said the English are pleasant and kind, it is true," commented Philip, keeping his deep blue eyes on hers. "However, you are the most sweetest and truthful English lady I ever met. The King is a fool to discard you for another. If I was in his position, I would never abandon you. You are indeed a great beauty in my eyes, but why would a king look to beauty in a woman, when there is wit and personality? If I had a choice of bride, I would choose you."

"You are married?" asked Jane.

"Not yet," said Philip, with a sigh. "For the good of the peace treaty, my brother and co-ruler, Otto Henry, Elector Palatine, instructs me to marry the Princess Mary Tudor."


George watched Anne mope around Windsor Castle in a horrible mood. It reminded him of the period before Anne became queen.

"I should be at Court!" stormed Anne. "I am the Queen of England and I should be at the King's side, not hidden away like an unwanted mistress!"

"Calm down," soothed George.

"How can I calm down?! I am glad that Anne Bassett isn't there, stealing my spot! Urgh! Jane Seymour is gone, and now another one comes along! I give him two sons, and he still does not appreciate me! He divorced Catherine of Aragon and professes his love to me, but then what does he do? He has a whole host of mistresses and is ashamed of presenting me to foreign royals as his wife and England's queen! I cannot stand for it any longer!"

"What can you do? Catherine of Aragon vowed to fight for Mary, but she gave up. She even had the support of the Holy Roman Emperor! You do not have foreign support! Even if France supports you to an extent, they will not fight for you."

"Talk to the people."

"Are you serious? The people of the south feel sorry for you because of Isabelle de Luil. The northerners still despise you. What do you propose will win them all around?"

"An end to the King's religious tyranny. Religious freedom to all who sets foot in England and the return of religious buildings to the people."

"You will return England to Catholicism?!"

"Not exactly. I will...partially reconcile England to Catholicism to satisfy the people. Of course with Mary's aid, it will make matters easier."

"Why would Mary help you in your treasonous plans? She is now the King's daughter. Why would she help you remove her father and allow her status to change to that of the King's half-sister? I will always aid you, but there will be a problem if Mary chooses to side with her father."

"I understand if you wish to side with Mary."

"What will you do?"

Anne's eyes glinted like a cat's in the dark. "Win the people to my side. After that, I'm certain they could do the rest..."

George frowned. "What do you mean?"

Smiling secretively, Anne opened a book and placed it on the table in front of George.

"Peasants' Revolt?!" said George, shocked. "You want another one to occur?!"

"What better way than to enforce change?" said Anne, brightening up quickly. "The King always feared an uprising against him. The Pilgrimage of Grace already frightened him, and this would increase his level of fear. With the people's cooperation, I am willing to place myself at the head of it and I am more than willing to be regent for little Arthur."

"What if the people agree to revolt, but do not want you as regent?"

"Why wouldn't they? I am the mother of the Prince of Wales and Duke of York."

"You are related to nobles people do not like, such as our uncle, the Duke of Norfolk? Your descent from merchants and nobles? What of Mary? Yes, you are the mother of the Prince of Wales and Duke of York, but what will the people think with Mary in the picture? She is descended from great Spanish monarchs maternally, and English kings paternally. She is even competition to a legitimate son who is maternally descended from merchants. Yes, I am insulting our ancestors, but it is the truth. What if Spain declares support for Mary? We cannot ask her to give up her rights!"

"I will talk to her. We both will. As a last result, a marriage can be arranged between Arthur and your

daughter Katherine. Blood connection is extremely close, but I wish to keep a good relationship with her."

"What if you give Mary the position as regent?"

"Why? I'm the Prince of Wales's mother!"

"Mary is the people's princess and always will be. Even if you give the King a dozen sons, she will always remain the people's princess while Elizabeth will remain in the shadows and be seen as just a princess of England and the King's daughter. I know you wish that isn't true, but it is. Mary will always remain extremely popular with the people. You cannot ignore her."

"So you are saying, that if my plans succeed and the King is ousted from the throne, I am to hand the regency powers over to Mary and do nothing? I will be nothing but the King's mother! Who knows what Mary will do with such powers?"

"You suspect your own sister-in-law?!"

Anne sighed. "No. I should not have said that."

George nodded hesitantly.

"Are you sure about this?" he inquired. "A revolt? That is not you...it is treason! What if you fail? It will be your head rolling down the hill, and all your daughters declared bastards, as the King cannot afford to bastardise your sons! It is all very sudden!"

"I've been considering it for a few months," admitted Anne. "Ever since Edmund's birth. The King had lied to me. He never loved me. He only wanted me for sons. He loved Catherine for real. If it wasn't for me, she would've remained queen and Mary would be the heiress of England."

"There's no time for regret now! You are planning a rebellion!"

"What about the Poles?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Do we friend them or not? They have royal blood through Lady Salisbury, and if we are planning to curb the King's powers, what if they take the opportunity and remove all the Tudors?"

"Poles..." George's memory flashed back to the jousting accident.

"George? What is it?"

"I just remembered something...something else from that bloody jousting tournament. You know how I didn't want Mary to worry? Now I really don't want her to be concerned. I wasn't jousting against a Pole, but when I was knocked down, I saw the knight's squire...Thomas Pole...one of Lady Salisbury's grandsons...he was smiling rather evilly when he saw me fall. His father, Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montague was beside him, and I swear he was laughing! And it wasn't because he found the tournament enjoyable, it's more like he found it entertaining that I was injured..."

"The Poles are involved!"

"You honestly believe the doddery old Lady Salisbury is capable of engineering something as callous as this?" He laughed hollowly. "You sound like Cromwell. I mean, what can she possibly gain in seeing me seriously injured or even dead?"

Anne thought for a moment.

"She's a Plantagenet first, a Pole second," she murmured. "Ever since she was a little girl, she witnessed battles and usurpations and who knows what else! She probably never accepted me as queen and would never acknowledge my Arthur as the Prince of Wales. Her loyalty will always remain with Mary, and as she is the Pole matriarch, her entire family will follow her example. It would suit her better if either I die, or the King, or our sons. It doesn't make sense why Lady Salisbury would want you dead or injured..."

"Maybe it isn't about your sons just yet," suggested George. "Maybe it's about Mary? Let us say that her plans succeed and I die. Mary will be a widow with two children. Killing off children isn't particularly hard and it can always be blamed on illness. Mary always trusted her. What if Lady Salisbury influenced her religious son to give up his ecclesiastical powers to marry Mary? If they marry, their sons will have old Plantagenet blood paternally and Tudor blood maternally. Their sons will challenge your own, and I have to say, will have better claim."

"Will Mary actually betray your memory and marry Reginald Pole?"

"I heard that Reginald Pole had true affection for her before she married me. I guess that was one of the reasons he pursued a religious career? Even a daughter of their union will have better blood claim than any son you have with the King. Lady Salisbury must be fuming silently with rage that her little plan failed and realising that killing me may be harder than it looks, as I have no intention to enter in any further jousting matches in the future."

"True."

"Do you know where Sir Frances Bryan is? I do not remember seeing him at Court, and wish to have a few words with him."

"That rogue? I know you were friends in the past, but why what do you possibly need to say to him? I doubt you want him to recommend a good prostitute for you!"

"I think he was the one who I battled against in the jousting match."


Wiltshire sat in front of the fire, absently stirring his ale with a silver spoon in Hever Castle, his family home and prison.

Court was his life, the countryside...a punishment.

In his younger days, whenever he returned home from Court, he would be greeted by three cheerful children, all eager to impress him and to boast of their latest achievements; an intelligent and athletic heir, a beautiful blonde daughter and a witty black-haired girl. With them would be his wife, Lady Elizabeth Howard, a member of one of the most powerful families in England, who was always ready to greet him with a warm smile.

Now...nothing.

No sound of pattering feet.

No sound of childish happy laughter.

No calming words from a waiting wife.

He won the gamble at Court, but at the cost of losing his own family.

His wife had left him for her old family home in Kenninghall where she resided with Norfolk and her numerous nieces and nephews. Ever since he disinherited and denounced their daughter Mary for marrying a common soldier, Lady Wiltshire had slapped him publically and left, vowing never to speak or see him again.

Norfolk had been more than willing to provide her with rooms, surprising Wiltshire, as he always thought Norfolk was cold and calculating.

Apparently that was to nobles, as he had a kind side to his siblings.

"Wiltshire. Such a disappointment to see you here alone."

Emerging from the shadows, Norfolk poured himself a cup of ale and sat on another chair, watching Wiltshire like an eagle.

"What are you doing here?" said Wiltshire listlessly. "I am a prisoner here, never able to return to Court just because my daughter wishes it! Her disobedience is unacceptable!"

"Yes..." agreed Norfolk. "I thought you said you were able to control her?"

"It seems not."

"It might have been beneficial for the both of us if it was your Mary who married the King instead of your wilful Anne. Anyway, your Anne is quite useless politically speaking. The King has no love for her and turns constantly to his mistresses for comfort! A Boleyn-Tudor prince is no use to us anymore. From my spies, I heard that the Seymours had intended to install a new dynasty in England. A Seymour dynasty. Of course it did not happen, but it gave me some ideas. What if there was a new dynasty in England? One that bears the name of Howard-Boleyn?"

"It is impossible."

"No, it is possible! Install George as the next King of England. His children are Boleyns. His daughter Katherine, can marry my grandson Lord Thomas Howard, and his son can marry my granddaughter, Lady Jane Howard. What do you think?"

Wiltshire stared at the crackling fire.

A few weeks ago, he would've instantly agreed.

Now...?

"No," said Wiltshire quietly, experiencing senility for the first time. "Your plans are dangerous and treasonous. Use your own children for once in your life! I agreed with your previous plans, and look what happened! Anne is now queen, yet she is unhappy. Mary's reputation is ruined and she married herself off to a common knight. George...he is fortunate to survive up to now, if you exclude his jousting accident. I will not let you move my children around as pawns for your games."

"You will not even consider it?" Norfolk raised an eyebrow.

"No. My children are not yours to move around and sacrifice for your own ambition. I learnt that lesson too late. I hope you see sense quick enough."

"No. You are the one that cannot see the truth. Without sacrifices, rewards cannot be reaped. You have to sacrifice something to gain something. You know that."

"Gamble your own children. Take your hands off mine."

"Oh, Wiltshire! What happened to you? We used to be such good friends! Did you begin acting this way when your dear wife Elizabeth left you? Perhaps she knows you are a failure. Either way, I do warn you, if you decide not to be my ally, there will be consequences."

Wiltshire looked at Norfolk steadily in the eye. "I will face the consequences."

He had committed so many atrocities-especially to his children-and was ready to pay for them. He hoped that at least that would be one good deed he would be remembered for.

"Very well," said Norfolk shortly. He drew out a jewelled dagger.

Without a second of hesitation, he rammed it into Wiltshire's chest and pulled it out, its tip stained brightly with blood.

"You will take my plans to the grave," he said with a lingering smirk. "A pleasure being your brother-in-law. Now that you are gone, your children are mine to do with as I please."


Hope you enjoy the chapter! :) By the way, Philip, Duke of Bavaria isn't aware that Mary is married to George.