Chapter XXIX

May, 1537

"Where is the Queen?" Philip asked, looking around during the welcome feast. "England does have a queen, doesn't it?"

Silence flooded the room as all eyes turned to the King.

"The Queen...is occupied," said the King uncomfortably. "She is unaware of your arrival. Very inconsiderate of her, but well...nothing we can do."

"Invite her to Hampton Court?" suggested Anna.

"Shall we dance?" said the King, changing the topic and standing up. He proffered his hand and Anna took it. The two of them headed towards the dance floor, signalling for the courtiers to dance. Anna had not been taught courtly dances at home in Cleves, but in a day, she had learnt basic dances under the instruction of Anne Bassett's mother, Lady Lisle.

Courteously, Philip offered his hand to Mary and the two followed to the dance floor. He had heard rumours of the Princess's beauty, but did not realise she was far more beautiful than the German ambassadors described.

"Mein Herr Herzog von Bayern," said Mary carefully. My lord duke of Bavaria. She had practised German words in the short time before their arrival. "Es ist eine Freude, dich zu sehen." It is a pleasure to see you.

"I can speak English, lady princess," said Philip, bemused and impressed at her efforts in speaking his native language. "However, I must compliment you on your talent at languages. You speak German quite well! What else must I know about you?"

"I can speak French, Latin, Ancient Greek, Italian and Spanish, my lord duke. Language has always interested me, and it is a delight to speak German for you. It will be more of an honour if you will teach me that language, my lord."

"I will try, lady princess."

"What about you? Do you speak any other language?"

"English...obviously. A little French and Italian too. My childhood was stricken with war, and my parents did not have the time to educate us thoroughly."

"A war, lord duke?"

"My mother was heiress to the duchy of Bavaria, but her male cousin contested to it. She won, but died of illness a few weeks before she could be duchess in her own right. It is a sad story, and one an enchanting lady such as yourself should not hear. My brother Otto Henry, is elector Palatine and my co-ruler. It is he who suggested an alliance with Protestant England and my marriage to you-"

"Pardon me, my lord duke?" Mary stiffened.

Did the Duke of Bavaria not know that she is already married...?

"We are to be married," said Philip, surprised at her confused expression. Didn't the King inform her about it? "Or betrothed at least, to seal an alliance between England and Bavaria. England and Cleves's alliance will be cemented through marriage between your half-brother, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cleves's young infant cousin, Princess Marie Eleanore of Cleves. In a few days, the treaty will be signed and our betrothals announced. I thought you will be happy at that news? You will finally wed and be a duchess, although you are already a duchess in your own right."

Mary continued dancing with him silently, uncertain what to say. The Duke seemed kind, polite and honourable; the ideal husband, yet she was already married, and had no intention to divorce George to marry a Lutheran heretic.

"You are not satisfied with me?" said Philip worriedly. Did he do something wrong? He thought that a sad damsel like Princess Mary would be pleased to finally marry!

"No, no, my lord duke!" said Mary hastily, almost missing a step in the dance. "I am...shocked, nothing more. You have been nothing but a charming guest."

She curtsied as the musicians struck the final chord.

She immediately chose her father as her next dance partner.

"Daughter," acknowledged the King. "What do you think of the Duke of Bavaria?"

"He is kind and a good man," said Mary shortly. She wanted answers and was in no mood for illusions and trickery. "An ideal prince, I believe. Why is the Duke under the assumption that he will marry me for the alliance between Bavaria and England? Isn't he aware that I am a married woman? Did you somehow forget to inform him?"

"It is for a good reason."

"And what would that be? You married me to George for an alliance with Anne's family, and now you are pretending I am unmarried to woo an alliance with Bavaria? What will happen when the treaties are signed? What if the Duke of Bavaria realises I cannot marry him? He will tell his brother and they will declare war on England!"

"I am the head of the Church of England. If it suits my purposes, I will annul your marriage to Lord Ormond and marry you off to the Duke of Bavaria. If your mother was alive, she would approve of it. You would be married to a prince. Of course your two children will remain in the line of succession, as long as they are raised in the Church of England faith. Even your future children with the Duke of Bavaria will remain in the line of succession, even if they have no chance of succeeding to the throne, as I have two fine sons in front of them!"

"Sons of a woman you no longer wish to regard as your wife and queen."

"You will marry the Duke as I command, even if you have to be restrained and carried off to Bavaria against your wishes!"

Mary fumed with anger, but remained silent.

He will pay, she thought, dancing with a grim expression. Princesses are pawns in their fathers' games, but I will not be used like a Roman girl, being married and annulled a numerous amount of times for your own purposes. If you dare declare me as nothing but an unmarried princess, you will find you have lost a daughter to your schemes. I'm sorry, but I will not abandon my faith and family for your games.

Once the dance ended, Mary walked out of the great hall.

"Your Highness? A letter from Lord Ormond."

Mary smiled grimly at the messenger and took the letter.

Mary, she read silently. All is not well. I hope situations at Court are improving for you. I need you to come to Windsor Castle as soon as you can, as Anne has a plan that is best not discussed now. Hope to see you soon, George.

"Something the matter, Princess?"

"My lord duke!" exclaimed Mary, hurriedly folding the letter. "You followed me!"

"Something has happened," said the Duke seriously. "I can tell. What is it? The hospitality is excellent, but something is missing. What is it?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"If I am to be your husband, I must know you-"

"Is your carriage ready?"

"It can be in a few minutes...why?"

"Do you find it odd that there is no queen in such an important event like this?"

"Well yes-"

"Do you want to know why I am so astounded at the news of our potential betrothal?"

"Yes, but-"

"Trust me in this, my lord duke. Come with me to Windsor Castle and you will know all. It will greatly benefit you in future discussions of the peace treaty with England. However, if you do wish to accompany me, we must leave tonight."

Philip nodded.

"What about Anna?" he inquired.

"She can represent you in tonight's festivities," said Mary crisply. "Princess Anna has been received well by the English Court, and it will not be good if both of you go with me. We can always contact her by letter if needed. I am taking a few reliable servants with me."

Philip nodded again. "Will we leave in our festival clothes?"

"I suppose so." She was in no mood to change to travelling attire.

Philip offered her his arm. "Shall we? The courtiers will not notice. They probably think we will be heading out for a romantic walk. Your father, the King, will be pleased that I am making an effort to converse with you, lady princess." The two walked out of the great hall and into the courtyard, avoiding eye contact from passing courtiers. Mary's cousin, Frances, Marchioness of Dorset, stared at her in confusion as she gracefully glided into the great hall in a richly embroidered gown with her husband. She gave Mary a questionable look before entering the great hall.

A few minutes later, a carriage appeared with an alert driver.

"Your Highnesses," he said, with a polite nod. "I believe you called?"

"This is my loyal servant, Herr Friederich von Schmidt," introduced Philip. "He is capable of numerous services, not only serving as my driver. Herr Schmidt, the Princess Mary Tudor wishes for us to depart for Windsor Castle immediately."

Herr Schmidt nodded and looked at Mary expectedly.

"It will take a couple of hours if we go there without resting," explained Mary. "As it is late, and you must be tired already, Herr Schmidt-"

"Not at all, Your Highness," interrupted Herr Schmidt. "I will drive to Windsor Castle without resting if I must get you there!"


It was the next morning when a tired, yet curious Philip met Queen Anne and her brother, the newly created Duke of Richmond.

"Your Majesty," he said, before kissing Anne's hand. "A pleasure to meet you at last."

"As to you, Your Highness," returned Anne pleasantly. "I'm certain you want to know why I was not included in your welcome party. I will tell you all after you have a rest-"

"No, Your Majesty. No thank you. I rested a little in the ride here. It is the Princess Mary who must rest now. Perhaps you can escort her to her chambers before we discuss...whatever we must discuss? The Princess Mary requested we come here, and she did not yet tell me why."

"Of course. There is one thing you must know now."

"What is it, Your Majesty?"

"The Princess Mary is my sister-in-law."

Philip stared at her, stunned.

Thoughts swirled around his mind as he tried to process the information. His affianced bride was already married...? To the Duke of Richmond?!

A commoner?!

Does that mean he was free...to marry Lady Hertford after all?!

"The King has fooled you, I believe," said Anne apologetically. "I do not understand or know why he did, but the Princess Mary has been married for almost seven years to the Duke of Richmond. It is against all religions if she also marries you. Furthermore, Princess Mary and the Duke of Richmond are already parents to a son and daughter."

"The...the King lied..." He swallowed an angry and humiliated retort.

"I will take Mary to her chambers," offered the Duke of Richmond, who gently led the exhausted Mary away, leaving Philip alone with Anne.

"The King instructed me to leave Hampton Court," explained Anne. "He did not want me there to greet either you or the princess from Cleves. He said I would embarrass England. None of my children were allowed to be there either. Of course they are young, but the thought was cruel. The King lied to many of us for his own purposes."

"The alliance between Bavaria and England is over!" said Philip furiously. "I will write to my brother at once, telling him the news!"

"Do not be so hasty, my lord duke! I myself, had heard unsettling rumours from the common folk about the unsatisfactory rule of our king. Personally, I cannot forgive the King for his actions against me, and I have decided to take my...revenge."

"That is ugly thoughts for a queen, Your Majesty."

"Indeed. Indeed. The King claimed he loved me, and what did he do to prove it? Abandon me for a host of mistresses and feels ashamed to present me to royal guests such as yourself! I tolerated it enough up to now. I cannot look to him as a husband, and England cannot stand him as their king. He will ruin the innocence of my children and teach them nothing but wrong. I also want my children to be raised with tolerance to both Catholicism and Protestantism. I want England to be prosperous, not a kingdom plagued with uprisings and rebellions."

"Great words, Your Majesty, but will you have enough people to rally to your call? If your rebellions fails, you will be tried on the grounds of high treason!"

"Perhaps you will have an alliance with me?"

Philip raised an eyebrow. "I do not think my brother will agree! He sent me here to create an alliance with England, not its queen. What you speak is treason, and even if I am displeased with the King, I will not openly have an alliance with you. It will ruin me and Bavaria! What will be the terms of this treaty? You must have good reason to ask Bavaria to be your ally."

"I will personally pay a large and substantial dowry for your marriage to any English noblewoman, and if I am successful in curbing the king's power and succeeding my goals, I will give you a royal English dukedom to signify your friendship with England. The dowry will be as grand as the one you were promised for your betrothal to the Princess Royal. There will also be fair trade between our nations for economic benefit, and we will send a good number of troops to aid each other."

"Is that all?"

"You may choose any noblewoman to be your wife to solidify the alliance, and you will be given the title 'honourable prince of England'."

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

"I do not seek titles, wealth and possessions for myself in England. I want all of Bavaria to prosper in this alliance. I want migrating Germans to be welcomed here instead of a fate of isolation. As you are quite intent to commit to this alliance, I want a double marriage. I have no children, but my brother and co-ruler does. As a Cleves princess will be betrothed to the Prince of Wales, I want the young Duke of York to be affianced to my infant niece, Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria. I also want your Elizabeth to marry Prince Maximilian of Bavaria, my brother's second son."

"I will not have my daughter wed to a younger son!" It was rude of Anne to say that, but her pride had interfered instead of reason.

Philip arched an eyebrow. "Shall I tell the King of your treasonous actions then?"

"What is wrong with your brother's heir?!"

"You allow Princess Mary to marry your noble brother, and you will not consent to your own daughter to marry a second son?! I may be betrothed to the Princess Royal for only a minute or two, but I rather her daughter married to my brother's heir than your eldest girl. If you think about it, when I die childless, it will be Prince Maximilian who will inherit my lands and titles."

Anne thought for a moment.

"What about my second daughter, the Princess Jane?" she offered. "Elizabeth is betrothed to a French prince, but I will provide an ample dowry for Princess Jane. One even larger than Elizabeth's dowry. Will that not satisfy your brother?"

"I will write to him immediately," said Philip, with a nod. "I suggest you secretly ally yourself with France and the Habsburgs. If you want my military aid, you will need to prepare me a clear passage from Bavaria to England, and it will not be wise to leave the Habsburgs and France as your open enemies. I suppose Princess Mary can help you deal with the Habsburgs?"

Anne grinned and shook his hand.

"What will you do?" Philip said again.

"Gather the people," said Anne promptly. "Rebellions will appear all over England, and the King will be forced to split his army to deal with them. While he is occupied with that, send in half your troops to remove any forces still loyal to the King. I doubt there will be much support left for him, but it is better to be prepared. We will march through London and place Arthur in Westminster under care from loyalists and simultaneously capture the King. If he refuses to rule fairly and agree to compromise, he will live comfortably in the Tower for the remainder of his life, and Arthur will be crowned king, and as his mother, I will be his regent until his majority."

Philip nodded thoughtfully. "Excellent plan, Your Majesty. I cannot think of any better way to depose a king myself! I am willing to send my best men-if my brother agrees with the treaty and all-one a few reasonable conditions I'm sure a clever woman like you will agree to. One, I want this to wait until your son is at least ten years of age, that way he is capable of listening to advice and can think his own mind. Two, your son will marry either a Cleves or Bavarian princess, and finally-and this is for your own benefit-I want the Princess Royal to be regent."

"Why?! You agreed to be my ally!"

"The people will not accept you as regent, even if they side with you. However, with Princess Mary as regent...she may even reconcile you closer with them."

Anne sighed and nodded, defeated. It seemed that everyone she spoke to, supported Mary as regent over her! Would she seriously be a terrible regent?

If she was a princess at birth, would people accept her more as a regent?

"What are your plans now?" Anne asked.

"I will write to my brother," replied Philip. "Once I receive his reply, I will take it from there. My cousin Anna, has stated that she will stay in England for a while and learn English customs that she may bring back to the Cleves Court, hence she will play ambassador for Cleves. If an English prince can be found for her, then she may stay in England with him. I will visit England from time to time if an alliance is made. I have agreed to be your ally, but for pretences' sake, I will ally Bavaria to England. That is my plan if my brother consents to it. Now may I be taken to my chambers? I am quite tired and in need of sleep." As if reinforcing it, he yawned.

"Of course!" said Anne, gesturing for him to follow her. Usually she would summon a servant to direct a guest to his chambers, but she wanted more answers from the German duke. "This way, Your Highness. I will put you in one of the finest guest chambers here in Windsor Castle. We will resume our discussions either in the afternoon or tomorrow."

Philip nodded appreciatively.

"I did not know how tired I am until now," he confessed with another yawn. "Oh, pardon...me...Your Majesty..." He yawned again.

"You are forgiven," said Anne, with a small smile.

"You remind me of someone..." mumbled Philip like a drunkard. "Otto Henry's wife...Princess Susanna of Bavaria...their marriage was political, and they have a harmonious relationship. He doesn't love her as a husband should...he loves a woman of lower social standing...Countess Luise Caroline of Thurn and Taxis and wishes to marry her...I met that woman once...or was it twice...? Nice woman...very pretty. She has wit too. A lot like you...however, Otto will not divorce Susanna...political reasons...her father relinquished his claim to his portion of Bavaria..."

"It seems all intelligent women can never have happy marriages."

"You may be right, Queen Anne!"

"Really? What happened to this Countess Luise Caroline? Did she give in to your brother's desires? Does she rule the Bavarian Court in all but name?"

"No...Otto was away one day-securing Bavaria's borders-and Susanna married Luise Caroline off to a possessive count. A powerful man...it was said that Otto had eyes for his first wife and he grew jealous and angry...she died one day, and it was rumoured that he killed her. Of course Otto will not risk her dead! He would rather stare at her lovingly from a distance...rather than to see her buried...you are more fortunate than she, Your Majesty."

"No I'm not, my lord duke. I am a prisoner here. The King does not love me. He lusted for me, and now I am caught in his trap. I cannot escape or my children will pay. My sons will retain their father's love, but my daughters...they will be banished from Court, and maybe even bastardised. The King has no love for daughters. Except Mary. She is his daughter by his first love."

"You are a trapped bird...but you will escape."

"Are you always this poetic when you are tired, my lord duke?"

"My mind...it is like the stormy sea..."

I take it as a yes, thought Anne, opening the door for him. She remembered the days when the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt, wrote romantic poems for her. She had always considered it indulgent and frivolous, but now wished he wrote more for her. Every court poet found it a privilege to use her as a muse, but it was no longer the case. Poets lost interest in viewing her as a muse, and feared they would be punished on grounds of seducing the queen by the jealous king. Who knew that you are a poet as well as an able soldier and diplomat of Bavaria?

"Perhaps I should have remained in Hampton Court," said Philip sleepily. "People may talk and get the wrong idea... they may think I have abducted their Princess Mary..."

"That will not happen," said Anne, with a laugh. "Tongues may wag, but it'll not be taken seriously. Now have a good rest. You will need your strength for our further conversations."

Philip nodded, placing his sword on a table.

Anne turned to leave, but paused and looked back.

"One last thing," she said cautiously. "Do you wish for me to recommend a noblewoman for you, or have you already selected one?"

"I have already chosen one," said Philip immediately.

"May I ask who it is?"

"I'm sure you will know her. I met her on my way to Hampton Court." He smiled like a lovesick boy. "She told me quite a story, and I fell in love with...her purity, innocence and honesty. I do not want a simpering girl of lies. I already met the one destined to be my wife. Lady Jane Seymour."


Not a chapter I enjoyed writing, and I'm sorry for the wait! In the next chapter, there will be a time jump :)