"Cordelia!"

Cordelia turned as she exited the room Cromwell had been questioning her in. She smiled when she saw her father.

"Hello, Father" she said, with a small bow "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me" Henry said "Unless, you have something to do for the wedding, of course"

"No" Cordelia said "I have time to have lunch with you"

Henry smiled. "I've planned a picnic" he said "I thought we might eat in the garden, since the weather has gotten warmer"

"Sounds great!" Cordelia said "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Henry smiled as he and Cordelia linked arms and headed out of the castle.

&&&&&

"I'm glad to see that you are excited about the wedding" Cordelia said, putting a grape in her mouth

"Did you expect me not to be?" Henry asked "He is my son"

"Yes, well," Cordelia said "For a minute I thought that you were actually going along with what Anne had said"

Henry let out a laugh. "You and everyone else in the family" he said "I must be a good actor"

Cordelia laughed. Henry smiled as he looked at his daughter, her dark brown hair blowing in the breeze.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?"

Cordelia blushed. "Not recently"

Henry chuckled. "Well, you are" he said "You've grown into a beautiful woman, Cordelia. I just wish I was there to see it"

Cordelia noticed the sad look on her father's face. "I know that your sacrifice was very great" she said "But, you did it for good reason. And, yes, I wish I could have stayed here as well, but you did what you thought was best"

"It was the only thing I could think of to protect you" Henry said "I couldn't bear to see you bastardized and stripped of rank. You were my world – and still are. You were the only reason I continued on, even when times were tough, like when your brother died of the sweating sickness…"

Cordelia watched as tears formed in Henry's eyes at the mention of her brother, Henry Fitzroy.

"You don't even know how torn up I was when he died" Henry said, looking up to the sky "He was the only son I had – since I didn't know about Patrick and Matthew at the time – and his death really hurt me. But, when I saw you after he died, you…you gave me reason to go on and try again"

"I never knew you felt that way, Father" Cordelia said "I'm flattered"

Henry smiled. "You are going to be a great leader someday, Cordelia" he said "I can tell by the decisions you make now, by the way you become friends with almost everyone you meet, and by the way you handle arguments with your stepmother"

Cordelia chuckled. "You are proud of me because I fight with your wife?"

"Now I am" Henry said, with a smile "If I had found out about arguments you had with her three years ago, that would have been a different story"

Cordelia laughed. "What's going to happen to Elizabeth after this investigation is over?"

Henry sighed as Cordelia took a bite out of a strawberry. "I'm not sure" he said "Probably the same fate as Mary…"

"No, Father, please" Cordelia said "She's just three. I know that no one has recognized your marriage to Anne. I know that everyone considers her a bastard, but I know that the other royals will eventually accept her. They accepted Matthew and Patrick automatically when you made them part of the succession. They will accept her too"

Henry stared at his daughter for a moment. "You make a good argument" he said "I will consider it"

Cordelia smiled.

"Now," Henry said "On to better, happier topics. Have Patrick and Olivia set a date yet?"

"I don't know" Cordelia said "Why? Getting anxious?"

Henry shrugged. "I am the groom's father. I think that I should know what day my son is getting married"

"No, something else is going on" Cordelia said, trying to read her father's face as he ate a grape "Something you're not telling me"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Henry said, with a hint of a smile

A big smile spread across Cordelia's face. "Oh my God!" she said "No!"

"What?" Henry said, innocently

"You're going to ask Jane to marry you!" Cordelia exclaimed "Aren't you?"

"Well, now that you bring up the subject…"

Cordelia squealed and Henry laughed. "This is amazing!" Cordelia said "Wait, how do you know what's going to happen at the trial?"

"Cromwell has assured me that he has enough evidence to convict the Boleyn's of everything we believed that they did, including something that happened while they were living in France that neither Cromwell nor Charles will tell me" Henry said, picking at the chicken on his plate

"That's because they want to keep it as a big shocker to the court" Cordelia said

"Wait…you know?"

Cordelia nodded. "Matthew, Patrick, and I were practically there when it happened" she said "Well, we were there for the aftermath, not for the actual event"

Henry's eyes widened a little. "And, you're not going to tell me?"

Cordelia smiled and shook her head. "Nope" she said "I'll only tell you at the trial"

"I better schedule the trial soon then" Henry said "Because I'm dying to know what you know"

Cordelia smiled a sly smile. "Believe me, Father" she said "It's pretty condemning"

&&&&&

"Your majesty, the young woman is awake"

Henry and Cordelia had just walked back into the castle when one of the doctors had practically run up to them. They quickly made their way to the young woman's chambers to find her sitting up in bed.

"Your majesty…" the young woman said, nervousness in her voice "Your highness…"

"Good morrow" Henry said, with a smile "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts a little" the woman replied "But, other than that, I'm fine"

"Good" Henry said "I'm glad to hear it…"

"Rosalina" she said "Rosalina Martinez, your majesty"

"Rosalina" Henry said "Are you from around here?"

"I came to live in your kingdom when I was 5, your majesty" Rosalina said "But, I was born in Spain"

"I see" Henry said "Well, you are most welcome here at court"

Rosalina looked confused.

"He's saying that you can live here if you want" Cordelia said, with a smile "You can be a lady-in-waiting to my sister, Mary, if you so choose"

Rosalina's eyes widened. "Your majesty…" she said "I am very grateful"

"Do you have any family that you need to discuss this with?" Henry asked

Rosalina shook her head. "I am an only child and my parents died almost two years ago" she said "I am on my own"

"Well, not any longer" Cordelia said "This is your home, if you would like it to be…"

"Of course!" Rosalina exclaimed "I would be happy to serve the royal family"

"Excellent" Henry said "Once you are well again, I will introduce you to my eldest daughter and to the court. I'm sure that everyone will make you very welcome"

Rosalina smiled as Henry and Cordelia left her room. Once they were gone, she sighed and lay back on her pillow.

&&&&&

"Have you seen the new lady-at-court?" Patrick asked his brother about a week later. They were out on one of the balconies of the castle, looking out on the castle grounds.

"Oh yes" Matthew said "Lady Rosalina"

"What do you think of her?" Patrick asked

"She seems very nice" Matthew said "Well spoken, smart, funny…"

"Do you love her?"

Matthew was taken aback by his brother's question. "Pat, I've talked to her maybe twice in my life" he said "How can I be in love with her?"

"Because I know you" Patrick said "You have the same look on your face when you see her like you did with Tatiana…"

"Don't speak to me of Tatiana!" Matthew practically yelled "That is ancient history"

Patrick was shocked. "Sorry, Matt" he said "I forgot that was a tough topic for you"

"Why shouldn't it be?" Matthew asked "That took up a good three years of our time in Portugal. It's hard to forget"

They were silent for a moment.

"How is Mary getting along with Rosalina?" Matthew asked

"They're practically inseparable" Patrick said "It's been about a week since Rosalina started serving Mary and they're like best friends. But, Rosalina is like that with Cordelia, Melody, and Olivia too, so…"

Matthew nodded. "I have to go" he said, with a hint of anger in his voice "I have to make sure that my outfit fits for your wedding"

Patrick nodded as Matthew hurried away. With the wedding only a few days away, everyone was bustling around the castle, making sure everything was either ready or going to be ready on time.

"Why did you have to bring up Tatiana?"

Patrick turned to see Cordelia standing behind him, her arms crossed with a sad look on her face.

"It was an accident" Patrick said "I forgot how touchy Matthew is when it comes to her"

"We are all touchy when it comes to Tatiana" Cordelia said "Even Melody is touchy when it comes to Tatiana. Matthew is just the touchiest of all of us, and we have to remember that"

Patrick nodded. "I know"

There was a pause.

"How long has it been since…?"

"What I'm sure seems like an eternity for Matthew" Cordelia replied, as a light breeze blew "But, in reality, almost 5 years"

"Wow" Patrick said "5 years? Really?"

"Well, we were 15 when it happened" Cordelia said "We left Portugal when we were 17, so two years later, and now we're 20"

"Well, you're 21" Patrick said, with a smile "It is May"

Cordelia laughed. "And, you're almost 21"

Patrick smiled. "That was one of the darkest days of our lives"

Cordelia nodded. "We just have to keep fond memories of Tatiana in our minds" she said "Especially as it gets closer to the anniversary of when it happened"

Patrick nodded. "I agree" he said "Especially around Matthew"

"Which is why you are not allowed to bring her up again!" Cordelia said, hitting Patrick playfully on the shoulder.

Patrick smiled. There was a pause before he continued. "Does Father know about Tatiana?"

Cordelia shook her head. "No" she said "He doesn't know anything. And, I don't think it would be wise to tell him"

Patrick nodded. "I'll keep that in mind"

Cordelia smiled as Patrick left the balcony. She stayed there for a moment, watching as the servants walked around the palace grounds, getting everything ready for the wedding. Then, she let out a sigh and headed back inside.

Here's a new chapter for you!!

Hope that you like it!!

Just to let everyone know, I am in the process of creating a new character, who is a little different from Cordelia in a few areas. This is because I had a really good idea that I want to develop and I also have writer's block for the sequel to "Cordelia, Princess of England".

Please Read and Review!!