Mary was in her cabin preparing to meet the King of France. The French Ambassador had told Mary that the King intended to meet them when the ship had made it to port. Elizabeth and Annie were ready wearing their mothers 'B' necklaces whilst Mary checked her appearance in the mirror. She didn't know why she was doing this, it wasn't her that King Francis wished to see but her royal charge. However Mary couldn't be rid of the burning anticipation of seeing her old lover again and wondered if he would still find her attractive as he did when they had first met. "You're being foolish Mary." Shaking her head and berating herself, "He's not coming to see you."
"I wouldn't be too sure my lady." The Ambassador smiled having just walked in to see Mary Stafford. During their short trip over the English Channel he became rather fond of the lady. He heard rumours of how arrogant the Boleyn family was but he saw no trace of it in this woman and he saw her living conditions. It was certainly no place for a royal daughter. "My master usually wouldn't involve himself in these matters personally but the fact that his majesty is choosing to meet you directly must mean you're important."
"Elizabeth is important your excellency." Mary corrected, "She's King Henrys' daughter whilst I'm too past my prime to draw a Kings' eye."
"You're not without beauty madam but we'll find out soon enough." Ambassador Clarence smiled. "Take a look out of the window." Mary did as was instructed and saw a face she hadn't seen in years. Mary had thought she had matured over the years but seeing Francis again made her feel like a teenager again. The Ambassador noticing the lady smiling as she gazed at the King through the window commented, "It's the first time I've seen you smile since we've met. I'm sure my master will be just as pleased to see you again my lady."
Mary blushed at his comment and tried to calm down. "We probably should get going we wouldn't want to keep his majesty waiting." As she went to collect the girls she couldn't help but hope that the Ambassadors words were true.
King Henry was enjoying his breakfast with his wife Queen Jane. For the first time in his reign he felt he could rest easy as he finally had a son and heir he always wanted. Unfortunately the birth wasn't without some complications, the birth had been long and difficult for his Queen. The physicians told him that the Queen needed some time to heal before he can consider trying for another child but Henry didn't mind waiting. Queen Jane had already proved that she was capable of having sons and she didn't mind him taking a mistress. Lady Ursula Misseldon was very accommodating to King Henrys' appetites and his Queen didn't object. Everything seemed perfect but Henry couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
His thoughts were interrupted by Thomas Cromwell, "Your Majesty some terrible news has just arrived about your daughter the Lady Mary."
"Is the Lady Mary well?" Queen Jane asked in concern.
"She is well your majesty." Cromwell answered, then nervously turned to the King. "Her betrothed the Duke however has just died your majesty."
"That is terrible Lord Cromwell." King Henry said gravely, "She only just left the country recently to marry him. When does she return home?"
"That's the problem your majesty, she has no intention of returning." Thomas Cromwell handed him a note from one of his spies in Rome. "The Pope is planning on giving Cardinal Pole a special dispensation to marry the Lady Mary and encourages them to take your majesties throne."
"Those hypocritical bastards!" The King rose in fury. The Church of Rome condemned those like Thomas Cranmer for taking a wife. Although the King of England himself didn't believe that members of the church should be allowed to marry he could never forget what Thomas Cranmer had done for him so he chose to turn a blind eye. Yet here was the Bishop of Rome encouraging a man of the cloth to break his vows and marry his daughter all in an effort to overthrow the King of England. Then Henry looked at his Queen who looked down at her hands nervously as she was the one who had encouraged him to allow the Lady Mary to marry. "And my daughter she agrees to this treachery?"
"It is not known your majesty." Cromwell informed, "Her cousin the Emperor has her heavily guarded in Spain. However the traitor Pole roams free in France trying to drum up support for his claim though I'm not sure he will be successful. As you know your majesty King Francis has no love for the Emperor and will not likely support Pole's marriage to the Lady Mary."
"He will if the Pope orders him to." Henry huffed thinking about when Francis had first supported his divorce of Katherine then went back on his word all because the bloody Bishop of Rome told him to. "Send Sir Francis Bryan to France and have him bring Pole back here. I want the pleasure of signing his death warrant and Cromwell send for the Lady Elizabeth. She may be a bastard but I can't afford someone else using her against me like the Lady Mary." The truth was he hadn't thought of her much since he had her mother executed. It was strange because his wife who had campaigned for Lady Mary to be reunited with her father had not even said a word in support for his youngest daughter to be reunited. King Henry may have been angry with the girls' mother and probably was still angry at Anne's betrayal with those men but it wasn't Elizabeths' fault.
"I'm afraid that's not possible your majesty." Thomas Cromwell said nervously.
In a surprising show of concern for the child Henry asked, "Is she ill? Has a physician been sent for?"
"No one has seen her your majesty," Cromwell gulped nervously staring at the floor. "She's gone missing."
"So you mean to tell me Lord Cromwell that not only have I lost one daughter to your incompetence but two?" The Queen jumped back in fright as King Henry flipped the table over in a rage. "Why wasn't I informed?"
"We didn't want to worry you your majesty." Cromwell trembled in fear. The truth was he didn't know what the King of England felt for his youngest daughter. He had no way of predicting his moods.
"You didn't want to worry me?" Henry laughed sarcastically, "But you wasted no time at all informing me of the Lady Marys' betrayal." Henry should have known that the Lady Mary was a lost cause but Elizabeth was still a child and would have easily conformed to her fathers' wishes. Now Elizabeth was gone possibly with someone who would turn her against him as Katherine turned Mary. "Get out all of you, I wish to be alone!" Jane remained behind after Cromwell and the servants had scattered. She went to place a comforting hand on the Kings' shoulder but he shrugged her off with a growl, "I said I wish to be alone." After Jane had finally left the room King Henry collapsed in a heap and cried for his missing daughter.
King Francis didn't know what he was expecting when he saw his guests arrive. He had never met the Lady Elizabeth before but when he did he was surprised that the King of England could deny her lineage. The striking red hair, the way she carried herself with the grace of a princess, the way she greeted him in perfect French. Her cousin Annie curtsied clumsily and giggled in way that reminded him of the girls' mother Mary in her youth.
Mary looked as though she had little to smile about these days but when their eyes met there was a genuine relief and warmth in her eyes. She made him feel like a knight in those tales he used read about when he was a child. The kind of knight that rescued the fair damsel and Mary certainly was fair. Gone was the childish teenager who he had seduced into giving him her innocence and now was a mature young woman who knew her own mind. This woman Francis wouldn't mind getting to know. He reached for Marys' hand and kissed it with a warm smile. "It is wonderful to see you again Mary."
"It's been a long while your majesty." Mary blushed prettily, nervous at his attentions. "Much has changed since we last met."
"Yes it has," Francis agreed. When last he saw Mary the Boleyn family were on the rise but now they had fallen so far. His beautiful Mary now reduced to wearing rags and having to beg others to help support her niece and daughter. "Though starting today things shall change for the better." The King of France promised. "Come let me show you ladies to your new lodgings."
The King of France took Mary Stafford by the hand and led her to the horses. Annie shared a horse with her mother whilst Francis shared a horse with Elizabeth. As they rode through the lower town of Boulogne people stopped and waved to the King of France. Annie waved excitedly whilst Elizabeth gave a polite nod and the occasional wave. Once again Francis was struck by how the young lady behaved. He didn't think his own children behaved with such dignity. He still remembered his eldest son the late Prince Francis rubbing his face in disgust when his betrothed the then Princess Mary kissed his cheek and her responding to the slight on her by pushing the young prince down much to the delight of King Henry. Francis should have known then that the alliance between the two countries wasn't going to work though he couldn't imagine this little girl sitting in front of him behaving the way her sister did.
They arrived at the Chateau de Boulogne and Francis playing the part of the chivalrous knight assisted the ladies off their horses. Annie looked around the courtyard in wonder. "We're staying in a Castle?"
"Yes my lady." Francis smiled indulgently at little Annie's question. "I'm giving your Mama a new Castle and a title. From now on your Mama will be known as the Countess of Boulogne."
Elizabeth smiled at her younger cousin, "That means you'll be a Lady like me."
"Well not quite." King Francis explained to Elizabeth, "You are still the daughter of a King so your rank will be slightly higher than your cousin the Lady Anne."
Annie giggled at the use of her new title. "Will I get new dresses?"
"Well you'll just have to wait and see." King Francis motioned for one of the servants a young Brigitte Rousselot. "Show these two young ladies to their chambers and help them find something appropriate to wear."
"Yes your majesty." The young servant went to take the young children but Elizabeth hesitated. She saw the unsure look on her aunts' face and wondered whether it was wise to follow. Mary gave her niece a reassuring nod and Elizabeth followed her cousin who was chatting animatedly with Brigitte.
Mary Stafford wasn't sure if her decision to come to France was wise. She didn't expect all this when she wrote to Francis but then she saw the King offer his hand for her to take, "Care to take a walk with me Countess Boulogne?"
Thomas Cranmer didn't like to attend court. He tended to stay away from it as much as possible. Whilst Cranmer didn't agree with the Pilgrimage of Grace religious practises, he did agree that the King was being led astray from the right path by corrupt individuals namely Thomas Cromwell. Like the late Queen Anne Boleyn Cranmer believed Cromwell was being too heavy handed with the monasteries, perhaps if Cranmer had voiced his concerns Anne could have avoided her death but if Cranmer was honest with himself he could have died alongside those four innocent men. Thomas Cromwell was no longer the man Cranmer once knew, he allowed power and greed to corrupt his heart which was one of the main reasons why Cranmer chose to stay away. Thomas Cranmer didn't want power and greed to corrupt him as it did his friend.
Unfortunately Thomas Cranmer couldn't ignore a summons from the King. No one told him what the King wanted him for which made the Archbishop nervous. Cranmer found the King staring at a miniature of someone the Archbishop couldn't see from a distance but Cranmer could see that the King was in pain not in body but in spirit. Assuming that the King of England wanted spiritual advice Thomas Cranmer decided to offer his service. "You wish to see me your majesty."
The King finally noticed the Archbiships' presence. "Ah yes I did." The King of England quickly concealed the miniature Anne had given him of Elizabeth during their marriage and began to speak to his Archbishop. "I understand that you made frequent visits to my daughter the Lady Elizabeth."
Archbishop Cranmer shifted nervously. For so long he prayed that the King would bring up the matter of the Lady Elizabeth but now that the King had brought it up Cranmer was unsure of what to say. "As the Lady Elizabeths' godfather it is my duty to offer her guidance when she needs it."
King Henry laughed at the Archbishops answer, "It's one of the many things I like about you Cranmer, you always take all of your duties seriously." Then the Kings eyes turned dark, "If only others took their duties as seriously as you do."
"I'm sorry your majesty but I'm afraid I don't follow." Thomas Cranmer couldn't be certain but had a feeling that the Kings' chancellor Thomas Cromwell had displeased the King in some way.
"Cromwell has lost contact with my daughter Elizabeth." Henry said bluntly.
"Is that what he told you?" Cranmer said in utter disbelief. It was just like Cromwell to down play his part like this.
"Do you know something different?" King Henry was tired of people lying to him. He wanted to know the truth and he knew that Thomas Cranmer was an honest man.
"I do your majesty but I fear you will not like it." For a long time Cranmer believed that the King of England intentionally allowed Elizabeth to suffer in poverty but now he was beginning to believe that wasn't the case. "I suggest your majesty that you should check the royal ledgers then you can begin to understand what it is that Cromwell has done."
"Was my Elizabeth not provided for?" King Henry questioned surprised that the Archbishop didn't just tell him what Cromwell had done but Cranmer was clever he didn't want throw accusations around without definite proof. "What will I find?"
"You'll find that the royal treasury hasn't been providing for the Lady Elizabeth since her mothers' death." Thomas Cranmer explained carefully not using Anne's name knowing how much it would upset King Henry. "Though Lady Bryan did attempt to write to the chancellor requesting money for new clothes as the young lady had out grew them. However when Prince Edward was born and the Lady Bryan was summoned to join his service no replacement governess was hired for the Lady Elizabeth. Your young daughter found herself in the care of her Aunt Mary."
"But her Aunt Mary was married to a common soldier, William Stafford. They don't have the resources to care for a royal child. Why didn't Norfolk take her in? They're kin are they not?" Norfolk had plenty of wealth to take care of a royal child. "Why not the childs' grandfather?" King Henry knew Thomas Boleyn had nothing to lose by taking Elizabeth in, he was already in exile without any heirs to take over his estate.
"Neither one of them wanted to risk further disfavour by taking her in." Thomas didn't mention the fact that both of them abandoned George and Anne to their fate. Norfolk was one those men who gave Anne and George the guilty verdict. There was no way he was going to take the Lady Elizabeth into his care.
"I'll tell you one thing Cranmer both of those men are going to fall farther than ever before." The King stood up and started to pace. "Do you know where I can find Mary Stafford?" Being married to a common soldier she could be anywhere.
"I'm afraid I cannot your majesty." Cranmer answered truthfully. "The last time I saw Mistress Stafford her husband had just died fighting the rebels against your majestys' crown. She wasn't coping very well on her own so she asked me to assist her in sending a letter to a friend in France."
"Did she say who this friend was?" Henry asked. Henry didn't think that Mary was popular in France considering her reputation and it was thinking of that reputation made him worry for Elizabeths' welfare even more. When Cranmer had shook his head in a negative answer to the Kings' question Henry decided to send Sir Francis Bryan a further note requesting that he search for Lady Elizabeth as well. He would not allow her to become tainted like her mother.
King Francis and the new Countess walked in the castle grounds. Mary still struggled to believe that all of this was hers. She should have felt grateful but deep inside she was frightened. It was all too much for her, she felt like she couldn't breathe. Was this what Anne had felt like when she was made Marques of Pembroke. It was thinking of Anne that made Mary feel faint. Francis noticing Marys' distress put his arm around her to steady Mary and led her to a nearby bench. "Are you alright?" He asked in concern.
"This is all too much." Mary said taking deep breaths to calm herself. "I don't deserve this."
"Of course you do." Francis insisted, "Elizabeth is your royal ward, being a Countess gives you the resources needed to care for her."
"I shouldn't be here." Mary was struggling to keep calm; her distress was growing by the minute
"You had nowhere else to go." Francis was getting worried, he didn't mean to upset her. He thought Mary would be happy with her new accommodations.
"You don't understand." Mary shaking her head with tears falling down her beautiful face. "I wasn't with them. They weren't supposed to die, Anne was so clever and George was a good brother, he died protecting her and I wasn't there. I'm the oldest I should have been taking care of them; I should have died with them."
At these words Francis took Mary into his arms stroking her hair in comfort. "You shouldn't say that and you mustn't believe it. God had spared you so that Elizabeth wouldn't be alone."
Mary looked up into Francis eyes. "But Anne was her mother, she should be in this Castle taking care of her not me."
"Anne wouldn't want you to think that way. Anne would have wanted you to be happy." Francis then stroked Marys' cheek affectionately, "Do you remember what her motto was?"
"The most happy." Mary smiled in the way Francis loved.
"And that's what you shall be, I promise you." Francis sealed that promise with a kiss not knowing that a little Annie Stafford was watching them through the window. She didn't know King Francis that well but she knew that he made her Mama smile in a way she hadn't seen for a long time not since her Papa was alive. Whilst Annie looked on the scene with much joy Elizabeth looked on in concern. She knew firsthand how fickle Kings' could be; her Papa was a prime example and she remembered how heartbroken her Mama was when she pleaded with him for one more chance. Many assumed Elizabeth didn't remember because she was too young. Whilst Elizabeth didn't remember the exact words spoken between husband and wife she did remember the feelings. Her Papa being so angry and her Mama being so terrified of him. Elizabeth gave a silent prayer that things would be different this time, that King Francis would be a different man than her Papa and that Aunt Mary wouldn't suffer the same heartbreak as her Mama did.