A Jewel in Henry's Crown
Chapter Fifteen: the King's Reply
While Charlotte lay in her bed, Charles had stepped into her chambers. He walked up to her side and pulled up a chair to sit on. He studied her; her eyes were almost a perfect almond shape, her face was oval and thin. Charlotte's lips were full and luscious, unlike most women's in the court. Her long dark wavy hair fell naturally over her shoulders as she lay sleeping. Her chest was moving up and down calmly as he paid even more attention to her. It was as though Charles was looking at a sleeping goddess. He was deciding when the best time would be to announce to His Majesty that he and Charlotte wanted to marry. Perhaps, the king would understand. After all, he had his infatuation with Anne Boleyn, so why could Charles not have his with Charlotte?
Charles leaned closer towards her and gently traced her lips. She stirred a little but did not wake. Charlotte was in too deep slumber to have really felt his touch. Charles stood up and finally thought it best to write another letter to the King, asking for permission to marry. He walked to his study, closing the mahogany door behind him.
His Majesty the King,
Your Majesty, I am writing to you as a friend. I do not wish to sound alarming of this matter. I wish to marry Lady Charlotte Wallace, with Your Majesties' permission. Since Her Majesty is with child, I had come to the conclusion that Charlotte was no longer appointed as your mistress and could be dismissed from court after her pregnancy failure. I love her, Majesty, just as you love your queen. But, this is at Your Majesties' disposal and hope to give my regards to you in the near future.
Charles Brandon
He sealed the letter and sent it off to Windsor Palace. Charles sank into his chair, and poured himself another glass of wine. What if the king did not give his consent and happiness, and still wanted Charlotte to be his mistress?
This bothered Charles more than anything at the moment. What if she would grow in favour of the king? That seemed less likely than anything. She despised His Majesty; just as much as she despised her father. Charles tried to clear his thoughts but nothing seemed to work. Until the king's reply, Charles was still an engaged man—and could not be with a courtier.
A few days later, Henry had received the letter from Charles and laughed robustly as he read it in the middle of a council meeting. "May I ask what amuses Your Majesty?" Thomas More inquired. Henry glanced at Thomas, while still chuckling at Charles' letter.
"Charles wishes to marry Charlotte Wallace, that one mistress I had who lost her bastard. Her father has been arrested for abuse and rape."
Thomas gave His Majesty a lopsided smile. "Are you allowing the marriage to proceed?"
"I shall wait awhile until we return to Whitehall to give my consent."
"We shan't be returning to Whitehall until spring." Thomas reminded. Henry smirked and chuckled again.
"Precisely," Henry concluded. "Charles can fuck who he pleases and she can be at his disposal and I can command them like dogs; the bitch."
"Majesty, it was not Charlotte who caused her to lose her child. Lord Wallace struck his daughter, causing her—"
"Damn the Wallaces," Henry muttered. "Lord Wallace behaved as though he was King of England. Why should I show discretion to his daughter?"
"Because, she came to be your mistress against her will and it would make her happy if you would give her permission to marry for love, just as Your Majesty did." Thomas explained. "She did what you wanted of her, did she not?"
Henry thought for a moment. "Very well, I shall write to Charles Brandon, giving him my fullest consent and blessings to marry Lady Charlotte Wallace so she may still remain in court alongside her mother." Henry announced. Thomas bowed and left Henry to write back to Charles.