Chapter IV

May, 1550

Mary could not help but glare at Arthur during his tennis match – against the Duke of Suffolk – that sunny day in May.

Only a few days ago, he had informed her of his plans to send her dear Margaret to France as the future wife of the Dauphin Francois of France (son of King Henri II of France and Catherine de Medici). The treaty had been signed, and all that is needed is for Margaret to be carted off to France.

George had been furious and devastated when he heard the news of Margaret's impending marriage and naturally thought Mary was responsible for it. In April, Anne had succeeded in reconciling the two, but thanks to Arthur's plans, all chances of further reconciliation had gone up smoke.

Even though he was invited to watch the tennis tournament, George chose to decline and escaped to Blickling Hall, a country estate he declared he actually owned in his own right.

Throughout her regency, Arthur had shown many signs of rebellion and discontentment, yet Mary made excuses of his youth and boredom. For the first time, Mary resented Arthur and had a nasty gut feeling that her half-brother inherited more traits from their tyrannical father than Anne. She wondered how Arthur transformed from a sweet boy into a ruthless young ruler without her notice. Then again, she did not want to see the King Henry in Arthur.

"I already won against Berkshire," boasted Arthur, grinning smugly at the defeated Berkshire who sat alone under a tree a small distance away. "Cousin Suffolk, I hope you'll be more of a challenge! Your brother Berkshire was hopeless!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Suffolk cautiously.

In the stands, his wife, the Duchess, wringed her hands nervously as she watched the King and Suffolk take their places opposite each other in the tennis court.

"You do not need to worry," said Anne kindly. "Your husband, His Grace, is an excellent tennis player and a worthy opponent to His Majesty."

"Our daughters need their father," said the Duchess of Suffolk worriedly. "It is already unfortunate that I failed in my duties and only given my husband three daughters, but he cannot die now! I need my husband and they need their father!"

"If the dukedom of Suffolk is not male entailed, then your eldest daughter will inherit His Grace's titles and estates. If it is, your brother-in-law will be the next Duke of Suffolk. I believe he has Brandon sons to continue the family name."

"Will the King be a...fair player?"

"Of course! Why would you think otherwise?!"

"Poor Berkshire. He was treated rather badly in the last round with His Majesty, and our gracious King humiliates him further even now!"

"His Grace is a strong and excellent tennis player. I'm certain he will not be an easy competitor against our King." She smiled encouragingly at the Duchess.

"Where is George?" said the Duchess, turning to Mary. "Is he late?"

Mary darkened. "He is in the company of wine and misery in Blickling Hall. He finds Court life too stifling for him and prefers to be alone in his childhood home."

"That is unusual of George," murmured Anne. "I knew him all my life, and he always loved it at Court – all his friends, admirers...he would never enjoy solitude for long. Don't worry. He will be back. It's not your fault that Arthur decided to betroth Margaret to the Dauphin without George's knowledge. I suppose he is in a tough time at the moment."

"I thought he would be prepared to lose his children through marriages."

"He had been prepared for that most of his life. I guess he was still shocked when he found out his daughters will marry royals rather than nobles. Oh look, the match is starting."

The women returned their attention to the tennis game, the majority of spectators shouting good fortune to Arthur.

To Mary's surprise, Katherine Grey scurried to the King and handed him a finely embroidered handkerchief. "It is not a joust, my lady," said Arthur, amused.

"It is a gift from my sister Jane, Your Majesty," said Katherine Grey, dipping into a curtsey. "She sends

word that she apologises for not being here in England to watch your tennis match and wishes for me to give you that handkerchief she had sewn."

Arthur looked at it closely. In the middle of the piece of cloth was an embroidered crown with two Tudor roses on either side of it.

"It is beautiful," he commented, tying it to the stem of his racket. "Very beautiful. Your sister is a fine embroiderer, Lady Katherine. I will write to her and thank her."

Lady Katherine curtsied again and hurried to her mother.

"You done well," remarked Frances, offering her daughter a rare smile. "It is fortunate Jane left this piece of embroidery behind before her journey to Bavaria. I must say, you will be a better Queen than Jane, due to your obedience. You are more beautiful than Jane too. I'm surprised the King fell for Jane rather than you, my dear! Now, shall we watch the game?"

Lady Katherine blushed at the compliment. Her lady mother hardly complimented her or her sisters and a single praise was worth thousands of gems.

Like every other day, Isabella roamed the gardens inside the palace walls like a prisoner wandering in a cell in the Tower of London.

She was free to go wherever she wanted to, but she felt like a trapped bird. She wondered what it would've been like if she was born as Mary's sister with Henry VIII as her father. Would she be closer to Mary rather than more apart from her?

"Fancy seeing you here again, my Princess."

Thomas Seymour appeared again, twirling a rose between his fingers. "A gift for you, my lady," he said gallantly, presenting it to her. "I could not help but compare your beauty to that of this rose. You see, my lady Princess, it was the only red rose from a garden of white."

Isabella laughed. "Perhaps the gardeners made a mistake when they planted the roses."

"You are more beautiful than any other lady in Court. If I am an unmarried man, I would swoop you from the ground and shower you with jewels!"

"You jest, Lord Seymour! You jest! You have dear Catherine at your side! She has given you many children and is a fine wife. This is the fourth time this month I saw you in the gardens. Do you have a habit of walking in the gardens too?"

Thomas smiled. He disliked walking in gardens, but the only reason he did so was to talk to the naive young Princess in front of him.

"Nothing makes me happier," he lied smoothly. "What about you, my lady?"

"I feel like I am a prisoner," confessed Isabella.

"Oh?" His eyes widened in mock puzzlement. "Why is that, my lady?"

"I was raised here in England, yet I do not believe it to be my home. The Lady Protector is my sister, yet I cannot even bring myself to call her 'Mary'. She cannot even reconcile herself to her husband! How am I supposed to feel welcome here in England?"

"Where do you think you will feel at home in?"

"Perhaps Spain. Both my parents were Spanish. I suppose if i do have the choice to live in Spain, I will live with the Emperor and his family. He is my cousin after all."

"Indeed, my lady. If you do consider moving to Spain, I must say, I will miss your lovely company in our walks in the garden."

Isabella blushed. "I'm pleased you find our walks enjoyable, Lord Seymour."

Thomas grinned. "How do you find my daughter Cecily, my Princess?"

"She is one of the gentlest and most friendliest souls I ever met, Lord Seymour! I am pleased I made her acquaintance. Once she is older and finished her education, I will be delighted to appoint her as one of my official maids-of-honour. The Lady Protector and the Queen Dowager hardly visit my apartments and do not seem to care who I take as my maids-of-honour and ladies-in-waiting. The Lady Protector appointed all the members of my household of course, but I do not think she did it because she cares for me as a sister. I think she felt obligated to do so."

"Thank you, Your Highness. You are too kind for words. When Cecily talks about you, she always sings

your many praises." He gracefully plucked another flower and handed it to her. "Cecily really enjoys being in your service," he added. "Oh yes, my wife wishes to convey thanks for aiding Cecily in her needlework and embroidery. She has greatly improved."

"It is no trouble. Cecily is quite gifted in needlework. More than Princess Elizabeth has ever been good at. The Princess Elizabeth excelled in languages and hunting, but when it comes to embroidery and needlework..." She chuckled lightly. "Not her best area."

"Are you close to Princess Elizabeth?"

"We spent time together as children. She was – and is – always cleverer than I. I suppose we were never close. Then again, I was never close to anyone."

Thomas sighed sympathetically. "You are close to Cecily! Perhaps you can be even closer to us through time! Reminds me, you may find this book quite fascinating." He handed her a small book she immediately recognised as a copy if the English Bible.

"For me," pleaded Thomas, his eyes glittering as he saw the alarm and uncertainty in Isabella's sapphire blue eyes. "And for Cecily. I assure you, Your Highness, you will find this book rather interesting. Why don't you give it a read?"

A heavily pregnant Elizabeth sat in front of the empty fireplace of Kenilworth Castle with a piece of cloth on her lap, surrounded by her female Dudley in-laws (with the exception of her stepmother-in-law, Jane Dudley, 1st Viscountess Lovell).

Sitting on her right was John Dudley, 1st Earl of Warwick's daughter by his first wife (the late Jane Guildford), Lady Mary, while on Elizabeth's left were his daughters by the Viscountess Lovell – Ladies Jane and Elizabeth – whom were all delighted to be in her company.

"I cannot wait for you to present us with your child," said Lady Elizabeth excitedly. "I have been sewing clothes for him all month!"

"For the last few months," corrected Lady Jane. "We have all been sewing him clothes."

"What if it's a girl?" asked Lady Mary. "Elizabeth, will you be pleased with a daughter?"

"Yes," said Elizabeth honestly. "I will love her as much as I will love a son. Robert also said he would be happy with either a daughter or son."

"Father would want a grandson," chirped Lady Elizabeth. "He was disappointed when Ambrose's wife – Frances Sidney – miscarried and then gave birth to a daughter! Our dear little niece Joan! Have you seen her yet, dear Elizabeth?"

"Yes," said Elizabeth, smiling at her. "Joan is a sweet infant. I'm certain she will love another cousin in the nursery. Didn't Viscount Lisle have a son last year?"

With three daughters, Lord Warwick also had five sons (John Dudley, Viscount Lisle, married to Mistress Elizabeth Cooke; Lord Ambrose Dudley, married to Mistress Frances Sidney; Lord Robert Dudley, the fortunate fellow to marry his childhood sweetheart and a princess, but the unfortunate noble who earnt the King's wrath; Lord Henry Dudley and Lord George Dudley) with Lady Warwick's son – Thomas Parker, Baron Parker – as his ward.

Lady Mary nodded. "'Little John' we call him. I wish he was in the nursery too."

Lady Mary herself was a young widow of twenty. When she was fifteen, she had married Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland and the year after, she had given him his heir (Charles Neville, now 6th Earl of Westmorland), only to then find herself a widow after five years of marriage. Lady Mary returned home while her son remained in the care of his grandmother Katharine Neville (née Stafford), Dowager Countess of Westmorland and his many uncles and aunts.

"Poor child," sighed Elizabeth. A few months after Little John's birth, he was whisked away to the nursery in Dudley Castle as Warwick had decided it to be the perfect place to raise the Dudley boys. She secretly hoped she would have a daughter to keep her closer to her.

"Lord father said I am to marry in a month," said Lady Jane gloomily. "He had already chosen Lord Henry Percy to be my husband."

"Lord Henry Percy?!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "That is such an honour, dear Jane! He is the heir apparent to the earldom of Northumberland! As his wife, you will have an immediate place at Court! The Percys are always held with high regard by both my lady mother and the Queen Dowager and I'm certain you will be accepted in either household."

"That will be an honour. Will you ever be a countess?"

Elizabeth was silent for a moment before she said quietly, "I don't know. Marrying for love costs more than the jewels around your neck and wrists. You will be fortunate if your marriage to Henry Percy turns out to be a love match. The King and I used to be close...not anymore. He will not allow me to return to Court as the wife of an Earl's third son, yet he refuses to give Robert a peerage or even a knighthood! I would be happy to be a knight's wife! I just want to go back to Court."

"Now you understand how I feel."

Lady Elizabeth dropped her piece of embroidery in shock as her mother, the sour-faced Lady Warwick, entered the room.

Giving Elizabeth a nasty look, she said, "I was a courtier and Court was my home. That was until the late King banished me from Court to here and other castles my husband owns. Kings value love, but they hate those who find love before them. The King may be your brother, but it seems he is like all other kings. You may as well settle permanently into country life."

She did not seem to care that Elizabeth was still a princess, and enjoyed treating her in a manner she treated her daughters, widowed stepdaughter and other daughters-in-law.

Elizabeth flushed hotly, irritated at Lady Warwick's attitude. "It is my fault as much as his," she said coldly, ignoring the gaping mouths of her sisters-in-law.

"Oh?" said Lady Warwick mockingly. "Why is that?"

"I humiliated him through my rejection of Archduke Maximilian of Austria. He is the King. It is something he will never forget or forgive."

"If that is the case, why do you pine to return to Court? You would know you aren't wanted there by the King." She smiled with satisfaction.

Elizabeth stared at her stonily. "Court will always be my home."

Lady Warwick shrieked with laughter like a madwoman. Her daughters flinched and Lady Mary continued sewing with shaking hands. Elizabeth presumed it wasn't the first time she had a mad episode and it most certainly wouldn't be her last.

"That is enough." Warwick had appeared at the door and looked at his wife sternly.

"Lord husband!" said Lady Warwick, cackling crazily. "You are home! I thought you are at Court!"

"I was dismissed," he said shortly, glancing at Elizabeth before returning his attention to her. "Two days ago, the King informed me that my services were no longer required and I am to remain away from Court until I am invited back. Thank God my heir and Ambrose are still at Court. It seems the King has a liking for one of them. I don't know which though. Yet. It is always good to have eyes and ears at Court. I only arrived here today after I visited Little John in Dudley Castle."

"How is he?" said Lady Elizabeth eagerly. "Lord father," she added dutifully.

"Well," was the short and blunt reply. "The nursemaids assure me that he is healthy, happy and will be a strong and well-educated lordling. It would be more assuring if he had other brothers or male Dudley cousins with him. I heard you have not been particularly studious lately."

Lady Elizabeth looked away, ashamed and embarrassed.

"Must I take a page from the Marchioness of Dorset's book?" said Warwick dangerously, glaring venomously at his youngest daughter. "Many men still find their daughters better beautiful than educated, but I think otherwise. If I ever hear that you are not showing improvement to your studies, I will whip you until you learn your books. Do you understand?"

Terrified, Lady Elizabeth nodded, tears appearing in her eyes.

"I will help you," promised Elizabeth, patting her hand.

"Hmmph," grunted Warwick. "It would be better if she learns on her own, but I suppose your help would be useful. For now. How is the child?"

"Very good," answered Elizabeth. "He is very strong as he constantly kicks." She smiled as she felt her baby kick her stomach again. "The physicians are certain the child is a boy."

"Excellent. Any names?"

"I thought it would be wise to name him 'Arthur' after the King, but he may feel slightly insulted that the

product of my marriage with Robert to be named after him. Robert suggested 'John' after you, my lord, but you already have Little John. There is 'Henry', but I do not want my child named after the late King. Both Robert and I agreed on 'Edward' or 'George'. If it is a girl, we will decide between 'Anne' (after my mother), 'Mary' (after the Lady Protector) or 'Jane' (after Robert's mother)."

"It will be a boy."

"That is what we all pray for, but we must prepare for a daughter as well. We cannot always believe the unborn child is a son."

Warwick scowled.

He was not in a good mood.

"Name her after your mother," he said unexpectedly.

"Pardon?" said Elizabeth, taken back.

"If it is a girl, name her after your mother. I don't want a granddaughter named after the Lady Protector or any of my wives." He nodded discreetly at Lady Warwick.

"The Lady Protector is my sister-"

"I am well aware of that. However, I do not want a granddaughter named after the Lady Protector at the moment. She did not lift a finger or say a single word as she witnessed my dismissal. After all my services and loyalty to the crown, all I earnt was a dismissal without warning! Your dear sister welcomed my dismissal with joy!" He grumbled bitterly. "She never respected my opinions."

Elizabeth did not bother reminding him that he was treading close to treason.

Warwick always walked on thin ice and as a Dudley, she is now bound to obey him.

"Jane," he said, turning to his second daughter. "The Percys will be coming for supper in a few days, and I expect you to be prepared to meet them, as your betrothed – Lord Henry Percy – will be a member of the party. You should be pleased to meet him before your wedding. You must be on your best manners and speak eloquently. I will be deeply disappointed in you if you only sit and smile like a painted doll. I did not waste my wealth to have you educated only for you to act like a mute. Understand?" Before she could reply, he turned his attention to Lady Elizabeth. "You are now betrothed," he told her plainly. "Before my dismissal, I have completed negotiations with Lord Seymour of Sudeley and he had agreed for you to marry his nephew, Sir Edward Seymour. It seems the Duchess of Bavaria had a change of heart lately and relinquished the earldom of Hertford to the said nephew and persuaded the Lady Protector to officialise it though letters patent. In a month, Sir Edward will be the 2nd Earl of Hertford, and upon your marriage to him, you will be a countess."

Lady Elizabeth squeaked with horror and astonishment. "Marriage, lord father?"

"Yes," said Warwick impatiently. "It is your duty to marry and have children. God forbid you are more uneducated than I thought."

"To...to the Earl of Hertford?"

"Indeed. An excellent match as it seems the Seymours will be back in favour shortly. The Dowager Queen always had a soft spot for Percys and the Lady Protector is good friends with Lord Seymour's wife and the Duchess of Bavaria."

Lady Elizabeth stared at him blankly.

"You forgot our son's betrothal," Lady Warwick reminded him.

"Oh yes," said Warwick tightly, edging a little away from his wife. "Our Henry is betrothed to Lady Anne Somerset. I believe she was your maid-of-honour, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Lady Anne is a good and obedient noblewoman," she remarked. "I must admit, I am surprised her father – Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester – has agreed for her to marry Henry. Last I heard, she was betrothed to-" She stopped suddenly.

Warwick smiled smugly. "Indeed. She was betrothed to Lord Henry Percy, but he is now engaged to our Jane. I have offered Ely Place and Durham House as her dower estates, and as he is a son of my blood and Viscountess Lovell's, an earldom is due to him. The sooner you give me grandchildren, the quicker I can arrange excellent matches for them."

Elizabeth suppressed a shudder. "That is thoughtful of you, my lord."

"It is my duty. I trust after months of being part of our family, you have become aware that we value loyalty and duty quite strongly. It is the women's duty to bear children and run households, while we men serve the crown loyally and find ways to benefit our family. We may sacrifice love and desire, but it is for the better good of the family."

"I...I have noticed, my lord."

Warwick nodded approvingly. "Good. You should rest. Mary, accompany Elizabeth to her chambers and stay with her for an hour or so."

Lady Mary nodded and rose. Before Elizabeth could stand, her brother-in-law, Ambrose, rushed into the room, red-faced and panting.

"What is it?!" demanded Warwick, alert. "What has happened?!"

Ambrose gasped for breath and collapsed onto a spare chair before uttering between quick wheezes for air, "He has been attacked! The King was attacked!"

Elizabeth will be more fiery in later chapters as it is still an insecure time for her and she is pregnant. I experienced a little writer's block in this chapter, and I hope it won't happen again too quickly! :)