November 12th, 1562
Whitehall Palace
Jane was walking through the corridors of Whitehall Palace alone for the first time, her companions, Lady Elizabeth Howard and Lady Rose Veldon, were occupied with their embroidery. As the oldest Princess of England, she felt it was her right to travel the palace alone, she was five years old after all. She was quite confident until she heard voices around the corner, however, she recovered her bearings when she realized it was her father. She straightened her spine and walked as dignified as a five year old could to meet her father. It wasn't until she heard a woman's voice that she realized her father wasn't alone, she also heard children and she hid herself behind a curtain. It was the Lady Marie, smiling and kissing on her father while he spoke to the two small girls in front of him.
"Ah, Eleanor, my beautiful pearl." Her father picked the girl up and spun her around.
Jane felt her heart drop, wasn't she her father's jewel? Who was this girl and why did her father feel the need to make this Eleanor equal to her?
Eleanor squealed. "I missed you papa!"
Papa? How is it that my father is her father?
Jane watched as he set the Eleanor girl down and turned to another girl, around the same age as Constance. "How are you my sweet Bridget?"
The girl didn't answer his question but instead put an arm around her father's neck and kissed his cheek. Jane was enraged and ran back towards her mother's rooms, she couldn't believe that her father had called another girl his pearl when he told her she was his jewel, his favorite daughter. She pushed open her mother's door and flopped down in her bed, crying. She felt the gentle hands of her mother on her shoulders and looked up to see her confused expression.
"Mama, I saw papa with some little girls and he called on of them his pearl! Then she called him 'papa'! Who are these girls mother?"
Queen Isabella's face was shadowed with some emotion that Jane couldn't name before her eyes softened. "They are the Lady Eleanor, Lady Bridget, and Lady Penelope, the daughters of Lady Marie, sweetheart."
Jane saw her aunts, Lady Exeter and Lady Norfolk, both watching with apprehension as Isabella carefully answered her young daughter's questions.
The Princess turned her large pale blue eyes back on her mother. "Why did they call my papa, 'papa'?"
Her mother sighed. "They are your sisters, my sweet."
"But, my sisters are Anne, Constance, and Philippa. Lady Marie is their mother in any case-" Isabella put her hand over Jane's mouth.
Jane could see the tears welling in her mother's eyes. "They are your father's daughters Jane. Now go back to your rooms, Lady Elizabeth and Lady Rose will keep you company until the joust."
Jane nodded silently and trudged back to her rooms. Elizabeth and Rose were still doing embroidery when Jane returned to her rooms, while Anne and Rebecca were playing with poppets on the floor nearby.
"Jane, can you help me with this stitch? Nobody does embroidery better than you." Rose pouted.
Jane sat in the chair beside them glumly. She didn't care to discuss embroidery while she weighed this new information in her mind. She could not find a single reason why her father had three daughters she had never heard of with the Lady Marie, her former attendant. She also couldn't believe that Lady Eleanor was her equal. Jane was a Princess of England, the Princess Royal to be specific and the fact that Eleanor was Lady Eleanor proved that she wasn't as important as Jane, Anne, Constance or Philippa, who all held the title Princess, so the reason behind her father referring to Eleanor as his pearl eluded her five year old mind.
Elizabeth placed a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?"
"According to my mother, my father has three other daughters, that are not of her body. How is this?" Jane cried.
Elizabeth nodded. "My father also has a daughter that is not of my mother's body. She lives in the country with my lady aunt and my lord uncle. I am told her name is Angelique or Agnes."
Rose held her head down, focusing on her stitching, and Jane allowed Rose to remain silent for once. It was apparent in her silence that she had nothing to add to the conversation, her father had no outside daughters.
Lady Exeter poked her head into the room, her silky black hair forming a halo around her shoulders. "Your Highness, Lady Elizabeth, Lady Rose, your presence has been requested at the joust in honor of His Majesty, the good King Edward VI of England, Ireland, and France."
Jane nodded to her aunt, while Elizabeth and Rose bowed to her. "Lady Exeter,"
With a sweep of her arm, Lady Exeter led the three small girls to the joust happening outside.
November 12th, 1562
Whitehall Palace
"How could you!"
Isabella couldn't believe Edward allowed their daughter to see him with Marie and his bastards. To see Jane run into her rooms with tears in her eyes had broken Isabella's heart in two. Edward looked confused, as if Isabella were speaking German to him.
"What have I done, my love?" He sighed.
Isabella turned to the window, knowing if she looked at Edward she would lose her temper. "Jane came to my rooms today because she saw you with your bastards."
She spat the word bastard like venom, hoping Edward could hearing the discontent in her voice. Isabella turned back to look at him, gritting her teeth to remind herself that she loved him once.
He cleared his throat. "I had no idea she saw me with my daughters by Marie. She must have hidden behind one of the curtains in the palace."
Isabella took a step forward. "You mean to tell me that you were out in the open with your whore?"
Edward lifted his chin. "I believe you should watch your tone."
Isabella scoffed. "I believe you should respect me and your legitimate children while they are present at court."
Edward nodded. "What is this I hear about a Portuguese match for Anne?"
Isabella rolled her eyes. "She is to marry Sebastian of Portugal when she is fifteen. She will be a queen, just as Jane will be a queen. That Lippe match you tried to suggest, was beneath her at best."
"Are you trying to say I do not know what is best for my daughter?" He stepped closer.
Isabella shook her head. "What does it matter? You gave the power to arrange the marriages to me."
Edward was shaking with rage at Isabella's insolence but she didn't care, not any longer. "I can just as easily take it away!"
Isabella closed the small distance between them. "You would not dare!"
They stood, staring each other in the eyes for what seemed like an eternity Edward backed away. "Good day, my lady."
Isabella watched him retreat. "Do not expect to receive my favor at the joust!"
He turned back to look at her with a gaze full of contempt. "Who ever said I would seek your favor?"
She watched him leave, convinced that he was no longer the man that she married.