Disclaimer: Really? If I did I would be Goddess Supreme now wouldn't I?

I want to apologize to my readers and reviewers if I made mistakes last chapter and confused you, those were now corrected and Princess Petra's full name was intended to be Minerva Petra however I did not make it clear enough so I changed her name to just Petra. Also I realized heavy grammar errors, those are now corrected. Thanks Velocitygirl once more for Beta reading this chapter, and check out her fic Against All Odds, and thanks again to MimiDubois for her unwavering support, check out her fic Faith For Duty! And thanks to the rest of my reviewers who've made this possible.

Thanks, please R/R!

Chapter #48: Family, Duty, Faith, and Honor

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

~Romans 8: 38-39 (King James Bible version)

"You must be Lady Roxanna"

Her breath caught in her throat, she could not speak, for a moment she thought she would faint and her head would end up in her plate, making a fool of herself, but thankfully the Queen of Spain saw her nervousness and leaving her cane to rest next to their father's chair, she grasped the girl's shoulders and helped raise her. "You have very beautiful eyes Lady Roxanna, doesn't she ..." she stopped in mid sentence. Roxy looked to her father and then to the Queen's, they had turned sad and Roxy understood. She wanted to call him father. She cleared her throat "doesn't she Lord Protector?" Their father nodded "You have done a magnificent job as you have with His Majesty, the King, my son" She released Roxanna and grabbed her cane and went to her son who was looking at her expectantly.

He momentarily glanced at Roxy for help, she gave him a quick wink before returning to her seat.

"You are a fine man, worthy of your father and your grandfather" Just who she meant when her sister said your grandfather Roxy would never know. Long years afterwards she would continue to ask that question and wonder if the Queen had a premonition about the terrible war of succession against her son, brought about by the unholy union of her granddaughter and nephew?

Presently the Queen, her sister focused all her love and attentions to her little man. She reintroduced him to his half siblings and his full sibling, Infanta Diana Tudor. "You are very tall" His remarks was received with laughter, whenever the boy King laughed, they laughed. But William was more than a King waiting to be pleased. Unlike his grandfather, the illustrious Henry VIII, he was not particularly favorable of opulence and pleasure. When he rode to the towns preaching to the masses the gospel of the reformed faith, he looked every inch of a King. Tall, gallant and dressed according to the latest fashion but he often told her and her mother he didn't like it.

"Why should a King have to wear such things? Why can't a King give alms to his people? Preach to them without so much display?" He asked.

What he needs, her mother said, was a wife and a damn good one to remind him of his duties. They did not want another Henry VIII but they did not need another prudish King like his father whose wars he inherited from his own father and whose reign now was compared to that of the glorious Richard the Lion Heart and Edward III.

Dead men tell no tales.

Only those who lived through the true hardship of his reign and in his inner circle knew.

"Your Majesty, your filial sister is at your service" The ever formal, former Princess of England, Diana Tudor said holding her hand out to her brother. Despite being five years her junior, he was taller than most boys for his age and she had to tip toe to reach his cheeks after he'd taken her hand to kiss.

"You do me great service sister, please for today let us be just sister and brother, cut the formalities, I have never been too fond of them" William said, he proved much to her liking, to be more like their mother whom they sat next to.

"You have to tell me all about England, how much it has changed Your M-William" she rephrased seeing his dislike. A smile appeared on his face then. "You have built new hospitals, I never thought that your Secretary would allow"

"Diana" Her mother warned.

"What lady mother? My Dueña here" she gestured to the Duchess of Alba who was behind them "taught me to speak my mind when I am with my equals and William here is my full brother"

Annie should have known better than to contradict her daughter. "Do as you wish" she said and returned her attention to her father and sibling.

"Is it true what they say about Spain ... sister?" Roxy lowered her voice "That ... that you burn your men and women?"

Isabel who was always kept close to her mother snapped at Roxy. "The Inquisition is no different than any other holy or secular institution Lady Roxanna"

"Isabel Clara Eugenia apologize now. We do not treat our family this way" Annie chided her second youngest daughter.

"But mother-" she stopped seeing her mother's glare. She swung about, so that her back was facing her siblings, and said with a very forced smile: "Pardon me My Lady, will you accept my apologies?"

Annie smiled "That is better"

"Apology accepted" Roxy said. She felt unmoved by the girl's attitude, she knew hypocrisy when she saw it. This girl was no different than her half sibling, Princess Margaret although the Infanta Isabel seemed less full of it. She turned again to her sister, "But tell me is it true? I do not mean to intrude but I just want to ask"

Annie recognized that kind of curiosity, and she was glad that Roxy had it. It was about time someone else in the Chapuys household became inquisitive and was not afraid to ask questions. She kissed her daughter's head and kindly asked "My love why don't you got with your siblings? Your sister Meg looks kind of lonely, why don't you go sit between her and Diana"

"Yes mamá" Isabel grabbed her skirts and gave a bow of curtsey before hurrying to her siblings.

She had another reason of course besides wanting her daughter to get to know her half siblings, to send her away. The malign stares that Margaret was giving Diana worried Annie, as well as the malice found in Meg's voice whenever she directed a question at her sister.

Margaret Tudor was envious at her sister. Why was she could got to be treated with the same respect that befit her and William when she wasn't Princess of England anymore? She was an Infanta but the people saw her as their Princess still, and the way their grandmother had greeted her -it was as if Margaret had been invisible.

Seeing the Queen's worry, Roxy pulled on her golden sleeves that were adorned with pearls and silver lines forming different figures, to gain back her attention. And offered in a mellow voice: "Don't worry Her Highness Margaret is always like that, one time she even pulled from my hair and stole my pendant."

The way her sister spoke, so casually as if this was common knowledge. She looked up at her Aunt for confirmation. "Is this true?"

A grave look was seen on Bess' face.

Dear God! The Queen of Spain thought. Annie looked to her second eldest daughter -Margaret. She and Isabel seemed to be getting along, but ambition was all over their grandmother's face as she once again, saw this reunion as an opportunity to show her power. Then Annie's brow furrowed as she noted a very pale and sullen looking girl besides her mother.

"Who is that Auntie Bess?"

Bess gave a dry laugh. Frances' girl was likely to be noticed someday, and not by her beauty of which she had none, or her wits -that seemed so little in comparison to the Princess'.

"That is Lady Jane Grey, excuse me, Lady Jane Dudley, her husband was recently made a Marquess so now everyone has to refer to her as Lady Marques lest you want the little chit to give you a lecture about theology" Bess offered more wine to her niece, she kindly refused and Bess went on to explain "Your mother and her mother entertained a union between all our families by introducing Anthony to her-"

"But you kindly refused?"

"Naturally, why would I not?" Bess asked in an amuse tone. Annie was happy to be back in her Aunt's company, she could make every day exciting with telling her of the latest gossip, and she was so easy to get along with. "That Frances I would not put it past her to plot with John Dudley. He is still sour with you Annie for taking what he thought was rightfully his."

"So my wicked Aunt appeals to his evil desires" Annie said, her mouth twisted as she eyed Frances and Henry Grey seated below with John Dudley. No doubt, they were plotting another scheme. She looked up, gaze shifting to Bess to Roxy. She cupped her sister's chin "You my dear have a lot on your plate." Her gaze turned to William and then back to Roxy "One good advice to survive in this court: be yourself"

Roxy's brow furrowed as Annie's did before. Bess and Annie laughed at her confusion and continued talking about adult's matters. Her father then beckoned her to come and invited to sit on his lap, and asked her if she was happy to meet her sister at last.

She played with the pearls of her long necklace. She felt very hot in her dress, she felt very uncomfortable in dresses. She wished she could use something more comfortable like the simple shoes that the servants in their house wear. How she envied them. They didn't have to worry about long gowns, jewels, making an impression, or having to marry someone they would never meet until the day of their wedding. She frowned whenever she thought of Anthony and felt sorry for her niece. What kind of environment that girl would grow in when their parents' marriage was a loveless one?

She was still, careful not to hurt her father since she sat on his bad leg.
"She is very gay" She didn't expect the Queen of Spain to be so gay. Yet she mentioned the strange phrase her sister had mentioned. "She said that if I want to survive I have to be myself" She lowered her voice. Her sister and her mother were sitting next to them. "What does that mean papa?"

She thought telling it to her father she would make sense of it as her words came out, but she was now even more confused. Her mother always told Roxy she had to act a lady or nobody would want to be her friend and she would not get to make a grand marriage. But she cared nothing for that sort of stuff and she had lots of friends, Kat, and the sons of the cooks at their household.

Her father however had a more liberal opinion and never tried to impose any of the silly rules of the court to her. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear: "It means never give up"

"Give up on what?"

"On everything little munchkin" He rubbed his nose against hers, she giggled. "People will want you to look and act a certain way and you will have to do it, because otherwise you won't get to make your mark, but whatever you do, don't let your exterior influence how you think, how you act. Never change"

So that was what her sister was trying to say. She turned her head to her sister and watched her, really watched her, for the first time.

Her gold and silver gown was made of the finest cloth, with pearls and sapphires around her square neck making for a very odd pair but somehow they seemed to fit her perfectly, and around her neck she wore a triple pearl necklace just below her ruff that was little in comparison to theirs. Pearls everywhere and amethyst, sapphires, and diamonds that were attached to her long golden heart shaped, French-style hood, a long transparent veil fell from it. She looked like the Greek Goddess Hera in all her glory. Her fertility evident by her children, but made more evident by her widened hips through her thin, almost non-existent, farthingale.

It was in that moment she saw what her father meant.

She turned back to her father whose laughter put her at ease, and said: "She is gorgeous"

"Aye she is" Said her father, caught by Annie's spell, even after all these years, but he said to Roxy "And you know why she is Roxy?"

Roxy nodded.

"Your sister has been through so much, she has seen so much, and she has the experience of two courts and two loving parents. Your mother and I do not simply tell you advice to bore you, we want to prepare you for the world. We are in a very dangerous place and the King favors us now but once he comes of age, who knows. Kings and courts blow in different direction that we cannot predict"

"How can we keep them from blowing against us then?" Eustace smiled, she was learning.

"We can't, but we can try so be his friend as long as you can and listen to your mother and your sister, they are your best teachers, and above all: never change. Hmm? You understand?" Roxy nodded her head eagerly. Eustace laughed and kissed her cheeks "What are you waiting for then? Go to your nephew the King, get to know his brothers and sisters"

With permission from her mother and sister, she ran to where William and the rest of the children were seated. Margaret wore a foul expression as always and talked mostly to Isabel, but she didn't let that bother her and took over most of their conversation.

Ana felt at ease with the Queen's presence nearby. She moved to greet her after she was done with her husband. "Your Majesty" Ana said in the lowest bow possible, even in adversity, she had to put on the mask of happiness, for happiness was the only thing she hadn't known yet.

Annie shifted glances between Anthony to Ana. She felt some pity for the woman. Anthony often complained of his union. "It is for the best" She replied, but seeing them now; there was no solution for their marriage.

She gave Ana a warm smile and kissed both her cheeks. "Sweet cousin of mine, may I ask for your permission to hold your daughter?" Annie asked while going back to her seat, next to Bess.

Ana nodded, feeling it an honor and a final recognition to her suffering. She nodded to her wet nurse. The large woman thrust the baby to Annie's arms.

"Leopoldine Chapuys, you are very blessed, you have a very strong mother. You should be proud of her Your Grace" Annie said handing the child back to her wet nurse. Surprisingly the child did not fidget or try to wiggle herself out of Annie's arms when she held her.

"Thank you Your Majesty"

"Annie, you may call me Annie"

"Annie" Ana offered a small smile, yet the Queen's words gave her no comfort. She glanced at her husband whose eyes were focused on Jane Dudley. In return, Jane winked at him and smiled mischievously. Anthony gave a small chuckle but upon seeing his mother's hardened gaze he covered his mouth. His eyes were still on Jane.

Ana frowned as she finally took notice of the small bump in Jane's abdomen, her mischievous smile and Anthony's longing in his eyes when they fixed on it. Annie took notice of it too and wondered: Could it be? She looked back to her brother, his smile had disappeared and he was no longer looking at Jane but at a similar brown haired vixen on the dance floor.

"If you will excuse me, ladies, Majesty, sweetheart?"

Ana gave a slow and painful nod, however before he left she gripped his sleeve and hissed "Do take care my love" Anthony yanked his arm free and invited the dark brown haired vixen to dance, Ana gripped the handles of her seat furiously as she watched her husband at it again.

The next day proved to be an exciting one as Eustace went to his grandson's chambers to oversee his progress with language. He was skilled in music, dance and other fine arts, but he was very lazy when it came to languages. He hoped to remedy that.

"Your Majesty you must read from the entire page correctly, no comas this time, but do it as I am do it:

But who is yonder man, by olive wreath

Distinguished, who the sacred vessel bears?

I see a hoary head and beard. Behold

The Roman King whose laws shall establish Rome

Anew, from tiny Cures' humble land

Called to a mighty realm. Then shall arise . . ."

William rolled his eyes at his tutor "I am trying"

"Then try harder"

William did so but failed to say the whole thing in Castilian. It was frustrating to try and communicate with his half siblings, they always had to communicate in French, and though he could speak it very well, he hated speaking in that language! In more ways than one, he spoke French, Latin, Greek and articulated his words to perfect, making his frustration even more evident to his teacher and flung a book at him which he dodged.

"They should be made to speak my language!" He growled.

The tutor tried to explain him the importance of this language, but the Prince would not have it, in a last, desperate attempt he cried: "Your Majesty must keep trying, what makes a good Prince ..."

"Is his use of language and correct use of dialect, I swear you sound like a parrot, a boring one" William muttered with his arms crossed, he turned his back on his tutor.

Eustace decided to make his presence noted. Since he was Lord Protector he did not need to ask for permission when he came to the King's quarters. He cleared his throat.

William wheeled around and saw his grandfather. He spread his arms and ran towards him. "Eustace!" He shouted excitedly. Finally his grandfather to come and save him from this fool. "You may go"

"You have not finished with your lesson, do not expect me to give you another lecture because I won't" He looked at Eustace for help, the man simply looked away. Very well, the tutor thought. "His Majesty wants to act like a know it all, perhaps he can translate to me the whole Mío CID next time I come!" And with that he left muttering curses under his breath. He did not even bow to the King or acknowledge Eustace's presence.

After that the little King giggled but covered his mouth when he saw his grandfather's hardened gaze on him.

"You must not be so hard with your master" It was his job to teach him, he had made that promise on the boy's coronation. No harm will ever come to him. He promised to transform this prude, arrogant boy into a just, cunning, and scholarly ruler that fit within his humanist model of how a ruler ought to be. But the boy King was turning to be more meddlesome and cunning than he'd expected. He was often asking about his affairs. When will I preside over the Privy Council? When he was younger his favorite action had been putting his royal signature and stamping his royal seal on different act. As he'd grown he found no use in it anymore and instead asked to have a major part in important discussions that had to do with his Kingdom. But Eustace denied it. The boy was not ready. Annie's boy needed to be reared properly before he could rule.

In response William swung about, turning his back to his grandfather. Normally he would run into his arms, but he did not have any reason to be happy. His grandfather was keeping him from official business, he thought he could be easily distracted by gifts of pets, jewelry and tourneys; but how many times did he have to tell him that he cared not for any of those things? He would much rather be ruling this country and keeping the peace his mother had worked so hard for, than indulging in all these vanities.

Vanity -one ancient philosopher wrote- was the undoing of every Kingdom.

"You would not have to be speaking a language so foreign to your siblings as for you if you learned to speak their language"

He turned to his grandfather. "Why?" He demanded walking to the old man "Why should I have to submit myself to their level? Kings do not have to beg unless they are made to and it is for the good of their kingdoms"

"And their families"

"That too. But if I can communicate in six other languages why do I have to learn Castilian?" He inquired "Wouldn't it be easier to learn Catalan or Aragonese, I heard it from Fernando that it is easier"

Eustace rolled his eyes. He should have expected this "Your brother barely attends his lessons, Your Majesty should know better than to listen to his council."

"But he is a Prince and my equal" William said.

"Not quite."

"Is there that much difference between a Prince, a King, and a commoner? What makes one better than the other? By the clothes he wears or ... is it the crown he wears? Who is to say I truly deserve to wear such rags" He said pinching his fur coat, showing off to his grandfather.

"Your mother will give me another sermon if she finds you spoiled her new gift." Just like she does to Fernando, he wanted to say. Why was it when it came to boys they had to be so dirty and so inquisitive? But then ... Annie and Roxy were inquisitive. "Please Your Majesty ..." he sighed "William" he took hold of his hand "stop that" He said more firmly, he immediately stopped.

"Pardon me My Lord." William said in a less playful manner, the mischief in his eyes still visible. "Coming back to the subject then, why do I have to learn Castilian? Is it a language that is thoroughly used, if so tell me then and I promise I will be more diligent in my studies"

"You must, Emperor Maximilian II and Philip II, your mother's husband speak it, your siblings speak it, even your full sibling Diana has learned it. A good King appreciates all wisdom"

"All or just that of the most powerful?" He asked, his eyes fixated on his grandfather, they wore the same look of defiance Eustace recognized in himself when he was the boy's age.

"Every good Christian Kingdom, lest His Majesty wants to be seen as an upstart fool " Eustace said laughing at his small joke, at his grandson's expense.

William did not laugh. Instead he asked, defiant "Why shouldn't they speak my language? You had to learn to come to this country. His Grace, the Duke of Bavaria had to learn, why not they? Just because they are France and Spain does not mean I have to bend the knee, they should bend the knee to me"

Eustace could see the ambition of his other grandfather, Henry VIII, in the young King's eyes.

"Careful there Your Majesty, once you open the door to licentious ideas, be very mindful of what is coming out the door" He advised remembering the bits and pieces he'd been told from his predecessor Mendoza, about Henry VIII and the Blackfriars. There had been much controversy about that. The old fool Henry VIII, did not know what he had released when he opened Pandora's box until it was too late.

But that was how all monarchs were, they acted without thinking. He didn't want William to follow in their footsteps, especially Henry's. They did not need another Henry.

"Oh I know" William said with a chuckle "But look at what my grandfather and my father through my mother, achieved. Had it not been for they, the monarchy would still have to pay its due to the nobles and homage to the Bishop of Rome"

"Without the Pope or the Bishop of Rome, lets have as you want, the monarchy would not have a force to police it, if it did something wrong"

"The Monarchy is god-chosen" William affirmed, in a strong voice.

"Not according to the Holy See" Eustace interjected with a small laugh.

William became serious "Careful where you thread My Lord, you yourself has said the walls have ears and Cecil's eyes are everywhere"

Eustace sighed, he was loosing the battle. There was just too much of Bess, Annie, and even that big oaf of Henry VIII in him. "William you are blessed with powers beyond your comprehension. You think you understand them but you don't. You are a child, a King, but a child nonetheless. God chose you to be King but what God gives God also takes if he sees you are not up to the task. And to make sure God's will is carried out he set his church on a rock, and that rock was Peter" He tried to explain but William opposed him.

"But grandfather if the pope is the Bishop of Rome is the Supreme authority over the church of Rome then why shouldn't Kings and Queens be the head of states in their Kingdoms, of all matters?" Asked William, once his servants were dismissed, his grandfather with an inquisitive brow.

"Well ... Your Majesty there is the issue of what Christ said to his apostles, you must surely not forget that" Eustace added raising his finger, poking at his grandson's nose. The Lord Protector would never permit familiarity or lack of courtesy, even in times of great despair and especially when they were alone. His long experience had taught him to be watchful and with long age he'd acquired wisdom. However his eyes showed kindness and understanding that he would not even show to his children.

His words told the boy King of the precautions that had to be taken, lest they wanted to confirm the suspicions around her mother's parentage.

"My Lord Protector then" he rephrased "at the time of Christ he had no experience of Kings or Bishops, surely if he had he would have chosen them."

Eustace scratched his head, his grandson was proving to be more inquisitive by each passing day and delving more in heresy -with church men by his side like Whitgift acting as his chaplain and Cranmer as his main theologian. There were so many others that he did not know about because usually his wife was the one who handled the King's household matters. Anthony would be there acting as his father's emissary but he was hardly present at court these day, he was hardly present at everything. His marriage with Anna was wearing him out and Eustace had received word Anna had suffered a miscarriage; which would surely make things bitter.

And then there was Cecil. At first he liked the man for raising himself like the ground up like Cromwell and Wolsey by his cunning and intelligence, but the man was proving to be more and more a staunch Protestant and he didn't like his closeness to Bess or the King. But above all, Eustace did not like the way his son would use Cecil to target his wife and use her as a sign of ridicule against the Empire.

1568, March 23rd
Spain, Madrid

Alcázar Palace: King's Study

While Annie and his oldest children and adopted daughter were in England enjoying the amusement of what that country had to offer, their father was busy planning a strategy.

Phililp pondered on the possibility of becoming the sole ruler of their neighboring country, Portugal. What would he have to gain by ruling Portugal. It was a small country. Small yes, but rich in natural resources and among them were the greatest navigators, always having that connection to the Atlantic since times immemorial. But would that really be necessary for the greatness of his empire? Portugal had fought through their teeth to gain their independence, they had no love for Spain and much less for the Castillian language.

No. Dom Sebastian was a sickly child, he would die in due time and Philip would ascend to the throne. The only heir being left was a cleric and therefore Philip was the only heir fit to rule such people.

Then there was England. Annie's reports was that her son did not share the same politics as his grandfather. It worried him what would become of their alliance once the child reached the age of majority and ruled by himself?

It had always been a country, different from the rest of Christendom, as Portugal. He guessed that was the reason behind their close ties. They barely had any respect for authority, merchants flourished there, especially in Portugal at this time. He had to thread carefully if he wanted to make his bid for Portugal.

Rome, The Vatican. Holy See

College of Cardinals:

And so in the Vatican they too pondered, forming a strategy of a different kind against the growing threat of the Reformation in the Netherlands with the Dutch and the English who were secretly sending them support.

"The question is" the Pope began, voicing what was on everyone's mind, "what will happen once the King of England reaches the age of majority. Will he benevolent enough as his father?"

His joke came off with more shudders and whispering than laughter. It was a nice attempt to ease the mood, but Pius V had never been good at making jokes. He got straight to the point. "First order of business is planning ahead in forming a holy league in case the boy King turns his back on us"

"That will never happen Your Holiness as long as he has his Lord Protector"

"Yes" the Pope partly agreed "as long as he has Eustace Chapuys but I've heard he nearly died last year of the plague, what if he were to die today who would be left as Lord Protector, or better more who would be Lady Protector?"

"Surely not the Lady Elizabeth" One of the Cardinals said "She is a wide known heretic, her mother was a heretic-" The Cardinal went on, but Pope Pius V interrupted him before he went on to bore the members with already known and useless facts of her mother's marriage.

"The Lady Elizabeth is already Lady Governor of His Majesty's household, if need be she will be appointed Lady Protector and with that demon heretic the King has as his chaplain, those two will make quite a trio with the recently ennobled Baron of Burghley, Sir William Cecil, as heads of his government. Do we want to deal with another Henry VIII? His son was worse enough and his wife too"

"She has converted" Some said in her defense, but those who received reports from the President of the Spanish council of Castile had a different story to tell. And as to support these claims as their main instigator, even though he was not a Cardinal; the Archbishop of Seville brusquely said: "His Majesty has voiced suspicions that she keeps forbidden books and at times she has been caught refusing to pray in Latin praying instead in English"

"Old habits die hard" One of the Cardinals said "Give the sheep time, they all turn. But surround them with fire and we risk losing a good flock over to our fears"

"My dear Cardinal are you suggesting that we pardon all of the heretics? Maybe we have one in our midst"

"I am saying no such thing!" The Cardinal said in alarm, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he fell under the dark gaze of the Grand Inquisitor of Spain. "I simply said that we should try to fight fire with kindness instead of fire, using we fire we are only stooping down to these heretics' levels."

"You are a fool Your Grace. I have learned a hard lesson and that is that the heretic understands in only language and that is fear, lets rip the roots of the flower before it blossoms" Fernando Valdés de Salas, the Grand Inquisitor, said ardently displaying his religious fervor as he jumped from his seat.

The Primate of Spain and the Cardinal who had opposed him, could do nothing but watch numbly as the rest of the Cardinals agreed with His Eminence, giving a round of applaud. Like Cicero, it didn't take Fernando Valdés large effort to sell his cock and bull stories to the public, even to his learned peers. He was a fine orator and he understood human emotion. "He will take away their freedom, take away their money, give them a great display of his power through blood and murder and they will love him for it." He said to one of the Cardinals as they watched with horror the Pope's eyes shining with approval at Valdés' speech.

While the reluctant pair clapped their hands at their peer's comment, Pius then added brusquely:
"Strip the doll of her clothes and she is still a doll"

He had never believed Anne Elizabeth Tudor-Wittelsbach truly converted. Once a heretic, always a heretic. Ghislieri felt this argument was getting old, even if the King did reach his age of majority, even if he gave greater authority to his mother's Aunt, it would made no difference. He had a Hapsburg in his midst and going against the Catholic church would be fruitless when his uncle would not support him. He was Duke of Sicily thanks to his father's former master's son, the King of Spain who had agreed in the title being passed from father to son only if he married within his family and maintained the alliance between the three countries. His mother would not be so stupid as to ruin her son's ambitions for her own, that woman deposited all of her ambitions on her son.

And there were enough spies in England thanks to the Lady Mary, the Duchess of Bavaria who had always remained a devout Catholic. They had enough manpower to counter the King's influence if it ever came to war. The Catholic Church had stood for more than 1500 years; it had survived famine, the fires of Nero, hell, plague, and heresy. It stood eternal, nothing could bring it down.

And with this conviction he let the matter drop and moved to more important business …

But while Philip and the College of Cardinals and the Pope were quarreling; in England Annie and the children were playing hide and seek in the gardens of Richmond without a care in the world for world affairs.