AN: For anyone who's bothered, I've changed the backstory of the Percy family around a bit. Henry Percy is now the elder nephew of Anne Boleyn's first love, instead of Thomas, and they never lost the title, so he's been the seventh Earl of Northumberland since the age of five.

Chapter 27

June 1551

Three years later, Blanche was about to turn 16. She travelled up from Ireland for the celebrations, for I was determined to fete her on this, the last birthday before she left for France.

"We'll have a masque. She loves those." I decided, looking around at the ladies who clustered around me. They nodded.

"Why don't you have a tableau as well? One that hails her as being as fair as Blanche of Lancaster? That's who she's named for, isn't it?"

"Yes. That's right." Glancing up in surprise, I caught the eyes of my younger half-sister, Eleanor Culpepper. "I didn't know that you knew that, Nora."

"I'm not a child any more, My Lady. I notice things, you know. I saw you translating Chaucer's Book of the Duchess for her during your last confinement. There had to be a reason that you'd chosen that poem over any other."

"Good God. You never cease to surprise me, Nora." I chuckled, watching my eleven, almost twelve year old sister closely as she laid aside her sewing in favour of going over to the virginals in the corner of the room.

Her future and Jessica's were another reason to celebrate. Just this last month, I had managed to find husbands for the both of them. Before the year was out, Nora would be Lady Eleanor Dudley, Baroness Sudeley and the future Countess of Warwick, for she was to wed John Dudley, the current Earl's eldest son and heir at Christmas, just before Blanche left for France at the start of the next sailing season.

In fact, we were having a double wedding, for Jess was marrying Henry Percy, seventh Earl of Northumberland in the same ceremony. She was to become Lady Jessica Percy, Countess of Northumberland.

Of course, they wouldn't be wives in truth yet, not the way I was to Edward. They were too young for that. But the marriages would raise their status in a way that being my sister's maids, or even mine, never could. We always had to be careful; careful not to show them too much favour. The taint of bastardy still blighted them. But not for much longer.

Once they were Countesses, that care could stop. I would be free to treat them with the honour that their rank demanded. I would be able to treat them almost the same way as I used to treat me eldest half-sister, Mary. I would truly be able to say that I had done my best by them. I would be able to breathe again; to stop feeling oppressed by the sense of responsibility that I had felt both towards them and towards Blanche ever since I was eleven; since Mama had died.

Or, at least, I hoped I would. I had carried the burden for so long that I was unsure what life would be like without it.

But I was more than ready to find out.

I smiled at the sight of my younger sister at the instrument. If there was one thing Nora was good at, it was music. Music and horsewomanship. Just like me.

"Play my mother's old song for me, would you, Nora?" I called out, turning back to planning the masque and the tableau in my sister's honour as she did as she was told.

"Will Your Majesty be giving the Princess Katherine a part in the celebrations?" Lady Susanna asked.

"Probably. She's extremely young for such a thing, but she is our Princess and the current heiress to the throne. Besides, I know my husband Lord Edward would like to see her perform." I exhaled slowly and Lady Susanna, sensing what I did not say, nodded in understanding.

"You need not worry, Madam. Lady Dudley will teach Katherine her duty. You may be sure of that."

"She'll not give up easily, I know."

"Nor will Lady Latimer."

"No," I agreed, trying not to show how I worried about my eldest daughter's behaviour. She was only three, but she was already pretty, precocious and pampered.

Lady Dudley and Lady Latimer tried to put a positive spin on my daughter's conduct, I knew, but not even they had been able to conceal some of Katherine's fits of temper when her younger sister, Princess Madeline had joined her household at Eltham a few months earlier. I only dreaded how bad the reality would be.

The worst of it was that I knew Edward shouldered quite a lot of the responsibility for our daughter's behaviour. He doted on her. Nothing was too good for his Thornless Rose Princess. Nothing.

Suddenly, hoof beats in the courtyard below broke into my concentration and Jessica Culpepper, who, like her sister Eleanor, had joined my ladies this summer to accustom her to England again after a childhood spent largely in Ireland, in order to make it easier for her to become an English Countess, came in from the next room.

"Their Highnesses have arrived, My Lady."

"Thank you, Jess. Tell Lady Amy that I want her to go and inform my husband of their arrival, please." I said crisply, knowing even as I spoke, that despite my use of her nickname, hurt would be flaring in my youngest sister's eyes at the formality that I was treating her with. As she turned to do my bidding, I reached for her arm.

"Jess. Dismiss the others. You and Nora can stay. We'll talk of your wedding dresses until they get here. How does that sound? Does it sound like a plan?"

With a brief flash of a smile, Jess nodded and was gone. I sighed after her. If only she wasn't so sensitive.

It wasn't that I had concerns that Henry Percy would hurt her. Quite the opposite. I knew him to be an upright, honest young man. It was just that, as Countess of Northumberland, rumours and scandals would attach themselves to her much more easily than they had when she had merely been some obscure baseborn Culpepper. Nora was in precisely the same boat, of course, but she was made of sterner stuff. I had every hope of her being able to withstand the rumours and gossip. I just prayed that I would be able to protect Jess from the worst of it until she could learn to do the same.

An hour later, Edward and I were sitting together, Jess and Nora seated nearby, waiting to do our bidding, or, as the case may be, be treated like part of the family, when my herald announced, "Their Highnesses the Princess Katherine and the Princess Madeline!" and the doors swung wide to reveal my daughters by Edward, one holding tight to Lady Latimer's hand; the other nestled carefully in Lady Dudley's tight hold.

Lady Latimer managed to coax Katherine to sketch something of a curtsy to us, but Edward sprang up not a moment later and held out his arms to her.

"Reina."

"Papa!" Wrenching her hand out of Lady Latimer's, Katherine whirled away from her and sprang up into Edward's arms, laughing delightedly as he spun her in circles.

I caught hold of them just long enough to drop a quick kiss on to Katherine's forehead before crossing the room and beckoning Lady Dudley to place little Madeline, my six month old daughter, into my arms.

Once I had the placid child in my embrace, the first thing I did was to try to accept how much she'd grown since Edward and I had waved the two girls off to Eltham at the end of the Easter Season. Even just a few weeks made such a difference at this age.

In Madeline's case, she had almost doubled in size and it was now clear to see whom she resembled most. Though her sister, Katherine, bore my mother's name, it was Madeline who took after her in terms of looks. If I wasn't mistaken, my newest daughter would grow up to be the spitting image of my own mother, Queen Katherine Howard.

"How is she? How are they both, Lady Dudley?" I asked, glancing up towards the young woman who stood beside me.

"The Princess Madeline is a credit to you, Madam. Lady Latimer says she's never seen an easier child." Mary Dudley smiled, and it was clear to see that she spoke the truth.

"And Katherine? How is she?"

Mary Dudley hesitated. At the same time, I realised how tired she looked. Shifting Madeline in my hold, I stretched out my hand to her.

"You may speak frankly, Lady Dudley."

"She is…Katherine…Her Highness is…she has inherited her parents' spirit, to say the least. In some ways, she's very conscious of her rank, but in others…I have to say that, at times, she is a challenge to handle."

I knew Mary had been reluctant to say even this much, particularly with Edward and Katherine in the room, so I nodded and waved her away, resolving to speak to Lady Latimer as soon as I could.

Just then, Katherine's high bell-like voice reached my ears.

"Can I come to the banquet tonight, Papa? Can I sit in your lap? Please?"

"Your Highness! You know you're too young for the banquet. And your father couldn't take you on his lap. Not at your aunt's banquet." Lady Latimer reproved her charge, but Katherine rounded on her.

"I didn't ask you! I asked Papa!"

"Katherine!" I gasped, meaning to chastise her for her conduct, but Edward was already laughing and pulling her closer. Swallowing a sigh, I waved Lady Latimer away and nodded to Jess and Nora, who instantly came across to us, smiling despite themselves as Edward patted Katherine's cheek and continued to speak to her.

"We might be able to find you a seat between Mama and me, Reina, but I don't know if I could take you on my lap. Aren't you getting a bit heavy for that?"

"I'm on your lap now." Katherine pointed out, pouting. "Please? I'll be good. Promise. I won't wriggle. I only want to see Auntie Blanche when she comes home."

"I think we all want that, Katherine." Nora laughed, ruffling her little niece's hair.

At this point, Madeline murmured sleepily. Instinctively, Jess reached for her. At a nod from me, she took Madeline into her own arms for a moment, and the two of us rose.

"We're going to see this little one into bed. Edward, I'll see you at the banquet. Nora, you've got the night off."

The two of them nodded and I leaned down to kiss Katherine fondly.

"All right, darling. If Papa says you may, then I'll see you tonight. But behave, all right?"

"Yes, Mama," Katherine replied, blue eyes wide with innocence.

As the door closed behind us, I turned to my youngest sister and groaned.

"Jess, promise me that you'll never let Henry Percy spoil your children as much as Edward spoils our Katherine."

"We wouldn't have the money to, Beth."

"Good point. Here, give me Madeline. At least I've still got one easy-going daughter." With a soft, half-sighing, chuckle, I took Madeline's warm, sleepy presence back into my own arms. The two of us smiled at each other over her head and then walked Madeline back to the nursery suite in companionable silence.

As I had suspected he would, Edward did let Katherine attend the banquet. He did have her on his lap as our herald announced, "Her Majesty, Blanche, Queen of France and Lady of Ireland!" and my younger sister strode down the length of the Hall, her head held high.

Her pale blue cloak swirled out behind her as, eyes locked, we sank into brief half-curtsies to one another.

"Blanche," I greeted her warmly, kissing her fondly. "How was the journey?"

"Fine, thank you. It usually is at this time of year. And how are you, sister? How are Jess and Nora?"

"They're fine. Planning their weddings for Christmas."

At the way Blanche's eyes suddenly darkened, I knew I had made a mistake. Weddings still weren't a comfortable subject, it seemed. Hastily, I continued reassuringly, "They're really excited to see you. They won't admit it, but they are."

Clasping her hands for a moment longer, I let her turn to my husband and daughter, spinning myself to face George Boleyn, who had escorted her over as usual.

"Lord Ormonde."

"Majesty."

"You're looking well. As is my sister. She does you credit, George. You've done a wonderful job with her these last few years."

"I only do my best, Madam, as always."

"And as always, the Boleyn best could not be better," I complimented, taking his arm and leading him back to the High Table.

He exchanged a quick look with Blanche as he took his seat and I, catching sight of it, wasn't quite comfortable with the undercurrents that it carried. However, I decided to ignore it for now. After all, they'd been working closely together in Ireland since Blanche was eleven. Undercurrents didn't necessarily mean anything.

Turning to the courtiers, I took my sister's hand and rested my other arm over the back of Edward's chair, just above his shoulders.

"Je suis en famile!" I cried, basking happily in their cheers, claps and full-throated roars of approval. Yes. I was with my family.

I was with my family and there was nowhere else I would rather be.