A/N: To be fair I wrote the majority of this a long time ago and it was not supposed to be this long but hey it happens. I stopped it where I did so you didn't have another ten thousand plus word update. Anyway hope you enjoy!
It was painfully obvious that we were both uncomfortable, but neither of us were willing to show it. He was fiercely loyal to my chiefest rival and yet he and I had a common goal, Mary's restoration.
"Will you take any wine?" I said, making the first move as Nan came over with two cups.
"No," his tone was curt but I ignored it taking a cup from her. I took a sip to buy me some time as Nan went to the corner and sat next to Madge and they pretended to ignore us while sewing a cloth. After a moment my irritation was too much for this situation. Enough of this, I thought.
"I think you and I understand each other well enough. You and I both know that a friendship between us is never going to happen," I said bluntly. He did not acknowledge my statement but I took his silence as a yes. "I do however believe that an alliance ,though, may be feasible and perhaps necessary."
"You believe that?" His tone was curt causing his question to sound more like a statement.
"I do. You know that I am no fool, I know you hate me. You will never accept me as Queen. Not even if Katherine were to die-", I hesitated as he crossed himself and then went on. "Not if I were to deliver the King ten sons, not if an angel descended and told you I was the Queen. I dare say not even if the Bishop of Rome declared my marriage valid would you accept me as Queen of England. And you would certainly never accept Elizabeth as a Princess especially not before Mary. Feel free to stop me when I've lied," I said, my confidence returning the more I spoke. "You might be persuaded to accept my marriage to the King once Katherine is gone and if Mary was reinstated ahead of Elizabeth. But Katherine is alive and because of that, Henry cannot be rid of me, and you and I both know it. Mary knows it too. He cannot replace me as long as she lives. But it is tempting isn't it?" He raised his eyebrow feigning disinterest. "To support Mistress Seymour I mean. It is awfully tempting. But if what you desire is Mary's restoration, you will do no such thing."
He was quiet a moment for deciding upon an answer. "Are you threatening me Madam?"
"I am the Queen of England, I have no use for threats. But I am warning you. As long as the King has hope of a son from me, and he does still have hope, Jane cannot take my place, and therefore is of no use to you or your Master. And she is certainly of no use to Mary."
"I am aware that you do not like the King's friendship with the Lady Jane," came his diplomatic response.
"Friendship? Alas, I simply no longer have the patience to lie about Henry's affairs. When he and I were first introduced we started out as a friendship; something to remember when you're writing your secret letters of support to the Seymours."
He looked up at me and were I not a seasoned courtier I would not have seen the slight shock in his eyes, but I was a seasoned courtier and I did see the alarm in his features. "Do not seem so shocked, Excellency. I may not have eyes inside the walls but I do know enough about my enemies, both here and abroad, to plan my strategies. But that is not important, what is important is that I convince you not to continue on with support of Mistress Seymour."
"Since you are being so honest, might I point out that it would serve me absolutely no purpose to support you. Not that I would anyway."
"I'm not asking you to support me. I don't need your support or that of the Emperor. Would it help me that my rival's nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor, supported my claim to the throne? Of course it would. For then even the Bishop of Rome would have to support me and refuse to excommunicate me, the King, and the people of England. Something that doesn't bother or interest me in the slightest. It would ,however, calm the feelings of Catholics everywhere towards me and my child. But again I don't need that support. Not when King Francis has made overtures and stated his support for me upon the throne. With England and France working together, I don't need Spain. And as long as Princess Katherine and King Phillip continue to stand against me, England and France will be natural allies against the Emperor."
"Do you expect him to support you? To name Queen Katherine a whore and Princess Mary a bastard? You pride yourself on your intelligence Madam, I implore you to use it. The Emperor will never abandon their claim to the throne."
"Katherine is sick, Excellency. I know she is unwell. How much longer do you think she'll live? And if I have a son, before or after Katherine dies, Mary's chances at the throne will be over. She will be whatever I decide her to be."
His eyes were intent now as he stared at me, I could see the hatred boiling behind his eyes. My nerves were long forgotten now as we eyed each other, both of us measuring the other's will. Finally he broke and turned to Nan, "I believe I'll have that wine now." She looked to me for approval before giving him his cup. I had to force myself not to smile at this small victory; this was the ambassador from Spain, used to dealing with Kings and gentlemen and diplomats from all over the world, and here he was upset over ,what he felt to believe was, a simple mistress pretending to be a Queen. I sat silently as he drank, watching him watch me.
"I do not wish to upset you but I feel you and I have been acquainted from a distance for years. You don't care for me, I don't like you, we should happily hate each other. We can go on as we have. You championing Katherine, me sitting upon the throne, you writing to Spain, me writing to France; round and round we can go until one of us loses. Or...," I said trailing off suggestively.
"Or we can be allies?" His tone was sarcastic and his face was hard.
"For lack of a better term."
"And why would I consider that?"
"Because I can do what no one else can. I can convince the King to reinstate Mary as a Princess."
His eyes snapped up at me at that. "Madam?"
"You heard me correctly. I can and will make the Lady Mary a Princess again. As I told her, with or without your help. With will simply make it easier."
"You have spoken to Her Highness?"
"I have," I said noticing the change in his tone and the way he addressed her. "And I have already informed her of my intent to restore her."
"If what?"
"I beg your pardon."
"You will interfere with the King if what? You have implied that we may be honest with one another, then let us be honest. You are an ambitious and prideful woman. You come from a family of commoners on your father's side and the most ambitious serpents in England on your mother's side. You are heretic and little more than a glorified whore and a witch in Queen's clothes. Your sister too was a whore for the King, a dalliance away from his lawful wife and Queen, Katherine of Aragon, though as time would tell, she was not powerful enough to take him away. Your father is an ambitious serpent for the devil and your uncle is barely more than that, though he is of the Catholic faith. Your brother is a man in deed only, following behind the skirt tails of his sister to the depths of hell and back. Your mother is a she wolf and repudiated to be a former mistress of the King's, again another dalliance away from his rightful wife to a Boleyn whore. And your daughter, the usurper-", I had smiled with real mirth through his description of my family so far. I was heretical according to every Catholic in Europe, my father was as ambitious as they came and was rivaled only by my uncle, my sister was Henry's mistress, my brother would fall me anywhere, my mother was a she-wolf, all that was true...but I'd be ash in my grave before I allowed anyone, no matter what rank they were, to insult a child of my body.
"That's quite enough. Say what you want about my parents, uncle, and siblings, but I'll not have a word against Elizabeth in my presence. Call her a bastard, a usurper, the daughter of a witch, the spawn of Satan, call her what you must when you are not in my presence. But I will not have it thus while I am here. With the last breath in my body I will defend my child," my breathing was heavy and my voice was loud. Taking a deep breath and a long draw on the wine in my cup I began to calm myself down again.
"Why would you help the Princess?" He said suddenly, seemingly surprising himself. "You have never sought to interfere on her behalf before."
"I sought to interfere for the Lady Mary always, if she would only accept me as Queen. Though I do not require that now, she will have to accept me as Queen eventually."
"That is not an answer."
I sighed before trying to phrase my answer. "Mary is a great symbol for every Catholic in England. She is also the greatest threat to Elizabeth I know."
"And how will making her a Princess make her any less of a threat?"
"Because if she's a Princess then what more is there to complain about? If Mary is welcomed as Henry's eldest legitimate daughter then there is no reason for any plots or schemes to come against Elizabeth. The Pope will then, hopefully, stop his plots against me and my child, your master will, perhaps, be placated to stay out of English affairs, and Catholics in England will, God willing, stop hating me as much as they do. Make no mistakes about this Ambassador, this is not simply because I want Mary and Henry to have a good relationship, and it's not because I've had a sudden revelation that Mary is the rightful Princess and Katherine the rightful Queen. I am the Queen of England, Henry's one true wife, and not for anything, not if you wrack me within an inch of my life, not for all the gold in the world would I renounce my crown and label my child a bastard or myself a whore. Undoubtedly my reasons for Mary coming back to court are as much political as they are familial. I have my own motives but I hardly see how that matters. Either you want Mary back in the succession or you don't."
"You know as well as I that it is not as simple as that."
"It is."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes before answering, "It is not. Even if I were convinced that you, the scandal of Christendom, were inclined to help the Princess claim her rightful position, why would Queen Katherine agree to it? Or the Emperor for that matter?"
"Princess Katherine's cooperation is not my concern, nor is your Master's. Katherine's time as Queen of England is over. Henry will never go back to her. If the Bishop of Rome sends his edicts he will ignore them, if the Emperor threatens an invasion he will turn to France, and if Katherine persists in her stubbornness he will find a lower station for Mary. Every time one of those holy three decide to set themselves against Henry's will it's Mary who pays for it. Everyone involved in this, myself included, have been so concerned with their own position and reputation that they have forgotten all about Mary. Sure Katherine says that she refuses to accept an annulment because Mary will be a bastard and the Pope says he refuses to accept it because it would mean Katherine, her parents, and Henry VII are all liars and that his predecessor gave a dispensation where it was impossible to provide clemency, thus Katherine would knowingly be a whore, Mary a bastard, and the Emperor naturally says that he could never willingly accept that his aunt was a whore and his cousin was a bastard."
"They say those things because they are the truth."
"No. Let us have it plainly. While Katherine, like any mother, cares for her daughter and loves her dearly, her obstinate refusal is not for Mary's rights, it's for her own. She would never willingly renounce her crown. Even when Arthur died she refused to return to her home country and try her luck at becoming Queen somewhere else, for she wanted to be Queen of England. She would never, for any reason, call her parents, Isabella and Ferdinand, the most Christian of Princes, liars. Whether or not she slept with Arthur is not the question anymore, it never was. The point has always been that Henry wants a son! He will never return to her. I admire Katherine's determination, I really do, and were I in her situation I would do the same thing, but her determination is in vain. Henry will never return to a woman he knows will never give him a son." I paused a moment to collect myself and let my words sink in. "The only thing she can do is help Mary. Do I think that Katherine will ever submit to Henry? No, I don't. But for Mary's sake, she's either going to have to convince Mary to let me help her, or...", I trailed off.
"Or what?" His tone sharp.
"Or I won't be able to help Mary until Katherine is dead and I don't want that." He balked and immediately stood up at that. Nan and Madge put down their sewing with nervous faces. Shockingly I was calm as he stood above me.
"How dare you? Queen Katherine is a gentle, blessed lady and whether or not you heretics consider her to be Queen she is a Princess of Spain and to plot her death is treason", his accent was thick and punctuated every word as she spoke.
"I'm not plotting her death, I am stating a fact; one that you know as well as I do. Katherine is dying. The Infanta...is sick and she may never be well again. Her life could be prolonged were good physicians to attend her but you and I know that she's at the end of her life. It is not something I would say in front of or to the Lady Mary but it is most certainly the truth...is it not?"
He said nothing as he stared at me seeing nothing; or perhaps seeing Katherine withering away at The More. After a moment he sat down in his chair again and nodded for me to continue.
"I already have plans in place for money and physicians to be sent to Katherine, but she must never know they came from me. She must think they came from someone else or she will never take them, I'm sure that you can lie to your mistress if it's for a good cause."
"And why would you do that?"
"Because Katherine is as valuable to me as she is to you."
"You mean her life is. As long as she lives, you cannot be set aside as you rightfully should be." His tone was questioning but he was not asking. He had already read my thoughts. I nodded silently at his conclusion. "You are many things but no one can accuse you of being a simpleton."
"No, but there is someone we know who can be."
"By that of course you mean the Lady Jane."
"Naturally. I don't expect you to accept me as Queen but frankly it doesn't matter one way or another. I will give the King a son and when I do Jane Seymour will just be another whore on the list of the King's dalliances away from his lawful wife."
"Were the Lady to become his mistress while Queen Katherine is alive that would be true."
"The Princess Dowager is not the Queen of England, I am. You can go to your grave saying otherwise but it won't matter. Eventually Spain will recognize my claim to the throne but your master is shrewd enough to wait until after his aunt's death when it will be less damaging."
"Your Ladyship truly believes that Spain will need England but you have forgotten that Spain and France may one day sign a treaty against England", he said pointedly.
Smirking, I turned to him, "Oh I don't forget it excellency. I simply remember who England would turn to if such a thing were to happen. There are the German states not to mention those in the Emperor's own kingdom who share similar thoughts to the King and I in matters of religion. An alliance with more than a few of those countries would surely destroy the Empire from the inside out. You and your master will find it is hard to run a country full of subjects who hate you...and your religion." He said nothing but the look on his face told me he was thinking over my words. "At any rate you, your master, and the Lady Mary have all missed one vital point about Mistress Seymour."
"And what could that be? The Lady is virtuous, kind, submissive, and a true Catholic woman."
"She is calculating and manipulative, simple and no great beauty, but alas neither of these are what I'm referencing."
"Then what?" His tone was harsh and unwavering.
"Not once has Mistress Seymour called or requested for Henry to return to Katherine. Not. Once. Sure she has called for the restoration of the Lady Mary as Princess but not a single time has she mentioned that Henry's marriage to Katherine is valid. Sure when she's alone with those who plot against me she says Queen Katherine and Princess Mary but she does not say so to Henry and it is not for fear of him. For if that were her reasoning she would not dare to suggest that Mary should be reinstated as Princess. She, and those snakes and villains surrounding her, know that if she were to petition the King to return to Katherine that not only would he not do it, were he to do so her chances at being Queen would be over. Jane does not just want me off my thrown...she wants to be in my place."
For awhile there was nothing to be heard but the crackling of fire and needles going through thread as Nan and Madge continued in their charade of ignorance. The Ambassador tried his best to keep a mutual expression but I could see ideas forming in his eyes. Repeatedly he opened his mouth and closed it in an effort to refute my words but alas it was not possible. My logic was flawless and he knew it. Before he could respond there was a knock on my door and I nodded to Madge, "Tell whoever is visiting that I am too busy to attend them at the moment."
"Yes, Madam", she bobbed a curtsy and went to the door. His Excellency and I went backs to staring at each other as I tried not to focus on the door but I heard an all too familiar voice tell Madge that I most assuredly wanted to see him. Snapping my head towards the door I assured her that the gentleman was right and that she was to let him in.
"Your Majesty...Your Excellency", the Duke bowed very shallow to me and seemed rather confused to see the Imperial ambassador in my rooms.
"Your Grace? Do you have it? Do you have her response?" I asked eagerly.
"Yes Your Majesty, but the Qu- Princess Dowager was adamant that I give it directly to the Lady Mary."
"You cannot give it directly to Mary. I have to read it."
"Wh-", before Brandon could continue Chapuys cut in.
"What are you referring to?"
Sighing I turned to him and explained that Mary was not at Hatfield but at court and that she had written to Katherine. Thanks to his shrewd intelligence he understood my shortened version without needing me to repeat myself.
"Well you cannot read a letter from the Queen that is for the Princess," Chapuys said indignantly.
"I'm not. I'm reading a letter from the Princess Dowager to the Lady and I must and will do so. I do not need permission from you," with that I turned back to Suffolk. "Give me the letter."
"Madam, would it not be better if-"
"Give me the letter," I said, my voice desperate. "This letter cannot contain an act against the King, if it does it is not just Katherine who will suffer for it, it is Mary. Henry may not feel safe enough to prosecute Katherine and yet maybe he will but if even if he doesn't, as her father and King he has all the authority anyone can have to prosecute Mary and he will. If he thinks she's plotting against him to take throne he'll never restore her to the succession."
"The Princess Dowager would never write treason to her daughter," Suffolk argued.
"That she has even written to her daughter is, in and of itself, treason. So how am I to think that she will not have written treason in the letter when she has already done what she has been ordered by the King not to do?"
"If the Queen wrote this letter for the Princess you cannot open it. It is for her eyes only."
"I will read this letter one way or another."
"Not if I don't let you have it."
Sighing I rolled my eyes. "If you don't give it here willingly I will bring in my guards to search you and take it off you."
"They wouldn't dare."
"My personal guards were selected for their loyalty to me Your Grace, do not doubt my word." There was silence for awhile as the three of us stood looking at each other, each of us measuring the other's will; Madge and Nan had dropped their pretenses and looked ready to call for a guard at a moment's notice. After awhile Suffolk seemed to see that there was no break in my resolve and went into his pocket to retrieve the letter. Chapuys was ready to object but by that time the letter was already in my hand. Taking a deep breath I unraveled and began to read it. I skimmed through most of the beginning as it was just Katherine expressing joy at Mary's letter and how she missed her, that was good but not important to me. As I skimmed through the letter my heart began to hammer in my chest as heat rose to my face. "If the King's mistress wants to help the King come to his senses, there is no need for you to refuse such an offer. You are a Princess and God has finally shown her the truth of this. She is too much of a serpent to acknowledge the validity of my marriage to your father but we must continue to have patience my daughter. Have faith that God will..." I had simply skimmed the letter after that to make sure the rest of it was clear of treason. Honestly though, nothing else mattered. My smile must have confused them for Chapuys stepped forward, hand out, asking for the letter. I handed it to him with a laugh and spun around the room.
"Good news I gather?" Suffolk said. I merely raised an eyebrow.
"Why would the Queen tell the Princess to align herself with you-," Chapuys started but I cut him off with a hand.
"Firstly, Katherine is not Queen, she is the Princess Dowager, and Mary is the Lady Mary. For you to suggest otherwise is treason and many have died for less. Were the King to hear you speak like that you may find yourself cast out of England or worse, and you and I both know that palace walls have many ears. In my presence and the King's you will address me as the Queen, Elizabeth as the Princes, and Katherine as the Infanta; you may, however, style the Lady Mary in whatever fashion you decide. However you speak to others has never been my concern and I see no reason why that should change. For now this meeting is over. Think of what I've told you today, especially when it comes to Mistress Seymour. I bid you good day gentlemen." Chapuys returned the letter to me and headed towards the door.
"One moment, Your Majesty," Suffolk said looking determined. "I would ask something of you."
Again my only response was to raise on delicate eyebrow.
"I would see the Lady Mary for my own eyes, to see how she fairs."
My mood was joyful all day and night; not even the sight of that pale faced milk maid could ruin my joy, and she was thankful because for once, I left her alone for the day. It was surprisingly easier than I thought. All through dinner I was positively beaming; I enjoyed my night until I saw the Duke of Suffolk make his exit-that was my cue.
"Your Majesty, Henry?" I said to my husband.
"Yes?"
"May I be excused?"
"Are you not enjoying yourself?"
"I am but I wanted to say goodnight to Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth will be asleep by now."
"I know, I will not wake her. I just want to kiss her one more time tonight. I got to spend so little time with her today."
"Why?"
I hesitated at that, my smile faltering slightly. "I had my duties to attend."
"If only you took to all your duties with such devotion," he said, hinting at the one duty he expected me to do, the one duty that Katherine failed in. I wouldn't let him ruin this day for me with his great obsession. Sighing I turned behind me and nodded to a groom who began to pull my chair back. I stood up and curtsied to the King. "Goodnight my husband." The hall was silent as I made my exit, curious looks on my families faces showing their displeasure and concern. Soon enough the music picked up where they left off and conversations resumed as if they had never paused.
My usual two shadows, Nan and Madge, helped me into a darker, more discreet gown and hood before we heard a knock at my door; two knocks, silence, one knock, two knocks. I nodded for my ladies to open the door and I looked up to see Charles and Eustace outside the door. Silently I walked passed them down the desolate and isolated path towards where my step-daughter was lodged. Quietly I knocked on the door and was greeted by a rather surprised maid who curtsied and backed up to let us all in.
"Your Majesty, Your Grace, Ambassador, Ladies," she greeted us.
"Rise. Is the Lady Mary still awake?"
"She is Your Majesty...," she hesitated looking behind her.
"What is it child?"
"She asked not to be disturbed..."
"You mean she asked not to be disturbed by me."
"Yes ma'am," she said dipping a curtsy, a scared look on her face.
"Go and fetch my sister and then you are dismissed."
"Yes, Your Grace." She dipped another curtsy and all but ran to got get my sister. It didn't take long for her to arrive and by the look on her face she had not been prepared to see us all gathered there. She dropped a quick curtsy and then looked to me.
"Sister?"
"Mary, surely you can implore the Lady Mary to accept an audience?"
She coughed a laugh, "I will do my best." Mary walked briskly back into the chambers from which she had emerged. We could just barely hear her voice, it was light and teasing. After a moment shuffling could be heard and soon the Lady Mary appeared followed by her sister who dropped a deep and immediate curtsy. The Lady Mary seemed less shocked to see us than my sister and yet too shocked to curtsy or speak.
"Mary, I have brought you visitors." Still she said nothing, she only gazed at us. "Lord Suffolk wanted to see that you were well treated, if you are not feel free to inform him. And of course I brought your cousin's ambassador so that he may counsel you. Oh and there is one other thing, perhaps the most important." I turned to Nan who walked forward with Katherine's letter. "You've a reply from your mother."
She went immediately to grab it but instead checked herself and nodded for Catherine to come and get it. She walked gracefully over and took the note before placing it in her mistress's hand. Mary looked at the letter and I could immediately see the terrible Tudor temper flash in her eyes. "The seal is broken. You read the letter?"
Chapuys stepped forward, "Forgive me Your Highness, I tried to stop her-", before he could finish I cut in.
"I am the Queen of England, I need no permission for anything. Especially not from you. I had to be certain that the letter contained no treason, I told you I would read it. Just read it for yourself. In the meantime I'll leave you in the capable hands of these gentlemen." Lady Mary addressed them both and showed them towards her audience chamber as I sat with my sister and niece. "We're expecting visitors soon, some people help our cause. I shall present them to His Majesty the same day I introduce you all. I've decided that the Lady Mary will be one of the dancers for that day."
"Why? I mean how? She will be noticed," my sister said, worry etched in every line on her face and syllable of her voice.
"Because it is a masked dance. The dancers will wear their masks the entire time so it will give her a chance to be among the court and her father unobserved. She won't be a Princess or a bastard, she'll just be another dancer in a masque."
"Well...alright. But she can't very well go prancing back and forth to your rooms to practice with the other ladies."
"I've thought of that too. After every practice Madge will come and show Mary the steps, she'll be part of it too."
Mary nodded at that, "So. Are you going to tell us who you're inviting to court? To present to the King I mean."
The days flew by as if time itself sensed the urgency of my plans. George had sent to Richmond to inform him that though they hadn't been officially welcomed by the King, Knivert and Compton were back at court and that his presence would be quite welcome. I was sitting with George in my chambers one night when he received the note that Richmond had arrived.
"I'll be back sister, shall I fetch someone to attend you?"
"No. I'll be quite alright until you return."
About an hour passed before George returned. "His Grace likes his lodgings and thanks Your Majesty for his rich furnishings."
I nodded, "I'm glad it's to his satisfaction." Though my tone was absentminded I meant exactly what I said.
"Anne what's-", before George could finish there was a knock on the door. "Who could it be at this hour?" George went to the door and pried it open. He said nothing to whoever it was, he simply nodded and stood aside. My uncle strode in followed by three figures.
"Your Majesty", he bowed and two of the figures followed his example while the third curtsied.
"Allow me to introduce the Earl of Surrey, my son, Sir Francis Bryan, my...nephew, and Catherine Howard, my niece-all cousins to Your Majesty. They are here to serve our cause."
A/N2: For those who think I rushed the end, you're absolutely right. I did. Purposefully. If I didn't then it would be another two updates before things got really serious and I'm ready for it to get serious so I hope you enjoyed. See ya soon.