So just realised that I've put 'this is a filler chapter' on like the last three chapter because I'm not paying attention and I'm rubbish haha but the last chapter wasn't filler. This is a little later than my usual update because I'm feeling a bit off colour today. Anyway this is a little exchange between Isabella and Brandon, hope you enjoy :) x
This promise of Henry's was short lived however as a few days later Catherine's new ladies maids were introduced into the Castle, among them was the beautiful and very mysterious Anne Boleyn. Isabella knew instantly that Henry was infatuated with her. She was stunning, she captured the attention of everyone who saw her and there was just something about her that even Isabella found compelling. Henry still kept coming to her but she knew that he was thinking of someone else; she knew that he was thinking of Anne. She didn't take it personally she knew that Henry was often fickle when it came to women but at least he was still coming to her when he desired her.
Anne was everything that Henry wanted but she refused to become his mistress. This was the main reason that he kept returning to Isabella – he still loved her but his love for Anne was overpowering him yet she continued to deny him. She invaded his thought when he was in court, she invaded his dreams and her presence consumed him entirely – it was all he could do not to throw her down and make love to her there and then no matter who was watching.
Even the King's trusted friend (and noted fornicator of the court – he had even managed to bed Lord Buckingham's daughter, an act which eventually lead to Buckingham's execution for treason) Charles Brandon had noticed the change within Henry. He noticed how distracted Henry had been when Anne was around and how Henry's desire for a male heir was beginning to consume him.
Brandon was also having his own problems with desire in the form of Henry's own sister Princess Margaret. Brandon was infatuated by her but he knew that Henry would kill him if he deflowered his sister. When it was Buckingham's daughter and a number of other women around the court it was amusing but when it was the sister to The King of England then it was most certainly not.
Knowing that Isabella was a confidant (and a mistress) of the King Brandon kept trying to seek her out to talk to her. He knew that she had a great insight into how the King reacted to certain types of bad news and Brandon knew that there was no way he could tell Henry that he was in love with his sister without some kind of repercussions. One afternoon when Henry was out riding Brandon found Isabella, intending to ask her opinion on the subject of his love for the Princess, preparing a room for the young Princess Mary.
"Your Grace." Isabella said curtseying as Brandon entered the room. Even though Henry gave Isabella the informality to call him by his first name (which had taken her years to actually comply with) she would never assume that that informality transferred to anyone else. Isabella knew her place as a simple servant, regardless of the fact that she was a favourite of His Majesty's or not.
"Miss Lockhart." Brandon bowed slightly to her. "May I speak with you?" he asked.
"Of course, your Grace." Isabella replied feeling slightly confused at this unusual request. The Duke of Suffolk had never desired to speak to her before now. He had on occasion asked for her company in his bed chambers (or her bed chambers, or any bed chambers for that matter) but she had always refused him not wanting to be just another in the Duke's very long list of conquests.
"I require your council and hopefully your assistance on a subject very close to my heart." he stated. Isabella narrowed her eyes and tilted her head in his direction. It didn't seem as if he had ulterior motive other than to converse with her.
"And what council could I possibly offer Your Grace?" she asked.
"I desire your opinion on a matter that may greatly upset His Majesty if he were to find out in the wrong manner." he replied.
"Forgive me, Your Grace," she said, averting her eyes from his penetrating gaze and continuing with her work (she could not deny that Brandon was incredibly handsome but she had never desired him or wondered at anything he could possibly have to offer her). "but I fail to see how I have any more authority on His Majesty's reaction to bad news than any other members of His Majesty's court, surely Mr Moore or His Grace the Cardinal would be better."
"You are the Isabella Lockhart, are you not?" Brandon asked pointedly emphasising the fact.
"I fail to understand where this reputation that has apparently preceded me had come from." Isabella stated, incredibly confused.
"I hope you do not mind but His Majesty has told me a great deal about you." he said and his tone of voice told Isabella that what he knew about her was a number of very lewd things that had transpired between her and Henry. She was not bothered in the slightest; it was in the nature of men to talk and in the nature of a King to brag about his various conquests be they in war, land or women. There were things that Henry did in relation to their relationship that Isabella had long since given up being bothered about.
"His Majesty is a liberty to tell whomever he chooses about me. I am his humble and ever loyal servant after all." she stated. Brandon took a step towards her, taking a lock of her soft golden hair, that had fallen from the tight bun she always wore it in, and toying it round his fingers. Isabella gasped softly as Brandon's hand grazed the side of her face and he placed a soft kiss upon her cheek.
"From what I hear you are so much more than just a servant." he stated. "From what I hear you are His Majesty's confidant." Isabella pulled her head away slightly, pulling her hair out of Brandon's loose grasp as she did so. He chuckled slightly, knowing that he had touched a nerve with his comment. Isabella was fine with it being known that she was the King's mistress – the King had many mistresses so it was not uncommon – but for the King to have a woman for his confidant. Now that was unheard of and would lead to Henry's credibility slipping – the King could not be seen to be taking advice or council from a woman.
"I would hardly call myself a confidant Your Grace, I am merely here for the purpose of serving His Majesty in whatever way he deems fit and if he desires to talk to me then I am more than happy to listen." she stated.
"Whatever you say my Lady." Brandon smirked. "Regardless of your insistence that you are not the one His Majesty comes to when he wants to confide in someone I still need your opinion or a matter concerning His Highness."
"And what matter would that be Your Grace?"
"The matter concerning the marriage of His Majesty's sister to the King of Portugal." Brandon stated.
"Yes, I have heard that he is very much in love with her." Isabella replied trying to be impartial. Secretly she felt for Margaret; the King of Portugal was getting on in years and he wasn't exactly the most agreeable of men. Isabella had no desire herself to ever be placed in that position and was so very thankful that she never would be.
"Have you also heard that he is old and decrepit?" Brandon asked. Isabella laughed softly.
"If God permits, for the sake of Margaret or course, then maybe the King of Portugal will not be long for this world." she stated jovially.
"One can only hope." Brandon replied. Isabella looked at him, shrewdly.
"Forgive me, You Grace," she said, smiling at him. "but I was under the impression you wanted to ask me about more than just the virility for the King of Portugal."
"That is true, I must confess." he replied. "I wanted to ask you how you think His Majesty would react if he found out that I was in love with his sister?" Isabella blanched slightly.
"That I was not expecting." she muttered to herself. It was true that Brandon was a noted womaniser and often found himself in the bed on many girls but to talk of love, and to talk of it in conjecture to the King's own sister...well that was just unheard of. "I highly doubt that His Majesty would react well to it and I believe there is very little that can be done about it since Margaret is to become the Queen of Portugal very soon."
"I have heard tell that she has bargained with His Majesty that once the King of Portugal is dead then she may marry whom she wishes." he told her.
"I do not know what to say Your Grace," Isabella replied. "there are many things that will stand in the way of a relationship between you of the Princess. For one thing it may be years before the King of Portugal dies, leaving her married to him for as long as that may be. For another thing I highly suspect that His Majesty will be in any way happy with an alliance between yourself and his sister – he will not let the marriage take place, if that is what you intend to do." Brandon remained silent for a few minutes considering what Isabella had just said.
"Thank you, Miss Lockhart," he said bowing slightly. "I will consider all you have said before I make any rash decisions."
"I am glad I could be of service Your Grace." she curtseyed. Brandon bowed again and left her to finish her work. That was a strange exchange, Isabella thought to herself once she was alone, she could hardly imagine that Henry would be happy if Brandon were to marry Margaret but, like in many ways, Isabella knew that it was not her place to say anything.
A few days after their exchange Brandon and the Princess left for Portugal and Isabella highly suspected that Brandon would find a way to get what he wanted in the end. After this departure Henry found himself falling very ill after being submerged in a bog while out riding. Once the King had regained health he suddenly became very worried about his legacy. He suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that he was, in fact mortal – despite what he had previously thought – and had no legitimate male heir to the throne. He wanted to annul the marriage to Catherine on the grounds that it was against God and the scriptures and he should never have married his brother's widow. Wolsey stated that the marriage had never been a legal marriage in the first place.
It also transpired that Princess Mary was to be sent away to live in her own Palace, a Palace 'truly befitting a daughter of the King of England'. Not wishing to send her away as well Henry relinquished Isabella's duties to Lady Salisbury. Isabella was very sad to be leaving Mary but she was glad that she was able to stay in London – she had no desire to move to Wales (for one thing it was cold and wet). Isabella then returned to her previous position of being a ladies maid to Catherine, where she finally got the chance to meet the infamous Anne Boleyn.
The young girl was very beautiful and it was rumoured that she had a great string of lovers standing in her wake. She had a number of men dying at her feet but she had never given herself to any of them, a feat which Isabella thought very highly of. She could certainly understand Anne's decision as her sister Mary was known as 'The Great Prostitute' – everyone knew her that way and she had even had a brief affair with His Majesty at one point.
Isabella found Anne to be quite pleasant and a woman of integrity – she was rejecting Henry's offer to become his mistress saying that her husband (and only her husband) should be the one to control her maidenhead. It was how Isabella had started her relationship with the King, stating that she would not give herself to him unless he became her husband (but she had known that would never happen as she was well below his station). Eventually Henry had worn her down but that had taken years and she sincerely hoped that Anne's resolve was a great deal stronger than her own.
The matter of Henry's divorce to Catherine caused a great stir within the Kingdom. Wolsey was working hard on behalf of the King to convince the other Cardinals and Bishops that Henry was doing this for religious reasons rather than just a desire for a new wife. That part was particularly difficult – it was no secret that Henry was in love with another and wished to take her as his wife, many members of the court even thought that it was Isabella but it was common knowledge that she always denied that His Majesty was willing to marry her whenever she was asked.
Isabella was perfectly happy to remain in the shadows when it came to Henry and his love scandals (and so far there had been a number of scandals – his bastard with Lady Blount, his constant infatuation with Anne and his wanting to divorce Catherine). Even though she had no remaining family which she could possibly bring shame to Isabella still desired to keep her name out of the fold. It was no secret that a Wolsey didn't like her; whenever she had an audience with the King he would always ask 'what would a silly girl like you have to say to a King?'
He was right. Even though Isabella had given the King a great deal of good private counselling over the years she wished it to remain just that – private. She never spoke of her meetings with the King to anyone and she knew that His Majesty never spoke of them either. That was just the way that made her happy – it made the King happy and Isabella was always happy with whatever made Henry happy.