The King, The Duke, and The Lady

A Story of Friendship, Love, and Lust

Chapter 6

The King stalked energetically into the Countess Brianna's apartments, a smile on his face and laughter in his eyes. Her ladies immediately rose and curtsied as did the Countess.

"Your Majesty," Brianna responded to his surprising entrance.

"Bri- you will ride with me today. It is a beautiful day and I wish to ride in the countryside with you."

"Your Majesty! Your leg…"

"My leg is doing wonderfully thanks to you. I have not needed the cane in days and my leg is as if there was never a wound. And now, we shall go riding. I have already called for our horses to be saddled and they will be waiting for us in the courtyard."

"As you wish, Your Majesty. I will change immediately. Will it just be us? Should I ask one of my ladies to attend us?"

"It will just be us Lady Brianna, plus the small group I must take with me for my safety, but they will ride far back and it will be as if they are not with us at all."

"Then I will change quickly and join you downstairs, Your Majesty. A ride in this pleasant weather would be a welcome break."

The King nodded his head smiling, then turned and left her quarters. Brianna's ladies quickly started preparing her riding attire and helping her change clothes. Within just forty five minutes, the Lady Brianna was in the courtyard being 'legged up' onto her horse. She no longer rode sidesaddle if she could avoid it and had her dresses and leggings cut to accommodate a woman's regular English saddle. She found it much more comfortable, and safer when actually galloping as opposed to sauntering along. No doubt with the King in his current affable and energetic mood, they would be riding across country at a gallop.

Brianna was right. The King's energy was unstoppable that day and they galloped through the green pastures, jumped the smaller snags, and enjoyed the wonderful sunshine. His standard bearer and guards were hard put to keep up with him. When their horses tired, they dismounted and walked along the grassy moors in a comfortable silence.

The King finally broke the silence with a surprising statement. "Brandon tells me that you wish to retire from Court and that you would be asking me yourself soon."

Brianna knew that Brandon was going to prepare the King for her request. They had talked about it before, but she had not expected to have the King approach the subject in quite this way.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I would ask Your Majesty's permission to leave Court for a while"

"How long?"

"I don't know Your Majesty."

"Can you tell me why? You seem to want to float in and out of my Court like no other. Why?"

Brianna held her tongue and kept walking. The King gently took her arm and stopped her walk. "Brianna, I need to know why."

Brianna looked at him and tilted her face up proudly. "Permission to speak, Your Majesty."

"Of course, you don't even have to ask."

"Yes, Your Majesty I do. I would never presume upon our friendship to ever speak to you as a friend without asking permission." Brianna smirked slightly as she looked up at him sideways, "It is a dangerous thing indeed."

The King smiled, and laughed slightly, "I suppose it might seem so, but not for you, never for you."

"I think I shall err on the side of caution Your Majesty." Brianna smiled at him with her typical hint of amusement and then she looked away into the woods, weighing what she would say. "As to the matter of staying at Court Your Majesty, I feel I cannot. People are being killed here every day. I smell the burning bodies of supposed heretics and cannot get the stench out of my nose. I avoid the sounds from the gallows or from the axe hitting the block by keeping to my quarters and having the windows closed. Sometimes, on particularly bad days, I retire to the Duke's home in London to escape the stench of death. And now that the trials of Anne and her alleged co-conspirators are coming to an end, more tragedy will follow. Brandon tells me that the trial's outcomes are a given and that the penalty for the men may well be to be drawn and quartered. I cannot be here for that, Your Majesty, Henry. And the Queen will be found guilty as well as be burned at the stake. I cannot suffer through that. Please, let me go to my home."

"This is your home Brianna. What would you have me do?"

"Henry, my home is in the country at my estate. It is not here in this bloodthirsty and scheming court. I cannot abide what is going on here. So many have plotted the downfall of the Queen, so many plot to put their daughters in front of you to gain your favor and all that comes with it. You surround yourself with those who do not have your best interest in mind, but only want to push their own agenda, using you to do it. You are a very intelligent and gifted man. You are educated in theology and law, but have left the running of the country to others. They are deciding what a heretic is, adhering to their own theological purposes, rather than what I believe Your Majesty's intent or humanity would dictate. You are a humanist at heart, wanting to look after your subject's best interest."

Brianna knew she had taken great risk at speaking so boldly to the King and became increasingly concerned, even afraid she had gone too far as he continued to walk in silence. Finally he spoke up, his words soft and gentle, pervaded by sadness. "Again I ask you Brianna, what would you have me do?"

"I am but a woman, Henry. I should not meddle in the affairs of state. What you choose to do is up to you," Brianna said with all humility.

"You are more than just a woman to me. You are my link to my humanity, the rock that ties me to the better side of me, making me a better man for it. I want to be remembered as a good King, a respected King, and instead I fear I shall be remembered as an arrogant, blood thirsty King."

"We cannot know how the world will remember you, Henry. History is written by the survivors. You are young yet, you can change the way history will remember you by showing mercy in all things."

"Too much mercy can lose me a kingdom."

"As can too little."

"And how would you suggest I show my mercy and humanity?"

"Starting close to home? I suggest you reevaluate what your definition of heretic is. And if you come to a conclusion, be sure your advisors know how you define it and what the punishment is. Is something as cruel and inhumane as burning at the stake really necessary? And what of these trials? Do the men allegedly involved really have to be drawn and quartered to be killed for their treason?"

"You continue to say 'alleged' when referring to these crimes. Do you not believe them to be true?"

"Henry…" Brianna paused trying to put together words that would be helpful, "I am not attending the trials. I do not know the evidence that has been presented and only know from Lord Suffolk what has occurred. I certainly have opinions, but my opinions are not based on fact and are therefore not relevant. My only concern here is that it is a foregone conclusion that these individuals will be condemned. I am not saying the trial is rigged, but the end is a given. You and I both know it. I ask you to think about what more humane methods could be employed to give these people their deaths. You have never attended a stake burning or an execution by drawing and quartering, and neither have I thank God. But I can imagine how awful it would be to die that way. I ask you, I beg you even, to consider other options."

"Would a quick death by beheading be acceptable? And even for Anne, to have a swordsman come to take her head quickly and cleanly? Would you consider that to be a humane option?"

"Given the options today, yes I would. Our religion prohibits the taking of one's own life, so we could not offer them the option of poison that was offered to Socrates. At least we could not acknowledge doing so. But if we are to be a modern society, recognized for our humanity and our mercy which is what God calls for, then it would make sense to find a way to allow those who are to die a way to die that would show them mercy and compassion. A King, a great King, will always find a way to show his subjects faith, hope, and love. 'And the greatest of these is love.' You have given your subjects a faith to follow, but is it necessary to take away the faith they have always followed or to condemn those who choose to continue to follow their original faith? It is the same God, the same Bible after all. And what of hope? Is war after war, instead of building coalitions of peace providing hope to anyone? The nobles certainly benefit, war is profitable. But what of your poorer subjects? Their houses, horses, and food are taken to support an army, time after time. Can a King be seen as a peacemaker, providing hope of peace, if he continually wars with other nations? And love, what of love Henry? Love is about charity and mercy and forgiveness. Can you find a way to give the condemned mercy and forgiveness?"

The King interrupted Brianna, "You expect me to forgive those who committed treason against me?"

"I say forgiveness in your heart, Henry. It doesn't mean they still don't die for their crimes. But they do die compassionately, and not out of your anger or your whim. Given what I have said today, even with your gracious wish for me to speak plainly, I have committed treason. Would you condemn me to death? Would you not forgive me? Would you allow me to be executed by burning at the stake?"

The King looked horrified. "Of course not Brianna. I consider you to be my closest confidant, even more so that Brandon. You are one of the few that tells me the truth, and you are wise enough to tell me in private. And you do not abuse our friendship or expect anything from me as reward for that friendship. And I would never, no matter what your actions, condemn you to death. I might banish you, but that would cause me more pain than you, given how much you dislike being at court. No, a suitable punishment for you would be to force you to remain at court for the rest of your days." The King looked at her with amusement.

Brianna smirked back at him, "That would be a truly terrible punishment indeed."

The King became serious again. "If I commute their sentences to beheading, and cease all burning at the stake for anyone, no matter their crimes, will you remain at court at least through the executions? I need your comfort and your stabilizing presence during this time. I need to borrow your compassion and lean on you as my rock of humanity so I do not veer too far off course. Will you stay?"

"And after the executions, you will let me leave, at least for a time?"

The King paused and then nodded his head in agreement. "You may leave after the executions, Brianna. As much as I want to keep you here, like one would keep a bird in a cage, I cannot do that to you. A bird, or any animal or person does better when allowed freedom to come and go, and a greater love for their master will grow given that freedom. Or so I hope."

"You are the King of England, and my friend. I can do no other than to abide by your wishes. I will stay at court through the executions and will stay until you no longer need to rely on me as much. But I will leave court only to return either at the King's will or by my own decision."

"Agreed. And Brianna, for your safety as well as Brandon's and my own, we must endeavor to keep our close friendship and your counsel to me a secret, a very Great Secret. If known, people will try to use you to get to me, or to use you to influence Brandon into influencing me or policy. I would rather have you and Brandon be my confidants and my trusted friends and advisors, but I do not want others to know of this. Brandon is already seen as "The Second King," and so his influence on me and my reliance on him is well known. I do not wish the same for you."

"Agreed, Your Majesty. While I would like to be seen as your close friend, I have no desire to have those who would curry favor with me only to get to you. And I do not want people to think that I sleep with you to gain whatever influence I may have. I have said before I will not be your mistress. That I will not abide."

"Very well. We have an agreement. And while I would enjoy your…entertainment, I value your friendship more. I withhold my blessing on your marriage for selfish reasons, but also because Brandon has proved as inconstant as me in the past. Once he proves his true love for you, and not just his lust, then I will grant permission for you to be married."

"And what would constitute proving his 'true love' for me in your mind?"

"That he maintains his chivalrous and dedicated treatment of you. He has been with no one else since you returned to court initially. That period of time without a woman to share his bed, even if for just an hour, is truly commendable for him. Even when you were away from court, his head was never turned. It continues to not be turned, and if his behavior continues to be constant towards you, I will give my blessing."

"I believe he has proven that already, at least I am satisfied of his devotion. I hope that Your Majesty does not withhold his blessing too much longer. We are eager to engage in our marriage and pursue our physical rights."

"I am sure Brandon is," The King laughed sardonically.

"As am I, Henry. I am still a maid, and I wish nothing more than to give my maidenhead to Brandon and take him fully into my life and my body, as he is already in my heart."

The King stopped suddenly, "You are a maid still? Even after the French Court?"

"Yes Your Majesty. I refused to become yet another English whore, as our ladies are known at the French Court. Instead, I invested my time in learning. But now I am eager to pursue what I have denied myself for so long."

"Brandon will be a lucky man…" the King mused.

Brianna paused, wondering if she should bring it up now. Deciding now was as good a time as any, she plunged ahead. "May I have your permission to speak as your friend, Your Majesty?"

Henry motioned his head and his hand in agreement and she continued. "While I have preserved my maidenhead for Charles, that does not mean I am not aware of various sexual conduct between men and women. Through my study of books, I have certainly become aware, and perhaps even self-taught, in the arts of sex. One of the things I would like to entertain, and Charles has agreed to, is to ask you to join my bed."

Brianna was silent after that, trying to gauge the King's reaction. He stopped and looked at her with a face full of shock. "You said, unequivocally, that you would not become my mistress."

"And I will not, but we, Charles and I, would invite you into our bed as our friend and lover, not as the King."

"You would take both of our favors, at the same time?" Brianna could see the darkening of the King's eyes in passion and lust as he thought of the possibilities.

"I love you both, and I desire you both as men, not as nobilty or as the King. Why can I not have you both? One as my husband and one as my lover."

"And Brandon has agreed to this?" The King asked surprised.

"He has. He is competitive enough, as are you, to find it a challenge. I would not cuckold him Henry. If you were to come to my bed, it would be into our bed. I would only have you when I had him as well."

"What you are suggesting is highly unconventional, Brianna, and I must say I am surprised that someone who still has their maidenhead would be so bold as to suggest it."

"I have never been known to be timid, Henry. I know this is an audacious proposal, and perhaps you are not interested, but I wanted to put it forward as a possibility."

"Oh, believe me Brianna, I am interested. The challenge of it as well as the daring is very appealing. I'm sure there would be some caveats however."

"Of course. It is such a brash thing, and so very unconventional I think we should have some established guidelines before we undertook such an arrangement. The three of us should work those through before we embark. And if we should begin this understanding, it would not begin until after Charles and I are married and have returned from our honeymoon."

"And I suppose I am not to be invited to such a honeymoon?" The King smirked at her.

"Uh, no Your Majesty, Henry. I will only be married to one man, and that man is Brandon. Therefore, only one man in my bed on our wedding night, and one man in my bed for our honeymoon."

The King laughed and sighed as they returned to their horses. "You have given me much to think about, both as a King and becoming the King I want to be remembered as, and as a man who is being offered a great gift with no expectation of reward. I shall think on it and let you both know of my decision on the one part, and you will know my decision by my actions on the other."

Brianna smiled at the King and teased as she lifted herself onto the saddle. "Oh, I have an expectation of reward, Your Majesty. To be bedded by two of the most infamous of lovers at the same time, I definitely expect to be rewarded." Her smirk held amusement and promises of things to come and Henry laughed with lust as they started their horses at a gallop back to the palace.

TBC

A/N: This chapter was a bit heady with philosophy and changing the character of Henry from how he is portrayed in history and in the show, obviously purely fictional. And it begins to introduce the setting for the follow-up chapters. And for those who are encouraging a "get on with it already" attitude of sex between any or all of the characters, I urge patience. :-) This is one story I am trying to draw out the sexual tension, as I believe it would have been done in the period. Also, really gritty sex is difficult to write well, so patience is called for as the story unfolds. I look forward to your reviews! I read every one.