Tudor Rose

xiv. apricity

July 19, 1519

I awoke quite late in the morning, still nestled under the pair of thin, worn blankets that I had been granted. The two low-spirited ladies who were sent to serve me — whose names I learned were Millicent and Dorothea — were chatting idly with someone in the doorway, looking quite dismal and bored. Hidden behind their brown locks was the unmistakable red of Eleanor Tudor's hair. Suddenly very curious, I sat upright and tossed the frayed blankets to the side. 

"She's awake!" a voice exclaimed happily. Only, it was a voice that clearly didn't belong to either of my attendants or my famed sister-in-law, but the cheerful voice of my older daughter.

Like the harsh winds on a calm day, my daughters darted between the people and ran straight to me. They looked up at me with adoring eyes — one pair a dark, rich brown and the other a guileless turquoise — and wide smiles, and it was as if all the bad and troublesome things in the world disappeared immediately. I wrapped my arms around them, smiling broadly.

"How you've grown since I last saw you!" I said, "Oh, and Kate, your birthday! This is dreadful, isn't it? I'm so sorry."

Katherine smiled apologetically at me, not daring to go beyond a meek grin. She tugged nervously on a piece of hair that protruded from her crimson gable hood, her other hand clasping her little sister's. Anne, on the other hand, looked quite disappointed with everything. A disproving expression was painted on her face, leaving me feeling even guiltier than before. 

I watched as Millicent and Dorothea were escorted out of the room by a pair of guards. Eleanor, straight faced as ever, dropped a pouch of what I assumed was coins into the palm of one guard. She then turned to me and held up five fingers. 

Five minutes.

A sense of silent gratitude escaped me. It was likely that Henry hadn't wanted me to see Kate and Anne on the former's birthday due to my imprisonment, but Eleanor clearly didn't care. It seemed like the time she spent with the two girls in Hatfield had led to a spot in her heart reserved for them, and so it made perfect sense that she would blatantly disobey her kingly brother in their favor. It was unlikely that she went through the trouble of bribing the guards just for me, but for Kate and Anne, there was no doubt at all. I mouthed a quick 'thank you' and watched impatiently as the red-haired princess exited the room.

"When will you come home, Mama?" Anne asked innocently.

"Annie!" Katherine scolded, "Aunt Eleanor told you not to ask that! 

"Listen to me, girls," I said, completely ignoring their banter. I placed my hands on theirs, the coolness of mine clashing with the warmth of theirs. "I won't be with you for much longer, and so I have some important things to say to you. You must listen carefully, alright? Do you understand?"

The two young girls nodded at me synchronously, and only then did I dare to continue. "I want you to always remember how much I love you both," I said calmly, "I love you and, though he may not always be very good at showing it, your father loves you. And you'll always have each other, no matter what. My sisters and I may not have always gotten along perfectly, but we loved each other regardless. I want you to always be this friendly with each other. If not for yourselves, then for me.

"Katherine, I have no doubt that you will one day be the Queen of England. You are the king's eldest daughter, and it is your birthright. There is no one in all of England that is as important and promising as you. And Anne! My clever Annie, you have a future in France that is as indomitable and limitless as you. You will both do wonderful things one day, and I only wish I would be able to see it."

Racked with sadness, I looked between them one last time, their faces permanently engraved in my mind. I pulled off a ring and placed it in Katherine's hands. On the inside of the silvery, expensive ring, there was a short phrase engraved — my motto, "Unchallenged, unchanged". Then, I unclasped the necklace that I was wearing and handed it to Anne. It was much simpler than the ring, but infinitely more beautiful. The chain was silver, and at the bottom of it rested a small emerald gemstone, wrapped in silver reinforcements.