The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 26

July 14th, 1537, Burbage.

The next morning I saw that the bed was empty except for me, which meant that Henry had spent the night with Jane.

I sighed annoyed at the thoughts. My own husband committed adultery right under my nose in front of so many people. If I had known that my marriage would end like this, I would have begged the Holy Father to annul my marriage and take me back to Rome.

But it was already too late. I had James and that made me a prisoner of England and Henry forever. I just had to get used to this kind of shame.

I got up from the bed and put on my dressing gown. Now that we were not in the palace, my ladies-in-waiting could not wait for me in my bedroom, so I had to go get them myself.

I left the room and walked down the silent corridor of the house to the chambers of my ladies-in-waiting.

I suddenly heard the cry of a baby and I felt my heart beating. I walked towards the sound and arrived at a door that had been opened a crack.

I walked quietly into the room and looked around.

I had ended up in the nursery. The room where my bastard husband stayed, my son's older half brother.

A nursemaid walked across the room with a swaddled baby in her arms and when she saw me she made a startled curtsy.

"Your Majesty, what brings you here? I'm sorry, did the baby wake you?" She looked apologetic. I smiled at her, "No, don't worry. I was looking for my ladies-in-waiting when I heard the cry of a baby, I decided to follow the sound and ended up here."

She sighed with relief. "The Seymour family hates it when the baby wakes them and I've been rapped several times for it." I looked at her in surprise "are they angry because the baby is crying?"

She nodded "Yes, they don't understand that it's normal for a baby to cry for its needs. They have withheld my salary several times as punishment. Now I can hardly afford the care of my sick mother." She looked sadly, "My mother and brothers live all the way in London and I can never visit them."

I felt sorry for her. I didn't understand what it was like to be poor and work for my money but as I heard it now it was hard and the Seymour family didn't make it any easier for her."

"If you like I can offer you a place in the Prince's household in Hatfield, near London. You will get paid well and can easily visit your family." I offered. The nursemaid nodded happily, "I would appreciate that very much, Your Majesty." She said.

Before I could say anything, the door of the room slammed open. "Didn't I tell you to make sure Edward kept quiet. The King is here and I don't want him to think his son is weak." I heard Jane say, she walked into the room and saw me standing there.

She made a startled curtsy. "Your Majesty, I did not expect you here." she said softly. "No, that's what I thought." I said coolly back.

Jane looked from me to the nursemaid and then to Edward. "Look, I introduce you to my son Edward." She took Edward out of the nursemaid's arms and walked over to me.

Edward turned out to have Elizabeth's fiery hair, which Henry's mother apparently had, and Jane's brown eyes.

He looked a lot like James between the eyebrows which wasn't strange because they shared the same father.

"He looks healthy." I just said, "Yes, a perfect playmate for the prince, isn't he?" She gave me a false smile.

"He will certainly be a perfect playmate, but unfortunately Henry and I have already decided that the Prince will only have playmates of pure, noble blood. And it won't be long before his siblings will join him in the nursery, so he won't need playmates." I said just as falsely back.

She looked at me with a forced smile. I smiled back just as sweetly and then turned to leave the room but changed my mind.

I turned back to Jane "By the way, this nursemaid will be moved to Hatfield, I'll have one of the nursemaids from Hatfield come here to take her place."

Jane looked surprised. "But why?"

"I'm the queen, you don't question my orders, but since you want to know anyway. I found out how badly you treated her and I won't accept that." I turned back and walked out of the room.

~

After I got my ladies in waiting they helped me get ready for the day. I decided to eat my breakfast in the room so I wouldn't have to face Henry and his whore.

"Giulia, write a letter to Lady Bryant at Hatfield, ask her to send one of the nursemaids here and tell her a new one will take its place." I said between my bites, she nodded "And make sure that person can also be used as a spy." I added.

Giulia nodded again and started writing a letter as I finished my breakfast.

I didn't trust the Seymours at all and should always be one step ahead of them no matter what.