The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 32

December 10th, 1537, Hampton Court

I sat down on the large chair in the middle of my audience room. I was dressed in a dark green dress. My hair was in a neat chignon with a net that was studded with pearls.

There was a short knock at the door and the footman opened the door. "The ladies Catherine Carey and Catherine Howard."

The two girls stepped inside and made a deep curtsy. Both had their dark Blonde hair down over their shoulders. They were also both dressed in dark gray dresses, both decorated in a different way.

I smiled "welcome ladies, it must be a great honor for you to enter the king's court as maids in waiting. I have great hopes for you two, the court is not only a place of splendor but also a place full of scandals. I expect you to behave nicely." I said sternly.

She nodded quietly and I smiled. "Lady Clarice here will show you your room. You will be sharing the room with the two of you."

Clarice motioned for the girls to follow her and she made another curtsy.

I turned to Giulia who was standing next to me. "Is the Lady Mary Boleyn there too?" I asked. "I saw her get out of the carriage with Lady Carey. Shall I get her?"

I nodded. "Get her, but make sure the King or Cromwell don't know about it."

Giulia nodded and left the room.

After a while she returned with the Lady Mary.

The Lady Mary was wearing a black dress and an English gable hood on her head, so her hair was not visible.

She made a deep curtsy."Your majesty." she said softly.

I smiled at her. "Please, Lady Boleyn, take a seat." I gestured to the chair placed opposite me.

She nodded and sat down. "You asked me to join you, Your Majesty?" she said curiously. "Yes that's right. I wanted to ask you something about Elizabeth, your niece."

Mary's eyes widened and she sat up. "But sure, is she okay?"

"She's all right, thank God, what I wanted to ask you was about her mother, Anne Boleyn."

I saw a fit of sadness on Mary's face. It wasn't easy for her. Her younger brother and sisters both died on the block, both her parents died shortly after.

"Do you believe the things she was accused of being true? Isn't Elizabeth really the king's daughter?" I continued.

Mary sighed briefly. "Anne wanted to give Henry a son so badly, she would give anything for it, but she would never have cheated on Henry. She loved him too much to do that. Elizabeth is His Majesty's daughter and Anne has not deceived him. It was all a lie."

I sighed. Poor Anne, how she must have felt when she was accused of those crimes. The thought that the man she loved so desperately wanted her out of the way.

"Elizabeth is getting older and one day she will start asking questions about her mother. Questions I can't answer since I didn't know her mother and questions her father won't answer because he refuses to say a good word about Anne. Did your know daughter Anne?"

Mary nodded "Yes, she knew Anne. She was there when Anne was...beheaded. She lay awake at night, every time she closed her eyes she had a nightmare. Poor Catharine was only 12 years old and had to go through that." She wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I hope Catherine could tell her about her mother. Catherine is Elizabeth's niece, one of the closest relatives on her mother's side. Henry won't suspect anything if my lady-in-waiting spends time with one of his children." I took her hand "and I think you'd like to see Elizabeth too."

She nodded "with all my heart. She is all I have left of Anne."

I smiled. "Now is not the right time but if you return around the holidays you will be able to meet her. I will write to you when the time is right."

Mary smiled gratefully. "I thank you, I am infinitely grateful."

"It's no problem Lady Boleyn, I'm doing this for Elizabeth's sake and that of your daughter, Lady Boleyn."

"Please call me Lady Stafford, the name Boleyn has only bad memories. I will return home. Thank you for all you do for my niece, I have heard what kind of mother role you are to her"

She got up and made a curtsy before leaving the room.