The Other Henry VIII

Finding Happiness

25 September 1511
Louisa couldn't stop crying.
Sophia had tried to comfort her at first, but the King had put his foot down and made sure Louisa was never alone with his wife.
Louisa returned to Wessex in disgrace, with her parents and fiancé the next morning and Sophia was soon left alone as gradually the party guests left until the palace was back to normal. She was presented with the task of choosing her ladies in waiting before her official coronation, and the King had to approve of all of them.
He was also allowed to choose between one and three of her four main ladies, which Sophia found agreeable enough, although she knew this might mean that her husband would choose a mistress from one of her ladies.
Sophia hoped not.
She decided to pick the amiable Catherine Starling, a child of 16 that she had known from Wessex. She had long light brown hair and bright eyes of the same colour, and the way she held herself just seemed so attractive. Catherine was pretty, yes, but timid and shy, and did not speak unless spoken to which Sophia decided was a good choice.

Sophia also found herself choosing energetic red-haired Lucy Herbert, the 21-year-old bastard child of some minor noble, because Lucy emitted some sort of radiance that the Queen found herself drawn to. Besides, the palace needed someone like her. A nagging voice in her mind told Sophia that the King might find her attractive, but she dismissed this possibility and made the girl a lady anyway.

At this point, Sophia dithered. Who should be her third lady? Suggestions and candidates streamed through her mind as fast as they left it and just too many girls could not be her maid. Her husband, however, put forward the alluring Anna Talbot to which Sophia wanted to disagree. Anna was known to be flirty and daring, not to mention that she caught the eye of nearly everyone in court, but Sophia knew she couldn't argue. The King was allowed to pick up to three of her ladies, and there was no point disagreeing.

Finally, the day before her coronation arrived, and Sophia was incredibly anxious. Who would be the fourth lady to be there when she needed them most?
"Mary?"called Sophia, sitting up in bed.
"Yes Your Majesty?"replied Mary.
"Are you from noble descent?"
Mary thought a while.
"It depends what you would dub 'noble' Your Majesty. My grandfather was a Baron, and he married a Countess. Does that count?" Sophia grinned.
"Yes, Mary, that will do nicely."

Later, when  Mary is dressing Sophia...

"Mary, how would you like to be my fourth lady-in-waiting?"asked Sophia as Mary tightened her red dress's corset at the back.
"I—I—I would be honoured, Your Majesty,"replied Mary. Sophia smiled as Mary tied the bow.
"Then it is settled! Oh I do hope you will be treated better as my lady-in-waiting! Now come along, I will inform His Majesty of my decision." And Sophia hurried out of her room, ruby earrings dangling as she moved.

"And now, I would like to announce my wife's handmaidens, Catherine Starling, Lucy Herbert, Anna Talbot and Mary Sutherland,"boomed Henry, and the court applauded as the four handmaidens stepped forwards and curtsied in front of the two thrones. Sophia smiled at her husband, and he placed his hand on hers gently.

Neither could help feeling completely elated.