The Belle of St. Petersburg •The Tudors

chapter •lord ambrose

Anastasia's stomach grew over the months. Henry had appoint more servants to serve his wife. Anastasia must have no faults, no miscarriages or stillbirths. She will give birth to healthy children, no less from a queen. As she sat on her chair, doing needlepoint, a knock was heard. One of the main ladies quickly went to answer the door. A minute later, Anna walked over to Anastasia.

"My queen, the man from a few months ago is here." Anna information quietly. Anastasia looks up in confusion.

"What man?"

"The one who agreed about Mistress Seymour attacking Kathleen, my queen." Anna answers. Anastasia nods and places her work down. She stood up careful and motions for the man to be let in. Walking in was a man in his early thirties, full beard. He bowed at the queen.

"Your Majesty."

"Who are you?" Anastasia asked in sternness.

"Lord Ambrose Howard, Your Majesty."

"Howard, cousins of the Boleyn family." Anastasia said, knowing about the Howards.

"Yes, my queen. Anne Boleyn was my cousin."

"Why are you here? Why did you help us?"

"Your Majesty, I have come to pledge my allegiance to you. His Majesty cut both my cousins heads off under the lies that the witch Jane had told them." Ambrose explained. "I made a promise to my cousin, Anne, that I would watch over her daughter. That whore Jane Seymour would have surely had something horrible done to Elizabeth if she were queen."

"Well then, you did the right thing. Just know this, Lord Ambrose. I will treat Elizabeth as my own daughter, the Princess she once was. You have done something that would potentially get Jane to lose out of favor, so go ahead and ask me for anything and you shall have it." Anastasia told him. Ambrose bowed again and shook his head.

"I have no need for riches or land, Your Majesty. I only want..."

"Yes, go on." Anastasia pushes.

"I would like my cousin, Mary, to be brought back to court. She had also promised Anne that she would watch Elizabeth." Ambrose asked for. Anastasia nods at the request.

"Very well then, I will do my best to bring Lady Boleyn back to court." Anastasia said.

"Stafford, her name is Stafford. She wrote to me saying she never wants to be called Boleyn again, Your Majesty."

"Alright then, Lady Stafford will be brought back to court with her family and I will ask my husband to give them lands and titles." Anastasia said, Lord Ambrose smiled and nods.

"God bless you, Your Majesty." Ambrose gave a deep bow before retreating out of the room.

"Will you bring the Staffords here, Your Majesty?" Tatiana asked her queen. Anastasia looks at her.

"It is the least I could do to thank him for helping us." Anastasia answers. There was another knock on the door and Kathleen was the one to answer it. She walked back in and smiled.

"Your Majesty, the Lady Mary and the Lady Elizabeth are here." Kathleen announces. The door was open for Mary and Elizabeth to walk in and curtsy.

"Your Majesty." They said together. Elizabeth walked forward and held out a bouquet of flowers to Anastasia. Anastasia smiled in happiness band gladly took them.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you both for come here." Anastasia said to her step-daughters. Mary's face was expressionless, but Elizabeth held a happy look. "I have gifts for the both of you."

Elizabeth lit up while Mary looked at her step-mother in a shocking look before not showing express again. Sarah and Anna walked towards their queen with gifts in hand.

"French books for you, Elizabeth. To learn and explore the world from here in England." Elizabeth gladly took the book and curtsied. "...also a new dress from my home country, in Russia."

Elizabeth saw the beautiful white dress, outlined with fur and midnight blue embroidered bottom.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Elizabeth said happily. Elizabeth's nurse took the dress from Anna and curtsied.

Anastasia motioned for Mary to approach next. Kathleen handed Mary a tiny box. "Pray, open it."

Mary did and found inside a rosary.

"This rosary was a gift by my great-great uncle, Pope Paul III, to me on my sixteenth birthday. I want you to have it."

"This gift, it is too precious, a gift from his Holiness. Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Mary stutters in surprise.

"Of course, Lady Mary. I want us to be friends, I believed that your mother was the rightful queen of England." Anastasia said. Mary stood there in honor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will treasure it always." Mary curtsied.

"I'm glad you enjoy your gifts. Let us have supper together in the garden. I am due for some fresh air." Anastasia stood up careful with the help of Kathleen.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The girls said.

Maybe Mary would grow to love the new queen as she does her mother.