The Other Henry VIII

Love, Honour and Obey

Hello readers,
I am putting this book under heavy editing over the summer. There will still be updates along the way but I will be rewriting/editing some of the first chapters and adding new scenes at the beginning at the same time. Let's face it, my writing three years ago was pretty bad.
Hope you like this chapter,
~ RedPanda

Clara's POV

28 April 1523
I think that this is the grandest ceremony that I have attended in my life, without a doubt.
As soon as I awoke this morning, my sister and I were hurried to a small breakfast in our chambers then fastened into our new gowns so swiftly that I could scarcely catch my breath. It felt like I was a young child again, forever beckoned and banished by my father while my mother suffered in silence. Lizzie, who has never truly felt the warmth of being a pampered, beloved princess, is used to being pushed to-and-fro between maids and does so with a fresh grin across her white freckled face. Though I hate being ordered about like this, it is heartwarming to see my sister so excited; Esther's death sat far heavier on her than it did on me. She is only a little girl, not even five years old, and yet I often have to remind myself that this is a princess who lived through her mother's imprisonment and execution with steady courage and resilience.

Both of us are clothed in silk, the rich blue colour of the sky at twilight, trimmed in the type of gold satin that catches every flicker of light. The material is heavy and thick against my skin as we take our places in the church, for though the sun is shining, the wind blows harsh and icy. Of course Lizzie is radiant, the red-bronze of her curly mane and deep green of her bright eyes contrasting against the subtle blue and gold. I accepted long ago that she would be beautiful, from the moment I laid eyes upon her mother.
As Papa's new bride enters, I watch her glide through the wedding guests in a pure gold silk dress with the longest train I have ever seen and wonder dreamily what their children will look like. Perhaps they will be blonde-haired, like her and my father's mother. Perhaps they will be prettier than me as well. I like her a great deal more than Queen Diana, though I take care not to tell Lizzie, but then we have barely spoken. She was the one who prevented Papa from... no, I shall not think of that night. That was the worst night of my life, comparable to hell on earth. I must smile and seem serenely happy otherwise people will say that my father has forsaken me for another wife.

I rest my gaze upon Papa until they are married and it is all over. He seems so blissfully happy whenever he looks at her and it makes me swell with joy too. Ever since my mother's death, I have only wanted him to find a woman that he truly loves and I hope deeply that she is the one he has been looking for.
Lizzie slips her tiny hand into mine. "Will she like me?" she asks softly, her large eyes staring up at me. "Will Papa be happy with her, Clara?"
I cannot lie to such a perfect jewel of innocence. "I do not know. We must pray that their marriage will be long and prosperous." My voice sounds defeated, despite feeling the opposite. I doubt that Lizzie knows what 'prosperous' means but she seems content with my answer and follows me dutifully to the celebrations that Papa always holds after his weddings. It worries me that he has married enough times for me to notice habits like this.

Lady Bryan takes my sister away almost as soon as the dancing begins, for fear of something happening to her, I suppose. After sitting impatiently on the sidelines of many of my father's balls when I was Lizzie's age, I understand why. Who knows what will happen when wine flows from the fountains and the King is caught up in his own world?
After two full dances, my father and his bride approach me. They are out of breath, I notice, and he is beaming at her as if she is his whole world. I curtsy.
"Clara, I would like to formally introduce you to your new mother and my new wife, Leia," says Papa in a lively manner.
"I hope you don't expect me to replace the mothers of your children, Henry," replies Queen Leia calmly, with only a quietly confident smile on her lips. She must be the only woman in the court that is not besotted with my father, I think, and of course it is she whom Papa chooses to marries.
"It is an honour to meet you, Your Grace," she says to me, nodding her head in respect. "I hope we shall get along, for your father's sake."
"Of course, My Lady," I answer and they are off again to join the third dance without another word. I shall not deny that I was expecting Papa to speak to me alone. On the other hand, I suppose that he feels unsure of what to say when we watched Esther pass away in front of us. I do not blame him at all.