𝖗𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊, 𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐯

00:24

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘, 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇. Her face is bruised, most of it covered but a lot still showing. She wasn't expecting so many people to be at the feast and now she feels small and exposed. She doesn't like it.

In the center of the extravagant room sits a round table littered with ornate boxes: gifts from Kings of other nations. Three men stand around the table, prepared to present the gifts to Henry.

Elizabeth casts him a look, her eyes scanning the large golden necklace around his neck. She wears a very similar necklace, only much smaller than those of the men around her. Henry looks stoic and calm, the very opposite of the Henry from only a few weeks ago. "King Wenceslaus of Bohemia presents this gift to King Henry of England. To long and good health," the announcer calls out as one of the men approaches Henry with the first box.

Once set on the table, Henry opens the box and pulls out a beautiful crystal and golden vase and examines it. "Beautiful," he hums, his voice low. "I'm sure you all know my young sister Philippa has joined us here today. Queen of Denmark."

Elizabeth turns to the table Henry gestures at, her eyes finding the pretty face of the girl he's speaking of. Elizabeth was unaware of his sister. She watches the young girl as Henry stands, the vase still in his hands a she approaches Philippa. "I'm thankful she and her husband, the good King Eric, have traveled all this way. I wish for you to take this vase, my dear. Let its beauty stand for your beauty, which stands in turn for England's beauty."

Philippa and her husband stand to greet Henry as he sets the vase in front his sister. A small smiles comes to Elizabeth's lips as she listens to his words. He's a rather good sweet talker, she thinks to herself as he and Philippa converse.

"His Serenity, the doge of the Republic of Venice, present this gift in your honor, my liege. It says it is a bird from Constantinople."

Elizabeth looks at the announcer, her brows furrowing as Henry speaks her mind. "A bird? A dead one I should suppose."

Elizabeth gently touches his thigh as he sits, giving him a look with a raised brow as those around Henry laugh. It isn't until he's fully seated that she notices the box in front of him. Inside is a beautiful golden bird made out of metal.

"If I may, my liege," the man directly to Henry's right wheezes. Elizabeth watches in wonder as he turns a knob and sets the bird down. It begin to walk, earning stunned laughter and claps from those in the room.

Elizabeth gasps lightly, her hand touching her chest as she watches the mechanism. She looks at Henry, who turns to her with a smile. The fear is incredible. Henry's eyes slide from her to a curly haired boy on the opposite side of the Bishop. "A wonder," Henry says as he lifts the bird.