Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
- Thread starter aurora01
- Start date
XXXXXXXXXVII: 1548
1548
She knew it was supposed to a solemn, serious occasion that was why Kathryn Howard was doing her best to keep her mouth closed so she wouldn't yawn.
Elizabeth was very seriously lying prostate as the Archbishop of Canterbury was delivering a sermon about the solemn duties of kingship and...Kitty did not want to offend God very much but she wasn't paying much attention. She didn't think God would mind so much, it was hardly his fault that such occasions tended to be so boring. She was honestly waiting for the exciting parts when Bess would actually be crowned and then she and Constance would have to carefully carry her train off.
The planned masque and celebrations however...now that was what Kitty was looking forward to the most, it made her giddy enough that she wanted to tell the Archbishop to get on with it.
Obviously she wouldn't! ...But she couldn't help but think it.
It was precisely because she wasn't paying attention that Kitty was able to notice two very distinct sets of eyes on Constance next to her, as she carefully looked around she spotted the first. A young man she was well acquainted with, with dark hair and eyes, her cousin Arthur Boleyn, Viscount Rochford. Or rather he was a closer relation to Lizzie Percy but he was still her cousin too and he seemed very fixated on the way that Constance's copper hair caught the light against her cloth of gold.
Across the aisle that separated them, Kitty caught his eye and ever so subtly raised an eyebrow.
Almost instantly, Arthur went slightly pink enough that his father managed to catch wind and give his son a jab in the side. Kitty was almost gleeful with satisfaction at that, though she wasn't entirely too sure why she was. Unable to stop herself from thinking with petty glee that it served him right.
Constance herself didn't seem to have noticed, as softly lovely as ever and her eyes focused on the coronation with almost wonder. Kitty had wondered what her dear friend must have been thinking, though...she wasn't too sure that she could have guessed even as close as they were.
The second pair of eyes on Constance that Kitty found belonged to a woman, quite a way back - who seemed of an age with the Dowager Queen. She seemed to pay no mind to the service itself but there was something familiar about her and the way she looked at Constance as though she'd seen a ghost.
Before she could think too much of it, she was distracted by the holy oil being brought out and things at last getting more interesting.
The woman's name was Jane and she was the daughter of an earl, wife of a landed knight, though Kitty would not have known that and she lived a quiet and simple life away from court.
The last time that she had been in the halls of Westminster however had not been too long ago on the night the palace had set aflame.
Of all of those who gathered at the coronation, she was the only one who could say that they had killed a King.
She could, though she certainly won't. She didn't survive under Richard's reign by being an idiot after all.
Oh now that’s true, even if I’m sure some would rush to petition the pope to grant her a sainthoodShe could, though she certainly won't. She didn't survive under Richard's reign by being an idiot after all.
Slight spoilers for later but Arthur Boleyn is not going to have an easy time of trying to get Constance to dance with him at the masque...
We’re getting closer to a more thorough explanation of what happened to Richard and how it was carried out, I’ll say that.
"Oh bloody hell" was my first reaction to this line. I'm worried this isn't going to go well.
I always love Kitty and Constance, though, so this chapter made me very happy. You write Kitty so well!
I hope she will have the chance to talk with Constance (and who she is happy for having her revenge).
Also Constance and Arthur Boleyn? I love it and the irony of the pairing...
But they will dance, right?Oh now that’s true, even if I’m sure some would rush to petition the pope to grant her a sainthood
Slight spoilers for later but Arthur Boleyn is not going to have an easy time of trying to get Constance to dance with him at the masque...
We’re getting closer to a more thorough explanation of what happened to Richard and how it was carried out, I’ll say that.
She certainly does reunite with Constance I promise that and they develop a relationship.
Well
Kitty is certainly watching him while he does so, we’ll get more into him later but Arthur does have a bit of a reputation with the ladies at court I’ll say that. His attempts to court Constance will involve a very determined chaperone.Good and very goodShe certainly does reunite with Constance I promise that and they develop a relationship.
Well
XXXXXXXXXVIII: 1548
“The foreign contingent at Elizabeth’s coronation are of most interest to us, especially given what we know occurred later. Queen Catherine of Scots sent her cousin, Alexander Sinclair to the events. It was of course no secret that the Queen, only a few scant years Elizabeth’s senior was interested in a marriage pact between the two nations. To that end, Alexander’s mission was a simple one - to get the new Queen Elizabeth to accept his hand. He had not accounted for the Earl of Rutland in the matter nor indeed Elizabeth herself...”
- “My Heart And I” - The Chequered Love Life of Elizabeth Regina by Beatrice Montgomery
- “My Heart And I” - The Chequered Love Life of Elizabeth Regina by Beatrice Montgomery
So circles the marriage market, especially for a girl who has England, I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t be a prize.
1548
1548
The revels had seemed to last all night and Elizabeth suspected that they would last well into the early hours as well.
Her own attention had been caught by a merry set of antics, all at court knew of Arthur Boleyn's reputation with women and though her own affection for Constance was not as large as Kitty's...still. Elizabeth's lips twitched as she caught Lizzie Percy's arm, on her way yet again to dance with Lord Dudley. Lizzie would be the first of them married, Elizabeth suspected though the younger girl had not broached the subject yet. Especially as her elder sister Eleanor was still awaiting her own marriage.
"Your Majesty?" Lizzie said with a raise of her eyebrow and Elizabeth indicated her head towards Arthur Boleyn's preening.
"If you wouldn't mind distracting Kitty, Lizzie. I don't think we could all cope with our dear Lord Rochford writing poetry again,"
"You want to set my cousin on Constance?" Lizzie raised an eyebrow again, "Arthur? He'll eat her alive,"
"One dance won't hurt her and we all want to see Connie smiling, especially after the other night. Besides, if he upsets her then I'm entirely sure that Kitty will throw him into the Thames,"
Lizzie drew herself up to her full height, her eyes twinkling. "Alright, well I'm sure Robin and I will be able to think of something,"
With a respectful little dip, Lizzie darted off into the crowd and not ten minutes later Kitty Howard was being lured away from her charge. Arthur Boleyn seeing his chance, immediately went in for the kill and Elizabeth found the wide eyed nervous glance of her sister falling upon her.
Elizabeth settled for what she hoped was an encouraging smile, mouthing a quick 'Go' at Constance. Her sister looked a little like a startled rabbit as she allowed Arthur Boleyn to steer her to the dance floor, but slowly a small smile began to blossom on her face.
"Does Her Majesty consider herself a matchmaker?"
Elizabeth whirled around to see a man who appeared a few years older than her, he was tall, dark haired and dressed well. She didn't know him and could surmise from the accent that he was not from England.
"Who am I to get in the way of a dance?" Elizabeth said, regarding him almost cautiously. "You seem to know who I am Sir, but I cannot say I know who you are,"
The stranger bowed low, "Alexander Sinclair, Your Majesty. My cousin bids you her good tidings and her sorrow that she could not be here today,"
"Your cousin..." Elizabeth put the pieces together in her head, "You are Queen Catherine's cousin then Lord Sinclair?"
"Indeed, perhaps Your Majesty will be kind enough to offer me the pleasure of a dance later?"
"Perhaps,"
Alexander chuckled, "I am sure Your Majesty has all manner of errant lovebirds to attend to in your court but I shall claim that dance,"
He was gone before Elizabeth could say anything else, she glanced back and caught Edward's peeved looking face and bit her lip.
Well what had she gotten herself into?
Well if Elizabeth and her posse are a gaggle of teenage girls, I can only give one of them a steady romance
In case anyone is wondering, I have picked out the marriages for the girls already - except Kitty who is going back and forth between suitors right now as one might expect from her. While her love life will have it's own...quirks, if you have an ideal marriage for Kitty then I'll see what I can do or I might toss a coin . No Culpeppers or Derehams though obviously...
. No Culpeppers or Derehams though obviously...
Is there a Neville around?In case anyone is wondering, I have picked out the marriages for the girls already - except Kitty who is going back and forth between suitors right now as one might expect from her. While her love life will have it's own...quirks, if you have an ideal marriage for Kitty then I'll see what I can do or I might toss a coin
There are a couple yes, including one in contention for one of the girls.