Greenwich Palace, Kingdom of England, May 1516
“Ooh look at this pie, it must be delicious!”
Giovanna barely wanted to correct Mistress Boleyn,”It is a crostata Mary.” She looked at the dessert, for once she was not in the mood for sweets, yet she was intrigued,”Who sent it to you?”
The girl shrugged,”The servant did not say, perhaps the King was so kind to have one baked for me.”
The Dowager Queen felt apprehensive
She does not know who sent it? Still, Giovanna could understand why Mary seemed pleased, if Henry did so it was an undeniably sweet if cheap, sign of favor. When Mary cut into the pastry she wrinkled her nose,”This smells strange… Like garlic. I did not think that they would put that in them.”
Giovanna’s mother walked over to the table and rose her brow. Without a word she took the spoon from Mary’s hand,”Do not eat that silly girl.”
“What? why not?” Mary asked
Joanna shook her head,”Bah youth! That smell is arsenic, poison. Someone seeks to be rid of you Mary, and I suspect there is one woman with reason to want to.”
“The Queen?” Giovanna guessed
Her mother turned to her, a grim look on her face,”Yes I fear so. She must think her position insecure with the birth of a daughter, and wants to ensure Mary can no longer be the King’s mistress.”
Mary Boleyn stammered,”But I… Surely she would not.”
Joanna wetted her lips,”Her grandfather, my late brother Ferdinand, did not hesitate to strike against those he deemed his enemies.” The old woman paused,”So I see no reason why Eleanor would be any different. I would advise you to be more careful from now on Mary.”
The girl’s face turned white as a sheet as she moved to dispose of the offending pastry, tossing it into the fire.
Joanna of Naples sat next to her daughter for a few seconds humming before speaking agian,”Daughter, I do not think that I will be with you for much longer...”
“What could you possibly mean mother?”
“I am dying.” As her daughter gasped Joanna placed a hand on her chest,”I have a cancer in my breast, the same that caused the death of my mother. Doctor Linacre says that there is nothing he can do to cure it.”
Giovanna sighed and hugged her mother tight,”I am so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I have lived a long life my daughter. Seen you as a Queen, and twice over no less, you have given me fine grandchildren too. You have nothing to apologize for… Besides, Linacre did not say that this will immediately kill me, I feel well enough right now, I have at least a few more months, maybe another year or two.”