Empire of Dreams

*18*

Aunt Catherine seemed to recover after hearing whatever Lady Irem had told her last evening. I found her singing early the next morning and she came to my room after lunch, braiding my hair and reading me excerpts from the bible for old time's sake.

"It is nice to see you like this" I said with a small smile as she leaned back on my bed while reading the bible.

"It's nice to feel like this my dear. Do not get me wrong, I tried my best to be there for Mary, Elizabeth, Edward, my little Mary and you, but the grief was a lot to deal with"

"Well, I guess there is nothing to worry about. Lady Irem seems to have worked her magic" I added jokingly and she chuckled.

"I heard that Archduke Leonard had approached you yesterday evening"

"Who told you that?!" I was surprised that the news had spread so quickly.

"Your mother of course. She came in boasting. Apparently she is content with you marrying a archduke but I want to know what you think about all this. What did he say?" Catherine asked eagerly.

"Well if I must disclose the details, he had approached with a proposal of marriage with his nephew whom I know nothing about. I told him I will meet the nephew, but I am confused seeing as I know almost nothing about him"

"You are lucky to have an aunt who was a queen then" Catherine said with an edge of mischief in her voice.

In the next few hours, it felt like I was practically a part of Archduke Leonard's family. Aunt Catherine knew way more about him than I would've thought and she seemed to have some idea who this nephew was. She hadn't met him, but she gave me enough details to prepare myself.

The next week was busy as Edward's health worsened and Catherine spent most of her time tending to him while Edward trusted me to handle the official matters.

He was an exceptionally dedicated king, for he took each decision personally even in such a bad condition. He would instruct me what letter to write and who to summon from his bed and I would follow his instructions. He had made one thing very clear- he did not need or want any opinions on how he should do his work and was insistent on me keeping all the official matter confidential.

Mary arrived with great show and pomp later that week, coming to meet her 'sick brother' but Edward was strongly against making his health conditions public.

"They are going to know about your condition sooner or later" Mary protested when Edward confronted her about her grand arrival.

"No, they do not need to know about anything. You can just mind your own business and I will mind mine"

"Stop talking like that with you sister" Aunt Catherine pleaded but was conviniently ignored by both Mary and Edward.

"Oh so you really think you are going to survive this illness?" Mary scoffed.

"You seem more than happy to see me lying in my grave. I could imprison you for treachery and not have to explain anything to anyone"

"You can do that, but you will not. Because you are just a boy who was accidentally made the king. You don't deserve it and you know that. None of you deserve this. I was born first- I was born to be the Queen of England. England needs a queen!"

"If England needs a Queen then she shall have one. But mark my words that I will make sure you are not the one" Edward warned and then gestured the guards to remove Mary from the room.

Aunt Catherine was so pale that she looked as if she would pass out any second and I wanted to console her, but I knew my duties cane first. So with that, I sat back on the desk, reading the report of the borders given by the military officers to Edward, pretending I did not just witness the fight.

That night Mrs. Campden arrived with her son again, this time with news.

"I have accepted the job as the King's medicinal counsel now. It is a highly confidential position of course, but that means we can get to know each other better" she informed me and I was genuinely relieved to have a friend with me.

"That is wonderful news. Have you told Kathyrn?" I asked but her face fell at that.

"She asked me not to do this job but I accepted it so I am waiting for the situation to be right to tell her this news" she fumbled uncomfortably.

"Do not worry. She may be short tempered but she is loyal to her friends. She will not hold it against you, Libitina" I assured her and with a small nod, she left for her quarters.

That night I dreamt of Sudeley. I dreamt of the peaceful mornings there as Sia sat with me by the fountain and we dreamt of pretty gowns and evening balls. Sia had been married at an early age but she wished that I would find love. I dreamt of Aunt Catherine's loving lullabies and Uncle Thomas's cheerful laughter as he tried to lift my mood. These were things I would never find again.

Not all wards were as fortunate as me. Most nobles tried to marry off their female wards as quickly as they could, sometimes being so desparate that they married girls of 10 or 11 to men thrice their age. Uncle Thomas had made it clear that I could marry whoever I wanted and had left behind money for the affair. My father had been disappointed at his lack of control in the situation but Aunt Catherine had taken a stand for me.

I woke up in the morning and wondered how this Archduke was going to be. I wondered if Uncle Thomas would have approved of me meeting a man of such mysterious circumstances, but then again, what did it matter. He wasn't here anymore.