His Common Queen (Temporary ending)

Chapter 3

Elizabeth cleared her throat. Although she had ineloquently rejected the King, she could still feel that he was only inches away from her, she could feel his hot breath near her neck. He pushed away from her and started pacing in the clearing in front of her. She smoothed out her skirt and took a step away from the tree.

"I must ask M'lady, are you loyal to King Henry?" He turned his head to the side and looked Elizabeth right in the eyes as he asked, "or are you a loyal Lancastrian?"

"I readily accept your rule, your Majesty," she said, letting the words off her tongue quickly then dropping down into a low curtsey. A smile appeared on the King's face as he turned away from her to peer at the mountains in the distance.

"Very well then, these lands you speak of, you claim they are rightfully yours. Give me the details of your claim and ownership, along with the names and dates."

"I will, but—"

"Then I must be on my way. Good day, Lady Elizabeth. I will be around tomorrow to fetch those papers."

"Yes, your Grace, thank you, Your Grace." The King stepped forward and lifted her hand to his lips then dropped it. He got upon his horse and off he went, and for the second time that week Elizabeth was left to watch the mighty King ride away.

She took her time walking home that day, and although she had gotten exactly what she'd come for, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel let down. She wondered how she was going to write down her claim when in actuality she didn't really have one to the land anymore. Once her husband died the lands had gone back to his father and John's father was not sympathetic to Elizabeth.

The King's advances we're flattering but her rejection couldn't have affected him too much. She had, however sensed a shift in his mood when she pushed him away from her. Elizabeth arrived outside the house and pushed the gate open half-heartedly. The boys came running out to her, wrapping their arms around her legs, asking about how it had gone. She gave a short answer of "little progress" then walked into the house with the boys talking about what they had been doing all morning. The rest of the day passed in a haze for Elizabeth, and when she went to sleep that night she knew she had hit a wall and there was no way past it. Nevertheless she wrote down the details of her claim then crawled into bed, hoping to get a good night's sleep, she got the opposite, tossing and turning all night.

The next morning her mother's shaking awakened Elizabeth. "Do you think she's dead?" Thomas asked, jumping onto her bed.

"Oh don't be silly, I can feel mamma breathing," Richard said, putting his hand directly on Elizabeth's mouth. Elizabeth, a patient woman, kept her eyes closed throughout the whole commotion; unfortunately her mother wasn't as easily fooled.

"Elizabeth, the King is downstairs speaking with your father." That was all she needed to say. Elizabeth's eyes flew open and she sat up with a start, knocking both Thomas and Richard off the bed in the process.

"It sounded like you just said that the King of England was in our house."

"He is, Mamma!" Richard exclaimed, while dusting himself off from the dirt on the floor.

"Here, put this on and pull yourself together, you silly girl! Don't keep the King waiting." Elizabeth didn't wait for the door to close before she took her nightgown off and stepped into the dress her mother had thrown at her. She hastily threw her hair up into a respectable bun then ran to the stairs.

"Your Majesty, she will be down in just a moment," her mother's voice wafted up the stairwell.

"Please, it's Edward."

"Of course, your Majesty," her mother replied, and Elizabeth couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips. She descended the stairs as gracefully as she could manage for only having just woken up.

"Your Majesty, what a pleasant surprise! I was not expecting you," Elizabeth stated, curtsying deeply but managing to keep her eyes locked with the King.

"Good Morning, M'lady. I hope my visit has not awakened you from your sleep. Shall we take a turn around the garden," he asked, reaching his arm for her to take. A perfect gentleman, as was to be expected. It was a wonderfully bright morning; there was not a single cloud in sight. The sun was shining, casting a warm glow to the landscape all around them. It was peacefully quiet aside from the splash of water coming from the fountain, and the bustling of Elizabeth's skirts as a soft summer breeze danced playfully around the pair. The silence between the King and Elizabeth was friendly. It didn't feel uncomfortable, in fact was perfectly easy. Their pace slowed and then finally stopped right in front of a marble bench near the fountain.

"Please, my Lady, sit down," the King said. She did as she was told, gently pushing the fabric of her dress so it wouldn't get crumpled. As Elizabeth sat there she watched the King. As he paced thoughtfully in front of her, it became apparent that there was something on his mind. As she watched him she drank him in. He was so devilishly handsome; he was tall with unruly curls with secret promise never to be tamed. The way his clothes clung to his body showed off his exquisite physique. The white collared shirt was tightfitting, showing the bulge of his muscles with every movement he made. What she wouldn't do to reach out right now and feel his skin up against hers again. Feel his soft lips pressed up against hers. She quickly pulled herself away from those thoughts, clearing her throat and lowering her face to hide the blush that was creeping up to her cheeks.

"What was it you were thinking of?" His deep voice made her look up. His hair was even more tousled than before. Despite her best efforts she couldn't hide the crimson painted on her cheeks,

"The most peculiar feeling has come over me," she replied, hoping the King wouldn't prod at the subject any further.

"And what type feeling would that be, my lady?" he inquired, taking a confident stride towards her. Elizabeth couldn't help but let her mind wander to thinking that perhaps she might get her wish of feeling his skin against hers. The King was a mere arm's length away from her, a wicked grin perfectly positioned on his lips. She suddenly felt small, minuscule almost, sitting on that bench with him towering over her small frame, with his intense gaze fixed on her and her every movement. She felt like his prey, a mouse, and him the cat hunting her. She stood quickly; her hands were anxious and if she didn't do something with them quickly she was afraid she might find them entangled in the King's hair. She smoothed her skirts out and stepped around the King, suddenly needing space from his close proximity.

"My heart is pounding so violently, I do wonder if you can hear it, and the butterflies that seem to have permanently lodged themselves in my stomach awaken from their slumbers when I am around you." Elizabeth faced away from the King as she spoke, admiring the way the sun hit the water droplets as they fell.

"I have tried to suppress my urge to feel your sweet lips upon mine again, Elizabeth. But when you speak such words I can resist no longer." Elizabeth drew her eyes away from the fountain and turned around in shock at what the King had said, not realizing how close he was to her. The King pulled her even closer to him and crushed his lips against hers. Her itching fingers finally took pleasure in creating a mess in his silky, soft hair. Elizabeth couldn't help but think about how well she fit in his arms and how perfectly their lips molded together. Everything quieted around her; she couldn't hear the little droplets of water diving into the pool at the base of the fountain. She couldn't hear the birds chirping and singing songs of the warm and sunny summer days. Everything faded. The only thing that mattered was how absolutely perfect this moment was.