Historical romance: The Tudor Rose

May 18th later on

Story
"Mama! Mama!" I shout running down the tiled hallway. The tapestries nearly fall to the floor as I rush past causing a gust of wind. I carry on running through the castle passing empty bedrooms locked with massive oak doors. Then I crash into something hard and breathing. I fall to the floor. "Oh my goodness I am so sorry! I didn't see you there." Fred says offering me his hand. I gladly accept it but choose not to make eye contact because it is too difficult. I still have strong emotions for him and I want space and I don't want to is to crash into his chest. I push past him it is too difficult. Tears sting my eyes. I force the lump in my throat to the back and I try to look strong. But he sees straight through my act. He knows me too well. He lifts up my chin so I look up into his eyes. I hold back the tears. "Can I kiss you? Just one last time?" He pleads as his voice cracks and a tear trickles down his cheek.
"The K...kking has pr...proposed t...to me." I stutter starting to weep into his hand. His face falls like he has been hit into the gut and had his heart had been ripped out. He steps back and drops his hand. He is angry with me. We made a promise and I broke it.
"I see. I wish you every happiness in life making the heirs to the throne with someone that has only known you for one night . I see now that I was misled poor stable boy, nothing more than a toy to you. You know what? I thought you were different. I thought you loved me. I thought we made a promise. I thought that you cared of love not money and society. I have loved you and will love you for the rest of my life. There will never be anyone quite like you in my life. I will never be fully happy. That is why I must leave the castle. I can't bear to see you around the castle knowing that you will never fully be mine." Fred confesses.

I hear footsteps bounding around the corner. I push the door to one of the 127 bedrooms in the castle and pull Fred in with me. "Please don't leave. You know that I will never love him the way that I love you however he is the king and he has asked for my hand in marriage. My parents would disown me if they found out. I must so this to ensure that my parents are always properly looked after in their old age. I must do this to help my fathers reputation and my mother has always dreamt of me as queen. I love you now but I grew to love you over time and I hope that I can grow to love the king over time. I hope that you will understand." I say before his lips come crashing into mine. Sparks fly around the room as I am overwhelmed by the intensity of my feelings. He picks me up and carries me to the bed kissing me all the way there. I lay down on the bed as he bolts the door. We kiss for a while before we get carried away... We wake up from our dream like state in a tangle of sheets and sweaty brows. I sigh as he falls beside me on to the bed. Then I come to the realisation of what has just happened. I sit up suddenly. He strokes my arm up and down trying to comfort me. "What have I done ?" I cry into his chest."I am so sorry to have done this to you. It was so selfish of me. We can never be together now the king has proposed. I am so sorry to have led you on and fed you false hope. I love you but this" I gesture between us "can never happen and I am so sorry." I say crying onto his bear chest as he strokes my hair shushing me.
"You never led me on I knew all along what was going to happen. I could never be with a rich girl like you. I have only fooled myself. All I wanted was to have you in my arms and pretend that you were mine. Otherwise for the rest of my life I will wonder what it feels like to love someone as much as I adore you." He says kissing the top of my head.

I cry into his chest before getting up and sorting out my appearance. I redress myself and we fix the bed sheets again before we kiss one last time like a goodbye. I fix my bed hair into an easy plait. I hug him and after what seems like an eternity he lets go. We go our separate ways down the corridor. I wander around the parts of the castle no one is ever in to clear my head and cool down before I meet Mama and tell her of my news.

I breath in deeply before knocking on her door. "Who is it?" She asks.
"It's me mama!" I say laughing because she can tell it's me through her abilities.
"Well come in then!" She says as I shut the door behind me and enter her room. She has one room full of belongs that no one apart from her and I can enter. In the centre of the room there is a wooden table full of spell sheets and books and a cast iron cauldron bubbling away with a strangely coloured liquid. Then behind her there is a huge open inglenook fireplace decorated with pots and pans. On a spinning bookcase are lots of bottles full of rare ingredients to the more common ones like normal herbs. I feel at home when I enter this room. It's like I have a connection towards it because of my abilities. Mama sits chanting a spell whilst stirring and looking intently at it gesturing with her other hand for me to hang on a few seconds until the spell is finished. When the last syllable is uttered I rush into what happened between the king and I last night.
"So he said you were beautiful and you bedded him. Then what happened this morning?" She asked eagerly waiting for a reply. Her face beamed and I couldn't contain myself any longer.
"Mama. It is with the greatest happiness that I tell you that he asked me for his hand in marriage. He said that he would like me to bear his heirs and be with me every day and night." I say smiling faking to contain my sadness about Fred.
"Oh how wonderful. What was your reply? Oh dear lord I hope it was everything that we have practiced.
"Well..." I say delaying myself.
"Well what? Spit it out child." She says trying to contain her excited feelings.
"I didn't get to answer we were interrupted by the guard to tell the King that the Lancastrians have started war against us. It was rather annoying but I shall write to him and tell him of my answer." I say nervously.
"It is typical that the most magical moment is ruined by a guard." She says furiously. "Write to him immediately."