The Royal Seamstress | ONC2020

Chapter 13: The Wedding

As I came back to the sewing room, I just sat down at the table immediately. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I had just accepted to kill seven people. Seven of the King's men. What had I got myself into?

I folded out the paper Lord Surry had given me. I read the seven names. Lord Surry had connected each of them to a virtue. At the bottom of the paper, Lord Surry had written a little note for me.

Dear Elizabeth

These seven people believe they follow the law of God, but as true catholics we both know it isn't true. Therefore, I have connected each to a virtue, they think they're representing.

Lord Hereford - Prudence

Lord Rochford - Faith

Lord Huntingdon - Justice

Sir Bamburgh - Hope

Sir Curtius - Fortitude

Sir Gerard - Love

Sir Leigh - Temperance

Kill all of them and I will keep your secret close to heart. If you do not succeed in killing them, the whole court will know what a common whore you are.

Lord Surry

Dear God, what was I to do? I was trapped in the middle of a game I wouldn't be part of. Now, I had no choice. I was a part of the game. Lord Surry had made sure to make me the serial killer in his game to wipe out all the noble men he didn't like.

I sighed. Put a hand to my head. I was trapped. Confused. Was I making the right choice of being the killer for Lord Surry? Maybe it would be better just to be hanged for being the mistress of the King. It was better and more pious than killing. The bible said no one was allowed to kill, and Lord Surry was being immoral by asking me to do it for him with the only reason that he didn't like the King making new men into nobles. I thought it ridiculous.

"What are you doing?" a small voice asked. I turned around, facing Margaret's little figure. She looked more fragile than usual, but I didn't have to ask why. I already knew. She was to be married next week and she didn't even know to whom yet.

"I'm just a little frustrated," I answered. "Lord Surry has been spying on me. He knows I'm the new mistress to the King."

"That's not good."

"No, it's not. He has threatened me. I need to kill seven people for him, otherwise he's going to tell everyone I'm the King's whore. He says I will be hanged as a traitor if people know about me being the mistress."

Margaret walked towards me. Sitting down on the chair to my left side. I looked at her. Let the little tear, which had gathered in the corner of my eye, fall down my cheek. Margaret dried it off with her hand.

"It will be okay, Elizabeth. Don't worry," she said. "Are you allowed to be at my wedding?"

"Yes, I am," I said.

"Will you also be there when I'm going to have my wedding night?" she said timidly. "I'm really afraid even though I'm not a virgin. I just know he will not be gentle the same way my old lover was. I just want you to be the one, who's preparing me for it."

"I will be there," I promised. "No matter what I will be there and support you, woman to woman."

"And do you want to teach me of God?" she asked. "I only have one week left before the wedding and we better get started right away."

I nodded and rose to collect my bible. Margaret had changed over the last couple of weeks. She was becoming quieter and I had even heard her pray upon her own happiness once. As I sat down and opened the great book, she came closer to me. Leaning up against my arm.

"I need you close," she confessed. "I need a sister for support."

"Don't worry. I will be here to support you, and so will God."

All night I sat with her. Teaching her about the catholic faith and the right way to pray to God for help. She was grateful for my help. I'd never thought I was the one to be learning this young girl about God. When the sun was rising, Margaret gave me a tired smile.

"I'm happy you wanted to teach me about God and how great he is. Now, I have more hope for the marriage I'm to be settled into in less than a week. God will help me get through every day. He will make everything be okay."

And a week later Margaret was in church. She looked confident and happy. She bore a cross around her neck. It had been a gift from me. I had bought it for some of the money the King had given me. Margaret had been extremely happy. She said it had been the first gift, she had got in a very long time.

As she stood by the alter in her long narrow dress, she looked more like a woman than she had ever done before. She had grown up into a woman in just a few weeks. The man, Henry had chosen for her, looked quite handsome. I hoped he wasn't a bad man. I didn't think the King would choose badly for her, but even he couldn't foresee the inner values in every man at his count. Especially not in the servants' class.

Henry had given me permission to be at the wedding party. I had thanked him with all my heart, but I knew I had to go to him when the festivities were over. When Margaret had been followed into her marriage bed, I was expected in his room.

It was a quite comfortable gathering of people. Being among the working people at court was looser in its manners than being among the nobles and royals. I didn't know what I preferred. At some points I liked the coziness of not worrying about my manners and way of speaking all the time, but I also felt the young men took some liberties they weren't allowed to. Not even among the working class. They ran off with the maids. The same maids the nobles had sexual intercourse with. I felt weird by men sharing women in such a way. Especially, since it was common knowledge that a woman, who had been with too many men out of wedlock was marked as a whore. Also, they had the unfortunate risk of becoming pregnant. Being with more than one man did, they couldn't tell who the father was. If the father was a nobleman, the woman had the possible fortune at getting their child into a rich state. Maybe even making the child an heir – but only if it was a boy. I wondered how many women who aborted the child when they got pregnant from an intercourse out of marriage. Even though it was forbidden.

It was soon announced, that it was time for the bedding ceremony. Margaret looked at me. Her eyes were almost pleading. She needed me and I had to be there. Making her ready for the first night as a married woman.

Word count: 1216 words.

Total word count: 14935 words.