Evermore

Chapter V

A MESSAGE FROM SCOTLAND

Greenwich Palace, May 24, 1536

In the rush of the moment, King Henry VIII forgot all about his youngest daughter Elizabeth as he hurried to his privy council chamber, the toddler held firmly in his arms. The councilmen, their eyes filled with disapproval at the sight of the child in such a formal setting, did not dare voice their objections. Henry strode to the head of the table and placed Elizabeth in his chair, his chest swelling with pride.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this little girl will one day rule empires," Henry declared, standing tall behind his seat.

Elizabeth looked around the room with wide-eyed wonder, a reaction met by some councilmen with thinly veiled hostility, much like what she often witnessed in her mother and sister.

"Well, gentlemen, what urgent matter compelled you to tear me away from my family?" Henry asked, glancing down at Elizabeth with a loving gaze.

His casual reference to "family" startled the council, many of whom were aware of the presence of his eldest daughter, Mary, in Queen Anne's chambers.

"As Your Majesty may know, your once-beloved niece Margaret was recently imprisoned in the Tower of London by your command, for marrying Lord Thomas Howard, the Queen's uncle," one councilman spoke up.

"And why is this urgent?" Henry inquired curtly.

"Your sister, Margaret, pleads for you to release the girl and promises that there will be no further trouble if you do," another councilman explained.

Henry dismissed his sister's pleas with a wave of his hand. "Next time you summon me from a private moment with my family, make sure it's truly urgent! As for the girl, let her rot in the Tower with her lover."

A councilman started to interject, but Henry silenced him with a raised hand and swiftly departed, Elizabeth cradled securely in his arms.

Meanwhile, tension simmered in Queen Anne's bedchamber among her ladies-in-waiting. Anne leaned in close to one of her maids, whispering urgently as Madge approached a plate of food left for her.

"Remember," Anne cautioned, eyeing the plate suspiciously. "Be vigilant. These women are not to be trusted near my food."

The maid acted promptly, clearing the table of the food. "Dispose of it," Anne ordered, her tone sharp. "And bring me another."

Madge shot her cousin a quizzical glance. "Anne," she began softly, addressing her cousin.

Anne's glare could have chilled the sun. "I am not your cousin, Lady Shelton. I am your queen, and you would do well to address me as such."

Madge lowered her eyes obediently. "I'm sorry... Your Majesty," she whispered. "I did not mean to question... Cromwell..."

Anne raised a hand to cut her off. "Save it," she said icily. "You betrayed me when I needed you most. Remember, you and the others are here by the king's will alone, not mine. If it were up to me, you and that arriviste would hang for your crimes against me."

Her ladies exchanged worried glances.

"Mama!" Elizabeth burst into the room, Henry close behind her.

The ladies and maids-in-waiting rose and curtsied.

"Elizabeth," Anne greeted warmly, turning her attention to her daughter.

"Where's Mary?" Elizabeth asked eagerly, scanning the room for her sister's familiar face.