monarch

For a fortnight after Miss Jane Grey's wedding, the wedding was the talk of the country.Compared with Princess Mary and Philip of Spain, the newlyweds are much more pleasing in appearance and personality, and the elegance and solemnity of the wedding also impressed the honored guests deeply.

There are many good people who compare this simple and generous wedding with the huge scene when Princess Mary and Philip of Spain got married before.The conclusion is obvious: although money and power can make a lady more attractive, they are not as dazzling as youth and love.

The remnants of autumn passed quickly, and when the first snow fell on the black roofs of London City, Parliament also announced that it would not sit again until the following spring.However, before the close of Parliament, MPs voted to pass the "Union Act" that merged Scotland and Ireland into the Kingdom of England. Ten Irish MPs will arrive in London to form a new Parliament with 120 English MPs.

Grand celebrations were held throughout the kingdom. For the first time in history, the people on this island were united as one. The enemies of the past turned into friendship and became brothers shoulder to shoulder.In reality, however, the situation was not so happy: members of the Scottish Parliament who were aggrieved by the demise of their country's independence were silenced only by objective bribes and threats of the sword.On the England side, nearly [-] members of parliament will give up their seats to representatives of Scotland and Ireland. Interestingly, in the final list of seats redrawn, most of the members who lost their seats have different political views from the king. His Majesty took this opportunity to completely sweep them out of the parliament.

As Parliament closes, so does the Christmas season.As usual, nobles from all over the country arrived in the capital one week before Christmas.Princess Mary also left Hesden Manor and returned to the court with her husband; the newlywed Miss Jane Gray also returned to the capital with her husband, Lord Guildford. before the public.

According to the king's order, the palace moved to Hampton Court Palace on the outskirts of London on December 22, where this year's Christmas celebrations will be held.

Compared with a few years ago, Hampton Court Palace has undergone tremendous changes: centered on the previous red brick palace, the king has started a huge expansion project. Although it is still in the construction stage, the completed marble structures are also You can see the huge scale of the whole project.According to the plan, when the expansion is finally completed, the size of the entire complex will be six times that of the previous one, making the palace the largest palace in Europe.The garden behind the palace has also been expanded, and together with the nearby Royal Garden, the total area has reached [-] acres.

In His Majesty's plan, this palace will become the future political center of the kingdom.One of the purposes of this is naturally to move away from the polluted city center, which has been a source of unrest for hundreds of years. Although the bourgeoisie are now one of the king's biggest supporters, they have been rebellious since ancient times. tame.Compared with Whitehall Palace in the city center, Hampton Palace in the suburbs is obviously much safer.The distance from the city center is neither close nor far, which is really an ideal place.

Another reason for the construction of this building, which is not humane, is to further domesticate the aristocratic class.For the aristocrats, if the King's Guards and political reforms were sticks, this palace was the king's candy.The nobles with status in the future kingdom will live with the king in this extremely luxurious palace, and the center of their daily life is to surround His Majesty like butterflies, because only in this way can they get the king's family , get the power and status bestowed upon them by His Majesty.At the same time, maintaining the proper ostentation in this palace requires a huge amount of expenses, and this requires the nobles to pay for it themselves. After all, it is better for them to spend money on clothing and jewelry than on building castles or Recruiting and buying immediately is much stronger.And when their income can't afford the expenses, bankers with royal background will come forward and give them a generous loan, so that they can only rely on His Majesty's breath, otherwise they can only go bankrupt And ruined.And His Majesty will from time to time give those who please him a generous reward, perhaps a title, or an official position, land and allowances, the purpose of which is naturally to make everyone enthusiastically participate in this game until they Until the pants are all cleaned up.

At nine o'clock in the evening, the guests who had finished their dinner began to enter the arena one after another. The first ones who arrived were those nobles who were not eligible to live in Whitehall Palace. layers of guard posts.As the political situation became increasingly tense, the security around Hampton Palace became more and more stringent. Two battalions of Imperial Guards were stationed around the palace. A few days ago, a team of Swiss guards was transferred. He is praised by the world for his devotion to duty.

Starting at 09:30, the nobles living in the palace also began to arrive at the Sea God Hall where the celebration was held. The walls of this newly completed hall are covered with mirrors made of Venetian crystal glass, allowing two hundred white wax torches to burn. The light is becoming more and more dazzling.On the ceiling of the hall, Neptune, the god of the sea with a trident in his hand, is drawing huge waves, and around him are representatives of all the continents who surrendered to him. They are dressed in various costumes and bow to the god of the sea. Congratulations, and if you look carefully, you will find that the facial features on Sea God's face are quite similar to those of the king.

On the other side of the hall facing the garden, there are more than a dozen huge floor-to-ceiling windows, on which thick water mist condenses, and from time to time there are large enough water droplets to flow down from the glass windows, leaving tear trails behind. like a trail.Outside, the garden was covered in heavy snow, and the bare branches were festooned with colorful lights, twinkling in the bleak north wind.

At ten o'clock in the evening, amidst the cheers of the crowd, members of the royal family entered the hall.His Majesty the King entered, led by six guards armed with halberds, in full dress and the Order of the Garter, accompanied by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and William Cecil, His Majesty's private secretary Sir.The king nodded to everyone with a smile on his face, but those careful people who had been in this vanity fair all year round could see the tiredness and preoccupation behind the king's smiling mask.

The nobility welcomed His Majesty with indifference and politeness.They saluted meticulously, looking respectful and obedient, but the indifference and resistance revealed in those pairs of eyes could not be faked at all.

Princess Mary, wearing a long wine-red dress, took the arm of Philip of Spain and followed behind the king.Compared with before going to Hesden Manor for honeymoon, the reappearing Princess Mary seemed much worse than when she left two months ago.Her face was covered with thick powder, as if she moved the muscles on her face a little, the powder would peel off in pieces like damp murals.But even so, the tired and ashen expression couldn't be concealed no matter what.Undoubtedly, this caused a murmur of surprise among the crowd, and almost everyone noticed Princess Mary's abnormality.

Beside Princess Mary, Philip of Spain was dressed in a Spanish-style cavalier suit, looking ahead indifferently with his eyes.His arm holding his wife was no longer as stiff and at a loss as it was when he was just married, but that movement still didn't seem to have any intimacy at all, but was just fulfilling an obligation.In two days Philip of Spain would leave London, sail back to the Netherlands, and from there set off for Milan, where another great war between Spain and France was imminent.According to the terms of the marriage contract, Philip of Spain needs to stay in England for two months every year to accompany his wife. Now when the two months are up, he can't wait to leave and will not return until the autumn of next year, just like those who lived in England Migratory birds migrating between the Mediterranean and the North.

Suddenly, everyone in the hall cheered together: Princess Elizabeth followed her sister into the hall. The 20-year-old princess is full of youthful breath, and the elegant lines on her beautiful face have always been obsessed by portrait painters. No one will object that she is the most delicate rose in this kingdom.Princess Elizabeth wore an inventive safari dress, a blue skirt with white roses embroidered with silver thread, a gray velvet cloak fastened with a diamond buckle, and a white rosette next to which hung a quail Rubies the size of eggs.In the eyes of everyone in the hall, she seemed to be Diana, the goddess of hunting, who had just stepped out of a portrait. I am afraid that every man in the room would be willing to bow down under her pomegranate skirt, even in the face of Actaeon's end.

The king took his seat on the throne, and the two princesses and Philip sat on the chairs on either side of the king.

The chief minister came forward, his face was also a little pale, but the smile on the corner of his mouth made everyone around him shiver involuntarily.

"On behalf of everyone present, I wish Your Majesty a Merry Christmas." He bowed deeply.

The king looked at the chief minister with complicated eyes, and then he looked at the people in the hall, feeling the stagnant atmosphere in the room.Many people lowered their heads, perhaps because they did not dare to look directly into His Majesty's gaze, or more likely because they did not want to look directly into His Majesty's eyes.

The King's eyes finally returned to the First Minister. "Merry Christmas to you too, Your Excellency. Merry Christmas to all my loyal subjects." He nodded, motioning the Duke to step back.

Twenty violinists began to play, as if ordered, the crowd spontaneously retreated around the room, leaving the center of the hall: the dance began.

The king stretched out his hand towards Princess Mary, and Princess Mary had a troubled look on her face, as if she was a little uncomfortable.However, she finally held His Majesty's hand and stood up.Edward noticed that when she stood up, she looked unnatural.

Beside them, Philip of Spain also held Princess Elizabeth's hand and helped her to her feet.The two most distinguished couples in the kingdom will open the ball.

As soon as the first dance began, the king noticed that Princess Mary's dance steps were very flimsy, as if she was stepping on cotton.This made the king have to try his best to grasp the common rhythm of the two people, just like steering a damaged ship in a storm.

"Are you feeling unwell?" the king asked in a low voice.

"Thank you for your concern." Princess Mary squeezed out a smile, "It's just some minor discomfort, maybe it's because of the cold, this kind..." Before she finished speaking, she suddenly staggered and was about to slip Falling to the ground, Edward was almost brought down by her, but he was able to support her at the last moment only because of his sharp eyesight and quick hands.

Robert hurried forward, and together with the king, put the semi-conscious Princess Mary on the ground.On the other side, Philip and Elizabeth also came over.Philip looked hesitant, as if he was considering whether to come forward, but in the end he stopped a few steps away from his wife.

The imperial doctor Dr. Paganini ran over panting. This Italian old man who has served the royal family since the time of Henry VIII has seen a lot in his career, but such things as members of the royal family fainting in public, he This is the first time I have encountered it.The doctor took out a small smelling salt bottle from the medicine chest and put it under the tip of Princess Mary's nose.

Princess Mary slowly opened her eyes, and she opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't make a sound.

"Relax, ma'am," said the doctor in a reassuring tone, "You don't need to talk, just relax."

Several attendants had brought a stretcher, and they put Princess Mary on it, and quickly carried her out through a side door of the hall.

The king returned to his seat with a gloomy face, he waved his hand, and the sound of the violin sounded again, but he didn't intend to return to the dance floor, obviously he lost his interest in dancing.

Princess Elizabeth also slightly bowed her knees towards Philip of Spain, "Your Majesty," she said in Spanish, "I think you must be very anxious to return to your wife now, so I won't bother you anymore," she said Then he turned and walked towards his chair.

For a moment, Philip of Spain seemed to want to keep Elizabeth. He raised his hand slightly, but finally let it go.But he didn't go to his fainted wife as Princess Elizabeth said, but went straight back to his chair and sat down, looking boredly at the whispering crowd below.

Edward's face became more gloomy. He turned his head to look at Philip beside him, raised his eyebrows slightly, "Aren't you going to accompany your wife? I believe she must need you by his side very much at this time."

Philip shrugged his shoulders, "What she needs most at this time is a doctor." After a few seconds, he said again, "Besides, what's the use of my going? Our fate is in the hands of God."

The king rolled his eyes a little, ignored Philip, and turned his head the other way.

Princess Elizabeth lowered her head, her face was full of uneasiness and worry. It was the expression a caring younger sister should have when she saw her sister fainting. Edward couldn't help but smiled slightly.

Robert was the only one who heard the slight laughter. He leaned down and leaned into the king's ear, "What are you laughing at?"

The king looked at Robert. The distance between the two was so close that Robert's ears immediately turned a faint crimson, like a smear of sunset glow in the sky after the sun went down. "Look at this husband, he doesn't even bother to perform in public, not even her wife's biggest political enemy...he's just as arrogant as a fool."

"This is the husband chosen by Princess Mary herself." Robert reminded in a low voice.

The king sighed softly, bowed his head and stopped talking.

The crowd looked in amazement at the members of the royal family who sat silently like a group of statues. They whispered to each other and guessed the current situation.Many felt that a storm was coming, although it was just a few dark clouds on the horizon.

After a long 15 minutes, Dr. Paganini, the imperial physician, finally reappeared from the door he just disappeared. Surprisingly, he looked flushed and relaxed a lot.

"Your Majesty." He walked up to the king.

"You came just in time, doctor." The king seemed relieved when he saw Dr. Paganini's appearance, "From your performance, my sister must be fine, right?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty." Dr. Paganini said with a smile, "The princess is fine, she is just too tired... In fact, I have some good news for your Majesty."

"Princess Mary is pregnant." The doctor looked at Philip of Spain with a smile. "It seems that she has been pregnant for more than a month, and everything looks normal now...I want to congratulate you, His Majesty the King of Naples."

The smile on Edward's face froze, while the Spanish Philip opened his mouth funny, his eyes widened, and he looked like a frog sitting on a lotus leaf.

As if a bomb had been dropped in the house, the crowd suddenly boiled up. Members of Princess Mary's party looked ecstatic, and Bishop Gardiner's wide grin made him look It was like having a stroke.

In contrast to the Catholics, the Protestants fell into an uneasy silence, and many looked to their leader, Princess Elizabeth, and the First Minister, to find the former pale and motionless in his chair, unable to keep the smile on his face , it looked as if a heavy hammer had completely knocked her out.The latter is still smiling calmly, looking confident, but if you look closer, you will notice fine beads of sweat emerging from his temples, obviously he is just pretending to be calm.

The awkward silence lasted for about half a minute, and Edward finally turned to Philip in Spain, "I want to congratulate you, my dear brother."

"Thank you." Philip finally reacted, with a smile on his face for the first time tonight, "If you don't mind, I'm going to see my wife."

"I don't mind, in fact, I intend to go with you." The king stood up and made a "please" gesture to Philip of Spain.

The two walked side by side to the exit of the hall. Princess Elizabeth hesitated for a few seconds, then lifted her skirt and followed behind them.In fact, everyone in the house followed the royal family and flocked to Princess Mary's bedroom, leaving only the group of violinists in the hall dumbfounded, wondering whether they would continue playing tonight.