monarch

The morning sun shone through the cracks in the curtains. Queen Catherine moved and slowly opened her eyes. She looked to the left, and there was nothing there.She smiled slightly. Culpepper has been here many times in the past month. She is used to seeing that handsome young man lying beside her when she wakes up. His body is so warm, even though it is late autumn. Still feels warm.However, now the king has gone to the north to meet his nephew, the King of Scotland, and Culpepper left with him. Catherine stroked the neat sheets next to her, and suddenly felt that the room was so cold. Culpepper's talking eyes, where is he now?York, Newcastle or Northumberland?It should be very cold in the north at this time, I wonder if he will see snowflakes?

Catherine looked at the garden outside the window, where the servants were sweeping the fallen leaves. "When the first snow falls on London, I'll be back, my little squirrel," he said when the king left.Today, Catherine Howard checks outside every morning for snow, but not for the king.

There were several knocks on the door, and after a while, Mrs. Rocheford walked in: "It's time to get up, Your Majesty."

Catherine sighed lightly. It was another boring day. The queen received a large number of seekers every morning. They came from all over the country and wanted to see her for various inexplicable reasons.In addition, her day is only left to eat, drink and have fun, gambling with the maids, dancing with handsome young men, or listening to musicians from Italy playing for her.But even if it is eating, drinking and having fun, the repetition throughout the day will undoubtedly get tired, won't it?

The fully dressed queen came to the dining room for breakfast. "Good morning, ladies." She greeted the waiting ladies, who bowed their knees and saluted the Queen.The queen glanced at a few of her old acquaintances in Lambeth Palace, they were all blue and black, they must have gone to "communicate" with the guards they just made last night, and she remembered that there was nothing around her Suddenly, I felt a little inexplicably jealous.

Catherine didn't eat much for breakfast, and when the sumptuous breakfast was withdrawn, it looked the same as when it was served.At this time, everyone in the room could tell that the queen was in a bad mood, and no one dared to touch this bad luck.

"What is she going crazy again?" Miss Vera, the queen's roommate back then, leaned into her companion's ear and asked in a low voice.

"Isn't it because of her little lover? Our lovely Catherine is a little lonely." Her companion smiled mockingly.Although they are now the queen's maids, they all look down on Catherine Howard deep down in their hearts.This is also easy to understand, after all, they were all ordinary noble girls in Lambeth Palace before, and now one of them flew up to the branch, and the rest of them have nowhere to go, so it is inevitable that they will feel dissatisfied.

This was the view Mrs. Rocheford saw when she entered the room.Since Culpepper's departure, the Queen had had fits several times a day, which Lady Rochford had almost become accustomed to.It seems that she really likes that young man, and even she has fallen too deep, maybe the Duke of Norfolk is a little impatient this time... She resisted the dissatisfaction in her heart, and walked forward: "Your Majesty, come It's time, it's time for you to receive visitors." She put her hand on the Queen's hand and squeezed it lightly.

The Queen didn't look happy, but she obeyed. "Okay, Mrs. Rocheford, let's go." She stood up and walked out of the restaurant. Mrs. Rocheford followed closely behind her, for fear that something might happen to the queen.

……

The woman holding the child thankfully left the room, and Catherine could hardly hide the tiredness on her face. "Some people really believe that my touch can cure diseases." She sneered.The woman came to the palace to see her child who had had a fever for several days, hoping that the king could use her touch to make the child better. But now that the king is away, this task naturally fell on the queen.

"The French say that Louis IX cured thousands of leprosy patients through touch." Miss Vera, the maid next to her, said.

"It's just the dream talk of ignorant fools and foolish women." Catherine said disdainfully, these interviewers are really a group of inexplicable guys, fortunately, the interview this morning is coming to an end. "How many more of these guys do I have to meet?" She turned her head and looked at Mrs. Rocheford impatiently.

Mrs. Rocheford looked at the list in her hand, "There is only one person left, Your Majesty, this morning's reception is coming to an end." She said soothingly, feeling more and more like a nanny or housewife teacher.

"Okay, then let this gentleman or lady come in, and let me get out of this purgatory quickly." Her exaggerated expression made Miss Vera beside her laugh.

"It's a gentleman." Mrs. Rocheford glanced at the list, "a country gentleman from Ireland...Mr. Francis Direham." She looked up, but was shocked to find that the queen seemed to be cursed , looking straight at the door, her face was bloodless, she looked like a corpse, Mrs. Rocheford couldn't help but think of the legend of the vampire countess she heard when she was a child, she looked like a character in the story Straight out of the book.What happened to the queen?

"Your Majesty?" Madame Rocheford asked tentatively.

The queen didn't look at her, but looked at Miss Vera next to her in horror.Mrs. Rocheford noticed Miss Vera's astonished expression. Is there something I don't know?thought Lady Rochford. "What happened?" she demanded.

"I...I don't feel well." Catherine looked as if she was about to faint, "I can't see Mr. Direham." She stood up, but she couldn't stand firmly. Miss Vera next to her helped her up. It took her a hand to keep her from slumping to the ground.She held Miss Vera's arm, and the two of them ran out like some scourge in the house.

Mrs. Rocheford stood alone in the reception hall, bewildered.She kind of wants to go to the Duke of Norfolk, maybe he knows something?But the duke went north with the king, and now there was nothing she could do.As she walked slowly towards the door, she was thinking of a reason to send this Mr. Direham away.

……

Queen Catherine ran back to her bedroom as if fleeing for her life. Miss Vera watched her lock the door as soon as she entered the room. She seemed almost restless.

"Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Miss Vera asked with concern, a look of worry appeared on her face, but she almost cheered in her heart.She had seen Catherine ill for a long time, and her queenly complacency was disgusting.She sneered in her heart, it's really a turn of events, what you did before, depends on how you end up now.

"You don't look well, do you want me to call the doctor?" But she probably didn't dare to call.

Sure enough, the queen immediately refused: "No need, I just felt a little uncomfortable just now... I'm fine." She looked a little out of her wits.

Miss Vera sat beside the queen and held her hand.

The queen looked gratefully at Miss Vera who seemed to care about her very much. Her mind was in a mess, and she couldn't judge whether the other party was sincere or hypocritical, although her shallow mind might not be able to under normal circumstances. Tell the difference between the two.In the queen's life, she has never decided any important matters by herself, so now she desperately needs someone to tell her what to do.She looked at Miss Vera, completely forgetting the unhappiness between the two of them back then. In her eyes, Miss Vera has now become her best friend.

"What should I do?" She looked at her new friend, her eyes were full of tears, she looked like a frightened deer, "He came back and came to me, what should I do?" She agreed to Mr. Dillham's marriage proposal, which means that her marriage to the king is not legal, and she was not perfect when she married the king. If he tells this matter... Catherine can't imagine the king How would you react.

Miss Vera felt disgusted when she saw her delicate appearance. It always happened every time. She always put on such a posture in front of those men, and those people rushed forward and gave her what she wanted. everything.It seems that Catherine is really used to this, so much so that she poses like this in front of a woman like her.She suppressed the disgust in her heart: "I think Francis may not intend...to harm you." She patted the queen's hand comfortingly, "Maybe he just came to see you? You might as well meet him." She I don't even believe my own words.

"Oh, no," Catherine said desperately, "he must hate me. I said yes to his marriage proposal, and he went to Ireland because of me, trying to earn a fortune, but..." Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her eyes streamed down, "I lied to him, and now he is coming to destroy me, yes, that's right." The more she spoke, the more frightened she became, she curled up on the sofa and began to tremble.

It seems that she is not completely out of her mind, Miss Vera thought. "Then you should meet him, otherwise who knows what he will do." She watched Catherine's face turn from pale to purple with satisfaction. "After all, you should also listen to what he wants. If he doesn't want much, you might as well satisfy him."

"Yes...you are right," Catherine murmured, "I have money, a lot of money, and the king has given me a lot of things. I can give him money and let him go back to Ireland..." She seemed She regained a little courage, "But don't ask him to come in now, let him come back at night." She looked at Miss Vera, "You will keep the secret for me, right, dear?" She looked at herself pitifully maid.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Miss Vera smiled. "I'll go out quietly and tell him later."

……

Catherine Howard sat quietly in her small living room. She looked very calm, but if you looked closely, you would find that her hands were shaking.She glanced at the hourglass on the table, it was already late at night, and he would come anytime... Catherine looked at the closed door, both expecting and at the same time wishing that the door would never be opened.

"Pa", there was a knock on the door, and Catherine sat up straight immediately.

The door opened, and Miss Vera came into the room, followed by a tall man in a cloak, who stood in the shadows, and Catherine could not see him clearly.

"Your Majesty, I have brought Francis here."

The cloaked man stepped out of the shadows, and Catherine saw his trademark red hair. "Hello, Catherine," he said, smiling, "my fiancée, or should I call you Your Majesty the Queen?" He made no secret of his sarcasm.

Catherine's face flushed, "You...sir, you are so rude." She looked very angry, but her hand couldn't help pinching her own.

"We swore before the cross, have you forgotten?" Mr. Dillham didn't intend to stop there at all, "You agreed to my marriage proposal, accepted my ring, and promised to be my fiancée." He said There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "You are my wife, Catherine, by God."

Catherine took out the ring from the small box beside her, and tossed it back to Francis Direham as if she was holding a hot potato. "This is the ring. I'll give it back to you now." She threw another money bag over, and the money bag full of gold coins fell at Mr. Direham's feet, making a crisp sound. "And your hundred gold coins, I don't owe you anything." She looked upright, even a little arrogant, but her pale face betrayed her.

Francis Direham looked coldly at the money bag and rings that fell on the ground, raised his head, and resumed his usual charming smile. "No, Your Majesty." He changed his address, "These things belong to me, and you just returned them to their original owners. However, I think I have the right to demand corresponding compensation for your treachery."

"What do you want?" Catherine asked quickly, as long as he was willing to make a condition, she didn't mind spending money to get rid of this damn trouble. "How much do you want, five thousand pounds?" She felt a pang of heartache, but she also knew this was not the time to be stingy with money.

"Money?" Mr. Dillham laughed mockingly, "I'm not short of money. I made a lot of money in Ireland." He was engaged in the slave trade in Ireland, which was extremely risky and profitable.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want a post, a post at Court," said Mr. Dillham. "I suppose it's not too difficult to do with your influence, is it?"

"Your Majesty hasn't returned yet, I can't..."

"You can write to him."

"I can't write to His Majesty because of this kind of thing!" The queen looked a little angry.

"You wrote just the other day asking for a post in the Navy for one of your cousins."

The Queen had never found Mr Direham's smile so obtrusive. "I think His Majesty has asked too much recently." She begged for a favor from almost everyone in the Howard family, "If you are willing to wait... I can..." She looked at Di with a little pleading Mr Lemm.

However, Mr. Dillham was unmoved: "It's a pity, then I thought the Duke of Suffolk or the Earl of Hertford might be able to help me?"

The queen's eyes widened: "Are you threatening me, sir?"

"Oh, not at all, Your Majesty. I'm just trying to find my way."

"Then what do you want from me?" The queen was almost crying, "I really can't help it, please, Francis, for the sake of the past..." Her two big eyes looked at Mr. Direham , filled with tears.

Mr. Dillham laughed mockingly: "Ah, it is really a sin to bring such a beauty like you to tears. Well, I don't ask for a position next to your majesty, then a position in your little court, you always have the right Arranged, say, by your private secretary?"

Catherine stared blankly at Mr. Direham. It seemed that the position was indeed still vacant. She had planned to leave it to a cousin of hers. "This..." She hesitated for a while, and finally decided to go through this hurdle before saying, "Okay, sir, I promise you." She finally compromised.

Mr. Dillham bowed, "Thank you for your trust." He bent down and picked up the ring and money bag on the ground, "Good night." He walked towards the door, and when he passed Miss Vera, He smiled slightly at the other party, and while the queen was not paying attention, he stuffed the full purse into Miss Vera's hand.However, the queen was immersed in her own world, and did not notice the movement of these two people at all.