monarch

Anne of Cliffs walked into the front hall of Greenwich Palace through a series of scrutinizing eyes. Her face was very pale, as if she was about to faint.In the past two days, her nerves have been highly tense, and she always feels that a team of guards will rush in to arrest her in the next second, or send her back to Cliffs directly.She didn't sleep for a few hours, but during this limited sleep, the three exes still arrived as scheduled, as if to remind her what a big mess she had made.Princess Anne felt that if she continued to live like this, she would go crazy. She stood at the door of the audience hall and listened to the ceremonies inside. No matter what the result was, everything would end today. The only consolation to be found in all these tragic events.

Mrs. Rocheford looked at the worried princess. The princess's eyes were a little blue. Although the maids tried their best to help her cover it, it was still very obvious, and this face looked like she was going to a funeral... She saw it yesterday Duke, the Duke seems to be planning to wait and see what happens. Maybe there is a turning point in the princess's fate?She thought skeptically, but she couldn't think of any hope for the princess, she looked even uglier than a few days ago.The duke made a mistake, and it might only be a matter of time before the king abandons the new queen...

……

Henry VIII sat high on the throne, listening to the official's call loudly with an inscrutable expression: "Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of the Principality of Cliffs, Holy Roman Empire!" The Germans who came in were disappointed by what they saw.The princess looks mediocre, and her maids seem to be beyond words.Their attire was even more terrifying. The heavy skirts and hoods and the tall German women made them look like a fleet of warships riding the wind and waves. Speechless.Cliffs Ambassador Dr. Carl Hearst next to him looked rosy, like a May Day parish priest. He didn't notice the disdainful eyes around him at all, which surprised other foreign ambassadors.

Mrs. Rocheford followed the princess. She was probably the only normal person in the procession.She blushed, thinking that she was an idiot for begging her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, to let her into the palace, and now she might be the laughing stock of the entire court.She looked at her uncle out of the corner of her eye, and found that he also seemed to have a strange expression.He finally believed it, she thought, and I'm finally going to be free from all this.

Princess Anne made a big gift to the king, "Your Majesty, on behalf of my...brother, the Duke...His Royal Highness of the Duchy of Cliffs, I would like to extend my greetings to you and wish you...all the best." Although she rehearsed several times, she was still a bit stuck when she actually arrived at the scene.The courtiers around started whispering, she seemed to be unable to speak English well?Princess Anne was a little embarrassed. She looked up at the king, but was surprised to find that the king was looking at her with a pleasant face.

Henry VIII stood up, helped Princess Anne up, and kissed her hand gently, "Welcome, Your Royal Highness. I hope you like England. To you, she may not be comparable to home, but I still Hope you had a great time here the last few days."

Princess Anne seemed a little frightened. When she realized it, everyone in the court could clearly see the flattered look on her face. "I like...England very much, Your Majesty. Your kingdom is very...beautiful."

Her accent was really heavy, and her words were not clear, Henry frowned slightly indifferently. "I am very happy to be husband and wife with you, and hope that our marriage can become a bridge of friendship between England and the princes of Germany, and a great link against Rome!"

I don't know which courtier who is good at observing words and expressions reacted first, and shouted, "Long live the king, long live Queen Anne!"

"Long live the King! Long live Queen Anne!" The house burst into thunderous cheers.

Then it was time to meet other great nobles. The king turned around and said to Anne with a pleasant face: "Please let me introduce my family to you."

"I am honored, Your Majesty."

"My son, Prince of Wales, Edward-Alexander."

Edward stepped forward, nodded slightly, and the princess also curtseyed.Sure enough, as Robert said, Edward thought, she is indeed plain-looking, and the king's pleasant appearance today is probably due to political considerations.The princess looked a little nervous, as if she didn't know how to face her stepson. "Nice to meet you, ma'am, and glad you're part of our family." Edward decided to take the initiative to break this embarrassing situation.

The princess glanced at him gratefully, "Thank you, Your Highness, I am honored."

Then it was Princess Elizabeth's turn. This lively little girl seemed to hit it off very well with Princess Anne. Princess Anne's embarrassment disappeared a lot, and she asked a few words about Princess Elizabeth's study, and agreed to write to her brother to find a new one for her. Friesian horse.

The real challenge was Lady Mary, and the court held its breath when the unsmiling Lady Mary stepped forward in a black dress and rosary in hand.German, Protestant, sitting in the seat her mother had sat in, every bit touched Lady Mary's scales, and no one at court thought that Lady Mary would be pleasing to her.The king frowned slightly as he looked at his daughter who was a stranger to him.Always black skirts and Spanish hoods, like Catherine's ghost.Let her leave London after the wedding, he really doesn't want to see her again.

"Nice to meet you, Your Royal Highness." Ms. Mary made a very standard curtsy, her face still serious.In fact, she did not dislike the German. What did her mother's tragedy have to do with this Anne? It was the other Anne who was to blame, and of course her father.The clowns in the court expect her to clash with the queen?Or is it complete contempt and ignorance?They may be disappointed.Mary Tudor was a proud woman who would not take her anger out on the innocent.

Princess Anne was a little surprised by Ms. Mary's attitude, she opened her mouth slightly, as if frightened, and froze for a few seconds.The king's face became increasingly ugly.Princess Anne finally came to her senses, "Thank you, ma'am, and it's nice to meet you." She smiled innocently.She doesn't belong here at all, these people will eat her alive, Edward thought.

The court meeting of the next few important ministers was uneventful.When it was Mr. Cromwell's turn, Princess Anne smiled kindly at him: "Thank you, sir, I will never forget that you ensured my happiness."

Mr. Cromwell bowed slightly, and he smiled, too, but what appeared to be no more than an involuntary twitch of muscle: "And the happiness of England, madam."

Edward heard a sneer from his cousin behind him. He looked around, and many people in the court showed mocking or sneering expressions.Cromwell has really made too many enemies in recent years, and now the king has begun to tire of him.It was very unwise for Princess Anne to tie herself to him in this way.It is estimated that when Mr. Cromwell fell, her mission here would be over.

After the audience ceremony, a knight's tournament was held in the palace garden in the afternoon.The field is decorated with red and white roses, the family crest of the Tudor family, and red ribbons are wrapped everywhere, with the letters H and A (Henry and Anne) embroidered with gold thread.The ribbon looked worn, no doubt it was made during the reign of another Queen Anne.Edward looked at all this and couldn't help showing a sneer. His father really didn't seem to care about this marriage.He turned his head and looked at the king and his fiancée sitting in the middle of the viewing platform.

King Henry looked gloomy. He hadn't been in a jousting since the jousting accident four years ago.Now, looking at the young knights in the audience, he felt that the old wound on his leg was aching again. Could it be that it was about to split open again?He has a sachet on his body all year round, but the looming rotten smell keeps reminding him that his body is gradually weakening.He glanced at his fiancée next to him, she was very happy, Henry thought.Princess Anne seemed to have never seen such a grand tourney, and she looked like a little girl at a country fair.When a young knight galloped up to the princess before the race, and begged her to do him the honor of fighting for her, Anne blushed as if she was about to bleed.She clumsily tied her handkerchief to the knight's lance, completely oblivious to the king's darkened face.

……

Lady Rochford, who had asked the Queen to leave before the game, was sitting in the garden gazebo opposite Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk.

"I really admire your foresight and sagacity." Mrs. Rocheford said obsequiously. She looked at her ex-husband's uncle's face, and he didn't seem to have any emotional fluctuations. "You are quite right. It is not yet certain that the queen is dead. The conclusion I drew before was too hasty."

The Duke of Norfolk gave her an inscrutable look, and Mrs. Rocheford became more and more disturbed.What a fool she is, thought the duke, and a vicious one at that.He showed his iconic mocking smile again: "No, my dear Jane, judging from today's situation, the downfall of the new queen is only a matter of time."

Mrs. Rocheford was very surprised: "But His Majesty is very pleasant to her today."

"Dear Jane, I have been with His Majesty for more than 20 years, and I have found a rule that when he really dislikes someone, he will always be very pleasant to this person." The Duke said, "A few days before the Duke of Buckingham was arrested, He made the duke an Order of the Garter; he invited Sir Norris out for a ride on the morning before his arrest. Now he is a man of grace to Mr. Cromwell, and Cromwell is not at all relaxed, on the contrary, He is like an ant on a hot pot now. So, what do you think will happen to Queen Anne?"

Mrs. Rocheford was covered in cold sweat: "My God, sir, what should I do? Please let me get out of here, I am ready, I can get married at any time, go to France, or Spain, wherever..."

"Don't worry, my dear, I will find a satisfactory husband-in-law for you. But now we have a great opportunity, and I need you, my child, to help me grasp this opportunity. "

"I think it's time for our Howards to have a queen."

……

Edward was lying on the armchair eating figs, and Robert Dudley, who was opposite, peeled another fig for him and put it in front of him. "Your Highness, you've already eaten a few, and you just blew the wind again." There was a hint of pampering in his voice that he didn't even notice.

Robert looked at the prince opposite, his pale face was reddened by the wind.His little mouth moved as he devoured the fig in his hand, reminding him of the squirrels in the woods of his Northumberland estate, and he had a squirrel before...

"This is the last one." Edward grabbed the peeled fig and said with a smile.

Robert liked to see him laugh. A four-year-old child always had to put on a dignified and dignified demeanor outside, and he was exhausted watching him. "As long as His Highness likes it."

After eating the last fig and wiping his hands with a silk handkerchief, Edward asked casually, "How is your father's side?"

"The queen seems to have relaxed a lot. Many people heard her talking and laughing loudly with her German maids." Robert smiled slightly. "It is obvious that she did not pay attention to observing His Majesty the King."

"It's a pity," whispered the prince, but there was nothing he could do, and he didn't want to make any unnecessary effort.Anne's time at the English court was counting down. "Where's Cromwell?"

"Mr Cromwell seems uncertain about the King's attitude toward him," continued Robert, "but any wise man would know that his days are numbered. The Duke of Suffolk thinks so, and my father thinks so." The duke is the wisest man in England."

"Your father has been very close to the Duke recently."

"Yes, indeed, we are distant relatives, so it is not conspicuous to come closer." Robert replied, "My father has been collecting information on Cromwell at your request and providing them to The Duke of Suffolk, I believe that such a clever person will make the best use of them."

"I'm looking forward to it. I hope your father can become a member of the Privy Council as soon as possible." Edward replied.When Cromwell falls, his huge power will surely be divided by the major factions in the court. In this feast of scavengers, what Edward wants is Essex on Cromwell's head. He hoped to obtain this title for Robert's father, Lieutenant General Dudley. "There should be someone of mine in the Privy Council."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness." Robert looked at the little prince. He suddenly felt that he was very lucky. At the ball a year ago, he won the favor of King Henry with a beautiful sonnet, which made him Now I can sit here, sitting opposite Edward.