Page 25 of Love, Remember Me

ONthe eleventh of January a tournament was held in the new queen's honor, although the court wondered why. Henry Tudor was making no secret of his deep dissatisfaction with his bride. Anne, on the other hand, remained charming and dignified. Her English was improving at a rapid pace, and on the day of the tournament she wore an English-made gown in the latest London style with a delightful little French hood. The common people were impressed with her, as were many at court, despite the king's feelings, but the power brokers would have been astounded if they had known the scheme hatched by their new queen to allow the king his freedom.

The day after the wedding, the queen had called Hans to her privy chamber. The king had entered the room directly by means of a secret passage. There, an agreement had been hammered out between Henry and Anne, with young Hans acting as translator so there would be no misunderstanding between the two parties. Henry and Anne would not consummate the marriage just celebrated. Henry would blame his inability to perform with his wife on Anne's appearance, which was unappealing to him. In return Anne would pretend everything was all right between them as far as she was concerned. There were already rumors that the alliance between the French king and the Holy Roman Emperor was deteriorating. England would shortly not need the goodwill of Cleves. When that rumor became fact, an annulment would be suggested due to the king's inability to consummate his marriage. It would, of course, be granted.

In return, Anne of Cleves would be given two homes of her choice. Since she was new to England, she would need to visit the royal residences in order to make her decision. The king would settle a goodly allowance upon her, and she would be called hissister. Only a new queen would take precedence over her at court. She would also assure her brother that this change in her status was entirely satisfactory to her, and that she had been treated with kindness.

Both Henry Tudor and Anne of Cleves were content with their secret agreement. It would just be a matter of time. Still, Henry was curious as to why his bride was so damned restrained. Was she not a virgin, and feared his discovery of the fact? He shuddered. He was not curious enough to find out for himself. Or perhaps, he considered, she was afraid of her fate were she not reasonable with him. He frowned. His conduct toward the Princess of Aragon, and that witch, the first Anne, had been entirely correct. No one could fault him, although he knew there were those who had tried.

Henry Tudor stared at Anne, silently questioning her easy acquiescence, and was suddenly tempted to ask her true feelings. She wouldn't tell them to him, of course, but neither, he realized, would she lie. She was far too clever a woman. Henry Tudor shook himself like a large dog coming in from the rain. The first Anne had been clever, and her daughter, wee Bess, was showing signs of being clever as well. God deliver him from clever women! Best to leave well enough alone and be glad that Anne, his princess wife from Cleves, was such a discreet lady with a temperate disposition. The king's thoughts slid away to more pleasant matters.

On the twenty-seventh of the month the king gave a great feast for Anne's attendants from Cleves. They were then all sent home with many gifts and the royal couple's good wishes. Only Helga von Grafsteen and Maria von Hesseldorf remained from among Anne's maids. Mother Lowe, who had been the queen's nurse, also remained with her mistress, as did young Hans von Grafsteen. To Lady Browne's great annoyance, the king personally told her that eight maids of honor were enough for Anne. No more appointments would be approved.

On the third of February orders were given for a reception to be held for the new queen in London. If some thought it strange that the king had not yet planned the queen's coronation, they did not dare say so. The following day the royal barge came down the river from Greenwich to Westminster. As they passed the tower, the guns sounded a salute. The riverbank was lined on both sides with the cheering citizenry. The king and queen were escorted by barges filled with members of the court and the London guilds.

Anne was very touched by her new subjects. She was almost sorry she would not be their queen for very long, but if Henry Tudor did not want her for a wife, she certainly did not want him for a husband. A friend, yes. He was going to become a very good friend, but a husband? Never! However, for the sake of appearances, when the king's barge landed at Westminster, Henry and Anne walked hand in hand to Whitehall Palace, where they would be staying overnight.

The Earl of March attempted to single out Nyssa while they were at Whitehall, but the scurrilous gossip surrounding him made the girl have a special care for her reputation. She did her best to avoid him.

"My duties with the queen leave me little time for myself, my lord," she told him firmly when he sought to invite her for a ride. "And when I do have time for myself, I prefer the company of my family." Varian de Winter was disappointed, but he vowed to himself that he would try again to win her favor at a more opportune moment.

It wasn't long before the ladies of the queen's household knew for absolute certain that their mistress was a wife in name only, and would remain that way. Anne, in an effort to support the king, played the innocent. In a court rife with intrigue, sexual promiscuity, and adultery, it was unbelievable that the queen should be so innocent, and yet it appeared she was. One winter's afternoon as Anne sat with her ladies, the queen even remarked how thoughtful the king was of her.

"Vhen he comes to bed each night, he gifs me a tender kiss and says, 'Good night, sveetheart,' and vhen he leaves me in the morning, he kisses me again and says, 'Farevell, sveetheart.' Is he not the best of husbands? Bessie, my girl, fetch me a cup of malmsey, please."

The queen's ladies looked astounded, and finally after several long moments Lady Edgecombe said, "We hope your grace will soon be with child. All the country will rejoice when we have a Duke of York joining Prince Edward in the royal nursery." She smiled weakly.

"I am not vith kinder," the queen said blandly, and she accepted the goblet of wine Elizabeth FitzGerald brought her. "Thank you, Bessie."

"I think your grace may still be a maid," Lady Edgecombe said daringly, and her companions paled at her impudence. They knew she would not have said such a thing to another woman, but this queen was so good-natured, and unfailingly kind, she rarely took offense.

"How can I be a maid, and yet sleep vith mein Hendrick each night, Lady Vinefred?" She chuckled. "Dot is foolish."

"To be a true wife in every sense there must be more, madame," Lady Edgecombe said gently. "Is there no more?"

The queen shook her head slowly, adding, "But I am contented that I know no more. Hendrick is a goot husband to me." There, she thought. I have, thanks to the nosey Lady Edgecombe, corroborated the king's word regarding the nonconsummation of our marriage. The queen then arose and said, "I vould rest, ladies. You are all dismissed but Nyssa Vyndham, who vill attend me." She arose from her chair and walked slowly into her bedchamber with Nyssa hurrying behind her.

"Poor lady," the Duchess of Richmond said. "She truly does not understand. What a shame the king does not like her. I wonder what will happen to her? He certainly cannot accuse her of adultery, like the other one, nor claim consanguinity, as he did with the first."

"It will probably be an annulment," the Marchioness of Dorset said. "What other excuse does he have?"

Nyssa closed the door to the queen's bedchamber firmly behind her. She turned to the queen, whose face was strangely contorted, and said sympathetically, "Do not let them distress you, dear madame."

To Nyssa's surprise, Anne burst out laughing, and when Anne had finally managed to regain control of herself, she said to the girl, "I vant to tell you something, Nyssa, but it is a great secret. If you cannot keep such a secret, you must tell me now, and I vill not tell it to you at all, but I vould like to tell you. The others, they are not my friends. They are too overcome vith their own importance, and the other maids not mature enough. I need a friend, Nyssa Vyndham. Ya! Even a qveen needs a friend. Hans, he is a friend, but he is also just a lad, for all his responsibility. I vould have one of my own sex to talk vith."

Nyssa came and knelt by the queen, who had seated herself by the fireplace. "I am proud to serve you, dear madame, and I will keep your secrets. I should be honored to be the friend of a queen."

"I shall not long be your qveen," Anne said.

"Oh, madame!" Nyssa cried. Distressed, she looked up at her mistress. "Do not say it, I beg you!"

"Listen to me, Nyssa Vyndham. Hendrick Tudor does not like me. I saw it from the first. The king vould not haf married me if he could haf found a way out of our betrothal, but he could not. On our vedding night ve made an arrangement between us. He vould not consummate the marriage, claiming my person repelled him; and I vould not contest an annulment when the time came. Today that silly, vell-meaning, but curious Lady Edgecombe gave me an opportunity to confirm the king's claim."

"But his grace is so courteous of your person," Nyssa said, confused. She had heard the rumors, but had ignored them as idle gossip.

"As a vife, Hendrick cannot abide me, Nyssa, but as a friend, vell, that is a different matter. Ve play cards each night vhen ve haf retired to the bedchamber. I usually beat him, for he is not very clever, poor Hendrick. I vonder that people fear him."

"Oh, madame, he is much to be feared. He is pleasant with you because you have given him his way, but when he does not get his way, he is like a surly beast. Make no mistake, the king can be dangerous."

"Your mother, I am told, vas his mistress," the queen said.

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