The Pearl Of Great Price

Chapter 1: The Pearl

Ludlow Castle

To say she is overwhelmed is an understatement. For someone so astute and careful in all of her dealings, especially her emotions, the news that has been told to her takes her aback in shock. Mary's head is spinning, and she's dizzy at the thought. The announcement came in the form of a letter.

Her father, the King, decided to acknowledge her presence by gracing her with His Majesty's Royal Rider. Said "rider" hand-delivered a letter with the King's royal seal attached to it. In an authoritative voice, the man officially pronounced, "From His Majesty King Henry VIII."

Would it be terribly uncomfortable if she told the rider to tell His Majesty he could shove it up his big, fat "Skirt, My Lady? Your skirt is caught on a nail. Do be careful not to move."

One of her few lady's maids, Margaret Douglas, told her this and proceeded to fix the problem. She freed the skirt from the nail sticking out of a board. Yes, that would have been most embarrassing indeed. Falling on one's face in front of anyone, particularly any of the King's men, would be dreadful.

But nothing could be more horrifying than the reduced state of her home. This diminishment of gain is why she could care less about this letter from the King, otherwise known as her father. How he expects her to manage an estate on next to nothing is ludicrous. To add to this shame, her cousin, Emperor Charles V of Spain, has had to stipend her finances. It's a disgrace! And she knows the only reason the man is doing so is primarily the work of her dear friend, and advisor, Ambassador Eustace Chapuys.

There are a hundred things the Princess needs to be doing. Instead, here she is accepting royal correspondence from the King. Taking the letter in hand, Mary inspected it front and back before breaking the seal. Walking to her writing desk, she seized her fancy letter opener given by her Lady Aunt, the Dowager Queen of Scotland. In her aunt's words, "Every lady should have a letter opener. It is unseemly to open correspondence with one's own fingers."

Fine Lady Aunt, fine. Breaking the seal, Mary walked to the brightness of the window to read. What she read made her lightheaded and left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, which had nothing to do with the horrible breakfast of days-old bread and left-out cheese. Overcome with a bought of sudden nausea, she sat in the nearby chair and continued reading.

Doing her utmost best to remain composed, Mary turned to the royal rider and addressed him. "Tell His Majesty that he is most generous to think of me. I will be at the aforementioned location at the appropriate time."

The rider turned and bid her a good day as he strode out of the residence with her reply to the King. A good day--- hilarious. Once the rider had left, the shock departed her system, and the anger set in. She excused herself from her two ladies, Margaret and Dorothy. Then lifted her skirts and ran out of the back of the castle and into the small side woods surrounding the expanse of the grounds. Grant it this could be dangerous, but she has done this same thing before on several occasions. The moment she was secluded, the Princess let her anger out by screaming at the top of her lungs to all and sundry. It was so loud that the birds took flight from the treetops.

She also began talking to herself like a mad woman because, in truth, Mary was mad. Although not crazy, just plain furious. "How dare he!" she seethed.

Her hands are balled up beside her, and her face and what's bubbling in her chest are hot. "How dare my father think he can just turn my life upside down again. After sending me away, reducing my house, separating from my mother, and getting in league with The Whore plus her family, the man thinks he can do this. Well, I've got something to say to you, Your Majesty. No!"

Then Her Highness thought about several issues and continued her rant. "I have many things to say to you. First, your breath stinks. It smells of something wretched as if a dead carcass crawled up and lodged itself in your throat."