Festina Lente

Chapter Fifty-Four: Royal Connection

2nd of May 1534 - Hampton Court Palace

"May I present my aunt, Lucrezia de' Medici and her son, Lorenzo Salviati," Clarice stated with a smile, it had been a few days since she had arrived and after resting a little had been more than ready to meet the King of England. 

The older woman had completely refused to discuss why she had come to England, insisting on speaking only with the King on such matters before anything else could be said or done. 

"Your Majesty, it is an honour to meet our most royal cousin," Lucrezia de' Medici greeted with a bow of her head to the King, a smile gracing her lips knowing that she would be most welcomed here at the English court. 

The King did not have much in the way of family anymore, if she recalled correctly then his parents had both passed on as had his favourite sister while he was not close to the remaining one. 

Any other relatives he had were potential threat to his throne and Lucrezia was not a fool, her family could claim no such thing and while her trip here was more to do with Ippolito, it would not hurt for her to make sure that Clarice was more secure in her position. 

The confused look on King Henry's face only sealed her decision, she smiled pleasantly knowing that such knowledge might have been lost here in England but it had not been lost to the Medici family. 

"We are both descended from King John are we not? I believe we are also related through your great grandmother Jacquetta of Luxembourg, she had an Orsini grandmother just as my mother was," Lucrezia explained calmly, she did not been to look behind her to no such revelations would unsettle some. 

It most certainly improved the market for any children that Clarice and Ippolito had, who would not wish to marry those with a royal pedigree and connections to the English throne. 

Thomas Boleyn stared at the woman taking in her words, his eyes slowly drifting to Clarice knowing that they had certainly done well to marry her to George. 

He had been most sure that from nothing more than a banking family, he had not really cared for her connection to the French King since it was of little use for them here in England when he had taken her title from her.

"Then I am most pleased at my newfound family, it is a great honour to welcome you and yours to my court," Henry boasted thrilled at such revelations, for the longest time he had found himself rather alone without his family. 

He may have his wife and children but that was not the same as having family of his own, he had so little in the way of cousins that he may trust without them grasping power while he had lost all his siblings but Margaret. 

His elder sister lived in Scotland and the two of them had never really gotten along, the fact that he may have others to turn to delighted him greatly. 

"We shall also forget that your grandfather borrowed quite a bit of money from our bank here in London," Lucrezia added knowing that it had been part of the reason that the London branch of the Medici bank had failed. 

With total losses of 51,533 gold florins, the bank had gone into liquidation and it had been the beginning of the end for the bank that had been started by great, great, great grandfather. 

"What brings you to England cousin?" Henry asked with a grateful bow of his head, neither he nor his father had been inclined to repay the debts that had been built up by the York Kings. 

It matter not to him that they might be family, he would admit no fault and just be thankful that such a debt did not lay at his feet; he sat back in his throne at ease with his decision.