Forbidden Love (Tudors)

Chapter Eleven

Whitehall Palace (January 1529)

Bessie's eyes widened as she took in her glorious surroundings. She was standing in Anne's new bed chamber; only a small section of the apartment that the King had assigned to her as a Christmas and New Year's gift. Anne was currently giving her a tour around the chamber after the two women had recently returned to court.

"And this is made from the finest Venetian silk Bess," Anne explained to her, as she touched the magnificent cream coverlet on the bed.

Bessie was speechless. Of course, the King had lavished a multitude of gifts and presents upon Anne throughout their courtship.

But this seemed new- it was the demonstration of the King's clear intent to make Anne his Queen.

....

Anne began to open up her apartments to other courtiers; for entertainment, feasting, music and general merriment. The King was an ever-present, bringing his substantial retinue of gentlemen: Charles Brandon, Henry Norris, William Brereton, George Boleyn, and many more. Most young women of the court consequently joined to both gain influence with Anne, and to flirt with the gentlemen.

Everyone flocked to Anne, for she was the rising star of the court and all but Queen in name.

As Bessie sat down to gently strum her lute next to Anne, she tried not to let her mind drift to Queen Katherine. She tried to serve her as well as possible when she had time to go to Katherine's rooms, but ultimately, Bessie's loyalties lay with Anne.

The doors flew open to the apartments, and suddenly the King strolled into the room, resplendent in a gold doublet and sparkling jewels and followed closely by his train of gentlemen.

"Sweetheart!" Henry exclaimed as he headed straight towards Anne.

Anne stood and bobbed a quick curtesy with a dazzling smile before she was engulfed in an embrace. The pair soon withdrew to a corner of the room, where they began talking in hushed tones.

Bessie strained her ears to try and catch their conversation. She heard Anne's annoyed tone of voice, however, and the name 'Wolsey', and immediately knew the subject of their conversation. Anne was furious about the delay of Wolsey and Cardinal Campeggio to hear the King's case in England.

Countless evenings had been spent at Hever Castle with Anne fuming that she was not yet married and not getting any younger.

The sound of a throat clearing before her quickly turned Bessie's attention away from the couple's conversation.

"Tom!" Bessie exclaimed in delight as she saw her friend Thomas Wyatt standing in front of her. Wyatt was a distinguished courtier and had a reputation at court as one of the best poets around. He was also a close friend of Bessie's, though she often did wonder if there was more between them. Unfortunately, he was married, albeit unhappily.

"Eavesdropping, Bess?" he asked her, with a twinkle in his eye, as he sat down next to her.

"I only wished to hear the important things," Bessie replied laughing as she met his gaze.

"She always tells you everything anyway."

"That is true."

Tom glanced over at Anne and Henry again, before quickly turning his attention back to Bessie.

"I need your opinion on a new sonnet I have composed," he said, taking out a piece of paper.

"I feel honoured that you esteem my opinion above others," she replied with a teasing smile.

"I do, but this sonnet is also inspired by you Bess, so you must hear it first."

Bessie felt herself blush. "You flatter me, Tom."

"You haven't heard it yet," he said laughing.

Bessie watched and listened to Tom as he read her his sonnet. It was about a beautiful woman and contained significant references to themes of desire and longing.

"Bravo Tom, that was wonderful," Bessie enthused as he finished reciting. "You have such a way with words."

"The words come naturally to me when I have such a beautiful subject to write about," he said, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckle.

They looked into each other's eyes for a second, until the moment was broken when she heard the King, who had clearly finished his conversation with Anne, loudly call her name.

"Would you grace us with a song Bess?" he asked. "I have some new gentlemen of the privy chamber joining us imminently, and I believe your voice would greatly please them."

"Of course, your grace, I would be delighted."

Wyatt gave her a smile of encouragement as she settled on the window seat. Anne quickly joined her with her lute. Bessie smiled at her friend; she was grateful to have someone with her as she sang, especially Anne, who was one of the best lute players at court.

Her melodious voice began to drift around the room as she sang a sad song about a woman losing her sweetheart. All chatter ceased; everyone was enraptured.

Bessie could feel the King in particular gazing intently at her, but she made sure to look around the room as she sang.

She noticed a large group of men at the back of the room dressed in the privy chamber colours. She could not quite see their faces from her seat, but she could see they were all paying attention to her.

Anne played the last few notes on the lute, and Bessie finished her song, to much applause around the room.

"It's like you have cast a spell on them," Anne quickly whispered to Bessie, as they noticed a few men making their way over to talk to her, and laughed together.

The King, however, gestured to Bessie to come over to him and the new privy gentlemen.

"Come, Bess, let me introduce you to my new gentlemen."

The King made introductions to each man, none of whom particularly stood out to her.

Bessie began to zone out of some of the introductions, as she curtseyed to each man and offered them her hand to kiss.

The final man had his back turned to them and was in a deep conversation with Margaret Blount on the other side of the room.

Bessie tried not to scoff at the man's swift efforts of flirtation despite being new to court.

The King pointed at him. "Ah yes, lastly that is Sir Edward Seymour, my esquire of the body. He was recently knighted after proving himself a brave soldier in France. He also..."

Bessie did not hear the last of the King's words, as she prayed that the man would not turn around, or that he was somehow a different Edward Seymour.

"Seymour! Stop flirting and come meet Lady Howard!" the King laughed.

The man turned around, and for the first time in over six long years, Bessie was met face-to-face with the man she had tried so hard to forget.

A/N- A later update, but hopefully worth it now that Edward is back! Thank you to any readers of this story, and for those who have voted! :)