Queen Mary II

Family Reunion

November 30, 1558

England

Mary watched as the land drew closer and closer on the horizon. The last time she had been here she was a foreign visitor, but now, she was England's Queen, if they would have her. As the ship sailed closer and closer to the docks, Mary knew this was the moment that could change everything. This was her first time formally introducing herself to her people, and she wanted to make a good impression. She was a Scottish girl raised in France. What business did she have being the Queen of England? Nonetheless, she was Queen, and she knew that she would have to become popular amongst the people and the nobles if she wanted any hope of making this a smooth transition of power. Getting closer by the second, Mary could feel herself approaching her destiny, whatever that may be. She began to hear a roaring sound, which, as they got closer still, she noticed was the cheers of the people. She sighed in relief, knowing that she was being welcomed so warmly, at least by some. The small group of nobles standing on the docks did not seem to excited.

Mary had summoned some of the more suspicious nobles to greet her, she wanted them close so she could keep her eye on them. Most notably, she invited the three most dangerous women to her reign. Three of her distant cousins, each of which have a claim to the throne, and supporters. First, there were the Grey sisters, Catherine and Mary, great-granddaughters of King Henry VII, just like Mary, and avid Protestants. Many nobles were Protestant, including some of Mary's other distant cousins, but the Grey sisters were different. When Mary Tudor became Queen, Jane Grey, the eldest of the Grey sisters tried to usurp the throne, and failed, later being executed. This meant that some Protestants were still loyal to the Grey family. If the Grey sisters were to turn on Mary, there is a possibility they could rally enough people to dethrone her.

However, as nerve-wracking as the Grey sisters were, they were nothing compared to Elizabeth Tudor. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Elizabeth was the bastard daughter of a King, but to the eyes of the Protestants, she was the true Queen of England. If there were to be a true Protestant uprising in England, odds are, they would be attempting to put Elizabeth on the throne. Mary had other cousins with claims to her throne, but none were as prominent, or as dangerous as these three. That is why Mary needed to keep them close.

The crowds cheered as Mary walked off the boat. "Her Majesty, Mary Queen of Scotland and England, accompanied by her husband, the Dauphin of France," the herald announced. Mary waved to the peopled as she stepped off the boat and on to the docks, with her husband at her side. The nobles, however, were giving halfhearted claps and brief smiled, but Mary was not concerned with them. Nobles can be charmed by the simplest of flatteries. No, they would not be the issue. Mary was concerned with the three women, her cousins, each of home threatened her reign.

"Dear cousins, it brings me joy to see you here, it is a pleasure to finally meet you all," Mary said to her cousins. She studied each of them, trying to determine what they could be thinking in this moment. Elizabeth, the most mature of them all was standing there, being respectful, but Mary could tell that she was resenting being here. On the other hand, the Grey sisters seemed excited by the events, and Mary noticed that the younger sister, Mary Grey, was holding a rosary, no doubt a subtle sign of loyalty.

The three women curtsied to their Queen out of respect. "Your majesty, the honor is all ours," Catherine replied. The woman was rather tall, and perhaps maybe a few years older than Queen Mary, and her strawberry blonde hair, made her stand out from her Tudor relatives. "It brings my sister and I great joy to be able to welcome you to England, and we are at your service in anyway you need. Of course, we cannot speak for Lady Elizabeth."

Then all eyes turned to Lady Elizabeth, to see what would be her first words to her new Queen. She nodded, "Of course, have similar sentiments with cousins Catherine," She said simply, not wanting to truly acknowledge Mary as her Queen. It was clear that Elizabeth wanted to be Queen herself, because she felt that it would be best for England. She wanted her country to have a wise and devoted ruler. However, Elizabeth knew her reaching or the crown would be impractical without help, and a civil war would destroy the country. Elizabeth would only reach for the crown if she had a chance of winning.