Festina Lente

Chapter Eight: The Pope's Miscalculation

For right now, the man had more control than Clement would care to admit and his revenge would be sweet against the man that had sacked the city that he called home. 

Forcing his way into being made the Holy Roman Emperor, his meddling in what should have been an easy divorce settling; Emperor Charles would reap what he had sown when the time was right.

"Then why is it never you who sacrifices anything. I lost my title. My sister is without her title and a dowry so she can make a fine match deserving of her status. Catherine spent three years as a hostage," Ippolito spat angry that Clement never seemed to put himself in the way of all of this. 

They were all his little puppets and Ippolito would not stand it anymore, he wouldn't just stand by and allow Clement to ruin their lives further; he truly wished that the man had never found himself as Pope. 

When Clement did not reply to the accusations that Ippolito had thrown at his feet, he scoffed and shook his head doubting that whatever he said or tried to get Clement to admit to; he would insist upon it that it was God's will his work. 

Getting to his feet, Ippolito left before he would say something that he would come to regret; it was too late for him to do anything for Catherine but he could help his sister. 

Their cousin would have a fine match in Henri, Duke of Orleans and she would certainly be treated well by the French given their long history with the Medici family. 

However, Clarice had just found herself near destitute in a country were she would have no such support from anyone; she was considered a spy for the Pope and it was not likely that people would be kind to her. 

His mind made up, Ippolito knew what his next move would be; he did not care if the Pope threatened to excommunicate him; he would help his sister in anyway that he could. 

Leaving before nightfall would be tricky but he would make it work, he was hopeful that his arrival in England would bring some good news to his sister; if needed he would happily turn on the Pope and inform the King of England just who was pulling the strings here in Rome. 

There was nothing for him in the city now and he would do what he could to find his sister a match that would have pleased their father; he knew that Giuliano would have been disgusted in what the Pope had done to his children.

***

5th of November 1530 - London, England

"I knew that King Francis was not as gallant as he claimed to be. How could he be? When he leaves his beloved cousin in such a state where she has no means to provide herself with," Henry stated aloud, his eyes sweeping over Clarice before turning to his beloved. 

It had been Anne who had told him of the unfortunate turn of events in which the former Duchess of Nemours now found herself without any way to support herself. 

"I fear that it is the Pope's meddling that has led my cousin to do such a thing," Clarice began with a shake of her head. "First he denies Your Majesty of the right to marry Lady Anne and now he tricks my cousin with wicked lies about my time here to have my birth right taken from me." 

Clarice had nothing now and most of her ladies were already organising their trips back to Italy to their families; there was nothing for them now that their mistress had lost everything. 

Only two had stayed loyal, only two had insisted tat they would remain by her side no matter what came her way; Clarice was ever so thankful for their loyalty at a time like this.

"He is a true villain then, he deserves not the title that he has been given nor the power that he wields," Henry mused knowing that the more he heard about the Pope's doing, the more he wished to learn from the books that Anne had shown him.