Race against time

*it sounds as though someone is throwing pebbles against the Empress's window...because that is actually what is happening.*

*Sends a raven, which taps against the window. A letter is tied to it's foot*

The letter reads

I have been using my free time to write a scene of a 21 year old Elizabeth Marrying Lord Robert... Tell me what you think...?
In this Edward surivived his bout of illness with Tuberculosis and is King and Anne Boleyn wasn't beheaded, but was exiled from the country and has now returned, and Mary has been placed under house arrest for threatening Edward's young daughter, Jane Tudor, whom his wife, Jane Grey gave birth too, before dying of Childbed fever and Edward hasn't remarried yet

Here is the piece I have written

"Oh, Annie, I can't believe I'm doing this! Am I really going to be betrothed to him, to my bonny sweet Robert?" Elizabeth, resplendent in a gown of pale green satin edged with ribbons of virginal silver, turned to her eighteen year old cousin, Anne Stafford, as the latter came up behind her outside the chapel door. Anne laughed, and brushed a flyaway curl of fiery red hair off Elizabeth's shoulder.

"You are, Bess. It's not a dream, I swear it, cousin. Now, come - they are all waiting for you."

Anne set a silver hood, set with emeralds on Elizabeth's head, and then moved behind her to pick up the train of her gown, as the elder of the two young women stepped into the chapel royal.

As they entered, all eyes flicked to the fine figure Elizabeth cut in her green gown, but Elizabeth, her eyes bright and the colour high in her cheeks, paid none of them any heed. None of them save the dark-haired young man who was standing alone at the front of the chapel. Sir Robert Dudley.

She walked up to join him, and Anne stepped back to join her aunt Anne Boleyn and her sister Katherine Knollys-nee Carey-in the pew to the left of the King's. She had barely got there before Robert, voice tender, yet sure and strong, began to speak, reciting the age-old vows that had been used for betrothals as long as even the oldest in the gathering could remember.

"I, Sir Robert of the House of Dudley, son to the Earl of Warwick, wittingly and of my own free will, having twenty one years complete in age on the which be past, do hereby solemnly promise, before all these witnesses, to take thee, the Princess Elizabeth Tudor, to be my lawfully wedded wife as soon as a day arise when I might do so."

As he spoke his final words, with a voice so clear and strong, a hush fell over the gathered witnesses-an awestruck hush which was only broken when Elizabeth herself raised her head, and answered him proudly.

"I, Elizabeth, daughter of the right excellent, right high and mighty Anne Boleyn, the Lady Marquess of Pembroke and Prince and Princess Henry, formerly King of England, France, and Ireland, and sister to the right excellent, right high and mighty Prince and Princess Edward, by the Grace of God King of England, France and Ireland, wittingly and of my own free will, having twenty years complete in age on the seventh of September which be past, do hereby solemnly promise, before all these witnesses, to take thee, Sir Robert Dudley, as my lawfully wedded husband as soon as a day arise when I might do so."

Elizabeth finished her speech, and glanced up at Robert, who slipped a sapphire and diamond ring on to her left hand and whispered "With this ring, Lady Elizabeth, I pledge myself to you."

"With this ring, I take you." She replied quietly, gazing first, at it, and then up at him once more, her dark blue, saphire like eyes burning into his deep brown, happiness filled ones for one long moment, before he bent his head and kissed her warmly. Elizabeth melted into his arms, responding hungrily for several seconds, before Edward rose from his seat in the King's pew, and led the Court in applause.

Then they broke apart, and beamed at each other before flushing and turning, arm in arm, for the door. That was it. The day had come and gone at last. They were betrothed - promised to each other as man and wife, come hell or high water.