A Fanciful Sea Battle

*Nicholas forces away a grin that threatens to cross his lips. Though matters were dire of circumstance Marie's drunkeness is somewhat comical*


Marie, beloved *gently attempts to take the bottle from her*

We are taking thee to Hampton Court. Marie listen my darling and try to focus .... Where is James?

Juan, it doth please me greatly my lord that thou would stay and remain near to me. and the rumours our stay within the Tower will cause cause me great amusement. Mayhaps they wilt think us there in preperation for an iminant wedding and perhaps a crowning for thee... or that I hath taken thee prisoner. *laughs* ...actually I would have thee send word to thine father that thou art staying there by thine own choice to accompany me.

And my lord Nicholas, I think that in Marie's present state the choices of both apartments and the welfare of her son James do come down to thee, so we shall make arrangments for Marie to be taken to Hampton Court.

*Nicholas nods*

Hampton Court shall be fine, I am anxious to have my beloved under a physicans care.

As soon as the sun is set I shall find James and bring him to his mother

*Screams in the top of my voice, scaring gulls all the way from the shore* If you bring my son into England I will kill you! *And passes into oblivion, cradling the rum bottle*.

Well *He replies stiffly* I believe my wife's wishes are clear in reguards to her son.

But still I shall find his where abouts and see that he is safe

Nicholas, you shall drink first my lord.

Juan, due to circumstance I am afraid I must ask thee to instruct thine sailors to deliver my brother Edward and his guardsmen to Nonsuch Palace. If it not displease thee I would have Raleigh accompany him for safety. Please instruct them to return thine ship wherever it most please thee to keep it. There are some deeper sections of the Thames which will allow it to remain within close reach of thee.

Sir Francis Drake will either accompany our party in the Golden Hind for further protection or I can have him set sale for Scotland to ensure all is well there with young James.

We that remain are to set sail for the Thames where we shall disembark at the Tower and Marie and Nicholas canst be transferred to a smaller vessel which will deliver them safe to Hampton Court.

*Elizabeth climbs the ladder to issue her instructions*

Marie ist full sensible to wish her son in Scotland far away from these troubles. But I would have his guards doubled and feel happy to send Sir Francis Drake up there to keep guard of his sea borders.

...as I have thineself, Raleigh and the finest Admiral from the Spanish fleets here I think it full greedy of me to keep Drake as well.

If anything doth go amiss he ist brave enough to deliver young James to the shores of France, though his stay there would no doubt cause me a diplomatic feud all by itself.

*He smiles at Elizabeth, thankful for her level head and wise plans*


That sounds the best course of action. I shall ensure his safty, then I shall remain by my beloved side.


He wilst report and assure us of James safty often?

*Seeing Elizabeth leaves, opens my eyes back up*. Well, that was close! I need to speak with her alone! I cannot let her leave, she will just delay as she always does. Help me up, will you dear?

I can help you stand my love but I fear you shall harm thineself further.

And I can not leave the hold of this ship

*Elizabeth returns having given further commands*

My lord Drake wilt take good care of James. I hath command it and as an heir to the throne of England he shall be guarded as well as I would myself.

Drake is indeed overly full of himself on occasion and doth take his battles a little too lightly... but he is a brave man who can be trusted to do his duty. I also believe his tales of the sea and love of games will entertain young James Stuart. Raleigh on the other hand would bore him with poetry and be too busy chasing all the maidens in the household. Drake is by far the best man for the job.

My young brother will not tolerate any chasing of the females in his household and if Raleigh not behave he will feel the full wrath of a young Tudor upon him.

Elizabeth I am glad you hath returned,

I doth think Marie wishes to speak with thee alone of a matter or urgency

Of course.

Sir Nicholas, if thou maketh thine way to the left of those barrels thou wilt find a door leading to the galley. Marie may require some food fetching after her long journey.

*Nicholas seems reluctant to leave his beloved but he does as he is told*

*Elizabeth adjusts some of the sacking in the hold to make a more comfortable space for Marie to sit that will support her injuries and then crosses over to help her cousin*

*bows*
Oh, I do quite enjoy a good scandal. I shall instruct the rowers to return to shore and see His Grace to safety, on pain of my wrath.
*goes away, comes back*
When we dock, I shall send a letter to my father and my brother, assuring them of my...willingness to enter the tower. *grins* I shall also ask His Imperial Majesty to prepare to shelter those we may send to his lands for safety, and to prepare very small ships to sail very far away with those we dispatch for other purposes.

I do think, my lady, that my presence in the Tower, so near to your royal self, may cause more unrest than is good at this point. Perhaps this would be a fine time to make some sort of announcement of our engagement? Additionally, once it is announced, I am sure my royal and imperial father will be true to his word and cede the dukedom of Milan to me, which would bring us additional funds with which to preserve peace and wage war (if it comes to that, which I fondly and fervently pray it does not).

*Elizabeth smiles broadly*

Then we shall formally announce the engagement together from my royal palace and fortress The Tower of London shortly after our arrival there.

...though that will of course kill many of the rumours in England and we shall have to send abroad for the scandalous gossip.

*laughs*

Tis quite curious suddenly having support from other lands. I am not familiar with it and will need you to remind me that help ist there my lord. It makes me feel strangely... safe.

Give us a few days, my lady, and I am sure some fresh scandal can be generated. *grins broadly*
I should not promise my father's aide in advance, of course, but it was his word which sent me here, and I should think he would wish you to be secure on your throne.

I am not involved in scandals, as I AM STILL TRAPPED IN THE TOWER!!!!

LET ME OUT!!! Pwease!!!! *does puppy dog pout, his bottom lip quiverring*

Your half brother, my lady, is a loony. Not Edward- I like him. The other one.

To my Darling Sister Elizabeth...
I have been spending my free time, which is ALL THE TIME, while I have been locked in the tower, I decided 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.

*Looks at Elizabeth and Juan, wondering if Nicholas and I were this sickening when we were falling in love, but says nothing*.


Thank you cousin. *Lets the physician bleed me, but keeps the bowl for Nicholas to have use of later and sits down on the sack*.

I wish to speak to you of a matter of great political importance, and while I know I match not your excellent intellect and fine sharp mind, I beg you humour me in my deductions.

*Is scared of Marie's 'Being calm-ness'*

O...K

Not you, you crazy bastard. I meant my other crazy bastard cousin.