The Private Chambers of Elizabeth... admittance only by her Majesty's Wish

*Her Majesty awakens with the blissful sensation of having a lighter soul. The thrill of the waves and the safety she felt in the dream hath fortified her and she is ready for the next tasks ahead*

*she wraps her robe around her and wanders through into her audience chamber, seeing the note upon the floor awaiting her. She smiles as she traces delicate fingers across the seal before breaking it and reading the letter. She nods her head at the information. Now the path is clear ahead of her. She knows what best to do.*

*knocks on the door but instead of entering Elizabeth calls through*

Elizabeth, I have a request to make.
Please come as quickly as possible to my chambers, I fear you are the only one able to help me.

*having noticed Elizabeth's brighter and carefree mood, Elizabeth realises at once that her spell had been successfull*

*Sir Nicholas's man servent kneels down and slips a letter under her door. The letter again baring the seal of the House of Rhodes. But this letter is not written in such a cold and business like fashion as the last*

My Dear Friend Bess,

I thank thee for the kind gift, it is indeed ventian and breath taking, all the more because of the thoughtfulness behind it. It will be a great confort to me when I have taken my leave of your household. I will treasure it always as a reminder of you and the great friendship we share now and always shall. Though I may be far in body, my thoughts shall always be with you.

Your Dearest Friend Always,
Nicholas

*Heralds enter saying "Make way for her Royal Highness Queen Marie of Scotland and France, Heiress-presumptive of England, Ireland and Wales"*

My dearest cousin? Thou hast called me into thine chambers? *Sits down regally before being invited*.

*Bess hurriedly places the letter from the Marquis of Pembroke within her desk draw and locks it before nodding in welcome to Marie*

My dear cousin. I thank thee for attending my chambers.

*Elizabeth is used to the presance of other Royals and though she notes that the proper ettiquette were not performed by Marie she dismisses it, allowing indulgence for a fellow Queen of defiant Tudor blood*

I wudst speak with thee privately upon matters of thine heart and thine future. Due to... thine present circumstances... I feel that thou wudst require my assistance as current Queen of this realm in order to assure safe passage through these changes.

*Elizabeth leans back in her chair with an air of complete ease and control*

I have considered the problems ahead of us at great length and believe I have come to an adequate understanding of how to negotiate them. However, I wudst rather work with thee upon such things with thine backing and with knowledge of thine true heart.

I intend to find the happiest and most fortuitous result for mine cousin, mine good friend and both our Kingdoms. Is this a permissable situation for you madam and wilt thou discuss it with me as fellow annointed Queens and equals?

*raises eyebrow, and looks pointedly at the desk, but says nothing; Obviously having learnt from her cousins lessons in discretion*

As equals? That is all I have ever desired dearest cousin, hence why I hath released mine claims to thine occupied throne, and hath instead taken mine place as heiress.

I wish thee to speak plainly, and not in your normal half-truths and stalling techniques.

*guards fidget restlessly, uncertain of whether Marie would want them to bow to Elizabeth or not, but Marie doesn't notice*.

*Elizabeth dismisses all others from the room so that family and kingly business can be carried out without the presance of subjects*

If thou wishest me to be plain and straight forward so be it.

Thou art intending to marry and I approve of thine match.

For me to attend thine wedding wudst be alike to signing my own death warrant, but I should like for all to know you have my full support. As Nicholas has yet to seal his proposal by the formal offering of a gift to his intended infront of witness, I wudst wish to be the witness. I wudst also offer any one of mine palaces or properties for thine wedding feast apart from my fortress at the Tower of London.

If that be to your liking I wudst like to progress onto matters of how we get round the fact that the famed 'Queen of Scots' ist intending to wed an immortal. I have ideas on this if thou wudst listen.

I thank thee for thine approval, Elizabeth. Though I'm struck by your blatant mis-trust of me. My beloved hath already given me his mother's ruby ring *starts fiddling with it*, and I hath given him an Emerald ring, (OOC: It didn't strike me until later that Red and Green were the colors of the Tudor Livery, what a hilarious coincedence!) I doth not wish him to have to bestow upon me a lavish gift he can ill-afford.

I wish most heartily that thee wouldst come to my wedding, in order to show the Spanish that Britain's strong-minded Queens be united, but I understand thine worries.

And I have mine own opinions on how to disguise the fact, but would not be angry to hear thine.

*smiles beautifully, working her world-reknowned charm, which is as famous as your intelligence*.

My lady, I merely wish to follow the formal procedures of our time and to bind thine intentions to marry.

An engagement is as binding as a marital service - if not more - and must be performed infront of a witness. Tis but my wish to guard your honour and to follow the proper procedures. Then the binding of thine lives is decided upon and the service itself can be for God's blessing upon the match alone. An expensive gift ist not required. Tis the formal procedure of proferring a gift to thine intended infront of a witness for the intention of wedlock that matters.

Very well, you are well versed in this, ironic no? Techinically since this is an open forum, does what we hath already done not apply?

*laughs lightly with perhaps a slight edge of pain in her true realisation of such irony*

Cousin, I know not what is expected of you at your courts in France or Scotland, but in England tis essential for a Queen to understand the correct procedures of a marriage.

The ladies of my bedchamber are entrusted to me by their great families in order that I find them suitable husband. Their honour, their protection and their safe passage towards marriage is in my care alone.

I know thou hast been married before...

*Elizabeth manages to stifle herself politely, afore she mentions how many times Marie hath been married*

For your honour, your wellbeing and the legality of the union tis essential that proper ettiquette is performed. And surely as an annointed Queen thou should be awarded all proper ceremony.

I know 'twas not carried out properly with Bothwell, and as such the situation of thine marriage to him is both dismissed and accepted in equal measure. I wudst not have it this way again, especially when there are two souls I care for in this match.

*under her breath Elizabeth assures herself that if she ist to endure this match she will make it binding. She wilt not have it breakable by rumour, death or petty legal wranglings. It will be done properly once and for all and then her heart may rest on the matter and let go*

As to the matter of thou wedding a vampire, I know not how you wilt like this suggestion. I have taken care to try and weigh it with equal benefits in order to make the sacrifices required more palatable.

Obviously a King who lives forever is an impossible situation indeed. Even a visable consort to a Queen who does not age will arouse suspicion. It wilt be risking his life and yours from all sides if he ist seen by those in power to be forever young.

Firstly I wudst know if thou art content that thine country and thine subjects of Scotland are well taken care of in the hands of thine son? If thou thinks him able ruler I wilt make it known to all that I wish him above all other to be mine successor to the crown of England. Your eldest child wilt inherit the thrones of England and Scotland and unite those two countries in peace. Though many of mine council liketh you not, my lord Cecil and his son wilt accept the rightful passage of the crown as I say it and wilt ensure it takes place.

I can offer thee a life free of the weight of a ruler if thou wudst have it. You wudst be free to live a new safe and happy life with Nicholas as the noble wife of a Marquis, with full protection from myself.

Any of thine children with him wudst be secretly set in line to the throne after thine eldest son James of Scotland. The legal papers I draw up to such effect wilt only permit such offspring to be publicly announced as heirs apparent on the world of Sir Nicholas himself when the children are full grown. Unlike our own mortal selves we can be assured he will be still around to see them full grown.

I would trust him to ensure his children do not have the traits of a vampire and would not wish the weight of office upon his descendants if he do not wish it.

*Elizabeth thinks but does not say that she also does not entirely trust that any offspring of Marie's from this point on will deffinately be fathered by the Marquis of Pembroke*

If on the other hand thou wishest to continue to lay claim to my throne while I am still upon it, and to risk both our realms and the lives of your entire family by placing a vampire upon the throne all such offers are withdrawn.

Cousin, I am asking you to choose him or your throne.

Your people are already in safe hands and I can give you a whole new identity and the chance of a happy life with him.

Wilt thou take it?

*in the next room Sir Nicholas secretly listens to all that has passed. Elizabeth offer takes him by such shock he almost gasps then remembers his need for silence. He understands well the magnitude of what she is trying to do for him. She is doing everything in her power to give him what he wants more than anything. The one thing she herself can not have... a normal life with true love. He wonders how she must feel to make these scacrifices to give him something she shall never have, something they themselves might have had together if fate had not choosen to make her a Queen.

He recalls how things have been between them as of late. She looks at his diffrently now and it pains him more than he can ever say. He has choosen for his wife the last person on earth she would see him spend his life with, it pains her, but still she will do anything in her power to see he gets his darling Marie.

The thoughts brings tears to his eyes and swells his heart with love for her, but not romantic love, he has laid those feelings behind him now, only the friendship remains but it is perhaps stronger still.

He shakes these thoughts from his head and listens closer... a profound saddness spreads across his features. His beautiful darling Marie has been presented with a choice he did not wish her to have to make, though he knows it is one she must for the sake of them both.

He waits for her answer with baited breath, knowing that if she chooses one he will be the happiest man alive but if she chooses the other it will rip him apart. *

Choose well my love, but no matter what you choose my Darling, I shall love you always

*he does not say the words a loud, but recites them over and over in his mind, almost praying, almost willing her to hear him*

*Sits up even straighter*.

I wish thee to mind that I am not your subject, thou cannot present me with ultimatums. And I don't believe your promises. You would never leave me free to waltz around Europe, a Catholic Queen with a Catholic husband. And I would still be used as a playing-chip, for the Nobles of Scotland care not whether I have abdicated or not, the Catholics would still use my very existence to play against the Protestant Nobles. Throughout the courts of Europe I would be laughed at behind my back and my French countrymen would despise me.

And last but not least I will not have my son being raised by other hands than mine. So I accept not your bargain. The very fact that you have offered me this deal means that you know I'm Scotland's rightful ruler, meaning that you have no power over me.

*the guards, who have been standing outside the door the whole time, applaud faintly.*.

As you wish Marie.

'twas not an ultimatum, but an offer that I wudst do all within my power to let thee live a happy life for love whilst still allowing thine offspring to inherit all that we have both had. I offered thee a way out, a new name and a new beginning.

We are greatly different you and I. I wudst be overjoyed to see mine subjects safe in the hands of good ruler who wudst protect them and keep them well. I can think of no other greater happiness than to know my kingdom safe and to be allowed the freedom to love and be loved.

I see thine wish for the crowns of England and Scotland entirely for thine self outweighs all else. I understand it not and can see no goodness in it.

*Elizabeth's disgust at Marie's blind greed over any love for her children, her subjects or the man she claims to love overwhelms her. She feels the cold rage of the Tudor dynasty in it's entirity and speaks with words of ice*

Thou shalt but rule over mine subjects over my dead body... and I wudst have thine own death afore the ruination of my kingdom! Try anything against me Marie of Scotland and you wilt realise thy grave error most keenly.

*Elizabeth raises her voice in her famous roar of command*

Out of my door madam afore I loose myself in rage against thee! OUT!

Fine, I shall go. And I leave behind me an old, unloved, ugly bitch who will die soon and l eave me all her people, whether she likes it or not. You disgust me. *Walks out regally*.

*in the next room Nicholas hangs in head in saddness, tears of blood welling in his eyes*

*Elizabeth begins to laugh at the rediculousness of Marie's words, but her laughter turns to wails of tears and she falls to the floor, heaps of petticoats blossoming around her like a protective wall keeping her from the world*

I do thank thee for trying

*sir Nicholas enters from the other chamber where he had been hiding under her advice. He has wiped away his tears but the bloody tracks down his pale skin give him away.*

*his words seemed foolish to him, but he knows not what else to say ... what to do ... how can he ever make her understand how much it meant to him what she tried to do for him*

I shud go, leave you in peace ...

*Elizabeth cowers away from him, hiding her face. She cannot bear the weakness of tears but even more cannot bear for others to see her have this weakness herself.*

*Upon his leaving she begins to wail again then angers at herself over such self pity. With the anger comes clarity of mind and tasks to be done. Afore the tears have dried upon her face she calls through the door to demand the immediate presance of Cecil and Walsingham one by one*

If Marie wants the power to make great decisions over people's lives then she shall have it.

*Elizabeth sits down at her desk. While she awaits her spymaster and her chief advisor she hath mind to write correspondance of state for the attention of Marie Stuart.

*At the announcement of the arrival of her two loyal servants, Elizabeth demands two letters marked with her privy seal be delivered. One is to go immediately to the Crown Prince of Denmark, the other to be delivered by hand to the chambers of Marie Stuart.*

*First Elizabeth motions to her chief minister Cecil to step forth*

My good 'Spirit', it pleases me to see you well. I see now that you were right about Marie Stuart all along and that I have been clouded by kinship and an overly forgiving heart. My troublesome lady Stuart wilt not accept mine protection and assistance any longer. She wishes both mine crown and that of her son James of Scotland. I wouldst have neither kingdom victim of her incompetance.

With fear of possible war ahead I wudst strengthen mine kingdom any way I can, and therefore permit thee to re-open the correspondance for claimants to my hand in marriage.

*nodding to her Spymaster Walsingham*

Good 'Moor', though I like not the harshness of some of your methods I know well that without you my small Kingdom wouldst have no chance against the outside world. I bid thee to go hence and find me the knowledge I need to keep my people safe.

I wudst not have my cousin condemned by anything but her own word and deed. Penalties for all shall be severe if that doth happen. So make arrqngements both of you to both protect my kingdom, myself and the lady Stuart until we decide what best to do with her.

Now go hence, there is much to do!