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

*a letter slips beneth the door*

To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

I require to speak with thee about matters og grave importance. If thou wilst summon me as your time permitts.


Your Humble and Loyal Subject
Marquis of Pembroke

*Elizabeth's head bows over great masses of papers demanding her rapt attention. As one of her ladies brings tempting food and drink to her mistress - who hath shunned meals since her meetng with Marie of Scotland - the letter from the Marquis of Pembroke is added to the desk*

*Elizabeth nods to thank her lady and catches sight of his seal. She pauses for the first time that day to pour a goblet of wine then reaches for the letter, breaking the seal and reading as she drinks.*

*clapping her hands sharply to demand attention she bids that the Marquis be summoned.*

*when his arrival is mentioned at her door she calls regally for him to enter, places the paper she was reading to one side and nods to him to be seated and speak his wish*

I can see you are busy ... I do not wish to add more to an already troubled heart and mind.

when I penned the missive I had but one matter of business with which to darken your door but it seems another issue has come to my attention. The original matter was one of a more personal nature, I was hoping to speak with my old friend and not Her Majesty the Queen. If that is not possible any more given present circumstances I understand and will keep my concerns to myself and bother you not further

*Elizabeth sighs and leans back in her chair, a gentler look crossing her face and revealing the girl beneath the bold exterior of Queen*

Nicholas, you doth have my ear at all times. You shalt always have that no matter what passes between us.

*The look in Elizabeth's eyes conveys to him that these words are to be remembered far in the future no matter what great changes their lives hath undergone with the passing of time*

Speak your mind sir, your welfare doth concern me as well as doth that of myself and my whole kingdom.

*She stands, from her desk, indicating with a sweep of her hands in the air that her servants are to leave them and close the doors - offering the Marquis of Pembroke truly private audience with the Queen. As good hostess she pours wine for them both. She walks to deliver his by her own hand, then seats herself at a chair beside him. Here she is away from her papers and not seperated from her friend by her great desk.

Speak sir.

*she offers a smile of encouragement*

A courier appears with a letter from Maitland, he (the courier) has been running so fast he dies of exhaustion on the floor in front of you.

The letter he brought says:

To Queen Elizabeth,

The Jezebel is back. Somehow she hath escaped and she hath arrived in Scotland. If the assassination of the Earl of Moray hurt our cause, the presence of this murderess hath destroyed it. The people are furious at us, their rightful Lords, and threw open the gates to he, she just rode in. ‘Twas not a civil war, insurrection nor rebellion, ‘tis a triumphant progress.
This French and Spanish have sent her fortune upon fortune and the Pope is ecstatic. We are doomed. The people are upset because we err ... umm ... we may have been taxing them slightly harshly so that we could enjoy the finer things in life. And she capitalizes on this using her world-famous charm, ‘tis like watching the Devil himself tempt people to hell. She hath executed half the Lords and the other half hath are hoping that if they give her their property, wealth, allegiance, privileges and conscience she will let them keep their lives, so in a nutshell she is more popular, rich, supported and powerful than ever before. Now she says she will incite rebellion in the North again, and with Spanish gold, French soldiers and Scottish stubbornness the best you can hope for is a repeat war of the roses, with cousin fighting against cousin. The worst is the death of us all.

Earl of Maitland.

*Nicholas smiles, feeling better in the presense of his friend. That is until the untimely appearance of the Couier*

*bends down to see to the exhausted man but finds it is no use. He takes the letter and hands it to Elizabeth*

Perhaps our business must wait?

*Elizabeth reads the letter with a frown, searches it for no sign of seal and no recognition of signature and then laughs strangely, her laughter turning quickly to anger. She raises to her feet and calls out as the unfortunate man is carried out of the room*

Guards! My lady of Scotland ist playing trickery upon me! Hath her detained in her quarters until I am ready to deal with her!

*looking shortly upon the face of Pembroke before she doth allow a slightly gentler tone within her voice*

Treat her with the dignity allowed a Prince, but allow her send no word from her chamber without it coming directly to my hand. All deliveries to her rooms are to be made by my loyal servants only and neither she nor her maids are allowed to leave the chambers. I bid any escapees save her Majesty be killed instantly. The guards I gave her preivously for her own protection are all to be taken from her and placed within the Tower for questioning by my lord Walsingham. Make haste!

*Elizabeth sits for a moment then motions for her page*

Send word to my lord Cecil of the arrangements I hath made for the trecherous woman, no doubt he is already at work upon this rediculousness as we speak. Have my astrologer John Dee consult his papers and have word sent to Scotland immediately for the protection and knowledge of King James that his mother doth wish to take his crown from his head.

*Elizabeth herself stands to close the doors and indicates that the only entrants to her chambers are to be by her appointed ministers upon short sharp knock at the door and that both the Earls of Leicester and Essex are summoned to court immediately.

*seatingherself down beside Nicholas once more she sighs heavily then gives him her undivided attentions*

Speak quickly my lord and without regard for my feelings nor my status, I would know what is upon your mind afore this place descends into chaos about mine ears.

*Elizabeth who hath been listening to all thinks deeply*

How can Elizabeth tell or order Marie what to do? Elizabeth is no more a Queen than her cousin and thus her arguments are slightly trumped up. I see not how she can ask a husband to spy on a wife.
*strange pondering look*

*The guards come back and say that she isn't there, and that on the wall there is a crowned letter M written in blood*.

*Sir Nicholas looks faint ... confused and utterly helpless and heartbroken. So many words come to him but yet he can say nothing, he wants to flee but hasnt the strength to leave ... he wants to be loyal to his friend but also longs to protect his love .... everything seems to have spiraled out of his control*

*Elizabeth turns once more to Nicholas*

I see this puts you in a most difficult situation my lord. Your state would certainly be revealed if you were caught up in battle between my cousin and I, and you wudst be forced to choose between us. I would not wish this.

Therefore I would suggest you leave my court immediately until these matters are over. I have lived and protected my kingdom through worse things than Marie of Scotland and hope I need not your assiatance as I realise I cannot ask it.

So long as you not conspire against nor endanger myself, King James or our realms I will continue to ensure you are unhamred by those loyal to me. However, if you join such trickery or openly consort with mine enemies they will kill thee without my consent. ...or at the very least watch thee closely enough to learn thine secret. Take care to protect thineself and my cousin. I myself expect nothing from thee from now on.

...if you wish to speak to me quickly of the matters which concerned thee upon thine arrival here I bid thee do so now, or else leave immediately.

*her words cut him to the quick even though he knows her true intent and they have made peace, such as it is*

It matters little now I fear *he answered saddly*

I shall leave imedately

*Another courier arrives, passing the unconcious one in the hallway, looks at you nervously and hands you another letter*

[i]My Sister in Christ,

Have you forsaken us too? The most infamous whore in Christendom, this enchantress of Hell, this spawn of Satan has come back, and you will not save us? Please, we need money so we can catapult this bitch from her ill-gotten throne.

The Prince will not help us, she has doubled his allowance. We are alone, you are our only hope!

*Elizabeth is confused for a moment wondering if the letter hath been wrongly delivered and is describing herself or her mother... then realises they are talking of Marie Stuart*

Hellfire, I do wish a woman of this family cudst be given some respect!

*Elizabeth pauses to write back to say she ist most certainly not spending her realm's money ousting an annointed Queen off the throne of Scotland if the annointed King her son doth allow it. However she wudst be kept informed of goings on and may step in if the subjects of Scotland are being harmed or the rightful King James changes his mind*

*A 3rd courier comes by and seeing the first one dead, and the other one terrified throws the letter on the ground and runs*

Then you have ruined us, for most surely by God she will destroy everything we have worked so hard for. The deposition of that over-wrought bishop, the end of that hellish French alliance all will be destroyed because of your scruples. She has killed half of her nobles and the other half are giving up everything. She is talking about invading the North, she will not rest! Please, I know you are only a woman, and don't see sense like us men do, but you must try! The erstwhile Earl of Maitland


P.S. She has played most dirty. She hath doubled the Prince's allowance, he will do nothing against her. What a devious bitch.

Only a woman and don't see sense?! The wretch!

*throws letter on the floor and stamps on it*

*sends a letter to her cousin Marie*

Dearest Marie,

the Earl of Maitland is doething my head in. He ist working his way through each of the females in our family and insulting them. I suggest thou cutteth off his head.

Your feminist cousin,
Bess.

*A courtier bearing the Marie's seal, minus the arms om England enters*

Thank you Elizabeth, unfortunately he is hiding in the North. I'm afraid he's gone quite mad, please don't help him murder me or anything.

* A Shadowy figure, heabily cloaked and hooded appears as if out of thin air. He wraps lightly at your chamber door seeking entrace.*

Bess, let me in, quickly afor I am seen slinking out in the halls

*Elizabeth bids her ladies leave her, placing Kat Ashley behind them to make sure none return. Once the room is emptied she runs to open the door*

* he steps through the door, pushing the hood back from his face.*

*smiles at her fondly then draws her into an embrace* Ah Bess you look well, Tis so good to see you

Though I shuld have rather visited under diffrent circumstances. I do not have long afor I am missed in the North, tell me what has happened?

*Elizabeth falls gladly into the embrace as though the weight of the world hath been lifted from her shoulders*

My lord, tis a most wonderous thing to have you here. Were it not enough I hath felt your loss most keenly, I have late found myself fearful of thine freedom and indeed safety.

The matter is quite simple.

As you know I am negotiating with his Highness Charles for an impending marriage between his son and my good self. To secure the safety of our kingdoms further and as proof my good intent I was required to find good English noble husband for his niece.

I didst put forward the name of the Duke of Norfolk and Marie didst become most enraged. I had thought her most happy with you my lord, but if she ist making claim over her past intended it would seem not. This worries me greatly for she hath no good way of breaking the contract of your betrothal.

*his demeanor is of yet unreadable, his features might be made of cold marble*

You fear she wuld kill me ... as she hath done to one husband in the past?

...as you have just admitted yourself sir, I have reason for my concern within the lady's own past.

I am most sorrowful to say such things about your love my lord, but my fears for your safety come afore my concern for what you wudst think of me for revealing bad news.