A Trusted Friend

*Elizabeth hast not yet slept for she ist still wary of her safety. She hears a knock at the door which she recognises as Sir Nicholas but, always cautious, carries Robyn's dagger with her just in case. Padding slowly across the floor in her nightgown and robe with candle in one hand and dagger in the other she quietly bids him enter.*

Bess, I am truly sorry for this intrusion but I must speak with someone, and you alone I trust with my life. And I fear this is a matter of life and death.

*His face his ashen, his eyes swollen and smudged with dark circles. He looks exhaunsted, phyically and mentally*

I do not want to involve you in this but I need your help my friend, as I have never needed it before.

*putting the dagger down she doth rest a gentle hand upon his arm in comfort.*

Come my lord, tell me what distresses thee. So long as it doth not harm England you know all mine powers are at thy disposal. You would do but the same for me.

I wuld indeed give my life for thee

*he lowers his head in shame* I have brought great evil to this realm. I seek your council not only for my own selfish comfort but also to warn thee for I fear the events which hath transpired may eventually effect thine realm as well. If it were not so, despite mine own personal need, I wuldst not involve thee.

Before I tell thee, I wuldst say that I will do what ever it takes to keep thou, Marie, and both your realms safe. Even if it means I must leave here. I may indeed be left with no other choice, and I need someone else here to know the truth.

*Nicholas seats himself and stares into the fire a moment, he gathers what strength and resolve her has left. He sits taller in his chair, his facial expression turns from one of despair to one of determination.*

The Queen of Scots was not only attacked, she was … she was taken by force.

She wished it to remain secret, save for she and I. I was only learning of it myself and not yet privy to all the details and treachery involved, when my brave new son James didst lead thee and the Emperor to our chambers. Had I understood more then and had time to gather my wits about me, the Emperor wudlst not be on a man hunt for a man he can never catch.


The man responsible for this crime holds the power to destroy me and everything I hold dear. And if he is caught, or if Marie and I fail to do his bidding, then all is lost.

I care not what happens to me, I fear for Marie and James. I fear for thee and I fear for England and Scotland alike shuld this man succeed in his trickery and blackmail.

*Elizabeth pales considerably upon the realisation of what her cousin has had to endure. After a few moments she rises from where she is sat and paces about the room, thinking.*

Why canst this man not be caught, my lord? Marie's previous attacker and husband - Bothwell - cudst not even escape in lands far from here. If my displeasure ist made known then every noble in our two lands as well as every Prince far and wide would seek to bring him into custody.

What power doth this man have over thee my lord?

He knows what I am and is threatening to expose me

*Elizabeth sighs*

Then this ist too delicate a matter for Marie's yet young Scottish system to deal with. ...and I canst see why thou wudst not have Charles involved either.

I hath hidden thine secret these long years my lord. With a word to Walsingham of the dangers that cudst befall our kingdoms I could have Richard despatched to the Tower. All there are under myself and Sir Francis Walsingham and wilt believe what we have them believe.

That would put an ened to the immediate problem. But then we wudst have to work out how to deal with him properly.

Tis a sound idea but with one problem. In truth I wuldst have dealt with him already but he is not in this alone. There is another outside of this castle you shall set his plans into motion if he is harmed or harried in any fashion.

That is the one thing about this I find most unsettling. My brother is not ambitious enough and lacks the intelligence to plan this alone. Someone hath brought him here for a purpose greater than this.

And it is not Charles alone who has come involved in this. I am affriad have once again made an enemy of your Mother. She is here in court meddling in what she should not. Not an hour ago I found her intergating my bed-ridden wife.

Methinks we hath need for intelligence my lord.

Please calm Marie as best you can and have her bide her time.

I shalt summon Sir Francis Walsingham.

...as for my mother, I am not the best to calm her but feel she wilt be working for the greater good and myself. I would not have her or the Emperor Charles harmed by this.

I know not whether to take them and leave for England where I have full control, or to stay here in case I am needed. I miss the council of my advisors and the control of my own court.

That is wise council. I shall try to wait for information from you before I take any action against him. I shuld like to know exactly what we are up against.

All I know now is that Richard intends to force Marie into marriage and place himself upon the throne. I wilst not let that happen. If he forces our hand before we can make plans of our I shall leave here. If I am gone he has no power over her.

Bess you must make a promise to me. *he looks at her with such intensity she has never seen in him before*


If something shuld happen to me, or if I shuld have to have to flee ... I fear that Marie will still fall into Richard's hands. If they marry ... espeacially if she is with child, please take James from here and keep him safe until what time she wilst take his throne. Tell his mother you wish him to visit you in your court ... tell her anything but do it. If he remains his life wilst be in danger. Even with that aside I wudst have James know the love of a father and he shuld get none from that monster.

I know he is no flesh and blood of mine but I hath come to love him as if he were. I need to know that he will be safe.

I will ensure that James is safe, but the only way to do so while not harming my own realm would be to bring down Marie and Richard together.

I will not have that man forcing the hand of my neighbouring realm, so if she stands with him they both must go. I would have no other option.

Besides, you yourself know that Marie would never release the care of her own son to me.

*Nicholas conciders this, his expression dark and forlorn*

So be it then.

*Nicholas is clearly heartbroken* If I am gone and she marries him anyway then she wilst already be lost.

(OOC:Wow, Nicholas is willing to sell Marie and her little boy out just like that? What a major douche!).

(OOC: Things are not always what they seem)

I wudst not have my dearest Marie harmed ... I only want her and James protected. There is no end to the evil Richard culdst havoc if he sat upon the throne.

If she marries him it wilst be against her will, she shuld not be punished for that.

Tis not about punishment my lord, tis about the safety of our realms. I would save my cousin from so dreadful a fate any way I could, but I cannot force her hand in her own kingdom and she is stupid enough to deal with this whole mess in the most foolish of ways.

Marie sees fit to repeat history by relinquishing to a vile barbaric oaf with no thought but to his own self. She will try to place him upon the throne of Scotland and the country will fall along with her. Only this tme she may see fit to take England with her.

But she does this not by choice, she thinks there is no other way.


*Nicholas chews his bottom lip in misery*

Then perhaps leaving is not the best option ... what will happen if Charles learns the truth?

If Charles learns what your brother hath done to Marie I have no doubt he wudst run him through.

My wish would still be to force thine brother to England where I canst keep him safe within the Tower... but that is my wish to take control.

I canst hardly stand to linger amongst all this chaos while Marie makes all things worse. It vexes me to the very depths of my soul. I feel weakened by the law of the land and the reverance towards my fellow Queen that I cannot help mine friend or mine kin for she wudst not have it.

She doth not mean to make things worse *he replys sadly* she does what she thinks is best.

I wuldst see Richard taken to the tower as well ... if only we could learn of his ally.

But still, time is running out. I can not let him force her into marriage. I care not about my fate, if it wilst keep my dearest safe and enssure the safety of England a Scotland.

*Elizabeth steps out of the shadows before curtseying deeply to all*

Would it not be easier to just have this gentleman "removed" ?

That wuldst be mine first choice believe me. But he has certain imformations that culdst be most damaging and even life threatening. If any thing shuld befall him then another will bring these things to light.

If we culdst find this other as well ...

Well I am at your service my Lord,
and that means all of me.