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| expectations; Tag; Her Majesty the Queen | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 11 2010, 08:03 PM (351 Views) | |
| Jane Seymour | Nov 11 2010, 08:03 PM Post #1 |
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December 1511 The summons from Her Majesty was a welcome surprise for Jane. Though she disliked having to leave her embroidery so close to finished, she leapt to her feet immediately and followed the page to the Queen's apartments. When one was commanded by the Queen, one had to go with the quickest and greatest efficiency and that was what she did. There was no dallying or pausing as it wouldn't do to keep her waiting. Jane supposed it might not be as monumental as she thought, but that was all right. A summons was good no matter the reason, even if it was merely an invitation to play cards or some such thing. As she entered the luxurious Florentine designed apartment, Jane was announced and stepped inside. Her footsteps seemed oddly heavy and loud as she walked in, heels clacking as she did, but she knew she wasn't walking any differently than usual. It was the absence of other ladies that made it seem this way. It wasn't like her to be nervous or anxious, but it was to be expected. She was coming to the Queen of all England at her request, alone. Anyone would feel a bit of anxiety, wouldn't they? Sweeping her most elegant curtesy as she came to stand in front of the young Italian-born queen, Jane smiled in her usual way. As she came up from her curtesy, she clasped her hands in front of her. "You sent for me, Your Majesty?" she asked, eyes roving over the young woman's face for any sign of what she could be here for. When she found none, she felt a little antsy and it was only her good breeding that kept her from bouncing from foot to foot. She expected her brother, Edward, would already know of the summons and might summon her himself to learn of what went on. Jane would happily tell him, giddily she expected, though she would rein that in. Because she, Jane Seymour, was nothing if not demure. |
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| Francesca de' Medici | Nov 13 2010, 11:04 AM Post #2 |
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There were those days that Francesca examined herself in the mirror for any signs of aging, of imperfection. She was like a courtesan whose price was higher than the rest, monopolized by the King of England and yet bound to obey, please and serve his every whim. Only a skilled courtesan could pull off what Francesca must do everyday, and her competition was not only the younger flourishing maidens of the market but also those men that tried to take her star patron away. Yet, now she was secure in her position, at least for a while. She was determined to always have the upper hand. It was in front of the mirror that Jane Seymour would find her Queen, but Francesca turned easily as she heard the clatter of heels upon the ground. The usual Persian carpets were rolled up for the Advent season, directly preceding the days of Christmastide. Now, the wooden floors were threadbare and the usually opulent chambers were slightly toned down so that they looked like but a humble abode for a Florentine merchant. While Francesca was staring at her own reflection, perhaps a bit narcissistically, her mind was whirling for something different. She had already a spy in Katherine Parr against the Duke of Norfolk but there was another Duke in King Henry’s court that Francesca watched with a cautious eye. It was with this in mind that she paid close attention to the sister of said man, a demure, mousy little thing that was as pretty as she was ambitious. Francesca could easily tap into her resources of ladies, especially with the right incentive, and perhaps find a way to utilize all that they had to offer. ”Yes Mistress Jane.” Francesca smiled kindly. ”Will you fetch me my jewelry?” She asked, gazing at Jane’s face. She had hid her emotions well. Francesca was pleased. She hoped that what she was going to ask would not backfire on her. Yet, Francesca knew women. She knew their hearts, and they wanted most of all to throw off the chains of their womanhood. That alone, was perhaps reason enough for Francesca to lay her trust in her most modest of ladies. |
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| Jane Seymour | Nov 14 2010, 02:31 PM Post #3 |
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Jane walked forward to fetch the Queen's jewelry, mind still whirring. She felt mild disappointment that the first thing out of the Italian woman was to perform such a menial task. In her foolish mind, she thought of a raised position or an opportunity for a raised position. She supposed she should've known better. After all, she didn't like to get her hopes up and circumstances like this were why. Edward would be disappointed, too, if he discovered the summons was only for something such as this. Imagining the look on his face was enough to instill a little fear within her. She didn't like to give him cause to be angry, especially not at her. Even when it was someone else he stewed about, she preferred not to be nearby at all. Standing before him, the target of his anger, was not something she ever wished to experience. She had been privy to enough of his fiery arguments with his wife to know it was something to be carefully avoided. Shaking herself a little, Jane returned to the task at hand. "Do you wish for me to put it on for you, Your Majesty?" she asked, not wishing to touch a royal person unless having express permission to do so. Perhaps she skirted issues too much, but that was one of the reasons she'd flown under the radar for so long. It was why, she expected, that Edward didn't bother trying to make her the next Queen. Like everyone, he likely believed her to have no ambitious drive whatsoever. That way of thinking was what she strived to change. |
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| Francesca de' Medici | Nov 17 2010, 09:21 PM Post #4 |
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”Please.” Francesca turned, lifting her thick dark hair up to reveal her neck, ”The ruby necklace, I think.” She had given Jane permission to touch her. It was one of the more intimate moments with one of her English ladies, an act itself that symbolized the trust that Francesca would put in Jane. As the necklace clasped around her neck, the heavy ruby falling between her supple breasts. The Mediterranean look, facing Francesca in the mirror was made more evident by her rather darker skin against the pure fairness of Jane. Edward Seymour was always a dangerous man, Francesca heard from rumours. Although she did not deal with the man himself, she knew that the Duke of Somerset rivalled Norfolk in wiles, and in ambition. What did Edward Seymour want? She could not risk him joining with Norfolk. Suffolk was already Norfolk’s ready pawn, it would upset the network of patronage, so delicately balanced atop the seesaw of power, if they were to cooperate. It would cause chaos. Francesca was determined to foster discontent between the powers and keep her nobles bickering amongst themselves. For a moment she stood in silence, figuring out how she would approach the need. ”Mistress Seymour. I envy your golden tresses. You would be the most exotic lady in the courts of Italy.” Francesca’s smile was playful as she took a lock of Jane’s hair and ran it through her fingers. ”Would you like to go to Italy? You would be the envy of the ladies.” A joke, but everything depended on Jane’s reply. Her tests were devised on the spot, so fast that not even Francesca knew the exact answer she was looking for. However, she was sure that she would know it once she heard it. |
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| Jane Seymour | Nov 18 2010, 12:36 PM Post #5 |
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Jane smiled at her mistress in the mirror as she examined her hair. She was quite proud of her hair, though she disliked to be vain, and took greatest care in brushing it every morning and night. She didn't like to see any tress out of place; she felt that hair truly showed how clean someone was. She often judged people's grooming habits by the look of their hair; the Queen's hair was lovely and dark and she found herself to be envious of it from time to time. It was beautiful and her most secret pleasure was to brush it. She always took care to make it look perfect, even if she was only plaiting it for bed. However, if the King came to visit, it was a must to look immaculate. "Would I?" she asked, slightly surprised by the Queen's comment. "That would be something truly foreign to me, Your Majesty, as the ladies here think me to be some little milksop. Do you know that they call me 'that mousy Jane Seymour'? I should like to go to Italy to experience this new phenomenom." Here she paused. "I would, if I am to be honest, Your Majesty, love to visit the places you speak of with such fondness, even if I am not the envy of all." It was something about the way the Queen spoke that made it easy for Jane to talk to her even if she was stationed so much lower. If they were on the same level, she would think that they could be great friends and confidantes. But as she was a mere Lady and Francesca the Queen, it could never be. She didn't even know if the young woman even liked her, though the summons itself told her that she didn't mind terribly to be in her company. Also, she had been happy to let her fasten her necklace. Deep down, though, Jane was still wondering if there was a deeper reason she was here. She hoped for it very much. To serve the Queen and then please her would, at the very least, elevate her within the realm of her ladies. For now, she could be content with that. |
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| Francesca de' Medici | Nov 18 2010, 02:48 PM Post #6 |
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Reaching up, Francesca took the gold filigree netting out of her hair and let it fall down past her waist, long enough to sit on. They weighed heavily on her head, but she was scrupulous about its upkeep. Taking a brush from her desk, she handed it to Jane intending for the lady to brush it. Sitting down on her handsome armchair, Francesca saw the difference between the fairness of Mistress Jane against the olive skinned dark haired features of the Italian Queen. A secretive smile appeared on her lips as she took a twirl of hair from between her fingers. She was often criticized at the English court for her Italian demands of cleanliness. Like Lucrezia Borgia, that famous Roman beauty, Francesca kept her hair scrupulously clean, washing it everyday in rose water and imported soap. ”Mousy Jane Seymour? I’ve never heard of it. I can tell you that you are intelligent, intelligent and honest, and I value that.” Closing her eyes, she felt the soothing brush across her hair. ”I do not think you are a milksop at all. You pretend to be, Mistress Jane, and that is so much more brilliant than the sharpest mind.” Turning, she paused to look at Jane, meeting her eyes with quiet determination, ”I like to see my ladies realize their true potential. I am not only a patron of artists. Would you like that, Mistress Jane?” What Francesca heard pleased her. Katherine Parr was the logical derivative that she would employ and Lady Warwick the head of her ladies, but who would suspect a simple quiescent young lady so different from everything Francesca stood for. ”I miss my home, my family.” She sighed, ”You are lucky to have your brothers with you. Do they treat you well?” Now, she was approaching her the subject, slowly but surely and she would hear Jane’s answer to her questions. |
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| Jane Seymour | Nov 18 2010, 03:28 PM Post #7 |
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Running the brush through the Queen's hair, Jane's mind was not on the luxurious locks but on the meanings of what she was saying. She helped her ladies reach their true potential? She had noticed she wasn't what everyone thought she was. This earned her mistress much more of her respect. Anyone that could see beneath another's facade was surely worthy of reverence, queen or not. "I would, Your Majesty," she said, scarcely believing what was happening, "very much. It's my most secret and precious dream to become all that I can be." The question about her brothers' treatment of her surprised Jane. She wasn't quite certain how to answer. Thomas was always sweet and kind to her when she saw him. Edward was a bit different, but he didn't treat her badly at all. He did make time for her when he could and even when he didn't, he allowed her a few minutes of his precious time. As Duke of Somerset, he was always so busy, so she understood it and wasn't offended. "They do, Your Majesty." she answered. "In their own ways. I don't think either of them have the ability to treat me badly. Edward may have a temper, but he has not once lost it on me." |
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| Francesca de' Medici | Nov 18 2010, 11:12 PM Post #8 |
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It was just the answer Francesca wanted to hear. She wanted to ingratiate herself with Jane, earn and not force Jane’s loyalty. Machiavelli often said that it was safer to be feared than loved, but he also told any ruler that when family ties were left alone, men were happy. Francesca would use love and fear to change that, because she had some inkling that she may succeed. It wasn’t her arrogance in her own abilities, but the sensory information that Francesca herself carried. It was strange what women would say in front of people they did not think could understand them. Francesca’s Italian ladies were employed for such a task. Pretend dumbness in the presence of the English. Speak little, but listen, because it was there that you would learn the most from people. There was a pause before Francesca spoke again, her words weighed carefully. ”And you will, if you were to be loyal to me. Men like to believe we are little sheep, following the shepherd around mindlessly, serving him, obeying him, but we are truly wolves in sheep’s clothing, are we not? We women must help each other. We are the only kind in this world that know our own true potential. May we not play with what God has given us and what men have so ignorantly forgotten?” She paused, gathering her thoughts for a moment before continuing, ”I will show you how you may be able to break away from the guards of the men, at least slowly. It will not be easy, but I stand with you, Mistress Jane. We must be for ourselves in the end.” Carefully melding Jane’s ambitions with Francesca’s, she gave an offer that Jane was not likely to refuse in the end, not if Jane was what Francesca thought she was. ”Your brother, Duke Somerset, is a busy man. I have long wanted to speak to him, try and work together with him, and yet I don’t want to trouble him at all. It is also quite delicate a matter, as other nobles guard my door jealously, watching whoever goes in and out. Yet, I want to know where he stands. I cannot make any moves. My hands are quite tied.” Francesca lamented, waiting for Jane to take the bait, make the offer, and do what Francesca had summoned her to do. |
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| Jane Seymour | Nov 22 2010, 08:49 PM Post #9 |
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"Men do presume too much, I agree." Jane murmured, mind working overtime. "They think us so fragile and apt to burst under the pressures they bog through their whole lives. But Your Majesty, you flourish where these men would crumble. I believe as you say, we should use that to our advantage." It was not idle flattery fo Jane truly believed this of her mistress. Though young, Francesca was truly suited to the position of queen. There were those that were sorely disagree with her, but she didn't care. Florentine or not, this girl was likely to become as great a queen as any. Truly the King was fortunate to have found such a lady. Jane was curious, though; well-versed in the ways of the world though she was, did the royal couple enjoy conversation? It was something that she often wondered about. She should think it a great honor to speak to one such as him on matters of anything. As the conversation turned to Edward, she tilted her head to the side and appraised the other woman. "Do you wish for me to ask him where his loyalties lie, Your Majesty?" she asked, brows knitting together. "I know that my brother, the Duke, is firmly devoted to the King and in that, I am certain he has the same amount of loyalty to you." She would do her mistress' bidding, of course, but she was surprised by the request. It was simple enough, in theory, but even she as his sister had to do much to get to him. She suspected she would go straight to his apartments once she was done here. And, barring that Cecily was there, she would ask him and immediately return. |
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| Francesca de' Medici | Nov 26 2010, 02:51 PM Post #10 |
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The smile on Francesca’s face widened into a happy grin. She clasped her hands in front of her in delight, ”Then you will help me, Mistress Jane, against the men that doubt our talents?” She asked, turning around to take Jane’s hand in hers, an action that denoted the trust and hope she put in the meekest of her ladies. Whether the action was merely an act or an image of the truth remained to be seen. Shaking her head, Francesca indicated to Jane that she did not want her to ask the Duke outright. She could not trust any answer the Duke could come up with if it was Francesca that sent Jane. Of course, he would say that he was loyal to the Queen. What else could he say in the circumstances? It seemed that she had too much to do, and so little help from anyone. Cardinal Wolsey, the man who was supposed to be her greatest ally, only worked for her for the purposes of appeasing the Pope. He had so many enemies at court and so they also wanted to bring her down as well. Yet what was keeping Seymour and Howard from working together? They had a common enemy, and if they were smart enough to look past their differences and try to destroy Wolsey and herself, then they would. Francesca knew that they could not trust each other, even if they worked together, and Francesca wanted to exploit that mistrust. ”No, Mistress Jane. This matter is quite larger than myself. It concerns both the Crown and the Papacy. While I doubt not his loyalty to the King, it would be unwise to tell him of our conversation. I do not want to give him unnecessary concern. I only pray that you will keep me informed." She did not use the words that truly denoted what Francesca was asking of Jane, to spy on her own brother, but it needed to be said in those terms. It needn't have been throught in those terms. Was a Queen not entitled to know the heart of her subjects? "Could you do that, Mistress Jane? Tell me who the Duke meets and why, tell me what letters he has written. You would be doing a great service to me.” Her eyes, large and black, met that of Jane. |
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| Jane Seymour | Nov 26 2010, 09:20 PM Post #11 |
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It seemed now that Jane had a greater purpose than she realized and for that, she was pleased. Despite the Queen not saying it outright, she knew very well that she was being asked to watch all her brother's movements. And the very name for that was spying, but that didn't make Jane balk at all. She could do that. It wouldn't be hard to know most of his dealings. He would never expect it of her and it wasn't as though she was going to tell someone who may mean them harm. Her mistress would do nothing to her family or to her, she was mostly certain of that. She would, though, proceed with the outmost caution. She would do well to, she thought. She couldn't risk her brother's animosity or have him think she didn't have their family interests at heart. "I will do as you have bidden, Your Majesty." she told her queen, not looking away from the dark eyes that held hers. If they had a chance, she felt that they could do a lot for each other. After all, if you did something for someone, they would pay you back in case they had another thing they wished for you to do. Jane knew it well, though no one had asked something of this caliber of her before. But this was a beginning for her. |
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| Francesca de' Medici | Nov 26 2010, 10:21 PM Post #12 |
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Francesca’s expression had a hint of deviousness, but that was all hidden by the charisma she exuded. There was someone for Seymour now, a Seymour herself, guarding the movements of the Duke of Somerset. While he was not Francesca’s chief-most enemy, Francesca would watch him nonetheless. She could not be sure that he would not join the Duke of Norfolk, and even if he didn’t, that he wouldn’t turn against her himself. It was a faction at court to watch for sure. There was heavy deliberation in Francesca’s head, of the governorship of Cesena passing to the Duke of Norfolk. Would that make an enemy of the Duke of Somerset? Francesca thought it a very distinct possibility, and yet it ensured that the Duke of Somerset would never trust Norfolk or Norfolk Somerset because jealousy was something that could turn monstrous. It would, at least, make the possibility of an alliance between the Dukes less likely, although altogether not impossible. Francesca chose her enemies carefully. The Queen’s challenging look turned into a warm kind smile, although the hint of deviousness was not lost behind the genuine look of pleasure. ”Truly? It can be anything. You will tell me everything you see and hear.” Taking both Jane’s hands, now, she clasped them between her hands. ”You’re a good woman, Mistress Jane.” Of course Jane would be rewarded for her services, especially if she aided Francesca in turning to Duke on her side, or even the incrimination of the two dukes. Francesca didn’t know whether Jane would turn against her own family but she offered Jane rewards for doing so. |
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| Jane Seymour | Jan 2 2011, 04:33 PM Post #13 |
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"Truly, Your Majesty." Jane's tone was earnest. "I should like nothing more than to serve and please you in whichever way I can." Secretly, she feared retribution when it came to her brother, but this was a way for her to gain more for herself. Certainly the Florentine wouldn't leave her unrewarded. If Jane did well by her, Francesca would return it. This made her feel as though she could do it, no matter the consequences. Edward warned her not to let the Queen deal with anything, but she didn't care now. Everything she wanted was just within her reach, she felt, and that was a most glorious feeling. It made her heart soar. "I am glad you think I am so good," she added. "but I pray Your Majesty knows that I agree out of love and loyalty for yourself and His Majesty." It seemed absolutely imperative that Francesca know that she had the deepest loyalty for her and her royal husband. Though she knew she had been passed over in favor of this young girl, she couldn't be angry with her. The charm and way she had made it absolutely impossible. She understood why the King had chosen her and doubted that, even if she had been mentioned, the King wouldn't have wanted her. It was better this way. |
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| Queen Francesca de' Medici | Jan 3 2011, 08:32 PM Post #14 |
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”Oh I know that, Lady Jane, and you will be sure I will remember it.” She patted Jane’s hand, happy at the conclusion of the meeting. ”It is so hard to find true loyalty in this court, I will cherish it where I can find it. You can be sure that you have my love and esteem.” Francesca, if nothing else, cared for her ladies, if only to arrange for them advantageous matches and provide them with dowries, but often more than that, she would try to help them find their own footing in court. As much as she loved Lucrezia Borgia, she was emulous of Isabella d’Este, always the woman of fashion, but quite able to hold her husband Francesca Gonzaga under her little thumb (although, little was no way to describe her rotund form). Reaching out for a butterfly pin to stick into her hair, she indicated for Jane to pin it in her hair. Looking up at the mirror, she saw both Jane and her face, one so obviously olive with the colourings of the Arno river, the other a pale reflection of the Thames. They came from such different worlds, but they both had to fight through it on their own. ”Tell me about your brothers. I hear Thomas is quite popular at court for his beauty, and the Duke himself is infamous for his wife. Do you know the Duchess well?” She was making conversation, but trying to understand the dynamics of the great aristocratic house. The Seymour family, she knew not much about it. There were people that devoted their time into understand the dynamics of a noble house in order to penetrate it. Francesca was not gifted with such patience. Always unwilling to let things run its course, she had to hurry things along and stare Dame Fortune right in the eye. |
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| Jane Seymour | Jan 5 2011, 03:46 PM Post #15 |
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Arranging the butterfly pin just so in her mistress' dark hair, Jane smiled at her words. To have a Queen's love and esteem was surely something to be proud of, even if it meant her brother's ire one day. However, Edward may see the goodness in what she was doing, if he discovered her, and let her be without a display of his infamous temper. A soft smile graced the young lady's lips as she smoothed down the Queen's hair before stepping back a little to give respectful space. "My younger brother is quite popular among the ladies of court, Your Majesty." she said, knowing there was pride in her voice. "We used to enjoy such a closeness, but with our separate duties, we have grown apart. I have warned him to grace me more often with his presence. I was gladdened to hear that he has a lady he wishes to wed." She paused, thinking on what she could say concerning her older brother and his wife. "The Duchess is kind enough to me, but mostly I think that she cares little for me." she began carefully. "And when I say this, I mean she believes me to be inconsequential. She is ... volatile, which suits my brother, the Duke, I suppose. He is rather volatile himself. If he had a meek wife, I fear he would trample all over her." |
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10:53 AM Jul 11