Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to For King and Court. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Worlds Apart; Little-Bitty Princess Mary
Topic Started: Dec 15 2011, 11:27 PM (259 Views)
Robert Radcliffe
Member Avatar
10th Baron FitzWalter
Early-May, 1502

Dead. The prince is dead.

Such words had echoed in and out of an nineteen year old Robert Radcliffe’s mind at a constant rate these past few weeks following the death of the Prince of Wales. His best friend, and his brother, struck down in the very prime of his life at fifteen. It made no damn sense to him why men of such greatness were taken from the world, and others, those whom had no business remaining it in, were allowed to stay, and live to be old men. 

If Robert had had anything to do with it, he would have traded places with the young prince in a heartbeat. Arthur would have been the greatest king England had ever known; bringing back the golden days of their kingdom when it was first emerging from the shadows of the Dark Ages. If only it had been he instead of the prince who succumb  so suddenly to the illness that had overtaken him. 

But no. It had not happened that way. 

No sooner had the disgraced Radcliffe finally been accepted once more into the inner circles of the Ludlow court, it had been disbanded once more, and he was relocated to court, awarded a position in the king’s household for his loyalty to the young prince. But it was not the same. Never again would it be the same. Even if much of court had attempted to return to their daily routines, Robert was having so no luck. Hour upon hour was spent in the apartments that had been given to him, recollecting on the memories he and Arthur had shared from the time they were very small boys of six and three, up until the point of the Prince's death several weeks prior. 

So many people could have benefitted if Arthur had not perished, and yet, God did not care. God did not care about much, it seemed. Not even of the Prince's littlest sister, Mary, no more then six, and how it would be for her losing her brother. Robert could not bear thinking of what would happen to his own sister if some misfortune were to befall him. Even if she was much, much older than the little princess, she still looked up to him as a role model in the various trials she faced. The Princess Mary would now be lacking such a role model, and it was because of that fact that Robert decided he would attempt to become such a figure in her life. She did have her other brother, Henry, yes, but they were closer in age. Perhaps him himself, if anything, could help to fill the space that Arthur had vacated, and that was exactly what he set out to do. 

After being granted an audience with the princess, he waited patiently by the door for her to appear. Though they had met on several occasions, and he had known the prince's sister since she had been born into the world, Robert's place had been at Ludlow. He was unaware of what exactly her reaction to his presence he would be. Joy, annoyance…it was so hard to judge with small children. In cases like this, it was something he would simply have to stand by and observe to truly understand. 
[align=center]Robert is a grand total of 3 thread(s).
And could have 1 more.[/align]

[align=center]Bobby Rad, Baron FitzWhat[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mary Tudor
Member Avatar

She was a bird.

A really pretty bird, with pink and purple feathers, and she was flying over a city … no, it was a castle made of diamonds that sparkled in the sun … and all the people were outside looking up at her, thinking what a beautiful bird she was, and how it was fortunate just to look upon her, for then they would all get lots of presents, and puppies, and live happily ever ...

“Your Highness, I humbly request that you please quit jumping on the bed.”

“No!” Mary laughed at the woman standing before her, her little legs launching herself once more into the air while her arms flapped wildly and her bright red hair bounced up and down. “I don't have to and you can't tell me what to do!”

If Lady Curtis were here, the little princess would not have been able to get away with such mischief. The governess who had been with her since birth would have been able to get her to stop with a few simple words. Mary loved and respected Lady Curtis and was always on her best behavior. But today, the woman had been given leave to attend to some personal affairs, and her royal charge had been left in the care of her new assistant, Lady Harwood … a young woman who had no idea yet what she could or could not get away with as far as disciplining the willful princess.

And the shrewd little girl used the woman's uncertainty and lack of knowledge to her own advantage. Until her governess' return, Mary would be able to get away with almost anything, including bouncing up and down on the bed, something she was never allowed to do.

“If your … if His Majesty finds out, he will not be pleased with you,” Lady Harwood offered, attempting to reason with the child.

“My father won't even care,” Mary said, a sullen expression passing across her little face. “Nor will my mother.” For a moment, she stopped jumping, considering her parent's recent lack of attention, and then she started bouncing with even more vigor, although she wasn't completely sure why.

Since her brother Arthur had died, her parents had spent very little time with her. The little princess could tell that they were very sad, and on one occasion, she had even seen her mother cry. Mary missed Arthur too, and while she didn't completely understand the concept of death, she knew that he was never coming back. She wanted him to throw her up in the air and catch her again, and swing her around and around. She wanted to hold his hand when they walked in the gardens and she wanted him to read her stories before she went to bed. As he had his own castle far far away and didn't live with the rest of his family, she had not seen him often, but when he had visited, he had showered her with attention when he was able to do so. Now it was like he had gone to his castle to stay forever, and even though she liked to think that it was all a mistake and he wasn't dead at all and just hiding from them, she knew deep within her heart that it wasn't true.

Her parents weren't the only ones who were sad. Everyone in the palace had frowny faces, and even though her studies kept her busy and her parents sent her frequent gifts, she could sense darkness in a world that had always been so bright to her. It was very difficult for her to comprehend. She felt anxious and bewildered most of the time now, and she didn't like it one little bit. Sometimes she wanted to scream. And sometimes she did.

But today she was a bird, and birds were always happy … because they could fly.

“Princess Catherine would never jump on the furniture,” Lady Harwood tried again, knowing how much the young princess idolized her brother's widow.

“I bet she did when she was little like me,” Mary retorted.

…...............

Lady Harwood sighed. It seemed that there was no reasoning with the little princess. It was easy to see that the poor child was upset over the death of her brother, and had no idea how to handle such new and perplexing emotions. Her obsessive jumping on the bed and pretending to be a bird was just a way to distract herself from the confusion of recent events. She had been misbehaving quite often lately and it was becoming more and more difficult to control her, even for Lady Curtis, who had asked for the afternoon off because she was exhausted in dealing with her stubborn young charge.

A servant appeared at the door, and the young governess turned around and raised one eyebrow. “What is it?” she asked, snapping at the woman without intention. Immediately, she felt remorse for allowing her frustration with the princess to color her voice.

“The Princess Mary's visitor is here.”

Lady Harwood looked over at the bouncing princess. She could tell that the little girl was getting tired. When she had agreed to the visit, she had said that this Robert Radcliffe was one of Prince Arthur's friends. Perhaps he might have enough influence on her to get her to stop misbehaving … something none of her attendants were able to do.

“Your Highness, Master Robert Radcliffe is here to see you.”

….......................

Mary kept jumping. “Tell him to come in,” she said.

“It is not appropriate for him to enter your bedroom, Your Highness. You must go to him.”

The princess frowned. “Arthur came in here. And Harry too. And Father.”

“They are family. That is different.”

Mary rolled her eyes and hopped off the bed. “Very well,” she conceded in a petulant tone of voice. She heard Lady Harwood tell the servant that she would be out in a moment and then suffered through the governess brushing her tangled red curls, straightening her skirts, and reminding her to act like the princess she was. But Robbie was Arthur's friend, and he had often accompanied her brother on his visits to her, and she had always liked him. She saw no reason to be so formal with him.

Finally ready, she walked sedately into her presence chamber, her little head held high the way she'd been taught. But when she saw the young man, she was not prepared for all the memories of her brother that suddenly poured through her mind. Confused, she bit her lower lip and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. “Master Radcliffe,” she said, remembering her manners. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”

Not wanting him to see her cry, she suddenly hopped up upon a chair and started jumping, handling her anxiety in the only way she knew how … in a purely physical fashion. “Guess what, Robbie?" she exclaimed, sniffing back her tears. "I'm a bird!”
[align=center]Mary's Bio >^..^< Plottage [/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Robert Radcliffe
Member Avatar
10th Baron FitzWalter
When Robert had first set out on his quest to...well, to lift the spirits of the young princess, he supposed, his intentions had been good. The emotions that were ever present following the date when Arthur’s death had been announced surely did not extend only to those capable of understanding what death actually was. It was not fair for a girl of but six, as naive as she was, to have to endure something so depressing; so dismal. A piece of her life – all of their lives, for Arthur had impacted so many people – had been stolen away prematurely, and now it was up to him to...replace it? No, that wasn’t right. There was so much more he wished to accomplish with this visit.

Robert began to press further into his mind, and as he did so, he realized that, quite contrary to his original belief, this quest was not with good intentions at all! It was a selfish one. By coming here, Robert knew that he was pushing Arthur’s death from his own thoughts and disregarding what should have been an obligatory mourning period. By doing such, he was only condemning himself to further pain, and an eventual breakdown, for letting go of the brother he never had was something unthinkable to the young Radcliffe.

So he waited.

Waited and waited for the princess – or rather her governess – to accept him into the receiving chamber, and into the life of another member of the royal family. The amount of time that lapsed as he stood alone was unknown to Robert...but he was not alone. No, not really. Figures of Arthur danced in and out of his mind; memories of the two of them, when they had first met, and had played together in the young prince’s chambers. Memories of the move to Ludlow Castle, and of his father’s death, Arthur’s face always shining with acceptance even when he was cut down to a mere commoner. Then...then his death. Coloured drained from his cheeks, face ashen...no. No, that was not how Robert wished to remember his beloved comrade. Prince Arthur deserved to be honoured in death as he was in life, and Robert would do him such a service.

“Master Radcliffe, the princess will see you now.”

It was then when his thoughts were dashed by the interruption of a servant. Nodding his understand, Robert followed the woman into the presence chamber, where his eyes finally settled on the small form of the six year old princess. Though she had grown and matured considerably since he had last seen her, Robert found himself smiling at Mary as she addressed him rather formally in a way that seemed so far beyond her years. Making her a bow, Robert spoke his own greeting in a fondness that was usually reserved when speaking to his own sister, Mary. “Your Highness, the pleasure is entirely mine,” he said, rising to his full height once more. “Look at you, you’re all grown up! I hardly recognized you when I came in, for you are so much lovelier than when we last met.”

The smile still playing at his features, he watched as she suddenly turned and leaped onto one of the nearby chairs, jumping up and down, claiming herself to be a bird. This was all a game of pretend to her, Robert realized. He was a playmate that had been sent to entertain her, and she expected him to play along. Well, had he not wanted to play the brother figure in her life? Then what was the hesitation? It was all a lie. Though she would have been irritated to know otherwise, Robert had seen the tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks, and though he was not especially experienced in the way of children, he knew she was hurting.

So then what was the hesitation? He had come to help her through the early days of her brother’s absence, and instead he was standing by, watching her misbehave. What in God’s name was wrong with him? Forcing the smile back onto his face, Robert knelt by the chair. “Are you? How truly fascinating! I bet you are the loveliest bird in all of England. Now I say, if you are a bird, what animal might I be?”
[align=center]Robert is a grand total of 3 thread(s).
And could have 1 more.[/align]

[align=center]Bobby Rad, Baron FitzWhat[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mary Tudor
Member Avatar

Mary was not prepared for the myriad emotions that assailed her when her brother's friend entered her presence chamber. She had never seen Robbie without Arthur, and it seemed strange that her brother was not with him. It brought back to her the fact that he was gone forever and would never surprise her by rushing into her chambers and lifting her up so that she sat on his hip. He would carry her about that way, and she had always thought it funny how small everything looked when she was way up high. And he always called her his little Rose. Her parents sometimes called her that too, but she had always liked it best the way Arthur said it.

Yet now he would never call her that again.

Tears welled up behind her eyes and her teeth worried her lower lip. She felt like she was going to cry and she didn't want Robbie to see … because she was a princess and princesses didn't cry unless they were alone. Princesses always had to mind their manners and act like ladies. Ladies didn't cry. A memory flashed in front of her eyes of her parents in tears when they told her that Arthur was dead, but she quickly blinked it away, for parents weren't supposed to cry at all … especially kings and queens. The incident confused her for it went against everything she had ever been told. There had been quite a few puzzling incidents in her life lately, and she did not like things that she could not understand.

She nodded graciously when Robert bowed to her and a shaky smile passed across her smooth young features when he said she had grown up and was prettier than she had ever been. “Am I really?” she asked and then belatedly remembered her manners. “Thank you for the compliment, Master Radcliffe.”

Was it true? Had she really grown up so much? The last time she had seen him was the last time she had seen Arthur, and suddenly she was aware that her brother would never see her all grown-up and pretty the way she was now. Again, tears threatened to spill form her eyes.

But birds didn't cry, because birds were always happy, and so she would be a bird. Hopping upon a chair, she started jumping and flapping her arms as if they were wings. Robbie looked at her for a moment and then came and knelt beside her chair. “Yes, I am the most beautiful bird in England!” she exclaimed. “And I have pink and purple feathers and if you look at me, I will bring you good luck.” Her little legs were hurting from all the jumping she had already done, but she didn't want to stop. If she did, the bad feelings would come back.

She tilted her head to the side when he asked what kind of animal he was. Hmmmm … a cat? No, a cat would eat a bird. Maybe a dog, but a dog would chase the bird. So what could he be? Since he was kneeling beside her and his back was … right … there ….

“You're a horse!” The little princess stopped jumping and leapt upon his back, wrapping her arms around his neck with her legs around his waist. “And I am a princess again, and you can take me on a ride!” Yet as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she remembered how Arthur used to gallop around with her on his back, and she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. Her arms and legs loosened their grip and she slid down until she was sitting on the floor, sobbing as if her little heart was breaking.

And it a way, it was.
[align=center]Mary's Bio >^..^< Plottage [/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Robert Radcliffe
Member Avatar
10th Baron FitzWalter
Robert was not a man who had been graced with many opportunities in which he had been forced to deal with small children. Much of his life had been spent shut up in Ludlow Castle, serving Arthur and returning to London only when the prince himself did so as well. Any other times, Radcliffe would accompany one of his comrades to their family home, or to the manor where his mother was biding her time. These visits, though, brought very little satisfaction to Robert. When they were apart, he longed for the company of his greatest friend, and his brother, and now, he would never receive such company again.

There had been many times following his death when Robert had recalled some joke or story that he wished to relay to Arthur, only to remember that such a thing had become impossible a month ago. He supposed that the young princess Mary often had the very same feelings. There had to be games the only the two of them had played, and secrets that had passed between them. Even if Arthur had not seen much of his youngest sister, Robert knew they had been close. On several occasions, the prince had spoke of her, with a fondness Radcliffe recognized when he spoke to people of his own twin sister, Mary, and he could hazard a guess that the princess felt the very same.

As he watched her jumping there, exclaiming once again that she was a bird, Robert smiled. “Pink and purple? Why, you are without a doubt the loveliest bird then, not only in England, but in Christendom as well. Any bird that brings good luck will be adored, surely by everyone. I could use some good luck myself, for I must admit I am not the best at cards.” She was so brave, in her own little way. A girl of but six may not have understood what death was, but she knew that her brother was not going to return, and was currently coping with it all in the only way she knew how; by pretending none of it was real.

With the inquisition of what animal he might be, Robert had not known what to expect. While she was a bird, he suspected that he might have been another bird, of varying colours. Black, he supposed, might have been an appropriate choice, for it was the colour he was wearing, but Mary had a very different idea.

Before he could considering what was happening, her little arms had come to encircle his neck, her legs secured tightly around his weight. “You’re a horse!” Chuckling, the smile returned to Robert’s face. Well, of course! What animal was more fitting when his back had been so easily available to her? It could to be a game they could both partake in with little effort, and it would bring Mary’s mind off her brother death. In entirety, he would accomplish both of which he had wished to in this visit: distracting the princess from her hardship, and morph into a brother like figure that she could count on.

At least, that was what he had thought.

A sinking feeling implanting itself in his stomach, Robert could only stand by as Mary suddenly released the grip she held on him, sliding down onto the floor, sobs wracking her tiny body. Dammit! Had he...had he said something wrong? Done something? With an instinct Robert hadn’t known he possessed, Master Radcliffe knelt down to her level once more, scooping the princess into his arms and pressing her tightly to his chest. “Oh Mary,” he said, softly. “Oh, Mary, please don’t cry. Are you alright?”
[align=center]Robert is a grand total of 3 thread(s).
And could have 1 more.[/align]

[align=center]Bobby Rad, Baron FitzWhat[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mary Tudor
Member Avatar

In her imagination, Mary truly saw herself as a bird. She could picture the way she looked so vividly in her mind, and she could feel her feathery wings ruffling in the air currents as she soared over the castle made of diamonds. Her tail was long and fluffy, almost like a peacock, and she had a sparkly golden beak. The world she invented was real to her too. The sky was so perfectly blue and all the clouds were white and puffy … and there were angels sitting on them playing their harps just like the paintings she had seen … and the angels waved to her as she flew by and smiled because she was such a beautiful and lucky bird. If she wanted to, she could grab one of their halos in her beak and fly away with it, but that would be a mean thing to do to an angel. Not to mention that angels could also fly and were bigger than birds. They would be able to chase her and get their halos back.

On the ground, there were horses running around, and they had wings too. And puppies. The puppies had wings as well. All of the animals had wings, but she could fly higher and faster and better than anyone because she was a bird and birds were supposed to be able to fly. The horses and puppies probably didn't know how. But she could teach them, because she was a nice bird.

“Yes I am!” she exclaimed, her voice a bit shrill from over-excitement. Mary was becoming more and more tired, and her arms and legs were aching. But she couldn't stop. “And now, since you looked upon me, you will always win whenever you play cards and you will make lots of money and be the second-richest man in England, because my father is the first.”

As soon as Master Radcliffe asked her what kind of animal he was … and she decided that he was a horse … the story changed. He was black with a brown mane and tail and he was the biggest and fastest horse in the entire kingdom. Now Mary was a princess again, but not a little one. She was all grown-up and she was beautiful and had long blonde hair and a pink and purple gown, because really she was a princess who could turn into a pink and purple bird.

But when she jumped upon his back, all of her lovely fantasies shattered and she was Princess Mary Tudor again … a confused little girl who didn't really understand why her eldest brother had left her, why her parents and the entire court were mourning, and why her favorite brother Harry hardly ever played with her anymore. All she knew about the latter was that now Harry was going to be a king instead of a priest, but she didn't know why that meant he couldn't spend much time with her. It was all just too much and the memories of Arthur galloping around with her on his back was so vivid and she missed him so terribly that she slid from Robbie's back and simply burst into tears.

Her brother's friend only reminded her of him more, but when he knelt down and pulled her into his arms, she clung to him tightly, weeping into the fine fabric of his doublet. His voice was soothing as he implored her to quit crying. She tried her best, but could only stop to the point of sniffling little sobs.

“I … I miss Arthur,” she whimpered, gazing up at him and attempting to wipe away her tears with the back of one tiny hand. “I want him to come back and play with me again. Why did he have to leave me, Robbie? Doesn't he love me anymore?”

It was, of course, all about her. Small children are inherently selfish, and the little princess ... having been pampered and spoiled and indulged all of her young life ... was more so than most.
[align=center]Mary's Bio >^..^< Plottage [/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Isabel Leigh
Member Avatar
Virtue alone is invincible.
This thread has been archived either due to forwarding of board timeline or because of a month of inactivity. If you would like to continue, please PM an Admin!
[align=center]Mistress Leigh

Isabel is in 8 threads and can has more!
App | Plot[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · In the Past Graveyard · Next Topic »
Add Reply