Mary – Tudor Princess
by Tony Riches
From the author of the international
best-selling Tudor Trilogy, the true story of the Tudor dynasty continues with
the daughter of King Henry VII, sister to King Henry VIII. Mary Tudor watches
her elder brother become King of England and wonders what the future holds for
her.
Born into great privilege, Mary has
beauty and intelligence beyond her years and is the most marriageable princess
in Europe. Henry plans to use her marriage to build a powerful alliance against
his enemies. Will she dare risk his anger by marrying for love?
Meticulously researched and based on
actual events, this ‘sequel’ follows Mary’s story from book three of the Tudor
Trilogy and is set during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Excerpt from Chapter Seven – Autumn,
1514
Ten miles from Abbeville a group of
riders appeared in the distance. This time, outriders carried the flag of
France and, as they approached, Lady Guildford turned to Mary.
‘I suspect this to be the king
himself. If I am not mistaken, your moment has come, my lady.’
‘Surely he should wait for us to make
our entry into Abbeville?’
‘That is how we would do it in
England, but it seems everything is done differently here.’
‘What should I say? How should I
greet him, Lady Guildford?’
‘My advice is to let him do the
talking.’ She smiled. ‘I suspect the king’s impatience has got the better of
him.’
They watched as the riders came
closer. Mary spotted a figure riding a powerful warhorse, caparisoned with
cloth of gold and black silk, flanked by French knights in silver armour with
flowing blue capes. Behind him followed several hundred nobles dressed in
colourful robes. This was not like any hunting party she’d ever seen in
England.
Sir Thomas Howard rode to her side.
‘I recognise King Louis, Your Grace.’ He peered ahead. ‘Would you wish me to
announce you?’
Mary nodded. ‘If you will, Sir
Thomas.’ Her dry throat muted her words and she glanced again at Lady Guildford
for reassurance. ‘Please convey apologies for our delay.’
They watched as Sir Thomas rode ahead
and saw him nodding as he addressed the king. Henry chose the earl as his
representative for good reason. As well as his impeccable French, he was an
experienced commander and proving to be a skilled negotiator and diplomat.
Mary steadied her horse as the king approached,
not sure if she should remain in the saddle or dismount. At last, after all the
waiting, she would meet her new husband. She took a deep breath and attempted a
smile, then on an impulse raised her hand to her mouth and blew him a kiss, as
she’d done to greet her father so many years ago.
The king seemed confused for a
moment, then grinned and raised his hand to blow her a kiss in return, before
riding up to her and bowing his head. ‘We welcome you to France, my queen.’ He
spoke in French, with a cultured accent, and his blue eyes fixed her with an
intense, piercing stare.
As she feared, Mary found herself
unable to recall her rehearsed words of greeting. King Louis had a deeply lined
face and looked older than she’d imagined. Although not as pockmarked as she’d
heard, she found herself wondering why he chose to remain clean-shaven when a
beard would hide the disfiguring scars.
A large fly buzzed noisily around her
horse’s head, breaking the silence. She swallowed hard and returned his bow.
‘My husband. I have waited so long
for this moment.’ It was true.
Louis smiled, revealing a few
blackened teeth and reminding Mary of her father. ‘You are more beautiful than
I hoped, my lady. I give thanks to God for your safe arrival.’ He urged his
horse closer as he spoke, then leaned across and embraced her, placing a kiss
on her lips.
‘I feared for your safety in the
storm. There were reports of shipwrecks.’ He remained close as he spoke, his
sharp eyes appraising her as if she were some precious jewel offered for sale.
Mary struggled to compose herself.
‘Two of our ships were lost, Your Grace.’
Louis nodded. ‘We trusted in the Lord
to deliver you to us – and now we must be married in the sight of God.’ He
raised a hand and beckoned one of his followers.
Mary was surprised to see Duke
Francis ride forward. He seemed less arrogant in the presence of the king and
acted more like his servant than the heir presumptive. Again, the duke bowed
his head to her but this time there was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke in
accented English.
‘King Louis has given me the great
honour of escorting you to Abbeville, my lady.’
Mary returned his smile. Despite
Catherine’s warning, she saw Duke Francis as a useful ally in this strange
land. ‘Thank you, my lord duke,’ she replied in English. ‘I shall be glad of
your company.’
King Louis bowed once more and
returned to his hunting party, which rode off as quickly as they’d arrived.
Mary turned to Lady Guildford and saw her nod of approval. The first test had
been passed. Now she must learn to become a queen.
About the Author:
Tony Riches is a full-time author of
best-selling historical fiction. He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a
specialist in the fifteenth century, with a particular interest in the Wars of
the Roses and the lives of the early Tudors. For more information about Tony’s
other books please visit his website and his popular blog, The Writing Desk and
find him on Facebook and Twitter, See links below.
Links:
Twitter @tonyriches
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