Chapter IV

February 1536

The moment they'd arrived at Westhorpe Hall, Alice found the peace she'd been seeking since her return to her father's side. The manor was a moated brick house with sixteen principal rooms arranged around square courtyard with plaques and battlements, with a porter's lodge which was situated beside a three arched bridge. The surrounding parks held one of the most simple but beautiful gardens she'd seen in her life, her father explained to her that they were designed in the French fashion because Margaret, his wife at the time, had loved them when she had visited Paris and had he'd wanted to recreate them just for her.

Alice had taken one look at the colourful parks and immediately knew she would spend every free moment she had there. However, all thoughts of the gardens disappeared from her mind when a group of people stepped out of the manor. Two women, younger than her, holding hands with what she guessed where their respective husbands, and an old maid holding in her arms a little bundle in a light blue blanket. Her family.

Her sisters, spitting images of their mother's portrait, left their husband at the porch and ran towards her as if they had known each other for years and they hadn't seen each other in years, which was technically true, she had been lettering with them since they learned how to write and had never seen them before in all their years alive. Eleanor and Frances hugged her tightly, all she could do was return their embrace with as much force as them.

"I see you all are well acquaintance with each other" Charles said as he watched with a big smile his daughters reunite and ignore him. He stepped closer to the maid and with a quick thank you, he took the bundle in his arms. He walked to them once they parted from each other, talking and giggling quietly between them, as little girls. It was nice seeing them so freely happy.

"I want you to meet someone else, sweetheart" Alice raised her eyes from her sisters, with a big smile, and looked at his father as he approached them. Her eyes opened in awe at what he had in his arms. He lowered the blanket softly and let her see the biggest pair of blue eyes she had ever seen "Alice, please meet your brother, Henry"

"Can I?" She asked her father, pointing at the child. He passed his son to Alice's waiting arms and watched as she cooed over the baby "You are a really handsome baby" She said, touching his nose with hers. The rest of the Brandon family watched as the youngest member raised his little hand, took one of her curls that had escaped her braid and cooed back at her with a smile. They knew that both the baby and Alice had connected with one another more than they had with anyone else.

Days passed; the sisters spent hours together talking about every little thing that crossed their minds, getting to know each other in a way they couldn't do through letters; Alice had taken her role as Henry's governess with the seriousness the king should use in all his tasks for the country, and would be found walking around the manor, or outside sitting in the garden, with a giggling baby in her arms and a big smile on her face.

The household had realized earlier in her stay that she managed the estate with the same sharpness and intelligence than her father, which had made a lot of men from the neighbour villages approach her with intentions of talking with her father for her hand in marriage. When she had received her father's answer, she had freely laughed twirling around with her baby brother in her arms; her father had always had a way with words when he felt strongly about things, and one thing was sure, his neighbour were not even on his mind as sons in laws.

Everyone in the manor could see the girl flourished from the lady in waiting of two powerful women to the Lady of a house where she was free to be and do everything she wanted, she had a joy in her eyes that it hadn't been there when she arrived. That happiness didn't disappear even after her father returned to Court and her sisters went back to their homes with their spouses. There was only one day that Alice locked herself in her chamber and didn't came out, much to the disappeared of the household when the little boy cried and screamed for his sister. They found the reasons for their lady's confinement a few days letter, the Duke had sent a letter explaining that the Queen had suffered a miscarriage of what was thought to be a boy, and he was requested to stay a few weeks more to support the king in his time of mourning.

Lady Alice stayed inside her chamber the whole day, writing letter after letter to be sent to her friend, and crying for the changes that they would surely follow the loss of another heir. Her friend was in serious danger, if what her father and the Emperor had said about the king was something to believe, and she didn't know how to lessen the fear Anne must had been going through. The next morning, after a long sleepless night, she picked Henry up from his crib and continued her life at the manor.

Things changed completely one day at the end of February.

Alice sat in the meadow closest to the stream near the house, with Henry sitting on top of her legs and a small bouquet of lilies lying beside her. Baby laughter filled the air of the manor as she bounced softly the baby, bringing a smile to everyone around them.

She had just gotten, earlier in the morning, a letter from Anne and even though, it carried a lot of terrifying news for her, she was happy that her friend understood and forgave her for the king's behaviour towards her.

Apparently, the king kept refusing to sleep with her and Anne was on edge all the time because she always found him bothering Charles about her or with one of her ladies, who seemed to think the king was in love with her and always carried a locket with his portrait in it. Her friend suspected said lady was the reason of her unfortunate miscarriage, she explained that the lady had given her a cup of wine before resting for a while and she had woken up with a terrible pain in her stomach and blood all over the sheets; but when she had tried to said it to the king, he had ignored her completely, blaming her for everything and spending the night with their child's murderer.

Alice wanted to comforted her friend but she knew that no words would be enough to make her feel better about the man she loved with all her heart. Anne talked a lot in her letter about her daughter, Elizabeth, who she hadn't been able to see in months. She was supposed to reunite with her at the tournament but the king's wish to get Alice alone had sent all Anne's hopes away.

"Lady Alice" One of the maids, Agnes, ran to them, bringing her out of her thoughts. Alice turned enough to look at her without standing up "A king's knight is at the entrance. He says he brings important news from Court"

She held Henry close to her tight while she stood up and fixed her dress. She walked to the front of the manor, but stopped suddenly when she saw who was waiting for her there. Sir Francis Brian. The man who haunted her dreams, with mischievous smiles, intense eyes and soft kisses. She would never admit to anyone, less of all herself, but since the tournament, every time she closed her eyes, she could feel the tingling sensation of his lips in her skin. She stared at him with her eyes opened wide. He was looking around the entrance hall with a frown on his face and his lips pressed in a thin line.

"Sir Francis" She said, after the shock wore off and she was confident enough to walk up to him, with what she hoped was a friendly smile.

"My lady Alice, I must request you read this immediately" He commented, handing her a piece of parchment. He didn't look as charming as the time she met him, there was something in his eyes, something dark, that terrified her. She took it carefully, recognizing the king's handwriting.

Sir Francis didn't want to be there. He didn't want to be the one who gave her the news, she was far too beautiful to wear the pained look she would surely wear after she read the king's letter. However, as he watched held the baby in her arms tighter than when she had entered the room, trying to comfort herself from the contents of what she was reading, he changed his mind. He didn't want anyone around the woman when she was on the edge of break down, he didn't want anyone to see the way she took a shaky breath, closed her eyes tight, and seemed to be holding on her brother for an emotional support she couldn't find anywhere else. He didn't find an explanation for why he wanted to held her close in his arms, not to have sex with her, although that had been on his mind since he carried her to her room all those weeks ago.

"Have you seen him, sir, before you came here?" She asked, in a soft whispered, before opening her eyes to look at him.

"Yes, my lady. The physician said that if his fever breaks before tomorrow morning, he should be fine" He explained, knowing it was not the time to examine his feeling to the girl "He'll have a limp for the rest of his life and his right hand had to be severed to save the rest of his arm, so he will need time to recovered"

Alice took another deep breath, holding Henry closer to her chest when he seemed to noticed her distress. Her father had suffered an accident during one of his hunts with the king. The letter didn't say anything about how it happened, only physician information and the order to return to court to be and help her father.

"I suppose you are to accompany me back" After a quick nod from the dark knight, she continued "I'm bringing Henry with me. Give a moment to get a few things" She ordered, not giving him a chance to fight against her decision.

Later that night, they arrived to Court. Traveling with her brother was not something she thought she would ever come to regret, but she did. Babies were not made for travelling, and less of all, to travel when the adults were already on edge about other things. However, she couldn't think about the little bit of vomit on her dress from when her brother had gotten sick, or the way his brother cried for her in the arms of her lady, or the way the courtiers were calling for her, as she ran the stairs of the castle to her father's chambers.

She opened the door and stepped in, Sir Francis right behind her. Her father lied there, with fever sweat on his forehead and bandages all over his body. She walked closer and carefully took his only hand in hers while she sat on the chair beside his bed. Her mind full of questions and her heart in pain at the sigh her father imposed.

"What really happened, Sir Francis?" She whispered, the explanation of the accident he'd given to her while riding not being enough anymore. She'd seen knights coming back from wars with their few share of wounds when she was in the Emperor's Court but this was too much for her. Maybe it was because it was her own flesh and blood on the bed, maybe it was because the reason for the injuries were not honourable at all, or maybe she didn't want to believe he was stupid enough to lose control of his horse for no reason at all.

That had been in the official explanation she'd received on her way there and she'd believe every word of it. However, she was starting to doubt it. Trained horses, as the king's horses were, didn't usually get scared because of nothing, so they were clearly lying when they said the horse reared; then came the part where Sir Francis said that her father had gone hunting with the king, but days before she had received a letter from her father claiming that he would not go hunting for a while because his gout was acting up and making his leg hurt badly. Him going hunting was not something she had expected him to do so soon after that letter.

What really bothered her was that the king was the only one else in the hunt. Never in all her times as a lady in waiting had she seen a monarch going hunting with only one other knight. It was simply not safe, and only something an idiot would do. She was probably right in that accord, given the actions of said king.

"I already told you, my lady" Sir Francis answered, his brow raising in surprise.

"Yes, of course" She said, kissing his father's knuckles. She didn't want to question anything until her father was out of danger. She just wanted to be left alone with her father for a bit "Forgive me, sir, I'm a little tired. Could I possibly stay here for the night? I don't wish to leave him alone"

Sir Francis nodded slowly, confused at the dark look that crossed the girl's eyes before going back to the gentle one she always carried. He walked out the door with the feeling that something had happened in that chamber that would change the course of life at Court. He couldn't had been more right.