Dedicated to SSLE, who practically forced me with her awesome fic to write this.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, obviously. It belongs to history and Showtime and if I had my way Chapuys would go around sweaty and in shirtsleeves all day and would get stuck in a closet with the princess Mary a suspiciously high amount of times. Also, Henry Tudor wouldn't even appear in most episodes.

Jane Seymour was well aware of how people regarded her. She was the meek queen, the submissive one. Whereas Katherine has been filled with silent determination and an iron will she used with a soft, calculated touch and Anne had been eternally opinionated, headstrong and rebellious, Jane was the one with the easy yes and the kind smile to follow. She never argued, never contradicted, always knew her place, which was in the shadows of her kingly husband. But she was of the opinion that the shadows were as good a place as any in which to pursue an agenda. Granted, she had no inner malice to speak of, but she did have interests she wished to promote and matters she wished to rectify, like she had done with the Lady Rochford. She thought big but went about things quietly, taking small steps, aided now in part by her protruding belly, which acted as a sort of shield that forbade anything bad to happen to her. No slander could touch her, no malicious gossip compromise her and no revenge strike her, for she was carrying the king's child inside her. A son, something inside her whispered. A prince.

So she was quite unaffected by how everyone in Court viewed her, as long as she could continue to gently and quietly change things for the better all around her. She had many projects currently occupying her time, but none closer to her heart than that which involved her oldest step-daughter, the Lady Mary. She had thought about her quite a lot after becoming engaged to his Majesty, and in a way had grown to love her without even meeting her. Yet, when she had first beheld her, talked to her and briefly embraced her she had felt the love in her heart grow. She was all that people said she was and more. A quiet, dignified young lady of intelligence and education that matched that of her mother, and a deep, melancholic loneliness that deeply concerned her. Her heart had broken when she had contemplated the reunion of father and daughter, for it had been a meeting of two strangers, one deeply wounded by the other.

The bottom line was that Henry cared for his daughter, but not enough to repair the damage done over the years, when hurting someone who was so far away had seem so easy and painless. So Jane was determined to make up for her husband's shortcomings regarding his eldest daughter, at first because she had thought it was the right thing to do and soon enough because she had grown to care for her step-daughter.

Her initial actions had been easy to determine. She had reunited the Lady Mary with her father, trying to encourage fatherly pride whenever the situation allowed her to, had talked to the Lady Bryan, the person in Court she had thought at first would know Lady Mary the best, and had finally reintroduced her to Court.

She had naively thought at first that after those first steps, the rest would come easy. Lady Mary had indeed grown comfortable, in a way, in court. Though having spent the last years alone, or surrounded by people who acted like strangers around her, she adjusted well to being the centre of attention, the novelty. She befriended some of her own ladies-in-waiting and some ladies of the court, but always kept a certain distance. It was partly because she had never had the opportunity to develop close social bonds with anyone her own age, Jane mused, and partly because her pious nature and intellectual interests clashed horribly with the nature and interests of the typical young women of Hampton Court.

But Jane had not realized just how different Lady Mary could be till she had seen her interact with the Imperial Ambassador.

At first she had dismissed the relationship as that of a father and child. After all it seemed likely that Mary, deprived of her father as she had been at such a young age, would seek to replace him with a close male figure that provided support, advice and comfort. But soon enough she understood it was not the case, for either of them. There was a certain glint in the eye of the serious and imposing Ambassador whenever his gaze rested upon her step-daughter. His shoulders would sometimes tense when a young, flirtatious young man would approach her and not keep his proper distance, even though Mary was completely capable of dismissing said men with a glacial smile and a mere gesture. If she was in the room, then Chapuys would quietly keep watch over her. He did so from a distance, for he was careful not to stifle her. Jane suspected he did this to foster Mary's independence, allow her to meet new people and, and this bothered the young Queen more than she let on, because he, as a commoner, a lowly Ambassador, was not worthy of commanding the attention of a Princess.

He was not, however, the only one displaying telltale signs of a deeper affection than anyone else imagined. Jane was sure she was the only one who noticed how the Lady Mary's countenance brightened up when in presence of the Imperial Ambassador, how she sometimes blushed at one of his compliments and how she laughed easier around him. Mary seemed radiant around the Ambassador in a subtle way, for she was not a creature used to displaying her emotions. Even Jane, who knew she had a certain facility to see beyond what others saw in terms of emotions, and who had made it one of her goals in life to get to know her step-daughter like a true mother would, had difficulties noticing it at first. She was glad of it, though, for it meant she didn't need to worry about others seeing what she saw, and knowing what she knew. It also assured her of Mary's ability to survive the unforgiving English Court. For someone who had lived such a sheltered, albeit sometimes harsh, life, the princess seemed more than capable of playing the political game like a seasoned player at times.

All these Jane saw, and all these she kept quiet about. But inside her head, a thousand plans were already taking shape, for she knew that, eventually, Mary would realize her feelings, and so would the stoic Ambassador, and they would need help to act upon them. There would be plenty of denial, and futile attempts at hiding their feelings, repressing them, but the young Queen was confident that eventually one of the two would think about taking a first step towards some sort of mutual happiness, and she would be waiting, prepared to lend a hand.

"You, my little baby boy, are going to bring happiness to much more people than anyone will know" she whispered tenderly to her expanding belly, one hand lovingly caressing it "For it is a truth universally acknowledged that if the King of England is happy, so will everyone who find themselves at his mercy. Be strong, my Edward, many people are counting on you"

Smiling softly to herself Queen Jane let her mind drift back to the precise moment in time when she had first realized that the Imperial Envoy had feelings for the Lady Mary, some months ago on the eve of the princess's birthday…

Some months earlier...

Queen Jane paced the floor, eager for Lady Bryan to arrive. She had decided to surprise her eldest step-daughter by showering her with some of her favourite foods and presents for her birthday, in lieu of a grander affair that her status as a bastard would not grant her. She considered that the Lady Mary would be more pleased by the fact that her wishes and tastes had been taken into account than by any large party. She was a child starved for the sort of affectionate attention that resided more in the everyday details of life. Finally Lady Rochford announced the elderly lady, who curtsied elegantly and enquired in a soft yet firm voice about what had prompted the Queen to call for her.

"Lady Bryan, I have been made aware that my stepdaughter's birthday is soon coming up, and I wished to get her gifts and order her favourite foods, but that has led me to realize I have little idea of the Lady Mary's tastes, so I wished to take a moment of your time to ask you some questions that might help me plan my surprise"

Lady Bryan hesitated a moment before replying that she was at Her Majesty's service. Jane proceeded to take a list of questions she had prepared and quiz the Governess. Quickly she realized, however, that Lady Bryan would not be of much help. Most of her answers were vague or generic, and sometimes she downright admitted to not having any knowledge of Mary's preferences. Frustrated in her efforts to gather the information she needed, and feeling that Lady Bryan had not been as close to the young princess and she had at first thought, the Queen dismissed the older woman, escorting her to the common area she shared with His Majesty out of a sense of duty. After all the Governess was a busy woman, caring for the Lady Elizabeth and looking after her own family as well, yet she had taken the time to come and see her over some unimportant matter.

Just as she turned to return to her chambers, her Ladies-In-Waiting following closely by, the Imperial Ambassador exited her husband's study. He paused to greet her, bowing deeply and wishing her a good day in his thick accent. Queen Jane's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Excellency, how fortunate to come by you" she smiled and gestured towards a table in the corner of the room "Would you care to keep me company for a few minutes? I have a small problem that you might be able to help me with"

The Ambassador's very expressive eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, the only sign of emotion he displayed. He waited for her to sit then took a seat himself.

"How may I be of service to your Majesty?" he enquired politely. Queen Jane briefly explained about the Lady Mary's upcoming birthday (she noticed the Ambassador did not seem surprised, and she deduced he had been aware of the date all along), and her quest for information that would guide her in the choosing of presents and the preparation of a small dinner.

"I asked the Lady Bryan, but there are still some gaps I need to fill" she summarized "I understand that you might not have much information relevant to my plans, but any tiny detail will help… Like her favourite flower, or colour, or sweet food…"

She was fishing around for any kind of small, significant detail, so she was surprised when the Ambassador replied, succinctly:

"Apple blossoms, green and currant cake" he paused, titling his head slightly to the side "Is that all or can I help you with anything else, Majesty?"

He looked at her expectantly, unaware of Jane's surprise. She had never thought the Ambassador could know such specific things about her step-daughter. With renewed hope she perused her list and asked more questions, receiving short but useful answers.

"It seems like I asked Lady Bryan to come unnecessarily" she said, all smiles and relief to see her plans back on track "I must say, Excellency, that you have brought me great relief. I had guessed some of this from talking to the Lady Mary, for example I had the idea to present her with books, but I had no notion of what she likes to read, or what books she hasn't already read. Your information, so detailed, will be most helpful"

The Ambassador smiled, and for the first time he seemed to genuinely mean it.

"I am more than pleased I was able to be of assistance in such a matter, your Majesty" he replied. The depth of his smile and the warmth of his tone stayed in the Queen's mind, something gnawing at her. She connected the dots a few weeks later, when the princess's birthday arrived and she presented to her, over a semi-private breakfast, a beautiful metallic green fabric for a dress, a new virginal and a small array of books, tied together with a silk ribbon and decorated with a lovely arrangement of apple blossoms.

"They… they…" Mary seemed at a loss of words "They are lovely" she took a sprig of flowers from the bouquet and pressed it slightly to her nose, her smile widening "Apple blossoms, my favourite!"

Jane turned her head to look at the Ambassador, who was, like some courtiers, quietly standing on the sides, enjoying the moment. She thought to share a conspiratorial grin with him, conveying her thanks once more, but she found his eyes were riveted on her step-daughter. He had the most curious expression on his face, so tender, so longing, so haunted, so happy and sad at the same time that it took her breath away. It was gone in a second, but it left the young Queen with the last clue that allowed her to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

She wondered why she hadn't seen it before, it was so clear now.

The Imperial Ambassador was in love with the Lady Mary, and there was no doubt about that.

Back to Present time...

It had been easy to spot the telltale signs of infatuation in the Ambassador after that first, revealing glimpse. She caressed her belly again as she thanked the Lord she was the only one, as far as she could tell, that knew.

Soon afterwards she had found herself with child, and it had been then when she had began to consider the possibility of doing something for the couple. Still, it was all in the future. Mary, she suspected, hadn't even realized her own feelings yet. She had time to think, and pray and hope and focus on her soon-to-be-born child.

She gazed out the window of her bedroom and smiled, pressing the golden rosary of Catherine of Aragon to her lips, feeling comforted by its presence.

AN: This is a one-shot prequel to a rather large project of mine that will be called "In the Shadows of the Tudor Court", a romance pairing of Eustace Chapuys (you may swoon, ladies) and his princess, the Lady Mary Tudor. I have bits and pieces written, but it might take a while till I start posting. Hope you liked the preview, though.