by Diana Rubino
"A most compassionate woman, a saint among mortals, you are," he murmured, showering her with kisses. "And every time I bed Jane to create my heir, I shall imagine it is your body I am caressing, you I am making love to, you who are creating my son. You must let me show my gratitude, Amethyst. What would you want of me? More jewels, castles, lands, titles, name it and it is yours!"
She shook her head. "Nay, my lord, just be there for me. I do not need any more titles, I've already got one. I've got Warwick Castle, and any other castle would pale in comparison. I do not need any more things. I need you. Just you and your love, and perhaps one day a child of our own."
"Who would be a bastard."
She nodded slightly, then looked straight into his eyes. "Perhaps. But if it were a son, or anything were to befall Jane, you have the power to make any child of yours legitimate."
"An heir and a spare indeed. I am only sorry my poor little lad Fitzroy—"
"He is a credit you, sire, but you still have time. You can still have high hopes of a proper heir so that you need not take so divisive a step. His mother was married to another. It is by no means certain that it was yours, no matter what you and I say, and he would always bear that stigma. For us, the case would be different. I am and shall remain single. As I said, we are not getting any younger, so we must take a chance in order to win by chance. We can discuss this again if we ever need to.""
Henry rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "All right, I shall agree to it. I am not giving up on you being my queen one day. But since you will not say aye, at least let me give you something. I must."
The King fell silent and Amethyst calculated rapidly. "All right, consider this proposal, my lord. If you make Jane your queen, and she produces your male heir within a year, will you let Topaz free, my sister and her sons?"
"What an idea indeed!" The King laughed, not quite reaching his usually hearty cadence, a laugh overshadowed by the tragic event of Anne's execution. How desperately he was trying to forget it all, she knew. "And only you would think of it!"
"That is all I want, my lord. Otherwise, I have the most perfect life with you and all I could want save for a son of my own one day."
"Granted," he sighed. "Your request, and the son if at all possible." He grinned.
She kissed him resoundingly. "Do you wish to meet your future queen now?"
"She can wait. I can't." He held her in the bed and began stroking her hair, then lightly touched her face and neck with the tips of his strong fingers.
She took his wrist and ever so gently brought his hand up to her neck and guided it over her breasts in small circles, until her nipples grew erect under the sheet covering her. He cupped his hand over her other breast to fondle the soft pink and cream flesh. His hand wound through her hair, pulling the combs away one by one until it spilled in a silky fan over her shoulders. She spoke once again in that soft, velvety tone reserved only for him, in the candlelit privacy of the most inner chamber.
"Tell me you want to ravish me. Violate me, Henry. I want you to pin me to this bed and possess me till I can't take any more. Torturously tantalize me until I explode in a volcanic climax!"
She touched his half-open mouth with hers, forcing his lips apart with her tongue, kissing him deeply, leaning against him until her pelvis was straddling his, her knees against his ribs, his hand still sliding up and down her thigh, the strokes now faster, more urgent. She circled her hips, easing him into her slowly. She pushed him back down on the bed, brushing her breasts over his lips as she rode him with the most controlled intent.
She shoved one firm, round breast against his mouth and he instinctively started to suckle. Her cheeks and lips grew feverish. Her pulse soared. She groaned and eased herself up and down on him, thrusting ever more furiously as she felt that familiar explosion where her body and mind rocked in spasmodic ecstasy.
She called his name, over and over. She was conquering him, the King, and he cried out for more, his breath swirling hotly around her ear as he cried, "Oh, Amethyst, I am so helpless... So helpless..."
She had his hands pinned down at his sides, and her thrusting became so rapid that he could barely keep up with her frenzied rhythm. Finally she slowed to a stop and lay still as she lifted herself up and stroked his member until it became sufficiently aroused once more, then lowered her head to touch its delicate head with the tip of her tongue, nibbling ever so gently with her teeth, sending him into spasms of ecstasy.
"Yea, Amethyst, yea! Oh, Lord Jesu, you are a vixen!"
She smiled in triumph, and as she watched herself take command over the King again, though to herself with smug delight that she couldn't wait to deliver the good news to her sister on the morrow.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jane was preparing Amethyst's bath late that evening, pouring rose oil into the warm water, when her mistress summoned her.
"Jane, stop that a moment and come here."
Amethyst was being undressed by her chambermaid, who fortunately did not ask where her undergarments had gone.
"Jane, your life is about to change within the next twenty-four hours."
"What do you mean, Lady Amethyst?" A look of fright crossed the dull round eyes and a splotch of color surfaced on the pasty cheeks.
"The King wishes you to be his queen consort."
Jane almost smiled, straightening her headdress, fingering her necklace, eyes darting everywhere. "That is impossible, Lady Amethyst. I am but a servant."
"He thinks quite highly of you. After all, your father served in the Tournai campaign and accompanied the King to Field of Cloth of Gold. Sir John holds a prominent position here at court. You are more than a mere servant. I strongly advise you to give it some serious thought, Jane. This means more to me than you will ever know."
She didn't tell Jane the other part of the bargain. She did not mention Topaz at all. "The kingdom will grow to love a queen such as you. And you will give the King many princes, I know it!" Within the year, I hope, she thought.
"Myself! As Queen!" Jane turned to face herself in Amethyst's looking glass, as if visualizing herself in that most lofty position. "Queen..." Her eyes were fixed into the mirror's depths, reaching back into her soul, as if asking it to guide her.
"Aye, Jane, you must! The King would be so honored," Amethyst flattered the mousy lass, tipping her chin up with her index finger. "There! Head held high, regally!"
She pushed the girl's shoulders back so the timorous slump became the erect carriage and bearing of royalty. "Like a queen more every minute. Do you see it, Jane? Do you see yourself on the throne beside the King, a crown glittering atop your head, dripping in the queen's jewels, commanding the realm alongside your husband, the King?"
Now a smile parted the thin lips and Jane turned, thrusting out her small breasts, sneaking a sideways glance at herself, smoothing her skirts. "Of course I thought of it, as does every young lass in the kingdom!" she said. "But never did I believe it would ever happen! He has told you I struck his fancy?"
"He is convinced you are perfect for him, young, full of life, and so different from the worldly women whom he has married in the past or who throw themselves at him for material gain," she said as truthfully as the situation would permit.
"I see," the girl said, wide-eyed.
Amethyst wondered if she had ever been so untouched and innocent. She thought back to the day she had first laid eyes on Henry, and to the first time they had ever made love, many years later. Yes, indeed, she had been an untouched maid not so long ago, and had only ever loved one man, a man who happened to be her king. She could never imagine that changing.
And now as she watched the pale, wan young girl start to glow with girlish fancy for the King, she knew she had made the right choice. Her stolen glances at Henry had never been calculating ambition, but pure adoration.
"Come, we shall make you look like a queen!" Amethyst said, removing Jane's cumbersome headdress, letting her light auburn hair tumble around her shoulders.
They
switched places, just for the night, and Amethyst let Jane bathe in the softly scented water, dressed her in a splendid purple gown with flowing sleeves and dramatically low square neckline.
She fastened one of her necklaces around Jane's throat and the dark rubies set off the fiery glow in her hair as Amethyst brushed it until it shone.
Aye, all would be happy. His new queen would give him that desperately needed heir, and he and Amethyst could continue their relationship with no pressure. As the doctor said, once she was more calm, the heir would follow, she was sure.
Wasting no time, Henry approved of the girl as soon as she brought her in, and he and Jane were formally betrothed the next day.
Ten days later they were married quietly with Amethyst present. There was no coronation, however. Henry's desperate need for an heir precluded any further ceremonies. Amethyst was as anxious as Henry for Jane to be breeding as soon as possible.
The sooner the better, for all their sakes. Especially for Topaz and her sons, Amethyst reminded herself as she held the new queen consort's train while Henry led the unsuspecting young woman to the bridal chamber, where wine and other delicacies amply laced with Dr. Butts' fertility drug awaited the new bride. All would be well, she was sure of it. Jane's young body would do its duty with her help and Henry's, and once he got his heir, well, their lives would never be the same again.
CHAPTER NINE
Once she was sure all was well, and the King and Queen were truly making the most of their honeymoon to beget a son, Amethyst decided to go home to Warwickshire for a short visit. Matthew had been coming as often as duty permitted to see the boys, but there was always so much to do on his estate, and with spring on the way, he was busier than ever.
Bluebells lined the path and the grass was sweet with fresh spring dew as she set out early in the morning on the second day of her journey to head the last leg of her trip and finally reach her home. It was good to be back, she thought as the sun began to rise high in the sky and her surroundings grew more and more familiar. Telling her servant to head on, she dismounted her mare Honey and began to walk, loving the solid feel of the earth under her feet.
She walked in the grass alongside the rutted path for a mile or so, then impetuously removed her shoes, letting the springy blades cushion her feet as her groom guided the horse along.
The sky was a warm azure with creamy streams of clouds stretching out over the horizon, beyond the velvety hills that surrounded her. As they entered Warwickshire and her castle came into sight, she remembered that first day she had seen her ancestral home. A new flood of misty sentiment tugged at her heart. She belonged at court serving her king, but something kept pulling her back here, causing her to long for it whenever she was away.
Was it the castle itself, the imposing fortress looming before her with its cavernous entryways and vast gatehouses, or the people she'd left behind to lead the coveted life of a courtier? It was both, she knew—and something else too. She hardly dared admit it to herself, but there it was, always at the back of her mind…
She spent but a day at Warwick, telling her mother of the King's marriage to Jane, of Anne's doom brought about by her tragic misjudgments, and Amethyst's bargain with Henry to let Topaz free. Her mother was stunned, but delighted, though Sabine warned that with all the different people involved, not to be so hasty.
"They are not pieces on a chessboard, my dear. They are not all subject to your will, but you are all subject to King Henry's. Have a care, whatever you do. And mind you watch Topaz. I fear there is much mischief she can still do it she has a mind."
Amethyst nodded. "Aye, I know. But for the sake of the boys. I hope she will see reason."
Sabine quirked one brow. "And if she does not?"
She waved her mother's worries away. "Once Jane keeps her side of the bargain, all will be well, I am sure of it."
The following day, after a stroll around her beloved Peacock Gardens and a light breakfast along the bank of the Avon, she mounted Honey and rode off to Kenilworth. Her heart sang with every hoof beat on the short journey north. She pictured Henry's eyes, his lips, an embrace as warm and gentle as the breeze that fondled her hair as she rode. But his image vanished as she rounded the final bend and glimpsed the red walls peeking through the copse of cedars before her.
She crossed the moat, passed through the gates, and she was there, at Kenilworth at last, her very own escape from court, from home, and from the world.
A page greeted Amethyst and her groom, and led Honey toward the stables, while she headed for the castle's private apartments. She knew her cheeks were flushed with the sun and the breeze and her hair was tousled, streaming down her back in golden waves, just the way Matthew liked her, natural and uncourtly.
They were finishing up the morning meal in the great hall when she entered. There were servitors scurrying about, clearing the tables, small groups of guests in clusters here and there, a tight circle of nobles, sporting clipped hair and beards, fine satins brandishing rich embroideries, sweeping plumes, clever tongues—and Matthew.
He stood at the center of a group of men, engrossed in conversation, his head cocked to one side in deep concentration, a brow arched, arms akimbo, one toe straight out, the other pointing to the side. Her eyes ran over his length, again and again, recording every detail of his appearance. Then her gaze tried to capture his.
Finally he looked up and noticed her. His eyes blazed an exuberant green as his face brightened in recognition. He excused himself gently and approached her.
She went to him, arms outstretched, and the voices about her converged into a blur as he too began coming towards her. Hand clasped hand, cheek touched cheek, and she drew a deep breath, emitting it in a contented sigh.
"Amethyst! What brings you here! I've been thinking of you!"
She thrilled at that, beaming. She so badly wanted to blurt out just how much she'd been envisioning... dreaming...fantasizing... about him of late, despite all her love for Henry. It was something she had dared not admit to herself, but now that she was in his arms, never had anything felt so right.
"I came myself to tell you the news from court. We have a new queen, Matthew. Lady Jane Seymour. She and Henry were wed the other day."
His jaw dropped. When he could finally speak again, he stammered, "But Amethyst... I thought... Well, according to your letters—"
She shook his head. "I refused the King's marriage proposal, Matthew." She did not want to tell him why, but one look into those trusting eyes, and she began pouring the entire story out to him. "...and I gave Jane to him, Matthew, I knew that I must, knowing that I might never be able to give him the son that he is so longing for and that it would destroy our love for each other were I to persist. He is desperate for his heir, and Jane was a wise choice indeed."
She lowered her voice and lifted her lips to his ear, inhaling his woodsy scent. "She had just become my lady-in-waiting. I introduced them. I prettied Jane up to regal standards, made her look like a queen, and Henry was delighted. She will make a wonderful mother for our future prince, and nothing between Henry and me has changed. I saw it as my once chance for everyone to have what they want, especially you and the boys, with them being set free if this plan works."
He gripped her shoulder. "The boys? Free? I don't understand."
"I asked them to let them free, and he's agreed, after a certain interval."
"How long?"
"Soon. He is no tyrant, truly. He was just trying to get Topaz to see reason."
"I see."
"I've visited with them often when you are not there, and saw them just before I left. They are well, being tutored, and allowed a great deal of freedom. Them being paraded in front of Topaz's window helps remind her of what is at stake, so all is well."
"I see. Clever."
"I know you wish they were here with you, but really, for the sake of the kingdom, until we can calm Topaz and the rebellion she stirred, this is the best way."
He gazed down at
her intently. "You are remarkable woman."
"Nay, merely a desperate one."
As she spoke, she sensed that something between her and Matthew was clearly changing. Her heart fluttered in anticipation of his nearness and she recalled how she'd taken extra care with her hair, her dress, her choice of fragrance before she had left her home that morning.
She was shivering with longing for a light touch of his hand on hers, a casual brush across her cheek. She was constantly writing him letters in her head and most of all, missing him, and now she knew why.
"Well, I say, the King is right, we do have a saint about us! You giving another woman chance to be queen was very noble indeed," he said, guiding her by the elbow to the balcony overlooking the courtyard where the crickets were chirping softly. "This is another chance you passed up to be queen."
She shrugged her shoulders modestly. "A barren queen will never last long in this realm, Matthew. I am protecting myself as well. I have accepted the fact long ago that God does not want me to be queen. Let us just hope Topaz has accepted that same fact. About herself, that is."