In Her Own Right: A Novel of Lady Mary Tudor by Amanda Schiavo

Author:Amanda Schiavo [Schiavo, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: 2023-07-19T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

1539 - 1541

As the next few years dragged on, King Henry became increasingly paranoid about the prince’s health, taking every precaution to safeguard his precious jewel. Mary was disturbed to get a letter from the king chastising her because he heard she had gone to visit the prince after she had been ill.

“I would never risk the prince’s health,” she told Margaret. “I would not have gone to visit my brother if I wasn’t confident I had fully recovered. My father will keep that poor boy locked away from the world in the name of protectiveness.”

That visit to her little brother had not been as pleasant as some others. The prince’s uncle Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, had arrived a day after Mary, and a heated exchange had taken place between them over the prince’s religious education and the people the earl was installing around him. More heretics, Mary realized.

Mary was sitting in the nursery holding the chubby toddler prince in her lap and reading from a book that detailed the stories of the saints when the Earl came in with a disapproving face. He admonished Mary for reading the prince what he called “popish nonsense” and the “abominable veneration of saints and false holy relics.” Mary was appalled. But she kept her tone congenial for Edward’s sake.

“My lord, I instruct the prince in the true faith, which was, as you are well aware of, his dear mother’s faith,” Mary said. The mention of his dead sister made the Earl wince, Mary noticed.

“I promised Queen Jane I would care for the prince. She asked that I protect him from all who would endanger his immortal soul through false doctrine. It was her main concern before her unfortunate passing. As Edward’s sister and godmother, it is a duty I do not take lightly.”

The earl smiled, but there was nothing warm about his expression. Mary knew Seymour to be cold as ice.

He reached to take the child from his sister, who looked up pensively at his uncle. Speaking to one of Edward’s nurses, he told the woman to take the prince to enjoy some fresh air so he and Mary could speak.

“You think that I am a danger to my own nephew, my lady?” Seymour asked. “You, who would show more loyalty to a tyrant who calls himself the Vicar of Christ, than your own father? The king saw the Bishop of Rome for what he truly is, a corrupt, unscrupulous and perfidious devil! It seems very clear to me, Lady Mary, that it is I who must protect the prince from you and all idolaters!”

“You are a liar and a heretic! How dare you say such things to me. I am the king’s daughter, and you are nothing more than a leach who grasped onto his sister’s good fortune! Queen Jane would cry for shame if she knew how you planned to raise her child in heresy.”

Seymour looked enraged and took a step toward Mary. She thought he may actually dare to strike her and jumped backward.

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