20th of February 1531 - London, England

Walking with her head held high, Lady Mary couldn't help but take notice about how different the court of her father felt now that her mother was no longer his Queen; people stared as she passed them on the way to see her father. 

For the first time in many years, she had been welcomed back to her father's court after spending a few years at Ludlow preparing for the day that she would take her father's throne. 

Something that she doubted would happen now, Mary had prayed for answers to her situation and nothing had come to her; she wondered if this was a test from God to prove her worthiness for the throne. 

Reaching the greeting hall where she was too meet with her father, Lady Mary paused for a moment to gather the bearings; her ladies pausing behind her before she nodded her head. 

"Presenting the Lady Mary Tudor," the herald announced, the hall following quiet and everyone turned to face the former Princess as she made her way through the hall towards the throne where the King was seated alone. 

There were no whispers and people stared at her while she walked, she paid them no mind instead focusing on her father before her who looked pleased to see her. 

"Your Majesty," Lady Mary greeted dropping into a curtsy that her mother would have been proud of, she stayed low for a moment before rising and returning to look at him. 

He looked differently than she remembered, the beard that he was growing out made him look older and Lady Mary couldn't feel at ease with the fact that her mother was not by his side. 

"My Pearl. Welcome to court," Henry greeted smiling, he moved to stand and made his way down the steps to greet her properly; he took her hands and kissed them, the smile never leaving his face. 

Every part of him hoped that Lady Mary would welcome the changes that he had made even if it did take her some time to adjust to them; she would be treated well as she was his daughter, legitimate or not. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Mary murmured softly, the eyes of the court firmly on them and Lady Mary wondered if he even realised what he had done by leaving her mother.

It should have been the Pope's word, not the Archbishop of Canterbury's that had annulled the marriage; yet the issue had been handled here instead of in Rome like her mother had wanted it to be. 

"Father," Henry insisted giving her hand a squeeze of reassurance, he would always be her father and nothing would change that; he was hopeful that her visit here would show her just how her life would be better now. 

He would ensure that she was treated well and she would make a fine match that would not threaten her future brother's position on the throne; she would only be behind Anne and any daughters that she had. 

"There is someone I would very much like you to meet," Henry beamed linking arms with Lady Mary and started to lead her, he paid no mind to those who were watching them with interest. 

No one had been sure how to react when it had been announced that the King was inviting his daughter by Katherine to court; the court were all still reeling from what had happened. 

"Sweetheart, this is the Duchess of Pembroke," Henry stated introducing Lady Mary to Anne, the smile growing even more at the sight of his beloved who was waiting just off to the side. 

He'd wanted her to take her true place by his side but she had convinced him that perhaps the sight would upset Lady Mary who would still be reeling from her parents annulment. 

"It is a pleasure to finally make your acquittance Lady Mary," Anne greeted kindly, she had been so unsure how to greet the daughter of Katherine when she was set to replace the woman. 

The two of them had been rivals for many years and things had been said, Anne would admit that but she was hopeful for a new start and that meant trying to get along with Lady Mary. 

There was a silence at Anne's greeting and Lady Mary stared at her, her stomach twisting at the sight of the woman that had started all of this; her mother would have still been Queen of England if it wasn't for her. 

In all the ways that she thought that she had run into her father's mistress, this had not been it and she certainly hadn't thought the woman would be a Duchess in her own right; the mere idea left Lady Mary feeling ill. 

"The pleasure is mine, Your Grace," Lady Mary replied quietly, the words feeling bitter on her tongue as she spoke them; she could not say the words that her mind wished for her to spit at the woman that had ruined her mother's life. 

Everything would have been perfect and she would have still been a princess, instead she was demoted to the bastard daughter of a King with no title but Lady. 

"I do so hope that we might be friends," Anne stated feeling rather unnerved by the look that the Lady Mary offered her, there was no denying that she had dreaded this meeting with Henry's daughter. 

For as much as she had hoped that the girl would remain out of her sight, it was not fair to punish her for something that was far from her control. 

Anne had battled with her conscience on how to greet the Lady Mary, for she was to be her step-mother and while she had no doubts the girl would be fiercely loyal to her mother; she was hopeful that Lady Mary would see that this was for the best. 

Her mother had been proven to be a traitor after all, and the marriage between her parents had been annulled by the Archbishop of Canterbury because of Katherine's lie and prior marriage to Prince Arthur. 

Lady Mary had no such reply to Anne's words, she inclined her head only in answer not trusting herself to hold her tongue and give the woman a lashing that she deserved. 

Clarice stared at the Lady Mary, not sure what to make of the former princess who dressed in the Spanish style that her mother had when Katherine had been Queen. 

While Lady Mary's arrival at court as the King's natural born daughter had gone well so far, Clarice had no doubts that the sudden change in her status from heir to the throne of England to royal bastard would not have left her mind so easily. 

***

"Is this not a time to be joyful brother?" Anne asked approaching George with a smile on her face though it did not reach her eyes; her every move no doubt being watched by Henry's daughter who was seated beside her father. 

It had been Henry's idea to throw a feast in honour of the Lady Mary's return to court, the meeting that had occurred that morning had done little to dampen his spirits despite the feeling that Anne had gotten from the girl. 

While Lady Mary would not speak out yet, the sudden change in her status and her mother's situation would not be easily forgotten especially given that Lady Mary was her mother's creature afterall. 

"Perhaps," George mused not looking to his sister, his eyes instead focusing on the woman of the court that danced before them; anything to distract from his current situation and what was too come. 

His impending marriage was the talk of the court, a fact that continued to irritated George who had hope to ignore his impending second marriage. 

"You should speak with her. The wedding is set and there is no need for you to endure another miserable wife, when this one shall ask so little of you," Anne encouraged him. 

She loved her brother as a sister should and she hoped that this marriage would be a happier one for him after how his marriage to Jane Parker had ended; she was most certain that Clarice would make him happy. 

The Medici woman had become a close friend to Anne during her time at court and Anne knew that once she became Henry's wife and Queen that she would need people like that around her. 

George might not see his impending wedding to Clarice as a blessing but it would unite their families and prove Anne with powerful connections should she need them would be there. 

"The Countess is a good woman. She will make you a fine wife and should you wish it, a good mother to your children," Anne continued hoping that anything that she said might stick. 

Her brother was stubborn and his disagreement with the marriage was well known to the family, he had hoped to have a say in his next bride but alas again his bride had been decided for him. 

Looking to his sister, George searched her face for any sign of dishonesty before sighing and offering her a nod of his head; there was little to be down about the situation at hand. 

Anne was right, he would have to make the best of it and perhaps his bride-to-be felt the same about their current situation.

***

"Tell me of your parents," George requested knowing only what he had heard, Clarice's important ties were the reason that she had come to England; he wished to know more about them as they had been her parents. 

They had long since passed and he would not be afforded the chance to ever meet with them, he would have happily travelled to Nemours or Florence to greet them if they had been alive. 

"My father, Giuliano, was a third son. He used to help me with my reading and encouraged my arts," Clarice said smiling, she had been eleven when he had passed and she recalled fondly the times that they had played in the gardens of their home. 

Despite the fact that she had been a girl, her father had loved her no less and had prided himself in preparing her as he could to be his heir when it became clear that Filiberta would not produce another child. 

"My mother, Filiberta was the youngest daughter of the Duke of Savoy. She insisted it was important that I learn and when my father died, she fought to ensure that my inheritance was protected," Clarice stated shaking her head. 

Not that it had done much good now that her inheritance had been lost to another greedy relative of hers; there was no telling just what was going to happen in the future but at least she could support herself now. 

"Their marriage was arranged by my uncle when he was Leo X, I do believe they might have come to love one another," Clarice noted quietly thinking of her own impending marriage to him and how she wished that she could seek her mother's wisdom now. 

It stung that she was in this situation and that when she married there would only be her brother there; she had put it out of her mind for years that she was an orphan and only had Ippolito on her side. 

"His Holiness took me in after my mother passed. Though King Francis insisted that I spend time at French court since I was Duchess of Nemours," Clarice continued thinking of her up bring in Rome and in France. 

It had been strange and Clarice had found herself trapped between two worlds, serving two masters; then to be sent to court here expected to ruin her prospects at the order of one man. 

That same man had taken everything from her and left her with nothing to call her own stating that his actions were guided by God and that was why he had left her a pauper with no way to support herself for not following his orders on becoming a King's mistress. 

Something that Clarice had no intention of doing, she would not lower herself to such a level when she was a fine match for any man; she would not have done so if she had ruined herself for a King. 

Despite the fact that Henry seemed most kind to the woman who had entered his bed prior to Anne, Clarice very much doubted that she'd have anything to benefit from such a dalliance other than a ruined reputation. 

The two of them walked silently while Clarice was lost in her thoughts about what she had suffered; the book that Anne had given her making her see clearly the corruption of the church that she had once so believed in. 

"We shall be married soon," George noted breaking the silence, his father had been encouraged to spend quite a pretty penny on the wedding as had the Duke of Hertford. 

It would be the last wedding to take place at court before the King was married to Anne only a couple of months later; the King was almost counting down the days until they were man and wife. 

The summer wedding would be one to remember, it would be nothing like the wedding that he had shared with Katherine and Henry wished to make sure that no one doubted his marriage to the Duchess of Pembroke. 

"Indeed," Clarice replied not sure how to feel just yet, she would be Duchess of Bedford and Countess of Kendal once she was married and Anne had told her that they would be allowed to retire for a time to George's estates to adjust to married life. 

Then they would come back to court in time for Anne's wedding to the King, where upon they would take their places at court again; Clarice returning as Anne's lady-in-waiting and George to his position on the council. 

Their wedding would take place in the middle of March and the fact that the King was going to attend had meant that there was quite a bit of interest in their impending marriage. 

The news had spread around court and most seemed to expect the wedding to become a courtly affair considering how much attention it was getting.