He opened the little parchment of paper Lionel had handed him quickly. First the calligraphy he saw was perfect, too perfect for a servant girl.
"lionel, are you absolutely sure this girl is a servant in a brothel?" Henry asked.
"I'm sure, my lord."
Henry's brows furrowed as he concentrated on the letters, his eyes following the words and imagining them spilling from her lips.
'Petrarch risked his soul for love. I thought risking a little danger for his words seemed a fair bargain. I received your gift, kind sir. No words are enough to tell you how happy you have made me.'
"For a book?" he murmured. "Lionel, where is this brothel again?"
"on Pudding lane sir."
"We pay a visit tonight!" Henry said and began to walk toward the throne room.
"Your majesty!!! The Lord Chancellor will have my head!!!"
"Small price to pay for your king, no?"
Lionel sighed. This was not good. It was not good at all. The king visiting a brothel was unheard of. Lionel knew there was nothing he could say to change the king's mind, he also knew his head wouldn't stay attached to his neck for much longer if this went on.
*****
Lady Bella stood at the entrance to the throne room and waited to be announced and invited in. Her new born baby boy firmly held in the arms of the servant behind her. She wore a gown of ivory muslin, hoping to sway her conversation with the king in the proper direction. She may have just given birth, but she could still please the king.
Soon, she was called upon. She entered along with the servant and the king got to his feet in the presence of his son.
"Your majesty." Lady Bella curtsied along with her servant. The king walked over to the servant, glancing at the baby.
"is he alright? Is he feeding well?"
"All is well with him, your majesty." Lady Bella answered. "I merely wished to speak with you and I thought you would like to see him too."
"Of course. Its always a pleasure." The king nodded at the servant who curtsied once more and left the throne room with the child. "Tell me, what worries you."
"I hear rumours of the Princess of France arriving soon, your majesty."
"The rumours are true."
"I would like to know my standing in the palace as the mother of your child. Will I have to retire to my parents in Ravenscroft when the position of queen is filled, sire?" Lady Bella asked.
"Nonsense. My son's place is here in the palace with me. And so is yours by your son's side. Your quarters will be nowhere near the queen's, you should have no problem cohabiting."
"I apologise if my question seems ridiculous your highness. I just worried because…"
"because my father banned his mistresses from the palace." Henry finished for her.
"Yes, your majesty."
"You do not have to worry. I am not my father."
"Will I still get the opportunity to pleasure you, my Lord?" Lady Bella asked.
Henry turned to her. "You were always my favourite, Bella." And it was quite obvious why she was. Even now, even with the baby fat, her bossom was the envy of ladies. Many a night, he had indulged in those very pleasures.
If he didn't have to marry for a purpose, he could have easily made her queen. But one didn't become queen by being divinely blessed with big breasts only. Hopefully, the Princess of France would not turn out to be a board.
Henry's fingers trailed her jaw. "Do not worry, Bella. Go! See to our son."
Bella curtsied as he turned to head back to his throne. A smile played on her lips. She was his favourite. The princess of France could go jump in the Thames.
*****
Livia could barely feel her feet later that night. She smelled like ale that had been covered for years. She had been washing and rinsing goblets all night for use in the tavern below. More and more people were in the city now. Everyone wanted to witness the new prince's baptism on Sunday even if it was from a distance.
This also meant the tavern got busier and busier. The tasks were never ending, the brothel rooms constantly needing cleaning.
Things settled down toward midnight and she headed up to the decking of the building with her treasured book. She lay down on the bare ground, using the light of the moon to read Petrarch's words, her chest to the ground.
"I needed to see for myself, the truth of your passion." Came Henry's voice from above her.
Livia yelped and turned around, her long hair spilling all over her face, she had to quickly shove them away. "Sir!" she breathed but in her panic, her dress had ridden up her legs, exposing her thighs slightly that the king only needed his imagination for the rest.
"How is the book?"
"Uh…" she quickly sat up. "Its just as good as I remember."
Henry looked disappointed at the disappearance of her bare legs. "You have read it?"
"Yes. My mother…she gave me lots of books in Florence."
"Italy."
"You travel?" Livia asked.
"occasionally."
"I apologise, sir. I have no seat to offer you."
"There's one right beside you there." Henry pointed to the ground beside her.
"right here? on the dirty ground?"
"Tell me, Livia, when has a little dirt ever killed anyone?"
Livia smiled and then patted the ground. Henry took a seat right next to her, stretching his long legs. "So do you always gift every thief whatever they steal?"
"Only the intriguing ones."
"I should have stolen freedom then."
"I'd like that too. Tell me, where can one steal that from?" Henry teased.
Livia smiled. "If I knew that, don't you think I would be on my way there right now?"
Henry chuckled. "For liberty is the greatest good that men desire."
"Edmund Spenser." Livia whispered.
Henry stared at her in shock. "Just who are you?"