The Pearl Of Great Price

Chapter 56: Meddling

Some moments mark the soul. Moments of true clarity and realization. Moments that divide and define one's life forever, placing it in two separate categories: before and after. When the King said, "I've never met her, but you have. I have no doubt she'll help you with Queen training. I believe she goes by the name of Countess Falkirk, or you may know her as Lady Flora," that was one of those kinds of moments.

In the blink of an eye, everything changed. She supposes that's true, that our lives have to change. It must be wholly rearranged and disturbed to clear a path. This path helps people find their way to where they were meant to be all along. It's a challenging journey, but it requires great faith. Everything had to happen the way it did to get her to the next level.

And the thing about that is that she will always end up disappointed by expecting people to act the same way she would. So really, it should not be surprising to find out her trusted friend, Lady Flora is her Dowager Aunt's trusted adviser. But to know her father had thought this through is unnerving. The whole time he treated her so ill.

Coming back from fainting, she found herself in her husband's arms. Not caring who was in the room, Mary held onto him and yelled. "Why?! Why did you treat me so poorly, so shoddily? Why, when you're the one who brought my trusted confidant into my life?" The tears streamed down her face. Her voice hit its mark as her father jumped slightly at her tone. Charles tightened his hold.

In a broad stance, the King gestured wildly with his hands. "Would you have believed it if I had told you? Would you have accepted it? That I, the King— your father, could do something kind? That I would look out for you despite putting your mother aside?"

Well, when he puts it like that, she supposes, "I wouldn't have." But still, it would have been nice to know.

He continued to gesture, looking like a complete loon to anyone who saw. "It's not like I could have told you. Then certain people would have come after you even harder, and I do draw the line at having my child killed. I realize they tried to kill Charles, and I also drew a line there. I had to act how I did. I had to play that part, and part of it was my own foolish fault. I blindly let people make me believe in things that never came true. And in truth, I do want companionship, so I suppose I will marry again. Even if I do, I don't care if I have a male heir anymore. I had one and lost it. Besides, I have you."

This is all understandable, but... How dare he? How dare he meddle in her life? How dare he leave her a sitting duck and not offer any protection? Her hands balled up the sides of her dress in anger.

Fixing his gaze on his wife, Charles noticed the tension mounting in her. He saw her hands at her side and the fixed look on her face. Realizing she was angry, he told her, "Get it out and say what you need to say. If you push it down, it will only cause bitterness and spoil what you've worked on today."

So she took his advice and seized the moment. "I am so mad right now," she blurted out. It was then Mary could hear laughter from beside her. Turning to look, she saw her husband trill with it. "Of all the nerve! You laugh at me?" She's a touch agitated between her husband's mocking and her father's annoying meddlesome ways. In a fit, her hand snatched up a ceramic statue of David. He flew across the room and hit the wall.

This bought of anger only made Charles laugh louder. "Oh, God! There it is! There's the Tudor temper you've been hiding away all these years. I knew it was there, somewhere." His wife glowered at him. He wiped laughter tears from his eyes. Then he turned to look at Henry, who wore a smirk.

Remorse hit the Princess upon realizing she ruined a unique object. "Oh, Father! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to destroy a valuable figurine." She shook her head at herself.