Wolsey's Private room

'Well, we'll dance the Pavane!'
He wants to get up, but suddenly he notices the melancholic expression on Emilie's face.
He leans forward and squeezes softly her arm, looking at her with understanding.
'You don't have to thank us, Emilie, we are very pleased to receive you and Olympe....' he leans back and glances at Joan, taking her hand in both his hands.
'When you can't be with your own family at Christmas time.... one should be with people who feel like family.'

He sigh and smiles again, shrugging.
'Our son is studying in Italy right now and can't come home and our daughter... well, she lives in a nunnery and can't leave, of course.' He pulls Joan against him and looks at her with compassion and love.

Looking from one to another, he smiles warmly.
'We'll have a good time together, let us just celebrate the birth of Our Lord and enjoy eachothers company!'

Wolsey smiles at her words and opens his arms, glancing at Joan.
'Well, to us you are family as well, Emilie, you and Olympe!' He looks at Joan who nods approvingly.
When she asks if they will dance after all, he laughs loudly and claps his hands.
'All ladies, please stand up! We will stand on a row, like this.' He makes sure every one of them stand in the right place and he explains. 'The pavane has it's origins in Italy and is a stately dance, sometimes continued by the gaillard. We dance in pairs... but for now, we stand on a row to see how we move. We will practice without music for the moment, ahhh I think though we have a slight problem... Joan, my love, will you please lift your skirts a little bit so Emilie and Olympe can watch how your feet move?'
He looks at her with fun eyes, takes her hand and kisses it, then holds it loosely.

'We hold each others hand, like this, only the fingertips touch eachother.... and we turn our feet a little outward, the heels against each other though, look, the way Joan stands. Ehh, well I can't control your feet Emilie, I hope you stand well... and I think Olympe most defenitely stands well!' he winks at her.

'Allright, when I say go we step forward with our left foot first and then we put our right foot next to it. We count like one, two! Let's give it a try, shall we... and, go: one - left foot forward, two - right foot next! No no, please: little steps, ladies, we don't have to catch a coach!' he burst out in laughter.

*smiles and dances with them enjoying Wolsey's dance class...looks at the two girls enjoying it too* my beloved is a wondeerful dancer *she remembers their first dance, when she was a young and innocent girl, she fail inloved immediately with her homas and could never forget him*

Wolsey tries to remain concentrated and teach them to dance, but when he notices Olympe dancing with joy he laughs and lifts his arms as well.
'I think Olympe understands the most crucial part of dancing... having fun!'

He follows Olympes steps and copies her movements, then takes Emilies hands in his and make her turn around gracefully and finally approaches Joan, taking her into his arms and dances with her through the room.
He feels happy and playful and forgets his concerns for a moment, looking at Joan who is as lovely and beautiful as they first met. ' Remember, my love...' he whispers in her ear.

At last he falls into a chair and wipes his forehead, exhausted but satisfied.
'Ahh... you beautiful ladies make an old man tired! '

they learn quickly, they dance so wonderfully *she smiles and dances with her thomas* ofcourse I remember my darling, I was such a innocent and silly girl *giggles and kisses his nose softly* as he sits down she says * and I love this olddy man do you need soemthing my love? *knees next to him*

He looks with loving eyes at Joan, who kneels next to him.
'No, my sweet Joan, I'm perfectly happy, come, just sit close to me and enjoy the moment.' She sits on the backrest of his chair with her arm around him and he flatters her hand.

With joy they look at Emilie and Olympe who are still dancing and when they finally sit down on the coach, he chuckles.
'Yes, the idea of dance was good.... and you're wonderful students, very talented indeed!' He winks at Olympe, then turns to Emilie.
'Emilie! You told me you couldn't dance, well, as far as I can see, that was exaggerated! I thought you didn't like it perhaps, but you seem to enjoy it.' He shakes his head in wondering.
'... although I must admit that the fun of dancing depends on who you're dancing with!' He looks at Joan who nods approvingly.
'Joan and I have often danced in the inn of her father, as I told you before, Emilie, it's where I first met her again after she was raised. I had not seen her in a few years when her brother became a chaplain to me and we both went to the inn to see her father again.... I forgot about her since she was a little girl at the time, but when her brother and I entered the inn there she was....' he looks at Joan with radiant eyes and kisses her hand.

He leans forward to Emilie and asks curious.
'What about you, Emilie, what is your best dancing experience? Have you ever danced at the French court?'

He smiles when she tells him she does not practice often.
'Well... normally I don't dance either, I mean in public, it is not very decent for a cardinal to dance.' He shrugs and rolls his eyes.
'... and I admit I don't really like those dances either, so my dancing skills -as far as you can speak about skills- come from looking at the dancers and moreover from dancing with Joan, here in our own quarters.'

He listens at her and nodd in understanding.
'I agree with you, there is nothing more wonderful than be together with your family and dance together... my father and mother were hard-working people who had no time to make fun... I learned to make fun when I went to school and especially when I met Joan's family. Her father was the most cultured and wise man I've ever met, but he also knew how to enjoy life, it was a lesson I liked to learn! '

When she tells him about her dancing experiences at the French court, he listens thoughtfully.
'I have been several times at your father's court but I can't recall I ever met your mother, nor your sister or yourself, Emilie... but you were probably very young at the time... well, your father was very discreet indeed or I just didn't see what was obvious to everyone.' He frowns and add 'I am not so smart in love affairs, I'm afraid...' he smiles weakly.

Wolsey laughs loudly about her words and winks at Joan in understanding.
´O yes, we practice often, we love to dance together, it keeps us young!´

He nodd when she calls Joan´s father a wonderful man.
´He was indeed... and I am thankful I knew him well.´ he squeezes softly Joan´s hand, knowing she still misses him, too.
´... you know my friend Erasmus called him the most cultured and sincere of all men he knew in England! He became later ``surveyor of the kings´works`` and my personal confessor. Once even the French ambassador stayed at his house for several months when we were negotiating in secret! I have a lot to thank him for...´ he sigh and wipes his eyes, while Joan quietly cries. He hands her a handkerchief and speaks softly at her, kissing her cheek.

After a while he turns to Emilie again, smiling weakly.
´Ahh... no wonder I never encountered you, Emilie! By the way, you were a little child at the time, we are speaking of 1514 when I met your father frequently to speak about peace after... some years of war.´ He frowns, remembering the years of war with France, encouraged by the queen and her father, the emperor Ferdinand. He never agreed with it, he was and is pro-French and the peace he made with Emilies father proved once again the advantages of a French ally.

'You are right about your father, he was a wonderful man, too! It was a pleasure to talk with him and I admired his cultural and historical knowledge, we often had passionate conversations about all kind of topics and talked untill deep in the night! I remember him well and respected him deeply... he was always kind and gentle, even when we disagreed.' he grins
'... and of course we disagreed on components of the treaty, though we never made hassle!'

He nodd and smiles after her words, squeezing Joan´s hand softly.
´You would have liked him, Emilie, I am sure about that!´

He frowns deeply when she tells him she was six years old at the time he met her father frequently.
´Well.... I do rememer a little girl, I didn´t know her age though... she once approached me to give me a flower she picked in the garden! I was enchanted by the gesture, because my own daughter was only two years old at the time and I missed my family deeply. Since she was born I had been away from home, first to support Henry at the battlefield and soon after I had to leave again for France to negotiate about peace.´ he glances at Joan and smiles apologetical at her.

´... but this little girl had the same beautiful blonde curls as our Dorothy... and as Olympe has! She also gave a flower to your father who thanked her most hearty...´ he looks at her with questioning eyes.
´Perhaps it was you, Emilie?' he reflects, trying to remember the scene, then shrugs.
'I'm sorry, that's all I remember, but there was a woman who called her softly, I could not see who she was because she stood behind us and... well, the girl left and that was the only time I've seen her.' suddenly he laughs.
'I do remember though that your father suddenly wanted to break off our conversation and left, too!'

He becomes serious again and looks warmly at her.
'You look a lot like your father indeed, Emilie and I am happy for you that you were so close together.'

Wolsey listens with interest, happy for her to give her a memory back where he was part of.
'Well, my reminder even gets nicer when I think it was you, Emilie! I'm sorry though that your little sister died at such young age, you surely missed her all! And you should be proud of your father, as I am proud to say I knew him very well and respected him.'

He smiles widely when she asks him to tell about Englands history, his eyes glisten.
'Ahh... Englands history, well, where to begin? Perhaps by telling you that before we had a Tudor Dynasty, we have been reigned by a Plantagenet... since 1154! However they did not use the name... the family split up by the two sons of Edward III and became two rivalising families: the House of York and the House of Lancaster. From 1399 untill Henry Tudor conquered the throne in 1485 the house of Lancaster sat on the throne. King Henry VI who reigned from 1422 untill 1461 was the last king of the Lancaster dynasty, but he had become insane when he heard that the last English territory in France, Bordeaux, was lost and he didn't even respond on the birth of his own son.
The country broke down in law and order, corruption and financial losses... and the Yorks started the War of the Roses, which lasted for thirty years! Both families alternately conquered the throne by battles, murder and treason.'

He stops for a moment to take a sip of water, frowning a little but then smiled.
'Henry Tudor, a nobleman from Wales, fought as a captain for the Lancasters. Finally he defeated the army of Richard III of York who was the king on that moment... and Richard III was killed the same day. The crown of England was found among the scrub and Henry was crowned Henry VII!
Richard III had no children, only a niece, Elizabeth of York and she was married to Henry! With also a mother who related from Edward III Henry reunited the two families of York and Lancaster again... the badge of the House of Yorks was a white rose and the badge of the Lancasters was a red rose... Henry adopted the Tudor Rose which is a double rose, white over red.'

He sigh and looks at the three ladies around him.
'Henry had experienced fraud and intrigue during the War of the Roses, as you've probably heard of the legend of the princes of the Tower? Anyway, it's why he appointed personal bodyguards, also called the Yeomen of the Guard. these men were always at his side, not only in England but also on his travels abroad!'

He sigh after her words about her family.
´It must have been a sad time indeed, not only you lost your sister but also in a way your mother... I am happy for you that you finally had a family after all who were like loving parents to you and your sisters... how many sisters do you have?'

He looks at Joan and then bows his head.
'Both our children were also raised by other families... though we saw them often, even while we were not together at the time.' he softly caress Joan's hand, shaking his head regretful.

'... Well, we can't turn back time, can we?' he shrugs and kisses Joan's hand, when she excuses herself to go to the bathroom.

Smiling because Emilie seems to like his stories and asks him many questions, he leans back in his chair, rubbing his chin.
'Indeed... when Henry became king a dark period of war ended, though from the moment he climbed the throne there were rumors about two princes being locked up in the tower and never seen since!'

He frowns and bites his lips.
'You see... king Richard III sat on the throne when Henry defeated him, but he had not only a niece (Elizabeth, the wife of Henry) but also two nephews, younger brothers of Elizabeth. The oldest one, Edward V was twelve years old when his father King Edward IV died and the lawful heir to the throne. In May 1483 Edward arrived in London for his coronation and accomodated in the tower. His younger brother Richard joined him in June.
Both princes were declared illegitimate by an Act of Parliament of 1483 known as Titulus Regius, and their uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester was crowned as Richard III. There are reports of the two princes being seen playing in the Tower grounds shortly after Richard joined his brother, but there are no recorded sightings of either of them after the summer of 1483. Their fate remains an enduring mystery, but soon gossips started and the people agreed that the princes were probably murdered in the Tower. There is however no record of a funeral and they were never found.'

He smiles weakly.
'I had the same age as the youngest brother at the time and the story impressed me and also frightened me. Being locked up in the Tower and never to get out anymore... we children made up terrible stories about their fate and I hated the Tower ever after!' he shivers and adds.

'Well... you probably understand that not only Richard III but also Henry VII was suspected, though not openly since they both had reasons to kill the brothers who stood in their way to the throne.
It took untill 1502 that a certain James Tyrell, a knight who fought for the Yorks and thus for Richard III confessed he had murdered the two boys at the behest of Richard... Anyway, if you want to now more about this, you should read the book that sir Thomas More wrote, it is called History of King Richard III '

*she appears in the room and listen at the door, she can feel how comfortable they are and she doesnt want to disturb them*

Nodding in understanding he listens at her story about her mother.
'It must have been... difficult for you to have your mother finally around but not really in contact with you or you sister. Perhaps she thought that her family took better care of you than herself.' he smiles encouraging at her when he notices that she looks sad.

'I feel sorry for you...' he speaks softly when she tells him she is disappointed about her family not keeping in contact with her.
When she tells him about her sister Madeleine he nods and smiles.
'Ahh... I guess it would be very nice for you if she ever decides to live with you at Eastnor, at least you'd have your sister back. I hope for you she will come, even just pay you a visit and then decidec iif she wants to stay.'

He frowns when she confesses that she has not told much about her life.
'Emilie! Why haven't you told her, there is nothing to be ashamed of! You even have not told her about...?' He makes unobtrusive a head gesture towards Olympe.

He sigh. 'Yes, it was good to see our children but also heartbreaking. They did not understand why they were raised by other families and why I also had sent their mother away from them...' He is silent for a while and bows his head.

Taking a sip of wine he answers her about the Tower.
'Well, the Tower is not only a prison but mostly a royal residence. It serves also as an armoury, a treasury and menagerie... but even though I have been there at happy occasions like the coronation of Henry and Catherine, I still don't like it!' he shakes his head.

He shrugs.
'For Henry VII it was a relief indeed when Tyrell pleaded guilty, but even then the rumors went on. It was very unlikely he would have killed the boys and then marry their sister. They also disappeared two years before he conquered the throne, but... well, you know, people like to talk!'

Thinking she smiles at him, he smiles back, then notices she stares behind him and when he turns around, he looks surprised at Joan, standing near the door. He walks to her and takes her hand in his.
'My love, please join us, I know you are tired but please, just sit here next to me for a little while.' He accompanies her to a couch and sits down with her. He saves his arm around her and puts her head softly against his shoulder, smiling satisfied.

*she smiles and sits down with him, rest her head stisfied in his shoulder and closes her eyes for a moment* I don't want to distub your conversation *she smiles to Emilie* I can see you both always have long chats excuseme if I cant reply to long my darlings *I kiss Thomas' cheeks softly and hold his hands tenderly as I listen their conversation