Mary Rose Tudor's bedchamber

I smiled and gave a little nod.

''Now you are my lady in waiting so you will see him more often. Do you miss Bavaria,now when you are here?''

I asked kindly wanting to know if she feel welcomed here.

''Nothing is not better than opportunity for a fresh start...Yes, I was wild a little when I was younger . I can not imagen you being tomboy! I am sure that we will have a lot of fun,lady Charlotte!''

I said happily to her.She was so kind and good that I was very happy that she will serve me.

Charlotte nodded and smiled a little sadly. "I do miss Bavaria, and Queen Eleanor whom I served. I miss my friends also, and most of all I miss my dear friend the countess. She practically raised me, so she is like a mother to me." Her smile brightened when she spoke of Gia. "But I know I will make new friends here and will enjoy this new court."

She laughed at the memory of wearing boys' clothes and following her big brothers around, running around and playfighting though they were gentle with her. "I had only brothers, and with my mother gone I had no feminine influence until later in life." She giggled. "My lady, you must tell me some of your stories! I bet they are interesting! And I know we will have plenty of fun. A much fun as a princess and a pregnant lady can have, anyway." She smiled widely.

I looked at her softly.

''I am sure that you will find friends here and also your friends can come and visit you and you always can to visit them as well.''

I laughed softly along with her.

''I can understand that! I adored my brothers when I was little, and I went everywhere with them. Much to my mother’s dismay because the princess shouldn't suppose to run or get dirty.What great combination for fun we are''

I said and smiled widely

She smiled with hope shining in her eyes. "That would be wonderful, I would so enjoy to have them visit."

She laughed as she was glad to have something in common with Mary Rose. "I see we are not so different. We come from very different backgrounds, different lifestyles, but we both wanted to have fun. She sighed. "Sometimes, thinking on my childhood, I feel so old!" she chuckled.

I smiled to her softly.

''They are always welcomed to visit England in any time and I would be so much happy to meet the countess,that you love so much.''

I giggled softly,nodding a little.

''Even if we came from different backgrounds and lifestyles,we still have many things in common. Me too,I wish I can go back in that time''

I said nostalgically

Charlotte nodded, smiling to think of her dear friend. "I think you and the countess would like each other. I would love for her to make the trip but she has been ill of late, which is another reason I was sad to leave her." She tried her best to keep positive.

"Perhaps we might have been friends if we'd known each other in our youths. I imagine we would have ran through the woods like madwomen, playing tag or hide and seek." She grinned. "I never had many girl friends when I was growing up. What about you? Did your station forbid you from having certain people as friends?"

''Oh I hope that is nothing to serious,anyway I am sure that I would like her.''

I said softly,looking at her.

''I'm sure that we would have been friends,since we are much a like. I didn't have too much friends,since all of them was trying to use me for something and yes my title was forbidding me to be friends with some people but even then I didn't pay attention to it.''

She smiled a little and shook her head. "I think it is only her age catching up with her. I know she would like you, my lady, and that if she could she would be most honored to meet you."

She frowned as Mary said she had few friends when she was growing up. "That must feel terrible, to have your friendship used for someone's benefit." Charlotte shook her head. "Only a terrible person would use a child for their own advancement."

I smiled brightly to her.

''As I would as well.You must write to her and invited her to come and stay in England for a little while.''

I nodded sadly to her.

''It was very hard when I was a little girl but now it is much different. That is how it goes here at court,if you are close to crown the all people will try to use you for money or titles,I didn't know that before but I learn it in hard way....But enough about me,tell me something more about yourself''

Charlotte brightened as Mary suggested she write to Gia. "Indeed, I shall do that very thing!" Then she pursed her lips, remembering that Gia and Anthony had not gotten along as well as she'd hoped. Well, she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

She looked down at her hands, which were palm-up in her lap. "I hope you do not think I would stoop to such a level. I genuinely like you, my lady, and I am truthful when I say I have no need for advancement of any sort. I only want to be of use." She smiled at her. "About myself? That is quite a story! To begin, I was born in Munich, and as I grew up I traveled with my family all across Europe. My father owned a theater troupe and so they were invited to perform at court. We followed, naturally. My brothers became actors, my mother made the costumes. I.. I was just in the way, I suppose." She chuckled but the memory of being left out still hurt.

I smiled to her and shook my head.

''Not at all,lady Charlotte! I don't think that you want to use me for anything and I trust you,which I can not say for many people.''

I said honestly as I look at her.

''I always wanted to travel! You are very lucky to have that opportunity...You family sounds very interesting and very different.I can not believe that you were in the way,maybe your mother just wanted a different life for you then hers.''

I said kindly,trying to sound comforting.

Charlotte smiled joyfully. "I am glad that we like and trust each other, and I am honored to be one of the few to have your confidences."

At the mention of Charlotte's mother, she stiffened. She didn't like to think of her often, but she forced a smile to her lips. "I think my mother did want a life for me different from her own.. Were you very close with your parents, my lady?' she asked, quickly changing the subject.

I smiled brightly,and said kindly.

''I am glad as well, lady Charlotte! And you will see that I am not to horrible mistress and that is very easy to pleases me,which bring me back to something I wanted to tell you.From now on I don't want you to curtsy to me in your condition it is not to wise and I don't mind''

I noticed that she don't want to speak of her family anymore so I didn't ask or said anything about it anymore.

''I was very close to my mother but not to much with my father.He was after all very busy since he was King''

Charlotte smiled again and laughed. "I very much doubt you would ever be a horrible mistress to serve. And I thank you for your concern; at the very least I shall bow my head in respect for others." She was already starting to wear her corsets a little more loose as the baby grew.

She nodded when Mary said she was closer to her mother, and also envied her for it. "I expect most royal families are like that. But I am sure your father wished he could have spent more time with you and your siblings." She looked at her with compassion, never understanding how a daughter could not be close to her father even if her father was king. "What was your mother like?"

I smiled widely.

''Alright then we agree! I would really like for us to be friends and always be honest to each other.''

I nodded to her.

''Yes it is very common in royal families that father is not close to his children,more if they are girls.But my mother was very kind and loving,she was very wise as well,all people liked her she was the great Queen and great mother.''

I said remembering my mother with smile upon my face.

She smiled. "Honesty is of utmost importance to me, I find it difficult even to tell a little white lie," she said as she giggled.

She watched Mary's face as she spoke of her mother, and knew that his was a woman who obviously experienced love and closeness such as Charlotte herself had not. But she smiled, glad that someone was so deserving of a mother as wonderful as Elizabeth of York had been. "I wish I could have met her," she said kindly.

I looked at her with bright smile.

''Ah than we will get well together.''

I sighed still smiling.

''I am sure that if you had opportunity to meet her you would loved her.So how do you like England so far?''

Charlotte tilted her head to the side, pondering that question. "It is not like anywhere I have been before, but I love the rain, the way it refreshes and washes away. And I look forward to seeing more of the country, especially the countryside, which I hear is very lovely." She stopped a moment. "Oh how rude of me, I should ask if there is anything you need." She waited to see if the princess required anything.

I nodded with a small smile.

''Yes here is always rainy but in time you will get use to it. I can show you some of the wonderful places here since I love nature very much and to be outdoors it will be perfect.Indeed countryside is lovely here you should ask Antony to show you some. ''

I shook my head a little.

''Oh I don't need anything right now...But perhaps you can help me with something....It seams that I can not decide what to do with my hair for the wedding''

Charlotte nodded, glad to hear that Mary would show her some beautiful places around court. "I am so fond of the great outdoors, I would love to see the inspirational places here."

She nodded with enthusiasm. "I didn't know you are to be married! How wonderful! Oh I would love to be of help!" She sat up straighter and examined the princess' face, her features and her dark hair. "What color will your gown be? Have you a design for it?" She asked as a few ideas for hairstyles came to mind. "And also tell me, who is the lucky man you are marrying?"

I smiled widely with sparkle in my eyes.

''Yes! And very soon,about two weeks or less.I will need all help I can get''

I giggled a bit when she started to examine me.

''I still don't have a dress but I know that it will be white,elegant but yet simple.The lucky man is Duke of Westmoreland so I am not sure if he is lucky since this is arranged marriage.''

Charlotte nodded, her mind turning to what she knew of fashion and beauty. "Let's go the mirror, if you do not mind?' She had Mary sit in front of the vanity while she stood behind her, and took a brush to begin brushing out her hair. "You have very pretty, dark eyes. And your coloring is perfect, a white gown will look wonderful on you." She deftly took Mary's hair and put it up and away from her face. "You would look lovely with your hair up, and some curled tendrils framing your face," she suggested.

"An arranged marriage? That is the calling of a princess. He would be a fool if he did not consider himself lucky. So what is this duke like? Is he handsome?"

I sat in a large chair and stared in the mirror.

''You do know a lot about fashion and I like your suggestion...I think that hair up would be perfect.Maybe when I find the dress this would be much easier .''

I smiled to her and sighed.

''Ah,you are to kind my lady! Yes he is very handsome and kind and most important he is true gentleman,which is rare to find these days at court.''

She smiled, pleased with the compliment. "Well I thank you, I know even without my help you will look extraordinary on your wedding day." Charlotte envied her just a little, and wished she could have had a true wedding with everyone happy for her and telling her how beautiful she looked. But she would make sure Mary Rose would be the most perfect-looking bride in the land.

"A gentleman, that is rare," she said with a smile, continuing to think of ideas for her hair. She made a quick braid with the princess' long tresses and undid it again, thinking. "Do you have much in common? At the very least that is important."

''I am sure that I will.''How was your wedding?''

I asked with small smile,looking at her through the mirror .

''We do have some things in common....We both want simple wedding or at least I want it.''

I replied softly, sighing.