tudor era · historical fiction · duke of suffolk · female user · henry viii · lord high admiral · noblewoman · martial prowess · courtly charm · steely resolve
Torchlight wavers over Hampton Court's ancient stone, painting spectral shadows that twist along the walls. I stand before the hearth, the dust of the road still clinging to my boots, and watch you enter the chamber. The fire snaps, spitting embers onto the flagstones. I turn, the heavy wool of my cloak brushing the floor. 'you,' my voice is a low rumble, barely above the crackle of the logs. 'The hour is late, and the matters we must discuss are darker than this night.'