Isaiah and Ruben had said there was a lover’s quarrel during their last night watch between Joan and Henry and Walter wondered if the King had grown tired of his latest tryst.
Perhaps Joan had been too heartsick to attend the ball. Or perhaps Henry had forbidden her attendance in his displeasure.
Tamsin had just been called up to the dais to perform her first song of the evening when a shrill scream echoed through the corridors. Walter could tell that the screamer was a woman and that it was one of deep distress. He felt the hair on his neck stand on end. Something was terribly wrong.
Walter locked eyes with Owen. It was his natural inclination to go towards the screams but if they did that the king could be left vulnerable. It was always possible that a ploy such as a screaming woman could be used by an enemy. Still, Walter's heart pounded as he found Henry in the crowd. Walter and Owen immediately rushed to his side.
King Henry was looking towards the noise with the same curious worry as the rest of the crowd. He left the side of the woman he was dancing with and hurried towards the screaming. Walter and Owen leapt forward to follow as did Queen Anne.
Several members of the court joined the investigation as well but many held back. He could not know whether their actions were due to fear or apathy. Had King Henry not gone to investigate Walter would have done his duty but he would have been curious. If he were just another member of the crowd he would have followed the screams to see if he could offer any assistance to the woman in distress.
King Henry led them down the corridor to where a woman was clinging to a man and screaming. The man looked as stunned as the woman though his only noises were soft whimpers. Both of them were pale as doves. They stood there trembling.
"What is it?" Henry demanded.
The woman pointed through the open door across the hall.
Walter looked into the room. It took a moment for him to register what his eyes were seeing.
A shadow hung from the post of the bed.
"Cut her down," Henry ordered. Walter and Owen rushed forward.
Her head was bent to one side. Her face was purple and her dead eyes bulged. Her feet dangled inches from the ground and had she been any taller the noose around her neck would have been ineffective.
Walter held her body still as Owen cut the sheet from the bedpost. As soon as the last thread separated she fell into his arms and he lowered her carefully to the floor and then stepped back as the crowd rushed forward.
"We need a doctor," one woman called.
"We need a priest," another woman said.
"Joan!" the voice belonged to Tamsin. Walter wanted to go to her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and cover her eyes from the sight of her dead friend but he knew he couldn't. His duty in that moment was to see that King Henry remained safe.
Walter located Henry in the crowd and said, "Your Majesty, you should step out into the hall for safety."
King Henry looked at him like one of them was daft but he did as Walter asked.
It would be too easy in such a close crowd for an assassin's blade to penetrate his person. There was naught to be done for the girl and Walter kept reminding himself of that as he and Owen herded Henry a ways down the corridor to where the crowd was sparse.
Queen Anne joined them a moment later.
"Is there no chance she was murdered?" King Henry asked.
"I do not believe so," Walter said.
"The girl took her own life. Her deception must have weighed too heavily on her soul," Anne said. Henry's face reddened and turned to stone but he did not speak.
"I will write a letter to her family," Anne said. By now, several of the usual matrons and maids were by Anne's side. They had drunk in the dead woman's body until their thirst for the macabre was satiated. Now, they were prepared to see what their queen would do.
"Tonight's festivities are over," King Henry shouted.
He turned and with footfalls that echoed through the corridors he made his way down the hall to his chamber. Walter and Owen followed as did many of the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber.
Walter and Owen waited at the door of the King's chamber while his Gentlemen saw to his dressing and bedding needs.
Owen stood stoically guarding the king's door but Walter could see that he was shaken by the events that had unfolded. Walter doubted that Owen's feeling for Joan had gone beyond those of a mild amusement but that did not change the fact that he had known her and danced with her.
Walter's mind was not on his own almost non existent relationship with the deceased but instead on Tamsin. She must be grief stricken at the loss of her friend. Walter wished he could go to her and give whatever comfort she would take from me but he could not. His duty was to King Henry and if Joan's kin heard of her demise and believed that Henry's bedding of her had anything to do with her death it was possible that King Henry would have another enemy in the eaves.
Walter sighed. His body felt heavy and weary. He needed to talk to Tamsin soon. She would be grief stricken over Joan's death. Walter made a decision. It was time he told Tamsin of his feelings. It was time he revealed his intentions to her. If her feeling were as his were then it was time to leave Hampton Court together.
***
Tamsin did not want to even enter the room where Joan had taken her life. She would go to the chapel instead. It would not be the first night she had spent there. In the chapel she could pray for Thomas, Joan, and especially for herself.
She was finished with Hampton Court. She wanted to return to Wolstenholme. There might be nothing there for her but she did not care any longer. She might become an old maid with nothing to do but help raise Tobias's pups but that had to be better than staying at Hampton Court where King Henry brought women to his bed for pleasure. Those same women laid beneath the king in hopes that he would leave his wife and make his lover the next queen. All the while the current queen fought to keep her husband and her position. It was all too much. Tamsin wanted the simpler life of Wolstenholme back.
She would write to her mother at dawn and beg to return home. She would tell her mother the whole gruesome tale of how Joan had tried to seduce the king and failed miserably in becoming anything more than a tarnished woman. Surely, her mother would see that there was no reason for her to stay at Hampton Court and call her home.
The tightness in the pit of Tamsin's stomach reminded her that she wasn't so sure. So far, her mother had failed to answer her letters. What could she do if her mother ignored this one as well?
Chapter 12
Walter was surprised at how quickly grief passed over Hampton Court. In a werewolf pack losses were mourned and felt, often for years. His own grief for Mary still weighed down his heart and it had been almost two years since he had buried her.
It was not so at Hampton Court mostly because King Henry would not allow it.
Before even a week had passed after Joan's death there was dancing in the Great Hall. Henry brought in the amusements he had tantalized the queen with months before.
Jugglers, acrobats, jokers, and play actors entertained the court. For its part, the court was eager to forget sorrow and to embrace merriment again.
Owen seemed as if he had all but forgotten Joan as he watched the entertainments of the court and Walter was glad that his pain at Joan's loss was so minimal.
As soon as he saw Tamsin he could see that unlike Hampton Court, she was not ready to stop mourning Joan.
The Great Hall was filled with the merriment of yet another ball and Tamsin entered on the arm of a matron.
Her eyes were bloodshot and dark but she held her head high and sang sweetly at the order of Queen Anne.
She did not refuse a dance with King Henry nor did she return to her room until all were dismissed but Walter could tell that she wanted solitude. He was relieved for her when King Henry finally left the Great Hall. His departure usually signaled that the festivities would die down quickly. Tamsin would be able to return to her room without questions or comments fro
m the court.
Walter almost wished he could watch her leave and be sure she had an escort to her room but he and Owen instead followed King Henry and took their place outside of his chamber.
"Did you see the pretty girl who just arrived at court?" Owen whispered.
"The one with raven hair?" Walter asked. He did not often pay attention to the comings and goings of court as they were too numerous.
"Yes, she seems a sweet young thing," Owen said. Walter nodded though he had not made any judgments of her. Hampton Court was not the place to be sweet, young, and pretty.
They watched the Gentleman of the Privy Chamber leave to their respective beds and Walter yawned.
He wanted to go to bed. The nights had been uneventful as they guarded King Henry's chamber which was a blessing but it also made them long and often dull. He had heard every story Owen opened his mouth to tell at least once before and he had none left he wished to share with his companion.
Owen was in the middle of recounting, again, the story of a maid he fancied whose heart had been lost to another when the chamber door opened and a gentleman peeked out.
"King Henry has requested that the girl who sang tonight be sent for. He says you have spoken to her before and would know who he meant."
Walter felt a chill through his body but he nodded. His whole being did not want to comply with what was being asked of him but there was no resistance he could offer. At least, none that would not force him away from court.
Walter's muscles ached as his legs carried him to her door. He was dry mouthed when he called to her.
"Walter?" She did not appear to have been asleep. Her face was smooth instead of marked by her pillow. Her hair was pulled back and uncovered but it was not messy from sleep.
"The king has requested you visit his chamber," Walter croaked. He closed his eyes, swallowed to moisten his throat, and repeated the words again.
Tamsin looked away from him and at the floor for several moments. Walter did not know what words to say to her and it took time for Tamsin to find words for him.
"Tell his Majesty that I have a female complaint and am unable to come to him tonight. Beg his Majesty to give me another two days in the hopes that the complaint resolves," she said looking him in the eye. She knew that he knew she was lying. If it was the time of her bloods as she had hinted he would have known from her smell.
"I will give him that message," Walter said. She nodded and turned from him.
Walter let out a sigh of relief as he returned to Henry's room and relayed the message to his Gentleman.
"It is a temporary reprieve," Owen whispered once Walter was again standing beside him. "Henry has set his eyes on her and there is naught she can do about it now."
He was right, of course. She had told the king a lie to buy her time but no man would take such an excuse for long. In another day or so she would again be called to his chamber and there was nothing she could do to stop the advances of Henry. He would pursue her and even if she evaded him for a time she was likely to suffer the wrath of Queen Anne.
Walter did not believe King Henry would use force on a maid. It was against his chivalrous nature, at least he hoped. On the other hand, there was more than one way a woman could be made complacent and Henry was not a fool where women were concerned.
***
After Walter left her Tamsin could not sleep. She did not even try. She made her way to the chapel. This time she would not pray for Thomas of Joan but for herself. She did not intend to go to King Henry's bed but she had no idea what she would do to prevent it. It would not be safe for her to run from Hampton Court without an escort and even if she sent her most desperate letter to her mother there was no way she would be rescued in time. If she did run and was not devoured by wild beasts where would she go and how would she get there? Her father would be furious with her for leaving Hampton Court and there was a very real chance he would cast her out. If he did that, what could she possibly do?
If Thomas was alive she knew she could have depended on him to provide for and protect her but he was dead and Tobias was too young to stand up to their father. She wasn't sure he would have even if he could. She was merely his sister. Not his twin.
Chapter 13
Walter felt a wave of relief when Ruben and Isaiah came to take over their duty of guarding King Henry.
"You are not going to bed?" Owen asked as soon as they had turned the corner and were out of sight of their companions. The other wolves could still hear them but Walter doubted they were putting much work into listening. Still, he answered softly.
"No," Walter admitted.
"Be wise, my friend," Owen said. He squeezed Walter's shoulder before disappearing down the corridor. Walter headed in the opposite direction towards the chapel. He knew that was where he would find Tamsin and when he opened the door he was not disappointed.
She was kneeling in prayer. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were wet. He was surprised she had any tears left to cry.
He moved until his shadow fell over her. She looked up but she did not seem startled. Instead, the look in her eyes was one of despair.
"Do you know why Joan died?" Tamsin asked. Walter had a pretty good idea but he shook his head.
"Queen Anne had sent a letter to her father insisting she marry someone she did not know. Her father had little choice but to comply. Joan had been sent here to seduce the king. She did what her family expected of her but then they planned to send her to an unhappy marriage without any thought for her."
"It is not the first time a marriage has been made based on practicality instead of love," Walter said. His own marriage to Mary had been an arranged one. They had both done their duty and he had grown to care for Mary deeply. Their concern for the welfare of the pack had bonded them. When Jonathan came and Walter had looked at the child his wife had carried for him their love was solidified. Their mutual love of their son led to a bond that brought them closer than he had ever been to another person.
"I am about to become her. I can see it now and there is nothing I can do to stop it," Tamsin said. The anguish in her eyes tore at his heart.
"Some of Henry's other mistresses have fared better than Joan," Walter said.
"My father sent me here to seduce the king and usurp the queen. He said that if Henry married me it meant the crown would show more favor to were-kind. He thought that Henry would favor me believing I was a werewolf because my father is one. I thought I could do what my father ordered but I cannot. I can go to the king's bed and lay with him in shame but I will not attempt to marry him. If Anne decides I am a threat to her she will order me wed to a stranger. Likely the same poor relation Joan would have wedded," Tamsin sobbed.
Walter knelt down and wrapped her up in his arms. She leaned into his chest. She was soft and warm against him. It made his heart ache even more.
"I care for you," Walter blurted. He hadn't really intended to say it but in that moment there seemed nothing else he could say.
"And I you," Tamsin said.
"Then wed me and we will leave Hampton Court together. My brother has given me permission to return home at my leisure," Walter said. It was an impulsive thing to do but it seemed the only sensible solution to the problem at hand. He would leave Hampton Court that night regardless of what she said. Walter's feelings for Tamsin would not allow him to stand outside of Henry's door as he bedded the woman Walter loved. She would marry him now and join him on his journey home or she would remain here in her misery alone. Walter could not bear to see it.
"You need permission from your alpha to marry," Tamsin said.
"I should have it but I will not be exiled for breaking that law. Not in this circumstance," Walter said.
Alphas approved marriages to insure the quality of pups born to the pack and to make sure alliances were made that benefited packs. Edward would be able to find little fault with the parentage of a Wolstenholme. Walter had already given his pack seven pups. After watching Mary die in childbirth
he could not bring himself to put another pup in a woman. Tamsin's being a non-were was for the best. It would give him a wife and his children a loving mother but it would not take a breeding female away from the pack.
The more Walter turned the idea over in his mind the more sense it made.
"Suppose Henry brings his wrath down on our families for the defiance?" Tamsin asked.
"I will not pretend there is no risk of that though I do not believe it will happen. Henry believes himself a chivalrous knight deep down in his soul and while he might manipulate a woman to his bed I do not believe he could force one in good conscience. It will be believed that you were so distraught over the death of your friend that you left court. It will not seem strange that you returned to my pack instead of your own. He does not understand our ways. Besides, he needs the werewolf packs more than we need him. We have members of my pack guarding his person and should the Pope choose to start a war with Henry he will need his strongest fighters. He may not be pleased but I do not take Henry for a fool," Walter said. He had no idea if he was telling her the truth. He had seen a chivalrous and practical nature to Henry since he had been at court but he had also seen the spoiled wrath of a selfish child. Walter could not guess how King Henry would act but he would not let that fear force Tamsin into the king's bed.
"Do you really mean it? Do you really wish to marry me?" Tamsin asked.
"I truly do," Walter said.
"It must not be just to save me in this moment. This moment is nothing in a lifetime," Tamsin said.
"I know it is not. My children need a mother and I have been too long without a wife. I do not think you would be a hard woman to grow old with," Walter said. At least, she would not be any more difficult than any other woman. He and Mary had grown to love each other and he was already more than fond of Tamsin. It didn't hurt that she was such a beauty to look at. He desired her. He wanted her underneath him in his bed.
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