His Secret Slave to Scandalous Queen

Her brows lifted when she heard the name. "Miss Valenti?"

"Yes, Your Grace," the maid said, lowering her eyes.

"This should be interesting," Theodora said. "Send her in."

The maid curtsied and left. For the few minutes it took to fetch Livia, Theodora allowed herself to consider the girl’s purpose. She was not foolish enough to believe this visit was born of concern. Livia Valenti had not come to weep over her bed, press cool cloths to her brow, and pray for reconciliation. No. The girl had come to look upon the fallen lioness.

There was nothing more revealing than a young woman believing she had learned cruelty. Theodora had been shaped by years of plotting. Miss Valenti had seduced a king and now thought herself ready to stand before Theodora.

Adorable.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened.

Livia entered.

Her gown was modest, her hair arranged. Livia curtsied. "Your Grace."

Theodora watched the depth of the curtsy, the angle of the head, the pause before rising. "Miss Valenti...What an honour to receive you."

Livia smiled softly. "I was so afraid when I received the news with the king. I just had to come and see you."

Ah.

There it was.

The performance.

Theodora’s gaze moved over her from head to hem. The girl wore concern well. She stood like a dutiful future daughter-in-law. "And my son?" she asked.

"His Majesty sends his greetings. Matters of council delay him. Otherwise, he would have been here with me."

Theodora hummed. "Hm."

Henry had not sent greetings. Henry would sooner send soldiers. Theodora knew her son well enough to recognise the reason in his absence. If he had been moved by her suffering, he would have come.

Livia turned to the physician, very committed to her role. "How is Her Grace?"

"She will recover, my lady. Thankfully, her attendants reached her in time. A few minutes later, and matters might have ended very differently."

"Your Grace," Livia said softly, "why would you do this? Did you not think of the people you would leave behind?"

"Leave us," Theodora said.

Within moments, the physician, the maid, and the attendants withdrew. At last, the play lost its audience.

Theodora looked up at Livia. "Say exactly what you came to say...and spare me this horrible little performance."

Livia smiled. "I truly did come to see that you are alive and well."

"I told you," Theodora snarled, "that it would be over my dead body before I saw you become queen."

"Well, then you should try harder, Your Grace," Livia said. "A blade will do the work quicker."

Theodora’s eyes flashed. "I knew you came to gloat."

"Would you not?"

"You think you have what it takes to be me?"

Disgust moved openly across Livia’s face.

"Oh, I do not wish to become you," she said. "God, no. But I do wish to see you suffer. You cannot die so soon...Though we both know this was only a desperate move to gain your son’s attention. I shall save you the trouble. He barely batted an eyelid when he was told. He simply came back to bed. To me."

Theodora rose and held her gaze. "You think I am done with you, little girl?"

"I think you are done, period."

"I have never been one to stay down, Livia Valenti."

"Then rise." Livia’s voice hardened. "Bring it. Bring all you have. I have faced things you cannot even imagine...And I am not yet even half your age. Yet here I am, standing on my own two feet." Livia’s hands curled at her sides. "I was sold into bondage by my own father. I was beaten. Traded. Used. I was thrown from a roof."

"And yet, Your Grace, here I still stand."

Theodora had power, yes. But Livia had survived being reduced to nothing and had still found a way to become someone.

There were few things more inconvenient to tyrants than women who had already survived the worst they could imagine.

"Do you truly want to go to war with me?" Livia asked. "With a woman willing to poison herself just to see you lose?"

"Princess Madeleine arrived in Whitehall with the same will and stubbornness you carry," Theodora said. "I broke her. You? You, I will crush. Enjoy the king’s attention while it lasts, my dear."

"It does not matter if I hold his attention for a month or two," Livia said. "He is crowning me Queen of England. Queen of the realm. Above even you. It is more than you can boast of, is it not?" Livia asked softly. "Trust me, Your Grace, I shall remind you of it every single day of your life."

"Do you know what England does to witches, whore?" Theodora asked.

"I imagine Your Grace is eager to inform me."

"They are burnt at the stake."

Livia tilted her head. "Is that you telling me how you plan to truly die?"

Theodora smiled then. "You have done what you came here to do...You may leave."

"Oh, no." Livia turned slightly, as if remembering herself. "I have to make an absolute show of it. The people need to know that their queen-to-be is not vindictive...She visits the sick. Helps the less privileged." she made a show of looking around the room which clearly was not up to the standards of the queen mother’s room in Whitehall. "She forgives even murderers."

Livia moved towards the door with graceful calm. "I shall send for tea."

Then she opened the door. The physician and attendants looked up at once. Livia rearranged her face into concern swiftly.

"Her Grace is tired," she said gently. "Please bring in some tea. I shall like to be with her for longer."

Theodora watched her. If Livia Valenti thought the Tower could hold her, then the little whore had not seen anything yet.

*****

"Master Hartwell," Henry boomed as he stepped into the library.

Master Hartwell shot to his feet so quickly that he nearly knocked the inkpot from his desk. One hand flew out to steady it.

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