Elizabeth Tudor (gloriana_) wrote in nevermore_logs, @ 2011-10-23 20:07:00 |
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Entry tags: | elizabeth tudor, richard the lionheart |
WHO: Queen Elizabeth & Richard the Lionheart
WHEN: Sunday afternoon
WHERE: A cafe in Brooklyn
WHAT: Two great English lions reunited
WARNINGS: probably nothing.
In hindsight, Elizabeth was feeling a little foolish for not having spoken up soon. Within days of making herself know to the community everyone had come back to her. Her dear patron saints, Patrick, David and - most beloved of them all - her very own Sir George. Elizabeth had never been Catholic - she left that entirely up to Mary - but she had been a woman of God. She had gone to the throne thinking the saints rather blasphemous ideas, but by the time she died forty-four years later she counted three of them among her closest friends, with a fourth holding a place within her heart as well.
And now here too was Richard, a once king himself who had come to act as an adviser after his own death so long before she took the throne. She'd always known herself to be a better ruler than Richard at heart. Richard was a man who barely spent any time at all in his country, while Elizabeth had been endlessly devoted and wedded to her beautiful England. That she couldn't return there now other than short bursts of time made her heart ache.
But today one of those small pieces of her English life would come to see her, and Elizabeth waited in the cafe she was to meet Richard in, her copper hair elegantly done up on her head and her white cardigan and black trousers immaculate, a glass of club soda in her hand.
She recognised Richard the moment he walked through the door and she stood with a smile, putting down her glass and holding out her arms so that he would come and embrace her. "My dear Richard."
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-23 06:46 am UTC (link) Track This
While he still mulled his worries over in his head, he was looking forward to seeing Bess again. Despite their differences they'd gotten along splendidly, and she'd always reminded him of his own younger sister. He was dressed more casually, and he smiled when he spotted her.
"Hello Bess," smiling he hugged her before drawing back and kissing her cheek. "You look well, as ever." He released her to motion for her to sit down. Old habits died hard.
When she sat he did the same, "I didn't know you were around. If your father shows up I'm still punching him." To say that Richard and Henry had not gotten along was an understatement.
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-23 09:45 pm UTC (link) Track This
Elizabeth embraced her old compatriot, reveling for a moment in the familiarity of it, before sitting with a smile at his compliment.
"I've been here for a while now," Elizabeth told him, "but I've been keeping a somewhat low profile. At least lower than the last time you saw me," she added with a small smirk. No longer was she high beloved monarch of one of the most powerful nations on earth.
To the comment on her father Elizabeth said nothing. She didn't quite know - even after all these years - exactly how she felt about her father. She remembered so fondly the times that she had been allowed to come to court to meet him. She remembered how sweet he'd been to her, how he had lavished affection on her. But Henry was the man that had imprisoned her mother in that horrible tower and then murdered her. He was the man that had brought her to meet his new wife Katherine - sweet and young and so nice to Elizabeth - and then killed her as well. Elizabeth couldn't help but love her father even though she knew that there was no sense in doing that.
So she remained silent on that point, wearing only a demure smile to Richard's words. She could fault no one for anger at Henry, but she could find only hurt feelings about him within herself.
"Tell me," Elizabeth said, moving them onto safer topics, "what do you do here? Where do you live?"
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-23 11:02 pm UTC (link) Track This
He knew bringing her father up was a touchy subject, but at least he'd refrained from bringing up her sister. For a good while he'd thought the entire Tudor line completely insane. Elizabeth had been a breath of fresh air, and he'd learned their arguments were more because they were so alike then different. Elizabeth had earned his respect and he'd been her biggest defender, until she'd mimicked some of her sisters actions.
"I live in this city, and I work for the military as a tactician. Not that they listen, but the ones that need to know know who I am. Makes things easier." Richard had always been a soldier. It still sat wrong with him he was now stuck behind a desk rather then in the field. "you know my brother's here, to my sorrows, and my mother's around. And what are you doing with yourself?"
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 01:00 am UTC (link) Track This
"Tactician," Elizabeth said with an approving nod. "Something you always were good at." He may never have officially been on her privy council, but she had always listened to Richard's advice on such matters.
"Royalty flocks to this city it appears," Elizabeth said, considering all those she'd already spoken too, if only over the internet. "Although that isn't a bad thing as I see it. As for myself, I'm currently working as a divorce lawyer and I'm living in a place called Tudor City on the East Side. But my apartment's being fumigated at the moment so I'm renting a place not far from here."
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 01:09 am UTC (link) Track This
He chuckled, "one of the few things I am good at." Considering how much George had helped him he'd felt it only fair to lend Elizabeth a hand. Even now he knew she'd done a better job at it then he ever had. "I can't be out there anymore so I do what I can."
"Center of the world," he glanced around, "or as close as one is going to get. There's a pull here. More then Royalty though. Some old Pagan Gods run around, and the Saints. It's certainly interesting around here. Keeps you on your toes." Then he remembered, "you missed George renewing his vows. Damn bastard ran off to get married a while ago."
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 01:15 am UTC (link) Track This
"I've run into a few others, yes," Elizabeth nodded, looking thoughtful. "It's surprisingly how very many strange creatures there are to be found."
"My George, married?" Elizabeth asked in surprise. "Should I feel slighted that my Saint has forgotten his queen? Who's the all too lucky woman?" Elizabeth had never taken overly well to other women taking a place in the hearts of the men she adored.
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 01:22 am UTC (link) Track This
He blinked, realizing he should have explained better. "No one. He married Sebastian, the Saint? I quite imagine you're still his Bess though. To this day I still find him on my doorstep all 'have you eaten fruit today Richard'. Seriously, never get sick around him. Fusses like mad. Granted he was there when I passed but still." George had always been his mentor and best friend. He didn't know how different that was for Elizabeth, who had not taken to the Saints at first.
"I imagine you'll meet Sebastian at the ball if you go."
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 01:32 am UTC (link) Track This
Married to Saint Sebastian, her George? He'd not even asked Elizabeth about it! Well, she hadn't been here to ask, she supposed, but still... Saint George was England In some ways one might say that he was as close to a husband as Elizabeth ever had. Elizabeth wasn't so sure how she felt about all this and she wasn't so sure she was going to like this Sebastian at all.
"I imagine I will," Elizabeth said a little coolly.
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 01:46 am UTC (link) Track This
He remembered that tone and glanced to her, trying to pick up where he'd gotten to have her sound like she didn't like him so much anymore. Their tempers were oddly alike. "They're happy." He shrugged before taking the glass of wine he'd ordered. "I think you've missed little else, save my birthday." He wasn't too fond of knowing he was yet another year older.
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 02:17 am UTC (link) Track This
Elizabeth was already considering exactly how this meeting with Sebastian was going to go. Already she disapproved of George's choice without even meeting the man. (That it was a man meant little to her. After all, Richard himself had been a magnificent whoopsie himself, much to her chagrin in the beginning. But she'd come to soon accept it even if she wasn't sure she approved. Nowadays the only time Elizabeth cared about the sexual orientation of a man was when it somehow involved one of her divorces.)
It did no good for Richard's first time seeing her to decent into her own moodiness over being abandoned by a favourite and so she smiled, focusing quickly on his new words instead. "No party invitation for your Bess?" Elizabeth asked him with amusement.
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 02:31 am UTC (link) Track This
"I went to France. I don't have parties anymore. I don't need reminders I'm getting old." He was pretty sure George would have thrown him a party if he'd asked, he just hadn't wanted one. "Besides I didn't know you were around here. I would have called you." He was glad for the new topic.
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 03:25 am UTC (link) Track This
"Speaking of," Elizabeth said, pulling her wallet out of her bag, and her business card out of that. She then added to the number there her mobile. "Here, this is me. The first two are just the office though, so don't bother with that. Now you'll have no excuse not to invite me next time."
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 03:30 am UTC (link) Track This
He took the card with a smile, "I think my boyfriend may mind. And I've never been the one to throw parties." Even his own marriage had been considered a bit casual by the times. "But I'll keep this." Smiling he set the card away before handing her his own. "And try and remember I'm there. For anything."
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 03:33 am UTC (link) Track This
"I always remember that," Elizabeth said and - instead of taking the offered hand - wrapped her hands around his. "You and George have always been my constants."
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 03:42 am UTC (link) Track This
Smiling he took her hand in his, "and thus we will stay. It's good having you around. Even though now I have two people to talk out of the lion idea. Next time I'll bring the dog George gave me."
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 05:05 am UTC (link) Track This
"I think you may be right about the lions," Elizabeth conceded with an amused smile. "We are creatures that do well without cages." Elizabeth herself was still petrified beyond measure of being locked up, because of her mother and Katherine's incarceration in the Tower as well as her own. "What sort of dog did he give to you?"
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 05:12 am UTC (link) Track This
He chuckled, "I tend to be right about some things. You know when I got that nickname George wanted to import one? Said it would be awesome." He shook his head before smiling. "Shiba Inu. I called him Normandy. He's rather adorable and he seems fond of me."
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 05:19 am UTC (link) Track This
"I'm surprised he didn't go through with it," Elizabeth said with a smile and then with a nostalgic sigh added, "I would have loved to have lions at court."
Elizabeth titled her head with a frown and said, "I've not idea what a Shiba Inu is, but I'll have to take your word on its adorable levels."
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 05:27 am UTC (link) Track This
He took out his phone to show her the picture George had texted him. "George dogsat for me when I went to France." Then he gave her a long look, "I wouldn't. They belong in their natural environment. And can you imagine the fuss? How many of your enemies do you think would have claimed you got them to feed your enemies to?"
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[info]gloriana_
2011-10-24 06:50 am UTC (link) Track This
"I'm assuming that the sunglasses didn't come attached," Elizabeth smiled, but said nothing about the unfairness of keeping lions. She had never exactly been the most adamant of animal rights activist, bear baiting having been one of her favourite things in the world back when she was queen. She understood that these things were frowned on now, but it couldn't be said she'd moved vastly forward from that.
"Well, my enemies claimed a lot of outlandish things about me," Elizabeth laughed easily. "None of the mad ideas of theirs stuck so I wouldn't be too worried about this one either. Not that any of it matters now. We shall never know."
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[info]heartoflion
2011-10-24 07:07 am UTC (link) Track This
He laughed, "no George put them on the dog. He said it was cute." He shook his head and shrugged. "We both had those people. My brother was one of them." He would never like John. Too much of humanity's belief had them set against one another. "either way it's all past now. We'll go see your lions at the zoo."