Excellent The Morning After The Flanders Mare : The Flanders Mare chapter Four by Cass Carlton

Warning: The author has noted that this contains the highest level of sexual content. Anne of Cleves has married Henry Tudor and spent the wedding night in their marital bed. Anne prepared a love potion to encourage herself to accept Henry's advances. They both drank some of it and now Henry is enamoured of his new wife. Now Read On The next morning I awoke to hear Dame Clothilde's voice speaking in French and realized she was addressing Henry. Although her voice was, as always, pitched low, it resounded in my skull like a brass gong. I stirred and rolled over, making my head spin like a drunken Jester's coxcomb. Slowly I opened my eyes to see Henry sitting at the dressing table having his hair combed. Dame Clothilde wielded the comb capably, teasing out some of the sparse parts and flicking into waves of red gold the back of his hair. "There," she said at last, " what do you think Sire? Does it not suit you passing well?" Her voice thundered in my brain again and I realized it was the love potion's side effects. Henry looked into the glass to see the back. His hair caught the light making it glint in the mirror and a smile spread across his face as he caught sight of me watching him. "Good Morning Sweetheart," he rumbled, patting his head carefully so as not to disturb the newly arranged red gold locks. His voice fell on my ears like the roar of a cannonade and I winced in pain at the sound. He turned his head this way and that, relishing the new style and then turned to me with an inquiring look on his face. I realized I had to make some response but my mouth felt full of cobwebs and my head was pounding. I was about to reach for the water jug when Mariposa's long, blue clad arm encircled me as she drew me up onto the pillows. Through the warm fabric of her sleeve I could feel the strength in her lean, muscular arm. She smiled comfortingly into my eyes as she she held a small crystal cup to my lips. "Your morning tonic your Grace', she spoke softly, aware that Henry could hear every word she said, and held the little cup carefully as I sipped its contents experimentally and then drank it down in a mouthful. Immediately I felt better. My head cleared and the sound of voices returned to normal. Mariposa gave me a sly, green eyed wink which I acknowledged with a small thankful smile and looked across at Henry. ""Dame Clothilde is very talented with hair styling Sire", I said speaking in French.""She was wonderfully clever with dear Papa's hair. My brother's too. You will be able to wear a hat and yet not spoil the style nor hide it." Feeling much recovered I clambered out of bed to where Mariposa waited with my morning wash water. I slipped out of my night gown and stood naked as she washed me down with a warm, perfumed cloth until I glowed like a bar of pink marble. Henry watched with great interest, smiling as Mariposa wrapped me in a large warm shawl. He put his arms out to me and I went to him gladly, snuggling into his warmth as the morning was chill and cold. "Do you wash every morning, my dear?" he asked as his hand found my bare breast and fondled it tenderly. "Yes indeed Sire. It sets me up for the day. Mariposa has washed me every morning since I was a child. " "Tomorrow, she might do the same for me,'" he said grinning like a Cheshire cat. If he expected some startled response or exclamation he didn't receive it, as Mariposa was used to the sight of male bodies, naked and clothed. She had been a body servant in my uncle's household for several years and took in her stride the human form in all its shapes and sizes. Mariposa smiled into his face, meeting his eyes unabashed. Dropping a curtsey she said, "If it please your Grace, I'll need a larger bowl and an extra towel to do you proper office." He threw his head back and laughed heartily. "To be sure, my dear," he answered, beaming at her mischievous face, "whatever you deem needful to the task. Speak to Daniel and he will arrange anything you require." He glanced around the room, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Where is Daniel? I haven't seen him since last night." "Do you mean the boy who assists you to bed at night Sire?" "Yes, where is he?" Even as he asked, a quiet, deferential voice spoke from the door through which he had vanished last night. Daniel was in the open doorway, eyes averted to my nakedness, awaiting his master's call. " Here, Your Grace. " He came and knelt before Henry, leaning forward to kiss the great ring on his finger. "You young ruffian," said Henry fondly, ruffling the boy's hair, "what do you think of this lady who sits so naughtily upon her king's knee? Hmm? Do you think she'll do for a queen?" Daniel blushed to the roots of his hair, flicking a bashful glance at my near naked form and looking away. "To be sure, Your Grace. The lady is most suitable. I wish you every happiness in this - - er - that is - um". He stopped in confusion, his face almost purple with embarrassment. Henry chuckled deep in his chest and stood up, lifting me effortlessly off his lap and wrapping me closely in my shawl. "Harumph," he said, clearing his throat, "wife, you beguile me all too easily. There are matters at hand to which I must attend." I kissed his hand and swept him a curtsey. He grinned at me recalling the night before. Dame Clothilde curtseyed as he passed her, his long legged gait regal and purposeful. I heard the clash of arms as a guard at the door came to attention, realizing in that moment the guard was none other than my faithful Jacques. I felt a sudden warm glow of happiness, and decided that all was well with the Queen of England. to be continued

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