A/N: Merry Christmas everyone!
This is more one AU shipp that I love xD I am addicted on AU shipps... Well this is just a oneshot about what I wanted that happened after Christmas' party on Court on The Tudors Season 4, Episode 6.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
True Colors - Cindy Lauper
True Colors
I
There is a long time Mary didn't feel true serenity.
Really, maybe she never had felt such serenity since the childhood. Hostess on the Christmas' party in Court... Who would imagine? From beloved princess to bastard child and now... Princess again? Not with the title, of course, because Henry VIII would never admit that the marriage with the first wife was still worth, but she had recovered the right of being the king's daughter and this was better than nothing.
Mary was leaned to a parapet on a patio distant from the room of the party, far away from the celebration murmur, because the dances began and the king had been surrounded by the crows that were the noblemen close from the throne, all advising him on how go with France. She had gotten her father's permission to be absent alleging the need of fresh air.
She looked at the stars, diamonds incrusted in the black mantle that was the night sky, and breathed deeply, savoring the breeze. She knew that didn't lie to the king, really needed fresh air, needed the blessed calm of this beautiful night. Closing her eyes, she thought about her mother. Catherine of Aragon, the true queen - maybe the only woman worthy of the title among all Henry's wives, even with Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves being great women. Mary didn't noticed, but the tears began to roll on her face.
"Beautiful women should not cry.". said a known voice. She opened the eyes and saw the Duke of Suffolk on her side, extending a silk cloth. "Dry your tears, m'lady." he said, indicating to the cloth.
Mary was surprised, so much for she had been caught crying as for his sudden presence, but accepted the offer and cleaned her face.
"Better like this." he smile "what you make here, alone, Lady Mary? The party waits for you.".
"I can ask you the same." she said, rewarding the smile and returning the cloth to him with thanks "but in this case, Your Grace, the king is whom waits for you.".
He laughed. Henry's daughters had an amazing rhetoric, he knew that Elizabeth was also brilliant.
"No, he have Hertford." Charles couldn't contain the acidity in his voice.
"I am sure that His Majesty would never substitute a great friend's company for any other, Your Grace." she said, but Mary knew that he was right: Edward's uncle was a snake.
"But I substitute his company for yours." he say, without thinking "can I stay here?" he waited that she accepted, therefore the months that the Duke had passed far away from the Court made him learn to appreciate the silence and the calm.
"The honor is mine, Your Grace." she answered, smiling.
"Your Grace?" he ask "I am really tired... Hear this all night, I would like to hear my name, can call just Charles.".
"Well, then, Charles, you can call me Mary."
Without some exact reason, Mary blushed. She thanked the darkness. An uncomfortable silence was between them after Charle leaned in the parapet, beside her. They were mute a long time, looking at the horizon and Mary already thought about returning to the party when Charles began to speak.
"I always liked stars. I never knew why. Maybe because of my mother, she said that the stars were the fires of the souls of the people that we loved that had gone." he smiled gloomily "she said this after my grandfather's death, when I was a child. And so many years later I try to see her soul shining in this infinite immensity.".
This was so beautiful that the words escaped from Mary.
"I guess that Queen Catherine is shining up there, she should be the most beautiful of the stars." he completed.
Without thinking, she cried again. The weeping assaulted her suddenly.
When seeing her crying, he was deeply sorry for the words, same having been said without reflection, just with his heart. Forgetting all about the formal protocols, he hugged her. She didn't resist and placed the head on his thorax and continues to cry copiously. He hugged her more and more strong, whispering sweet words with the lips on her hair.
Just when the cry decreased, Mary could notice how both also noticed that they couldn't be seen on this way in Court, by the reputation and then, wanting that, she was disentangled of his hug.
"Excuse, Mary... I only..."
"Oh, no problems" she said with a benevolent smile. "I think your mother is right. If yes, then the Queen Catherine is really shining, close to Lord.".
He smiled. They fell in silence again.
"When I was child, I thought that all of the problems could be resolved by my father or by my mother and I thought they were eternal." she said, smiling. "But as you grow... You learn that the loss is the most painful part of the life and also the most inevitable.".
"The most painful, yes... " his eyes were sad "Inevitable? In a case of my life, I could avoid, could help somebody that I loved, but, as always, I destroyed everything. And she had gone. My loved Margaret.".
"Margaret... My mother loved her enough. Margaret never accepted the usurper Boleyn.".
"Everyone loved Margaret. She was so beautiful as sensitive, but mordant and intelligent. And she could be with us now if I had been less... Stupid.".
"Stupid?" Mary didn't understand "But Margaret died with tuberculosis.".
"Tuberculosis maybe has been the doctors' explanation, but she suffered of a soul evil" he sighed "Suffered of the love lack, suffered of betrayal. My disregard killed her.".
Mary got scared with his voice, so dark and full of anguish. She knew that Suffolk was really a great womanizer on his youth, but Mary didn't imagine as this had affected his relationship with her aunt. She put the hand on his shoulder, trying to offer comfort like he had done before.
"Charles, you can't be sure of what you are speaking. And Margaret is with God now, shining on us.".
"You don't understand, sweetheart" he said, laughing bitterly "It was the same with the Duchess. I can't love, my love destroys. You know king Midas? These whose the touch converted anything in gold? My touch transforms everything in ashes.".
"The love can't be something bad, it can never destroy. God sent His So to the death by us, by the love to humanity. The love can never harm.". she retorted, getting closer from him, wanting to hug Charles.
Her argument was so strong and so true that he didn't know what answer. Mary began to sing verses of a spanish popular music that had learned with her mother. It was the song that Catherine sang to her child when Mary was sad.
"It seems like lullaby. On spanish." he said and laughed "You are a good singer.".
She turned on red again, not for the praise, but why noticed her proximity in relation to Charles, and mainly why noticed that he was still an extremely attractive and seductive man.
A soft music arrived to them from the festival room where the Court was. Charles had an idea.
"Do you want dance, m'lady?" he asked, making a theatrical reverence.
"On the party?" Mary asked, discouraged.
"Not!" he said. "We will dance here!"
She laughed.
"It's okay" the lady agreed. She caught the hem of her dress and rewarded the reverence. "My lord."
Then, he approached her still more and girded her by the waist with delicate firmness. They began to dance the calm waltz, but without notice that they are moving on the garth, lost in the heat of each other. She placed the head again on his thorax, smiling without noticing and she closed the eyes. Her arms involved his neck.
"It's so good hear your heart beat." she admitted, whispering, hoping he didn't hear. But Charles heard.
The music finished, but they didn't change the position. They stopped in the center of the garth. She opened the eyes an noticed that his face was placed on her hair.
Mary kissed him.
Charles involved her warmly in his arms, kissing her hopelessly. When Mary was disentangled of him and stared rapt to Charles she just knew the truth that all her body screamed.
"Charles Brandon" she call, looking serious "I want you.".
II
They were far away from the christmas party of the Court. Mary said to the king that needed to sleep earlier and, some time after, Charles said that he felt indisposed. The king liberated the Duke of Suffolk unwillingly, just after obtaining from Brandon the promise that he would find the Emperor's ambassador the other day in the morning.
They were now on a comfortable and small room of the empty castle that Charles had in London, to permanences in the Court. Charles rested nude beside Mary, also naked. They breathed heavily, she was deeply embarrassed, but she couldn't stop looking his body, still very handsome. Brandon was enchanted with Mary's sensuality - without a doubt, a woman now. He kissed her.
"Are you sure?" he asked, serious.
"So sure as never in my life." she answered, whispering on his ear.
Without other word, Charles Brandon slid inside of her, pulling from Mary a deep sigh and a lot of tears. It was the first time that he made love, since Margaret - after the Tudor Rose he just had sex. When Mary moaned of pleasure, he almost cried of emotion.
It ended, she slept on his hug. He knew that she would not be there in the dawn, she needed to return for her home, far away from London. He also knew that everything had been just one moment, only and exclusively. But Charles also know that he loved Mary.
He loved her, therefore he sees the true colors shining inside her.