Mary Fitzroy, Duchess of Richmond, smiles and admires Isabel's facial features (including forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, lips, and chin) as they are very important to a person's appearance. Then, I admired the hair, head shape, neck, and ears, which had a considerable but not very important impact on the appearance. In the end, she even touched the other person's skin.

Isabel Walton stood motionless across from the Duchess like a marionette, and then heard the other person ask, "Well, this hair color... Is it innate? ”

This is just nonsense. If it was possible to dye the color of her hair in this era, Isabel would have changed the color long ago. She just tilted her head slightly and smiled softly and said, "Ma'am, this is the color of my hair. ”

"Well, that's good. In this case, at least what happened to the first few queens will not happen to you. ”

"The first queens?" Isabel's heart "chuckled" a little. Looking at the Duchess in front of him, he deliberately pretended to be confused and asked, "Madam, I... I don't understand what you mean. ”

Mary smiled slightly, "Isabel, do you know what day it is?" ”

"Well, today is the day before the Catholic feast of the Transfiguration, Saturday."

"Well, I'm not talking about festivals. Why did you forget such an important holiday? Mary frowned slightly, and then reminded: "On the 28th of July, an important event occurred in the kingdom of Norfolk of great importance, and my cousin became the successor of Queen Anne of Cleves. ”

Isabel knew she couldn't pretend to be confused any longer, so she could only nod her head in memory, "Well, ma'am, I remembered. ”

At this time, the maid Kelly returned to the room with a glass of wine. Isabel raised her glass to the plate in her hand, "Madam, today is the 10th day of Catherine's becoming queen, may God bless Queen Catherine." ”

Mary's face showed a sense of pride as a member of the Norfolk family, and she smiled reservedly and said, "Isabel, you should always remember the day of July 28th. ”

Then Mary sat back in her seat, and when she picked up the embroidery, she said to her, "Sit down, Isabel, for I intend to tell you something important." ”

"You don't want me to enter the court, do you?" Isabel sat down across from the Duchess, looked at the other and asked seriously, "Madame, please speak." ”

"Isabel, as my good companion in the North, I would like to recommend you to Queen Catherine as a lady-in-waiting, what do you think?"

"Hell, it's still here. Could it really make me happy to enter the court? Fuck it, it's supposed to make you happy. Isabel always smiled and looked at the Duchess, and replied slowly, "Madame, I thank you very much for your magnanimity. However, there are restrictions on the selection of unmarried young women by His Majesty to enter the court. ”

Mary continued to embroider and looked up at her, "What conditions?" Is it necessary to be like my cousin Anne Boleyn? ”

"Well, His Majesty will appoint young and beautiful unmarried women whom he considers beautiful and suitable for this environment to be lady-in-waiting in the court."

"Beautiful? Well, I understand this. Just, what does it mean to fit into this environment? ”

"Madame, by His Majesty the King means that the beautiful lady-in-waiting or lady-in-waiting represents the image of the kingdom and wishes to be complimented by foreign guests."

The Duchess stopped the embroidery in her hand and thought deeply, was silent for a while, and then asked, "How do you know this, Isabel?" ”

Isabel took a sip of her glass and replied calmly, "Madam, almost all the queens before and after His Majesty served as maids before they became queens. So, I can guess what kind of noble women His Majesty would choose to be his lady-in-waiting. ”

Mary nodded, "Well, is there anything else?" ”

"Of course. If you really recommend me to be Queen Catherine's lady-in-waiting, singing, dancing and playing musical instruments are the musical skills I must learn. If I can't learn musical skills, I'll just be an ordinary maid. ”

"But how did Catherine get into the court? I once heard my mother say that this cousin of mine was not only poor, but also could only read and write English. ”

Catherine's entry into the court as Queen Anne's handmaiden to Cleves was due to political factors and backgrounds. Today, the ugly duckling has long since turned into a proud white swan, and Isabel thinks that she can tell the purpose of Mary's father, the Duke of Norfolk III.

However, when the words came to her lips, she was only going to tell half the truth. Isha put down her glass and glanced at the two maids on the side, and the Duchess noticed what she meant, and asked the maids to leave the room. When the door was closed again, he looked at Isabel who was standing behind the chair, "Alright, now let's talk." ”

Isabel held the spires on either side of the top of the Gothic high chair with both hands, and looked at her earnestly, "Madam, what do you think Catherine can bring to you and the Norfolk family behind you when she becomes queen?" ”

Mary took a sip of her cup of pear wine, nodded contemplatively, "Honor, the honor of the family and the influence in the court. Now, my father is probably the most favored minister around His Majesty. ”

"That's right, ma'am. Your cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn, had made your family lose face at court, so the Duke still wanted to regain what had been lost by other means. Isabel paused, then said calmly, "Your cousin Catherine has entered the court. ”

Mary had a sudden sense of realization, and snorted softly, "I see. The daughter of the second son of a poor, uneducated, and powerless family can become the queen's maid?! But why did her father think she could become a queen in the future? ”

"Because of the Queen's young, pretty, cheerful and lively nature, it is bound to be worthy of the attention of His Majesty. If I had been replaced, I think I would have become queen soon. ”

"You...? Giggles... Isabel, you want to be the queen. "Mary seemed to be a young woman again.

"Madame, this is the highest royal position that can be acquired with wealth and power, but also at the moment of danger. I feared that danger would come upon me before I could enjoy it all. Isabel was hindered by the Duchess's relationship with Queen Anne Boleyn and did not take Anne as an example.