𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 … julian de vere ( @julicnn ) 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 … the dudley family quarters , hampton court . 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 ... 9th september , 1559 .
there seemed to be a noticeable absence of warmth throughout the rest of court when dawn had broken with the whispers of treason upon the tongue and though she had been assured that the palace was secure with all the traitors awaiting their sentencing in the tower, she had announced over breakfast that the children would be kept indoors for the day through their vocal distress at the news, unmoved by their tantrums until the meal was finished some thirty minutes later, tasting of honey and salt from their tears. the mood had brightened considerably, however, when the earl of oxford had deigned to darken her door with his presence, the diminutive figures of his two children peering from behind his legs. their friendship would seem unexpected and ill - suited to the common eye but a bond had been built over the memory of his late wife who she had adored and comforted at the end of her days and it was in memory of the promise that she had made to mary de vere just days before the sickness had taken her from the world that saw the door widen just a fraction to allow his children into the warmth that she had built for her family, the sound of the combined joy of their young prompting a moment of shared peace between the two.
silently, amy had extended a hand to rest upon his arms, fingers squeezing gently in assurance before he departed to fill his seat as lord great chamberlain upon the court of jurors consisting of the king's finest magistrates. the children had been oblivious to the somberness that had descended over court and if she had her way, it would remain as such, a determination that had driven her to spent her morning with them as they invented games and stories until the governess had arrived to take robert, gideon and anne into the study while the youngest of the four, sweet katherine, kept her company.
the girl had grown too big to perch upon her hip for long but katherine de vere was a far gentler child than her own daughter, fond of the attention that amy would shower upon her and peering at her needlework with a fascination until her dark eyes had drifted shut from the exhaustion of a morning spent chasing after the older children. seated on the plush carpet by the fireplace, the countess of leicester was happily weighed down by the child, hands cradling her small body close as she rocked the girl into a deeper sleep and laid back on the carpet herself, head cushioned by the pillow that she had been stuffing and sewing shut. with the oldest three preoccupied and the youngest asleep, amy drifted in and out of consciousness herself until the door was parted by a servant to admit the earl of oxford into the receiving room, prompting her to sit up with some haste. a small noise of surprise escaped her throat, hands coming to tighten around katherine as her features twisted into a small grimace, waiting for the girl to wake ─ when she did not, amy extended a hand towards the approaching man, requesting for his assistance. ❝ you are back early ... a break for a meal, i am assuming. ❞
( briefly, she wondered if robert would return as well but did not dwell on it, the strain on julian's face distracting her from such hopes. )
❝ the other three are with the governess ... she will be teaching them some numbers and history until the food is ready. will you join us, jules ? ❞ she had heard the moniker uttered by his wife almost a thousand times and, in the privacy of the room with just his sleeping child stirring to awareness against her shoulder, amy felt brave enough to name him thus. ❝ ... are you alright ? ❞
