Her Majesty’s Secret Service

010. The Queen

Two possible ways to save Jane Grey came to mind, but I did not voice those thoughts just yet.

—

Why the queen sought to spare her rival, Jane Grey, was beyond reason.

“Your Majesty, I know it’s presumptuous to ask, but could you tell me why you wish to save Jane?”

I intended to feign ignorance, to say nothing, yet my voice betrayed me.

Was it pity for the 16-year-old child that moved Queen Mary? Or was it the queen’s demeanor I had observed thus far?

The queen I had seen was endlessly generous to her inferiors. A stark contrast to the tyrant ‘Bloody Mary’ history speaks of.

I had addressed the queen on impulse, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a mistake.

The infamy of ‘Bloody Mary’ didn’t arise without cause, a worry that flitted through my mind.

My time observing the queen barely exceeded a month and a half, hardly enough to know her true nature.

Would the queen, having heard my words, command my beheading, revealing a side of her I had not seen? I resolved to probe her intentions with all the politeness and respect I knew.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to take offense to my question.

“Haven’t I already told you the reason? Seeing you ask again… perhaps, you have a good idea?”

Far from taking umbrage, she looked at me with sparkling eyes.

Could it truly be compassion that drove her to save Jane Grey?

The sincerity in the queen’s eyes suggested truth, yet knowing Jane Grey was executed, I couldn’t help but doubt the queen’s sincerity.

Pondering the queen’s true intentions, I cautiously voiced my thoughts in a now-familiar tone.

“Your Majesty… I’m not sure what you might think, but I have conceived two possible methods.”

“Two, you say? Don’t hesitate, speak quickly.”

* * *

Having heard even her most loyal confidant, Bishop Steve, along with other nobles, argue for the death of her niece Jane Grey, Mary, grasping at straws, broached the subject of Jane with Logan.

Surely, having safely arrived from afar, he might have some solution, she hoped vaguely.

—

—

After a moment, Mary, having heard Logan’s ‘plan’, chastised herself for her needless actions.

“What do you mean… Pretend Jane is pregnant?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Logan’s ‘first plan’ was to deceive everyone in the kingdom. If he cherished Jane so much, why not save her life by pretending she was pregnant?

It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it herself.

Pregnancy becomes obvious quickly. In about three months, the belly starts to swell, the breasts begin to fill, and one might even start to feel nauseous.

Logan’s ‘plan’ was nothing more than a three-month stopgap. Moreover, the biggest issue was that Logan, a devout Christian, was urging her to lie.

“What are you saying? You dare ask me to lie?”

Mary’s voice grew harsh. A chef daring to suggest deceit to the queen? As a devout believer, Mary couldn’t even fathom it.

Taken aback by Mary’s sudden harshness, Logan couldn’t hide his confusion. He looked as if he didn’t understand why she was angry.

Seeing his expression, Mary sighed inwardly and spoke.

“I will forgive you this once. But there will not be a second time. I don’t know what your other ‘plans’ are, but if they involve urging me to lie like this, I will never forgive you.”

Perhaps in Logan’s homeland, such things were commonplace. Hence, he dared suggest lying to the king. It seemed his country did not fear God.

Nevertheless, forgiving Logan’s ‘first plan’ due to ignorance seemed right to Mary.

“Th… thank you, Your Majesty.”

Forgiven by the queen, Logan bowed his head in accordance with etiquette. The queen gestured to Logan that it was alright.

“The pleasantries are done, now tell me the second plan.”

Since the first plan involved deceit, she had little hope for the second.

If he proposed another ‘immoral’ solution as a plan, she was determined not to forgive him.

“About the… second plan…”

—

—

Perhaps startled by Mary’s harsh voice, Logan’s voice seemed to become more cautious and smaller. No, it had definitely become smaller.

“Your voice is not audible. Speak up a bit more.”

Upon hearing Mary’s words, Logan began to speak with an expression tense with nerves.

“Well… Can’t the Queen just command them? Whatever they say… Isn’t the Queen still the Queen?”

At his words, an indistinguishable laughter, whether of joy or scorn, burst forth from Mary.

Mary’s cackling filled the room. Logan’s face hardened instantly as he watched her.

“You do amuse me. Indeed, as you say, I am the Queen. The Queen of this kingdom.”

Mary, having stopped her laughter, continued speaking as she faced Logan.

“Don’t you know as well? That being a king doesn’t mean you can have everything you want.”

With that, Mary pointed towards the door with her hand.

“The meal is over, you may leave now. The disrespect you’ve shown me today…”

Mary’s voice trailed off suddenly, she closed her eyes briefly and shook her head from side to side ever so slightly. Then she continued.

“No, let’s do it this way. Let it be as if nothing happened in this room today. Do you understand?”

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

Logan bowed to the Queen, gathered the plates, and then grasped the doorknob. In the dead of night, the sound of the door opening seemed all the louder.

‘The Queen… Yes. I am their Queen…’

As Logan left, Mary murmured to herself, repeating the phrase ‘the second room’ that Logan had mentioned.

—

Having left the Queen’s room, he walked towards the kitchen, relying on the lantern in his hand.

Still, cold sweat drenched his back. When the Queen began to laugh heartily, he truly thought his throat would catch fire.

—

—

Fortunately, the Queen seemed intent on letting all matters slide.

Indeed, were I the King, I would do the same. To discuss state affairs with a mere cook, and a foreign one at that. It’s a matter best kept from prying ears.

There was a bit of a stir, but having delivered dinner to the Queen, it was now time for a bit of rest.

Upon waking, I planned to return to Bishop Steve’s residence. The unexpected events had left me utterly exhausted.

Thinking to catch a brief respite, I laid down in a room near the kitchen, provided for the royal chefs.

The bed was rough, far from the plush comfort of a 21st-century mattress, but fatigue overtook me, and I fell asleep without a second thought.

How long had it been? It felt as though I had just closed my eyes for a moment.

“Logan! Wake up quickly!”

“Uh…?”

Oliver’s voice reached my ears. What could he want at this hour?

“Why are you here now…?”

“What? It’s morning, so I’m here. More importantly, get up quickly!”

Morning, is it? I thought I had only blinked, and yet so much time had passed. Well beyond the end of my shift.

“If you’re awake, then hurry and get ready. Her Majesty the Queen is asking for you.”

As I rose from the bed and stretched, ready to leave for home, a bolt from the blue struck me.

The Queen was looking for me? Oliver must have heard wrong.

“What are you talking about? I was only tasked with dinner, Marco handles the other meals…”

“It’s not about meal preparation. Her Majesty has ordered that you be brought to her.”

With that, Oliver urged me to tidy my attire quickly, insisting we must not keep the Queen waiting.

Was it because of yesterday’s incident? I couldn’t fathom why the Queen would summon me, but it seemed unlikely to be for anything good.

—

With a heart as heavy as a cow being led to slaughter, she trudged to the queen’s chamber, dragged along by Oliver.

Please, let it be nothing serious…

* * *

Mary’s face, scowling at Bishop Steve who had come to see her early in the morning, showed no signs of softening.

Though she had said the night before that they would talk again in the morning, upon actually seeing Bishop Steve first thing, she cursed him inwardly as a tiresome visitor.

“Bishop Steve, what brings you here today?”

Mary knew all too well what Steve was about to say, but she feigned ignorance.

Bishop Steve’s face, upon seeing her act, remained as impassive as ever.

“Your Majesty, I have come to conclude yesterday’s discussion. What shall we do about Jane Grey?”

“That… Well, about that…”

Mary couldn’t look Bishop Steve in the eye.

Seeing her like this, a firm voice burst from Bishop Steve.

“Let’s carry out the imposter’s execution after the coronation. We will spare her the pyre. A clean beheading will suffice. I can concede that much.”

Sometimes, when Bishop Steve took such a stance, she wondered who was truly the monarch.

As she pondered whether she was still the queen, Logan’s words from the previous night echoed in her head.

“Let’s put that matter aside for now. There’s a more pressing issue at hand.”

“What could be more urgent than executing an imposter? This concerns Your Majesty’s dignity as well.”

“My dignity, you say?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Despite Mary’s icy tone, Bishop Steve remained unfazed. He was the only subject who did not fear Queen Mary.

—

“I ask you. Are you the king?”

“Yes…? How can you say such a devastating thing…”

“As the king, I have said there are matters more urgent than the execution of Jane Grey, yet do you intend to argue that the execution of an ‘impostor’ is more pressing? Am I truly the king? Why do you presume to decide what is urgent?”

The queen had often been angry with him, but this was the first time she had shown anger in this manner.

Though she had always been quick to anger, she had never doubted his loyalty. But now, it seemed as if she doubted the bishop’s sincerity. Bishop Steve’s complexion turned markedly worse.

“We shall discuss the matter of Jane Grey after dealing with more urgent affairs. Do you have any objections?”

“None… Your Majesty.”

Throughout the audience, Bishop Steve’s voice, usually so robust, was reduced to a whisper, which brought a smile to Mary’s face.

Today had seemed like the day when Jane’s execution could not be avoided, yet it passed so easily.

Logan was right. Mary, she was the queen.

See, how easily the matter was resolved.

She did not want to become like her father, Henry VIII, but now she could understand him a little.

Having finished the confrontation with Bishop Steve that early morning, Mary commanded her servant to summon Logan.

Since ascending to the throne two months ago, she had been plagued by a sense of oppression, but she had never felt quite like this before.

Logan, this foreigner, might be able to help her. Mary, the queen, thought so.