Excerpt: Incarnadine

Chapter Four
What's Done is Done

“I welcome you to my court, Mr. Ackley!” Matilda told him with a congenial smile to show this newcomer, one of her many subjects, that his Queen was the sort who was amicable.
“I must ask– is this necessary? This crowd?” He asked flatly, looking around in disapproval at the many courtiers who were watching him as if they were the hawks and he were a lifeless vermin lying in an open field. Nicholas inhaled and tried to quell his expression of horror that threatened to take over his face. Thomas could not speak his first words to the Queen of England in such a manner! He had to make an appropriate first impression rather than one that would inevitably hand him disfavor!
Matilda had been caught off guard by Thomas’ brash inquiry. He did not even add her title to his words as was crucial unless he met or surpassed her in rank. Which he obviously did not. It was as if he was talking to someone who he had met on the streets. Was he really that clueless in the ways of how to contend with royalty? She listened as the entire court erupted into quick whispers. Matilda could distinctly hear some say that the ungrateful peasant would surely be sent to the block or thrown into the Tower. Briefly, Matilda looked over at Norfolk and Essex , who were standing side by side, both were shaking their heads and exchanging glances. Either it was because they pitied Nicholas and his lack of tact for presenting such an asinine man to her or they pitied Thomas who appeared to have not an ounce of tact in his being.
“It is a custom.” Matilda replied indignantly as she continued to observe the retired soldier whose manners did not match his admirable looks.
Thomas did not falter as he returned Matilda’s stare with his own. She did not strike fear into him like she did to the many courtiers that were standing around just waiting for a breath of approval and favor from their Queen. “Well, that is one of the most ill-conceived customs that I have ever heard of.” He didn’t understand the need to have around a hundred –if not more than that– or so courtiers gathered to lay witness to this meeting. It made no sense to him when he should’ve gained audience with the Queen privately. Least that’s how he imagined it would go but Thomas realized that he shouldn’t have been too dismayed when happenings at the English court didn’t accommodate his convictions. After all it was the very place that he despised.
A smile had come to replace the frown that had crept onto Matilda’s lips. “So, tell me, Mr. Ackley, are titles an ill-conceived custom to you as well?” She asked and almost everyone in the throne room began to chuckle at Thomas’ expense.
“They are.” Thomas answered curtly, ignoring the blatant laughter that reached his ears. “Rather, I prefer to call one by the name that they were christened with.”
Despite hearing such a disrespectful declaration from this oddity of a man Matilda continued to smile. “Mr. Ackley, are you suggesting that I allow you to call me by my given name rather than my rightful title?” How she wanted to burst out into laughter at this man before her! Though she kept herself contained to hold the image of regality for her courtiers.
“That’s correct, Matilda. I said christened name and not “rightful” title, as you put it, or didn’t I?” Gasps filled the entire throne room when Thomas actually outright called the Queen by her birth name rather than the title that gave her precedence to rule over them all. Even Matilda herself was perplexed to actually hear a common man speak her name without any outward hesitance, without seemingly any realization of the consequences that could occur from his audaciousness.
“I could send you to the Tower for not presenting the respect that I deserve as your sovereign. Are you aware of that, Mr. Ackley?” Briefly Matilda wondered if he was just truly insane but if that were the case why would Nicholas waste his time presenting to her such a strange man? Either way, Matilda could not yet admit that this man stirred up feelings of intrigue within in her. No one had ever had the gall to speak to her in such a manner. Not even when she was just a princess, a title that then appeared so lackluster compared to that of Queen.
“I am very well aware of that fact but there I cannot be of any use to you nor to my country.” Thomas said nonchalantly.