FRAGMENTS OF A DYNASTY
Summary: Elizabeth ponders on her envy and competitive nature when it comes to Mary, Queen of Scotland. Pairings: one-sided men/Elizabeth and men/Mary Queen of Scots, hinted Elizabeth/Thomas Seymour, and if you look very hard a slight hint of Elizabeth/Robert in the future. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? Elizabeth is strangely enough alone in her bed chambers when she glances in the looking glance and this little thought came to her. She is beautiful and in the prime of her life but it shall not last. There are many young girls out there with pretty looks that shall grow into beautiful women. One of these many young girls is on the very cusp of womanhood and is now her biggest threat. Mary, Queen of Scotland. She did not know when it began but there was suddenly a competition between Mary and herself. They have never met and yet they seem to compete for all of Europe's attention. Elizabeth had been so used to being the beautiful one. With a sister like Mary who had always been pretty until middle age where she dulled and faded into plainness there was always little competition for the beauty title. Lady Jane may have been some competition if she ever aged beyond that petite shy child. Elizabeth had always been centre of attention with her flashing dark eyes, Tudor red hair, pale perfect complexion and complimentary clothing. Now there is a beautiful foreign Queen to compete with. One with dark hair, equally perfect pale complexion and beautiful eyes that had sonnets written about them. One who was devoutly Catholic and quickly becoming popular amongst the Catholic faction. One who was married to the Dauphin of France and would one day become Queen of France as well as Scotland. One who had her eye on the throne of England. They were well matched, Elizabeth muses, equally beautiful, talented, and ambitious. Mary could play instruments as well as Elizabeth. She can dance beautifully and gracefully as if she was a swan. She can ride, converse, and charm as well as Elizabeth could. She dressed as richly, she had jewels with equal wealth; she had the sweetness and delicateness of a true woman. Elizabeth cannot abide her! She abhorred such a woman! This woman happily plays the sweet child and wife and allows men and a greater woman than her play the political game with Elizabeth. Elizabeth feels sorry for the mother who is working endlessly against England for this woman is working for a lost cause – her child shall never be a powerful force as she was. Men wish to put her on the throne simply because she will do what she is told not because she is a true Queen. To make matters worse she was Elizabeth's heir. While there are still some Grey sisters left alive and of course the Poles with their Yorkist blood the one closer and had a stronger claim to the throne was Mary, Queen of Scotland. Elizabeth now fully understood her sister's issues against her. Elizabeth would not allow such a child to win a game. She was beautiful and she enhanced such beauty with tasteful clothes, jewels, and make up all worn at the right moment. She was intelligent and shrewd and witty, and she applied this all at the right time and meetings. She was talented – musically, athletically, and on the dance floor, she used all of these to her advantage when entertaining ambassadors. She was unmarried – something Mary is not – and while this does not have the forbidden fruit that a married woman would hold she was available and that appealed to all the unmarried princes in Europe. They wanted Elizabeth's hand in marriage not Mary's political alliance or flirtatious favour in a joust. Mary may be a rising star but Elizabeth was the sun – she shone and dazzled the world with constant light while Mary simply sparkled in her youth. Elizabeth has scandals, yes that is and will be true, but she does not have disastrous scandals as other Queens will have. Elizabeth has been through the game already when she was fourteen and completely innocent. She knows how to play this, she knows she will go through rough moments, and she knows that she can live with it and get pass it. Mary won't know and knowing the Tudor luck when Mary gets into the position Elizabeth had been in once she will have no idea what to do or have anyone to help her. Elizabeth cannot help but let out a laugh at that. She feels like one of those evil stepmothers that Mary had made Anne Boleyn out to be. She felt so old compared to this child Queen that she cannot help but feel a bitter malicious triumph. Then Elizabeth will be the intelligent one. Then Elizabeth will be the most appealing one. Then Elizabeth will be the most just, the kindest, the sweetest, beautiful Queen ever seen. Then Elizabeth will be the fairest of them all.
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