Chapter FiveWhitehall Palace, 1525
Amethyst gathered a stack of sheet music from the minstrel gallery and headed down the corridor to her apartments. On this hot and sticky day, the remaining courtiers either went riding or for a dip in the pond. The king and queen departed the day before on a summer progress. As much as she would miss him, a strange relief calmed her when his royal coach passed through the gates. A few weeks without his presence meant time to herself, to learn court etiquette, and to indulge her grand passion, music.
She decided to take her lute out to the gardens and practice under the sun among the colorful array of flowers and clipped hedges.
A page scurried towards her as she ascended the staircase. “Lady Amethyst, Lady Amethyst, you have a visitor.” The lad's shoe
