<div style="text-align: justify;">Jan 1st, 1540, Greenmor Palace, Valesia, Verston<br/><br/>A new year was starting, and as it happens, many peers were still in Court from the Christmas celebrations. Everyone who was anyone had been invited. Gossip and intrigue had not, but they had come anyway, as it usually happened in large gatherings. As it should have been, all the invited peers and their help had been put in rooms in the palace. Luckily, it was large enough to accommodate all, and everything had been carefully prepared. The kitchens are always manned, there was always fresh linen available, and the noblemen and women could want for nothing. <br/><br/>The first day of the year was an extremely important day for all of those. It was the day in which they would know their real standing in the eyes of the King. Gifts were sent out, and if they were accepted, the giver could rest assured. If it was returned, it was clearly a bad sign.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FFFF00">Queen Beatrice</span>, naturally, was the first one to send her gift, very early in the morning. Rising with the sun, the Queen started allowing her ladies to care for her, and called for the messenger as soon as she was decent. Picking up a piece of purple velvet cloth that wrapped something, she gave the messenger the order to check if the King was already out of bed. It was a gift she had gotten for him specially, and Beatrice knew that it was to her husband's liking. Tradition had it that gifts should be sent by messenger, but Beatrice decided to make an exception. She wanted to hand it personally, and to see the expression in her husband's face when he looked at his gift.<br/><br/>Leaving her room followed by one of her ladies, the Queen walked to the King's quarters and had her lady knock. In being given entrance, the Queen would direct her lady to wait outside and walk to the King. "Your Majesty", she murmured, executing a careful courtesy. "I come to wish thee a year of peace, health and prosperity, and to bring you this parcel, in hopes its contents will please Your Majesty".<br/><br/>The Queen would then hold out her arms and wait for the King to look at what she had brought him.<br/><br/>Somewhere farther away from the King, <span style="color: #FF0000">the Savilles</span> prepared their own gift. They had thought and prepared for a long time, as their position was not very secure at the moment. They hoped to solve this soon, and to get the King's favor once and for all. They had to, if they wanted to have their children's futures and their own lives secure. But for now, they had to wait for a messenger to be available and for the King to be up.</div>