Elizabeth had been busily and most discreetly making preparations for a visit from a very good friend. This friend, upon his last visit, had set the entire court on its ear by taking her up in his glider and whisking her away. Cecil and Walsingham had both been united in their outcry of such tomfoolery and a few of the Privy Council had even thought of the idea of trying to press their Queen for the execution of this interloper!
But Elizabeth, Good Queen Bess, would hear none of it. Snake Plisken, unlike so many of her Courtiers truly made her laugh. And now as she was up before many in her household, she knew that this was the appointed day for her friend to arrive. There were faires and revels and all manner of celebration. Most thought it was to celebrate England’s victory over Phillip of Spain and the Armada, and who was she to correct them? She would keep her secret quite close to her breast.
Life Belongs to Sekhmet 
Snake was on time even a little early. He didn’t ask to come into court. He preferred to sneak in. Now all he had to do was find the queen. He knew exactly how to do it. He didn’t head for the quarters or the main court. Instead he headed for the servant’s area and directly for the laundry. There was a whole scad of women busy in the room. Snake stood leaning in the door frame with a smirk. He was flipping a gold coin and cleared his throat loudly before speaking.
I’ve a gold coin for the first lovely lady able to tell me where I can find her majesty without prying eyes or ears seeing.
The ladies in the room all turned to the man in the doorway and looked at him aghast. There was one, a young lady in waiting to the Queen who recognised Snake and when she saw the opportunity and jumped on it.
“She’s in her private chambers, Sir, doing her morning correspondence. But if you follow me, I can show you through the back way so you might go see her. There is only one guard, but I passed him and he is sleeping.”
The girl curtsied and held out her hand for the gold coin, “This way, sir…”
Snake grinned sauntering down the stairs into the room and dropped the gold coin in the pocket of her apron.
Thank you sweetheart. He said it sugary and waited for her to lead the way.
The girl grinned and grabbed the man’s hand. The other maids would surely whisper about her familiarity, but she didn’t care. She knew that Her Majesty liked him, so to that event her own reputation was fairly safe.
Up they crept the spiral, stone stairway that led directly to Elizabeth’s chambers. It opened in a doorway that was concealed on the other side of a tall armoire that the Queen kept extra pillows and the like in. There were no guards in this direction. The girl turned to Snake and pressed her fingertips to her lips.
“Be you quiet, Sir. She will never suspect you are here”
There at the table, Elizabeth was pouring over several sheafs of paper, her hand on her forehead, quill pen in her writing hand. Her brow furrowed, deep in thought. These things had to be done before Snake arrived because she was not going to be able to focus on them once he got there.
Snake grinned at the girl and kissed her cheek. Snake turned to the door opening it silently and stepped into the room. He debated for a moment what course of action to take. A huge smirk grew in his expression as he thought about what his children did to him when he got too involved in work. Slowly he stalked up noticing she wasn’t yet in all the stuffy layers she wore at court. The grin widened and Snake suddenly tickled her right at the mid point of her ribs.