"Anne. Anne! Anne come here!" Henry called after her. Anne turned swiftly on her small foot, her long black hair swirling behind her as she ran towards him. Her dark eyes sparkled in the light and they shone brighter in the attendance of the king.
"Your Majesty," she said as she dropped into a low curtsey. Her knees touched the ground as she tilted her head to the side. Her dark eyes bored into his light blue ones as she seemed to question him with a glance.
"My lady Anne. I beg only your love and heart." His voice was soft, the tone rising in the hall as he reached the end of his request. He glanced around, looking for others as he awaited her answer. She looked at him, her slender neck still tilted to the side, her knees still grazing the stone floor.
"My lord, may we converse in French? For it is the language of love." She gave a coy half smile, her small rose colored lips parted slightly.
"Of course my lady Anne. I understand your love of French for not many of the court know it well enough to converse in it. How did you learn it?" He laughed slightly at the shock on her face and sent a question to her eyes.
"I was in the court of Francis for a number of years under the Queen Claudia. We became friends as well as I became friends with the Princess Renée. I left his court to come here to serve under Queen Catherine." Her hands flowed from her sides to her neck to play with the golden B that hung there and back down again all in a fluid movement as if trying to flaunt her chest. She still sat in her position and as her hands traveled back down they grazed the floor smoothly. Her skin scraped across the stone, drawing small scratches across her perfect complexion. King Henry saw the blood and instantly rushed to her.
"My Lady Anne, please, your hand?" she held her hand out to him and watched as he kissed the wounds as he glanced at her eyes.
"My lord you are to kind. I cannot allow you my heart for the moment. But you will ever have my love." With that she stood and walked swiftly away from the king of England.
She walked swiftly down the corridors, passing the wooden doors and to the maid's chamber. She pushed aside the heavy wooden door of her own room and glanced inside. Her roommate sat on her bed, reading the Holy Bible.
"Lady Honor," Anne said with a tilt of her head.
"Lady Anne," the other lady returned the gesture. The door opened slowly as the Queen walked into the room. All the ladies except Anne dropped to their knees.
"Lady Anne. You do not curtsy before your sovereigns? Or is it only to me you show such treason? For I do know that you bow before my lawful husband." Her voice was heavily accented even after all her years in England. Anne dropped swiftly to her knees as she worried at the price of treason.
"Your Majesty, I have no wishes to show treason towards Your Majesty or the King." She said still on her knees. She wondered at the fact that she was on her knees so much that day.....
Thank you for reading. There will be more to come :)