Okay so this is my first Tudors fanfic but I have a few things to say first. This takes place during the time that the Sweat is going around but I changed a few things historically. So Anne married Henry in 1526 and had Elizabeth the same year instead of marrying him in 1533 and having Elizabeth the same year. So yes, I know this is historically inaccurate, but it is AU. You have been warned. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors or history.
September 1528
Anne quickly glided through the castle gardens with little two-year-old Elizabeth in her arms. Earlier, she had seen Henry come out to the gardens and go in the direction she was headed now. She had to find him and ask him for another chance. Quickly, she rounded a corner and climbed a small flight of cold, stone stairs. As she approached the top step, she spotted her husband, pacing around the circular shaped gardens.
"Henry," she started. He looked at her and turned to walk away; Anne followed him. "Please. Henry, please! For the love you bear our child, for the love of Elizabeth, have mercy!"
"You lied to me!" Henry shouted, not stopping to look at his wife. "You've always lied to me!"
Anne shook her head as tears well up in her eyes. Now she was struggling to keep up with Henry's quick pace. "No!" she protested, hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
"You told me . . . no! You promised me you would bear me a son!" he shouted at her. Anne stepped back at the harshness of his words and the look of hate in his eyes. "You told me you loved me! Your father and your brother arranged everything," he spat hatefully. Glaring at her, he turned again and started to walk away.
Once again, Anne shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks and ran after Henry. "No!" she yelled, the hurt evident in her voice. She stepped in front of Henry, blocking his way, and grabbed his arm with her free hand. "I loved you! I loved you and I love you still!" She stopped and took a deep breath then started again in a calmer voice. "Please, after everything we've been to each other . . . after everything we were! Please."
Henry looked at her in silence for a few moments and then slightly shoved her away. At this, Anne turned and ran up the steps that were right in front of them. "One more chance!" she requested with determination, looking down to where he stood. "One more . . ."
Glaring at her, Henry began to run up the steps and past her as she spoke again. "Henry!" she begged as she tried to grab his arm to stop him. Ignoring her, he shoved her off of his arm and continued walking. The tears in her eyes finally overflowed as she adjusted Elizabeth on her arm.
"Your Majesty!" she cried after him. "Your Majesty, I beseech you!" Her cries were to no avail as Henry ignored her and continued to storm away.
Elizabeth tightly hugged her arms around her mother's neck as Anne fell to the ground sobbing. Anne took comfort in her daughter's tiny body and tightly hugged her back, stroking her hair. Gently, Anne felt Elizabeth's tiny finger touch her face and try to wipe away the tears. Choked laughter came from her throat at her daughter's attempt at comfort. Slowly, she looked up at Elizabeth and kissed her on the forehead.
Silently, Anne stood up from her collapsed position on the ground. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks but had started to slow down. Gradually, she made her way back to the palace and to her chambers.
When she arrived back at her chambers, Elizabeth's governess, Lady Bryan was awaiting them. "The princess needs to go for her nap now, Your Majesty," Lady Bryan explained.
Anne looked at Elizabeth, who was slowly beginning to fall asleep on her should, and kissed her forehead. Reluctantly, she handed Elizabeth over to Lady Bryan and watched as she carried her away to the princess's chambers.
Later on that day, Anne decided to try and talk to Henry once again in his study. She walked at a quick pace down the corridor. It was getting late and she was eager to make Henry listen to her. She approached the door of Henry's office and took a deep breath, silently praying he would listen to her this time. Hesitantly, she opened the door and walked into the room. The sight she saw when she walked into the room made her gasp: Lady Jane Seymour sitting on Henry's lap while he kissed her.
"Oh my God," Anne gasped. The two broke away from the kiss when they realized someone else was in the room. Jane quickly got up and hid behind Henry's chair. "Oh my God!"
Anne felt tears spring into her eyes again and fought to keep them in.
"Anne," Henry said.
Hurt, Anne put up her hand and covered her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. Henry stood up and came toward her while Jane stood and watched. "No!" Anne shouted. "Stay away from me!"
Henry attempted to bring her into his arms only to be shoved away. The tears fell freely from her eyes; she didn't care if he saw them anymore.
Quickly, she turned and left the room and closed the door. As soon as she was in the corridor once again, she forgot all grace and elegance and lifted her skirts and ran all the way to her chambers.
When she arrived at the door to her chambers, she slowed down, exhausted. Slowly, she opened the door and walked in. All of her ladies-in-waiting rose and curtsied when she came in but all became worried when they saw the look on her face.
"Your Majesty," Margaret Wyatt, one of her ladies and her closest friend, started. "What happened." Lady Margaret knew all about Anne's troubles with the King lately and figured her unhappiness probably had something to do with him.
Slowly, Anne walked to a chair and sat down, a dazed look in her eyes. Lady Margaret kneeled beside the chair and put a hand on her Queen's knee. Anne looked at her friend sorrowfully as fresh tears began to glaze her eyes. Silent tears slowly started to roll down her cheeks and continued to roll faster and faster. Sobs began to shake her body and she started to cry uncontrollably.
Margaret looked around at the worried faces of the other ladies. Slowly, she stood up and silently told them to give her some time alone with Anne.
As soon as all the ladies were out of the room Margaret ran back to where Anne was sitting. "Now," she started in a comforting tone as she pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve. "Tell me everything. What did that man do to you this time?"
Anne accepted the handkerchief from Margaret and dabbed her eyes with it. "You k-know about my . . . attempt to ask him for a second chance earlier this afternoon?" she whispered in a shaky voice. Margaret nodded and Anne took a deep breath to calm herself before she continued. "I had decided a short while after that incident that I would give him some time and try talking to him again later. So after dinner, I went to his chambers to talk to him and . . ." Anne choked back more tears.
". . . and what?" Margaret asked.
Slowly, Anne drew in another shaky deep breath. "And I saw him, sitting behind his desk, with Jane Seymour on his lap . . . kissing her."
Margaret gasped and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "The nerve of that man!" she hissed.
The two women sat a while longer, Margaret comforting Anne whenever she needed it, and eventually, they let the rest of the ladies back into the room. Among them, Anne noticed Lady Jane had returned, although she stayed very close to the front of the chambers, staying as far away from Anne as possible.
Gathering herself, Anne stood and walked towards Jane, once more her lively, fiery self rather than the weak, upset one. As she approached her, Jane looked at her with hidden fear in her eyes.
"What is that?" Anne nodded toward the object Jane nursed in her hands.
Jane sighed and avoided eye contact with her Queen. "It's a locket, Your Majesty," she explained.
Anne smirked at the girl's nervousness. "Let me see it," she requested as politely as she could.
Jane looked down at the locket in her hand, held it up from where it rested on her body and lifted it slightly for Anne to see. Anne rolled her eyes in disgust. "Let me see it," she demanded in a rather harsh voice.
Hesitantly, Jane walked forward. When she was close enough, Anne reached out and grabbed the locket. She opened it and saw that the picture inside was of Henry. Inwardly, she sighed and started crying, but outwardly she stayed strong. Her breathing became heavy with anger and she glared at Jane. With all the strength she could muster, she pulled the locket from Jane's neck, breaking the chain. Smirking at her, Anne watched Jane walk away and then threw the locket in a corner.
After lunch the next day, Anne was in the gardens once again. Two ladies-in-waiting walked along behind her while she walked slightly father ahead, holding Elizabeth. Gently, she set her daughter down by the pond and knelt behind her, holding her as she leaned over the low stone wall around it.
"Look, Elizabeth!" she said, pointing at a fish in the pond. "What's that?"
"Fishy!" Elizabeth giggled.
Anne laughed at her daughter's fascination. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "And there's another one! And there," she added pointing out various goldfish.
Elizabeth continued to stay fascinated with the fish while her mother stroked her hair and kissed her head.
Looking up from Elizabeth, Anne saw Henry with Jane once again and felt tears sting at her eyes. Sadly, Anne looked down at her happy, oblivious daughter and wondered if she would stay a princess. Or would she be declared an illegitimate heir like Henry's other daughter Mary? She would most likely become the latter once Jane replaced Anne on the throne. Of course, that would hopefully never happen.
Eventually, Anne forced herself to ignore Henry and Mistress Jane and turned all her attention toward her precious daughter. For the rest of the afternoon, up until dinner time, Anne played with Elizabeth.
After dinner that night, Anne was in her chambers with her ladies-in-waiting, changing into her nightgown. As soon as she had her night gown on, she got into bed and opened a book. About five minutes after she opened the book, she heard the doors to her chambers open and looked up to see all of her ladies in a low curtsy intended for the King. Hesitantly, Anne closed her book and looked at her husband with harsh eyes.
"Ladies," Henry said in his naturally charming voice. "Give me a few moments to talk with your Mistress alone, please."
Anne watched as her ladies left the room and mentally begged them to stay with her. Once they were all out of her chambers, Henry turned to her. Anne sighed audibly and looked at him. "What do you want?" she whisper, her voice quiet and distressed.
Henry stared at her with no emotion in his eyes. "An annulment."
Anne's eyes widened in fear at his reply. "W-what?" she asked, believing her ears were deceiving her.
"I said," he started, his voice frustrated. "I want an annulment."
Oh, God, she thought. It's happening. This can't be happening! She was finally ending up like Katherine. He didn't want her! She wasn't going to be Queen any longer, her father would hate her and her daughter would become illegitimate. That was the thought that pained her the most. Her daughter would never be queen.
"No!" she cried. "Give me one more chance! One more!" Henry looked at her as if she were nothing but a mere slave on the streets. "Please. Let me show you how much I love you."
Henry let out a sigh of frustration. "How can I give you another chance!" he shouted. "After three years of marriage, I still have no son! A stillborn and a miscarriage, both in the same year! And you still want another chance! You have lost my boys; I will give you no other chances."
With that said Henry turned and began to walk from the room. "It wasn't all my fault," she cried. "You have no one to blame but yourself! At the time of my miscarriage I was distressed! Seeing you with mistress after mistress! And now today, seeing you with that wench, Jane Seymour!" Henry threw his hands down in frustration, still not looking at her. "Because the love I bear you is so great!" She paused and let herself cry for a few seconds. "It broke my heart to see you loved others," she confessed, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
Henry took a deep breath to calm himself. "I will speak with you about this later," he coldly said, not turning to look at her.
Before Anne could respond again, Henry quickly stalked out of her chambers with a slam of the door. Seconds later, all her ladies came back into the rooms. She heard whispers from them as they wondered what to do. "Should we go speak with her?" she heard Madge Sheldon ask.
There was silence for a few moments as they waited for someone to answer. "No," Lady Margaret answered. "Let her be. She needs to be left to her own thoughts."
Bless her, Anne sighed. Moments like these reminded her why Margaret was her closest friend; she always knew when she needed to be alone and when she needed a friend.
That night, Anne dreamt about the day she and Henry had first met; when life was uncomplicated and he had still loved her. She had been eighteen and about to start as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon.
September 1525
Anne walked with her father towards Master William Cornish, the man who wrote the pageant the King, a few other dukes and noblemen and a few of the female members of court would perform for the Spanish envoys in a day.
"Master Cornish," her father, Thomas Boleyn, greeted warmly when he approached the short, balding man. Master Cornish was just about to start a rehearsal with the members of his play. "May I speak with you for a brief moment?"
Master Cornish looked toward his cast and then nodded hesitantly. "Make it quick," he requested. "We have a lot to do."
Thomas smiled at the man and gestured for him to join him and Anne in the corridor. Once they were in the corridor, he turned to Anne. "Master Cornish," he began. "This is my daughter Anne." He paused and watched as Master Cornish looked his daughter over. "I was hoping that you would give her a brief part in your play."
Master Cornish turned and looked at Thomas with a look of surprise on his face. "I am not sure, Your Grace," he started. "I do not have other characters for her to play."
At this, Thomas brought a pouch of coins out of his jacket. "Perhaps," he started slyly. "This will change your mind." He watched Master Cornish's eyes widen. "Now, I am sure you can make up another character last minute. All of your female characters do the same thing. I would prefer, though, that you put her in with the group of maidens that needs rescuing. Perhaps you could make her . . . Perseverance," he suggested, his blue-grey eyes sparkling.
"Excellent suggestion, Your Grace," Master Cornish agreed.
Slowly, he reached his hand out to grab the bag of coins. Seeing his intentions, Thomas quickly snatched the bag of coins away from him. "Uh, uh, uh, Master Cornish," he said. "You will get this at the end of the pageant tomorrow."
Master Cornish sighed in disappointment but then nodded in agreement. "Alright, Boleyn," he said. "You have your way once more. I will put your daughter in my masque." He then turned to Anne. "You will be Perseverance and I will place you up at the top of the set beside Princess Margaret."
At this, he turned and pointed at the tall set. It was dark navy blue and bared a small resemblance to a castle. In the back were tall arches, three of them, one on the right, one on the left and one at the middle. The middle arch was at the top of the set and under it, Anne saw the King's sister, Princess Margaret, waiting patiently while talking to a few of her cast mates.
Anne smiled at Master Cornish and curtsied. "Thank you very much, Master Cornish," she thanked him. "I am very happy for the opportunity.
The next day, Anne and the Princess Margaret were preparing to perform the masque for the Spanish envoys. Both girls stood silently as ladies-in-waiting dress them in their white gowns and placed ribbons on their shoulders that said 'Perseverance' for Anne and 'Constance' for Margaret. Small white ruffs were placed around their necks and tall golden crowns placed upon their heads. Eventually, they added golden masks to their faces.
As soon as the two were ready, they went to join the other girls outside the ballroom. Half of the women in the cast were dressed in white and half in black. The girls who were in white were the prisoners and had names like Kindness, Honor, Constance, Mercy, Pity and Perseverance while the girls in black were evil and had names like Danger, Unkindness, Scorn, Jealously, Disdain and Strangeness.
"Remember our plan," Anne turned and saw her father standing behind her.
"Yes, father," she said rolling her eyes. "Catch the attention of the King and do not let him stray."
Thomas smiled. "That's my girl," he chuckled.
A drum roll sounded as their cue to enter. Slowly, all the girls dressed in white ascended the stairs onto the set while the audience cheered. Anne got into place at the top of the set next to Margaret and seconds later another drum roll sounded as the girls in black got into position, throwing rose petals at people while the audience jeered.
At the sound of the trumpet, Master Cornish sauntered into the room waving about a wooden sword and wearing a jester's mask and red cape. The men followed him bearing names that represented Youth, Devotion, Loyalty, Pleasure, Gentleness and Liberty. Among them was hidden the King. The men all bowed to the ladies in the castle as Master Cornish approached the ladies in black. "As I desire, I demand you release your prisoners!" he demanded of them.
One of the ladies spoke up. "As lady scorn, I laugh at your desires!" she said.
Master Cornish looked slightly insulted. "These men are noble lords!" he explained to them.
Another one of the ladies laughed. "No," she started. "They are just men dressed up."The audience laughed at this line.
"I say it again," Master Cornish started. "Release these fair damsels that you keep so cruelly!"
"Never!" another lady replied. The audience began to jeer again.
"You give us no choice," he started quietly. "But to attack and breach you defences!" Once again, the crowd started to cheer.
The same lady that had spoken before gave Master Cornish a look. "No knight will ever breach mine," she hissed.
Master Cornish stepped forward. "Ladies," he started. "Desire overcomes all." There was a moment of silence as the audience waited for another come back from the keepers of the Graces. "Attack!"
Cannons were shot as all the men ran toward the castle and Danger, Unkindness, Scorn, Jealously, Disdain and Strangeness threw more flower petals at them. Skilfully, the men ran through the ladies to get to the prisoners. Anne watched from the top with Margaret and saw the King coming toward them. He grabbed Anne's arm and looked into her eyes.
"Perseverance," he whispered. "You are my prisoner now."
Anne looked into his eyes and smiled. Slowly, she pulled her arm away from him and turned to walk down the steps, leaving him staring after her . . . .
The sunlight poured into the room and onto Anne's eyelids, waking her from her dream. Slowly, she sat up in bed and sighed. How easy it had been then to get the King to love her; now, it was almost impossible.
That afternoon, Anne was out in the gardens with her father, once again discussing their 'plan'.
"He is straying, Anne!" Thomas hissed at her. "Why haven't you done something to keep him faithful to you? Be sure to remember your place!"
Anne rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. "I know my place as Queen, father!"
Quickly, Thomas grabbed his daughter by the arm and forced her to face him. "And do not forget how you got there!"
Anne gave her father a piercing glare and took a deep breath. "I know how I got there!" she growled. "And it was not all you! It was not all you, or Norfolk, or George or any other man you want to name!" She paused for a few moments to take a deep breath to calm herself. "It was also me," she added in a slightly more calm tone. "He fell in love with me, he respected me! . . . And my opinions."
With that said, she gave her father one more glare before walking away.
Later that night, Anne's ladies were helping her get ready for a dinner with the French Ambassador. While one of the ladies was doing her hair, one of the young maids was putting the freshly washed linens on the bed. Anne watched in the mirror as her long curls were brushed.
After a few moments, she heard a soft gasp come from the young maid. Confused, Anne turned and looked at the young maid. "Child what is it?" Anne asked in a soft, motherly tone.
The maid looked at Anne with a pained look on her face. "Nothing madam," she said in her high voice. "I just felt a little dizzy."
Anne smiled sympathetically and held her arms out to the maid. "Well come here."
"No, I-I still feel dizzy," she whispered. Suddenly, a thought dawned upon her and she looked frightened. "That's it, I've caught the sweat!"
Anne smiled at the child but deep down she was frightened. They had been warned by Dr. Linacre about the deathly sweating sickness going around and now it may possibly be in her chambers. "No, gentle child," she said getting up and going to the girl. "It's just a headache, no more than that." She said this to comfort the maid but also to comfort herself.
The girl just shook her head. "It's not," she assured her. "I have pains in my- in my stomach!" Slowly, she sunk down to the ground, bringing Anne with her. "Yes, isn't that a sign? How can you deny it? I'm going to die!"
Anne shook her head and squeezed the girl's hand tightly. "No," she started. "No you're not going to die." She brought her hands up and cupped the girl's thin face. "No, listen to me; you're not going to die. Okay?" The girl nodded in reassurance. "Come here," she added, opening her arms to invite the girl in for a hug.
The girl hugged Anne but moments later she fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Anne turned and looked at her lady-in-waiting, panic in her eyes. "Go get Dr. Linacre!" she said to the lady. Quickly, the woman ran from the room.
Days passed and the sweat began to spread around the English Court. The young maid had, indeed, died from the sweat and Anne had caught it soon after that.
Henry paced around his study. His wife was sick with the sweat. He wouldn't see her again and she most likely would not live; no one survived the sweat. The last conversation he had with her, she had asked him to forgive her. To give her a second chance, and he had ignored it. "Dr. Linacre!" he shouted out of the room. Almost instantly after he had called him, Dr. Linacre appeared in his study. "Anne is ill. I want you to do everything in your power to make her well again."
The doctor nodded, the surprise evident in his facial features and turned to set off for Anne's chambers.
Dr. Linacre did as he was told over the next week and did everything in his power to make the Queen well again, but to no avail. If the doctor had not helped her, Anne probably would have died a long time ago, but there was no hope that she would get well and live.
Anne lay in her bed that day, awaiting her death to come and end her suffering, when the door opened and her father ran into the room. Thomas Boleyn kneeled at his daughter's bed and took her hands in his. She looked so pale and fragile, with large, dark circles under her eyes. The mischievous sparkle that had once vacated her sapphire blue eyes was long gone.
"My darling," he whispered, kissing his daughters hands. "Please don't leave me. I know in the last few years I haven't made this obvious, but I love you. I have only pushed you because I wanted to do what was best for you. I wanted you to become the best you could be. You have to live." Small tears started to fall down his face.
Anne lifted her father's chin to make him look at her. "I love you too," she choked.
She thought back to her past, her time at Hever Castle as a young, careless child of five. When her father loved her unconditionally.
Anne looked curiously at the sundial as the shadow of her arm was cast upon it. "Anne!" she heard her brother George call. She ignored it at first as she continued to move the shadow of her finger around the sundial. "Anne!" her brother called again, this time getting a little bit impatient. Quickly, Anne turned and ran past her brother into the woods beyond the arch in the hedge.
Curiously, she peeked around each tree, looking for her beloved father. "Anne, he'll get you!" her brother said in a taunting voice as she continued curiously into the small wood. As she exited into the field, she turned around in circles and continued to look. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong hands grab her. Turning in surprise, she screamed and saw her father as he lifted her into the air, twirling her around as he smiled at her.
Anne smiled slightly at the memory as she weakly turned and kissed her father on top of his head. As she leaned back, she closed her eyes to rest. Thomas smiled slightly at his daughter's gesture of forgiveness. He clasped his hands and looked to the ceiling. "End her suffering," he whispered. "Let her be with her mother."
Henry awoke the next morning after a terrible nightmare. In his nightmare, Anne had died and he had become a monster. He almost wondered if the dream meant something and quickly got dressed and ran to Anne's chambers. When he arrived, he flung the door open and saw Dr. Linacre with Thomas Boleyn.
"Your Majesty," the doctor whispered. "I'm sorry, but your wife had left us early this morning. I did everything I could."
Henry nodded, shocked. "Yes, Dr. Linacre."
He then turned to Thomas Boleyn who had an expression of sadness and defeat on his face. "I'm sorry for your loss, Your Grace," he whispered, putting a hand on his father-in-law's shoulder.
"And I for yours, Your Majesty," he returned.
Henry smiled sadly and turned to look out the window at the gardens. His mind scanned all the good times him and Anne had had together, her laugh, and how much she loved their daughter. As he looked out the window, he noticed the little pond her and Elizabeth always played by. At that moment, he realized that his daughter would never remember her mother. She would never remember anything about her, not even her beautiful face.
As he watched Anne's body being taken from the room, he swore that one day, Elizabeth would be the greatest monarch England ever had, even if England didn't approve of her mother.
Sorry that I killed her! Please don't hurt me! This story was very upsetting for me to write but my stories tend to have a mind of their own and I don't know what's going to happen until I read them again. So please Review! They make me HAPPY!
REVIEW!
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