Disclaimer: I don't own Tudors/White Queen of any of its characters. Nor do I make any profit from this
Title: Crown of Destiny
Pairing: Aoc/Edward IV
Summary: What if Aoc was thrown back in the war of the Roses ? How will history change.
Prologue
Tears ran down her face. Anne buried her head further into her pillow hoping to smother the sounds of her crying. It was bad enough that she fainted in front of the Duke of Suffolk's and Lord Hertford, and her ladies. She was not going to further humiliate herself by letting them here her cry.
Henry might have deeply wounded her by his recent actions, but she was not going to let her enemy think that he had broken her as well. She was bound and determine to come out of this thing with her dignity intact. The first thing she was determined to do was come out of this thing with her dignity intact. She quickly slide off her bed and headed towards the mirror, Good Lord, I probably look a sight. She thought before actually looking at herself. She then took a deep breath and looked at herself.
She grimaced, noting how red her face was, and her eyes were puffy from crying. Looking around, much to her relief she found a pitcher of water, she quickly poured into a bowl. She briefly wondered if her ladies had left for her. She then cupped some of the water in her hands and splashed over her face. The coldness of the water felt good against her heated flesh.
After drying her face, she fixed her hair and changed her dress. She knew that she should call her ladies to do this, after all it was unseemly for a Queen to do this. But then reality came back to her, she was no longer Queen.
She let her thought's drift back to just a few hours ago. She was no fool she knew that Henry was not happy about marrying her. It was pretty obvious when she heard him screaming through the castle how he didn't like her. "I like her not! I like her not!" he had roared. She had overheard the entire thing. She even remembered him calling her a horse. She tried not react at the sympathetic looks that she was getting from her ladies.
She was used to this, she had developed a thick skin over the years with her brother, who made similar comments to Henry's. Henry words didn't really bother her, she didn't know him, let alone love him. So what he thought of her didn't really matter. Her brother on the other hand was a different story. His words stung worse than a bee sting. Maybe it was because he was family, and somewhere deep inside of her she wants his approval and love.
She didn't like to think about her life before she came here to England.
When her father was alive she couldn't imagine being anywhere else, but after he died things changed for the worse. Her brother who always been jealous of her relationship with their father grew increasingly worse in his disdain of her. She had been relieved when she heard the news that Henry had chosen her as his wife. She had heard his history with his previous wives, but she couldn't help but think that going to England was better than staying in the hell hole that she was at.
She never imagined Henry would divorce her?
She had hoped that given time Henry would see the person behind her plain features and grow to care for her. But she realized that she had been living in a dream world. A man like Henry would never see the inner beauty of a person, he was fickle. He only valued out beauty then who a person was. She couldn't help but think that maybe this was the reason he had no luck when it came to marriage.
She couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to her? She couldn't go back home. She knew that she would not be welcomed back at home. Her brother would no doubt blame her. She was afraid if she went back he would kill her. Whatever happened to her, she was not going home. She would sooner beggar on the streets before doing that.
Her mind raced, she knew that it was not a good time to see the King; maybe she could go see the Duke of Suffolk's? She remembers when escorted here to England. He was very much a gentleman, and she saw sympathy in his eyes when he and Lord Hertford announced the King's intentions to her.
The next day, she sent one of her ladies to go fetch him. She didn't have to wait for long for his arrival. Brandon was surprised by the summons, but came quickly, wondering what the Queen wanted. He hoped she was not going to ask him to speak to the King for her. Though he and Henry had been friends for many years, he hardly swayed any influence with the King.
Henry had not listened to him when it came to Anne Boleyn. It was only when he was in the mist of disaster that he finally listened to him. And when Henry truly wanted something, it was hard to talk him out of it
And how was he supposed to tell this sweet woman that he had been a part of her downfall? Guilt racked him. He along with Sir Francis Bryan, and Edward Seymour had enticed Katherine Howard in front of the King. He didn't have any ill will towards her, in-fact he respected her very much. But he saw a way in getting rid of Cromwell and he took it. Now the King was preparing to arrest the bastard at any moment.
"Majesty," he bowed.
"Please don't do that," she said quickly, gesturing towards his bowing. He raised his eye brow and looked at her in confusion. "I don't understand Madame..." he said.
"I won't be Queen for long, I don't think I'm worthy of such an honor,' she admitted, looking down at the floor. Just then he grabbed her hands in his, she looked at him surprised. He seemed embarrassed for a second by his actions, but he didn't let her go.
"You are worthy," he told her. "More then you know. You have managed to do something that Henry's other two wives haven't. You have managed to capture the hearts of the people. Not since Queen Katherine has that happened. Not only that both Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth adore you and look to you as a second mother."
Anne couldn't help but feel touched by his words.
"And since the King is going to name you his official sister, you're even more entitled to it and more."
She couldn't wrap her head around that. Sister? How can she be the King's sister when she was just his wife? And though she heard that he denied this, he had managed to take her virginity.
Turning back to Brandon, she then questioned on what the King's plans for her was? Was he going to send her home. He seemed relieved that she was asking this. She figured that he thought she was going to ask him plead for her case to the King.
She would never ask that of anyone, nor would she be so low to beg someone to be with her who didn't want her.
Charles didn't seem to know the King's intentions were for her, but he promised once he knew that he would tell her. He seemed sincere and she believed he would do this.
After Brandon left, she decided to take a walk in the palace gardens. Despite all the drama going on her life, she always managed to find peace walking through the gardens. Going over everything that happened to her, she was beginning to realize that maybe this was all for the best. She didn't love the King, and she doubt she would ever be truly happy with him. Though her mother always told her that marriages wasn't about love, but alliance and power.
Back in her head she always wanted something more than that. She wanted to be in love and have someone that loved her. Stopping she looked at one flower imparticular she had never seen it before.
Just then a spire appeared before on its spinneret. She backed away in horror, she hated insects. She didn't see what she tripped over, but her head exploded in pain and then everything went black.
When she woke up she realized that she was in a forest by a big oak tree. She frowned wondering how she even got here. "My Lady are you okay?" a woman appeared before her, wearing a concern expression on her face. She kneeled down next to Anne. Her hand lightly resting on her arm. She was very beautiful, with long blond hair that was done up in a ponytail. Besides her was two young boys, who looked at her wearily. They never seen a lady so dressed up like her before.
Just then they heard the thunderous sounds of horse hooves.
"Look mama," the older of the two boys piped and began to point at something. "It's the King."
Anne winced, ignoring the throbbing in her temple. She then looked towards the boy was pointing and watched as several men in armor riding towards them.
Her stomach began to twist, her telling her that she stepped into something that she had no way in coming back from.
To be continued...