DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
None of this is historically accurate! This is all based on an idea bt ReganX.
June 7th 1536
The king and queen sat on their thrones in the great hall. Anne looked stunning wearing a deep purple velvet gown with the finest jewellery hanging around her slender neck. Her dark hair fell in ringlets around her smiling face. To top of the whole look, her swollen stomach made her look like the perfect queen. The king looked even happier. His left had had a permanent place over his queens stomach, protecting his son. He, like his wife, was wearing deep people. He looked striking and his hair only added to the image. His light hair was swept back, witch highlighted his face. His eyes were shining with happiness, he had everything he could have ever have wanted.
In their attendance were all of Anne's ladies in waiting, all dressed in the finest French dresses, that were in Anne's favourite colour, twilight blue. Charles Brandon stood behind his majesty, whispering jokes into his ear. Henry was only half listening though, he was in a trance because of his wife. In Henrys eyes she was glowing, as she was carrying the heir he so greatly desired.
"I have never been so happy as I am now darling," he whispered sweetly into her ear. She placed her hand over his and spoke.
"I do not think I could be more happy if I tried," she smiled back at him.
Then a small man of about twenty three walked hastily into their majesties presence. He was wearing a deep red top, with light brown trousers. He bowed deeply to both before waiting to be allowed to talk.
"What is your business here," Henry asked, annoyed at him for ruining his moment, with his beautiful wife and unborn child.
"His lordship Thomas Boleyn requests an audience with your majesties," he said quietly. Anne's face lit up at her Papas name, she had not seen him for two months and had started to miss him.
"Well let him in," ordered Henry, knowing his wife's desire to see her family. The young man ran out of the room and soon after entered Thomas Boleyn. He was walking with a small spring in his step. He was wearing a smile and his eyes were light.
"Your majesties," he greeted his daughter and son-in-law. He bowed quickly, before strolling over to hug his daughter.
"Why aren't you getting big now," he teased. He kissed her on the forehead and then kissed her bump.
"By the day. Our son is going to be a big boy," Henry said, happy to talk about the child.
"Definitely, when are you suspected to have the baby?" he asked, curious.
"Around 3 months from today," she said, knowing the date off by heart.
"Have you seen the astrologer yet?" he asked.
"Yes they have assured us that it is definitely the heir I desire," stated Henry proudly.
"That's brilliant!" laughed Thomas, his eyes darkening a little. Nobody apart from his oldest daughter, Mary, noticed this.
"Father," Mary spoke to him, "can I speak to you?" Thomas looked at the king and queen and they both nodded their heads, before walking back to their thrones. Thomas strode through the doors with Mary following closely behind him.
Thomas strode down long corridors, until he reached the garden. Mary was almost running to try and keep up with her fathers pace. She didn't understand the look that he gave her earlier. It was look he used when he was plotting for Anne to become queen. That look was his plotting look, but what could he be possibly plotting now? Anne was going to be forever in the kings good books as she was going to give birth to his son and they were all going to live happily ever after. Thomas stopped in a small alcove of the garden, it was sheltered and had two small chairs inside it. He sat down on one and Mary sat on the other, she was getting nervous now. Did he know something everyone else didn't?
"Mary did you know when your mother was expecting you we went to that same astrologer?" he asked her.
"No," Mary stated not seeing where this whole story was going.
"The astrologer promised us we were going to have a healthy baby boy," he said.
"So… he was wrong," she said simply, then she understood what he was talking about.
"Oh… You think he is wrong about the king and queens child being a boy," she said, her eyes being shadowed by hints of concern for her sister.
"Well no, but I am just saying that we can't be certain that Anne is carrying a boy," he stated.
"What can we do about it though? It's not like we can change the sex of her baby," she said shaking her head.
"No, but I have a plan. When Anne gives birth we let her keep her baby, if it's a boy then great, we don't use this. If it's a girl we say she delivered twins, a boy and a girl," he said.
"Where do we get the boy? it's not like we can just magic one out of thin air," she asked, not understanding the plan.
"There is a mother in the town who's baby is due a day before Anne's, and there is another, neither want the baby, so we get their baby boy, one of them must have a boy, and put it with Anne's," he said cleverly, happy to be able to scheme again.
"Wait one second, you're forgetting midwives telling and Anne might notice if she is handed a baby she didn't give birth to," she said laughing at her fathers stupidity.
"Well, if the midwives squeal we can get them done for treason, whether they are believed or not," he said, knowing the law inside and out. He had learnt a lot from his time in the Netherlands.
"What about Anne? She's not that stupid," Mary said. Thomas reached into his coat and pulled out a small bottle full to the brim of a yellow thick liquid.
"That is where this little beauty comes in, we give this to Anne and she is so out of her mind that she wouldn't even know if she had had octuplets!" he laughed. Mary had to join in with his excitement.
Mary wasn't a fan of deception, but this was for family. Anne needed a boy to secure her position in the royal family. If she didn't she could loose the kings love. That couldn't happen, this was a way of ensuring it. But, it would be risky, one midwife speaking out with a good story and they could be sent to the tower and Anne would never forgive them if she were to ever find out. It was a risk Mary was prepared to make, but could her father stand the fact that her favourite daughter might never forgive him.
"Anne would never forgive us if she ever found us out," Mary reminded him gently.
"That's a risk we will have to take, I want Anne to be happy and I want her to stay alive, which if she has a girl, we can't guarantee," he reminded himself. He loved Anne and believed this was what he had to do to keep her safe.
"To keep her safe, I'm in," she said. Picturing Anne with her little boy made this seem less barbaric.
"That's my girl," he said, pulling Mary into a warm embrace. He stroked his daughters head, feeling better knowing that both of his daughters would be safe and well. He didn't need to worry about George, he was a strong lad and could cope with anything. Anne needed her papa though.
"Now we better be getting back, I will ask Anne about her midwives now, so we can make sure we can be covered," he said, standing up and offering his daughter his arm. She took it willingly and they strolled back to Anne and Henry together.
They met the young lad again, but instead of waiting for him to ask for permission for them to enter they just walked in. Neither king nor queen were surprised by this. Anne was in the same position, but Henry was on his knees in front of her, talking to her stomach. He didn't stop immediately, but went and sat on his throne to talk to his father and sister in law.
"Well, I'm going to have to leave you now sweetheart, I've got quite a bit of work to be getting on with, but before I go can I ask what midwife team you will be using, your brother wants me to get every detail, so he can be as up to date as everyone else," Thomas informed them.
"You can tell George I am using Bess Swans midwife team, also tell him to come and visit, he's extremely welcome here at court, isn't he love," she said, asking her husband.
"Of course darling, if George makes you happy, he makes me happy," Henry swooned.
"I will tell him, see you later darlings," he said kissing Mary on the cheek, before walking over to the queen. He hugged her as best he could and then bowed, remembering who he was in the presence of.
Technically, he had lied, he hadn't seen George in a month, just like he hadn't seen the others. But, it was what was best for her. He now knew who he had to talk to, who he had to blackmail. He knew Bess, she had worked as a maid in his wife's household, a long time ago. He got off his horse and walked into her house, he didn't need to nock, he was The Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond after all.
It was a small house, decorated shabbily and had a strong smell of sweat wafting through the house. He had grown up in a place like this, the thought of it now. He had lived in Hever for more years than he cared to count, he certainly did not want to go back to living like this, he couldn't. The walls were painted a sickly green and the carpet was a crimson red. He strolled straight into the kitchen, where there were a group of 6 women. He assumed this was the midwife team. He checked that there were no other people in the room before he told them who he was.
"Excuse me sir, you can't…" started the small, podgy ginger-haired woman.
"I am Lord Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond, and father to the queen consort Anne Boleyn," he said. He normally didn't use his daughter in his title, but he needed to sound extremely important, or they would not take him seriously; he had to be taken seriously.
"What do you desire of us sir?" she asked, glancing around to her fellow team members.
"I have a proposition for you, do you remember me Bess?" he asked, this was not directed at the ginger haired woman, but at a tall, slender, dark haired beauty.
"Of course I do," she said quietly.
"Good. You all know my daughter is in danger," he stated. Everyone's eyes widened, a small blonde haired woman reached for a knife.
"No! Not know, well, yes now, but… If my daughter does not deliver a son she will fall out of favour with the king, that cannot happen," he said forcefully.
"We all like the queen and want what is best for her, but what can we do?" asked the blonde-haired woman.
"When goes into childbirth we give her some of this," he pulled the bottle up again. "Then if she delivers a boy, great, plan over, if not we say she had twins."
"Where would you get the other baby from?" asked Bess worriedly, the plan was a little too extreme for her liking.
"Two mothers are expecting in the town, one of them must have a boy, and neither of them wants their baby, that will be your job. Bring the baby with you and then deliver," he told them.
"Why?" asked the redhead.
"Why what?" he growled.
"Why should we do this?" she spat.
"For the love of the queen and your country," he said gently before walking out of the door, praying to god that they would actually go through with this.