A/N: My story is a mash up of The Tudors and The Other Boleyn Girl (book and movie). My Anne is Natalie Dormer with dark eyes instead of blue, my George, Boleyn Mother, and Mary are from TOBG movie. All other characters are based strictly from the Tudors. The birth order is George, Anne, Mary, and my story takes place in between Anne's miscarriages (in the show). I've had this idea in my head for awhile so I hope everyone enjoys the read and if it does well enough I'll keep writing.
The marriage between my sister and my king had been the subject of much scandal throughout Europe. A passion such as there's could only go so long being excited before it started to consume those which had entrapped it. Danger lurked around every corner for us Boleyns and only a Prince in the nursery would secure us forever. The King grew ever more impatient with Anne as she refused to turn a blind eye to his affairs and showed no signs of giving him his desired heir. She was learning a cruel and crucial lesson for any who dared to be the wife of Henry 8th. A man that burned hot for a mistress cooled down when that mistress started acting like a wife. True enough, she was his crowned and anointed queen, but she was meant to continue acting as a royal mistress, not a wife.
With respect to my sister, it was something I empathized with the King about. Having a wife whom you couldn't stand to be around was something a man wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. My sister and the king had, had an argument earlier that day and he had called for some of his closest companions to journey away from the court with him that night. I was surprised when the king summoned me to go with him, especially when the Seymour brothers were accompanying him as well. But, being the experienced courtier I was, I accepted without hesitation as if it was the highest honor anyone had ever paid me. I wasn't particularly fond of brothels for they made me feel as though I was betraying Mark Smeaton, but it was a night away from my wife and that was all the motivation I needed. It was when I was accompanying the King at the whore house that I overheard it said that Jane Seymour was the calming drought to Anne Boleyn. I had been sitting in a chair by a fire drinking my fill of wine when I glanced up to see who dared to speak so boldly of their Queen. I saw the King laughing at Thomas Seymour who wore a smirk on his face while Edward looked at the King with calculating eyes before glancing at me and turning away. The King too glanced at me, but with hesitation in his eyes, as I stood up and grabbed a red headed whore and began walking toward a room.
"My Lord Rochford, I didn't think you for the type of man that would take another to his bed. I thought you loved your wife too much", Thomas said making me hesitate. Rolling my eyes I turned back at the young Seymour brother and answered him.
"You've clearly never met my wife sir. She, like any other woman, is not free to restrict her husband from taking comfort elsewhere. Something my sister and yours are very familiar with", I said nodding toward the King, who was now kissing a half naked whore while another was on her knees untying the strings of his breeches. Once we got to a room I placed a few coins on the table for my whore as she undressed and showed me how skilled her hands were.
On the boat ride back to court I couldn't help but think about what that Seymour bastard said. Turning it over in my head I began to chuckle. Yes it must seem that Jane was ice to Anne's fire, the rain to her desert, the cool breeze to her scorching day. But I know my sisters well enough to know that that is not the truth. The calming balm for Anne is not Jane Seymour, but in fact Anne's greatest rival, Mary Boleyn. The only reason the King has not found that out for himself is because my younger sister isn't here to show him herself. But I had thought of a way around that and I intended to bring her to court so our sister does not lose her crown or her head.
Speaking as a Boleyn, it was humiliating to have to admit how out of favor with the King we had become. Everything we had worked so hard to achieve seemed to be dissipating overnight. My uncle and father, two very high ranked gentlemen of the court, were, like the King, quickly running out of patience with my sister. In the few years that she had been on the throne she still had only managed to produce one heir, and that a girl, Elizabeth. I love my niece but her gender puts the whole family at risk; not just the Boleyn's but the Howard's too. Everyone who has placed their lives and their position on Anne are in jeopardy of losing everything. But with my quick thinking I hope to help bring a golden world to England.
"What? Have you gone mad boy?!" my father screamed at me. Anne had paled and quickly flushed red with anger while my mother and uncle stared open mouthed, but before any of them could speak I continued.
"Think about it. Even in the nursery Anne's only rival has only ever been Mary. When the King finally decided on Anne he chose between her and Mary. Since he's met them there has been no woman who could keep his interest like the two of them. Even the King of France said there was only one other woman that could compare to Anne; the other Boleyn Girl." Once I saw that my father and uncle were giving it some thought I continued on with my plan. "If Mary comes back to court then we can put her in front of the Kings nose and he will be forced to choose between her, Jane, and Anne. So if we can get Jane out of the way then he will only have to choose between Anne and Mary and we have all seen who he chooses in that situation", I paused looking at my sister hoping to pacify her if only slightly. "Even still, this time, he really won't have to choose. Mary has been widowed once more and if she'd like to stay at court, and if the king chooses to keep her, he can make her his official mistress with Anne as his queen. This way the Boleyn's will never have to worry about losing the King again. When he is upset with Anne, he can go to Mary. And when he is bored of Mary, he can get his excitement from Anne. And if he chooses to lie elsewhere then at least, please God, Anne will have put a son in the nursery and none of that will matter anymore for he will never get rid of the woman who bares him a Prince."
The rooms were quiet save for the heavy breathing of my Queen. "Do my feelings mean nothing to you? I banished Mary for marrying beneath her rank without my permission. Now that that man is dead you want me to allow her to return so that she might take my husband away? My husband?! The king! Have you gone mad? I became Queen. The king fell in love with me. I incurred the wrath of Spain and Catherine of Aragon. All you had to do was sit around and amuse the king while I risked my life for this. I caught the sweat while trying to capture the heart of the king when all you did was laze around drinking wine and telling stories!" She screamed getting ever closer to me until our mother pulled her back.
My uncle turned to me, completely ignoring my sister, "IF we reconsider Mary's banishment and allow her to return to court, what would you suggest we do about her children?" Before I could answer my mother cut in.
"I think it would be wise to allow them to be companions to the young Princess. Aside from her bastard sister she is alone at her establishment at Hatfield. Perhaps young Henry may not be the most suitable companion for her, but at the very least he is her cousin and as we all know her big brother. As far as her youngest child, His Majesty may not allow her to join the nursery since she is of no real royal blood and can only boast royalty through her aunt's marriage, which is shaky at best. However, the child is his niece after all, and the sister to his children. So, he will consider it if Anne proposes it to him, and she will, because it is beyond her control and it is the wish of her family." My mother turned to Anne making it painfully clear that she was not making a request and that it had been decided that Mary would return to court to help keep the king in our family at all costs. All that was left was to work out the details.
My little sister of course wanted no part in this plan but she had no choice if she wanted to see one of her children as the future monarch of England. "Don't do this", she screamed, "don't do this". No one listened to her as my father sealed the letter that would change the fate of the world.
"You can fight this as hard as you like but this is what is happening. Thanks to you and your inability to maintain your temper this family is in more danger than anyone else in the whole of Europe. The King would have you produce a son before the year is out. Be thankful to George that he has found a way to save us all. Without Mary here you don't have a chance at keeping the king's attention on this family. He accepted Elizabeth only due to his love of you but that has waned quicker than we thought thanks to your sharp tongue. The King wants Elizabeth to be a big sister to a prince; not a princess, and not a dead baby. I will have Mary here by your side to cool the King's temper... and yours." With that my father left and I was alone with the Queen of England.
"Well George, this is all your idea what's next? Is your wife going to be in his bed? Or will mother take my place? There are dozens of Howard girls to be so sacrificed. Will you offer one of them to the Royal bull? Or perhaps you'll offer your own wife. Or better yet you can have a daughter to sacrifice to the crown!"
"I seek only to strengthen your position as Queen of England. Something that would not be necessary if you could manage to be more like Katherine. But since you have railed against him and publicly humiliated him he no longer desires you as he once did. However, Mary is still young, she has two children for the king, one of them a boy, and she has always been the cooling touch to your burning flame. Forgive me if you would rather die than have your sister save all of our lives, but I would rather see you secure in your position with a son on the throne than see you dishonored or dead. So it's decision time Your Majesty. Do you want to live or die? Because I can go to father and tell him not to send that message and you can continue as you have and see if your French practices will be enough to save you. And you can see just how out of favor we really are and sink us completely. Or, you can go to your bed chamber and cry and be angry at whoever you desire to be and accept the fact that the only way the family pushes on is through your sister; that the only way to get rid of the Seymours is to bring back Mary. In this moment you, the Queen of England, will decide the fate of your entire family one more time. Can you accept your sister's return and welcome her with open arms? Or would you rather take your chances and attempt to capture the king by yourself again? The choice is yours. Her breathing calmed and her eyes watered as she took in what I said. After a few minutes of staring at each other I braved my sister's temper once more. "So, Anne, what is it going to be?"
