Hallelujah
PLEASE DO NOT READ PAST THIS NOTE. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TRIGGERS OF RAPE. If you don't want to read this chapter, please message me and I will give you a basic outline of what happened. I have tried to write the chapter as sensitively as possible.
'So, goodnight moon,
And goodnight you,
When you're all that I think about.
All that I dream about'
Goodnight Moon by Go Radio
30th May 1536, The Queen's Closet, Whitehall Palace, London
Edward was bored, bored of court, bored of the constant noise and most of all, he was bored of the idiotic people. With his sister's rise, he knew that people were beginning to bow down to him, hoping he would whisper into his sister's ear and that she would wield her influence, granting titles and estates, like her predecessor before her had. Edward knew differently, the King, proud and narcissistic would never allow a woman to control him again. Little Jane Seymour was no Anne Boleyn, after all. At the thought of his wife, Edward scowled. He had only been away from her for two days, yet he felt himself missing her. I miss her tight cunt, nothing more, he justified his thoughts of her. He shifted irritably in his chair, wishing that the stupid wedding march would begin so he could get out of this room and get drunk.
"Ed, do you suppose we'll be given some damn titles now?" mumbled his younger brother, Thomas, as he stretched his legs out, moaning at the loud crack the joints made.
"Are you thick as well as drunk, dear brother?" snapped Edward, waspishly.
"I was only asking, heck. The King ennobled your whore's family, even your damn whore is ranked higher than us".
"He did. But their relationship was different, Tom. Jane is just a womb to him. He won't ennoble us until she has proved her worth".
"That whore must have been a good fuck then…" Tom stopped, a devilish smirk appearing across his bearded face, "Is she a good fuck? I can imagine her creamy thighs and that wet cunt already. After she gives you an heir, you could share her…"
Edward's steel glare cut across the rest of Tom's vile words. His nostrils flared slightly as he clenched his jaw.
"No. You will not touch her".
Thomas' response was interrupted by the organ's music, the wedding march, beginning. The brothers stood up respectfully with the rest of the courtiers. The King's arrival was announced by some man in red livery (Edward knew that the man must have been new by the haste of his words". Henry limped down the aisle, his heavy crown sat proudly on his head. The richness of his ivory wedding clothes was complimented by the gold collars he wore around his neck. Edward's throat constricted as he looked upon his wife's ex-husband. He knew Anne still loved Henry and should he ask for her back, she would be by his side in a minute. Anne and Henry were the same, both like fire, both burning with passion. Yet Edward was ice, he knew it was only a matter of time before she destroyed him (after all fire had a habit of melting ice) or he destroyed her by putting her out. The king stopped before him, a snarky smirk spreading across his arrogant face.
"Lord Seymour, how are you finding your new wife?", Henry questioned, his eyes glinting.
Edward took a minute to answer, working out if the glint in his superior's eyes was malicious or not. He licked his chapped lips before pulling a matching smirk onto his face.
"Very good, your Majesty. She has been most delightful within the bedchamber. Who knew that she could make a noise that is pleasant to hear. I have no doubts that we will be introducing a child soon".
Edward realised his mistake the minute it left his mouth. He had implied the king had been the reason Boleyn had miscarried twice. The king's sharp eyes twitched, just enough for Edward to pick up on his veiled annoyance before he responded jovially.
"Well then Lord Seymour, lets hope she isn't as unlucky in that department as she has been before. After all, it would be awful for her to see that her sister-in-law has succeeded where she has not".
Edward was saved by the bellowing of the trumpets announcing his sister's entrance. He couldn't lie that he wasn't relieved. Jane walked down the aisle carefully, maintaining her façade of innocence by keeping her face downcast. She was escorted by their father, John, who stood tall and proud, his lips curling with delight as they fell upon the Duke Of Norfolk and the Dowager Countess of Norfolk. Jane carried a posy of white roses and heliotropes, chosen by Edward himself, to indicate her proclaimed innocence and her devotion to her King. As Jane swept by him in a velvet gown, her hair loose, Edward was cast back to his own wedding as he tried to remember the flowers Anne had chosen. Anne had held a bouquet of Narcissuses, a sign of formality and ones often used for disliked arranged marriages. Should've guessed, he thought bitterly, unsure of why her choice of poncey flowers exasperated him.
The ceremony was over quickly, and secretly Edward thought it was because the King couldn't wait to get Jane into his chambers without a chaperone. He couldn't care less though; his thoughts were confusing to him, so he was numbing them with the finest wine he could drink. Out of the corner of his eye, and eliciting a heavy sigh, he saw the elderly Dowager Countess of Norfolk hobbling her way over to him.
"Seymour" the elderly woman's sharp hiss filled his ears. He turned to her slowly, taking in her dark eyes and greying hair. She was dressed as though she had attended a funeral rather than a wedding, yet he knew no one would dare say anything to the lady. Her gnarled hand clasped her walking stick tightly. Edward knew she pretended to be frailer than she was. The bloody bat pretended to be hard of hearing, so she could hear the secrets of the courtiers surrounding her who saw her as a harmless old crone. Edward knew differently though, she had been the mastermind behind her husband's return to grace and she was the driving force behind her stepson, the high and mighty Duke of Norfolk.
"Lord Seymour, if you must address me, Dowager Countess" he drawled at her, draining his goblet.
"Oh, how forgetful of me. It must have slipped my mind that you were deserving of more respect now your delightful sister has married his Majesty".
Edward did not miss the nasty smirk across her face as she simpered at him. Oh, course she wouldn't care for Jane, or any of the Seymours really. He went to respond to the Dowager before she cut him off.
"I do miss my dearest granddaughter, as you probably know, the dear Marquess of Pembroke has always been such a comfort to me. Perhaps you would be kind enough to pass along a letter to her to visit me at my house in Lambert. I have already sought the permission of his benevolent Majesty".
Her wrinkled hand held out a small letter, written on fine parchment and sealed with the Dowager's own wax seal as well as the stamp of Cromwell to show that she had indeed sought permission. She appraised him with her sharp gaze before her knobbed fingers brushed his jutting cheekbone.
"Even if you are from an unfortunate family, at least my Annie will get attractive infants from you".
And in a flash, she was gone.
XX
30th May 1536, The King's Chambers, Whitehall Palace, London
Jane had never been so nervous in her life as she stood in the royal chambers. Her husband had drunk a bit more than Jane had hoped and he seemed to be a little out of sorts. She watched as he stripped himself naked, tossing his breeches to the floor, before gesturing for her to do the same.
Jane's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she peeled the silken nightgown from her slim body and set it carefully on the armchair. She stood straight, unsure of what to do or whether to cover herself. The fire in the hearth warmed the room.
"Get on the bed" her husband mumbled as he moved to stand over her. Jane gently lay on the silken white sheets nervousness twisting in her stomach. He stood, playing with himself for a while before he moved over her. Jane's breath hitched as she felt him prodding at her most intimate place.
"Your Majesty?" her voice faltered with her fear. She knew the first time would hurt, her mother had already told her, but she had also said that the male would touch her to make her wet and willing. Mother had told her that it would be less painful if she was wet.
"Henry" she tried again, before a scream tore from her throat. He felt enormous and god, it hurt. It burnt and burnt, and Jane screamed again and again, tears rolling from her stinging eyes. He didn't stop though, like she had expected, instead his hands twisted her sensitive nipples. He thrusted into her again and again not caring about Jane's sobs before he wrapped his hand around her neck, tightening his firm grip. His thrusts grew more and more erratic before he spilt himself inside her, whispering a single word into her ear.
"Anne".
He rolled off her quickly, grabbing the cotton sheet by the side of him and tossing it to her without another word. He lay with his back against her, leaving Jane to count his breaths. Once she was sure he was asleep, she stood gingerly, biting her lip to hold back cries. She was so sore and the sliver of moonlight peering in through the heavy drapes allowed her to see the blood smeared across her pale thighs. Her feet padded over to the washing basin and she drew the cotton sheet into it, carefully wiping the crimson away. Her blue eyes fell upon the man she had respected before she fell to the floor, ragged breathes escaping her.
XX
28th July 1536, Wulfhall, Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire
Anne's tired eyes looked over the parcel of letters that had suddenly arrived for her. The large parchment in front of her held her household expenses. She had never done her own finances before, and it was odd to go through what she spent her money on. Anne was adamant that she was going to make sure she could fund something to help her parishioners. The people of Great Bedwyn, although uneducated and simple, had welcomed her in a way she had never experienced before, and Anne wanted to repay their kindness.
Her eyes read the long list before her, noting things that she could cut back on. She scrawled a note on the paper carefully, stating that she wished to put more money into the upkeep of Pembroke Castle. She hoped that she would be granted permission at some point to visit Pembroke with her Elizabeth for a holiday.
She continued reading through the expenses, noting with amusement at how much money she spent on gifts and gowns for Elizabeth. Her dark eyes fell upon a particular entry. She had forgotten that she paid for her nephew, Harry, to be educated at a prestigious Cistercian monastery and to receive extra tutoring from Nicholas Bourbon. Anne fondly caressed Henry's name, her heart aching. She missed her niece and nephew dearly. She even missed her older sister, Mary.
Scrawling down a note reminding her to write to Mary and beg her forgiveness, she turned to her pre-existing letters, spreading the sealed envelopes across the large bureau. She could recognise the insignia of her grandmother and that of her father and brother, yet there was one that was plain – a small dab of wax to seal it shut but nothing to indicate the sender. She opened her brother's first, fondly stroking his familiar scrawl and the blots of ink that covered the page.
Dearest Annie,
I do hope you are well and that the Seymours are treating you kindly.
Hever is just how I remember from our childhood, the tree we planted when you arrived back from France is blossoming well. Ms Burton said it should flower with apples soon.
Father suggested it was best for Jane and me to retire to Hever for a while to allow the king to get used to his whore wife. As always, father has good advice. Jane and I are enjoying the peacefulness although I dearly miss winding up Chapuys.
I have written to the peacock and I eagerly wait his reply to see if you would be able to visit us at Hever with our dear niece.
Hope to see very soon, dear sister.
Lots of love,
George x
AND JANE x
Anne beamed at the letter, laughing at George's nickname for Cromwell which alluded to his pride, and chuckling at the way Jane had scribbled her name. She hoped that Cromwell would give permission for her to see her brother and her sister-in-law. They were her closest friends and she dearly missed them, having seen them everyday for the past five years. Blinking away happy tears, she finished her reply to them before she reached for the letter from her grandmother.
The Marquess Of Pembroke, Lady Anne Boleyn,
One would hope you are enjoying yourself at Wulfhall but how can one when living in a pigsty. At least you have Lady Ughtred for company, even if she is of unfortunate birth.
I have heard that Lady Shelton will be leaving your company soon as she is marrying Lord Norris, who is still not welcome in the snake pit. I have a suggestion to whom may take her place in your household. The girl is a dolt, but she is kind and loyal and that's what matters when one finds themselves in such a situation.
I have retrieved permission from that Cromwell, so you can visit me at Lambert for a total of three days before you must retire back to Wulfhall.
One awaits you reply and your visit.
The Dowager Countess Of Norfolk, Lady Agnes Tilney-Howard.
PS – One has missed you dearly, my girl.
Anne eagerly scribbled a response to her grandmother, grinning as she signed herself off as Lady Anne Boleyn rather than Seymour. She was excited to visit her grandmother, although she was sharp, she was always entertaining to be around, and she gave fantastic advice. The third letter she opened was from her dear father and it contained news of the court.
The Marquess Of Pembroke, Lady Seymour,
I write to you with most intriguing news from Whitehall Palace. His Majesty and Lady Jane Seymour married on the 30th May with the whole court in attendance. Although Princess Elizabeth and the bastard, Lady Mary, were both absent. Your mother also declined to attend, stating she was in ill health and she has gone to join your brother in Hever.
I am to remain at court, although we are no longer noticed by the king at all. I will try to update you with news when I can, but I must be careful that these letters do not fall into the wrong hands. The day after the wedding, the King appeared in the privy council meetings hungover. His new wife did not emerge until the 5th June with tell tale yellowing around her throat. I imagine she had chosen to remain out of sight while the marks faded. Only a few people have noticed, and I imagine the Seymours wish to keep it that way, especially now they are being courted by courtiers who wish them to influence his majesty.
The privy council meetings have been quiet although there has been rumours of anger among the peasants who are having their local monasteries closed and are not benefiting from the closure of the corrupt ones.
His Majesty has not yet visited Princess Elizabeth and your Uncle, The Duke Of Norfolk said that Baroness Bryan has been writing to ask for funds as it appears his Majesty has reduced his support for the Princess.
The bastard, Lady Mary, is still refusing to sign the oath. The fool. The King is losing patience and I hear Uncle Norfolk has been instructed to make her submit.
I must go now, my Annie,
Papa
Anne opened the last letter carefully, scowling at the terrible handwriting of the sender. She frowned as she scanned the note.
Wife,
I have not heard from you. I do hope you are behaving and not causing chaos. I will be back for a couple of weeks in August. You will be required to join me at court in September to pay your respect to your new Queen.
Please remind my mother that she has yet to update me on the household.
Your Husband.
Anne sighed heavily, her heart sinking. How could she go back to court and bow her knees to the wench that stole her husband?
XX
Notes: What do you think? I do hope you're still enjoying it. The pace will begin to pick up now as we get into the story.
I know that both Thomas Seymour and Henry VIII are not receiving very nice write-ups at the moment. But Thomas Seymour didn't appear to be a very nice man (manipulated his nephew and tried to sexually groom a thirteen-year-old) so don't expect any niceness. Henry, on the other hand, is still recovering from a major head injury caused by the joust and is also struggling with the fact someone else has Anne. I do believe he cared for Anne (he certainly came across as loving and kind in the early years), but Henry also is a very self-centred and narcissistic man, so he will ALWAYS put himself first.
I hope you all liked the introduction of our dear Dowager Countess. She is one of my favourite characters to write.
I also hope Jane has received more sympathy. I do think she was pushed into the King's arms by her family and she would have been unable to refuse the king without inciting him further. She will become a key player in this story and I wish that people acknowledge that you can LOVE ANNE (as I do) but still feel SYMPATHY for any of the other wives too.
The first person to guess the name of the new lady-in-waiting Anne will be gaining, will be offered the choice to decide the gender of a certain baby that may be on its way... (please note only usernames will count as I will need to be able to PM the winner).
I really appreciate everyone that has favourited and followed my stories and an extra big thank you to all those who have reviewed.
Gogomohamad229 – Thank you for your review. I hope you continue to enjoy this new chapter.
Guest - Edward is very conflicted by his emotions at the moment. I'm not sure he is falling for her yet, but he certainly finds her intriguing if a bit irritating. But time, will tell where their relationship goes. Thank you for reviewing.
Guest – Glad you like Lizzie's characterisation. She will definitely feature some more in the next chapter. And you called it, Anne is required to attend the court. And with the snakes there, things won't be easy for her or Edward. I hadn't considered using the religious beliefs as a way to bond but that's a brilliant idea and I will definitely use it in one of the upcoming chapters (if you comment or PM me your name, I am happy to give you credit). Thank you for reviewing.
