Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Title: Perish in the Name of Passion

Summary: Shallow sorrows and shallow loves live on. The loves and sorrows that are great are destroyed by their own plenitude, Oscar Wilde. Henry had spared Anne from beheading. But on the last day, he had unknowingly let go of two lives. It will be six years later that they are reunited, but have their feelings changed enough to give them a second chance at love?

A/N:

Chapter 5:

"What are you running away from?" he asked her.

"I do not know what you are talking about." She kept plugging the roses.

"I knew you were delusional, but you are even hypocritical." Charles replied back with a scoff. Apparently, this seemed to set something off inside of her, as Anne turned around, throwing both, the rose and the cutter, to the ground.

"What do you want? Have I not already told you that I do not wish to see any of you, nor do I want to see him? Why don't you just leave?"

"It is his Majesty." Anne rolled her eyes. "And no, I will not leave as long as you do not come back with me."

"Why? Because you fear the King's wrath? How nice to know that not even his best friend is safe from his anger." She crossed her arms and smirked conceitedly at him.

"I would not be so sure if I were you." She knew he was hinting at the moment, where he was the one favored and she the one, who was discarded, probably forever. Charles on the other hand wondered whether she knew that he was the reason why she was discarded, as Henry had chosen to believe him over his wife.

"And yet you refuse to leave. Your words are hard to believe, when your actions are screaming the opposite."

"And you, what about you?"

"What about me, my Grace? I think my precarious predicament-"

"You pregnancy is more than obvious." Charles sneered.

"Well, then I wonder why you assume that the reason I refuse is fear." Anne's eyes darkened. "And I assure you, it is not the reason."

"You know Anne, I am tired of this. Why beat around the bush?" he asked rhetorically. "Let me make things clear. Either you are running away from him, because you know that this child is not his or else-"

"Or else what?!" She wanted to slap him for his insult, but instead she tightened her grip. There was no need for violence. She was better than that.

"I am still thinking, for there is no explanation that would come to my mind as to why."

"Why? Because it is so hard to believe that this child is his?"

"No, the reason why I doubt Henry is the father is that if he truly was, then you would have run to him a long time ago. But instead, you have spent perhaps for almost five months here, hiding this pregnancy. It's because you don't want him to know that you are truly a whore!"

"First thing," Anne said with a seething voice, "you and I know very well that he already believes so, even without any proofs, aside from the one he or anybody else invented and secondly, it may be that you do not want to realize this, but the truth is that it is his child. If it pleases you, you can stay until she is born and make sure that it is his child or even better, I will inform you, so that I will not have to always see you."

"Who are you trying to kid. What reasons would there be to make you keep this as a secret, instead of trying to claim the power you love so much back?"

Anne opened her mouth, ready to reply back, however, in the last second, reason won over when she closed her mouth again. Why trying, when it would be in vain, she mused.

"I could try," she began, "but I have better things to do than trying to waste my breath for something that is not worth it." She turned around, believing that it would be the best now for her to go, before her emotions got the best of her again.

"What are you playing at?" Charles shouted after her, not knowing that it was amusing enough for Anne to smile, when she walked away.

"You still have so much to learn. I wonder how a man like you could have climbed up so high, when he cannot see at all. Well, at least the important things... On the other hand, perhaps this is the reason", she mused.

"So, how do you like this so far?" Charles asked her.

"Well, you are the first one, who dared to talk to me." Anne replied with a mischievous smile.

"Don't look so unhappy." He nudged her from the side; while watching the crowd mingle, like she had been doing the whole time. "Here", he held up a goblet, wherein Anne guessed was wine. With a grateful smile, she took up his offer and took it down in one gulp.

"Go easy, Anne, you do not want to miss the fun."

"I could give this advice back to you as well, Duke. You seem to have had one too many, if you believe that this is going to be fun, for either of us." Anne said, holding the cool material of the goblet against her lips, while watching the courtiers with disdain.

"They are watching us." she whispered with barely visibly moving lips, as they were hidden behind tableware.

"No, darling, they are watching you, much like how they all did during the whole evening, from the moment on you stepped into this room." Charles declared and held up his goblet to one of the watchers in a friendly or not so friendly signal of acknowledgement. "I wonder why you appeared so early. I would have assumed that you would have avoided this as much as you could."

"The earlier I arrive, the earlier I might be able to leave."

"I see. Wise words." He watched the red water, as he swirled them around.

"This is torture." she scoffed and turned around.

"Then why don't you leave?"

"Because the King has yet to make his appearance and I guessed that it would be the best if I wait until he arrives."

"So that you will not have to deal with him. Smart." Charles smirked.

"One should think so, no? However, he has not appeared until now."

"He sure knows how to torture people."

"If I recall it right, you seemed to have enjoyed torturing me as well." Surprised by her words, Charles looked up to her. She was smiling amusingly, when she saw his reaction. "Don't you remember?" she asked, her head cocked to one side.

"For how long do you intend on following me?" Anne asked. "Even if you are not tired, I am."

"As long as it is needed. I cannot leave, until you consent." Those were the exact words of Henry.

"I believe you have received his letter then?" Charles muttered an answer. He should have expected her to have her own spies, after all this was her household however; he had not suspected his own servants to be that indiscreet.

Anne sighed.

"Then I pray that you have patience, because I know that neither Henry nor I do."

"I would not be in use of any, you would just-" The look she gave him seemed to be pointed enough to discard whatever thought that possessed him. However, it left room for another, equally hurting comment. "You should not talk to him as if you know him."

"One should assume that after the time we spent together, I would have the right to do so." She wasted her whole youth on him!

"For married couples," Charles noted. "However, you are quite the opposite of it, are you not? And may I remind you that my King is happily married to a woman, whom he loves and adores and who is carrying his long desired child."

"He adores and loves every woman." Not to mention that it was merely a fickle.

"And yet, she is the one he had chosen to marry."

"For how long, I guess..."

"Perhaps forever, if Gods deems so... and if Gods deems so, she might even deliver his Majesty a son. I heard that they wanted to name him Edward." Charles knew his words made no sense in the first place, however, when he looked, closely, into her eyes, he would see that it had every purpose. He smirked, when he saw its proof.

"If..." Anne muttered under her breath.

"If, but she still has her chance." The Duke remarked. He glanced at her and he felt satisfactions, when he saw her bit her pink lips with what seemed a little too much force.

"You seem tense, my Lady. Are you not feeling well?" he asked with a smirk. Anne glared at him, her hands clenched into fists. For a while, they kept their position, merely watching each other with pointed looks, full of anger and resentment. She took a few deep breaths, and even Charles had problems at reining his temper. He wondered how it she was able to enrage him in such a manner, when this time; it was actually him that was attacking her.

"Your Grace," Anne began slowly, in a calm voice, her fists unclenched. "You seem to enjoy torturing me, and I cannot help but wonder why." She gave him a wry smile, knowing that they both knew it was a truth that could not be denied.

"Consider this as payback."

"Indeed." Charles smiled and took a sip from his drink. "I cannot believe that you still remember my words." He chuckled and looked at his glass, probably not wanting to look at her, knowing he would feel guilt and regret at the words that had long passed since he had hissed them at her.

"Do you still believe that I am cruel?"

"Anne... I-" She eyed him with a look of expectancy, waiting for the next words that would never come out. He wished that she could see her own expression right now, just as he wished that he would have a way to store this smile away, somewhere safe and always in his reach.

"You don't have to answer it, if you don't want. I would never want to force you." She apologized quickly, after she realized how this question seemed to have set him off.

"No, it is okay." He assured her thereafter just as fast. "Anne-" She looked up to him, knowing she was going to receive her answer.

"The King is arriving!" Both of their heads turned towards where the voice had come from, however, not simultaneously. Anne managed to be a little bit faster than Charles. Something that may have gone unnoticed by her, but he was very well aware of that. And also, on the contrary to Anne, his eyes did not linger on the King, nor was it focused on the lady behind the Kind. No, his attention was occupied by the black-haired beauty right next to him.

"I am aware of the fact that we never had an amicable relationship, the farthest was nothing more than a convenience, however, I had never done anything to personally attack you." It was not like she desired to be his friend or that she wanted him to like her, but it was getting tiring. She was slowly accepting his presence in her four walls and thus, she got over the fact that they somehow had to find a common ground, for both of their sake.

"You deserved whatever you got. You are a cruel woman." Charles hissed.

"I do know that some consider me as that and that for some, it is nothing short of appropriate to call me so, but I never considered you to them."

"You take advantage of people around you. You are selfish, cold-hearted. You do not care for the people you hurt or whom you have so step over in order to reach your goals."

"I presume that you are referring to Katherine and the Lady Mary."

"And Henry as well."

It was true that she was cruel to Katherine and her child and although she truly considered their marriage invalid, it did not justify her treatment of them. She admitted that much.

"Charles, I am trying here. I try to find a common ground, for the both of us. I don't like it either, I don't want you here, but appearance has it that you will not go anywhere, but neither am I!" She closed her eyes. "So, for the sake of both of us, why don't we try to make a truce? I don't want to fight with you. Don't you have something better to do, than to be stuck with me? Like your child?"

"Don't you dare to talk about my child! You know nothing about the relationship between me and my son. I doubt that you would even know the meaning of paternal relationship."

Somehow, she wanted to be angry at him and indeed, there was a part of her that felt insulted at his words, and yet, she was calm. Anne guessed it was because somewhere she did agree with him. She had not enjoyed the kind of relationship she desired to share with her daughter, nor was it, at least she believed it to be so, the kind of relationship Charles had with his son. Not that she knew anything of it, but she could guess from the look of possessiveness, with which he glared at her.

And so, instead of replying, Anne smiled bitterly and turned towards the window. She held up her hand, her finger touching the cold glass gingerly, as thought it was thinner than paper and softer than it appeared.

"Perhaps you are right, it mayhap that I had not had the maternal relationship between a normal mother and daughter..." She bit her lip, this time gentler "However, do not believe that it does not lie in my heart's wish."

Usually, he would have scoffed. Usually, he would have not believed one word she muttered. But usually, she would not have talked to him with such a ... gentle voice. It made him uncomfortable, even inflicted pain, mostly at his ego, to admit such a thing, but there was no other way to describe that soft and barely audible voice that whispered such ... fragile words to him. If he had merely heard those words, not knowing her voice or not seeing her, he would have never guessed that it would come from the same person, who had haughtily claimed the Crown as her own and declared everything she had stolen to be hers.

Anne turned to him. He looked confused, something Anne decided to overlook.

"Because this is not the case", she continued to explain with a calm voice. Her eyes were soft, and yet gentle and his breath hitched, when he looked into them. Looking back, he would later on guess that this was the first time he finally decided to appreciate the trait always connected to her eyes.

They truly were hooks to the soul.

However, in that moment, when his whole being was keen on recognizing in her the enemy, the embodiment of vileness, he would push that thought in the farthest corner of his mind, silently chiding himself. Not that this chiding would have any effects, as in the future, this thought would cross his mind many times and he would feel neither regret nor shame, but ease and serenity fill his mind and body.

"Do you truly think that I would believe you?" He frowned. He himself would never admit it, but somehow, somewhere, he did believe her.

"No, I don't, but I admit I had hoped that you would." Anne smiled and looked outside through the window. It was beyond her own understanding why she would want to explain herself to him, she owed him no explanation and yet, she wanted to. She wanted to explain herself to him, explain her reasons, why she was staying. Anne wanted to tell him that she was not the vindictive and selfish woman he portrayed her to be, not as much anymore, at least.

Perhaps it was because she was sick and tired of misunderstandings or maybe it was truly her need for peace or at least truce between them, which would also be for the sake of her unborn child. But maybe, possibly, it was because of the way his eyes shone, when she had mentioned his son. The protectiveness, the possessiveness, only recognizable in a father, had touched her. She had yet to see this kind of expression from her husb- ex-husband, nor her father... No man had ever looked so protective of his child, at least not those around her.

He was the first...

"I am not doing this, because I want to hurt anyone. It is not because I enjoy torturing you, nor is it because of selfish reasons. I am not doing this for me." If she would have done anything for herself, then she would have run to Henry the moment she knew she was pregnant, paraded her pregnant stomach in front of the entire court and especially in front of Jane. But she repressed her urges. "I stayed here..."

She looked outside. For a while, she starred there and Charles, not knowing what to think, followed her gaze.

"Elizabeth..." It was the first time that he had seen her there. He wondered for how long the Princess had played in the garden. Well, probably from the moment Anne started to dart her eyes towards the window, spacing out every now and then.

"She is the reason." Anne whispered, almost so quiet that Charles would have missed it, had the room not be as quiet as silence. He regarded her. A smile was painted on her serene face. Goosebumps ran over almost his whole body, when he took in her appearance. Anne's whole frame was bathed in the rare sunlight that shone through the window. She almost looked divine and Charles shuddered, keeping in his mind that this woman was the devil in his world and should be burned at stake.

"You are blaming-"

"I am not blaming anyone, Your Grace. I am merely saying that I have decided to grow up and it is all for her." Finally, Anne tore her gaze from her sweet daughter, deigning the duke with a look again. "I would never be able to blame my child, as much as I believe you could never blame your son-."

"And why?"

"Why what?" Why? Why... everything! Because he understood nothing.

"What do you mean; you are doing this for her?"

"Because I owe it to her." Anne looked down on her stomach, her hands wrapped around her round stomach. "And to the little one growing in my stomach."

"You believe that it is a girl?"

"I hope so", she replied to his question. Anticipating his next question, one she knew she would not be able to answer calmly, she changed the topic. "You have to know that I love both of them very much."

Charles remained silent. Perhaps he would get a clearer understanding of her words, if he just kept quiet and leave her her own pace.

"I know that you consider me as a selfish woman and you are right. I am selfish. I think I have always been." She sighed and looked towards her hands. They were wrapped around her stomach. "There is a part of me that is ashamed of my action. I am not proud of them. However, there are some aspects I cannot help but will repeat if given the chance."

"Because of Elizabeth..." Anne smiled.

"You seem to begin to understand..." He wondered whether she even knew that every now and then she would sneak a little peek towards the window and through the glass. "It is ironic. Perhaps it is justice, I do not know. But what I cannot deny is the fact that I have lost everything I achieved, loved and desired to achieve and yet, I gained so much of what I had never wanted. Can you understand what I mean?"

He did not reply.

"I never wanted her. At least, I never thought I would want,- love her so much as I do right now. But the moment I held her in my arms..." Anne chuckled. "I loved her. I loved her and I would have given everything for her. From then, everything I did, I did it for her."

Charles doubted her words. It was unbelievable.

"I know my words may seem twisted from your point of view, because it was no secret that wanted so much to give... him, a son..." Again, she chuckled. "But I did this for her as well." She insisted upon her words and somehow, Charles' doubts began to dissolve.

"And yet, because all of this, I had neglected her. She was so young..." She bit her lips. It was her turn to become silent.

It was weird, and frightening not to mention, but slowly, Anne began to transform in front of his eyes. No, that was not correct. She had already changed. It was him.

It was him!

He was the one changing. He was beginning to see her as someone, who was not heartless, and maybe never was to begin with.

Charles' eyes were glued to her, however, different from before, her beautiful blue eyes were no longer on him, instead they lingered upon another man. One, who did not and had never deserved her attention, least her admiration and devotion, especially not after what he had done to her. And yet, here they were. Both claiming to hate each other and both lying and pretending.

Their usually cold eyes were the only part of them that did not lie.

He was not stupid. Well, he was not very intelligent and sometimes, he was just plain stupid, but not even he was dumb enough to miss what was going on. What was going on, one might question.

Well, Anne was not heartless, but she was still cruel. That is what was going on.