A/N:
Let the story speak for itself and since today is my birthday there will be no updates since I will go celebrate, and watch the new movie Indiana Jones, see how it is.
Until then, good afternoon and good night, see you soon.
For reason and purposes of the story and canon with the series TUDORS Showtime, when emperor Charles as in the series went to be betrothed to Princess Mary on England, it was 1522, right after Anne came from France and she and her father started to try and wane the King's feelings towards Mary and towards Anne.
Warning, Protestant bashing and Catholic bashing, yes will be bashing all religions!! Also the characters you see here are the same as the Tudors, means the Thomas more, Anne Boleyn, Wolsey, Henry viii, Katherine of Aragon, Jane Seymour, and all of them are the same characters and with the same profiles as the Tudors, their physicals will be the same as the actors and characters they portray on the TV show.
Sorry for the inconvenience, and let the story speak for itself, enjoy, please review!!
Katherine was watching her ladies, most of them were loyal to her to the death, they had all promised, but probably the most interesting of her subjects was the Lady Anne Boleyn. The girl was smart, clever as she was beautiful.
She reminded Katherine with her dark blue eyes that to the far sighted seemed like 'dark hooks for the soul', of her when she first came to English soil to marry the Prince of Wales.
Lady Anne was a good companion, yet she remained with Katherine and not with the true Queen Isabella who was drifting to silent madness more and more each day. Henry worried for he had the respect and devotion for his wife, but too much in him was like English Tudor blood, if only he knew that he was the same like them but not in blood, only in spirit.
Of the many things, Katherine was smiling as she remembered that none of her descendants would ever inherit a drop of Tudor blood, they would have to pass over her dead body for such alliance, she suffered one once and that was more than enough.
"Lady Anne." She said to the 26 year old form of Anne Boleyn who was helping her change in her nightgown. The girl looked to Katherine with no sign of fear or amusement.
"I want to ask you, have you ever thought of the future and what it might bring to us both?" She asked with all sincerity, waiting for the young woman's answer, an answer she hoped could make her feel better after all of what had passed between Henry, her and Mary. Not to mention Thomas' insistency to keep his trust.
Anne smiled, but it was a deceptive and mysterious smile that held much more then what met the eye. "I think fate is smart enough to bring us what better God deems. God will find you a better future my Lady, I am sorry the Church is not helping your position. Anne said with double meaning to her last sentence.
Katherine stoic manner remained the same, something in both women's attitudes didn't surprise them anymore, as far as they had become friends since the younger girl's father had placed her under her ladies-in-waiting, she had come to admire Katherine and respect and in return Katherine had held her in such a high steam.
The Dowager Princess loved Anne as a confidant and friend, of all the people she perhaps was the only one who did not act as a mindless slave to sex, as all the others in her son's Court, or should she better say harem.
"The Church is not what not helps me, come closer Lady Anne, let me tell you what really troubles me, you must promise me Anne, that for our deep friendship you and I share." She paused.
Not sure if she really wanted to tell her friend this, after all she knew her well and although Anne had been a good friend, she now knew the truth, or at least suspected she might be behind Isabella's death by sadness because her husband, her son, had told her he wanted a divorce.
"You have shared and swore to me since you came from France, almost five years ago, that you will not utter a single word I tell you. Promise me Anne, for I love you like the daughter Arthur would have loved to have with me, time was not enough to lend us that daughter, or to give me the daughter after Henry with the man I loved, also Henry's father." She said to her daughter, Anne Boleyn.
Anne Boleyn nodded to her Mistress and came closer; she knelt to the women who sat in one of her finest chairs.
When she came from France to England for the second time, she had engaged in an affair with Henry Percy, but Cardinal Wolsey and her father punished her for it. For in their judgment, they deemed the relationship unworthy and not royal enough. She knew it was Wolsey's doing since the man did not care for the purity of the Church, he formed part of a corrupt and decadent Church under a false prophet of St. Peter, and who made all women ashamed of their bodies just for the simple reason of being women.
While the Queen was the one who had the most important ladies-in-waiting, her one time rival in the Netherlands, Isabella, sister to her one-time friend, the now Emperor Charles, her father saw fit that Anne should be close to Isabella as Mary was close to her and it was why the King had taken a liking to Mary, as all the ladies in proximity to Isabella of Castile, however; Anne was not chosen by Isabella, not because she hated her, but because Katherine herself seeing the girl not as a vessel of purity, but as a vessel of revelry and freedom yearning to be exploited with new ways, knowledge and learning, took the young woman under her wing.
In that way, Anne would never catch the King's eye and Henry would not deflower a girl who did not deserve to be humiliated and tainted as all the others who had become enemies of the Dowager Princess, or so she had thought.
It was well known to Anne the reasons behind the Princess and mother of the King to take her under her wing, but she had developed, despite the woman's low title for her power, a strong admiration and friendship to the Queen.
She admired Katherine for her courage, strength to adversity for having to tolerate her son's many misgivings and flattery that was hers and he converted to his. Yet Anne had seen this woman devoted too much in religion, too much in Saints instead of reclaiming Henry for her victory's, when she was the strong woman, the brave woman, the warrior woman who had won the victory of Flodden had given all of her magnificent and omnipotent credit, to her son and all of her battles and accomplishments to Henry, all of it like she did nothing. She had learn to submit, she hardly said anything to her son as reclaim to her battles, administration or her right to reign.
"Anne." The Dowager Princess, or Katherine of Aragon as she was still known to her allies and also to her enemies -of all whom Wolsey now remained as her primary target to destroy and crumble - said to Anne in the sweetest, yet strangely careful and cautious voice.
"I love Henry, God knows I do, but his father is not his father..."
Anne looked at her in curiosity not really comprehending what he was saying.
Before she could answer however; Katherine smiled and with a sad gesture on her smile, tears threatened to fall off from her piercing blue-grey eyes and said to Anne.
"I was married before ... - (I began to weep before the Lady Anne, and covered my shameful face with my hands as if to hide from her wretched sight.) - he was ever so gentle Anne, but I feared too much for him, my mother, Henry's grandmother did not allow our marriage ... mine and Thomas, yes! Thomas More - (I sobbed harder and wept uncontrollably that Anne, my "friend" had to bring me a small towel, which I welcomed it gladly.) - I did ...n-not want to, but my mother had too much power and she was right in saying I had to complete my destiny, I wanted that crown as much as many women, as much as ... you."
She said and Anne looked at the Princess Dowager stunned. Had she just implied what Anne thought she implied? Or was her mind playing her tricks, silly tricks that actually made her think that actual Katherine really understood the game Anne was beginning to play with her son.
"Stunned, Anne?"- Katherine asked with a menacing voice.
Her entire demeanor from hurt wife and woman changed, to that of a woman with a hidden agenda to investigate what the woman in front of her really wanted to do with her son, Henry, who could be gullible enough to fall for the 'little' Anne as he had for her sister.
"I know" -She said as she stood up and made herself higher than the little stunned, but not quivering, figure of Anne Boleyn.
Anne too, stood up and looked to Katherine evenly, the woman might be her friend and ally on many things, but she would not let Katherine win over her, her fear was non-existent and her courage was something the woman would learn she had much inside her, ready to release it without fear that Katherine had more right than a girl like her.
"What you are doing, be very careful my friend, I would hate to see you steal the heart of my son, you want my position now that my niece is dead, fine do it!" - She said in a commanding voice of a Queen of England - "Let my son give you gifts ... let him even feel you out, but do not pretend to take the King away from me, and from Mary. He cannot give you his heart my dear ... for that is in Isabella's safe keeping."
Anne looked at her even more defiantly if possible than before, she did not flinch.
"We are done here."
"Yes we are ... Your Majesty. Princess…" -Anne carefully said and bowed her head to her Mistress and left.
None of them spoke a word after that, everything Anne did was to serve the mother of the King, nothing more.
The Princess whenever she could would try to take Anne by menacingly giving her a task difficult to do, like scraping the fire place, cleaning her feet, but yet Anne being the sly and cunning figure she was, would never let herself quiver in fear at the woman who had been raised higher than herself.
She never saw a sweet smile from the Princess Katherine anymore, and that began to tare Anne inside, that is when Anne began to realize with hurt, that she had lost a valuable friend.
1528
(1 day after Anne and Katherine's discussion)
Thomas was pacing around nervously, looking for something he could tell his conscience of himself that could ease the pain and tremor he felt of the way things were beginning to take hold of England.
He brought his child Margaret, and his other one, Elizabeth to Court, carefully where none of the family Boleyn, they were known to have too many book on the reform and on the heretical and dangerous practices of Germany, by that Heretic Luther, he took his precious daughter Margaret and young Elizabeth to the room where he had often shared discussion with his friend Wolsey.
"Margaret" He said carefully turning to his favorite child, Margaret More-Roper.
She was often a reminder that constantly haunted him of his first wife, Joanna, she had grown mad in the later years of her life, and on her last year she had miscarried for the distress of knowing her husband had known another woman besides her. That and she knew she was not loved by Thomas.
"Yes Papa?" She asked. Her sister Elizabeth looked at her father nervously, not knowing why all of the secrecy.
"I have to confess something; the Country is having a lot of problems, as I have told you before Margaret, when I sent every child of mine to pray for the sweating sickness that ravaged our Country a year ago. A sickness I said to you privately, is ravaging England worse than the past disease, one that is Heresy ... I asked you "he talked more rapidly."... How to combat it, you told me to purge it with fire, I said it was right, but now I am afraid the menace is growing too quick for me to purge it with fire."
Margaret shook her head in shame of what was happening to the Country.
Never before had her father thought they would see this threat coming, after all, the purge of fire they made to the books of Heretics and the "scriptures" of Luther; the Heretics were still adamant to continue, and disrupt the peace of the Sovereign Country of England.
How could they? She thought in anger.
Elizabeth, his other daughter looked at him more seriously, although they had never been close as him and her older sister, he still loved her and would gladly give his soul for her too. He looked at his smallest child, now a woman and then to her and Margaret he said in all honesty.
"Girls, I am afraid the King might ask me, one he disposes of Wolsey, to appoint me as Chancellor."
"That is great ... Isn't that supposed to please you Papa? You will do much good to the Country after all, by this way Father." Elizabeth said to him carefully.
"No my daughters, I am afraid the King will ask me this at the expense of Wolsey. He has suffered enough although he has in parts received punishments for his corruptions, and treacherous dealings, I don't want to be Chancellor or be involved in Politics, the world I could see, would corrupt my soul as my mind." He said earnestly to them, revealing all of his fears.
Both daughters shook their heads and Margaret, was the first to throw his arms at him and hug him, saying that whatever he decided she would support him no matter what, as it was her duty from daughter to a great father like him, she put it. Elizabeth took longer to approach him, but after seeing him and her older sister together, she went to his arms and soon both daughters and their father lay hugging each other, fearful of what fate may bring to England in the near future. Somehow, an air of tranquility that had once reigned on England, no longer was there.
1 week later...
Anne was watching Henry he was so handsome, at first she admitted she did it all out of interest and for advancement, but as she looked at him now, she knew that it was not true when she first met Henry at the Emperor Charles' betrothal to his daughter Mary, that she was in love with him.
It was all a play for power from her father and her uncle, but as she go to know the young and passionate man that lay behind that cold and adventurous exterior of the King, she fell in love, deeply, they would do anything to be married.
One thing stood in their way.
Katherine, the King's mother, she was always the real nuisance behind the throne and Henry had seen it, the woman could have had more but she let it all to her son, instead of telling him that he should not cause her pain and humiliation in public when he set her aside, she learned to submit like all Catholic and well-bred Princesses on Spain.
King Henry was now all that lay in Anne's heart, he had fallen in love with her deep blue and dark hooks for the soul, her eyes, he began to write poems and ravish her every time they could, yet he promised he would keep her pure and lively as a maiden.
She went to her rooms, a gift from his Majesty to her, a proof of the intensity of the love they both shared.
He had always said "I love your neck" He had said it with such passion that often made her sent a devious, and on times, sincere and playful smile to his sight, which he took as another proof that she was the more pure and devoted to him than any other woman in his life.
Silently she sat on her chair, her red dress was one that was bought for her by the King's own money, as all of her dresses that remarked her well refined beauty and fashion, her square-line neck was what remarked her bosom, something she used to keep her love more interested in her, yet she sensed she would have to stop this soon since his loved for him had grown too much, that he no longer slept with anybody but her.
He really loved her, and she loved him with all her heart and soul.
She was broken from her train of thoughts when Thomas Cromwell entered her private chamber, with a package in his left hand that seemed to be a small book; he stretched his left arm to her chest.
"The King wants to meet with you again. His 'Great Matter' of sending his mother away from power is causing him great stress, should you give him this it contains all the information about the abuses and promiscuity of the Church and their followers, it also tells of the advantages for Reform and the solutions that the King is Lord over his household and has the power to answer only to God. Take this to him and be careful, there are many evil people here who will do terrible things to punish those like us." He told her.
She nodded and took the small book carefully in her hands and then the King's secretary turned and left, leaving her alone with her troubled thoughts.
The next hours she spent reading the whole book, she did not once put the book down as she read page through page of every idea that Lutheranism represented, and she had read books like these before. Her family had plenty; similar to this, but this book was the original thing, brought to them from Germany where the reform itself had happened.
If Henry could see this then he would see his mother would no longer be of any use, only them and most importantly him to rule all what he desired.
And maybe with God's grace, they could soon be married.
Katherine, the woman who had once been her friend and mentor would soon be displaced as well as her granddaughter Mary, by her future heir, a son his former wife could not promise him.
With a sudden realization in her mind after she thought of his dead wife, Isabella, she remembered the words Katherine had told her about his parentage and who his true father was...
'I have to tell Henry, I love and respect Katherine but as far as friendship goes, I don't know anymore whom I can really trust, Katherine lied to Henry, and no! I will not tell my sly father this, he will use it along with my uncle to depose the King and covert with the Plantagent descendants left, it will be better if Henry knew this, I cannot let him die and others control him and get revenge for something that was not his fault! It was Katherine's. As long as she lives some may find out. And my father's spies too. I can't let him.' She thought and exited her room quickly to meet Henry. As she approached His Majesty he looked at him in surprise, he had not expected her any time soon, but yet she barged in like a wild beast and told him.
"Dowager Princess Katherine, your Mother, the whore! Do you have any idea what this means Henry? Majesty …" She raised her voice. " ... She could risk everything, what if somebody who hates me and especially you could use this against you? You have to let them know that you are the Divine King, not by the corrupt Catholic Faith's silly mandates, but by your own merits ... and your Devotion to your Country and Soul." She said this after she had finished telling him of his mother's affair with his favorite adviser.
"What do you plan to do about Wolsey?" She said breaking the ice.
He looked at her, no emotion on his face but for a moment she seemed to have seen something like anger and fear, but she must have imagined it for the next second, it was gone. "I don't know"
"What about More? What about, after you send Wolsey to prison. You know he is guilty!" She said with courage of conviction in every statement she made to him.
He said nothing but nodded and left. She knew he would make More a Chancellor regardless of what she advised him, he loved the man too much to doubt him, and besides whether he wanted it or not as much as her, he needed More. He was the only piece of his conscience that he felt remained intact.
As far for the "Great Matter" which was now the talk of not only England, but the Pope himself, it had all started with Isabella refusing to sign divorce and because she died before they could be married, this polarized the English people in factions, which many even now that their Queen was dead, supported Isabella and called Anne: Goggled eye Whore , because she had caused Isabella's death, therefore under such tragic circumstances the Pope did not want to grant them anything, that and before she died the Pope had been in captivity in Rome by her brother, Charles who had soon forgotten about Anne and cared more about his picky sister, even now in death, and his aunt Katherine who didn't stop bothering her.
Katherine especially knew that no matter if the Pope granted a dispensation to marry them, if the Pope ever got out of Charles' grasp of course, Anne would still proceed to tell Harry of all the things that he could do as King, even implement some of the reforms, not all, as part of the new order for a new age of wisdom like that in many Countries who had began to accept the new faith , it would certainly save the souls of many and benefit the English people in learning what their bibles said, instead of priests reading to them and distorting everything making the poor and women ashamed of their stature and bodies.
But also another issue was important here that Anne knew very well why Katherine did not want to go along with this great matter, not only would her power be diminished, for Anne would not share her power with another just to be her puppet - weakling and an English rose floating around lat Court, like all of Henry's past mistresses and her sister too.- like Isabella had been, but also because before she died the proceeding for divorce had began and Henry had said "I will not under this oath and contract against the Pope let this go!" and by saying that, it meant that even in death nothing could be done, the proceedings were already in session and Mary to be put aside for the new marriage would have to be declared outlaw by the previous one.
The King above all did it for Anne, but she liked to think more than the need of an heir he did it for Reform and for love, but she was not blind when he truly said that his conscience weighed at him as he married his cousin, who had previously been married and there were many allegations that her previous marriage had been consummated, Henry felt that Mary could even be the product of the other marriage, even though she was conceived 2 months after they wed and born 2 months before time.
Nonetheless; the process was set, the only thing standing in the way was Katherine.
Thomas was on his way to see both the King and his Sovereign Lady, his mother to tell them of the good news about his recent success of uncovering two corruptions within Henry's factions.
When he met the King and his mother as usual, however; this time the King was not reciprocate in his smiles and greetings.
Katherine looked at her son in alarm; he hadn't acted this way, especially to his friend and confidant, Thomas More.
She stroked the hand she was grabbing as asking him the 'why' of his behavior, he however; did not answer only looked coldly at Thomas before returning to his usual self, and smiling at him once again in the manner of laughter as he saw the confused face of his friend, Thomas More.
Thomas looked for the first time, without having the King noticing, for he was too much absorbed in his amusement, to Katherine, his look was as if asking what was wrong. Katherine instead smiled to him as she smiled to any guest, and nodded her head to him.
Henry followed by nodding his head too and standing up.
His mother was about to do something, but he refrained her from doing so in a rude manner that made Thomas worry. "Thomas! I am glad you show some emotion. Come one man! Don't be too cautious, I don't bite, I was just having a hard day, as you know the recently Great Matter has taken a toll on me." As he said this his mother turned her head in his direction, but then looked ahead upon seeing Henry's murderous glare on her.
Thomas did nothing but to ignore Katherine's hurt feelings, and smiled at Henry. He hugged him not noticing that Henry wore a secret and deceptive smile that sent more daggers to his mother's eyes, making her worry and tremble in fear as her son's look told her that he knew.
'Henry' she thought scared.
A/N
That's all folks!!
From now on there will not be longer dates, or jumping from year to year, on the CONTRARY!! DAYS WILL BE PASSING FOR EACH CHAPTER LIKE THE TUDORS TAKING THE PACING SLOWLY AND MORE DRAMATICALLY.
