Anne was in the middle of a card game with her ladies, bored as always when there were no new dances to learn or no one to entertain, and the King had made it more than obvious that he didn't desire her company or presence today. She thought she would have a peaceful, or rather boring day in her chambers. She was doing well in her games as well, having lost only one against Madge who was far from a gracious winner. She supposed that poor old Madge was slightly bitter against her for being the favoured Howard girl. Well she would give her this little bit of happiness now. She had let her be his mistress once and she supposed that her feelings ran deeper than what she made out. She had heard rumours that she supposed the King might leave Anne for her, but this soon came to an end. Silly Madge for ever thinking she could replace her. No, she knew she had to watch out for Madge, and make sure her family didn't turn to her as their new hope instead of trusting Anne to win her position back. She could not fail!

Surprisingly, Anne was rather content today for some unknown reason, but all of a sudden her quiet day came to a sudden halt as the door burst open.

"Majesty, what an unexpected surprise, I...Francois, what is the matter?" Anne rose from her seat with a delighted smile on her face to see the French King. She hoped he had come to tell her good news about him and Jane, but she could tell by his face that he was in a foul mood. He looked like he could be more capable of a bad temper than Henry ever could. Not that Henry possessed a manly anger, no, he spat his dummy out like a sulky little boy. But Francis looked positively menacing at the moment.

"I am leaving. Forget you! Forget your daughter! Forget everything!" he yelled at her, and immediately Anne's eye widened in shock at this outburst. Without Francis' acceptance and support of her she had nothing at all. She couldn't let him go just like that and so her clever mind got to work straight away.

"Francois, what has happened? Listen, I am your friend, your greatest ally. Tell me what vexes you and I will do all that I can to help you" she coaxed him to sit down and he did so but with great attitude and against his will. He fell down into his seat and slammed his hands on to the rests, digging his fingernails into the arms as though he was a cat sinking it's claws into a rat.

"She has refused me" he yelled but looked like he was on the verge of tears, angry tears. She could see his eyes glistening warningly and knew she had to be delicate in the matter, but she couldn't believe it.

"What?" Anne couldn't quite comprehend what he was saying.

"Lady Jane! She has refused me! I asked her to marry me and she said no. She said she would rather dally about with your husband than be my wife" he spat, and even Anne bit her lip in anger at the thought of Lady Jane with her husband. So it was true, she was just as poisonous and as vile as all the other courtiers. She didn't seek love, she sought power.

"Surely not, Jane may be a simple girl but even she would not turn down an outright proposal of marriage to a King" she tried to rationalise for both of them.

"But she did" he confirmed, and Anne hated Jane Seymour more than she ever had before. Stupid wench, she's so simple she cannot even see a prize gift in her sights! But the more Anne thought about it, the more she thought that they must both have the wrong end of the stick. She didn't suppose that even Jane would be that stupid. No, Francis must have done something wrong. He must have offended Jane somehow or made it seem as though he didn't seem genuine in his proposal.

"What did you say to her?" she inquired rather aggressively but as soon as she noticed Francis look at her with his fierce, piercing eyes she remembered herself and softened her expression to try and appear more understanding. Francis looked at her suspiciously but told her what she wanted to hear,

"I asked her to marry me. At first I asked her to be my mistress but she refused so to keep her I asked her to marry me and..." she cut him off, throwing her arms in the air in frustration and then letting them fall back down with a loud smack as they made contact with her knees.

"You fool. She thinks you are making do with marriage because you cannot have her any other way" she explained, quite disgusted. She had thought that Francis would have been more charming and thoughtful than this. It seems all men are the same, she thought to herself and she would have laughed a little if the situation wasn't so serious. She had to sort this out, for her own life as well as for Elizabeth's future.

"I love her. I love every little thing about her, even her flaws" he sighed in an almost pathetic way, and Anne thought his pitiful moping was very unbecoming for a King of France. But Francis had never felt such intense feelings for somebody before. There was usually something about a woman that he would hate, but he loved every little bit of Jane. "How she always complies without thinking, her prudishness, her haughtiness. I want her to be mine and mine alone" he insisted, looking at Anne pleadingly with his big, doe eyes.

"And I want my husband back" she told him firmly, "I will talk with her, I will make her see sense"


"Lady Jane, a word if you please" Anne insisted as Jane walked past her carrying a tray containing trinkets, lotions and a bowl to take into the Queen's bedchamber for when she cleaned herself up before attending dinner. She looked warily at the Queen, wondering, Does she know that her husband has asked to serve me? Does she think I am having carnal relations with him? Oh Lord please protect me from the Queen's wrath, please! She immediately placed the tray on top of one of the tables and swiftly made her way over Anne, ready to be commanded and waiting for a full tongue lashing.

"What have you done to poor King Francis?" Anne got straight to the point, she stood tall over Jane and looked at her accusingly making Jane feel guilty though a little relieved that she wasn't berating her for being caught with her husband.

"Majesty?" Jane questioned in confusion with a genuinely raised eyebrow, wondering why the Queen was so concerned with Francis and what was Francis doing to make her so concerned in the first place.

"I have had him moping about in my rooms all morning. He says that you declined his offer of marriage" she began and Jane let out a little "oh" of understanding.

"I...I did" she replied in a proud, dignified manner as though what she had done was something noble and to be admired. She held her head up high as she said so. She somewhat expected praise for such virtuous behaviour, but Anne gave her no such thing.

"You fool! Why would you decline such an advantageous marriage? You will find it hard to find a better offer" she had wanted to mention something about Henry, about no matter how hard she tried she would never take her husband away from her. That he would never leave her. That she would never be Queen, at least not of England. She would never let her do that. She would kill her first. But common sense managed to stop her and she thought the softly softly approach would be better in this instance.

"He was jesting, your Majesty. Not a moment before hand he asked me to be his mistress" Jane defended herself.

"You are so selfish. He is the King of France of course he would ask you to be his mistress first. Do not forget he has a country to run and he will try and put his people's interest first", perhaps the guilt would get to her. She knew Jane was a sensitive soul and usually did try and put other people's feelings before her own. In her own sickening way she was trying to spare Anne's feelings by not parading about with her husband's favour. Anne was at least grateful for this and thought many times that she wished she had acted more graciously towards Catherine when the tables were turned in her favour. Oh well, what's done is done!

"Exactly, Majesty, and whilst he does this I know I would never have his whole heart"

"Jane, see sense! He offered you marriage. The King of France asked you, the mere daughter of an English gentleman, to be his Queen, over all the pretty French noble ladies and princesses of Europe. Does that not prove it enough? He loves you. Take it from me, you are lucky to have found someone who loves you for who you are. I have never heard a man talk so highly about a lady as he does with you"

Jane was a little taken aback by this. She knew that Francis was fond of her, but the revelation that he spoke so well of her to the Queen and the fact that he did indeed propose marriage to her when he could have married a princess, even Princess Mary, threw her a little. But even this didn't soften her determination.

"I am honoured to receive such praise for him, I really am, but it would never work between us. As you said, I am nothing but a commoner and his people would never except a mere English lady as their Queen. And he would soon grow tired of me, he merely lusts after me" she supposed.

"A man who merely lusts after you would not offer you marriage, Jane, believe me I know. And you should not let such things influence such an important matter, what is important is that you listen to and follow your own heart. Do you love him?" she tried to appear warm towards the girl and did well to hide her true feelings. If she could, she would lean over and slap the silly mare until she had knocked some sense into her. She wished she could warn her to go with Francis or suffer her wrath. She had already decided that if she refused Francis again she would make her life at court a living hell. But she couldn't warn her. She would rather take the loving friend approach with her, as irritating as she was.

"I think I do" Jane replied a little uncertain, but Anne thought at least this was better than a 'no'. Jane didn't know what she thought. She had warm feelings towards both Francis and Henry, and she couldn't decide between the two of them. But Francis was available, and Henry was not. Perhaps this was all that she needed.

"Then you should be with him. The decision is yours to make Jane, but know that you will never get this opportunity again. Whatever you do though you need to decide quickly. He says he wants to leave Dover by the end of the week" she warned her, before motioning her to go back to her work with a nod of her head. Jane curtsied before she retrieved the tray and went back to her business.

Anne watched as the angelic girl walked out of her chamber and contemplated what she would do with her future. Whatever she did would change her life forever. Anne just hoped that the silly, little harlot would make the right choice.