Disclaimer: You guys know the drill...
A/N: Thanks to all of my patient readers who had to wait about two weeks for this chapter! I promise to make it extra long to make up for it! And not as in extra long filled with fillers and fluff, but extra long with action and drama (and maybe a little fluff ;) )
Chapter 7: Oh, Marriage
Anne wistfully strolled through the palace gardens, her two closest ladies-in-waiting, Nan and Madge, trailing respectfully behind her. The flowers were all in bloom, showing off a dazzling display of floral arrays that would make even the most skilled gardener gape. However, Anne had no eye for any of the beauty that thrived in the gardens, for she was instead lost in the dark and stormy turmoil that was her mind. Though she had only been imprisoned for about two weeks, it seemed to Anne that she had been away for a lifetime. She felt completely isolated, without a sound ally to lean upon at Court. Henry had taken them all away. Her former friends were now too afraid to approach her, had sided with the Seymours, or truly believed she was guilty of the crimes she was accused of and refused to have anything to do with her. Her own cousin and lady, Madge, would not meet her eyes because of the guilt she carried for giving information to Cromwell and his cronies. This would have never happened if Henry had not been so self-absorbed! thought Anne.
Everything always came back to Henry. He was always the center of attention. Anne grimaced. If he had only believed in her, that she would be able to deliver him a healthy son, none of this would have happened. But no, instead he had allowed her enemies to sow the seeds of doubt into his mind, and willingly watered them so that all whom Anne had cared for were condemned. George would have been executed in shame. Her father, if not also found guilty of some false treasonous crime, would have been expelled from Court in disgrace. Her sister would forever be associated with her usurping witch of a sister. Mark would have been executed. Those other men she was accused with sleeping with, Sir Henry Norris and William Brereton, would have died too, though she did not actually know them well. And her dear, beloved daughter Elizabeth would have been cast aside as a bastard, probably raised to despise her own mother… Anne shuddered. The world would have been a far bleaker place if the evil machinations against her were allowed to continue.
Yet somehow Charles Brandon had decided to take up her case! This is what puzzled Anne the most. Why would someone whom she thought had hated her go out of his way to save a condemned woman? She even acted like she hated him too because of the feelings she thought he had against her! He had everything going for him. The Seymours viewed him favorably, he was still in Henry's good graces; he was in sheer and utter comfort! He had risked all of that on the off chance that she had been innocent, and yet he still went through with his plans. She needed to keep in mind to formally thank the Duke, for without his help she would have been making her way to the scaffolds.
Anne continued to mentally run through these events as she paced around the gardens.
Meanwhile, Henry stormed through path after path in the gardens, trying to calm down. How dare Charles insinuate that he, King Henry VIII of England, be too aggressive! It was not his fault that Anne insisted on strutting around like she was falsely imprisoned because of his ignorance and incapability to rule, she was just doing it to wound his pride! Little did she know how his pride had been faring! First those Seymours led him around like a foolish hungry puppy, and then Cromwell manipulated evidence for his own agenda, making him look like a dunce! Henry did not need yet another person with influence trampling his ego and pride to pieces.
Henry was glad that Charles was going to be returning to his estates in Suffolk to be with his family, for Henry was growing tired of his company. He had seemed a little too smug for his liking after discovering that he had made drastically horrendous mistake in judgment in regards to Anne's case, and he did not like being around such a blown ego when his was being beaten to the pulp after what seemed like conversing with every person he met. This, of course, was not the case, but Henry was an extremely egotistical man, and amplified each and every insult, slight as it was, tenfold.
Anne, oh he was going to have to put her back in her place. She was just lucky to get out of the Tower in one piece! He could have let her get executed by that fancy French swordsman she had requested, and no one would have questioned it. Yet, being the merciful King that he was, Henry allowed her to come back to Court as his Queen once more. He secretly wondered if she was still capable of carrying sons anymore, or if her ordeal in the Tower had done away with her fertility. Only time would tell. Henry shivered, thought it was a warm spring day. Would he be able to perform that activity with Anne again, after all that their relationship had suffered? She was no longer the same woman that he had married in secret three years ago. Though she may have cast enchantments on him while he was with her, even now he was sure he was man enough for the task.
How could one woman make me feel this way? Henry wondered. He did not feel comfortable knowing that one person, one woman, in fact, made a great King feel so insecure about himself. He had not been with her properly in weeks now, so he was sure that it could not be the work of any hexes or curses she may have placed upon him. It was just the way her eyes pierced his very being, the way they drew him in and threw him into her whirlwind of emotions. No one else had ever been able to do that, not Katherine of Aragon, not his good friend and advisor Thomas More, not Cardinal Wolsey, and not any of his childhood friends, even Charles. And it was precisely because of this power she had over him that made him want to do every horrible thing imaginable to her when he learned of this betrayal. It wasn't just because she had slept with other men, but the fact that she had used her charm and, most importantly, her eyes to lure those all too willing men in. That was the ultimate betrayal, the act that had condemned her to eternal Hell. So naturally he thought that all of those past intentions had been taken back when he had released her from the Tower. Anne was no longer condemned, for he had willed it so. Yet she did not see it this way, and for that she still had much to learn in Henry's eyes. For God's will was his will in England. Which meant that she had to answer to him. And he with this new conviction, he strode with new, more powerful, noble, and controlled forcefulness onwards towards the palace to prepare for supper.
But, as soon as he turned the corner onto the next row of shrubbery and flowers, he smashed head on into an extremely well dressed lady. Though he stumbled backwards, Henry remained upright, if not slightly embarrassed. The same could not be said of the woman he had collided with. She had been pushed flat on her back, her raven hair covering her face. Raven hair? Henry thought. He gazed up and saw two woman dressed in the Queen's household livery rush towards them. Dear God! exclaimed Henry in his head as he scrambled down to help up his none too happy wife.
"You may leave us! I have got Her Majesty." Henry called to Anne's ladies before they reached the royal couple. He wanted to apologize in private, mostly because he was afraid Anne would cause another scene. He did not like Court gossip, and this would most likely spread rampantly among the servants at the palace. Better for them to know less. The ladies curtsied upon seeing the King as the one who had mowed down their mistress, and rushed back to the Queen's apartments to ready her gown for supper.
Anne herself tried to scramble out of Henry's grasp at the sight of her fleeing ladies. She was not quite mentally prepared to talk one on one with her husband so soon. Yet in her heart, she knew her efforts were fruitless. She was going to have to talk to her husband, and though she refused to admit it to herself then, her love. Because even though he had thrown her to the wolves only to bring her back again as if nothing had happened, it was because he also had flaws he was not yet ready to acknowledge.
"Calm down!" urged Henry as he lifted her back to her feet. Anne abandoned her struggling and deferred to fix her hair and straighten her skirts.
"What is it you want of me?" she asked nonchalantly, as if she had no idea of what was going on.
"You know why I want to speak with you!" he snapped.
"Oh, it's not that you like to knock over your wife like a wild animal?" Anne replied cheekily.
"For God's sake, woman, will you stop with the insults and detachedness! I am trying to have a peaceful and rational conversation with you to work out your problems, but you are obstructing it in every single way possible!" Henry yelled.
"I'm the one with the problems, aren't I? Is it not possible that perhaps you also have problems with me that you need to work out?" she threw back.
"Stop blaming me for what happened to you! It wasn't MY fault! You know how Cromwell had his own agendas with the reforms! He manipulated ME to get what he wanted. I was the victim here!" he shouted.
"You are the victim? Stop lying to yourself Henry! You knew in the back of your mind that the charges against me were preposterous, but you let them go on because you were ready to dispose of me for that whore Jane Seymour! Don't even argue against it! So tell me, Henry, what exactly makes you the victim in this entire situation?" Anne replied snidely.
"I AM THE VICTIM BECAUSE JANE SEYMOUR WAS NOT A VIRGIN!" declared Henry. Anne stood shocked and wide eyed, not expecting this response. After his declaration, Henry himself was also at a loss for words. He hadn't exactly meant to exclaim that hideous revelation of his now, not this early in Anne's return. Anne gathered herself first.
"And how did you find out about this?" she whispered. Henry hung his head shamefully.
"You know how." was all he could reply. But what happened next is what really ticked Henry off. Anne started laughing. Not a polite giggle or a small cascade of laughter, but a laugh that one would emit in the face of a dying foe. A laugh of scorn and mockery. A laugh not fit to be directed at a great King like himself.
"What could you possibly be laughing about, madam?" Henry asked angrily.
"You know perfectly well what I am laughing about! You made a grand fool of yourself fawning over the Seymour wench like she was a virtuous maiden. Then she seduced you and only in bed did you realize that you had been used and deceived. I think it serves you right for being so blatantly unfaithful!" Anne scoffed.
"You have no right to say such things to me. You are my wife and you will serve me!" decried Henry.
"I gained the right to speak out to you when you first fell for me. I am your wife, that is true, but perhaps the wisdom that you are gaining from this argument is serving you for the future." shrewdly replied Anne.
Henry really had no answer to that. All of this information and insight was not what he was expecting from talking to her. He needed some time to process this information, and he knew that he was losing the argument as well. Maybe Charles was right. Maybe he was too aggressive sometimes.
Henry took Anne's hand and brushed it across his lips. "I hope to have a more civil conversation with you over supper tonight." He looked into her eyes. Anne could see the temporary defeat in his eyes and smiled back at him.
"Of course, Your Majesty." she replied as she bobbed him a curtsy. She rose and they both headed back to the palace to ready themselves for their hopefully more rational and civil supper meeting.
**A Couple Hours Later**
Henry sat nervously in his private dining chamber, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Anne. He knew that some of his courtiers were wondering why he wasn't throwing a large feast in celebration of his wife's return, but he and Anne both knew why. To throw a feast would mean to acknowledge that he had made a mistake. Henry had no intention to acknowledge that, especially in public. So Anne would have to make do with a private supper with him, though lavish even for Henry's standards. Henry wondered if they would be able to manage to behave civilly throughout the entire meal, or if it would erupt into yet another fiery and passionate argument that they seemed to be having lately. He would just have to play it by ear.
"Her Majesty, Queen Anne!" announced a chamberlain. The doors to the chamber flung open to reveal a stunningly dressed Anne. Her gown was a silvery blue which made her already radiant feature dazzle.
Henry, shaken from his musings, scrambled from his seat and went over to greet his Queen. He grasped her hand and guided her to her seat across from him, and went back to his own seat. They made casual dinner conversation while they were being served, the main topic being Elizabeth's impending betrothal.
"You know that I prefer a French alliance, Henry, and therefore want a French prince for Elizabeth." reminded Anne.
"Yes, I know. But the Emperor is willing to acknowledge our marriage if Elizabeth marries his son! It is no good to be both politically isolated and geographically isolated as a country. And since we can do nothing about our geographic isolation, we need to have a strong alliance with one country soon. The Emperor seems to be faring far better than France at the moment, and so I am more comfortable siding with them now." reasoned Henry.
"But do we have to make a decision so soon?" pleaded Anne. "I have only just returned from captivity, and have not seen Elizabeth recently. Can we perhaps decide after we have had a proper visit with her?"
"I don't see the reason in that, Anne." replied Henry. "Elizabeth will not be making the decision, I will, with some input from you. It is not necessary for us to see her before we make this decision."
"You may not need to see her before you make your decision, but as her mother I need to know of her well being before I can decide something as important as her future husband for her. At least let me visit her at Hatfield before you choose." asked Anne.
Henry thought for a few moments. Was it not his right to choose the best husband for Elizabeth in order to serve her country? But was it not also a mother's right to see her daughter? He winced at the last time Elizabeth saw her mother. She had been carried in Anne's desperate arms while she pleaded with him to give her another chance. At the very least Elizabeth deserved to know that her mother had been granted another chance.
"Okay, you may visit her. But, since I will be busy with matters of state, you must travel with someone that I trust. You will be permitted to see Elizabeth if you take Sir Anthony Knivert with you." concluded Henry. Normally he would have had Charles accompany her, but since he was on leave from Court, he was not available.
Anne reached over and grasped his hand. "Thank you." she said sincerely. It was something that Anne had feared Henry would reject. Maybe he was trying to mend relations between them. Maybe it was a start. Maybe, she thought, she should try more on her end to fix their battered relationship. Though she had not been planning on reasoning with him until a far later time, he seemed to be ready for negotiations, and so she decided to try and mend the rift.
"About what has happened these past few weeks… I know that you were led to believe wicked things about me, but that doesn't fully excuse you from the whole thing. I know that-" Anne was cut off by Henry waving at the attendants to leave them.
"I know that I am not fully innocent. I wanted to have a healthy son to succeed me at any cost, and at the moment leaving you seemed to be the best option." admitted Henry. This was not exactly admitting that he had made a mistake, it was just explaining the reasons he had behind his actions. He quickly explained himself after seeing her flinch at this admission. "But now I see that God has led me back on the right path to do so, with my lawfully wedded wife, my Queen. I do not intend on having a son any other way." It had taken Henry the entire time during his supper preparation to come to this conclusion, and it took a lot of strength out of him to reveal a weakness, a mistake that he had made, to another person, especially a woman.
"And I know that I had not been the most controlled and responsible Queen. But that will change, as will our marriage." vowed Anne.
They stood up from their finished meal and tenderly embraced. Henry grasped Anne's shoulders and bent down to whisper in her ear. "I know that our relations have not been fully mended yet. But I am ready to try." And with that, he left the room, leaving Anne to ponder what exactly had taken place…
Charles had been looking forward to his reunion with his wife, Catherine, and his son, Edward. But he knew all was not well as soon as he had walked through the front doors. Though Edward came tumbling towards him for a hug, his wife was nowhere to be found. After listening to the babble and ramblings that all young children use to communicate, Charles bent down and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Where is your Mama, Edward?" he asked. His son looked brightly up at him.
"Mama said that she would see you at supper! So hurry up and change Papa!" he bubbly replied.
Uh oh, this must be about saving Anne. Charles thought. He released his son and proceeded to change for supper, mentally preparing himself for his wife's verbal onslaught. When he arrived at the table, Edward was nowhere to be seen. Catherine noticed her husband's wandering eyes and explained.
"I did not want Edward here if we were to get into an argument." she said.
"And what would we be arguing about?" asked Charles, though he knew what she would find fault in.
"Your saving of that concubine, Anne Boleyn!" hissed Catherine. "Why did you do that? The Seymours were all for restoring the Princess Mary to the Line of Succession, and saving England from its Lutheran demise!"
"You do know that Queen Anne was not guilty of any of the charges against her, right?" checked Charles.
"Yes, she may have been, but that is not what I am talking about! You ruined a great opportunity for that heretic and whore to be removed from power and letting a good Catholic woman save England!" snapped Catherine.
"You would be perfectly content letting an innocent woman be executed for crimes she did not commit?" asked Charles, utterly horrified. How could his sweet dear wife turn into a such a monstrous, vengeful woman?
"If it was for the betterment of the country, yes! I do not want to see each and every Englishman be condemned for our monarch's religious blunders!" answered Catherine.
"That is treasonous talk, Catherine," warned Charles. "I do not think it is the will of God to allow innocent people to die."
"But I thought you hated Anne, and all that she had done to manipulate King Henry?" asked a now puzzled Catherine.
"I have come to the realization that perhaps those two do love each other, and that Queen Anne is devoted to her country, not just the advancement of her family. Isn't everyone at Court guilty of that anyway?" reasoned Charles.
"But she is steering England down the wrong path, one that surely the dear late Queen Katherine of Aragon would not have allowed!" insisted Catherine.
"So you would offer up Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, Henry Norris, William Brereton, and Mark Smeaton as sacrificial lambs all for the sake of your beliefs?" asked a stunned and unsettled Charles.
"Yes, if that is what it takes to bring England back to the true Catholic ways." Catherine said resolutely.
"And what of her daughter, Princess Elizabeth?" questioned Charles.
"She is simply the whore's daughter, a bastard in the eyes of Christendom." Catherine wrote off uncaringly.
Charles staggered back, horrified. "I cannot believe you are the same sweet woman that I married a year ago. You have turned into such a venomous viper that I cannot bear to be near you!" he cried as he escaped the dining room.
A/N: Alright, an extra long chapter just for you guys! I hope this makes up for my lack of updates. I also hope that Anne didn't seem to forgiving, Henry too quick to realize his own flaws, and Catherine too evil in this chapter. But, if they do, or you spot anything else in grievous need of fixing, just send me a review!