Christmas came quickly and with good tidings, to court. Everyone was in good spirits, and the King was in the best mood of all.
"I would like to announce with much happiness that this evening is one of much greater importance than any normal Christmas Eve!" Henry's voice boomed joyously through the hall. "Today, I have found out that my beautiful wife, Queen Jane, is with child and that England will soon have a Princes of Wales, an heir to the throne."
The entire court, whose members were shoved into the hall, exploded in applause and shouts for the King and Queen. Anne and Edward were seated down the table from them, and they looked up at them and clapped. Edward could barely suppress his grin, he had so much to look forward to now. Thomas Seymour was also seated with them, and he too looked joyous, though both the Seymour brothers and Anne had been aware of Jane's pregnancy before ever the King himself, it was still exciting to see everyone else's reactions.
"Here is an early Christmas present." Edward said as he turned to Anne once the commotion in the hall had died down and the King had taken his seat once more. He held a small chest out in front of Anne, which she eyed with interest.
"Open it." She insisted, looking like a hungry wolf about to eat her prey. She loved gifts, and now that Edward had more money to spend on her, she was even happier to be his wife.
Edward laughed and clicked open the little chest. He then sat it on his lap and put his hands inside, grabbing whatever it held with his fingers and pulling it out to show Anne. It was a beautiful gold necklace with rubies embedded into it. Anne's mouth dropped with excitement and she reached out with a hand and touched it. "That's beautiful Edward, how did you afford that?" she asked, out of curiosity.
"We are doing very well, these days, wife. Remember that this is only your early gift. There is still tomorrow." Edward winked and placed the necklace carefully back into the chest and then put the chest on the table beside him. "I'm going to go speak to His Majesty, I'll be back."
Anne nodded her head and watched Edward get up and leave the table to go see the King. She turned her head toward Thomas and smirked. "Where's my gift from you, Thomas? Don't I get an early one from you?"
Thomas barked a laugh. "Why would you receive a gift from me?"
"Well, why not? You're my brother in law aren't you? Don't I deserve a gift?"
He laughed again. Anne's comments always made him chuckle, especially when she was trying to be dominant over him. "I don't think you need any gifts from me when Edward probably has hundreds for you. Are his gifts not enough?"
Anne took her turn laughing now. "Of course they are enough. I am completely content with what my husband gives me, he's very generous, but there's always room for more, Thomas."
"If you were my wife I would shower you in so many gifts you wouldn't know what to do with yourself." Thomas commented plainly.
Anne opened her mouth in shock and disgust at his comment. "How dare you! You're not like your brother Thomas, you wouldn't be able to handle a woman like me and for the record, Edward does shower me in gifts."
"Then why do you ask me for gifts?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Clearly he must not be giving you enough of something!"
"He gives me all that I need and more." Anne assured him in an assertive tone. "Excuse me for mistaking you for a good brother in law, one that buys his sister in law who treats him so well, gifts and things."
"What are you trying to accuse me of?" Thomas demanded. "I think that I treat you very well considering how you speak with me. I treat you better than you deserve to be treated!"
"Do you?" Anne asked, her tone as cold as ice. "Do you really think that Thomas?" Anne rested her hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. Getting in a fit of anger over Edward's useless brother was frankly a waste of her time, and not good for the baby, but she couldn't stop herself. She was never one to back down from a fight.
Thomas reconsidered his words and mumbled for a moment. "I… I'm sorry Anne; I didn't mean it like that. You're a good sister in law, I just –"
Anne rose from her seat and slammed her goblet down on the table. "I don't want to hear your apologies. I asked you a simple question and you've basically called me a witch! You said I don't deserve to be treated well! I won't hear that kind of slander from anyone, do you hear me? No one!" She picked up her gown and walked by Thomas, storming through the hall and out the door.
Edward turned momentarily from the King as he heard his wife's familiar screams. The King and Jane watched as Anne left the hall, Jane's mouth fell open in shock.
"Edward that cannot be good for the child. You should go see what's got her in a fuss." Jane advised wisely from beside her husband.
Edward turned back to his sister with wide eyes and nodded his head. "Excuse me, Your Majesties." He said sweeping them a bow. Before following after Anne he walked over to the table and found Thomas sitting there gulping down his goblet. "What have you done you idiot?"
"Nothing!" Thomas replied, raising his arms in protest. "It was her! She got all mad at me for no reason."
"Bullshit." Edward said quietly, but loud enough that Tom could hear him. "I'll find you after, but if anything happens to my wife or that child Thomas, I will have your head on a platter before dinner time tomorrow." And with nothing else to say, Edward ran out of the hall after Anne, leaving Thomas at the table by his lonesome, drinking his wine.
"Anne?" Edward called as he stalked through the halls in search of his wife. He found her not too far down the hall. She had turned down a corridor and sunk back against the wall in tears. As soon as he found her he ran to her side, and tilted her head up. "What ever is the matter? You stormed out of the hall! Everyone saw!"
Anne was in no way stable at that moment. Her mind was full of emotions and her body was overloaded with hormones and everything she heard people say seemed to come out one hundred times worse than it was. "That's all you care about?" she asked. "That everyone saw me leave the hall?"
"No, no, not at all." He assured her, looking into her eyes. "Just tell me what's wrong. Did Thomas do something to you?" The thought of his brother hurting his wife made him very enraged. He clenched his free hand at his side. That stupid bastard…
Anne sobbed and shook her head. If she told on Thomas, she would be losing the battle they were in since Edward would be dealing with her problems for her, and she didn't want him to do that, as much as she loved to see him act heroically on her behalf.
"Are you sure?" He asked. He could tell she was not telling him something. She was pregnant and very irritable, but she would not have screamed at the top of her lungs and stormed away if nothing had happened. "Because, if he did, I will surely teach him a lesson for speaking to my wife that way. He will speak to no one that way."
"I am sure, it was nothing. I misheard him and… because of the child, I just have my guard up." She lied. In retrospective, the whole situation was blown out of proportion and she didn't want Edward to think she was screaming and yelling for no reason, disrupting his sister's proud moment, his proud moment, for nothing. He would surely look down upon her if that were the case. "I am sorry, husband. I have acted much like a child."
"It's fine. I know you are keeping something from me Anne, and I will keep a good watch on Thomas from now on. He often speaks without thinking. It is a bad habit he has had since he was young. Everyone knows you are with child and not in the best of moods, so do not worry." He rubbed her arm with his hand and smiled. He then looked down at her stomach. "Do you feel okay?"
She nodded, resting a hand on her stomach. "I think so. I think I will retire though. You should go back and celebrate for your sister. Celebrate for us." She said, giving him her devilish smile.
He was happy to see that beneath all the hormones she was still his Anne. "Alright." He replied, kissing her forehead. "I'll go back, but I'll walk you to your chambers first." And then I will have a talk with Thomas…