Title: Nemesis
Author: Cruelangel101
Disclaimer: I own nothing...Not the characters, not the show, and certainly not the production company…can anyone own history?
Detailed Summary: Starting from the scene where Anne watched her brother's execution, Anne finds herself pregnant with the King's child. They thought she was saved, but the King still enraged and determined to marry Jane Seymour, chose to believe the child was the offspring of one of the executed man. Anne's execution was determined to proceed after the birth of her child. A plot from an unexpected family member, rescued her from the tower and in the most bizarre chain of events she ended up as the Queen of France. All the while her rival Jane Seymour rises to the position of Queen of England. Her heart cold from betrayal and filled with hopes for revenge, what would the future hold? Can new warmth melt her iced heart or will past spark ignite once more? This time when two men battle for her heart, the consequence is war. (Queen of France and son after the tower ideas are hardly new to fanfic, but I would like take a new spin on it.)
Pairings: Anne/Francis I and Anne/Henry VIII (both in some ways)
AN: I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed and/or favorite and/or alerted this story.
Sorry for the rather long delay, I had two weeks of finals, and usually it take me a week to write a chapter, and now also sometime for my new beta to review it. Hopefully in a bit, we will get it to a point where I would finish writing a chapter when she is done reviewing a chapter.
So, a great thank you to my new beta, Audriel.
This is the chapter where I start shifting the focus of politics to an international level. I learned things doing the research, hope you guys like it!
Nemesis…the Greek goddess of revenge…
Chapter Nine: Past, Present, and Future
One cannot change the past and it would be pointless to dwell on it in the present, but the past affects the present and the present shapes the future.
September 20th, 1538, Palais du Fontainebleau, France
"You will release my wife."
Henry's attention fell on his rival, he dropped his arm in surprise but he did not release Anne's wrist. He mirrored the French King's narrowed gaze, equally angry, "Since when has she become your wife?" he snarled to Francis.
"Brother, have you forgotten that I married the Queen of France a year ago?" the French King's voice was cold and sarcastic; "I must insist that you release her majesty's arm. Violence against your host monarch is rather presumptuous about your own safety."
Henry glared at the King of France, but reality seemed to have caught up with him and he slowly released Anne's arm, "Are you threatening me?" Anne took the moment to quickly step away from her first husband and into the mist of her ladies, who quickly surrounded their Queen as the shock wore off, replaced with justified anger, France had just been insulted. How dare the English King touch their Queen? Had he no respect for France? The Queen's body is sacred, and as a King he should have been well aware of that fact.
Anne held her arm close to her body as blood started to return to it. The pain was still present and ugly red finger marks were starting to show. She had seen red when Henry had grabbed her arm forcefully. If Francis had not appeared when he did, she was sure that she would have said something she would regret later. She had almost snapped back a biting remark in English, but the French King's appearance had been like a dose of ice water. It brought her mind to more important things at hand. There was no way to stop the gossip of court now. This would be the talk of the season in a matter of hours. Anxiety filled her, but she played the part of the innocent victim who was just attacked by the unpredictable English King. She knew the French did not know much about Henry, but the man had long since had a reputation that far preceded him. She could only make use of it now for damage control.
Francis arched a brow, "Was that really a question? You just acted most unforgivably against my wife, our most beloved Queen of France; it is just cause for war! You can be sure that France will defend our Queen's honor," the French King hissed back with equal anger.
"Honor? What honor? She is a WHORE! She seduced me using witchcraft and now she has her claws into you," Henry continued to snarl in English, "France has been most disgraced to have her as Queen. It is an insult." Anne flinched unconsciously from the word 'whore', she remembered a time when many called her that in England but he had always defended her. Now he was the one calling her that. He had called her that before, when their relationship fell apart, but even now, it hurt her more than she cared to admit, because he said it.
King Henry's words seemed to have set Francis off as he pushed the man back. "You will not insult my wife," his lips barely moved, but the information was unmistakable. His hands gripped the English King's collar tightly, his knuckles almost turning white. The anger didn't just arise from the King's insults of Anne, but also because France had been insulted. Anne's position as Queen of France should have made Henry at least behave cordially toward her even if he hated her. Yet it appeared that France's standing was so low in the English King's eyes that he would risk open war when he acted against his host country. It was unacceptable, intolerable.
Henry was not to be cornered by Francis though and he pushed back, but Francis was taller and stronger. Henry's leg had been injured in a joust and although it had healed mostly, it hindered his movements at times and when the weather changed, it often caused him a great deal of pain. Nevertheless, he did put up a good fight, forcing Francis to take a step back as the King began an unplanned wrestling match.
By this time, the English courtiers were all alerted and many came rushing to defend their King. The French rushed to their King's aid as well, not ones to be shown up by the English. The scene became a chaotic mess, leaving the women screaming and backing away.
Anne watched the encounter with alarm. Initially, while Francis had defended her honor because he was jealous, he had also done it because it was expected of him as the King of France and as a husband. However, in their exchange, the French King had let the other man get under his skin. He had lost control of his temper. Both were becoming a bit of a laughing stock in European monarchy. She had no doubt, rumors will circulate around the court in a matter of hours, and ambassadors of each country would be frantically writing letters to their sovereigns recounting the event. This was not only a matter of embarrassment for England but for France as well.
She could only describe this scene as ridiculous. She thanked the Lord when some courtiers finally had the mind to pull the Kings apart. Both were snarling at each other, as obvious anger overshadowed any political propriety. Francis's cloths were ruffled but he seemed to have come out on top. On the other hand, King Henry did not appear to be injured, but his cloth seemed to be more disheveled. Anne momentarily had the thought that it was good that neither Francis nor Henry had carried a sword and Francis had not challenged the King of England to an official duel as would be his right.
It took a lot of pulling and shouting before the courtiers managed to get the two kings apart and out of sight of each other as they stepped in between the two ruling monarchs. Eventually, the French Courtiers managed to convince King Francis to leave the scene, although the King of England was still shouting unbearably loud.
After his ministers' interference, Francis calmed enough to straighten his cloths somewhat before turning and walking back to his chambers with the French court trailing behind him. Anne too walked solemnly after her current husband, as her ladies watched her carefully in case their rather pale looking Queen fainted. The shouting dulled the further they walked, but the tension only grew.
Later
Jane flinched as the last wooden chair in the room hit the wall and broke into pieces. She kept her eyes averted to the ground and counted pieces of her husband's newest destruction. This chair had broken into seven pieces, that was one less than the last one. The box Henry had thrown before that had only broken in half. Besides the chairs were the table, that one had broken spectacularly, almost like a firework because it had been large and thin.
With the Queen of England stood the higher ranks of the English Court, including Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, and Jane's brothers. It was also no surprise that Thomas Boleyn had conveniently absented himself. The King was so influenced by his anger that he had not remembered to inquire after the Earl's whereabouts and under normal circumstances, Jane was sure that her brothers would not have missed the chance to direct the anger of the King toward the Harlot's father. However, this was not normal.
The King had finally realized the truth that he had been denying himself since he first set eyes on the Queen of France. She knew, her brother knew, everyone but the King knew. Well perhaps not everyone knew as most of the English had written it off as a matter of coincidence as they could not believe it otherwise as it was so far-fetched. Yet she was fairly sure that Charles Brandon knew, and let's not forget, Thomas Boleyn. He knew, of course he knew, the Harlot was his daughter after all.
But the heart of the matter was not who knew, but the fact that the King was furious, more furious than Jane had ever seen him. It scared her greatly. She had not been at the confrontation between the King and the French King but she had heard the story from her brothers quickly. They along with Charles Brandon had helped pull the two Kings apart. Jane never thought she would actually see two Kings fight over one woman. Granted, one King was threatening the Harlot and the other was protecting, but it was still all for her. The influence that the harlot had on both monarchs was astounding. Was this what people meant by witchcraft?
She was the only woman who caused such emotions to rise out of Jane's husband. Before Jane had arrived at Court, she had heard of the great love that the King had once bore for the woman. That love had eventually turned into hate equally as strong. Yet that hate stemmed from the fact that he cared. She didn't think that he loved her still, but he cared for her on some level. It was a fact that made Jane quite uncomfortable, knowing that no matter what she did, no matter the fact that she had given him a son, he would never look at her with such intensity.
She really shouldn't be jealous of the Harlot though. Jane was the model wife, obedient and quiet, the example of an English wife, while the harlot's actions had been disgraceful. It was Jane's son that would be the future King of England and not her son. Jane was a beloved Queen of England while the Harlot was still spoken with great disgust by the English people. And despite the intensity in her husband's eyes, it came with anger, anger that Jane quite wished was never directed at her.
No, she was not exactly jealous, but perhaps a little confused. She did not understand the politics of men (as it was not what a good wife should be concerned with) but even she could see that something was wrong between England and France. The French courtiers' attitude had cooled considerably during the amount of time it took Jane to hear of the news and walk to her husband's chambers. She could see the worry on Charles Brandon's face and even her brothers'. She knew that her brothers had wanted an alliance with the Emperor because he supported her due to Mary's support, but they still looked worried. It must have had to do with the French alliance. She was quite sure that getting in a fight with the King of France was not something to be appreciated here in the midst of a treaty, but there was nothing she could do. Her only job and duty was to obey her husband's wishes and wait for His Majesty to calm down again. France and England's relations were for the men to worry about.
On the other side of the room, the equally quiet Charles Brandon kept his eyes rooted to the ground as well. The Queen had been alerted to the changing events as soon as the Kings went on their separate ways. She had followed her brothers back for whatever reason, perhaps to offer some condolences to the King? But no one in the room had made a move or a noise since their arrival. The only sounds were the King's frustrated yells as he threw furniture around.
The King's reaction had not been a surprise. It was what Brandon had expected since he had first made up his mind to tell the King about the Queen of France. But there was one problem. Despite not being a supporter of an alliance with France, even he knew that this incident had severely harmed relations with France. The worst part was that they were still in France with only two hundred men. From what he had been told, Francis had a large army placed just outside of Paris to avoid situations like the battle of Paris again and they were only an arm's reach away as a threat to the English party.
"Charles!" the King's angry voice made the entire room jump.
Brandon quickly bowed, "Your Majesty."
The King stopped his movements and seemed to have calmed slightly after the last chair broke, "Inform the rest of our party to begin packing. I no longer wish to stay in this country."
"What of the alliance, Your Majesty?" Brandon asked but regretted as soon as the question was spoken.
"Alliance?" the King hissed, "England need not make an alliance with the likes of him. He attacked me unjustly. His actions have insulted England greatly. We will leave as soon as possible."
The King's tone left no room for discussion, not that Brandon really would have. It had been Cromwell and Thomas Boleyn who had wanted a French Alliance, while the room's occupants much preferred an Imperial one. Brandon bowed again before leaving to do as he was ordered.
In the French King's Private Office…
"He is leaving? Are you sure?" Brosse's voice was urgent as he questioned the page boy that had brought the news.
The young page nodded, "Yes, My Lord, the King of England had ordered for his servants to start packing. I saw it with my own eyes."
The silence that followed the statement made the young page rather nervous for even he understood the tension of such a move and here he was reporting to the King, the Queen and the Queen's favorite, Lord Brosse. All of them were very important people, and most importantly, all of their moods showed that they were likely to lose their tempers, which would not be good for him.
"Very well, you may leave," the lord dismissed the page much to the boy's relief. The longer he stayed the more danger he was in.
Once the page left, the Lord Brosse redirected his attention back to the fuming King. The incident between the two Kings was common knowledge by this time. While many of the French courtiers were rightly outraged by the conduct of the English King, the matter of a military alliance between the two countries was still on the table. France had won a battle against the Emperor, but the war was not over. An English alliance, even if they offered nothing would at the very least secure France one less enemy. Now with the alliance seemingly broken, what was to stop the English King from joining an alliance with the Spanish out of spite?
He could not help but notice that all of this revolved around the Queen. It was because the English King had threatened the Queen that King Francis had attacked the man. But why was the Queen involved at all? The rumors around court said that the Queen looked like Anne Boleyn of England. Enough so that even the woman's husband, the King of England had thought her the late woman. Another point of intrigue was that the English King had only exploded now, if it was purely based on experience why had he not done so when he first met the Queen? He took a glimpse at the Queen herself, who looked rather pale. Brosse would like to credit the Queen's appearance due to surprise, but something did not add up right. The English court's response to their King's actions almost seemed like they were waiting for it to happen. They had seen the resemblance as well.
Diane de Poitiers and Montmorency had something on the Queen before they had suddenly stopped suggesting they were perhaps pressured by someone much more powerful, the King. Was what they had related to the Queen's resemblance to the other woman as well? Or perhaps was it because it wasn't as simple as a resemblance. Perhaps, the Queen was Anne Boleyn. This thought nearly caused the young lord to gasp out loud. This was an insane thought, but everything came together. The English King had eventually realized that Queen Anne was his second wife, Anne Boleyn, after their interactions, which explained his delayed response. Resemblance was hardly a threat to the Queen, but if she was Anne Boleyn, it was another story. This must be the reason that Poitiers and Montmorency thought they could rid of the Queen.
It was almost unthinkable how such a plot came to be. How a woman of English birth, rose to be the Queen of England and then Queen of France, it must be the first time in history for such an occurrence. Most importantly, the King seemed to be well aware of the Queen's past and had protected her. Based on this fact alone, Brosse knew better to point his newly discovered knowledge out loud, especially not now when tension was so high. Besides he stood more to gain if he remained in great favor with the Queen rather than only in favor with another. It was also true that while he had much to gain, he could so lose more, but it was a gamble he was willing to take. Was not one of Queen Anne's new mottos, there is nothing to gain unless you are willing to take the risk?
Francis paced the room, still angry. He had never lost his temper so badly; this new sensation was rather foreign to him. He wanted to just declare war on the English King, to watch his expression at realizing he was still in a foreign land, and now a hostile foreign land, but he knew the nobility would not agree to it just yet. He worked hard to consolidate the monarchy's power, but even so, many nobles still had a great deal of power, remnants of feudalism. There were still lands under France that were ruled autonomously by dukes or other nobles. They were not in England, where despite Francis's current hatred for the King, he could not help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy and grudging respect for the English King's success at centralizing the power of the crown.
"He is leaving then," Francis repeated what he had heard.
Brosse nodded, "Perhaps with your Majesty's permission, I can attempt to pacify King Henry's anger?"
The Count's words caused the King of France to stop pacing suddenly and turned sharply to face the Lord, "Pacify him? As if we were in the wrong?" the tone was very cold.
Brosse suddenly felt like he should not have remained in the room. He had overestimated the King's ability for tolerance. He bowed quickly, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I meant not to suggest such a thing."
Francis just waved a hand, "Leave us. Tell no one to approach that idiot of a King. If he wishes to leave France, so be it. It saves us all time in turning him out of here. Inform the lords that I no longer wish to finish plans for an alliance."
Brosse nodded, and with a bow, he quickly left the room, leaving only the King and Queen of France alone. There were always other alliances to be made.
All of this time, Anne watched Francis fume. She knew that he had been jealous for a long time, and Henry's recent actions only made things a great deal worse. She felt shaken from her earlier encounter, but she did not want France to stop the alliance with England. It was through this alliance that she was supposed to gain a foothold in England. She had planned to send her "Uncle" there based on this alliance. Now it was likely that he would never even set foot in England, and even if he did manage to secure his ambassador position to England, his status there would be greatly diminished. This break would set her plans back completely.
"Your Majesty, perhaps an alliance with England is still the wise thing to do?" she suggested to Francis. He had always listened to her words of advice and she saw no difference in it now, "France's position is still not strong. Against the Holy Roman Empire, we need allies."
To Anne's surprise, her words caused Francis to scowl fiercely, "Henry VIII of England just insulted your position as the Queen of France. It would do you a great deal of good if you remembered your priorities and where your alliances should fall, Madame."
It was the first time Francis had ever been harsh to her and surprisingly it caught Anne off guard. Had she taken his usual mellow temper for granted? "I did not mean to suggest anything improper. My suggestions of an alliance with England are for France," she replied.
Francis scoffed, "I think we are both well aware of your true intentions in pushing for the alliance. Do not regard me as foolish enough to believe what you say for appearance's sake," he responded coldly, "or perhaps it isn't just for power in England, perhaps it is for him? I have seen how you look at him. The light that he brings to your eyes," his voice softened suddenly, "You have never looked at me with even a fraction of emotion that he incites from you.
"Our marriage started as one of convenience, of politics, but I fell in love with you. But you don't love me, and at first I thought I would not mind, and that given time you would come around. Seeing you with Henry just reminded me of what I do not have and it infuriated me. I wanted to seduce you, I want you to love me as much as I love you, but you have not even given me a chance. Do you understand how frustrating that is? To try my best in seeking your favor only to have it thrown in my face that your feelings for a man who killed your family and almost killed you is stronger? To know that no matter what I did, you would not give me even a small window of hope because your heart is closed.
"He is a King, but so am I. He was furious because you are my wife now, but do you think I would not be furious for the way my wife looks at another man? When he is around, you cannot see me." Francis approached Anne and took her hand into his and placed it on his heart, "There is more than one man in the world, Anne. Why could you not accept me when I have offered you my heart?"
Anne felt moved by his speech. She wanted to tell him that he mattered to her as a friend, but she knew that was far from what he wanted to hear. She thought about whether there was a possibility for her to love him, but the idea of loving another after love had betrayed her terrified her. She wanted to tell him that Henry meant nothing to her, but she respected Francis enough not to lie to him about matters of the heart because he had been genuine to her. She loved Henry still, but she hated him just as much. Whether it was hate or love, the man remained on her mind constantly. He had been the reason for why she wanted revenge so badly. Matters like love just paled in comparison to her thirst for revenge. But was it wrong for her to want retribution after everything? Anne didn't think so. Besides men often wanted what they could not have, Henry loved her for nine years, but when he had her mind, body and soul, he started looking for new conquests. What difference would Francis's love be? If she loved him back…she could lose much power if she fell out of his favor. Or perhaps this was really not a matter of politics, but much more of a matter of the heart. But could she treat this only as a matter of the heart? Could she afford to do so?
While Anne's mind battled back and forth, Francis began to frown with the continued silence. He slowly dropped Anne's hand dejectedly, "Or perhaps you never saw me, your past blinding you," he told her and left the room quietly without another word, feeling angry and somber.
Anne blinked. Was revenge blinding her?
September21st, 1538, Palais du Fontainebleau, France
She clutched the ring and small dagger in her hand tightly. The gold smith had only recently delivered them. The ring was gold; cast alongside of the ring was rubies. In the top center of the ring was a gold oval plate with a pearl, and the monogram of an E made of diamonds. There was a small, barely noticeable line that ran through the edge of the golden plate.
She handed the ruby ring with the diamond E on it to Thomas Boleyn who looked at her in confusion. This was the first time they had truly met face to face, the first time since her arrest that they spoke to each other. Adrien had brought the man to Anne's solitude so that they may have privacy. It was a very risky move on Anne's part to meet with the man after the occurrence of the day prior, but there were just some things that must be said in person. Besides, everyone's attention had now shifted toward watching the two Kings' every move, worrying if war would break out between the nations. "It is a gift for Elizabeth." She pulled out another ruby necklace, one that she had commissioned a year ago, "This was for her last birthday. I had no way of giving it to her, but you can give it to her. If others ask, you may say it is from you."
Thomas nodded as he took the ring and necklace in his hands. She handed him the dagger next. It was not unlike the ring for Elizabeth, other than the fact that it was not a ring. It was small, only a few inches long. The hilt was made of flattened golden egg set with rubies, and if you looked closely, a small thin line ran across the outside of the egg shaped hilt, "For William, he won't be old enough for it yet, but I want you to give it him when he is ready. I don't want them to grow up without knowing what I even look like."
The Earl gave her a strange look and turned to the gifts with a careful eye. He examined them carefully and noticed that the ring and the dagger had a clasp to it, they were lockets, "Your portrait is inside?" he asked. He did not attempt to open it because it seemed that he needed a sharp tool to pry it open. Anne was careful; she had taken care so that it would not easily open in case others caught sight of it.
"Yes, now there are important matters we must discuss," she changed the subject, "In regards to your future plans for William and Elizabeth."
Thomas tilted his head in puzzlement, "William and Elizabeth will be cared for. The King has summoned them to court and spends a great deal of time with them. Although after recent events, I fear that they will lose favor with the King, and I will no longer be able to protect them." After the fight between the Kings of England and Francis finally parted, King Henry had nearly destroyed his chambers in a fit of rage. Lucky for him, the King's rage had stopped him from thinking clearly and he had not summoned Thomas before him yet and Thomas did everything possible to remain out of sight lest he remind the King of his presence when it was clear he was temporarily forgotten. However, when things calmed down more, Thomas had no doubt; he would be punished severely by the King. He only prayed that the King would find no evidence of his involvement in Anne's escape from the tower.
Anne laughed humorlessly, "You'll survive, you always find a way. To think you could have easily lost your life along with George but you slipped out of all charges didn't you?"
Thomas frowned. Their relationship as daughter and father had been strained before the trial, but it seemed that it was worse than he had expected, "The King always gets what he wants, but you were the only exception. He will need an outlet for his anger. The Seymours will not be foolish enough to pass up this opportunity to turn the King more against us. Everyone will suffer, including Elizabeth and William."
Anne sighed, "I knew of the consequences when I had decided to become the Queen of France. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before he found out I was alive, but nothing in this world is accomplished without sacrifices and hardships. Greatness can only be achieved if we have the courage to play the gamble. The King will surely be displeased with you, but if you say nothing, and I say nothing, he will have no proof."
"You forget the men that had rescued you from the tower. You forget the men that took you to France. You forget the people who knew the original Anne de Pisseleu. Nothing stays a secret forever, Anne. Every action has a consequence. If there was something we wanted to forever hide, we should have never done it in the first place," Thomas told his daughter tiredly. He was exhausted from worry. Since the moment he had stepped foot into France and saw the King's reaction, he had been desperately thinking of a way to worm his way out of the inevitable rage of the King, but now, he had absolutely nothing, only cold acceptance. He was doomed, they were all doomed.
Anne's eyes narrowed, "You regret bringing me to France then?" She felt confused at her father's tone. Despite everything, despite the fact that she had told herself a thousand times over that their bond as family has long been destroyed, she could not help that pang of fear in her stomach. She was afraid that he would say that he regretted saving her life. Even with their differences, he was still her father, the one that had raised her, the one that had doted on her once upon a time.
Thomas was silent for a few moments, before uttering, "Yes," Anne felt her heart sink, and the Earl continued, "In a way. Elizabeth and William's fate would have been better if you had died or at least stayed hidden. Your actions have condemned your children. Don't you see, Anne, if your ambitions had not put you on the throne of a Queen again, the King would never have found out your were alive. You would have lived a peaceful life in the country side of France, as you should have." Anne could hear the irritation in his voice.
"You think it was ambition that made me Queen this time?" Anne hissed in anger, "No, it was circumstance and fate. The opportunity was forced upon me, and I only tried to make the best of it. I admit that it was out of anger, out of a thirst for revenge, but it was also for them. You and I both know well that even if Henry favored William and Elizabeth, that does not change the fact that when he is gone, they will face the worst danger if the Seymours rise to power, when their nephew becomes King." Who was he to talk to her about ambition? If it was not for his ambition, then she would have likely married Henry Percy, and George would still be alive.
"Revenge…you have picked the most powerful man in England as your enemy, Anne. I don't think you can face this challenge, his power and his position now is simply beyond what you can do," Thomas sighed, "But yes, you are right in that the King's favor only lasts as long as he is alive."
Anne pursed her lips briefly. It was nothing new to her that her father did not think she could match Henry, he had always thought they were the reason that she became the Queen of England, but it was not all him, nor George, nor Norfolk or any other man, it was also her. She had made Henry fall in love with her, and at one time he had respected her opinions. He had betrayed her, not them. It was her right to seek revenge. Wasn't there a saying, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Her rage gave her the power and the will to go against the man, but she did not choose to waste time in arguing this with her father, they had more important matters to discuss, "I believe that we can work for a common goal? To place William on the throne after Henry."
He was rather taken aback by her frankness. To discuss such a thing in England would be treason but she was now the Queen of France. It was something that Thomas had not really considered with much seriousness. He had wanted the King to favor William and Elizabeth and in turn would allow him to rise in court again, but to place William on the throne was an enormous task, one that he did not have the resources to undertake, nor the courage to see it through. If the plan failed, it would be more than just his head on the line. The punishment for high treason then would not be a simple beheading, the King would sure think of a much more painful way to kill him.
They had once done the impossible; the daughter of an Earl had replaced the Spanish Princess as Queen of England. But even then, that was regarding the consort of a King, someone of little importance despite the acknowledged high rank, now, however, it was for the throne itself. This was impossible given the current circumstances. Anne had been found guilty in a court of law; she had been condemned to death. Her marriage to the King was void. Having such a mother put William in severe disadvantage. How could a "bastard" rise above a boy who was already accepted as prince in England? "It is an ambitious plan, impossible plan," he admitted honestly. Even if the King was generous and placed William in the line of succession he would always fall behind any children produced by Jane Seymour.
Anne smiled, "Not exactly. It depends on Henry. If it is his wish, then he will make it happen."
"But the King will not likely set aside Jane Seymour as long as Edward lives," he countered, "Perhaps, when he calms down again, we may be able to convince him to place William in the line of succession but bastard children under the law will always fall behind the children of the Queen, in this case, Jane Seymour." He received a nasty glare from Anne when he called Jane Seymour Queen and Anne's children bastards. It was not a matter of what he believed but what English law now recognized.
"I don't want William to be just placed in the line of succession. I want him declared legitimate, to be a Prince as he rightly deserves to be," the Earl's eyes widened at Anne's suggestion, but Anne continued, "What if someone was to plant the idea in his head that it would be better for England to have two princes. I am told that Edward is a sickly boy; surely the King does not want a boy who will likely die quickly on the throne after him? A sickly boy would place the throne in jeopardy, if he dies people will argue who is to succeed him, if he lives, his illness will allow others to control him easily."
"Two Princes?" Thomas Boleyn repeated dumbly.
"Yes, two princes. He need not set aside Jane Seymour at all. Don't forget that I am dead. As long as Cranmer claims he made a mistake in declaring my previous marriage null and void, William and Elizabeth become legitimate. Henry married Jane after my supposed death, thus he could claim his marriage to the wrench valid as well. He gets to keep two legitimate princes. And by order of birth, William should be the Prince of Wales. That is as long as I stay dead, which all subjects in England know me to be."
"But you are alive, the King knows it," Thomas argued.
Anne laughed, "Oh he will eventually realize that it is to his interest to admit that I am dead and stay dead, that is, once he calms down."
Thomas wasn't too sure about that, but he ignored it for the time being, "But you forget that your reputation is still not welcome in England," he pointed out. He had made many attempts to weaken the distaste many had for Anne, but Katherine of Aragon had been a very popular Queen.
Anne nodded, she remembered her coronation in England well, it was cold and chilly, "Yet people's opinions are easily swayed. I hear that the monarchy's prestige has fallen in England because of Henry's treatment of me. It has not made people comfortable knowing that I died shortly after giving birth. All you need to do is push public opinion along that path. Put your mind to use and get rid of Cromwell. Let his crimes against me be known, his triumphed up charges of adultery will turn people's opinions against him. People will rally to William's side if they know that his mother has died innocent. They will spill Cromwell's blood, and pave the way for William."
Cromwell's fall would not be enough. It would be naïve of Anne to believe that by simply declaring her trial a fraud would be enough to sway the people's opinion of her. He had paid many to go around towns and spread goodwill rumors about the Queen Anne, but despite his efforts, the people still called her the 'The Whore' or the 'The Harlot'. They had felt that it was wrong of the King to kill her simply because he wanted to set her aside, but they would have cheered if Jane Seymour replaced her smoothly. Katherine of Aragon had left an impression on the people of England, and her death had many people speculating that Anne had poisoned her. Anne would likely never be popular in England, no matter what they did. "It is more difficult than you portray it to be," Thomas sighed. But perhaps with the mother dead, the people would not fault the children.
Anne scoffed, "No greatness is a simple task. You have always been ambitious, the idea of becoming the King's grandfather is no doubt most appealing to you," she tilted her head slightly, "But remember father, William is not like me, he cannot be simply thrown away when he is of no more use. Your future rests on him; there will be no more chances for you if anything happens to him."
"I would never hurt William!" Thomas replied indignantly, "I am his grandfather!" If anything, Anne's actions would likely hurt William more than he could ever do. If the plot to put William on the throne had been found out before William was declared the Prince of Wales, Anne would have essentially sent her own son and daughter onto the scaffold. Nevertheless Thomas did not voice his concerns. Anne had always been stubborn, if she had set her mind onto something it was near impossible to change it. He did not want a scene.
"I find little comfort in that," she replied emotionlessly.
"I saved you," he reminded her. It had been the one act that he had done for Anne that had not been propelled by ambition or greed. It was for those fond feelings he had of the little girl who loved to play hide-and-go-seek.
Anne nodded, "Yes, and I thank you for it. But why did you save me? Why me and not George?" she asked quietly, a memory danced across her mind, her heart clenched. This had been on her mind since her escape but no one had ever provided an explanation, "When I was in the tower, you came in for questioning. I saw you leaving from my window. I smiled at you, waving, because you were my family. I just wanted a nod, a smile, a wave, any form of acknowledgement that you loved me. Terror was the only thing that I had felt for days, and there you were, a familiar face. For a brief moment, I felt a sense of warmness, of family, I thought we were in this together, and we would get through this together. You just looked at me blankly and left without any indication that you even knew me," she had tears in her eyes by this point, "I was not a stranger. I was your daughter…but you only saw a tool to be used and disposed of." She remembered the first time she truly realized that she had only been a tool.
She had just woken up from nearly dying from the sweating sickness. She had been so tired. She sighed contentedly as her brother ran into her room and lay down at the end of her bed playfully, "George," her voice reflected how she felt.
Her father had run in after, grabbing her hands, "dear sweet god," he kissed her hands repeatedly, smiling at her. She had been so happy then. She had thought the father from her childhood was back, but his next words destroyed her dreams, "you know what you have done child? You have risen from the dead, now you can see the King again. It can be just like before." He had been happy that she lived so he could prosper with her rise, not because his daughter had lived.
"You knew I was going to die, but you could not even grant me that last bit of comfort. A simple smile at that time would have been more than enough, but you could not have been bothered with it. So I ask you, why did you save me?"
Anne's emotional speech left him in silence. He knew what his ambitions had cost him, but hearing it from Anne's view made his throat go dry. He had not been an emotional man for a long time, yet Anne's honest speech had revived some of those feelings that he had placed aside when he became a courtier. It was strange really, once upon a time, he had wanted to rise to the top for his children (or at least that was what he had convinced himself of), so that they could have a better life, a better match. Ironically, when he did rise to the top, his children had grown to hate him. His plans had cost George his life, they had forced Anne to become someone else's daughter, and Mary would not even speak to him. He was all alone in the world now. But he still felt the stirring of ambition. "Mary came to me," he told her quietly. He knew nothing he said now would change the past. It hurt to hear that his children hated him, but he was the one that made his own bed wasn't he?
Anne's eyes widened, Mary?
"Sister," she had greeted her with a smile, Mary's stomach was swollen.
She had to take a double take, "Mary."
Mary laughed, kissing her hand, "Your Majesty."
"You are with child! How did it happen? We knew nothing," she had been most surprised.
Mary looked at both her and their father, "I'm married."
"Married?" she was just confused at this point, "So who is your husband?"
Mary smiled, "His name is Mister William Stafford."
The name was foreign to Anne, "I haven't heard of him. Is he at court?"
"He…" Mary stuttered uncomfortable briefly, "William is a man with little standing and no fortune. He is now a serving soldier in Calais."
There was a long pregnant pause. Anne took a seat as her father stood angrily beside Mary, a million thoughts running through her mind. She barely heard her father hiss at Mary, "Then you think him worthy to be the husband of the Queen of England's sister?"
Mary spoke as if it was obvious, "Yes, father, since I love him and…"
Their father cut her off, "Then you are very much mistaken." Mary stared, taken aback, "You married him in secret," their father continued, "and without asking our approval, he is such a nothing that we would never have given our permission." Anne rolled her eyes. She knew that Mary was rather simple minded, but this was foolish even for her.
"But father, if you were to meet him, you would see that he is a good, fine, and honest man," Mary argued.
But their father had no ears for it, "Since you have acted brazenly and in spite of me, I shall cut off your allowance. You and your fine, honest young man can rot in hell as far as I am concerned." He walked away from her in anger.
Mary was in tears by now, "Anne?" she had pleaded, "How easy do you think it was for me to find a proper husband, when I was called the great prostitute? Indeed I think myself fortunate to have found William and to be loved by him."
"You did not ask my permission," she told her. If only she had, she would have talked her out of it. Mary was the sister to the Queen, she would have gotten an excellent match instead. As the Queen of England, she was the head of the Boleyn family, and as such Mary should have asked her.
"Do I have to ask you to fall in love? Mary asked.
"Yes," their father hissed, "Now we are royalty, everything is different."
Mary was sobbing openly. The sight of her sister distress almost made her want to comfort her. It made her almost wish to tell Mary that she was forgiven. Mary looked to her, "Please" Anne looked away, "Please, sister." Mary made an attempt to approach her.
"No," Anne stopped her, "You and your husband are banished from court." She had done what was expected of her from her father and court, but she could never forget the look of betrayal on Mary's face.
"Mary," Anne repeated to herself. She had banished Mary with nothing, and Mary would have surely suffered for William Stafford was a poor man. She had been cruel to her sister, yet Mary had been the one to argue with her father for her life. Anne felt like a fool. She had never regretted her actions so much. Mary…Mary had forgiven her even after Anne had betrayed her?
September 23rd, 1538, Palais du Fontainebleau, France
Diane de Poitiers watched English court pack their luggage into the carriages with an emotionless gaze, "I must admit that I am surprised that it got this far."
Lord Anne de Montmorency took a sip of his wine, and swirled the contents in his goblet before speaking, "Kings are dangerous jealous men. They are used to getting their ways, and if they feel insulted they revert to the mentality of a child."
Diane turned from the window with one eyebrow raised, "My Lord, you best not let others hear such a statement. Insulting the crown is a dangerous act."
Montmorency grunted, "I only speak the truth, a fact that every courtier is well aware of."
Diane laughed, "Yes, but it is the truth that is never spoken," she left the window and poured herself a goblet of red wine. She swirled the thick red liquid before she took a small sip, the liquid staining her red lips a deeper shade. Her tongue quickly grazed over her lips, cleaning the remnants of the wine, "Why are you, sir, so displeased with the turn of events? I thought you did not favor an English alliance."
Montmorency scowled briefly, "I favored an imperial alliance over an English one. Yet we have nearly burnt the bridge with the imperial alliance. Do you really think that the Emperor would make an alliance with us now? After months of captivity and his son being held hostage? It would take years before this sour note will be dimmed. I had advised his Majesty to return the Emperor to the Empress as a peace gesture nearly a year ago before everything got out of hand, yet it was no use. The King had insisted an English alliance because that was what the Queen wanted. But they have nothing to show for it except make an enemy out of England as well."
Through his speech Diane stared at the swirling red liquid in her hands, "It was not all the Queen. The King wanted an Anglo-French alliance because he wanted to come out on top, to best the Emperor." She took a sip of the wine again, "The English King had insulted France. It is no secret that the Queen and I are not fond of each other, but even so, I was insulted by the actions of King Henry. He lacks tact, such barbaric actions. It is one thing to insult the Queen in private, to make the matter such a public spectacle and simultaneously insult France; no French courtier would have tolerated that."
Montmorency laughed, "This is coming from the woman who once said that their encounter would be more amusing than fireworks."
Diane smirked, "Could a woman not change her mind?"
Montmorency laughed again, "You hardly ever change your mind once it is made up, Madame."
Diane smiled, "When I said fireworks, I meant a spark here and there, not outright insult. I am hardly upset that the King of England had insulted Anne de Pisseleu, but I am offended that he insulted the Queen of France."
"So you are willing to acknowledge her as Queen now?" asked Montmorency.
Diane gave Montmorency a look, "I never said I didn't acknowledge her as Queen simply that I find it disagreeable that she was in such favor. You know how I hate to be outshined." She took another sip, "But enough of this tangent, what do you suppose will happen now?"
The humor left the room as both returned to discuss the more serious problem at hand, Montmorency sighed, "I don't know. The English King refused to sign the treaty and His Majesty is in no mood to humor him. We can only hope that the emperor does not make an alliance with the English. It would not be to France's advantage to have enemies on multiple fronts."
September 24th, 1538, Palace of Whitehall, England
Cromwell studied the parchment before him carefully. Things had been hectic in England in the past two years, so much that the matter of dissolving the monasteries, a plan he had formed years ago, had been put temporarily on hold. At first it had been because Anne Boleyn would not die quietly, then it was Queen Jane's marriage, the plague, the King's unpredictable temper, followed by the King's bastard children coming to court. That was only internally. Outside relations had been a nightmare. He had worked day and night in order to secure an alliance with France after the Holy Roman Emperor was captured by the French, but now all of his efforts finally paid off. The King was in France negotiating the treaty; he only prayed that everything would go well. It was infamous that the Kings of England and France had gotten into a wrestling match during Mary's betrothal to the late Dauphin, but they had both matured since then.
Court was finally quiet and he was finally able to readdress old matters. He studied the list of monasteries to be dissolved carefully, making notes every once in a while. It would take some time, but if everything went according to plan, he would have successfully dissolved them within two years. He felt rather content. The King trusted him, enough that he left him and the Duke of Norfolk in charge while he was in France. He was favored greatly as the King relied on him for everything. He was where he deserved to be and he felt rather at ease. He truly had little opposition since Anne Boleyn died and her fraction fell from power.
September 25th, 1538, Palais du Fontainebleau, France
Anne watched the English party's departure from an upper window. No one was surprised that the Queen of France had not been present for the English departure. In fact it was common knowledge that the King had ordered for the Queen's absence along with Guards to protect Her Majesty.
Anne had expected Francis's attitude to change after she had not responded to his speech, but he made no outward appearance that he even made the speech. His emotional words had occurred when they had been alone, thus no one outside the two of them would ever know if they never spoke of it and it was this approach that Francis had taken. He said nothing at all and acted as if it never happened. At first it made Anne rather uneasy, but she nevertheless went along with it. If he did not wish to revisit the subject, then she would respect his wishes. Besides, she did not want to address the issue in the first place.
She could see that the tension between the two Kings had not decreased over the days. They acted stiffly toward each other in what was a proper farewell. Both were cold, barely acknowledging the other as the English King finally mounted his horse and Jane entered the carriage.
She watched the English party getting farther and farther away until they were but a dot in the horizon. She wondered what the future held in England. Would she really be able to get her way? Or will her actions inadvertently bring about the downfall of her family in England?
"You wished to see me, Your Majesty?" Adrien de Pisseleu's voice took Anne out of her thoughts.
She turned to him, "Have you sent the letter?" She had to give them a warning before the storm hit.
Adrien nodded, "I sent the letter the very day your majesty ordered for it."
Anne smiled as she felt some of the nervousness drop away from her stomach. No, the letter would do nothing, but it would at least be a warning, a message for them to be prepared for what was coming. It was all she could do for now.
September 30th, 1538, Palais du Fontainebleau, France
"Despite the alliance falling apart with England, we cannot just leave things alone as it is. If England makes an alliance with the Emperor it would be to France's great disadvantage," Montmorency told the King.
"Then what do you suggest?" asked Francis coolly, despite the time that had passed since the incident, everyone at court had soon learned to never mention the event in the presence of the royal family, and that discussions of the Queen could very well lead to imprisonment. These limitations, however, only served to confirm the suspicions for those who suspected the Queen's past. But no one said anything out loud. They were true courtiers. They understood that the Queen remained in favor with the King despite everything, and to go against her now would be political suicide. They would much rather sit on the information for future use.
"Perhaps, we should still send an ambassador to England. If not for the alliance, at least he could attempt to sabotage any plans of alliance between King Henry and the Emperor, while we make new alliances," Brosse suggested. It was a suggestion that the Queen had wanted him to make. The Queen wanted her uncle in England.
Francis nodded, "Very well." It was somewhat of a plan even though if the King of England set his mind on making an alliance with Spain, it would be impossible to stop him. "What allies do you suggest?"
Brosse replied immediately as it was a matter he had thought of a great deal recently, "Perhaps, an alliance between France and Poland. Poland is directly east of the Holy Roman Empire while France is directly west of it. If a military alliance could be established, we can split the empire into two."
Francis nodded and turned to Montmorency, "And you agree?"
Montmorency shook his head. An alliance with Poland was an option but he did not like the fact that it had been suggested by Brosse, instead, he gave another option, "Alliances with the German states under the Emperor would be better. The Holy Roman Empire is vast in their territories, but Charles V hardly rules over each of these with an iron hand. Many of the German states are dissatisfied with the Emperor and rule autonomously. If we make an alliance with them, we could dissolve the Emperor's territory from the inside."
"But dissolving the Empire would only serve to weaken the Emperor's power and financial backing. He is still the King of Spain with many allies of his own. The German states have long been part of the Holy Roman Empire, what is to say that one of them would not wish to become the new emperor. They do not have a united front, and even if we make alliances with most of them, how can we satisfy each of their needs when they have conflicted interests. Not to mention, even if everything goes according to plan, we stand to gain nothing for freeing the German states from the Emperor. On the other hand, an alliance with Poland, we can increase our own territories by absorbing the German states, making a new French Empire," Brosse countered.
"But what is to say that our military strength is strong enough to stand against the Empire?" asked Montmorency, "France has been increasing our military strength since the battle of Paris. Your Majesty has granted a great deal of money for the soldiers to ensure better weapons and training, but we cannot forget that these men that have enlisted were not born soldiers. They had trained for less than a year, do you, My Lord, honestly believe they stand a chance?"
"And you, my lord, have forgotten that the battle of Paris was won by many that had almost no experience at all. Training is a part of it, but courage, and will make an even bigger part," retorted Admiral de Chabot condescendingly.
Before Montmorency could respond bitingly though, the King cut him off, "Enough, I will think on your advices." The temper in the room was getting high, and before Francis made up his own mind, he did not need his advisors to be at each other's throats.
October 2nd, 1538, English Fleet, Ocean
Jane did not like the ship as it made her feel quite nauseous. Yet despite the damper that the ship placed on her mood, she had thought the trip to be rather rewarding. Despite how it had ended with France, Jane could not help but feel happy that her husband seemed to have found a renewed liking of her.
Perhaps it was because of the sight of the Harlot and the remainder of who she was that he suddenly saw the difference between the two women that had attracted him to Jane in the first place. The King had become more attentive and warmer towards her again. It was almost like the past when he had courted her. His actions made Jane smile, but despite her much jollier mood she did wonder if the King's attention would stay even after they returned to England and the incident with the Harlot was placed in the past once again.
Then again…what if it wasn't going to be in the past? What if the King wanted to revisit the issue? At their departure from France, the King had caught sight of Thomas Boleyn and had screamed for the Earl to make himself scarce. He had ordered him under house arrest until their arrival in England, but no mention of what awaited the man in the future. Thomas, Jane's brother, optimistically believed that the King would order the execution of the man, but Edward had pointed out that despite the King's anger, once he arrived back in England, the King would be reminded that the Harlot had given him two children despite her faults. It was a matter of how much the King valued the Lady Elizabeth and the Duke of Somerset and Pembroke. Or perhaps his anger would transfer to them with their mother untouchable for now. No one knew what the King planned to do. Would he allow the harlot to remain the Queen of France? Was there even anything he could do about the woman's new position short of seizing the throne of France? These thoughts made Jane uneasy but she was happy for now and basked in her husband's affection.
October 10th, 1538, Palais du Fontainebleau, France
Lord Brosse had reported dutifully that the King now expressed an interest in an alliance with either Poland or the German states. Upon learning of the fact, she had questioned the man extensively about both possibilities. Since that conversation, she had taken to reading and questioning close advisors about the monarchies east of the German states. Her decision to educate herself had been simple. If she was to push France to be the power of Europe she could not just keep herself short sighted. She had to understand the politics of Europe and to understand them; first she needed to understand the monarchies. A well read Queen consort was what Francis needed, and to keep herself useful Anne studied.
With the English alliance failing apart, the most worrisome event would be an alliance between the Emperor and Henry. The Habsburg family was a powerful ally for the Emperor and it would do France a great deal of good if they limited the spread of the family. Not to mention, the matter of Margaret's marriage was still a matter of discussion. What she had in mind would kill two birds with one stone.
The Polish Kingdom had been united with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for quite some time, making the Polish Empire quite large. The Habsburg family was in control of a part of Hungary. An alliance had been formed between the two Kingdoms, in which Elizabeth of Austria was expected to marry the crown Prince of Poland, Sigismund II Augustus. Sigismund was born in 1520, and of marriage age now at the age of eighteen, while Elizabeth was born in 1526, only twelve years old. Margaret however, was only three years Sigismund's junior and marriage could take place now.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Ferdinand, the younger brother of Charles V. Ferdinand was a powerful man, and a strong candidate to be the next Holy Roman Emperor if he survived his brother. He ruled the hereditary Habsburg lands in his brother's stead. Already he was the King of Bohemia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Slavonia, and he had claim to the Hungarian throne and ruled as the Royal Hungary King. Ferdinand declared himself the King of Hungary and was supported by a fraction of the nobles against John Zapolya, the other claimant to the throne, King of Eastern Hungary, who was to marry Sigismund's older sister.
Elizabeth and Sigismund's marriage had been planned since their births, but it was not without opposition. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of Vladislas II of Hungary who was also the uncle of Sigismund. A papal dispensation had been secured from Pope Clement VII in order for the marriage to take place. But Clement was dead and it was Pope Paul III in power now. If both France and Poland asked for the dispensation to be revoked, it would not be impossible to do, especially with France rising and the Emperor taking a rather large loss. Not to mention the Pope was not entirely happy with the Emperor as he kept interfering in his Holy affairs, limiting the Pope's powers. He would likely jump at the chance to strike at the Emperor without much repercussion.
Poland itself was not fond of the Holy Roman Empire either. Queen Bona Sforza of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuania, the mother of Sigismund, was known to hate the Habsburgs from what Anne had heard from other courtiers. It was also suggested the Queen was in favor of a French alliance. The Queen had strong political power in Poland, swaying her to their cause would be very beneficial. This was perhaps the best time for France to make an advantageous match for Margaret.
This course of action would also allow Poland to champion only John Zapolya with the marriage of Princess Isabella Jagiellon and John. John Zapolya had led a strong political life in Hungary long before Ferdinand's claim to the throne, thus most of the nobles supported him. He was also regarded as a friend of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire. Bona Sforza was also known to have regular correspondence with the Sultan's wife, Roxlena. This marriage between France and Poland and Lithuania would stretch France's alliance far past its current state. It was a chance to hinder the Emperor in any actions against France if he was to worry about what was behind him.
An alliance with the Ottoman Empire was something playing on Anne's mind for some time. Yet two great obstacles stood in the way. The Ottoman Empire was full of heretics, an open alliance with them, would turn France into an open enemy against all of Christendom of Europe, giving the Emperor another reason to invade France. However, an alliance with them was also beneficial as they were they were the ones who had the power to truly stand against the Holy Roman Emperor. Yet it was also this power that was worrying. Machiavelli had once stated that it was crucial that a state did not enter into an alliance with another stronger than themselves, because the power could easily turn against them. He had given this as the reason of how France had lost its power in Italy to Spain.
This was a fact that Anne regarded as the truth. France was not ready for an Ottoman alliance, not until France had truly become a contender against the Holy Roman Empire by itself. Thus an alliance with Poland would be the very first step. Yet an Ottoman alliance was likely to be quick on the horizon. From what she had learned, an alliance between the two had been of intense discussion in 1536, before Francis had rejected the idea based on religious differences. He was under attack from the Emperor and had not wished to give him a good reason to invade France. The invasion occurred nevertheless, such that Francis would likely have lesser objections now.
So it was with this thought in mind that Anne explained her opinion when Francis asked her at supper. "A marriage between Margaret and Sigismund II Augustus? That would strengthen the alliance that is to be sure," the King pondered the suggestion.
"France only has one princess, if our goal is the Holy Roman Empire, marrying Margaret to Prince Phillip would be rather pointless. Besides Phillip is still years from the marriage age," Anne reaffirmed her opinion.
Francis nodded.
Things between him and Anne had been awkward after his speech, but he had never acknowledged the incident afterwards. She had gone along with him, pretending that nothing had happened. It was frustrating and a relief to Francis. He was frustrated because he wanted her to acknowledge him and his feelings, but it was also a relief because she had made no move to remind him of his failed declaration of love. Things eventually returned back to normal, helped greatly by the King Henry's departure. Once everything calmed, Francis began thinking, perhaps Anne was not ready to love again, her heart too injured to love now. Perhaps if he truly loved her he would be willing to wait for her heart patiently, but it was hard to keep that optimism when Anne's heart seemed to give no indication toward the healing path.
Author's Note:
Please note, the Franco-Ottoman alliance was established in 1536 in history, but you will have noticed that this is not the case in this story. They had backed out before everything was signed.
Also about the ring to be given to Elizabeth, it is called the "Chequers ring" (you can Google image it) just came across it, and could not help put it into the story in my way.
Henry's leg injury is not as severe as it was in history. Here it only causes him pain on some days, and no pus or drainage necessary. The reason is that otherwise he can't keep up with Francis or Anne. This is only the first time that the two monarchs will clash. Think of this as appetizer if you will. Next time they meet, there will be a change in dynamic. I do plan on several interactions, so fear not if you didn't get enough of fireworks, after all, Henry hasn't exactly start to fight for Anne yet.
As for the status of the story, like I mentioned in the prologue, I will have the status in my profile. So at the very least, you guys know where I am at, whether a chapter is half written or with my beta.
Next chapter: Confrontation with the dauphin, Mary's (the King's daughter) thoughts (thought we should hear from her), Henry's anger continued back in England, alliances and more plots…
Please review! A random comment in them could always spark some inspiration. Also if something is wrong, please feel free to offer constructive criticism.
Until next time,
Cruelangel