A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers and my Beta Reader Mimi Dubois for revising this chapter and to all those who have favorite and put this on their alerts.
Sources that I used and continually helped me, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by David Starskey and "Mistress Anne" by Carolly Erickson which provided me with interesting details for Anne's coronations and parties involved.
Enjoy, please review!
Dancing With The Devil
~o~
"In real life, the hardest aspect of the battle between good and evil is determining which is which."
~George R.R. Martin
It was a unique celebration, the likes they had never seen. Their parents remembered when Katherine entered triumphant to Westminster to be crowned next to her husband, the future Henry VIII. Now today their new Consort surpassed her in all things, youth, beauty and glamour.
They were lodged in the tower where the morning after they would ride the streets of London to reach Westminster where they would dip the holy oils on her forehead and breast symbolizing she was now part of the divine and could not be touched by earthly hands.
"Mary!" Anne wheeled to see her sister, she ran to Anne and put her arms around her, she could not wait to see her. This was their moment of triumph.
"Look at you, papa never thought you would be raised this high."
"Neither of our parents did, my uncle ironically did."
"Of course he did, for a want of a nail he would have thrown his own daughter to the King's bed if possible."
Anne frowned, "I am sorry for what happened to William." She said after a moment of silence.
"It really is no loss, he went along all this time, he wanted to be like our uncle you know. He took it harder than papa when the King no longer …"
Anne petted her sister's head. "It is all in the past" then she quickly changed topics, "The King has hired an astrologer."
"And what did he say?" Mary asked joining on her excitement.
"A boy" Anne blushed, "this fall and he will be the golden lion to bring about a golden reign."
Mary chuckled, she was truly happy for her sister, no one deserved more in this world than Anne. Mary had lived her life but Anne had never loved anyone as seriously, Henry Percy had just been a fancy, this was real.
Maggie watched the handsome new men flocking around her father's new court, they were all anxious to get a piece of the action and could not wait to get close to the Queen, that is where the real power lay.
"If you want to get close to a man, you have to get close to what he loves the most." Bella said, Anne with her white gown decorated with pearls and diamonds and other precious gemstones, with bell fur-sleeves and her new crown on her dark head, looked like a prize worthy of any man.
"Why do you have to speak so defensive Bella about your peers?"
"Maggie, oh sorry I forgot you want to be called Meg now like the big girl that you are." She said sipping from her goblet.
"That is very rude of you, a Lady would not-"
"A Lady would not give a bull's ass about what anyone says but I am not a Lady am I sweet, silent Meg?"
Meg looked away and ran to Anne.
"You did not have to be so harsh Majesty." A voice from behind said, it startled her since she had never seen this man before.
"My, my, the Queen certainly been busy, what is your name good sir?"
"Edward Seymour Majesty."
"Edward Seymour" The name seemed to add a delicious taste in her lips, "Tell you what, after this feast ends maybe you and me can have a chat?" Edward raised an eyebrow. Bella chortled, men were dumb creatures. "Don't worry Ned, I don't bite I just want to have a small chat with you."
"I am bound to secrecy by Her Majesty and it is not a rule I intend to break Majesty."
"Too bad, I am known to reward my allies."
"As I am told Majesty but I must turn down your offer."
"Why do you that? Do that silly thing with your eyebrows?" he didn't answer, "Master Seymour?" He wasn't listening, he abandoned her side to join the Queen who was in deep conversation with the King and her youngest daughter.
He should be doing more than just cutting steak, he was a Seymour and someday his family would rise high above all others.
"Your Majesty." Anne smiled and waved him off.
For the rest of the night a series of ear splitting books from the royal canons shook London, reverberating and rattling the frames of every old house in the city until it seemed that the world was coming to an end.
Charlie who was barely two asked his mother if the world was coming to an end?
"Canons and brimstone are not enough to sink this island, we are made of water, fire is nothing against us."
"But we were not always water born were we?"
"Before William the Conqueror we came from France, there we were warriors here we turned to fat, imbeciles, little cowards."
Charlie giggled. "Like grandfather? He is not so scare as he looks, he tries to appear he is scary but he really is not that different from all the rest who bow to him, he only has a crown and scepter to give him status."
"Exactly that is why you must never let it get to your head Charlie, one day you will be fierce and mighty like your grandfather but if you let that pride of his get to your head you will be no better than the Lutheran and Catholic preachers running around condemning each other."
"Will I be strong and wise then like my father?"
"Yes you will, you will be strong and wise just like your father, he should have been King of Spain you know? Everyone agreed he was the wisest choice but Charles, he was very much your father's namesake grandson, proud and arrogant, he had to steal both your father and your grandmother's claim."
"But he was the oldest and under the law-"
She snorted, "Who cares what the law says my little lion? The law is made by corrupt and arrogant men who want to hurt you and hide behind their God to justify their acts."
"But God would not protect them then, He only protects the just."
"Bright lad you are very bright Charlie but one day you will find that the world is not black and white as God would want it to be, the world is filled with angry men, rapists evil men who prey on the weakness of women and children such as yourself and it is ruled by a greedy lot. If you want to rule someday, you have to be as greedy and mighty."
"I don't want to be greedy and mighty." Charlie said as his mother put him to bed. "I want to be wise and strong and live at peace."
"Someday my love, someday you will but for now you must live, be as your enemies and never hesitate to strike, that is what ended your grandmother Juana's glory"
"What if I don't want to be like my grandmother Juana? They say she is mad." Charlie said with his eyes down.
"Do not be silly Charlie, your grandmother was a grand woman but she had one flaw and that is she loved too much, she worshipped the ground men walked on, don't do the same, admire, like your enemies if you must but never worship."
"What if my enemies are my best friends"
"Then the more reason to strike, weakness my son is not common of rulers. You want to be a good man, I can see it but good men seldom make good rulers. Look at your grandfather, you think he got where he is by being a good ruler?" She laughed in mock. "Of course he didn't, he has killed boys, girls and women with his selfish, arrogant pride and your step-grandmother is no different, she sees only her pride and her vanity, she doesn't care that the people are suffering and the peasants are starving for her folly, she doesn't care a bit, all her life she has been caged and now that she is finally free she can do whatever she wanted and there is no one to stop her."
"But she seems nice she gave me sweets today."
"I know" Bella smiled sardonically scaring Charlie, but he did not back away, he pulled himself together and willed himself to look her in the eye, just like she taught her. "I know she, prides herself in her charity but so have countless queens, they are she dragons my love, she dragons buying the loyalty of the poor, they think they can buy them so easily, she herself has claimed your true grandmother used to buy the loyalty of her servants and the peasants with charity."
"Grandmother Katherine did not buy their loyalty she really felt bad for the poor."
"Did she my love? My love you are so small and so innocent, I wish you would stay this way forever but for the safety of your brother or sister resting in my belly you mustn't be."
"I want to be good."
"You can't" Bella said grasping his shoulders. "You know what will happen to you if she gives birth to a daughter? Hmm?" She shook him. "Do you?"
"N-no-"
"Exactly you know nothing Charlie, she will butcher you and throw you into the wolves, none of the people in this kingdom are good including me, but there is only one difference between me and her, I fight for you."
"And she? She fights for her child too doesn't she?"
"Smart child but don't think she would not sacrifice one child for the security of her own. If her son comes on top people will cry out in triumph justifying her acts if he becomes a good King, if it is a she, well then as the first Queen Regnant, her child will be glorified and enter the pages of history, you, me your aunts will be nothing but the mistakes of our father, unfit to rule, unfit to live."
"People will know the truth."
"Will they?" Bella asked her face impassive. "No my son, the world is made by murderers, people who love and worship Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn do not know half the story."
"She gives charity" Charlie defended.
"She does but she does not expect their status to change, there is only one man who does and unfortunately he is not on our side. People in power need to feel loved, need to buy the loyalties of the people so they maintain themselves in power. Always remember that."
"But I will be different right? I would not want my people to starve and remain poor, I see no reason why they can't be rich like us, Kings are no different than you and me mama."
"They are not, and hopefully one day people will be wise enough to realize that beneath our richly garments the same color of blood runs in our veins."
"I promise you I will be strong and fierce mama just like father and not make grandfather's mistakes."
"Of course my love, of course." Bella said but she didn't sound convinced. Power corrupted, that was the sad truth, but if she guided Charlie down the right path while not sugarcoating every truth, hopefully he would turn a different a man.
She would have never known they were siblings on his attitude alone, George was sweet, he was funny, witty whereas Anne had ambition running through her and she suspected, constantly plotting for her stepdaughter's ultimate downfall.
"You are making fun of me, you find something funny in me Princess?"
Mary shied away from his hand, she was not yet ready to be touched by another man. Her father had been sweet and gentle all her life but he turned that gentleness into scorn when he met the whore.
George could only guess what went through her mind. Something good I hope, but seeing his sister miles away in her own picnic with her husband, he understood.
He moved his hand, gentler this time to hers, she didn't shy away this time. "May I ask you something?"
Mary looked cautiously at George. "Sure, why not My Lord?"
"Please my name is George."
"Alright, George."
He smiled, "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Constantly look down when someone is speaking to you?"
"I just don't find it proper to stare, a Lady does not stare." She said, sighing with relief for she had almost said the word 'Princess'.
"You know what they say about those God awful rules?" He said taking a grape from the fruit bowl between them. "They're made to be broken."
She shook her head laughing, something was telling her to fight him, to push him away and show her father that she would not stand to be a pawn in his whore's game but George Boleyn had turned out to be the complete opposite of his sister. He could be the perfect gentleman with the right woman there to guide him.
And then she thought of her sister's words "We are all liars and thieves and everyone of us better than you." She looked at her father, enjoying his cup of wine with his dark haired mistress. If she wanted to beat the whore at her own game, Bella was right she had to become a better liar and cheater than she.
"Look sister the crowd is gathering, everyone is looking at you." George said taking Anne's arm and leading her to the center, she was too weak to dance but that did not mean she would not enjoy the view.
"No everyone is looking at your bride, this is our moment of triumph, what papa always wanted."
"Yes" But is what I always wanted. Anne and Mary were always the center of his family, now today he was celebrity, he felt he was on heaven when he danced with Mary, her charm, her smile, her witty jokes, she was everything he'd been and yet not.
Maggie hugged her sister once she returned to the royal table. "You were stunning Mary, I wish I could dance like you!"
"No I wish I could dance like you, did you see how Henry was looking at you?"
Maggie giggled. "You should not cover your laughter, you look beautiful when you smile and a match between you and Henry would benefit the entire realm."
Maggie nodded in assent, she had been looking at Henry Howard for quite some time but the boy was arrogant and extremely superficial.
On cue Anne beckoned him to come and told him to ask her again, this time humbly.
She accepted his hand and quickly led him back to the dance floor, she was full of energy and he could barely keep up with the dance moves that no doubt his cousin had taught her but he found her energy and her laughter contagious.
"Can't believe she is dancing."
"Why not? She is a young girl of fourteen, and she is a blossoming youth, all the men are bound to look at her, maybe you have not noticed her beauty until now?" Anne said curtly, Mary bit back a reply.
Much as she hated to admit, the whore was right. Maggie was blossoming and she was no longer her silent Maggie anymore, she was an energetic, vibrant youth.
"Ah, seems my brother is requesting your hand again." Anne said and Mary rose from her chair, picking up her white gown's skirts carefully and stepping down to meet George
"Are you ready for another round?"
"With you I am ready forever George? But you should know I am not slowing this time for you." She said crossly, George chuckled and brought her to the center of the dance floor.
Soon the consummation night came and Mary was nervous as any virtuous and pious woman in her position could be.
George assuaged her with his tender voice, he lifted her chemise from her body and did the same with his.
"Are you ready?" He spoke, his own voice must have been nervous but he did not show it, he had done this many times but this time it was special because it was with the person he cared for the most –after his sister.
She nodded laying down on the bed, George moved his lips from her own to her body leaving a trail of hot kisses, her body arced forward when he went deeper and pierced the threshold of her sex.
She always prided herself in being the cautious one, the practical one, the servile one, the virtuous one, was it sinful then what she was feeling? Was she falling deeper into sin? Was she becoming like Bella? The thought was bad enough to make her shudder.
He grinned feeling her shudder, taking it as a sign of her readiness, he came back on top. Mary knew what was coming, her sister lectured her over a million times, she opened her legs anticipating the inevitable.
She gasped. Yes, this was hell but this was also heaven and if this was sin, then she was a sinner but she rather die right now then live a hundred years more without this knowledge.
George entered her soft but was soon overcome by the same feeling of ecstasy and joy and need of fulfillment that she and began to pump harder into her, filling her void.
He rolled off her, both were panting but for Mary who had never experienced such state of bliss she felt extremely disappointed that it was short-lived.
She begged George to make love to her again, she was willing to submit to everything for him but he fell fast asleep.
At her father's request the bloodstained sheets were displayed before both their parents, to prove their consummation. Unlike her mother he did not want any room to question the validity of their marriage, if she tried to wheedle herself of the marriage they would the sheets to prove it.
"Now everything is set in motion" Norfolk said, "With your son married to the Tudor wench and your daughter Queen with a son in her belly, it will not be long before our success is complete"
Thomas Boleyn nodded, he had risen far than he'd ever dreamed of and it all had been thanks to his raven haired daughter. The King was a fool, what good sons were when they could not buy you favor, make you rich? A man's true wealth lay in his daughters and he'd risen far than any man at court.
But not the astrologer, not her father's predictions could have been powerful enough to predict te disaster that lay upon her.
"He wanted a son." She said to herself, at first she didn't want to gaze at her daughter but when they put her in her arms she could not help but feel thankful.
He rubbed her thumb against her chubby cheek, she was not like the sickly Lady Mary and Duke of Cornwall Katherine had borne, she was healthy and what was more –when she opened her eyes, she saw that she had her eyes.
"Bless you." She said bringing her daughter closer to her face so she could smell the baby scent. Prince or not, she was not the Princess of Wales and Henry's only legitimate heir and she would not let anyone stand in her way.
The happiness she felt in her wedding ceremony had turned to ashes the day after they were told Anne had gone into labor. She had no love for the woman, but the babe was innocent of his parents' sins, she prayed for his sake.
Then to her joy and George's misfortune a messenger with grievous news.
"What is it?" She said forcing herself to be like Bella. "Say it sir!"
"The Queen… has been delivered."
"Praise be Jesus." George said sighing in relief. Their position was secure.
"Of a Princess." George's world came crushing down, he thought he was dreaming. He had to be dreaming, everyone knew Anne was carrying the next King of England. "No" He shook his head. "This is some crude joke, speak the truth!" He grabbed his collar and pinned him against the wall. "Say the truth she delivered a boy, a boy, a Prince! Who put you up to this? Who?"
"N-no one My Lord … It is the true, the Queen has been delivered of a healthy baby girl."
George's hands reached the man's neck. "George stop it!" Mary cried, at once he let him go.
"Is my sister safe?"
"Yes My Lord, she is safe and very healthy and she and the King are demanding your presence."
George nodded and went to his sister. "I am so sorry." He heard his sister say, her eyes teary and repentant.
You don't have to be repentant. You did everything you could.
"If we can have a healthy girl, then we can have a healthy son." Henry said, his gray eyes scanning his new daughter.
Anne had no more words to say to Henry, she motioned for George and her father to come, Mary did as well. "May I?"
Anne nodded and handed her newborn daughter to Mary.
"Hello" She was shy enough but her big and curious eyes reminded her of Maggie who was next to Anne, also gazing lovingly at their new sister.
Mary missed having another sister to carry, when silent Maggie had been born she was so precious to her, she would spend nights visiting her room to make sure she was fine.
"Hello my silent Bess" Anne's heart swelled, maybe she had been wrong to judge her.