Author's Note: Welcome back to King Arthur II! Let me just say, that I got about fifteen reviews on the last chapter, which was a personal best for me, so I just wanted to thank everybody who has reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. I reached over 200 reviews, and let me tell you, I never thought that was possible! You are all the best! This chapter will also bear some resemblance to some season one episodes of the series, but I've had to change stuff around to fit the plot of this story. However, in the case of Mary Boleyn, I made her marry William Carey and have her two children by him, which the show left out (for the most part).
Huge thanks to ReganX, who continues to brainstorm ideas with me. If you haven't read her stories, "Doubt," "On the Edge of a Golden World" and "Three People in a Marriage" please get on that :) Also to all my loyal reviewers, you know who you are, and you are all amazing.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, and it's AU. All historical liberties are taken with full knowledge of actual events, and all recognizable characters belong to Showtime and history. I don't own history, I just play around with it ;]
Without further ado, the twenty-first installment of King Arthur II! Brace yourselves, it's longer than usual. Don't forget to review!
Whitehall Palace
July 23, 1523
"Make way for her royal highness, the Princess of Wales, make way now!"
Young Mary Tudor, the only living child of King Arthur and Queen Katherine, walked with her head held up high through the maze of corridors and courtiers at Whitehall palace, not allowing her face to reveal for one second how extremely anxious she was to reach her mother's rooms, who she had not seen in what seemed like too long for a young girl of seven. Instead of allowing her face to betray her emotions, she kept herself stoic, hoping to please her parents with how well she behaved, and as not to upset her governess, Lady Salisbury.
She had heard that her papa and mama had planned great banquets, jousts, and other entertainments to celebrate her seventh birthday, and Mary was thrilled when she got the message inviting her to court for an extended stay. It was rare that she left the confines of Ludlow Castle, and although she relished and enjoyed her great title, usually only bestowed on a male heir; she often missed her parents, who were not able to visit as often as either parties would have liked.
If they couldn't come to her, she would be more than happy to come to them.
Court was more exciting than her household anyway. In Wales, she was sheltered from most of the exciting stuff, as one of her companions told her in strict confidence. She only thought it was right and proper that she be beside her parents, after all, as Salisbury told her, she was set to inherit someday and she had to learn eventually how to govern a country, as well as her mother and father did. Even if Salisbury told her that residing at Ludlow Castle was a great honor and that most royal children had their own establishment, Mary didn't see it that way. She felt that being at Whitehall beside her mama and papa and attending all of the exciting events that took place daily was much greater of an honor than staying in dreary Wales.
Once Mary reached her mother's rooms, she wasted no time bursting through the heavy oak doors, forgoing whatever intention she had of curtsying properly, and ran straight into her mother's outstretched arms. She could barely hear her governess' coos of restraint and her kind, yet firm voice warning her that it was not proper to assault the Queen in such a matter.
"It's quite alright Lady Salisbury, I already know my darling girl is a true-blooded Princess, she needs no formalities around me. You may leave us, so you may see if the Princess of Wales' rooms are readied, as they should be, but you never know with these people," Katherine half-joked, waving the governess away with her hand before turning her attention to her daughter, studying her quickly maturing face closely. "I heard it was somebody's birthday."
Mary, holding back her giggles at her mother's attempt at a teasing remark, played along. "I wonder whose it is.... I haven't a clue!" Mary cleverly replied, kissing her mother's check and motioning that she wanted to be put down, as she could tell her mother was struggling with her weight.
"I hope I remembered to get them a gift!" Katherine exclaimed, feigning worry. She so rarely had moments like this with her daughter, where she could forget her dignity for just a few minutes to act as a true mother to a true daughter. Sometimes she longed to just leave Whitehall for months on end, staying at Ludlow and teaching her daughter life lessons, as her own mother used to do. But she knew that Mary was born under auspicious circumstances, unlike Katherine, Mary was going to be a Queen Regent someday, something that made Katherine very proud, but restricted her relationship with her daughter to some degree.
Mary could no longer contain her laughter, so she burst out into giggles, causing Katherine to break her mock-serious tone, and she too began to laugh. "I should hope I get a gift, hopefully a new gown!" Mary asserted, smiling up at her mother in hopes of getting a conformation on this. She loved the gowns her mama designed better than her regular seamstress, since she could tell that her mama paid special attention to the details and beauty of the gown opposed to her seamstress who just, it seemed to Mary, slopped things together.
When she became Queen, she would make sure that her seamstress was just as good as her mama, if not better, if that was possible!
"Oh I don't know, you'll have to wait till tonight to find out," Katherine replied. She knew that it was bad for her and Arthur to be so indulgent with Mary, considering that the habit was most likely to carry over when she became Queen, but they both couldn't help it. Mary was truly a blessing to them, their only living child after so many failures. They wanted to give her the best of everything, because they knew how precious life could really be, even if that life was as innocent as a child's.
Mary pouted for a moment, before remembering what tonight was. Her papa promised that they would have a grand fireworks display, rivaling any birthday for a Princess ever seen, and there would be a feast with jesters and she would get to sit next to her mama on the royal dais that overlooked the rest of the court. Her uncle, her aunt, and her grandmother would all be there as well, and they would all present her with gifts, as well as her parents. She could wait until then.
"How are your lessons progressing?" Katherine asked after Mary made herself comfortable on a chair across from her. There was a fire going, even though it was the midst of July, and both ladies were feeling rather hot, so Katherine called on Maria to bring them some wine.
She knew it was a waste of breath to ask Mary about her lessons, but she felt the need to. Sir Thomas More had declined to be Mary's tutor, citing that he needed to spend time with his own family, and the royal couple accepted it without hesitation. More was an honest man, and had serviced them well when he tutored Henry some years before.
Katherine then took matters into her own hands and hired a great Spanish scholar who was living in England at the time, named Juan Luis Vives. He often wrote Katherine updates on how her daughter was progressing, and Katherine knew that Mary was a clever child, which was a relief. It was one thing to leave a female heiress, but it was another thing if she was unfit to rule. It was a comfort to know that Mary wasn't a dullard.
"They are wonderful, mama, truly wonderful. Senor Vives is a great teacher, and I hope that someday I will be able to speak fluent Castilian and Latin with you, not just exchange phrases," Mary confided. She loved her lessons, they were truly the most exciting part of her day, and Senor Vives told her daily how quickly she had progressed for such a young child. She had no doubt that she was special, and it was clear in the way her mama and papa treated her. She was happy to make them proud.
"I hope so too, my daughter. Languages will make you a great diplomat," Katherine replied in Latin, smiling at Mary, testing her. She promised herself that she would be kinder to Mary than her own tutors were with her, and how she knew that Margaret Beaufort treated her grandchildren when she was alive, but she needed to know if Mary was as intelligent as her tutor candidly claimed.
"I hope so, especially when I deal with my cousin the Emperor," Mary replied in Castilian instead of Latin, wanting to prove to her mother that she knew both well enough. She wanted her to be pleased.
"Oh bravo Mary, bravo!" Katherine exclaimed, impulsively rising up and swooping her daughter into her arms. "Your papa and I are so proud of you, and how far you've come. When I was your age, I wasn't nearly half as clever. Your grandmother Isabella would be so proud of you; she was fond of female scholars, as she was one herself," she explained, revealing a glimpse into Mary's family heritage on her side, as she was sure that Mary had received the whole story on how the Tudors came about, and the history of the English throne in general.
Before Mary could respond, Maria came back in with wine and a message. "The King is here to see you both."
Arthur came rushing in as soon as Maria announced, not wasting any time in greeting his daughter and wife. "Once I heard that my Princess was here, England's finest gem, I had to come down and see for myself. Sure enough, they don't lie to me," Arthur happily crowed, kissing his daughter's forehead before setting her down again.
"Hello papa, I'm so excited for tonight!" Mary exclaimed.
"I'm sure you are, and I am excited for it as well, but what I need you to do right now is go on to your rooms and get ready, there's a special surprise waiting for you once you get there. Maria, do you mind taking the Princess of Wales to her rooms while the Queen and I talk privately?" Arthur commanded, even if he coached it as a request, but despite his calm tone his face left no room for argument.
"Of course, come with me my Lady Princess," Maria requested, holding her hand out for the Princess to take after she said her goodbyes to both of her parents.
"Arthur, she just got here, you didn't need to usher her out so quickly," Katherine said once she was sure Mary and Maria were out of earshot. She was confused by her husband's behavior; usually he would never dismiss their daughter so abruptly, especially since they hardly saw her anymore!
"You best sit down Katherine," Arthur gently suggested, leading his wife back over to the chair she was sitting on before.
He knew for a fact that she wasn't going to like this one at all, and that her reaction was likely to be worse than when she found out that he had ennobled Henry, which caused her to miscarry their first child, the first of many. If he reacted the way he did when he heard the news, it was libel that Katherine would react ten, maybe twenty times worse, especially since his sister had the nerve to jilt her nephew, her all powerful nephew.
Oh, he knew that his sister Mary was less than pleased about being forced into an arranged marriage, but he didn't think that she'd take such a drastic step that could make diplomatic relations between The Emperor and him to freeze over. He thought that he had been very generous to her, allowing her to wait until she was fifteen to marry and marrying her to a man that was close to her in age. He had even thought that she would enter in the marriage a little bit willing after his gentle mother sorted things out, considering how pleased she looked the masque according to eyewitnesses.
He never even considered that marrying Charles Brandon would ever cross her mind! He knew that they were flirty with each other at times, but he never thought anything of it; as he believed Mary held the knowledge of her royal birth accountable and knowing that as a Princess, it would be unwise to take it any further than courtly gestures. He knew that Katherine was worried to some degree about Mary's clear affection towards Brandon, but he always believed his sister was smarter than that. He was sorely displeased, and angered, to find out otherwise, especially when he had worked tirelessly to form an alliance that she ruined.
When one of Mary's ladies in waiting, who did not even disclose her name to him, waited in his presence chamber for four hours with an important message, he was surprised to say the least to see such a young woman waiting, alone, to talk to him, but let her in nonetheless. She had witnessed the secret marriage of his sister and Brandon in the basement of Whitehall, and the consummation that followed shortly after in Mary's chambers.
She confided in Arthur that she was chosen as a witness because of her loyalty towards the Princess Mary, but she felt that her loyalty towards her sovereign was greater. She solemnly beseeched Arthur not to be too hard on his sister, claiming that Mary was young and somewhat foolish, and that Brandon had seduced her into it. Arthur dismissed her shortly after, never inquiring her name, stuffed a fistful of gold crowns in her hand, and vowed to forget her face. He was in too much of a shock to do anything else.
After he heard the news, he sat down to processes it. Yes, it was likely that Brandon was no innocent in the processes, and that he probably hatched the plot. However, he knew his sister was no unwitting victim of a handsome man's charms, and that she was more than likely overjoyed to go along with such a sordid and disastrous plan.
He was very angry, but didn't show it until he dismissed all of his attendants, and even then the worst he did was scream a few obscenities. This was a greater challenge than Flodden, but he was not a man who lost his temper.
Then he thought of what to do from there. He knew from the minute he had calmed down that Katherine needed to know before it became public, so she too could resolve her anger and help him devise a plan to clear themselves of this mess. However, Katherine was going to take the news terribly, he knew that from the minute he heard it. Not only was her nephew jilted, but this would make their daughter's reign much harder than anticipated, as she may not have the help of the Emperor now, just his scorn.
So he waited until his daughter had visited Katherine's apartments before heading down there himself, giving them time to catch up and allowing Katherine's spirits to be lifted. If she was in a bright mood when he came, he could only hope that the news would be less terrible to her. After all, Katherine always said that her chief concern in life was their daughter, and after she saw how well she looked and how clever she had become, Arthur figured anything would be trivial in comparison.
How wrong he truly was.
"That stupid slut! She is unworthy to bear the title Princess! What right does she have, an ignorant fool in the ways of the world, to jilt my nephew, the Holy Roman EMPEROR, who so kindly condescended to marry her, the youngest daughter of an URSPER!" Katherine shrilly exclaimed, causing all of her ladies to shrink back into a corner of her room, uncomfortably pretending to be preoccupied with some other task, as if to look like they weren't listening in.
Arthur decided to ignore the comment about his less than royal lineage, knowing that it was said out of anger, not truth. However, he was quick to try and stop her from becoming physically ill over this, knowing that his wife's health had never been the greatest. "Please, darling, don't get overworked about this. We will just have to find a way to fix this," Arthur suggested, moving once more to try and make her sit down on a chair.
"Please tell me; oh for the love of God tell me, that the two of them did not consummate the marriage?" Katherine asked, speaking in measured tones more disheartening than shrill one just moments beforehand. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her, that God would punish her like this. First, He did not see it fit to bless her with a son. Second, He saw it fit to bless Henry with a beautiful, healthy bastard son. And now this! Why would He test her like this?
"I'm afraid they did," Arthur honestly answered, bracing himself for more screaming. He had truly held onto some hope that the two of them had not slept with each other, because then an annulment could easily be obtained and it would be like Mary had never married Brandon. He had considered threatening Mary with something terrible unless she lied about her virginity, but he thought against that. It was a grave sin, and a terrible thing to do to his sister, even if she had betrayed him.
"Then we will just have to execute Brandon," Katherine seriously replied, staring deep into his eyes. If Brandon died as an executed traitor, Mary would not need to have a mourning period for her dead 'husband' and they could continue with the treaty like nothing had ever happened. Besides, it wasn't like Brandon was an innocent this, and it would be a fitting way to punish them both for daring to flaunt their orders, the ordained King and Queen of England, by God's divine right.
"We can't do that! It would sit ill with the people, with my brother, and it would be much harder to hide their marriage that way in any case. What would cause me to sign Brandon's death warrant if he was nothing more than a flamboyant womanizer? No Katherine, that won't do. Mary will have to stay married to Brandon, and we will just offer the Emperor another bride," Arthur proposed. He knew that the Emperor was anxious to marry, in order to father an heir, so offering him his own daughter Mary would not sit well, considering she was far too young to for childbirth and marriage.
He really only had two options; his sister Margaret or his mother. Margaret had married some other man in Scotland and still continued to act as Regent for her young son, so she wouldn't do. He knew that his mother was far too old to be considering a fertile bride, and that Charles would no doubt refuse, diplomatically of course, but it would still be refusal.
He looked at Katherine, who had calmed down considerably, at least outwardly, and he could tell that she was thinking the same thing. They had nobody, and no plan to dig themselves out of this. Arthur could only hope that the Emperor would forgive his country, considering that he was very fond of his aunt, but that meant the visit would be cancelled, one that he knew Katherine was looking forward too, as well as the alliance and marriage.
"I will write to my nephew and apologize. We just have to think of a way to punish those two fools for their idiotic behavior, and I do consider execution to be the best solution. Come on Arthur! Who cares about the immediate consequences, think of your daughter?" Katherine begged. It would work, it was the only hope they had at making sure Mary would have an easier time as Queen, and she knew that Arthur could die happily knowing that his throne would be well-taken care of. Her dear husband's health wasn't the best, and Mary needed to be ready to take over, and she would need help.
"Katherine... I can't. I don't condone it; I will send them away into exile and give Brandon just enough money to get by, and surely not enough for him to comfortably support a Princess' income. They have no houses outside of London, so they will also have to depend on the charity of others when I send them into exile," Arthur explained, pausing a moment before continuing. "I can only pray that the Emperor finds another bride quickly, and that he is amiable towards Mary when she succeeds me. They are cousins after all."
"I hope you are making the right choice Arthur, I really do. Because if you aren't, and it turns out that this is going to have grave consequences in the future, our daughter will suffer for it, not us. That is worst than the death of one stupid boy, I assure you. But you are King, my lord, and your word is law," Katherine added after remembering her promise to him. However, she couldn't help but worry.
God save them if Arthur miscalculated.
Mary knew that she would be summoned by her brother sooner than later, because she was almost positive one of the few witnesses to her secret marriage to Charles Brandon would break their word and tell Arthur or the Queen.
She didn't want it to happen, and she didn't expect it to happen just two days after! She didn't act any differently outwardly, acting as if she was truly the intended bride of the Emperor instead of the wife to Charles Brandon, but deep in her heart she had never felt so happy, and scared.
Arthur would not kill her, or Charles, she knew that much. Her brother was a benevolent king, who hardly lost his temper let alone executed people. He would punish her though, she knew that the minute she married Charles, but she was too caught up in her love marriage to care. After all, he made her the most happy she had ever been, and there was no way they could take him away, not any reasonable way at least. She made sure that they consummated it the night of the marriage, so no annulment could be obtained and she knew her brother well enough.
So her plan was to tell Arthur, alone, in confidence, once her niece had settled into court. Her little namesake brightened both of her parents' moods considerably when she was around, and Mary figured her best bet would to confide in Arthur about her decision when his daughter was around, hoping that he would be more inclined to not punish them, or assign a less severe one.
Now the word had gotten out much sooner than she would have liked, and she had to figure out a way to pacify him. Arthur's anger would have been less if she would have told him in person, she was sure of it, but at least little Mary was around, so he would be gentler with his child there, at least she hoped.
However, she would be lying if Arthur's anger was what she was truly worried about. It was obvious that Katherine favored Imperial interests, due to her familial ties to the Emperor, and Mary knew that she would be sorely displeased with her decision to marry Brandon and ruin all of their plans. Not even her daughter's presence would pacify the Queen's anger towards Mary; in fact, it could inflame it more. The Queen's main reason for wanting this marriage was not just because of her ties to the Emperor, but because she wanted her daughter Mary to have an easier time when she became Queen someday, and with powerful relatives controlling the Holy Roman Empire, Mary would be safer.
While Mary loved her niece very much, as she thought she was a sweet girl with good qualities from both parents, she felt like Katherine's motives were purely selfish. She only cared about her own daughter and didn't care that she threw away Mary's chances at being in a marriage filled with love, much like Katherine's own. Mary couldn't, and didn't, allow Katherine, or her brother for that matter, to control her own personal happiness.
The amount of influence Katherine had over Arthur was scary as well, to both Mary and her beloved brother Henry. Henry confided in her that Katherine had threatened to blackmail him into the church, so he wouldn't accept his bastard and her daughter's throne would be secure when the time came. If it wasn't for Arthur, for once in his life, having the audacity to stand up to his shrewd and in Mary's opinion, wicked wife; Henry would probably be a priest by now and little Hal FitzYork, her godson, would be in the hands of some impoverished peasant family.
Mary could only hope that Arthur wouldn't be influenced by Katherine in this matter as well, because Mary had a feeling once Katherine heard, and she was sure Arthur told her right away, she would demand for Charles' head on a spike outside the Tower. Mary knew that Arthur would never conceive that plot in his own head, but she didn't doubt her sister-in-law would, the same woman who she used to love as a child Mary now couldn't stand.
"Are we going to go?" Charles asked her as he wrapped his arms around her torso and began to read the same well-phrased message, one that didn't reveal why Arthur wanted to see them, but both had a pretty good guess.
"Of course, we have no choice. He is still the King, you know, even though you and your friends seem to think Henry is," Mary lightly teased. She thought it was admirable how much Henry's circle of friends treated him so well, so highly, but at the same time, she knew it was dangerous if Katherine even found out. "Who knows, it could just be them wanting to see me about my 'marriage' to the Emperor."
"I doubt it, they seemed to have phrased it like they want both of us to come," Brandon replied as he began to plant kisses on her neck before turning her around to face him, causing Mary to start giggling. "But I don't really want to go, I'd rather just stay in bed all day," Charles suggestively commented before kissing his wife passionately. Even though they had only been married for two days, he didn't think he'd ever get sick of kissing her.
"Charles! That's lewd, even for you," Mary mock-scolded, but allowed a smile to curve her lips before returning back to their conversation. "I do think I should go alone though. I think if we went together, it would be an admission of our guilt," Mary suggested. While she wasn't ashamed to have married a man of such low-standing, because she did truly love him; however, it could be constructed as a crime and she wanted to play it safe if she still could.
"What guilt? Mary, we did what our hearts told us to do. The King is not heartless, he loves the Queen very much, he will understand sweetheart. I want to come with you, and I want everyone to be envious of the love we share and how brave we were to make a marriage from it, despite the gap in status," Charles explained, smiling at her.
"Okay, you can come. Just put on something nicer, and I will too," Mary conceded. Every time Charles admitted his love for her, she went weak and would do anything he told her, even if it was to follow him to hell and back.
After about an hour, in which Mary took time to make herself presentable, the newlyweds headed to the King's presence chamber, which strangely lacked any other petitioners besides the two of them, even though courtiers still stood in and around it. As usual, Katherine was seated directly beside Arthur, and kept her face neutral, as did Arthur.
Mary knew then that they had found out, and that there was no hope of turning back now.
"Princess Mary, why are you with this man?" Katherine asked first, playing ignorant. She wanted Mary to admit it, before this whole court; that she had shamed herself by jilting the Emperor and marrying a notorious womanizer and low-born heathen, who was only at court because his father died as a standard bearer.
"Because he is my husband, your majesty," Mary bravely responded, keeping her arm securely rested on Charles' forearm and staring directly at her sister-in-law. She would not be bullied, not now, now that she had tested what it felt like to be freed from royal oblations and alliances.
"We did not ask you to bring your husband, Mistress Brandon," Arthur announced, pointedly using the royal plural that he so rarely used, and calling her by her new title, even if she was still technically a Princess of England. "He may leave us now," he commanded, smiling inwardly when Brandon fumbled a bow and hurried out of the room.
Even if he wasn't going to make Mary renounce her marriage, he wanted her to understand that what she did was wrong, and he also wanted to show his subjects that he wasn't a soft man, guided by the actions of his wife alone. Yes, he relied on Katherine for certain things and he loved his family very much, but that didn't mean he liked his orders to be brazenly flaunted, and he intended to make an example out of Mary.
"Are you a fool then? You could have been the Holy Roman Empress; instead you are now just a plain Englishwoman. Have you no shame, no dignity?!" Katherine shouted, rising slightly from her chair. She settled down once Arthur placed his hand on her arm and lowered her back down on the chair, but she continued to shout from her seated place. "So, little spoiled Mary, what do you have to say for yourself?!"
"I love him, your majesties, with every fiber of my being. Surely you understand that!" Mary argued, even though she was visibly shaken, she refused to give up her fight. She wouldn't give Charles up, no matter what threats they heaped on her, but the Queen's voice was imposing and scary. "I had no desire to leave England, and to marry a man who I have never meant."
"We take it as a grave insult, that our most entirely beloved sister chose to flaunt our generosity and kindness by marrying a man who we do not consider even to be worthy of the title gentleman. Had we known your grievances, we may have been able to consul you, but the fact remains that as your lord and King, we intended for you to marry the Emperor Charles and you disobeyed!" Arthur scolded harshly.
"My nephew was clearly not worthy for your sister, your majesty," Katherine commented aside to Arthur, even though Mary could clearly hear it. "I wonder what he will have to say once we tell him that his visit to England has been cancelled because my sister-in-law is a damned fool!" Katherine shouted, her voice rising with every statement, her anger unmanageable. She vowed that she would keep herself controlled, but upon seeing the stupid girl she couldn't stop the words from flowing, although she refused to admit that in any way her daughter would need aid as Queen, even if it was the truth. To do so would be weak, and neither Katherine of Aragon nor her daughter would ever risk being considered weak.
"We should hope that his highness will be pacified with our beloved Queen's letters and friendship towards our nephew, but for the mean time.... Mistress Brandon, you are banned from London until I decided otherwise, and I am cutting off your allowance. You will remove yourself from my sight. I hope it was all worth it," Arthur explained, allowing himself to glare just once at his sister with an angry scowl. He then dismissed Mary; until he wished to see her face again he wouldn't have to.
Katherine smiled one last time at her sister-in-law; the hint of mirth in her eyes was visible to everybody around her.
While King Arthur and Queen Katherine were peaceful and benevolent, they knew when to be strict and fearful, and when it came to the wellbeing of their daughter, they knew which one to choose.
A Month Later
Henry wanted so badly to hear word back from Anne, so much that it consumed his thoughts completely. He knew that there were more important things to be preoccupied than just a girl, but he couldn't help himself, she was special to him in some strange way, more important and attractive than a Bessie Blount or any of his other liaisons.
She seemed perfect to him, without a fault.
He should have been worried about how Brandon and Mary were faring. While he thought that it was brave, in a foolish way, for them to get married, he still felt protective over Mary and wanted to know how his best friend was treating his most beloved sister, who had been a companion to him during his lonely days at Eltham, so he wrote to them often, but didn't anxiously await their replies like he did with Anne.
When he found out that Katherine and Arthur, but he was sure it was Katherine's idea, exiled them out of London, he knew that Brandon would have to relay on the charity of somebody for money and a place for them to live, probably his mother via her royal allowance that Arthur continued to give to her despite his anger towards her son. However, Henry knew that Mary would be unhappy in a common dwelling, and he didn't want their beautiful marriage to sour, so he allowed them to stay in one of his houses in Yorkshire and sent them monthly funds, as he was the richest man in England besides the King.
But after he sent them on their way, he only wrote to them occasionally and thought about them rarely. Not since he decided to court Anne Boleyn, anyway.
He sent her pendants a few days after the masque, having been fascinated by her and he wanted to shower some tokens of affection on her. He had one of the local jewelers, who wouldn't tell Arthur or Katherine what he was charged with, to make some beautiful ones and sent them to Anne, who was a lady-in-waiting to Katherine, and he patiently waited for a response, but he could only hope she would accept them.
She didn't.
Shortly after he sent the letter and pendants, they were returned to him by one of Anne's friends, or something, he didn't ask. They were accompanied by a letter that he kept, because he admired the way she wrote and her daintily little penmanship, as sloppy as it was he could tell that she put some extra care to make sure that a letter written to the Duke of York wasn't sloppy or embarrassing.
Your grace,
It gives me such a pain and grief to return the gifts you gave to me; alas, they were too beautiful and I unworthy of receive them. I think I never gave your grace cause to give them to me, since I am nothing. Give them, I pray you, to a lady more deserving of your grace's affection. I am leaving now, to my family's house at Hever. I shall think of you on the journey there.
Your loving servant,
Anne Boleyn
It broke his heart at the time to receive such a letter back, no matter how much he currently cherished it. He didn't know a lady more deserving of such gifts than her, he was spellbound by her from the minute he realized that she had grown from an awkward fourteen year old to a ripe and beautiful sixteen. He cursed himself for not realizing it sooner!
She left court, and hadn't returned since he sent those pendants. He continued to send her gifts after that, hoping that she would return. She kept them, which was a good sign to him, a sign that she encouraged such affection coming from him, but there was never a letter or response back. She had to write back soon, she just had to, or else Henry would go mad with anticipation.
"Your grace, you have a letter," one of his grooms announced, pulling him from his thoughts of woe. He allowed himself to hope, just for one moment, that it was from her. He hurriedly opened it, and smiled widely once he read who it was from.
My lord,
How your tokens and signs of affection frighten me. How can I be to you what you think me to be? You know I am a commoner and I think myself unworthy of your love, though the offer of it and the passion of your grace's words and looks touch both my heart and soul. You have flattered me with so many and such wondrous gifts. Allow me to send you this token in return, small as it is, and allow me to remain, in all things, your ever loving servant.
Anne
He smiled widely at her proclamation that his gifts pleased her, no matter how modestly she put it. He gently unwrapped the cloth which accompanied the letter, and inside revealed a locket. He opened it, and saw that inside was a portrait of his love, Anne, and it was a beautiful and flattering one at that. He closed it, rather harshly, and began to ponder his options.
He adored her, he knew that much, and that he had to be with her again. He was distressed that she left court so abruptly and that she hadn't returned despite his pleading and constant showering of gifts. So if she wouldn't come to be with him, he had to go and be with her, at Hever Castle. He yelled a sharp command to the members of his household, telling them to saddle his horse and prepare for a journey to Hever Castle, but not to tell anybody where he was going, just that he went hunting.
It was a hard ride, because of how fast he pushed his horse, but he arrived there in about two hours, even though it seemed like days to him. He wasted no time in dismounting and bursting through the doors of the quaint country home.
"Anne, Anne!" Henry shouted, and shortly after, Anne revealed herself on the top story of her family's home, with a broad smile on her face. Henry rushed up the stairs to go and be with her.
She was in a curtsy when he came up the stairs, and she looked more beautiful to him than the last time he saw her. "You must know I desire you with all my heart," he proclaimed softly, before dragging her out of her curtsy and placing a hard, yet passionate, kiss on her lips. He was so pleased that she returned it instead of fighting it. He wanted her so badly to agree with the proposal he was going to make.
"Anne I want to say something to you. If it please you to be my true loyal mistress and friend, to give yourself up to me body and soul; I promise, I'll take you as my only mistress. I won't have a thought or affection for anyone else. If you agree, I promise, I shall serve only you," Henry suggested, his voice pleading. He held her by the shoulders, his mind racing in anticipation of what she was going to say.
He knew that being a mistress was a lot less noble than being a wife, but most of the girls at court seemed to enjoy being with him. He never bothered himself with being faithful by sticking to one woman though; even when he was with Bessie, his first mistress, when he was so new at all of it, he still did not limit himself to just one woman. This would be the first time he did such a thing, and he wanted so badly for Anne to agree, because he would do anything for her.
"Your mistress...." Anne replied after some time, and to Henry, it seemed like she was pondering it and taking it into serious consideration.
If she refused, he wasn't sure what he would do with himself.
"Yes, and you will have everything you need, everything within my power to give to you is yours, just ask," Henry continued, offering her much more than he'd ever offer any other person. While he wasn't selfish with his money, quite the contrary, he didn't ever get in the habit of buying woman little trinkets. That is, until he fell for Anne. However generous the offer seemed to Henry, he noticed that Anne didn't seem to be pleased with it, and her face looked very sour and upset. "What is it?" he asked, concerned. The last thing he wanted was for her to be unhappy.
"What have I done to make you treat me like this?" Anne inquired, her voice quivering. She knew what she had to say to him, she knew that she had to refuse, yet it was so hard to do it in person now that he was here. She knew that he wanted her to be his mistress, but she couldn't stomach that. She knew what it led to, especially with somebody like him with an unstable position; she just wasn't willing to risk it. Her virtues, and virginity, were far too important for that.
"Done?" Henry asked, taken aback by her statement. "What fault have I committed? Tell me, tell me," he pleaded. He couldn't imagine that such a generous offer would be met with that much disdain. He thought that she had feelings for him.
"Your grace, I have already given my maidenhead into my husband's hands, and whoever he is, only he will have it!" Anne asserted, following Henry to the edge of her staircase. As much as she desired him, as she had since she met him and had dreams about being with him as a immature teenager, she was smarter than that and deserved better than to be a mistress.
"Oh Anne," Henry lamented.
"Because I know how it goes otherwise! My sister is called the Great prostitute by everyone in France!" Anne exclaimed, pleading her case, wanting him to understand why. She vowed, not only to herself but to many of her old friends in France, that she would stay pure until marriage. She refused to succumb to such a handsome man's pleas and offers, no matter how tempting they seemed. She would not suffer the same fate as her sister.
"I'm so sorry if I have offended you, I did not mean to. I spoke plainly of my true feelings," Henry apologized. He couldn't believe he had made himself out to be such a fool! She had played him all along, deceived him into believing that she wanted to be with him, stringing him along and happily accepting his gifts, then pleading virtue when he wanted to consummate it all. He had to believe that somebody put her up to it, or that she had an arranged marriage. Still, he couldn't take to be in the place anymore, so he stormed out, pushing past the grooms in Boleyn livery at the door and took off back to Whitehall.
"Your grace...." Anne called after him, but it was too late, he was already out the door and she heard his horse neigh and gallop into the distance. She felt tears threaten to fall, she didn't like to hurt him like that, but she had to, for her own sanity and virtue.
"Good for you, Annie," Anne heard a female voice compliment, and she turned around to see her sister Mary balancing her baby daughter, Katherine, on her hip and resting her other hand on the swell of her pregnant belly.
Anne had been sent to Hever by her father and uncle, who advised her to stay away from Henry to see if his feelings were sincere, or if she was just going to be another one of his one-time mistresses. Her father had seen her dancing with Henry at the masque and how he had selected her out of every other girl in it, even his own sister! Nevertheless, they needed time to strategize and they didn't trust Anne to keep her head on straight if she was around him for too long. She hated that she was expected to be a mere mindless pawn in her family's game, but she had to play along. He was her father, after all.
But soon she actually got lonely at Hever, since George's and her father's visits were seldom at best. So her father arranged for Mary to leave court for the birth of her second child, so she could hopefully bear her husband a healthy son and keep Anne company. Anne was glad for it, Mary and her were closer now that they had spent time in the Queen's household together and she had missed her sister when she went away from court for a little while to marry Sir William Carey, and she was overjoyed when she came back to once again serve in the Queen's household.
She felt ashamed that Mary had been listening, and then realized how she had insulted her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to use you as an excuse..." she was cut off.
"Stop it. I'm glad that my liaisons in France were useful for some purpose other than giving me great shame and humiliation. You deserve better than what he was offering you, sister, and I'm glad you saw that," Mary complimented, adjusting little Katherine so she could be more comfortable. The second pregnancy was taking its toll on her and it was hard for her to support the weight of her nearly one-year old daughter.
Anne, sensing Mary's problem with Katherine, offered out her arms and took her little niece in her arms, rocking her back and forth and making sure she was comfortable in her arms before continuing. "But you've done well for yourself, Mary, you have a beautiful daughter and another child on the way, and you got married to a respectful man who honors you and doesn't condemn your past," Anne argued, not wanting Mary to feel bad about herself because Anne personally didn't choose to take her path.
"Yes, I got lucky that William doesn't bring it up, but not all mistresses are so lucky, especially ones that service a man out of favor with Queen Katherine. Yes, he's handsome, but you saw through that, and I'm so proud of you," Mary reached to hug her little sister, truly glad that she made better choices than her.
Anne returned the hug, but all the while wondered if she was brave enough to refuse him a second time.