A/N: - I thought that I would give Anne a chance to redeem herself, and I think I did it spectacularly! I thanks the creators of "Anne of a thousand days, for some of this. Without further adieu, chapter 49 of Edward's Reign!
19th November 1556
"Annie, is it true?" Edward asked Anne Stafford as he stepped into her jail cell in the tower of London. Anne had been confined to the tower for treason, and Edward Seymour was currently investigating this claim.
"Have you stepped into your own trap, my lord? Any evidence you have against me, you yourself bought and paid for. Do you now begin to believe it?" Anne asked, a malevolent smile crossing her lips
"Annie, the court is still in session to decide your... verdict. I don't want to hear your guilt from them, I want to hear it from your lips." Edward informed her, moving to the desk, and taking a seat opposite her.
"That I was unfaithful to you?" Anne asked.
"Yes, just that. Were you unfaithful to me whilst I still loved you? Of course, I'll never know. Whether you say yes or no, I shall never know." Edward replied, getting to his feet and pacing
"You come here to make sure whether there was truly adultery, because that would touch your manhood or your pride. And even so, my heart and my eyes are glad of you. Fool of all women that I am, I'm glad of you here. Go, then. Keep your pride of manhood, you know about me now." Anne brushed him off
"Annie, is it true that you're glad to see me?" Edward asked
"Yes, it's true." Anne replied, looking him firmly in the face
"Then, Anne, lets do all gently for old times sake. I have no wish to harm you, and your words have moved me deeply. I must be free to have a son, and the son must be free to rule England when I die, so secure the succession." Edward informed her "We will not have a son now. God has spoken. I must have a son elsewhere."
"What do you want of me?" She asked
"Agree to annul the marriage and give up all rights. You shall go abroad, you will be well cared for. Please set me free." Edward begged her
"To marry Mary? No! No! No!" She had screamed the last word at him
"Annie... Annie, you leave me no choice!" Edward protested
"You promised marriage and the crown. Now you try to dance out of your promise. Well, I won't have it! We are man and wife together. King and Queen. I keep that. Take it from me as best you can!" Anne's voice had risen
"And you promised me a son!" Edward snapped
"I gave you a son!" Anne replied.
"A miscarried, deformed child! You have decided your fate, and so have I!" Edward turned, and stormed to the door
"Before you go," Anne smugly interrupted "perhaps you should hear one thing. I lied to you. I said "I love you", but I lied. I was untrue. Untrue with many"
"That is a lie." Edward replied, angrily
"It is true. I was unfaithful to you with all of them. With half your court. With soldiers of your guard, with grooms, with stablehands. Look for the rest of your life at every man that ever knew me and wonder if I didn't find him a better man than you!" Anne screamed, her face filling with colour
"You whore!" Edward snapped, storming back to her, raising his hand and slapping her, hard, around the face, flipping her hair as he pulled his hand away
"But our son is yours! Get yourself a son off of that sweet, scottish whore if you can - and hope that he will live!" Anne gave a maniacal smile "my blood will have been well spent, once your line ends with daughters! Once the Tudor line has ended! My dearest cousin Elizabeth no longer has the name of Tudor. She is a Dudley! Her children, should she have any, will not have the name of Tudor! Your line ends! With the weak little pulling brat of Jane Seymour! Your daughter is to be married off to france. The English will never allow a French woman to inherit the throne, even if she is your daughter. How do you know she was conceived between you and Jane?" Anne gave another maniacal smiled before Edward spoke, again
"Anne, I know Jane is my daughter! But I will have a son from Mary! You are wrong! MY Line will not end! But yours ends here!" He turned and strode towards the door, before stopping "Oh, and Anne. I have yet to decide whether or not to make your brother a head shorter"
"You cannot! I would rather die, than have him harmed!" Anne snapped
"Then so be it!" Edward snapped "You want death? You shall have it!" he had screamed the last word at her
"So be it" Anne repeated "Only what I take to my grave. You take to yours!" Anne had risen, from her chair, she was the same height as Edward but she gave off a more foreboding atmosphere "Just remember this, when you are watching your sons die on their death beds. Just remember, that I, Anne Stafford, cousin to the Countess of Leicester and niece of Anne Boleyn, was right. The Tudor line will end"
Edward glared at her, before turning and striding from the room, his cloak flapping behind him as he slammed the door behind him.
Anne, once she was sure that her husband was gone, fell to the floor, her skirt bunching out as she knelt, sobbing into her hands, her hair falling over her face as she shook, wailing with tears.
21st November 1556
"Mistress Stafford?"
She looked up, from her position in the chair, it was William Paget
"Master Paget" she greeted, getting to her feet
"Mistress Stafford. The King has arranged the date for you execution" He informed her
"Execution?" Anne asked "I thought there was to be a trial"
"There has been a trial. You have been found guilty and are to be beheaded on the morning of the 25th December" William Paget grimly informed her
"There has been a trial? But I did not attend. I was not informed that the trial had happened"
"The trial took place shortly after the king left. The court decided you were guilty-"
"I knew they were deciding my fate. But I was not informed that I had been found guilty" She interrupted
"-The court decided you were guilty and the trial was used to give evidence" he finished, as if she had never spoken.
"So I am to be beheaded and the King is to marry Mary Stuart?"
"Not until the new year, Mistress Stafford" William Paget confirmed
She nodded in confirmation
"I also have news about your brother" Anne, who had turned away from William looked back to him
"What news?" she asked
"Your brother has been allowed to remain at court" He informed her, she let out a breath she did not know she was holding. William Paget continued "Both he, and his wife, Margaret Clifford, the King's cousin's daughter, who was married to your brother recently, have been allowed to stay at court when His Majesty has invited them. Other than that, they are to be kept under house arrest"
Anne nodded, a small smile crossing her face. At least her brother would not be pulled down in her misfortune.
William Paget turned and left
"Wait!" Anne cried, running to him "What is to happen to my cousin, Elizabeth? Is her marriage to Lord Robert to be declared invalid, I was the one who suggested it"
"The Earl and Countess of Leicester are to remain married as the king had this marriage planned before he had married his second wife, Mistress Knollys"
Anne nodded, at least her cousin's marriage would be safe, even if she would not
"Very well. Tell His Majesty that I accept my fate, and that I thank him, for allowing my cousin to remain with her husband"
William Paget nodded and left the room, the door swinging shut behind him.
Once again, Anne fell to the floor, bursting into tears. She was to die at His Majesty's pleasure. Whenever that may be.
London Castle.
"How dare you!" Elizabeth roared at Master Cecil, pushing violently past him, screaming at the top of her lungs "HOW DARE YOU! YOU INGRATEFUL UPSTART!"
Her ladies in waiting all stared at her in shock, they had never seen her erupt this badly at anyone, not even Katherine Neville had angered her this much.
"Your High-" he stopped when he noticed Elizabeth's long, waist length, red hair disappear around the corner, towards her brother's chambers.
Cecil left Elizabeth's chambers and returned to his own.
Edward's Chambers
"How dare you!" The door to Edward's chambers flew open, clattering against the wall, reverberating off of it due to the amount of force Elizabeth had used to push the door open.
"Elizabeth," Edward had risen, from his chair by the desk. Elizabeth saw the tapestry, hiding the secret door into his chambers, fall against the wall.
"How dare you kill Anne, just because she misscarried a child!" Elizabeth, despite whose presence she was in, screamed the sentence at her brother, and Sovereign Lord.
"Elizabeth-" Edward tried to protest
"How dare you!" Elizabeth cried again, tears pouring down her cheeks, her voice filled with anger, disgust and dispair.
"Elizabeth, I have no choice!" Edward roared back at her. Tudor anger, inherited from their father coarsed through the two of them.
"You have a choice! You could get a divorce!" Elizabeth cried, angrily at him.
"I WILL NOT BE DICTATED IN MY OWN CASTLE! NOT BY CECIL! NOT BY PAGET! AND CERTAINLY NOT BY YOU!" Edward roared, regardless of the tears falling down his half-sister's cheeks. He moved forward, placing his hands on her shoulders. His voice had no trace of anger in it as he spoke "I have no choice, Elizabeth. I swear"
"You could leave her under my mother's care. She would be in the country, away from court. Edward! Please!" Elizabeth had begged the last two words to her half-brother.
"I am sorry, Elizabeth, I truly am" Edward had turned, away from her, looking out of the nearby window, his arms, crossed, over his chest, but his voice was filled with compassion, as he apologised to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth gave a strangled cry before collapsing to the floor, sobbing
Edward gestured to one of the men, working for him, who approached. He was afraid of Princess Elizabeth, especially with her emotions like they were at the moment.
"Find the Earl of Leicester. Tell him his wife is in a bad way and will need escorting to her chambers" The man nodded, turning to leave "Oh, and tell Master Cecil, to stop pressuring my sister, especially at this traumatic time in her life"
The man nodded, murmuring "Yes, Your Majesty" before bowing and leaving his Master's chambers as fast as his legs could carry him.
He returned a few minutes later, with the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley, right behind him.
"Elizabeth!" Robert helped her to her feet and she clung to him, tightly, sobbing.
"I do humbly apologise for my wife's actions, your Majesty" Robert stated.
Edward waved it off "She is losing a close family member. Someone who she had not seen for years and who is now being ripped from her life"
Robert bowed, before taking Elizabeth from her brother's chambers.
Edward did not remind Elizabeth to curtsey, as conduct required. He gestured to the man, who had brought Lord Robert to his chambers, and quickly scrawled a letter, which he handed to the man. "Take this to the Marquess of Pembroke. It is for her hand alone. No other!"
"Yes, Your Majesty" The man bowed, and, once again, left his master's chambers as fast as his legs could carry him.
The bottom of the tapestry lifted as Mary Stuart, who had left Edward's chambers, returned. She was dressed in a pink skirt, with frills around the collar, and arms. Her red hair flowed beautifully down her back as she smiled at Edward, who moved to her, kissing her deeply, fiddling with the laces of her gown, she fiddling with the buttons of his shirt, as the two collapsed onto the bed.
