Chapter 1
24 January 1536
Palace of Placentia
"Anne? Anne! Get a hold of yourself!" Jane shook her sister-in-law and Queen who had been crying for the past two hours, ever since Henry's fall… Jane knew if he didn't wake soon he would never wake and Anne would be surrounded by wolves and the Boleyns would be lost, herself included.
Anne finally nodded collecting herself in a big breath. She felt sharp pains in her stomach and knew she needed to calm down.
"You need to secure your position. Now. What do you need from me?" Jane asked?
"I..I need to know what's happening and I need his will to in case...in case the worse happens. And I need to secure Elizabeth. Jane go and figure out what you can from my brother and ensure my father stays by Henry's side but send George to me. I can handle the rest. Tell my ladies to pray for the King and remain focused on their daily tasks. Also, Jane, I need you to have George secure a calming potion from Dr. Lincre. I know he is busy but it is for my child. Tell him so." Anne nodded her head in a dismissive manner. After Jane left she walked over to her vanity, taking in her appearance and focusing on the impression she will need to give in the next few hours. She called for Madge to come to assist her to fix her hair while she focused on her make-up. When they finished she dismissed Madge to her antechamber so she could think. Her red skirt billowed around her growing figure as she paced planning her future and all the paths she could take.
George walked in to see his sister holding her stomach in pain as she paced. He immediately gave her the calming draught from Dr. Lincre and she diluted some of it into her watered down wine. "Thank you, I was beginning to fear a miscarriage from the stress. How is he?"
George flinched, "he hasn't even moved since they pulled him off the field. Nothing they do seems to help."
She nodded, not expecting much more. "I need you to go to Hatfield. I need my daughter and stepdaughter secure. Move them to Eltham. It's close to the city but hidden. Do not tell them what is happening. You are the only one I can trust with this, do not fail me."
George nodded and left almost running to the stables. Anne finished her goblet of wine before leaving her chambers to go to Henry's rooms to find his will. His guards simply nodded at her as she entered his room, leaving two of her ladies at the door. She looked over Henry's study which was a disaster. He had papers everywhere with no rhyme or rhythm to their placement. It took her awhile but she found it.
'Thank God, ' she thought, 'he named me regent with the power to choose my lord protector and privy council.' She grabbed the official document and left to return to her rooms. She laid on her bed and put her hand on her stomach, 'I don't even know which child I will be regent for..'
Suddenly her sister in law burst through her room throwing out all protocol. "The King is dead.."
Anne let out a small screech, she was a widow and had two royal children to secure. She looked down at his desk bracing herself against it as she caught her breath. She suddenly noticed a few things she had missed when she had been frantically looking for the will. Most namely a letter to Jane Seymour. She made the mistake of reading it and felt a wave of hideous deja vu. It looked remarkably like the ones he used to write to her. She scoffed in disgust and left. She went back to her rooms and walked into her antechamber "ladies, the King has succumbed to his injuries. I will need your ladies assistance to prepare for the next few days. Things are going to go rapidly but we must secure the throne for either the son I will bare or our dear Elizabeth."
She turned the Chancellor of-of her Household, James Boleyn, "uncle please have the bells for mourning rung. I will be making an official announcement in the throne room within the hour." He bowed and left.
She had her ladies lace her into a dark purple dress with a black stomacher, her hair pulled back and her state crown placed upon her head. She hated the crown for it was too heavy but she needed to make a point. She was an anointed Queen and her children, one way or another, was the future of England.
The throne room was crowded with nobles eager to see how this would play out and seeing where they should place their loyalties. Everyone went silent as the doors slammed open and the harold yelled "ANNOUNCING, THE QUEEN MOTHER ANNE!"
Everyone bowed as she swept into the room and up to the dais, they also whispered about if she was about to usurp the throne. She gritted her teeth before turning and addressing the court, "Today England suffered the greatest loss we could imagine. The death of our beloved King Henry. He was our friend, brother, father, and protector and he ensured to protect us in his death. He has given England a beautiful princess and an unborn child, one if which will be his heir."
The crowd was quiet waiting for the rest.
"As according to my husband's will, which I have here, I will act as regent for our young children with the help of the privy council and Lord Protector of my choosing, " The lords of the privy council lost all color in their faces and Cromwell went to protest when Anne automatically handed him the paperwork, "I assure you, Lord Chancellor, it is all in order. My husband and I discussed it at length. Tonight we mourn our lost King, tomorrow the privy council will assemble to discuss strengthening our realm after this blow. Tonight I would like to announce the Lord Protector."
This grabbed everyone's attention, everyone assumed it would be her uncle or father.
"I have deliberated who best would protect and raise our future ruler to not only rule the realm but sit as the head of the church. I have decided against a lord protector, as no one will defend my children and care for their well being as I can, " she made sure to exclude if it would be a King or Queen.
"You cannot do that, a woman cannot rule alone, " her Uncle Norfolk protested.
"Am I not an anointed Queen? Does Henry's will not leave all decisions in my hands? I may be a woman but your King saw fit to allow me to protect his realm for his heir and that is what I will do. Plus I will not be ruling alone, I will have a council of men to assist and advise me, " she smirked as she saw the men begin to agree reluctantly so she decided to drive her point home, "besides uncle, the last time England had a Lord Protector ended up with King Richard III. I for one will never let my children become the princes in the tower."
"What about when you go into confinement?" Suffolk asked. He was torn inside, he hated Anne Boleyn with an undying passion, but his loyalty has always been to the crown and securing England's peace. Does he support his late Kings will or should he support Princess Mary's claim? Could he plunge England into civil war?
"Well I have a few ideas but the council will discuss this. We will reference the book by the late Margaret Beaufort as well as consult with Dr. Lincre about possible protocol, but it will honestly come down to how stable the realm is and how trustworthy I find my advisors over the next few months." She said watching their eyes become bewildered at the idea of earning a woman's trust. "No more questions tonight there will be a mass held to mark the beginning of mourning, which will last for six months. We must say goodbye to our glorious late King."
She stepped off the dais and walked out towards the chapel. As she left the throne room everyone bowed before following her lead. The last to leave was the Duke of Norfolk, Duke of Suffolk, and the Earl of Wiltshire- the last of whom couldn't stop smiling.
"What has you so cheerful? Your trumpet of a daughter just usurped the throne from under us!" Norfolk exclaimed.
"You. She usurped it from you or well shut down your dream of usurping it from her. If it had been my choice she would've never been in the Kings sights let alone become Queen, but she seems to have come into her own with a crown, and I always knew she'd do great things. I will still wield influence as her father but you both should work to get on her good side or it shall be a long few years for you, " he laughed, "it seems being a Duke only gets you so much."
With that Thomas left, swaggering as he did so, glad to finally be in a position to put his high headed brother in law in his place. His Elizabeth was the best thing that ever happened to him but dealing with her brother proved to be impossible. Now his own daughter was head of the entire Boleyn-Howard family with no King to knock her down for any reason. He had seen the way Henry looked at Jane Seymour and he knew the blonde would've been Anne's downfall. Now he just needs to stand at her side and be the knight to slay dragons for his grandchildren.
Norfolk and Suffolk looked wearily at each other before the following suite, these were strange new times they were living in and they were not sure if they were enemies or allies.