Mary couldn't sleep that night. She had thought that having her cousin agreeing to help would ease her fears but it did not. She remembered when Charles was as a boy and it was hard to imagine that he would turn into a man that would do these things to her daughter. Then she remembered how she failed her daughter by agreeing to the match in the first place. Everything Mary had achieved as Countess of Boulogne from starting these charity projects to earning the people's love to making friends at the French court were all done in order to protect her girls.
She remembered how it was before she came to France. When Henry VIII refused to acknowledge his daughter Elizabeth, Mary struggled to support both her girls especially after her husband had died. Mary had become so desperate she contacted Francis for help, something she swore she would never do. Mary could never have anticipated that she would have all of this, a castle, lands, wealth and a title.
She wondered what her father Thomas Boleyn would think of her. Then suddenly as if she had summoned his ghost himself in front of her she had felt his presence. "Why are you here?" Mary had called out not fearing the dead.
"To see my daughter." He appeared out of the darkness exactly how Mary had remembered him before he had her banished. "It appears I underestimated you. I spent so much time and effort making Anne into something great and yet here you are reaching far higher than I could ever have dreamed."
"Even now you think of your ambition." Mary snapped angrily, "Anne did everything you asked of her as did I and we suffered because of it. Anne lost her life, I lost my reputation and you got to be an Earl. You never cared for any of us!"
"That's not true." Thomas Boleyn insisted, "Would you believe I was doing it for you?"
"That I can hardly believe." Mary wouldn't believe it. Thomas Boleyn had made is children suffer for his ambition. He didn't care how many people he hurt along the way. Both of her siblings had died and he had done nothing to help them.
"You would be surprised what a parent would do to secure their children's future." Thomas stated casually, "I once had bribed a man to poison Thomas More along with some Bishops who rejected the idea of Anne becoming Queen. I even attended the man's execution when he was caught." Thomas then smirked sinisterly at Mary, "Boiling in oil is quite a horrific way to die don't you think? And yet despite the agony he suffered he would not betray me because I had secured his family's future."
Mary turned away thinking about her own plans with Francis Bryan. He was out searching for a maid in the Duke of Orleans service that they could bribe into poisoning Charles. Mary didn't want to believe that she was becoming like her father but the evidence was speaking for itself.
As if Thomas could sense his daughter's dilemma he continued, "We all start off with the purest of intentions in mind. When your uncle and I placed Anne in the King's way it was an attempt to remove a corrupt individual from power."
"Cardinal Wolsey." Mary remembered Anne's own personal grudge against the man. Anne had wanted to marry Henry Percy until the Cardinal had put a stop to it. In Anne's mind Wolsey was everything that was wrong with the Catholic Church.
Thomas nodded in agreement, "However once the Cardinal was removed we couldn't stop. Your sister Anne had received death threats from Rome."
"You knew that Rome wanted Anne dead?" Mary spoke in disbelief, "You still agreed to go through with the marriage."
"We had no choice Mary." Thomas argued with his daughter, "At the time the King was our only source of protection and your sister had by that point already fell in love with him. We couldn't have stopped the marriage even if we had wanted to anymore than you could stop your own daughter's marriage to the Duke."
"I won't fail her like you failed Anne." Mary would protect Annie from Charles. She would not have her son George fight a war against his brothers just to protect his sister.
"I had advised Anne as best I could under the circumstance but children grow up and start making their own choices." Thomas reasoned, "There was nothing I could say to Anne that would sooth her fears regarding her husband and there is nothing that I could say to you now that would prevent you from doing the unthinkable. In all the years you have raised Elizabeth you have never said a bad word against her farther despite what he has done to your sister so why attack the father of your future grandchild now after what he has done to your daughter?"
There was nothing Mary could say to answer that question. Whilst it was trued Mary despised Henry VIII for what he had done to her sister she had never discouraged Elizabeth from getting to know him. Mary then thought about her future grandchild. Could Mary even look at the child knowing that she would be responsible for the murder of the child's father? Mary then turned to look where her father had been standing but he had already vanished into the darkness.
Charles arrived at the French court exhausted from his journey. George had refused to grant Charles lodgings for the night so Charles had to stay in an inn like some commoner. Charles would remember to speak to the King about his bastard brother's insolence.
The courtiers around him were quietly whispering to each other. No doubt they had heard of the humiliation he suffered at the English King's hands. In Charles' mind he should have been King of England not that wretched Brandon. Henry Brandon must have seduced Elizabeth away from him just as his father the Duke of Suffolk seduced the Princess Mary after her husband's death. The Duke of Orleans had heard stories of how the late Duke of Suffolk attempted to seduce his own mother Queen Claude shortly after his marriage to the English princess. However his mother was too smart to be seduced by Charles Brandon and sent him away. The Duke of Orleans only wished that Elizabeth had his mother's strength to not be seduced by a Brandon but judging by her actions it was only clear that she was completely besotted. However Charles wasn't concerned, if Henry was anything like his father he would surely break the young Queen's heart and she would come crawling back to him.
Charles thoughts were interrupted when his sister Margaret stormed towards him full of rage and slapped him across the face. "How could you?!"
"Sister perhaps we shouldn't do this here." Catherine de Medici was trying to calm her sister in-law down although it was clear by the look on her face she wasn't happy with him either.
"Why should we bother to hide it?!" Margaret raged looking at the shocked courtiers faces, "They already know of his disgrace and what he did to Annie was unforgivable."
"I'm her husband!" Charles raged at his sister, "I have the right to treat her how I wish!"
Margaret was seething with rage at Charles words, "If my husband treated me in such a way would you have stood for it or would you have said it was his God given right to treat me that way?"
Charles didn't know how to respond to that. He and Margaret had always been so close as children but now he only saw disgust in her eyes. "Margaret…" Charles approached his sister but she pulled away.
"Don't touch me!" Margaret screamed with tears in her eyes, "George should have been the Prince not you! He would have never hurt a woman in the way you have hurt Annie. Annie grew up with us, was like a sister to us and the way you treated her was horrible. Father would be ashamed of you."
Margaret walked away leaving a distraught Charles behind. Catherine followed her as she couldn't bare to look at Charles anymore either. The courtiers continued to stare and whisper of the broken prince. It had become all the more clear now how much he had shamed his family. Unable to take anymore of the courtiers stares he walked silently to his rooms. Try as he might he could not forget his sister's words. Charles knew that his father had loved Annie's mother and practically doted on Annie despite not being his blood. Was Margaret right? Would his father be ashamed of his son's actions?
Mary had gotten a note from Sir Francis Bryon that he found a girl willing to poison Charles. Mary was still shaken up by her father's ghostly visit and was unsure how to proceed. After the death of her siblings Mary had strived to not become like her father. When Mary had become Francis' mistress she had never asked him for anything only that her children were protected including Elizabeth. She had never expected Francis' generosity to go so far but now Francis was gone and her children were facing danger.
Mary then had to correct herself they weren't children anymore. Her sweet Anne was married to a man who had beaten and raped her. Elizabeth who became as much as a daughter to Mary as Annie was putting her position at risk by shielding Anne from Charles' wrath. Mary's own son George may very well end up being forced to fight his brothers to protect Annie and he had his own child on the way.
Mary continued to pace when a voice came from the darkness, "You don't know what to do. Do you."
Mary turned and saw her former brother in-law sitting before her. "First my Father and now you."
He looked younger healthier than the last time she had seen him. "Were you expecting Francis?" Henry smiled.
Mary flinched at Henry's words, "I know Francis wouldn't want to see me. He always saw me as something as sweet and innocent but now I believe I have shattered that illusion."
"He wouldn't be the first." Henry looked Mary with a vulnerability that she never had seen in him before. "I had once thought Jane was sweet and innocent but I was fooled."
"I'm nothing like her." Mary growled turning away from her brother in-law.
"You're conspiring to murder your step-child just Jane conspired against Elizabeth." Henry replied harshly. "She foolishly believed Elizabeth was a threat to our son."
"Elizabeth did nothing to Edward." Mary defended, "Charles has done great harm to my daughter!"
"Aye he did." Henry agreed solemnly. "However it was Jane's own actions against Elizabeth that hurt Edward and may perhaps have killed him. Do you wish to hurt George in the same way? Despite everything Charles is George's brother."
Mary had tears in her eyes thinking about her son. She couldn't bare it if George would hate her for her actions as Edward hated his own mother. Elizabeth had wrote to Mary of Edward's pain and despite Mary's own feelings regarding his parents she couldn't help but feel sympathy for the young King. However she remembered Annie's pain at the hands of Charles, "Am I supposed to do nothing for Annie?"
"It is not easy." Henry showed sympathy towards Mary, "There were many times whilst Elizabeth was here that I had wanted to lash out. If I had been the same man I was when I had Anne executed I would have done some horrible things to both you and George to spite Francis for taking my daughter away. However I valued Elizabeth's love more than my desire for vengeance. Whilst I knew there was a slim chance she would forgive me for her mother's death I knew it would be impossible for her to forgive me for hurting you and George."
Mary could see the love in his eyes for his daughter. "Did she? Forgive you I mean."
"Being dead I have eternity to earn my daughter's forgiveness." Henry smiled fondly, "However she is not the only one I have to make amends with."
"My sister." Mary might have known Henry would try to gain forgiveness from her sister. "I doubt she would give into you so easily as she did the last time."
"I can be very persistent but she is just one of the many people I've wronged." Henry spoke sadly, "I will spend most of my afterlife trying to make amends instead of enjoying the time I have with my loved ones. Do not make my mistake Mary. Don't allow vengeance to blind you." Henry VIII disappeared shortly after. He had given Mary a lot to think about.
King Henry of France didn't know what he was going to expect when he saw his brother Charles again. Catherine had already informed him of the confrontation that had taken place with Margaret. Somehow her words had affected Charles deeply as he had not left his rooms since the event. However Henry knew he couldn't avoid his brother forever.
The French lords wanted action taken against his brother for this humiliation. As his wife Catherine predicted none of the lords wished to go to war with England after what Charles had done. Much to his and Catherine's disgust some of the lords were offended that Charles humiliated himself by challenging the King of England to a wrestling match and losing. Catherine pitied the wives of the men who had felt that way for she knew they must be receiving the same treatment as Annie. Some of the lords seemed sympathetic to Annie's plight but few were genuine. Most of them were from the Protestant faction seeking to undermine Henry's authority. The other men who were feigning sympathy had daughters of the own who had been Charles' mistresses and were looking to gain further compensation for their daughter's treatment. Whether these women had genuinely been hurt by Charles the King could only speculate. The whole thing was a giant mess.
Charles entered the room unable to look at his brother in eye. Henry could barely look at him so he chose to look out the window instead. "I see you finally had found the courage to face me." Henry had half expected an arrogant retort from his brother but Charles remained silent so Henry continued, "You have nothing to say for yourself?"
"Your majesty must forgive me." Charles replied quietly, "My behaviour was inexcusable."
"And what about Annie?" Henry turned to face his brother, "Aren't you going to beg for her forgiveness."
"Elizabeth…" Charles hesitated, "I mean the English Queen does not want me near her or my child."
"I don't blame her." Henry sat down and looked at his brother coldly, "I was once driven to madness by a woman. I neglected my wife in favour of her for a good many years and there were times when I too had come close to striking Catherine but I never did. It was never her fault I couldn't marry Diane as she had been forced into this arranged marriage also. I had hoped that in time you could learn to love your wife as I love mine."
"I thought I could in time." Charles admitted sadly, "But when I saw Elizabeth in that man's arms something in me snapped."
"Don't try and lie to me and say this was one incident Charles!" Henry snarled, "I've seen the changes in Annie in recent months. She no longer smiles, she flinches at the slightest touch and she looks upon me her King and brother in-law with fear. Don't pretend you have never mistreated her before this incident because I know you have."
"I promise brother things will be different." Charles insisted, "If you can convince Queen Elizabeth that it's safe for Annie to return…"
"You really think Elizabeth would believe that?" Henry laughed cynically, "I made this match against Annie's wishes, against George's wishes. Why on Earth would she trust me when I have failed to keep her dearest cousin safe from harm?"
"Why should we grovel before England anyway?!" Charles snapped.
"Because my stupid brother whilst we've been engaging in pointless wars with Spain, England has been building a stable powerbase." Henry snarled at his brother, "The late King Henry VIII has created alliances with all the Protestant states, supplying them with weapons against their Catholic enemies in exchange for valuable trade deals. Not only have they developed their navy to defend their lands from invasion they have also used their ships to discover new worlds and become wealthier because of it. Our brother the bastard you look down your nose at is a duel citizen to both England and France. He has shipping ports in both Calais and Boulogne which gives him a great deal of wealth and you have not only alienated him from this family with your stupid comments regarding bastards but you have also harmed his beloved sister."
"Anne never mentioned…" Charles was about to state his confusion but Henry interrupted him.
"Why would she trust you with anything?!" Henry couldn't believe his brother's stupidity. Henry had enough of this conversation as it was leading nowhere. "You will remove yourself from my sight. You shall return to your estate in Orleans and you won't come back until I've summoned you."
"You're banishing me from court?" Charles spoke in disbelief. It was bad enough being banished from England but to be banished from court by his brother had hurt even more.
"You have no one to blame but yourself." Henry responded darkly, "You're not a child anymore. I am your lord and master not your brother and you will do as I command."
Charles wanted to argue further but his brother's mind was already made up. Charles had no choice but to go to his estates. For the first time in his life he felt truly alone.