A/N: Babes, you better get used to this. One more time, thank you so much! Now, since this technically is the 5th chapter I'm taking it as a milestone, so something exciting awaits you at the end, take it as my gift to you for being the best readers in the world! I hope you enjoy. Please tell me your thoughts, I'm really excited for this chapter.

Snkannie: Thank you so much! I'm glad you love it! I'll do my best to fulfill all the expectations.

Renata: ;)

Kate322: I think you're going to like this chapter! Thank you so much for the support, Henry is definitely going to be involved in all of this, we all know him.

Giovanna Leblanc: Omg babe! Thank you so much, you don't know how much it means to me that you love this story so much! I'm so glad, I don't have enough words to thank you. I like the way you think! ;)

QuennAnneTudor: You and Giovanna Leblanc share the same mind? Haha. Nice suggestion, I'd loved that too ;) Ohh, Seymour brothers, let's see what I do with them, I've always found them quite interesting.

Solitude of Love

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel Garcí a Márquez

Chapter 4

The kids had finished their lessons and Anne and Charles had gone back inside to play with them, when they entered the nursery they noticed that Jane was sitting in a chair watching Henry, who was sitting in the floor playing with the children. Anne immediately went to where they were and kneeled next to the two Princes, she put her arms around each and said "Hello my sweethearts how were your lessons?" Jane couldn't help but shudder when Anne said that. Yes, she was glad that she was nice to her child, but how dare she call her Edward 'her sweetheart'? He was not her son! But then again, she spent more time with him than his own mother did, maybe Edward loved her more. Who knows what she could say to him, surely Henry couldn't be happy with that, she was going to talk to him about it once they were back.

Elizabeth was the first one to answer, she smiled at her mother and said "I practiced Latin and we were going to start reading a book in Italian but Papa said to keep practicing my French, so we started a book in French instead"

Anne knew why he told her tutors to teach her more French, if she was going to marry a prince from France she might as well be as fluent as possible in the language, Elizabeth was already very good in most languages, especially French, but a Royal Child had to be perfect. She looked at Henry and smiled, it was her way of showing her gratitude once again, everything she wanted was for Elizabeth to be happy and live up to her potential, the best option available was to marry her to a French Prince, it also meant that she needed to stay in Henry's good graces if she wanted that to happen, it wouldn't be the first time that he would punish their daughter for her actions, and there was no one in the world she loved more than her baby, so she decided to keep her mouth shut and show herself as grateful as she could, because even if she thought that it was nice of him to still do this after everything that happened, it didn't escape her mind that he should've done it years ago, because she was his daughter too, it shouldn't have mattered who her mother was.

Henry smiled back at her, and Charles and Jane noticed the exchange.

Anne turned once again to Elizabeth and said "I'm glad sweetheart" then she looked at Edward and said "And you Sir? What did you learn today?"

Edward told her excitedly "I wrote!"

The four adults in the room laughed, he had been practicing his writing skills but didn't know how to say it, Anne smiled gently at him and said "That's good! You know a great King needs to know how to read and write"

"A great King like papa!" replied Edward looking at his father with the biggest smile and Henry looked at him with the same smile. In that moment it didn't matter that Jane wasn't pregnant, he had his son, and as Anne said, he was going to be a great King one day.

Anne nodded and agreed "Like your papa" She didn't really think Henry was that great, but he was Edward's hero. She just hoped that, as King, the kid wouldn't be guided by his emotions as much as his father was.

Elizabeth brought her out of her thoughts by saying "Mama, will you finish telling Edward the story of King Arthur? I want to hear too"

Edward instantly agreed "Yes!" and Jane was hurt that he preferred hearing Anne's story than spending time with his parents, she couldn't help but blame Anne, she had done that, she was taking her child from her.

"What if instead of reading you a bedtime story we finish the one of King Arthur and you spend the rest of the day playing with your papa and The Queen?" Anne knew that Henry and Jane had to leave in the morning, whereas she stayed a few days more. The journey from Pembroke was a long one, so she preferred to stay for a few days, she also visited more often than they did. It was only fair that they spent the rest of the day with the children.

Edward just yelled excitedly again "Yes!" He was happy, his mama and his papa were here and Nan and Charles too! He climbed in his mother's lap, while Elizabeth nodded and went to sit with Henry. Anne stood up and went to Charles, who was sitting in a sofa in the back of the room, he smiled at her while she sat next to him, she smiled back almost instantly and without noticing, she felt happy just looking at his handsome face, he gave her a sense of peace that she never felt before. For his part, Charles had enjoyed seeing her interact with Edward and Elizabeth, you could say whatever you wanted about Anne Boleyn, but not that she was a bad mother. He was planning on taking his son to Hatfield the next time he went to Suffolk Manor and meet Anne there, she wanted to meet him properly, she had met him when he was just a kid and she was Queen, but Catherine didn't let him get too close to her. He couldn't help but think of what their children would look like but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and decided to enjoy her presence instead.

Henry didn't miss the way Anne and Charles smiled at each other, he decided to keep a close eye on them.

Charles looked at Anne and said "That was nice of you" He tried to act surprised but failed miserably, he knew she loved when he behaved like his old self on purpose jus to play with her.

Anne tried not to laugh at his attempt, now that she knew him it was hard to picture his old self, the one that hated her, she replied with mock disdain "Oh, you know that I only do it for my own benefit, that way I don't have to deal with the children" She knew he also loved when she played that game with him and acted as he had imagined her to be. It was crazy how things had changed in just a few years, but they couldn't be happier that they had changed.

He wasn't as strong as her, he ended up laughing at her answer, he now knew that she would never act like that, and it really was funny how she knew that he would've thought something along those lines in the past. She ended up laughing with him, thank God that they were speaking quietly and that where they were sitting Jane and Henry couldn't hear what they were saying.

But Henry had seen the way Anne's eyes shined the minute Charles laughed, she must've said something clever, she always did. He knew their exchange was some sort of banter, the amusement in both their eyes revealed it. How dare Charles do something like this? He was supposed to be his friend, not hers! He was slowly starting to get mad, they had no right, they had hated each other ever since his and Anne's courtship and now they were sitting together laughing? Charles had been more and more absent at court, he was always in Pembroke, damn him, he needed to fulfill his duties to his King, not sneak around whenever he pleased, especially not to visit his former wife. He was going to punish him.

Henry raised his voice loud enough for Anne and Charles to hear him and calmly, as if it was something he had just remembered, said "Charles, I almost forgot, tomorrow we have a very important meeting with the Privy Council but I'm going to be late since Jane and I leave in the morning, you should go to Whitehall and meet with Cromwell so that everything's ready in time and you're up to date with what's happening" Henry never stopped playing with Elizabeth, he said it casually, as if he wasn't telling Charles to leave. Anne and Charles knew that there probably wasn't even a meeting the next day, they had known Henry long enough to know that he was lying through his teeth and what he wanted was for Charles to leave his sight, they had heard that tone many times and Henry usually didn't look at the person he was talking to when he wanted to appear casual. He just looked up at the end of his talk and smiled his usual 'I'm the King and you'll do as I say' smile. And he did just that.

Charles just looked at him and said "of course, Your Majesty. I'll go get my stuff" In reality he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, if he stayed in that room a second longer his anger was going to show and he couldn't risk angering Henry more, he knew his punishment was only going to be not being able to see Anne. He stood up and went to his apartments.

At first Anne didn't understand why Henry wanted Charles to leave, but then he looked at her and everything made sense, she had felt Henry's eyes on them when he was greeting Elizabeth, but she didn't pay any mind to it, he would've said something to her when they were in the gardens and he didn't, but then she realized that he probably told Charles something, she was stupid to have believed him when he said that they only talked about the rebellion, he wouldn't have looked as troubled as he did if it were only that, besides, he had also looked angry and he was not one to get angry easily, especially not in situations like that, he preferred to think clearly and understand what was happening, he got angry in situations that directly involved his life and his feelings, she should've known. She stood up, looked at Henry and angrily said "excuse me, Your Majesty" she was daring him to refuse her, he knew that look. But he got what he wanted, Charles was angry and Anne was running behind him, they had just proved that they were definitely more than friends, so he nodded, satisfaction written all over his face.

As Anne went through the halls on her way to Charles' apartments, she was thinking that it probably hadn't been the best idea to go after him, Henry would only get angrier at them, though it looked like he was only mad at Charles, when she left she noticed that, towards her, his eyes didn't held the anger that they directed at Charles. But she wasn't going to let Charles leave like that, they needed to talk first and she didn't care what Henry thought, not right now. Right now Charles was more important than what Henry could think or do.

When she entered Charles' apartments he was throwing stuff into his trunk angrily. She went to him and said "Hey! Calm down"

He didn't even look at her, he kept throwing stuff and said "Tell a servant to send this tomorrow in a carriage, I'm horseback riding to Whitehall"

The last time she heard that tone of voice was when he talked about Catherine, his voice was full of venom but it also held defeat in it, he had never directed that tone at her, she knew that he was going to start yelling at any moment and hit a wall if he didn't calm down, so she went to him and grabbed his hands to stop him from grabbing another shirt. He looked up at her and his eyes softened as soon as he met hers, her heart broke and she knew, she smiled sadly at him and said "Henry talked to you about us"

He nodded, but when he remembered what Henry had just done he let go of her hands and his temper flew out the window again, he hissed "Do you know what he said? He said 'you and Anne seem very close', and now he's dismissing me?! He just needs to have everything and now he wants you!"

She couldn't believe Henry had confronted Charles about their relationship, she thought he was over her. But then again, it was Henry, his mind changed every other minute, and he thought that it was his right to have everything he wanted, when he wanted it, same as he thought that he owned everyone. But she suppressed her anger, she could deal with him later, she needed to remain calm for Charles, she looked at him and forcefully said "Will you calm down? This shouldn't surprise you, you know Henry. Besides, he'll probably forget about this in no time"

Charles ignored the last part of her sentence, he started talking before she finished, his tone rising by the minute "That's exactly what's angering me, I should've known this was going to happen"

Anne rolled her eyes at him and with an exasperated tone said "Now you're just being an idiot, we didn't think Henry and I were going to see each other ever again, you couldn't have known"

He turned his back to her angrily and said "Yes, but now he is here and he wants you and…" he stopped himself before he could finish

Anne was starting to get angry, he wasn't making any sense. Well, he was, but he had no reason to feel like that, and if he was really feeling like that then he had to say it, she needed him to say it so he could hear how stupid he sounded "And what?"

Charles whispered "And you might want him back"

She sighed "God, Charles" She hated that he felt like that, she had told him many times that never in a million years would she go back to Henry, yet she knew he didn't believe her and she couldn't understand why.

"I noticed the way you looked at him when we were in the nursery, the way you smiled at him" Charles knew he sounded stupid, he knew she thought he sounded stupid, but he couldn't help it, he had witnessed her relationship with Henry, she talked with him about her suffering, he couldn't help but feel that a love like that just didn't go away.

Anne really didn't have that much patience, she threw her arms around and hissed "Yes, because he told me that he's starting negotiations for a betrothal between Elizabeth and one of Francis' sons!"

God, he was an imbecile, but he loved her, he couldn't lose her, not to Henry. That's why his temper and his jealousy got the best of him, he hated himself for that. He sat in the only chair in the room and put his head in his hands "I'm sorry, it's just that…"

She knew what he was getting at, he didn't need to tell her for her to know that he felt insecure. It had happened before, but the other way around.

They had been fighting about his behavior, he had been closed off during his time in Pembroke, he almost didn't talk to her and when he did he seemed distracted, she had confronted him about it, she had told him that if he was going to act like that then he better stay at court, she particularly yelled at him "Go back to court, go back to her! And don't bother coming back here"

In that moment he understood, she thought that he had been thinking about Catherine, he had made the mistake of mentioning her in a conversation and now she was jealous, she though he wanted to go back so he could be with her. He smiled, she was being silly, he grabbed her hips and said "Anne, I only want to be with you"

She kneeled in front of him, took his hands in hers and said "Charles, I only want to be with you" They both smiled remembering the time he had spoken those words, a few months later he and Catherine were divorced. She kissed his hands and stood up, she started folding the rest of his shirts and after a few minutes said "Oh, and you're not riding all the way to Whitehall, you're going in a carriage"

Looking at her standing there, packing his clothes for the journey, worried about him making a trip he had done many times before and forbidding him to do it, he realized that he had to say what he had been feeling for some time now, he couldn't keep it to himself any longer, he knew they didn't talk about their relationship, but he couldn't leave without telling her, she had to know. He breathed "Anne" and held his hand out for her to take. Once she walked the distance with a confused look on her face and grabbed it, he squeezed the little hand in his and said "I love you"

He didn't know what to expect from her, he didn't really expect anything, he just had to get it out of his chest. But he certainly didn't expect her to smile widely at him, look down and then look back up at him with amusement and almost laughing say "It took you quite some time"

She couldn't believe he had said it, she knew he felt like that, but hearing it was another thing completely. He had told her he loved her. She could dance from joy! She thought that after Henry she wouldn't have another chance at love, and she was fine with that, she didn't want to have her heart broken again, but then Charles entered her life and even if it scared her she couldn't deny this to herself, the happiness of loving and being loved. She had grown and she had learned, she was definitely more careful, but she wasn't going to close herself off completely from the possibilities, it was not in her nature.

His face broke out into a huge grin, he pulled her by the hand until she ended up sitting in his lap with his arms around her waist. Once there, she grabbed his face with both of her hands and said "I know because I've loved you for a while now" emphasizing the 'you' to let him know that she loved only him, no one else.

He was the one to kiss her.

A/N: I know! I'm dying too! That was not planned, I wanted to give you something for the 5th chapter, but I assure you this wrote itself. I don't know what happens with this story but I can't plan it, I just sit down to write and things like this happen! What did you think?