A/N: My loves! I'm extremely sorry for the delay, I was super busy with work and college and to top it off I had the flu. Then I took a few days off to visit my nephew/godson and the rest of my family.
Now, 50 reviews?! Whaaaaat? I never expected to get this response, I'm so happy! Thank you so so so much! I love hearing from you, I answered all your reviews at the end of this chapter. I hope you enjoy!
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 García Márquez.
Chapter 6
No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. How could she be so naïve as to think that Henry would forget about her? She should've seen this coming, he ignored her for the rest of his stay at Hatfield, but she didn't think much about it because he also ignored Jane. After Charles left, he stayed for a while in his chambers, only to come out later just to play with the kids, he didn't join them for dinner and he retired for the evening once they were ready to hear Anne's bedtime story, he didn't even look at her. The next morning he and Jane left quite early, just after breakfast. She had noticed the mood in which he was in, but he masked it extremely well in front of Edward and Elizabeth, she had to give him that, he was still their papa, his eyes softened and a genuine smile graced his lips when he was with them, but aside from that, his face was stone cold, to the point where she couldn't decipher the reason for his anger. At the moment, she thought that it was typical Henry being overly dramatic and that he was going to forget about his wounded pride as soon as he returned to court. But God, she had been so wrong. Charles mentioned in his letter that Henry had gone back to treating him as he always had and she stupidly thought that her assumptions were right, and that Henry had gotten over the whole ordeal, but of course he was going to treat Charles right, he didn't want him to suspect anything! Henry could be many things, but he wasn't stupid, he knew exactly how to play his cards. She turned to George after a few moments of silence in which she got over the surprise and thoughtfully asked "Did he tell you why?" Knowing Henry, he would have a good excuse, he knew that if he summoned her without a reason she wasn't going to go, he tried it once before, just before Edward's birth. Apparently, he wanted to show the courtiers that there weren't ill feelings between them and that she would accept the birth of the new prince, but he didn't say that, that was what George assumed, so she told him to tell the King that she was sick and unable to travel, but he and he knew that if he requested her presence without a real reason, she was going to make up another excuse.
George sat down in the opposite side of the table. Ever since Anne and Henry divorced, he maintained a close friendship with the King. Surprisingly, His Majesty didn't blame him for his failed marriage, if anything, he relied on him as much as he did on the Seymour brothers or on Brandon. In the beginning, Brandon had enjoyed the Seymour's company, but he wasn't really their ally. Yes, they had helped bring down Anne Boleyn and her family, and it wasn't a secret that he despised them, but he couldn't care less about them once they were gone. But George stayed, and he proved to be a thoughtful courtier, finally living up to his full potential now that his father, and sister, weren't there to take charge. As Charles' hate for Cromwell grew, along with his annoyance at the Seymour's brothers, and he got to know Anne, his relationship with George also turned to friendship. Everything had taken an unexpected turn rather quickly, but they both welcomed it. Since it all happened quite at the same time, George really didn't object Charles and Anne's relationship, or whatever it was, he noticed that Charles stopped taking mistresses and Anne's happiness showed when she was with him, he was happy for them. But he was glad with the way things were, he didn't want Anne to go to court with Charles, and was relieved at her reluctance to do so. He knew, better than anyone, how she had suffered during her marriage and he didn't want her to go through something similar again, be it with Henry or with Charles. He valued the man's friendship, and he was grateful to him for making his sister happy, but she was more important to him than anything in the world, he almost abandoned her when she needed him the most, because he was afraid of their father, he was afraid of Norfolk and he was afraid of the King. But not anymore, he had made a promise to protect her and he intended to fulfill it. He had been able to do so, until Charles came back a day earlier from Hatfield and told him about their encounter with Henry. And then, just when he was beginning to think that maybe Henry had forgotten about it all, he had summoned him and told him to go get Anne, he knew that that was just the beginning. He told her the reason the King had given him "He wants your opinion on Elizabeth's suitors" but he looked at her with a knowing expression, sighed, and followed up with "Charles told me about what happened while you were in Hatfield"
Anne ignored George's comment, stood up and walked around the chamber in deep thought, one hand under her chin as the other rested on her hip. She had underestimated Henry, he mentioned that he was starting negotiations for a betrothal for Elizabeth because he wanted an excuse to take her back to court. He must've thought that she would associate what he told her during their walk with his request and then, if she confronted him or if she refused to go, he would claim that he was doing it all for their daughter. If she wanted the betrothal to happen she had to go. The man was smart when he wanted something. How could he do this to her? Make her go back to that place, for what? He was going to tire of her again as soon as she gave him what he wanted. But she didn't know what he wanted, or if she was willing to give it to him.
Mary was the one to interrupt her thoughts, she knew Anne didn't want to return to the place where her life had been heaven and hell in a span of 10 years, but she had to go, for her and for Elizabeth. She took the hand that rested on Anne's hip and softly told her "If you refuse him it'll be the same story all over again, Annie. I know you don't want to, but you have to go"
Seeing Anne's fear in her eyes, George spoke up "Mary's right. Besides, I'll be there and Charles will too. You have nothing to worry about"
But what they didn't know was that Anne was afraid not only because she feared what her enemies could do to her, but because she didn't trust Henry and because she didn't trust herself with him, especially not in Whitehall. She didn't want to go to court because she was afraid of the feelings that she associated with it. The way she felt when Henry touched her was proof that she wasn't over any of it, she had just pushed all her feelings about him, about Jane, about her life before the divorce, to the back of her mind. For 3 years she hadn't thought about it and now she was forced to relive it all over again. She knew Mary was right, she needed to go, she needed to secure Elizabeth's future and she needed to go so Henry would forget about his newfound obsession with her, but did she really want him to forget it? She thought she hated him, but she was afraid that going to Whitehall would, somehow, prove to her that in fact she didn't. However, it seemed that there was nothing she could do. But she refused to let George and Charles take care of her, she rolled her eyes at him, she knew he'd understand the stupidity of his comment, but given that he had reminded her about Charles, she asked "Does Charles know about all of this?"
George rolled his eyes as soon as she rolled hers, he knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but what was wrong with a little support from those who loved her? He decided to ignore that and answer her question instead "No, he has been busy with Cromwell trying to find a way to handle the rebellion"
Anne simply nodded and went to the door, once there, without turning around, she said "we'll leave in the morning" there was no use in writing a response to Charles' letter, and she didn't want George and Mary to see through her façade, she wasn't sure about how she felt, but she needed to deal with her feelings on her own. Little did she know that her sister knew her better than anyone else. As soon as Anne left, Mary turned to George and frowned, she crossed her arms over her chest, looked at him with a somber expression on her face and said "She still loves him"
What Mary didn't know was that she said exactly what George was thinking. He knew Anne loved Charles, but her feelings for Henry had always worried him. It was never part of the plan, she wasn't supposed to care for the King, let alone fall in love with him. To him, that had been her downfall, she craved Henry's love and when she didn't have it she fell apart. He didn't know if her love for Charles was enough to stop her from falling back into Henry's arms. Yet, he couldn't let Mary know of his fears, so he told her "She loves Brandon"
Mary knew what he was doing, she knew he understood better than her how deep the feelings between Anne and Henry ran. She sat down across from him and said "One can love two people at the same time. Maybe it's not the same type of love, but its love nonetheless" She was being realistic, but she was also trying to convince herself that Anne wouldn't act on her feelings for Henry because of her love for Charles. They needed to believe that, they didn't know if they were going to be able to protect her otherwise.
The trip to Whitehall was a long one, she was tired, she was irritated and all she really wanted was the peace of Pembroke. The thought of having to spend so much time away from the place that became her home made her even more restless, she wanted to talk to Henry, get it over with, and go back. But she knew that it wasn't going to be that easy, Henry would probably want her to stay for a while. But how could she walk around the place where she fell in love with him, where she had been so happy all those years ago, as if nothing had happened? How could she walk around the place where she found Henry with Jane in his lap, the place where she lost 2 of her babies, as if nothing had happened? How could she walk around Whitehall as if she hadn't been Queen, as if she hadn't been Henry's wife? Whitehall had been her home, it held so many memories that she didn't know what to do with all the nostalgia she was feeling, she forced herself not to think about those 10 years, she had a new life and she was happy. She needed to remind herself to breathe. She was going to be fine. This was nothing, she could control her mind, she knew how to handle court and she knew how to handle Henry. She was going to be fine. She forced herself to believe it.
She and George didn't really talk during the trip, they made brief conversation about Elizabeth and about the Rebellion, but that was about it. He knew not to pressure her to talk about her fears, if she needed him she would go to him. However, once they were almost at the gates of the palace, he turned to her and said "You're Anne Boleyn, don't forget it" He had to say those words, she had to know that he believed in her, all they had achieved was thanks to her, only her. He needed to remind her of that.
George was right. Yes, she had been away and she had grown afraid of this place, but she was Anne Boleyn, a woman smarter than most men, a woman who got what she wanted and never backed down, and a woman who wasn't afraid. She would deal with this as she had dealt with everything else in her life, trusting herself. It was her wit that always guided her, and her demise had been that her feelings got in the way, she couldn't think clearly because she was in love, she was jealous, and her temper got the best of her. But not anymore, before her marriage she had been the best player out there, it was when Henry began to stray that she let him win, not because he or Cromwell were better players, but because she had destroyed herself, she had been her own enemy, and the only way for her not to destroy herself anymore was divorcing the man that had done this to her. The day she decided to do that was the day that she felt like herself again, she felt that even though she had lost she had won in more ways than one, because she let her mind govern her, instead of her heart. And she intended to keep it that way. As soon as she got out of the carriage, she felt the fear being replaced with the confidence she needed, she held her head high and entered the place that made her who she was. Anne Boleyn was back.
Henry had told George to get her, he didn't tell him where she was going to stay or what she should do when she arrived. So she did the only thing she could, she headed to his chambers. She saw, out of the corners of her eyes, the shocked faces of those who were in the halls, she heard their whispers, they wondered why she was here. Did she come because she wanted to or had Henry summoned her? And if that was the case, why had he summoned her? She saw as some of the ladies left to tell the other courtiers the big news. There were a few faces she hadn't seen before, but they all knew who she was. She wouldn't admit it to herself, but she enjoyed being the center of attention once again, to know that the court was buzzing because she was there was exciting. Yet, she had to remind herself not to get too carried away with it all. She needed to think clearly. When she arrived to Henry's rooms she noticed that Charles and Edward Seymour were at the door, and as much as she wished her first thought at that to be wanting to throw herself into Charles' arms, it wasn't. She needed to deal with Henry first, she needed to see him here, in Whitehall, she needed to make sure that she was going to be able to handle it, to handle him. She nodded to the Dukes as if it was the most normal thing in the world that she was there, and she threw Charles a little, almost imperceptible, smile. She turned to one of the guards and said "Announce me"
But before the boy could do as she commanded, Edward Seymour, clearly irritated, said "The King asked not to be interrupted" who did this woman think she was? She didn't even greet him as it was customary, he was a Duke! And how dare she come here and demand a meeting with King? She was insufferable, she acted as if the world was at her command. It was no wonder the King wanted to get rid of her when they were married, she behaved as anything but as a woman should.
As soon as he spoke, Anne realized something, he thought that she had come to court because she wanted to, Henry hadn't mentioned his plans to anyone, she made a mental note to remember that. Of course she didn't want to take Jane's place, but it could be fun to give the man that had played such a big role in her downfall a little of his own venom, she wanted him to feel what she had felt, that he no longer held the power that he thought he did. She smirked at him and said "He summoned me, I'm merely fulfilling his request" She turned to the guard once again and repeated her command, but seeing as he glanced at the Duke of Somerset and didn't do anything, she rolled her eyes and banged her fist in the door 3 times as she yelled "Henry!"
It wasn't the first time she did that, she had always done it. When they were courting and someone wouldn't let her see him she would knock on his door 3 times and call his name, it always worked and it showed everyone that he was always available to her, even if he wasn't to the rest of the world. And just like old times, as soon as she knocked, the door opened and Henry appeared there, with a triumphant smile on his face, he said "You're here"
She noticed the way Henry's eyes shined and she knew that, once again, she was his weakness. She was going to use that to her advantage, all she needed to do was put her own fears aside. She smiled back at him and answered "I am" as he let her in. She forced herself not to think of all the times during their marriage when she knocked on his door and he didn't answer.
A/N: I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. I think that, since I took a break, I lost a little of my momentum in terms of the way I write and what I had planned. Anyway, I promise you Henry/Anne and Charles/Anne scenes next. It was really difficult not getting to sneak a little Anne/Charles in here, but these chapters need to happen. What did you think? Anne Boleyn is back bitches!
Relent1ess: Thank you so much! I fell in love with this pairing after reading the few stories about it and had to write something, this story wouldn't leave me alone. I'm glad that there are other Charles/Anne shippers and that you enjoy this so much!
Unnamedhpauthor: Thank you so much! Actually, it was the lack of Tudors' fics that gave me the push I needed to publish this. I'm so glad you're enjoying this even if you don't ship Anne and Charles!
Hopegrl18: Haha! Yeah, he is.
Giovanna Leblanc and QueenAnneTudor: I'll definitely have more scenes with those 3 as the story progresses! Aaaand I loved that idea of Kitty Howard guys! I'll keep it in mind. Oh, and you'll be seeing a bit more of Henry, he's a big bump in the road for Charles and Anne.
Young lavender lady: Yay! I'm so glad this made you ship Anne and Charles. Welcome to this great ship, it's gonna be a good journey! Haha. For now, Henry will play a big part in Anne and Charles' relationship because Anne needs to close that chapter of her life in order to be really happy with Charles. As for later, I'm gonna keep my lips sealed.
Renata: Thank you so much for reading! I love sharing my work with you. As I said above, Anne needs to close the chapter of her life that involves Henry, it'll be a little hard for her along the way, but it needs to be done for her to be happy.
MarilizzieCullen13: Don't tell anyone, but they are endgame ;) haha. But read what I said to the 2 reviewers above! Thank you so much!
Anneboleyntheonlyone: We'll see about that.
