Anne had now been in Jane's service for over a week. It had been relatively uneventful outside of a few sarcastic remarks. Whenever one of the ladies stepped from being slightly disrespectful to outright rude in Jane's hearing, the queen had always glanced at Anne to gauge her reaction. Anne would always narrow her eyes at the queen and give an almost imperceptible shake of her head. The queen kept her silence, but would send the offender a warning look. It was a nive syatem they had worked out. Anne only hoped the ladies would recognize that their ill treatment did nothing to gain their mistresses approval. She did grudgingly admit that Jane had been much better towards her that she ever would have been had their roles been reversed. Jane had actually gone out of her way to be somewhat kind to her, not that Anne trusted it.

Today would be harder though. Today would be the first time she would see Henry and Jane together in an informal setting. At first she thought it odd that they never shared private meals in the queen's chambers. She had smugly thought that it meant that they were not as close and she and Henry had been. She felt like a fool when a few days later she had overheard a few of her fellow ladies talking about how KIND Jane had been to ask Henry to refrain from dining in her rooms where Anne had to serve them. She had either joined him in the main hall or taken her dinner in his rooms with only a few select ladies - which thankfully never included her. Anne had had to fight back tears at her own foolishness. As much as she tried to put on a brave face and as angry as she was about her situation, she was heartbroken at seeing the man she loved being so happy with his new wife. Anne was lonely at court. Besides her brother, she had no one to confide in. She maintained her icy exterior when she was in public, but she broke down every night when she was alone in her chambers.

Some nights she wished she had died in the tower. Surely death would be sweeter than the hell that she was in now. Had it not been for Elizabeth, Anne would have thrown herself from the highest window in Whitehall. Anne was truly grateful that Jane often suggested that Anne remove herself and go to the nursery where she could see her beloved daughter. It was the only real happy part of any day. Anne knew that Elizabeth would soon be returning to Hatfield and she was glad that Jane let her spend as much time as possible with her before her departure. The woman was a snake, but Anne supposed she should try to find it in her to thank Jane for the consideration once little Elizabeth was back home. Like it or not, Anne was one of Jane's ladies and she knew that if she acted like she wanted to-scratching the queen's eyes out or slapping her pale face-it would only cause trouble. Anne was an intelligent woman and she was going to keep the peace, no matter how difficult it was.

Anne's musings were interrupted by the herald announcing the King's arrival. All the ladies dipped into their curtsies as he strode in to greet his wife. Anne could tell that his eyes hesitated on her, but eventually he kissed Jane's hand and led her to the table. Throughout the meal, Henry kept awkwardly glancing at Anne. She tried her best to avoid his gaze as she went about her duties, but it set her on edge. At one point, after refilling Jane's glass, she turned with the pitcher and began taking it back to the serving table. One of Jane's cousins passing her brushed her shoulder into her, throwing her off balance. As she lost her footing, she cursed herself for her clumsiness and the Seymour slut for her cruelty. Luckily, a hand reached out to catch her arm and steady her before she dropped the pitcher. Anne looked up into the eyes of the lady who had never been even slightly cruel to her. The pretty brunette nodded encouragingly at her as she righted herself. Anne sent her a grateful smile as they faded away from the table.

"Are you alright, Lady Anne?" the girl asked and Anne nodded. "I can't tell whether Lady Cicily is just a bitch or a klutz" Anne gaped at the woman's musings. "Based off her dancing skills, I'd wager the latter" The girl winked.

The woman's words were vulgar and unfit for a lady of her standing, but Anne couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her. The mysterious lady grinned wickedly at her as she tried to contain her laughter. Anne didn't want to attract attention from the dining royals.

"Thank you for your quickness, Lady..."

"Misseldon. Ursula Misseldon" she held out her hand which Anne gratefully shook. "You shouldn't let these simpletons bother you, My Lady. Lesser creatures will always be jealous of their betters."

Ursula's brash words brought another smile to Anne's lips. Her quick wit was a pleasant surprise to be found in Jane's retinue and Anne was reminded of herself before everything had happened to her. It was refreshing.

"Lady Anne?" an ushers voice made both women, as well as Henry and Jane, look up from their conversation. "Pardon your graces, George Boleyn requests an audience with his sister." Jane nodded towards Anne and she left Lady Misseldon's side to follow the usher. At first she was worried-George almost never sought her out when she was in the queen's rooms-but when she saw George's wide smile, her nerves calmed.

"What has you in such a mood, brother?" Anne asked genially.

"The best of news, Anne. The king has approved of my divorce! You are looking at a free man." He beamed as he pulled her into a joyous embrace.

"Thank God for that. I was worried he would make you keep providing for that lying harpy" Jane Boleyn had been devastated when the king had found all charges against them false. She had apparently thrown quite the fit and in her fury had trashed her and George's rooms. Henry had allowed George to send her back to her parents estates to calm herself and await judgement. Jane was accused of perjury and of the treasonous offense of daring to accuse the queen of false charges. Had Anne still been queen, Jane would have found herself quite a bit shorter. Alas, Henry had decided to be merciful. Jane had shown symptoms of loosing her grip on reality, so instead she was committed to a hospital known for treating those who had lost their wits. Anne thought it too lax of a punishment but like most things now, it was out of her control. She was glad that George was able to officially end his marriage to her though, so she brought a smile to her lips and followed him out to the gardens to hear his ideas of his dream wife. She laughed freely at the incredibly impossible woman her brother described. After meeting Lady Misseldon and spending an afternoon with George, she felt lighter than she had in weeks. Perhaps this evening she could visit Elizabeth.