Jane sat miserably in her dark, stuffy chambers. It had been only two days since she had taken to her bed for her confinement, and she was already tired of the restrictions. She couldn't imagine staying shut up like this for the last few weeks of her pregnancy. But it was expected of her and her brothers had made it very clear that she couldn't complain. Every other queen had faced similar treatment when they were expecting and Jane was no different.

Still, it didn't make it any easier to accept when they had placed those heavy panels on her windows, shrouding her in darkness and stale air. She didn't complain about the roaring fires, however. With Christmastime right around the corner, the winter cold seeped into almost every room in Whitehall-all except Jane's chambers. She was almost sweating at times.

She moved her hands over her swollen belly and smiled. A New Years prince. The ultimate Christmas gift to her husband- to all of England. She was ready to have this pregnancy over and to have her little boy in her arms.

A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts. One of her ladies announced her brother, Edward and Jane smiled, waving him in. Even her cold brother was good company while she was in confinement. The restrictions were pretty serious-allowing only her ladies, her family, and her husband entry to her rooms. Henry visited only once so far, and her brothers not at all, so this was a welcome visit. His face, however, dashed her hopes of a happy reunion. He quickly glanced around and dismissed what ladies were in her bedchamber. They looked to her, and she nodded for them to leave her with her brother. When they were alone, Edward looked around her rooms with an air of distaste. He finally looked at her, swollen and aching and his face did not change. Without even saying a word, Edward made her feel like the small, pathetically useless girl she had been before Henry had noticed her.

"Jane" he greeted stiffly "I see we can be welcoming the King's son very soon now?"

"In a few more weeks. The midwives say that this has been a very smooth pregnancy" she offered hopefully. Edward only nodded.

"And your relationship with the King?" Jane looked down. "He continues to take mistresses, I see. You have allowed his heart to stray. You MUST keep the kings interest, Jane. You know how important that is" his tone sharpened and Jane flushed with anger.

"And how am I to do that? While I'm locked in here and as large as a whale? When he doesn't even visit me? Tell me, how am I supposed to entice him when I can't even get out of my bed? We knew he would take a mistress while I was with child-"

Edward cut off her angry rant "Yes. Yes we knew he would keep mistresses when you couldn't satisfy him" his sneer made her glare "but better it be that empty headed slut, Anne Bassett, than anyone who could hurt your chances! How could you let him back into that witches arms?!"

Jane gaped at him, completely forgetting her earlier annoyance. "What witch?"

"Anne Boleyn. I happened upon them the other night in the princesses nursery. I didn't actually witness anything physical, but they were standing too close to each other and I could feel the tension between them. I told you that woman was poisonous! You should have let the king kill her. Now she will always be a threat to you."

Jane's mind spun. How could Anne do this to her? Had she been stupid to trust the woman? Anne had always insinuated that she wanted nothing to do with Henry anymore-that she had always gone out of her way to avoid attracting his attention. Had that all been a lie? How foolish had she been to trust her. Of course Anne would do anything to hurt Jane-Jane had stolen her husband and her crown.

"What can I do" she gasped.

"Have a boy"

And with that cold response, Edward swept out of the room.