And once again, she was the subject of all gossip at court. Even though this feast was to welcome the new Spanish Ambassador, all attention seemed to be on Anne. She had consistently tried to not allow the whispers to bother her, but tonight she was having to rely on the wine to shut them all out. Her fury towards Thomas swelled again as she saw the sympathetic stares of the women as a man spoke louder than intended-guessing what she had done to piss the man off. Her delicate arms had been purple for the day, but the bruises had quickly faded. Now, they were practically unnoticeable. Thank God, she thought. I'm getting tired of these dour sleeves.
As the court finished their meal, the tables were cleared to make room for dancing. Anne glanced up at the high table, anxious for the rest of the night. Henry had seemed in a sour mood, though Anne was glad to see it had not taken too much of Jane's smile away. The pale queen looked very happy as of late and Anne was glad to see it. She assumed it had something to do with both of her brothers being away from court. She knew how much pressure they put on her and it must be nice to have a bit of a break. She only hoped the straying eyes of her husband and her brother Edward's return would not turn her pretty smile downward.
As if on cue, the music started and the king was off his throne, headed in her direction. Anne covered a sigh of resignation, sinking into a curtsy as she allowed him to take her hand. Henry had been rather obsessive after the altercation with Thomas Seymour. He had claimed her hand nightly for dancing and had forsaken all for her company, even his wife. After the first two nights, Anne had went to apologize to Jane, but the queen had immediately shrugged-telling her it did not bother her like it used to. Although it was sad to see her friend lose faith in her husband, it bore good tidings if Jane did not let Henry's wandering eye bother her. Perhaps she was better suited to be queen than Anne...
Henry led her out to the floor and they took their places opposite each other. Her nose wrinkled at the distinct smell of alcohol on his breath when the dance brought them close. Henry was a talented dancer, but in his inebriation, he was rather sloppy. His hand rested too heavily on her waist and his steps were not as quick as normal. Still, Anne made up for his lacking and no one else seemed the wiser.
After a few turns around the floor, the king seemed rather out of breath. He took her hand and started walking towards the outer chamber. Anne had no option but to allow herself to be led out of the room and sent a sympathetic look up to the queen. Jane was quite distracted though, laughing at some jest spoken by the ambassador. She didn't even notice her husband dragging his former wife from the public.
Once out on the terrace, Henry sunk into his own stewing. Was he still angry about Thomas Seymour? She didn't know why he seemed angry even at her though. All week he had been fevered with his possesion of her, but now it's like he demanded her presence, but didn't want to speak to her. Confused, Anne left his in his silence. They stood a few feet apart for a few moments before Henry sighed audibly. Anne turned to him.
"Your Majesty?" she prompted.
"Henry Percy is requesting an annulment." He stated heatedly.
What? Where on earth did that come from?
"Is he? Hmm..." she wasn't sure how to respond. Obviously, Henry felt threatened in this moment. So Anne stamped down any joy she felt from his words and kept her face solemn. "On what grounds?"
"Apparently he is claiming that the duchess has been infertile by choice." He spat, making Anne's eyes widen. "He wants to annul the marriage and send her to a nunnery." Now he was openly glaring at her. "Why do you think he would make this claims, Lady Anne" he spoke her title like a curse and Anne felt the ground shift below her. She was treading on thin ice here and she would have to be careful.
"I have no idea, Your Majesty..." she said tentatively and watched him sneer at her.
"It's not some...plot that the two of you formulated?" he snapped. "You fancy yourself a duchess twice over!" His voice was rising and Anne took a step from him.
"I made you a queen! Was that not enough for you" He finally lashed out, sounding heartbroken and angry. He moved towards her and gripping her arms. If it had not been for her healing bruises, it would not have hurt, but she felt a slight pain and winced. He immediately released her, looking horrified. "Forgive me, Anne..." his hands turned gentle as he rubbed the tender flesh and she took a deep breath.
"It's alright, Henry." she soothed him and he looked away from her. They sat in silence again for a few moments.
"I had no idea what is happening in the North, your majesty." she spoke steadily and he nodded, not even glancing at her. "What the duke does has nothing to do with me, I promise you." Although she spoke this easily, she couldn't help the doubts that flooded through her mind at this news. Hal was leaving his wife? Could it be because of her? Because he wanted her? And what was with the claims that Mary Talbot was wiping her womb clean? The information was making her head spin.
Determined to worry about it at a later date, she allowed Henry to walk her back to the hall. Watching him stumble, she hoped he didn't have such a terrible headache in the morning.