A/N: Slight trigger warning. This was rough.
Jane had noticed Henry's dark mood early in the evening and had promised herself she would not let it affect her. She had thrown herself into welcoming Senor De Silva to court. She felt sorry for the kind ambassador, to have the king is such a sour mood during the welcome feast, so she did all she could to make him feel appreciated. When the tables were cleared, she watched her husband walk directly to Anne. To be honest, watching the king swirl the lady around didn't even bother her like it used to. Jane had watched him chase several women now and she knew not to take it personally. In fact, her only true worry was for Anne. She was well aware how her friend was so conflicted with her feelings and that she had no intention of trying to win the king back.
So when the two returned from the terrace, Jane took in Henry's calmer manner and Anne's stricken face with a sweep of her eyelashes. She watched from the corner of her eye as the king left the hall and Anne rejoined the rest of the queen's ladies. Shortly afterward, with no king to prevail over the ceremony, the banquet was brought to an end. Jane accepted the Spanish man's bow with grace, offering her apologies for the king's absence. Although the ambassador handled the situation with tact, she knew he must be at least slightly offended by the king's neglect.
Later, when she was readying herself for bed, she was surprised by her usher pounding on the door. She threw on a robe and made her way to her presence chamber, coming face to face with her husband. She sank to a curtsy for her lord and master and was shocked when he rose her up and immediately pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her passionately for a moment, and Jane felt mortified, hearing her ladies scramble to give them some privacy. When they were finally alone, she forced herself to relax in his embrace. He had not kissed her like this in months-not since the loss of their son. When he had visited her, it had been treated almost like a duty. She had been hurt the first time, but with each time after, her heart had hardened. She knew what must be done. She knew the goals in mind.
The wine she tasted on his lips must have had something to do with this blatant show of arousal. That and the tension that had been palpable between he and Anne. Jane allowed him his ministrations, trying not to be offended that her husband who barely spoke to her earlier this evening would choose to come to her for release. It was when he started to push her robe off her shoulders that she started to protest. It was highly inappropriate that he disrobe her in this room, where anyone could walk in. But her resistance was ignored as he quickly undid the laces on her shift. She tried to push his hands away from her, but he roughly swatted them away, tugging on the silk. Apprehension spiked in her as the fabric tore, leaving her breasts exposed.
"Henry-" she tried, but was cut off with his lips pressing back to hers, even more aggressively than before. He roughly pulled her hands away from where she was desperately trying to cover herself and pushed her back until she hit the table behind them. Sweeping one strong arm over the table, he knocked some dishes to the ground and he hoisted her up. Now terrified, knowing that someone must have heard the crash of the dishes, she tried to shove her husband away from her. But she might as well have been a doll for all the good it did her. Henry ignored her movements and quickly tore the rest of her dressing gown from her body. As one hand held her in place on the table, the other tore the laces from his own hose. Tears prickled in her eyes as he entered her roughly, using her body without any sign of tenderness. It didn't last too long, thank God, but by the end of it, her body felt sore. A bruise would form where his hands were digging into her thighs and her core was unprepared for the sudden intrusion. Almost incoherently he laced his breeches back up and ran a hand down her shuddering shoulders.
Now that their coupling was over, the chill in the air sank into Jane's bones. The cold, hard table below her was less then comfortable and the draft had goose flesh break out over her exposed skin. The tears on her face felt like ice and she tried to discreetly brush them away. Henry turned away from her and returned with his cloak. He gently pulled it around her shoulders and lifted her from the table with care. He helped her into her privy chamber and pulled out a new nightgown. Jane allowed him to pull it over her head and turn down the covers. She moved woodenly as she crawled into her bed. She felt his lips press down on her forehead and then watched as he retreated from the room.
They hadn't spoken one word to each other, but she could still feel the burning from between her legs. She curled up into herself and felt new tears run down her face. She had gotten used to him coming to her and treating their joining as a duty. She had gotten used to watching him stare after every pretty new maiden come to court. She had even gotten used to him chasing his former lover and wife. But she didn't think she could ever get used to this blatant disregard for her feelings. He had used her without a single touch of tenderness. She placed her hands on her belly and prayed with everything that she had that she would finally be blessed with a child. Perhaps that would make him treat her kindly again.