A/N: Alright, I know this is super late, and I do apologize. In the meantime, I do thank QueenAnneTudor, BraveHeartMaid, KitKatssie, Guest, Magnificent Lady Anne Boleyn, Red-blooded woman, Guest, and tricorvus for the reviews on the previous chapter. And an additional thanks to tricorvus for the additional review on chapter 1. Enjoy this brand new chapter, everyone.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors, or any of the characters, Showtime does.
...
When she received the news, Katherine felt as though she had pitched herself headfirst into an icy lake.
Anne had won…her rival for the king's heart had achieved all…
For over a decade, Katherine herself had endured a string of pregnancies, closely followed by miscarriages. That is, until God had seen fit to give her the blessing that was her beloved Mary. And what a blessing that sweet baby girl had been, and was still, even though Katherine had not seen her dear child in several years now. The Spanish Infanta was certain that her lovely little girl had now grown into a beautiful young woman, a true princess. For that was indeed what she was, and what she had always been, no matter what the king said now.
But now there was no chance that Henry would ever reconcile with Rome or return to Katherine. Anne had given him a son, the son he had craved so desperately. This would be more than enough proof for him that he had done the right thing in discarding his wife like worn cloth.
Katherine sighed heavily. How could things have gone so wrong?
Now what was to become of her? Of Mary? They might still have the love of the people for now, but with the birth of a son, how many would continue to swear fealty to their queen and princess?
…
"My sweet, precious boy," Anne cooed softly as she kissed the forehead of her beloved son for what must have been the hundredth time in the span of his short life. "I love you, my darling and I pray you never forget it."
She then noticed that Edward was squirming a bit more than usual, a sure sign that he was hungry.
"What are you doing?" Henry asked as she guided Edward's head toward her breast.
Anne frowned.
"May I not feed him from my own body?" she asked indignantly.
"Queens don't do that," Henry said, but his tone was gentle.
Anne's scowl only grew at this.
"I am a queen, but I am also his mother," she said in an equally gentle tone, but her eyes were now blazing defiantly as she waved away the hands of the wet-nurse who attempted to take the prince from her. "And he will benefit a great deal more from milk from his own mother than that of a stranger. It will make him stronger."
Henry looked displeased and for a moment, Anne found herself worried that he would shout at her.
But he did not.
The king let out a sigh of apprehension before forcing himself to smile.
"Perhaps you are right, sweetheart," he said after a few moments. "And we want to ensure our boy grows up to be healthy and strong."
Anne nodded and returned her attention to her son, who was now nursing contentedly, oblivious to the tension between his parents.
There was no doubt in Anne's mind that Henry had only consented because their child had been a boy. Had she given Henry a daughter, he would have insisted on adhering to tradition and allowing the girl to be given to a wet-nurse.
Nevertheless, she acknowledged that while it was a small victory, it was a victory nonetheless.
…
"The whore has delivered of a bastard son," Brereton hissed. "Princess Mary is worth a thousand bastard sons!"
"Take care, my friend," Chapuys warned. "Enemies are everywhere, more than ever now. Thomas Boleyn has spies everywhere, all of whom would be pleased to report anything that could be construed as treasonous. And were Boleyn to bring it to the king's ear, the king would feel compelled to mete out punishment."
"I cannot believe he persists in this madness," Brereton said, a bit more softly this time. "Continuing on in this farce of a marriage while his true queen and the princess languish in exile."
"I fear for now we must all be patient," Chapuys frowned, silently wishing with all his heart that the queen and princess did not have to suffer such humiliation all to pander the vanity of an over-reaching harlot.
"I cannot be patient," Brereton stood up. "I was given a task and I intend to see that I complete it. By any means necessary."
The manic gleam in the man's eyes should have alarmed Chapuys, but it did not. If anything, he felt a sense of admiration for the man who was clearly dedicated in his purpose.
"May your efforts be successful," he said as the pair went their separate ways.
…
"The prince will soon be given his own establishment at Windsor."
Anne looked up from her precious son to her husband.
"Already?" She asked softly, clutching the sleeping babe closer to her.
Henry could see the troubled look in her eyes and while a part of him was a bit irate, he still smiled.
He shouldn't be surprised at Anne's behavior. She was not royalty by birth after all. And though he found some of her new demeanor to be a bit surprising, he was nevertheless pleased to see that she was proving to be a loving mother.
"Among others, the Lady Mary will attend on him."
Anne immediately stared at her husband, her face pale and her eyes wide with horror.
"Katherine's daughter?"
"Yes, Katherine's daughter," Henry answered. "She will no longer be able to claim the title of princess, as she never should have had it in the first place. It is only fitting that she learn her place."
"I do not want that girl near our son," Anne stated. "How can you be sure that she will not attempt to harm him?"
Henry's smile quickly twisted into a frown.
"She will not harm Edward, and she will be placed in his household."
This time, Henry would not pander to his wife. She would realize that she would not dictate the aspects of their son's upbringing, nor question the wishes of her husband, whom she was sworn to obey.
Seeing that her anger was getting her nowhere, Anne's tone softened as she looked into the king's eyes.
"Henry, please, I'm only-"
"The matter is settled," he interrupted before turning to exit the room, leaving behind his stunned wife and their sleeping son.
After Mary learned her place in the world, Henry was certain his wife would understand why he did these things; Mary had to learn that she was not a princess and that Edward was the true and only lawful heir to the throne of England, and would remain the only one until Anne gave him a little brother.
His wife, his obdurate daughter, and the woman to whom he had never truly been married. In time, they would all see.
...
Henry smiled down at the parchment.
At last, it was done. The Act of Succession, which stated that any and all of Henry's children by Anne were the only true legitimate heirs, and every subject in England would be given the opportunity to prove themselves to be good and loyal to their king and of course their royal family. For those who stubbornly clung to the delusion of Katherine and Mary being his lawful wife and daughter, there would be a steep penalty. After all, treason was treason.
"We shall see how many of our subjects can claim true fealty to us," he stated as he turned to Cromwell, who nodded.
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
Though he knew some would still object, Cromwell was hopeful that the birth of Anne's son would be enough for the time being to sway the people, at least the majority, to accept the changes that would come to pass. After all, many years had passed since the realm had had a true-born prince. Surely this would be a sign to the people that the king's new marriage was just the beginning of what could very well be a golden age for England.
As Henry pondered these matters as well, he began to think of a boy who had not entered his thoughts for quite some time; little Henry Fitzroy, who had passed not long ago.
But for his bastard son by the Lady Bessie Blount, Henry might never have realized that his farce of a marriage was just that, a farce. He might have continued to live in sinful union with his brother's wife, and continue to face punishment for it. And had he fathered no legitimate sons, there was no doubt in his mind England would descend into chaos. After all, for all of Mary's talents, which her mother never ceased to remind him of, she was still only a girl. What would prevent her from either being used as a pawn for someone else's ambitions, or even worse still, England dividing in yet another civil war.
No, he did love Katherine, but she had been his sister by law, not his wife. He told himself he loved her still, but he would not continue on in such a relationship and risk England suffering for it all so her daughter could be queen. And had Katherine had her way, Mary would have been married to Emperor Charles by now, which would have resulted in Spain being the true ruling power even in England. For all of her claims that England was her home, Henry knew that Katherine never truly shifted her loyalty from Spain. It would always be her homeland and so she would always place Spain's, and her nephew's, interests above that of England.
Anne on the other hand, cared nothing for the Spaniards, preferring an alliance with France instead. While Henry was not overly fond of Francis, the wounds to his pride from the Field of the Cloth of Gold still feeling fresh, he also knew that while Anne's fondness for the French came from her growing up in the French court, she would not do as Katherine had and place French interests over English.
...
"How could he do this?"
Anne paced about her outer chamber, still astounded by her husband's determination to place his daughter, and Katherine's, in her son's household. What was to stop the girl from harming her little half-brother, believing that if the boy were no longer a concern, her father might restore her. After all, now Henry was the head of both church and state matters. In short, he could do whatever he pleased.
"Anne," Thomas Boleyn took his daughter's hand and guided her to the seat beside his own, just in front of the fire. "The king is doing this to ensure the girl understands she is only a bastard and will receive no favor except that which he chooses to bestow upon her. This will also prevent her from going among the people and attempting to stir their sympathies."
"But she will be near my son!" tears were forming in Anne's eyes, and in spite of himself, Thomas Boleyn felt his heart grow heavy. He had not been as affectionate toward his children in the last few years, but as he sat before his younger daughter, who was always doing her best to present herself as bold and strong, he could see that now her mask was lifting, exposing the vulnerability beneath.
"Sweetheart," he clasped her hand slightly, astonishing himself as well as Anne, if the look on her face was any indication. "The king is not doing this to hurt you, or your child. In fact, this is the perfect way to also see that Mary does not harm Edward. She will not be the only maid there, there will be plenty of others, and should she even attempt to harm the prince, her treachery will be revealed. In fact, I will personally see to it that if such a thing were to occur, within a fortnight all of England will know that their once beloved 'princess' would be prepared to go to any lengths to return to her previous station."
"And who is to say the people will not perceive it as justice?" Anne demanded.
Thomas sighed. For all of his attempts, poor as they were, to alleviate his daughter's fears for her child, they only seemed to trouble her further. Even still, he smiled.
"I am sure that even the most devoted of Katherine's supporters would rather see your son on the throne than a girl who will drag the country into war," he stated. "No one wants another civil war, and they certainly don't want a foreign monarch to come and have sovereignty over them, and had Emperor Charles married Lady Mary that's precisely what would have happened. And Lady Mary is little more than her mother's puppet, she will only do what she believes her mother wishes. But in time, she will learn that she is not a subject of Spain, but of England. And Edward is healthy, that is a quality that I'm told Lady Mary has never possessed."
Anne looked into the flames of the fireplace, but said nothing.
"The people will already see your healthy son as a sign of favor upon your marriage," Thomas assured her. "Should you give the king a second son, it will only convince them further. After all, two healthy young princes are better than one sickly bastard daughter."
"You speak as though you forget we're still surrounded by enemies, Papa," Anne said softly.
Thomas smiled wryly and placed a hand beneath his daughter's chin, making her look up at him.
"Everyone who is not us is an enemy," he stated quietly before placing a kiss on her forehead and taking his leave.
...
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I do hope everyone enjoyed this. And the next chapter will be out on Monday, February 24th. Until then, everyone.
