A/N: I know I have once again delayed the update, and I do apologize for that. Nevertheless I am pleased to see that you all are enjoying the story so far, and I hope you will continue to do so in the future, starting with this new chapter. Thank you to KitKatssie, QueenAnneTudor, Robin4, Child of Dreams, Guest, tricorvus, Secret-writer91, and MonicaOP for the awesome reviews on the previous chapter, with an additional thanks to Secret-writer91 for the additional review on chapter 2.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors, or any of the characters, Showtime does.

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Anne ran her hands through the soft hair adorning Edward's head. The dark hair was becoming more pronounced at the infant grew, as were the features that he had inherited from the king.

And while Anne was grateful that no one could dispute the boy's parentage, she still loathed the idea of him leaving her so soon.

With a heavy heart, the new queen gently guided her son's head to her breast once more, knowing it would be the last time she would be able to feed him herself.

...

Anne sighed as she took her ease in her chamber.

Bidding her son farewell as he was taken from Whitehall to Windsor had left her feeling emotionally spent, particularly as Anne has done her best to mask her true feelings and hide her tears.

But now that she was back in the relative privacy of her own apartments, the queen collapsed into a chair and allowed the tears to flow forward.

"It's going to be alright," Mary murmured soothingly as she wrapped an arm around her softly weeping sister. "Edward will be perfectly safe, and Lady Bryan will be there as well."

This did indeed bring some comfort to Anne, after all Lady Bryan was family and so she would be duty-bound twice over to protect the young prince.

"I know it's silly of me to get so upset over this," she sighed as she wiped her eyes. "I just fear that Lady Mary will either try to hurt Edward or have someone do it for her."

"The king would never let that happen," her sister assured. "Nor will Lady Bryan, and I doubt the Lady Mary would want to face you should she even think of doing a thing to harm your child."

At this, both sisters began to laugh.

"You are right," Anne said, wiping the last of her tears away. "The king has waited so long for a son, he would never leave Edward's safety to chance. And I don't believe Mary is stupid, she would know that as well."

...

Mary steeled herself as the carriage stopped. They had arrived at Windsor.

Just a fortnight ago, the young princess had been told that not only was she forbidden to keep further contact with her mother, she was also expected to 'acknowledge' her parents' marriage as an incestuous and therefore invalid union, which ultimately would strip her mother of her title as queen and Mary of hers as princess. These were the cruel orders her once doting and loving father the king had given.

But in her heart, Mary knew she could never obey this. However much she loved her father and would indeed do anything to please him, as she knew her mother would as well, neither of them could ever yield in this matter. To do so would mean calling Katherine a liar and stating that her first marriage to the king's brother Arthur was consummated, when it had not been. Had it been, her virtuous mother would not have even dreamed of marrying her dead husband's brother.

Mary was angry. This was just another way the king was trying to justify his tryst with that whore Anne Boleyn. He was now so desperate to please the woman that had borne him a son, that he was prepared to do anything. Even humiliate his true wife and their legitimate daughter. Now to rub salt in the wounds, he was forcing her, the Princess of England and at one time the future heiress to the throne, to attend upon a bastard. A royal one yes, but a bastard nonetheless.

"Lady Mary."

The young girl was pulled from her bitter thoughts by an equally bitter-looking woman clad in all black clothing.

Mary offered no reply, earning a disappointed sigh from the woman.

"I am Lady Bryan, the prince's governess," the woman said a bit haughtily, "I shall oversee all matters of the household. You, along with the others here will of course tend to the prince's needs wherever is necessary. You may go to your quarters and your duties will begin in the morning, right after prayers."

"I shall say my prayers alone," Mary spoke fiercely.

"Mind yourself, Lady Mary," Lady Bryan warned. "The king will be informed regularly of the goings on here."

"Then pray nothing in the reports will be displeasing to him," Mary replied with the faintest hint of a smirk.

As Lady Bryan glared at her, Mary stared back defiantly. She was the true Princess of England and the only legitimate heir to the throne, and she refused to let a relation of Anne's try to bully her into pretending otherwise.

Her strong and brave mother Katherine had stayed strong and so would she.

...

Thomas Boleyn smirked as more messengers rode out, carrying with them copies of the Act of Succession. Soon, every subject in England would have to either swear by the Oath, or pay the price for treason.

Already the king's former chancellor, and longtime friend, Sir Thomas More, had made himself quite a nuisance, supporting Katherine and Mary's cause, as well as trying to hinder the Reformation. But now, the man was being held in the Tower for his failure to acquiesce to the Oath. Not even his friendship with King Henry had prevented him from being seized shortly after his arrival at court.

The man had an iron will, that much couldn't be denied, but he didn't seem to realize in addition to placing his own head upon the chopping block, he might very well place those of his family right alongside it.

Then of course there was also the matter of the Lady Mary. When he had gone to her residence to inform her she was no longer permitted to call herself a princess, nor could she remain in contact with her mother, the Dowager Princess Katherine, who still foolishly continued to claim the title of queen, despite the unnecessary misery it caused her and her daughter.

On one hand, the Earl of Wiltshire admired the Spanish princess's tenacity, he also knew that the king wouldn't take too kindly to it. After all, the Duke of Buckingham had tried to stand against King Henry, and paid a heavy prince for it.

Katherine and Mary had better pray they didn't follow his path.

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Alright, I hope everyone enjoyed that brand new chapter, and the next one will be out on Monday, May 4th. Until then, everyone.