A/N: Two updates in one day! I hope you guys forgive me for such a long absence. I really am sorry I left you all hanging this long. But, I thankthe-loststone, Guest, Robin4, SunRise19, dani-curtis-16, the-loststone, Guest, Robin4, SunRise19, dani-curtis-16, and vojtovicova . andrea and for all the great reviews on the previous chapter, and hope you like this brand new one.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors or any of the characters, Showtime does.
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Though it must be confessed that Henry had been disappointed to learn that his second child had been a girl at first, now he had reconciled himself with it.
Much like her older brother, little Elizabeth proved to be a strong child. By all accounts, both royal children thrived.
Little Edward's birthday would be approaching soon, and after settling the matter at hand currently, Henry resolved to begin preparations for the celebration at once.
It was to remind all in England and abroad that for the first time in decades, there was a prince in the royal nursery, the dynasty secure. Little Edward would one day become the next King of England.
The celebration would be nothing short of spectacular. King Henry wanted the world to know that Anne had given him what Katherine could not; a healthy, living son. And now, she had given him a a daughter as well. With God's help, the pair would grow into the finest prince and princess that Europe had ever seen. And when the time was right, Edward would rule England and Henry would find a match worthy of Elizabeth's hand.
He had considered entering into negotiations with King Francis. Given the Emperor's determination to remain loyal to his aunt, Henry had no intentions of entering any type of discussion with him. And of course, he knew of Anne's feelings toward an Anglo-French alliance. While it was his decision, it made his heart lighter to know that his wife would be positively predisposed toward the choice of her daughter being given to a French prince.
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As Anne cradled her baby daughter against her chest, she smiled as the babe cooed softly.
Unlike Edward, whom Anne knew she had to 'share' with the rest of England, little Elizabeth was hers. She knew that someday the baby girl would grown into a woman and Henry would seek an advantageous marriage for her, but there was still plenty of time for that. For now, the queen was content to hold her new daughter and lavish her with affection.
"Beautiful little one, isn't she?" a voice spoke.
"Papa," Anne smiled as Thomas Boleyn entered her apartments. "Yes, she is. The most beautiful in all of England."
"I've heard it on very good authority that the king has made peace with her being a girl," Thomas smiled as he took a seat opposite his daughter. "After all, you have already given him a son. Surely the birth of a healthy daughter is further assurance to him."
Anne flinched slightly. She knew her father's words contained no malice, but it still bothered her somewhat that Henry had reacted in such a way when Elizabeth was born. Anne had been disappointed as well, but she had quickly discovered that she absolutely adored her new little princess. The infant had stolen her heart and she had been certain that she would have done so with her father as well.
"Now now, sweetheart," Thomas reached out and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "There is no need to worry. This has made the king more determined to see that the Oath is widely signed and accepted. Doing so will ensure your son and daughter, as well as any siblings that follow them, will not be slandered as bastards. They are the trueborn children of the king, and they will be placed securely in the succession. Do you not understand? Elizabeth is a girl, but you have done in two years what Katherine could not in twenty. And you are still young, you have plenty of time to bear more children."
"And what of the Lady Mary?" Anne's mind refused to be completely soothed. She knew that this matter would likely upset her father, but she could not ignore the worry that plagued her.
"The king has forbidden the Imperial Ambassador to see her," Thomas smirked. "He suspects Chapuys is acting as a messenger for Lady Mary and her mother. Of course there is no proof, but he can't have them sending word to one another when the whole purpose was to keep them apart."
Anne clutched Elizabeth closer to her. She did not like Katherine, and truth be told there was no love lost between her and Mary either, but even she could not help but feel that Henry keeping mother and daughter apart for so long was cruel. She couldn't bear when Elizabeth was out of her arms for very long, she couldn't imagine not seeing her daughter at all.
Thomas sighed and shook his head in exasperation. Surely Anne wasn't feeling pity for her rival? Did she not understand this was necessary? If Katherine was denied the presence of the very daughter whose rights she claimed to be championing, it was only a matter of time before she conceded to the king.
Anne shouldn't be worrying about such things. If there was anything she needed to concern herself with, it was to make sure the next child she gave the king was a boy
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Alright, I hope you all enjoyed that brand new chapter. Short, I know. But I promise the next one will be longer and it will be out first thing on Saturday, February 20th. Until then, everyone.
