A/N: I know, I know, I'm the worst. But you guys don't know how hard it was to write this chapter! I don't even know why, all I know is that I couldn't capture the vibe I was going for, but I think I finally did it. Thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Solitude of Love

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

Chapter 10

Sometimes, Jane wished that she married a knight instead of a King, she loved her husband, she did, but she didn't know if he was worth all the trouble she had to go through. She knew Anne had taken Henry from Katherine, and she had taken him from her, but, did they really take him from someone else? Over the years she had gotten to know her husband, Henry wasn't one to let others choose for him, she thought he was easily manipulated, but she was wrong, he was far smarter than everyone thought, and if he did something it was because he wanted to. The difference between her and Anne was that Anne was the one to push Henry to take the final step and annul his marriage to Katherine, he was gonna get rid of her sooner or later, but Anne had been the catalyst. Instead, when he divorced Anne for her, she hadn't played much of a role, he was set on marrying someone else, she just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. She knew he loved her, but he certainly didn't show it as much as he had during their first year of marriage, he didn't visit her bed as often, but, more important than that, he didn't treat her the way he treated her before, he used to be gentle with her, kind, she could feel his affection was sincere, but over the years she started to notice that, even thought he still treated her with kindness, it was somewhat faked, and not because he was angry with her, worse, it seemed that he just didn't care anymore, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was getting tired of her. By the time she realized that Henry had changed, she wasn't really scared, she had given him what no one else had, a son, he wouldn't dare do something that would harm his heir, besides, he had kept Lady Ursula Misseldon as his mistress, and she knew he had no intention of changing that anytime soon, his feelings for the lady didn't reach those heights. Still, she decided that she needed to study the court's machinations, have powerful allies, and loyal spies. Before, she would've let her family handle it all, but they were the ones that put her in the very position she was in, it was time she had some power over her life, that's why, ever since she realized that things had changed in her relationship with Henry, she started to get involved more in the court's politics, she had a few trusted ladies and groomsmen, and they had helped her all through that process, and she couldn't be more thankful to them. She did it as precaution, in case Henry got tired of her, but she thought of it as a far-fetched possibility, she didn't really think he would divorce her, but of course, that changed the second she found out that Henry had summoned Anne Boleyn back to court, she wasn't stupid, she had seen the way he looked at her and the Duke of Suffolk when they were in Hatfield, with pure jealousy, what she didn't think was that he would act on his feelings, she had been naive enough to believe that he would forget about Anne Boleyn, as if Henry Tudor could ever do that. In that second she truly feared for her life, she was glad that Anne seemed willing to work with her to stop Henry from pursuing her, she was set on saving her marriage, or, at least, her life.

She knew that there were rumors about Henry meeting privately with Cromwell and her brothers didn't know if they were true or not, her spies had already confirmed that. At first she didn't know if the meetings had something to do with her and Anne or if they were related to the rebellion. It was a well known fact that Cromwell hated Anne, so he wouldn't help Henry as easily, but when Henry set his sight on some goal it was hard to stop him until he reached it. However, one of Thomas' groomsmen was one of her spies and had told one of her ladies that he overheard her brother talking to Cromwell, apparently he and the King had indeed met an were planning on going to war, why they didn't discuss such matters in a Privy Council meeting was beyond her. However, sounds of "Make way for the King! Make way!" Brought her out of her thoughts, and before she realized it, Henry had entered her chambers accompanied by her darling son and his youngest sister.

3 days had passed, and to Anne's surprise, she hadn't seen Henry since the feast he held in her honor. She had taken walks in the park, she had attended dinner in the Great Hall, she had walked through the castle, and he was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't help but be suspicious. It wasn't as if he was busy with the rebellion, according to Charles, the Privy Council hadn't met since the day of the hunt, so what was Henry doing? Of course, she heard rumors that said that he had been meeting privately with Cromwell, but she didn't know if they were true, no one did, and she was getting impatient, she needed to know where she stood with him, so, to say that she was annoyed, when Lady Jerningham found her and told her that the Queen and the Royal Children were waiting for her in the Queen's chambers, was an understandment, Henry didn't even have someone tell her that her child had arrived, she had to find out from Jane. God, that man was insufferable, she knew him, he was pretending she didn't exist, but he did that because he had an ace up his sleeve and he couldn't risk her figuring out what it was, for god's sake, she had known the man for 10 years and he hadn't changed a bit, her suspicions about him planning something were proven correct the very second the lady appeared at her doorstep.

She decided to go meet with Jane and the children as soon as possible, she was dying to see the kids, and it was also a great opportunity to talk to Jane. Se entered without making a noise and saw Edward sitting in Jane's lap and Elizabeth sitting next to them, they were all laughing at something Edward had said and didn't realize she was watching them, but, as soon as she got closer to them, the children looked at her and joyous smiles took over their features, the two ran towards her yelling "Mama!" and "Nan!" She kneeled and hugged them both as tight as she could and said "My darlings! I'm so happy to see you" as they stepped out of her embrace she said "Let me look at you!" she brought her hand to her mouth in shock and added "My God! You're both so big and beautiful"

Edward looked at her and asked "Nan, you're here for my birthday!" His tone showed his excitement at the prospect that his dear Nan was going to be present at his celebration, she had never attended his birthdays even though she gave him a gift every year after he and Lisbeth returned to Hatfield.

Elizabeth, too, was excited about her mother being in court for Edward's birthday, besides the fact that this was the first time her mama was back in court after her father married the Queen, she was excited because maybe this meant that her mama was going to attend her birthday celebrations too! She loved the gifts and the banquets her father held in her honor, but her happiest birthdays were those spent with her mother dancing or trying on dresses.

Anne smiled gently at them and said "I am! Aren't you excited?"

As Edward began to tell Anne all about how his father usually celebrated his birthday, Jane dismissed most of her ladies, she decided this was the perfect time to tell Anne what she knew regarding Henry and Cromwell.

Once the kids and Anne were done talking, Jane threw her a look that showed her need to speak with her, so Anne looked at Edward and Elizabeth and told them "Why don't you two sit here and play while I talk to the Queen?" The two did as they were told and Anne and Jane sat in a corner of the room, far enough from the few prying ears present.

Jane looked concerned, yet confused, as she said "I've been told that Henry and Cromwell have indeed been meeting. Apparently, they're planning to go to war with the rebels"

Anne was taken aback for a second as soon as she heard Jane say that, she was sure Henry was planning something regarding her and Charles, not this. Hadn't they just talked about how bad of a decision going to war was? Quite frankly, now she had more questions than answers. She shook her head and said "There has to be something else. Why wouldn't they discuss that with the Privy Council?" But as she said that, realization dawned on her, Charles was a member of the Privy Council, maybe Henry was planning something that did involve them and he couldn't let Charles in on it. She knew that, in Court, every move was though of, no one did anything just because they felt like it, especially Henry, there was more to those meetings. She just needed to figure out what it was.

Being the best friend of the King was not an easy job, Charles Brandon had to be an honest friend, yet an obedient subject, all depending on Henry's mood. So, he was not exactly thrilled when he was summoned to the King's office, especially given the fact that now Anne was between them, and that was probably why he was summoned in the first place. Henry wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted, even if it was at the cost of his best friend's happiness.

As soon as he entered the chambers, Henry looked up from some papers and exclaimed with fake excitement "Charles!"

Charles detected the fake enthusiasm in Henry's tone, so he just nodded his head and respectfully said "Your Majesty"

Henry smiled and waved his arm as he said "My dear friend, call me Henry" Then, faked confusion took over his features, he laid back in his chair and said "I haven't seen you around lately" He knew Charles had been seeing Anne, he had his spies.

Charles did his best to contain his annoyance. He really wasn't looking forward to having to endure Henry's passive aggressiveness, but he could play that game too. He smiled knowingly and said "I could say the same about you" it was true. Henry had practically been locked in his chambers the past few days.

Henry smiled too and nodded, he wasn't going to fight Charles about that, that's not why he summoned him. He signaled the seat in front of him and said "Take a seat" Then, he pretended to be thinking about something and added "You know, I never thought that you would end up replacing me with Anne, you two seem very close"

There it was. Of course he was going to bring up his and Anne's relationship. He ignored Henry's comment about replacing him, their friendship was never the same after Henry's marriage to Jane, Charles was done with the ploys and the games after they got rid of Anne, with her gone he was secure that she wouldn't threaten his position, his few enemies had been discarded and he had nothing to worry about, so he settled for living a more normal life, which meant distancing himself from Henry. At first, it was unintentional, but once he and Anne started getting along he did it consciously. In response to Henry, he opted for a shrug "We're good friends"

Henry faked confusion and wondered out loud "How did that happen? You used to hate her" Then, nonchalantly, and as an afterthought, he added "She certainly hated you" He was going to stop at nothing to get under Charles' skin, he wanted him to lose his temper and do something he'd regret.

However, Charles was aware of Henry's intention, so, he forced himself to calm down, even though he wanted to punch Henry, and shrugged again "I guess people change"

Henry was not a man of patience, Charles' attitude was starting to bother him. He acted as if he knew everything about Anne, when he didn't. He scoffed in response, he shook his head and, with a defiant look in his eyes, said "Anne Boleyn is not that kind of person"

Finally, Henry's façade was shattering, his overly-friendly and confused demeanor was gone, and he was showing his true colors. Charles suppressed the urge to smirk at his little victory. He crossed his arms over his chest and, equally defiant, told Henry "You don't know her anymore" It was clear the conversation was turning personal, at last.

Henry leaned forward in his seat and put both arms on top of his desk before saying "Tell me Charles, what makes you thing she's being sincere with you? We both know there's no other woman as power-hungry as her. For all you know, she could be using you to make me jealous"

Charles couldn't contain himself at Henry's comment, he let out a chuckle before he shook his head and repeated "To make you jealous?" amusement all over his tone. As much as he tried, Charles couldn't treat Henry as his King, not today. Apparently, Henry wasn't thinking about that matter either.

Henry's face changed in a matter of seconds. He looked down, as if he was thinking about something, and then, with fake concern, said "Charles, you need to stay away from Anne"

Charles was sure that if Henry had been an actor he would've been the most acclaimed one of all of Christendom. His ability to change his expressions had always stunned him, it was no exaggeration that Henry was known for changing according to how he wanted to twist a situation. But Charles was not going to fall for that, he challenged him "Why?" his tone dripping anger.

Henry's answer was a short sentence, but his voice was filled with rage "Because she's mine" This was no longer about provoking Charles, this was about what was his.

Charles clenched his fists so tight that he was sure his nails were going to cut through his skin, but if he didn't do that, nothing would stop him from punching Henry. He simply said "If she was still yours she wouldn't be marrying me"

As soon as the words left Charles mouth, Henry felt like someone had stabbed him. He didn't know if he was more hurt over the fact that Anne wanted to marry someone else, or over the fact that that someone was Charles. He stood up and went to the window, as he looked outside, through gritted teeth, he said what he wanted Charles to understand, and what he himself needed to hear "That woman will never love anyone as much as she loved me and you know it" He then looked at his former best friend and said "Leave" he couldn't bare the sight of Charles Brandon any longer, he was going to make sure that he wouldn't marry Anne, no matter what it took.

Anne decided against having dinner at the Great Hall, she needed to think about what Jane had told her. She was sitting in front of the fireplace when someone opened the door and entered her chambers, her face lit up when she realized that that someone was Charles. As he got closer she stood up, and once he was in front of her she hugged his middle and buried her head in his chest, he hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. Yet, despite his comforting presence, she could feel that he was tense, she grabbed his face in her hands and, with concern, said "What is it, love?"

Charles sighed deeply, after his fight with Henry he went directly to her and hadn't stopped to breathe, unfortunately, that also meant that he could feel a headache just setting in. He stepped out of her embrace, put a hand on his forehead and said "Henry confronted me about you"

Of course, Henry wouldn't talk to her but he would fight with Charles. Why did he have to bring Charles into all of this? She was her own person, she made her own decisions, and there was no way he could charm his way to her heart again, he should know that. But no, he had to take it out on Charles and make everything more complicated. Yet, she tried to control her anger, she reminded herself that she needed to think with a clear head if she wanted to be smarter than him, so she asked Charles "What did you tell him?"

Charles rubbed his face with his hands and matter-of-factly said "To put it simply, that we're going to get married"

Anne tensed up as soon as she heard him, she didn't think he would tell Henry about them, let alone about his proposal, they hadn't agreed on that, why on earth would he do it? And without discussing it with her first?! She turned to him and angrily said "You did what?"

Charles was taken aback, he knew she was upset about the situation with Henry, but was she directing her anger at him? He didn't want to fight with her, but he was not in the mood to deal with her blaming him for Henry's doings. In a mix of confusion and anger he said "Are you angry?" spitting out the last word.

Anne could see the change in his demeanor, but she didn't care, he owed her an explanation, he couldn't blame her for that! He was the one complicating everything. Her tone of voice revealed her frustration as she said "Charles, why would you tell him?"

Charles' anger only grew, what was it with her? He was fighting for them and she was angry? As he waved his arms around and his tone of voice rose, he said "Are you listening to yourself? He was acting like you belong to him, he said you were his! What did you expect me to do? Say 'Yes, Your Majesty' and leave?"

Anne understood what he was saying, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was the one who had to deal with Henry, why couldn't he understand that? Her tone also increased when she replied "No! But I was the one who should've told him. This is between me and him!"

He yelled at her "No, Anne. This is between me and you!" he paused, exhaled as he shook his head in disbelief and, looking right into her eyes, said "You just can't stay away from him, can you? Not even when you're marrying me" his tone, much lower than before, held a note of resignation.

Anne huffed, why didn't he understand her? This had nothing to do with his fears of losing her to Henry, quite the contrary actually, her tone also dropped in volume as she said "Charles don't start with this again"

Charles' eyes filled with tears of frustration as he realized that she just didn't get his point, he pleaded with her to understand him "This is you and me, Anne! This is you and him. His presence is always going to loom around us, how foolish was I to think any different."

Suddenly, she was taken back to the past, to a time when she said almost the exact same thing to Henry about Catherine "It's always been me and him, I've always dealt with him on my own, I was not expecting you to-"

Charles interrupted her and said "To interfere?" When she didn't answer he took a deep breath and added "Look, Anne. I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone, but I'm not going to be second best to Henry Tudor, not with you. I'm done with this" and turned to walk to the door, a hint of defeat in his tone.

Anne took a step back and with questioning eyes asked him in disbelief "What do you mean you're done with this?"

Charles opened the door, turned to Anne, shook his head and said "It'll always be you and him and you know it" He shut the door behind him and left. To the untrained eye he would seem normal, but Anthony and George, who were walking down the hall, noticed his mood right away. But before they could ask him about it, Charles angrily said "Leave me alone" and kept walking.

George and Anthony looked at each other, worried looks on their faces. George shook his head and said "I knew this was going to happen, Henry is never a good idea"

To start Edward's birthday celebration Henry had planned a joust, the whole Court was in attendance. Anne was sitting with her ladies watching the events unfold, George was participating in the joust, so he couldn't sit with her, and Elizabeth sat in the Royal Box with Henry, Jane, Edward and Mary, it was the first time Mary was seen publicly at an event Anne also attended and everyone was aware of that, but they were more interested in the fact that Charles was not asked to participate in the joust and yet he and Anne were sitting as far from each other as possible. Henry also noticed, so he decided to test something, he sent one of his servants to fetch Charles and, once he arrived at the Royal Box, he told him "Charles, I didn't ask you to joust?" feigning surprise, as if the events of the day before hadn't happened.

Charles resisted the urge to roll his eyes and through gritted teeth answered "No, Your Majesty, you did not"

Henry kept his act and slapped his hand on his leg and said "Oh, what a shame!" turning to Edward he said "Edward, wouldn't you have liked to see the Duke of Suffolk jousting?"

Edward, innocent as ever, couldn't see that he was a pawn in his father's game. He really liked the Duke, he always played with him when he visited Hatfield with his Nan, he wanted to be like him when he grew up, so he answered "Yes papa! Can he do it?"

Henry smiled triumphantly, shrugged, and said "Well, only he can answer that"

Edward looked at Charles and full of hope asked "Will you, My Lord?"

Charles couldn't help but smile, he couldn't deny the kid anything, even if it was at the expense of doing what Henry wanted him to do. Besides, perhaps jousting would do him good, playing sports always had a way of relaxing him, so he said "Of course, Your Highness" and left to put his armor on.

Charles had to joust against Thomas Seymour, when it was their turn they had to ask a Lady for their favour and Charles found himself at a crossroads. If Anne would've been okay with him telling Henry about their marriage he would've asked for hers, confirming everyone's suspicions once and for all, but he couldn't do that now. And yet, he understood that Henry wanted him to joust to see this very thing, if he didn't ask for Anne's favour Henry would think that it was because he was staying away from her, as he had told him to. So he decided to do something that wouldn't appease Henry's doubts, his actions wouldn't confirm, nor deny, anything. As Thomas Seymour asked his wife for her favour, Charles headed to the Royal Box, kneeled before Elizabeth and said "Your Highness, would you do me the honor of giving me your favor?" with a soft smile on his face, that everyone could see was sincere.

Elizabeth smiled widely at him, she stood up, with grace and elegance beyond her years, and said "Of course, Your Grace" as she untied the ribbon around her wrist and tied it around his lance.

As he watched the events unfold, Henry was filled with rage. Charles wasn't satisfied with taking Anne from him, he also had to take his daughter! He turned to Cromwell, who was standing on his right side, and motioned for him to lean closer. Once Cromwell did that, Henry whispered in his ear "We'll go to war, and the Duke of Suffolk will lead our troops"

A/N: So, what did you guys think? We got a glimpse of Jane's thoughts, Henry and Charles fought, our babies fought, and CHARLES IS LEADING THE TROOPS, WHAT?