A/N: Honestly, I'm still blown away by the response this story has gotten, as always, thank you so much. I promise I'm gonna finish it, I don't know when, but I will. Remember, if you'd like to see something happen, let me know!
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 11
After the jousts ended, all the courtiers moved inside to the Great Hall. Henry wanted to have an outdoor celebration, but October was already too cold for that. So he settled for having the servants arrange the tables in one side of the hall, while the other side served as a place where Edward, Elizabeth, and their friends could play, it wasn't often that kids were let into Banquets, but this was Edward's birthday, he and his friends had to be there. Front and center was the dance floor. Once again, to the surprise of everyone, Anne and Charles sat as far away from each other as possible. Everyone knew the day was going to be eventful. It was Edward's birthday, Jane Seymour's son, and they didn't know how Anne would take to that, they hardly knew anything of her life after the divorce. Also, it was the first time that the Lady Mary and Anne Boleyn were in the same place in a very long time. And to top it all of, the last time they saw Henry and Anne together, she stormed out on him. And now, now it seemed that the Duke of Suffolk and the Marquess of Pembroke didn't want anything to do with each other as well. No one could deny that whenever Anne Boleyn was in court things were more than interesting.
She didn't want to admit it, but not having Charles by her side left her with an odd feeling. However, she firmly decided against thinking about him, she couldn't deal with those thoughts today, so she settled for watching the people around her. Suddenly, she felt like she had felt all those years ago, when her marriage to Henry was ending. She felt alone. Since she left Court new people arrived, people that only new the story of Anne Boleyn, they didn't know her. To them, she was almost a myth, and for that very same reason they didn't dare approach her. So, no, she didn't have as many enemies as she did all those years ago, but she was surrounded by people who preferred to admire her from afar, as if she was some sort of untouchable being and not a person just like them. However, in the crowd of faces she found a familiar one. Mark Smeaton was a few feet away, he had just finished playing some music and was on his way to her. She smiled instantly at the sight, she'd be lying of she said that she didn't miss Court, especially the few friends she still had there.
As soon as Mark got to her side he bowed his head, he grabbed her hand and kissed it, and said "My Lady" his voice betrayed his happiness at being in her presence once more.
Anne couldn't stop smiling at him, she said "Mark, I've been meaning to talk to you, but these days have been eventful" as she motioned for him to sit next to her.
Mark smiled in understandment and said "Oh, I know. Rumors have been flying around ever since you stepped foot in here" Sometimes he couldn't help but feel for the beautiful lady in front of him, scandal and gossip seemed to follow wherever she went, it seemed that she simply couldn't catch a break. He knew she had loved the attention all those years ago, she wasn't one to shy away from the spotlight, but he had seen her downfall first hand, and he knew that she didn't want to relive that ever again. If he had to guess, he'd say that she wasn't the same Anne Boleyn that left Whitehall 3 years ago. It was a shame, truly, that she found herself in this position again, especially when, apparently, she didn't want to be in it.
A smile crept its way into Anne's face and she shrugged as she said "Well, I'm not the scandal of Christendom for nothing"
Mark could see that, despite the wisdom that she had acquired over the years, the same fire of her youth remained. He laughed heartily in response and said "Well, I got to give that to you, My Lady"
Anne kept a smile on her face but she turned somewhat serious, she grabbed one of Mark's hands in hers and told him "But enough about me, how are you?"
And that was the thing about Anne Boleyn. People loved to talk about what a selfish person she was, but Mark had never met a woman of her station that cared about her friends and family as she did, without wanting anything in return.
While Anne and Mark discussed life, Cromwell noticed that Thomas Seymour was standing next to one of the pillars of the Hall alone. Since he was out of sight he made his way to him. He casually stood next to him and, as he scanned the crowd, said "We're going to war and the Duke of Suffolk is leading out troops" a glint of happiness in his eyes.
Thomas Seymour simply smirked in triumph before raising his goblet in Cromwell's direction and downing all of his wine. However, what neither he, nor Cromwell, realized, was that Lady Elizabeth Jerningham stood on the other side of the very same pillar they stood next to and she had heard their whole conversation. But that wasn't a coincidence.
A few hours prior Anne was sitting in her chambers deep in thought as Nan did her hair for Edward's birthday celebrations. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on with Cromwell and Thomas Seymour, there was something suspicious about the way they acted, like they were keeping a secret. She needed to find out what it was, but she couldn't do it herself. Suddenly, she looked at Nan through the mirror and told her "Nan, please ask one of the grooms to fetch Lady Elizabeth Jerningham for me. Tell him to tell the Queen that I wish to send her something in congratulations for her son's birthday"
Nan's expression revealed her puzzlement, but she still did as her mistress asked. While she did that, Anne opened the trunk that carried her jewels. Amongst them there were a few that Henry had gifted her, back when they were courting, but she couldn't get rid of them, they still meant a lot to her, they reflected a very important part of her life, besides, she couldn't give Jane one of those, Henry would know immediately, after all, he had a very good memory. Amongst her jewels there were also a few items that she designed when she was Queen and some others that she had ordered been made during her time in Pembroke, it didn't matter that she no longer lived in Court, Anne Boleyn was not one to dress poorly, no matter where she was. After inspecting most of her jewels she got out a golden brooch adorned with emeralds and a pair of pearl earrings adorned with rubies. She closed the trunk and went back to her seat, just as Nan returned and finished doing her hair.
A few minutes after Nan was done with Anne's hair, Madge entered the inner chamber and said "My Lady, Lady Jerningham is waiting for you"
Anne thanked her and made her way to the outer chamber. Once she saw the child curtsying she told her "Rise, Lady Jerningham" with a gentle smile on her face. Once Elizabeth did as she told her, Anne got closer to her and looked into her eyes as she said "I need you to do something for me"
Seeing the look on Anne's face and hearing the seriousness of her tone, Elizabeth understood the importance of the situation. A solemn expression took over her features and she was quick to assure Anne "Anything, My Lady" She deeply respected the woman in front of her, despite, or perhaps in spite, of what everyone else said about her. So, if she was asking her to do something important, she was going to do it, no matter what.
Anne smiled and, internally, sighed in relief, she knew the kid wasn't going to say no, she couldn't, but the fact that she actually seemed willing to do anything that she asked of her was proof of the her loyalty to her. "Today I need you to keep a close eye on Secretary Cromwell and Baron Seymour. I don't mind much of what they do on their own, but if you see them talking I need to know what it is that they're talking about"
After a moment of registering what Anne was saying, Elizabeth simply nodded. She decided it was best not to ask questions, she'd just do as she was commanded to. She saw Anne opening her palm and she realized that she had been holding something in her hands the entire time.
Anne gave her the brooch as she said "I sent for you with the pretense that I wanted to give the Queen something, you can't go back empty handed, can you?" before laughing.
Elizabeth laughed with her and said "No, My Lady. I can't" as she grabbed the piece of jewelry.
Suddenly Anne turned serious, but a gentle smile remained on her face. She stretched out her hand to give Elizabeth the earrings and said "These are for you. I can't thank you enough for what you're doing for me"
Elizabeth's eyes went wide as soon as she saw the earrings, she had never seen something so beautiful, she had never owned something so beautiful. She shook her head as she said "My Lady, I… I can't accept them" She simply couldn't take something that expensive.
Anne smiled as she grabbed Elizabeth's hand, put the earrings in her palm, and closed it. Still holding her hand in hers, she said "You can and you will"
Elizabeth didn't know why Anne wanted to know what they were talking about, but as soon as she heard the words that came out of the Secretary's lips she understood the urgency of the situation. First of all, she guessed that no one knew that the King had decided to go to war, otherwise she would've heard rumors about it. So, that in itself was urgent news. And second, she was aware of the rumors flying around about Anne and The Duke of Suffolk and, even if they were merely friends, the prospect of him leading the troops had to be worrying for her. She couldn't wait to tell Anne of her findings, but when she looked for her, she found her deep in conversation with the Court's musician and she realized that there was no way she could talk to her without gathering at least the Queen's attention, after all, she had left her side with the excuse of fetching water, it was about time she returned.
Despite everything that was going on, Jane was happy. Her son was turning 3 years old and she was there to see him grow up. When she gave birth to him she was sure that she was going to die and that was her biggest fear, not being able to be part of her son's life. She knew how much his father would pressure him to be great, after all, he was his only male heir, and she also knew that her siblings would be just as hard on him, if not more. She was extremely thankful that God had given her the chance to be there for him as only a mother can.
Henry turned to her and seeing the smile on her face he smiled too. Then, he grabbed her hand said "My Queen, are you happy?" He sure was. His son was as happy and healthy as ever, he was sure that the Royal Army was going to defeat the rebels, and he was sending Charles away from Court, and from Anne.
Jane turned to look at her husband and said "Yes, Your Majesty. Our son is quite the charmer" as she stifled a giggle. She had been watching Edward lead his friends around, they all seemed to be entranced with him. In that sense, he certainly was his father's son.
Henry smiled fondly and said "He sure is" as he went back to watching their son. Just in that moment he saw Edward running towards Anne, who was sitting talking to Mark Smeaton, as he yelled "Nan, Nan!" He couldn't help but notice how most of the Court stopped what they were doing to watch the scene, and he realized that no one knew how much Edward loved Anne. However, he didn't mind what the Court thought, but he found it intriguing to find out how Jane felt about it all. Without looking at her, he said "He certainly has taken a liking to Anne" careful not to let any emotion show through his tone, only amusement.
Jane couldn't help the smile that graced her lips the second she heard what Henry said. If he had told her the same thing a few days ago she would've stayed quiet, but now things were different. She was grateful to Anne for agreeing to help her, and now she understood that it was better for her that Edward was in Anne's good graces, he needed all the support he could get. She knew that many were going to side with him because he was the future King of England, but when it came to Anne, she could be sure that her support was honest. Besides, whether she knew or not, Anne Boleyn still held a great deal of power, it was best for her to have her as an ally, not an enemy. But Henry didn't need to know that, so she simply said "He has. And with good reason, she has been very kind to him"
Henry was stunned into silence, he was sure that Jane hated Anne and would not like that she and their son had such a good relationship, but it seemed he was proven wrong, Jane, as always, saw the good in everything. He couldn't help but be reminded that he married her for that very same reason. He smiled and brought her hand to his lips.
Hearing Edward call for her was like music to Anne's ears, she absolutely adored the child. As soon as he got close to her, she smiled and said "My Lord, calm down. Look how you're sweating" as she ran a hand through his face and cleaned the sweat from his forehead, the child had been playing for so long that his face was red and he was panting for air, but the smile didn't leave his face. Anne grabbed a goblet with water and gave it to him as she said "Here, sweetheart. Drink some water"
After Edward had drank all the water his face turned serious and he said "My Lady, my friends say that I'm not brave enough to ask the prettiest lady here to dance with me. I was going to ask the Queen, but they said she doesn't count, since she's my mother" although he was trying to keep his tone a whisper, he failed, and almost the whole Court could hear what he was saying, because, even though the music and chatter remained, most of the courtiers had quieted down to pay close attention to the exchange between the Prince of Wales and Anne Boleyn. Most of them tried to stifle their laughter at the boy's behavior, they could see he was trying his best to act as a young man and not a kid. It was an entertaining sight to say the least.
Amusement took over Anne's features and she also had trouble containing her giggles. She said "You're asking if I would like to dance with you, Your Highness?"
Edward nodded solemnly and said "Yes, My Lady. You're almost as beautiful as my mama" Some of the courtiers smiled fondly at the kid as he said that, they were charmed by his innocence.
Anne smiled widely at him and said "You flatter me, Your Highness. It would be an honor to dance with you" as she stood up, grabbed his hand, and let him lead her to the dance floor. Once there, he motioned for her to kneel down to his level and, as soon as she did that, he whispered something in her ear and she nodded. She stood up and hoisted him up in her arms, the rest of the Court laughed good naturedly at the sight. Edward had a way of making everyone smile and forget about schemes and machinations for a while. Besides, in his innocence, he showed everyone a side of Anne Boleyn that not many of them knew of, her motherly side. It was quite the sight, especially because he was the son of her rival. Perhaps the former Queen was not as mean as everyone painted her to be. Or perhaps she was using the young Prince for some other goal. That was what Mary Tudor thought, after the way Anne had treated her she couldn't think of her as a nice woman that would show such love for the son of her rival, she certainly didn't do that with her, her step-daughter. She was an evil woman, willing to do anything in her quest for power. However, Mary couldn't help but doubt, because, either Anne was a very good actress, or she was being sincere. And she didn't want to believe the latter. She couldn't shake the memories of the treatment she and her father inflicted on her and her mother. Before, she was sure that she had poisoned her father's mind, making him act that way, but she had gotten to know her father again and she could see that he did what he wanted. Yet, that was such a painful thought to her, that her own father would discard her and her mother, just like that, that she refused to believe it. And yes, she had seen the way Anne treated Elizabeth, and Edward was a lovable child, but it just didn't fit in her head the image of Anne Boleyn acting out of pure kindness. Perhaps she had changed over the years, she didn't know the details, but the rumors told that the last year of her marriage to her father had been hell on earth for her. Maybe she did have a heart, at least Mary hoped she did, for Edward's sake. But even if he loved her and she him, Mary couldn't forgive her, she had destroyed her and her mother's lives, whether actively poisoning her father against them, or not.
Charles was watching Anne and Edward dancing when he was approached by a beautiful blue eyed Lady. He couldn't deny that he had had quite his share of wine trying to get Anne out of his thoughts, so he was more than a little inebriated. He couldn't help but take in the Lady's looks as she said "Your Grace, I couldn't help but notice that you haven't danced all evening and neither have I"
Charles nodded in response and asked "What is your name?" a little harsher than he intended to.
The woman smiled amused. She could see that the Duke was in a sour mood, maybe by the end of the night she could help him relax. After all, she needed a reason to stay at Court, the Queen only had place for her sister, Anne, in her household. Perhaps she could get the Duke of Suffolk interested in her instead "I'm Katharine Basset, My Lord"
Charles nodded once more and looked to the dance floor just in time to see Anne and Edward finish their dance. However, as Edward ran to his friends and Anne was about to return to her seat, the new French ambassador in England approached her and, apparently, asked her to dance with him, Anne threw him her most charming smile as she laced her arm through his. Charles was filled with rage. He drank the rest of his wine, stood up, grabbed Lady Basset's hand in his and led her to the dance floor, where more couples stood waiting for the music to begin. However, the dance required them all to switch partners at one point or another, and, a few minutes into the dance, Anne and Charles found themselves dancing together against their own will.
Anne had seen the way Charles danced with the Lady and to say she was jealous was an understatement. By the time they had to dance together she was seething with rage, but she promised herself that she wouldn't lose her temper. She wasn't going to engage in a fight with him, he was free to do as he pleased.
However, it seemed that Charles had other plans, for he smirked at her and said "Cat got your tongue?" as he encircled his arms around her as the dance required, it amused him greatly that she was clearly jealous.
Anne could see that he had had a bit too much to drink, yet, he wasn't drunk, he was aware of what he was saying. When the dance required for them to separate she did it more harshly than she should have as anger lit up her eyes and she said "I see you have not changed, Your Grace. You're still the same manwhore I met all those years ago"
Charles laughed loudly and, before returning to his original partner, whispered in her ear "But now you love me"
What Charles didn't take into account was that Anne wasn't one to let others have the last word. She figured that 2 could play that game, so she was a bit more flirtatious than usual with the French Ambassador and she made sure that Charles noticed it, making eye contact with him a few times and willing him to look at her. She couldn't help but smirk when she noticed that he was fuming with jealousy. When they had to dance together again he grabbed her waist harder than necessary and she smirked and said "What got you so upset, Your Grace?" as sweetly as possible.
They had to stand in front of the other and Charles said "Anne" with a warning tone.
Anne matched his tone as she rose and eyebrow and said "Brandon" clearly defying him.
Charles had to return to Lady Basset's side to finish the dance. But he was reminded of all the times during her courtship and marriage to Henry when she had referred to him by his last name. It infuriated him, he knew he was right when he thought that she could be the cruelest person in the world if she wanted to, but he'd be damned if he didn't also love that about her. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't attracted to her when he first met her all those years ago. Perhaps he had hated her so much because he wanted her, but she had her sights set on Henry, just thinking about it made his blood boil. As the dance ended, he was tempted to get out of there with Lady Basset, to hurt Anne as much as she hurt him, but he simply couldn't. He loved her too much for that. Instead, noticing that the tune of the music had changed to a more romantic one, he went over to where she stood, having parted ways with the French Ambassador, and, as he extended his arm to her, said "Madam, would you dance with me?"
Anne seriously thought about refusing him, but she was aware of the courtiers' eyes on them. They tried to pretend that they weren't looking, but they failed miserably, at least to Anne's trained eye. So, she laced her arm through his and let him lead her to the dance floor once more. However, the tension between them could be cut with a knife. It seemed that their past had finally caught up to them, they had lived blissfully in love for a few months, before Jane and Henry turned up at Hatfield. But now that she was in Court again, all the hatred they had towards each other all those years ago was resurfacing, but now it was more complicated, for they loved each other. After all, as they say, there's a fine line between hate and love. It was only a matter of time before they clashed, because, yes, they had grown up and changed, but they couldn't change who they were. And they were two passionate beings at heart. All that had happened the last few days was bound to put a strain on them, how they got over that would direct the course of their relationship. There was no doubt about it.
They didn't say anything to each other for the duration of the dance. They communicated through movement, he grabbed her hips forcefully and she dug her nails in his shoulders whenever he had to twirl her around. Not once did they lose eye contact and, slowly, rage and jealousy turned into desire and love. The dance ended and they stood facing the other, their chest's touching as they breathed heavily. Charles whispered "What do you think your former husband would say if I kissed you right here?" lust was evident in his eyes, but there was also a glint of rage in them as he remembered her feelings for Henry.
Anne's eyes hardened. She hated that he had to bring him up, and she wanted nothing more than to show him how much she wanted him, not Henry. She didn't say anything, she just bowed to him and went back to her seat. All the way acting as if she had danced with just another courtier, though her eyes revealed a much different story.
Charles didn't know of he wanted to kill her or marry her. The effect she had on him was much stronger than that of the wine. He willed himself to calm down and pretend that nothing had happened. He danced with a few more ladies, chatted with Anthony and George about trivial matters, and, after a while, left the Hall.
Anne tried to ignore Charles for the reminder of the evening. She played with Elizabeth and Edward, and chatted with the Scottish Ambassador in England. However, when she saw Lady Bryan approach Elizabeth, Edward, and their friends, she had her out. She stood up and went over to them. Once she reached them, she said "Lady Bryan, let me take Elizabeth to her chambers"
Lad Bryan went to protest "But, My Lady, you should be enjoying yourself"
Anne smiled at the older woman and said "I think we both know that I would enjoy more getting my daughter ready to sleep" She cherished the few times she got to be with her darling child, she wouldn't change that for the world.
Lad Bryan simply smiled and nodded in response, she knew that Anne didn't have the chance to see her daughter as often as she would've liked, so she understood her. She and the other maids got the kids out of the Hall as Anne grabbed Elizabeth's hand and followed close behind. Anne helped Elizabeth out of her dress and into her nightgown, she brushed her hair, and put her to bed. The child had so much fun that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Anne kissed her forehead and left. But instead of going to her bedchambers, she went to someone else's. Since everyone was still at the Hall, there was no one near, so she didn't bother with knocking, she simply opened the door and entered. She had not finished closing the door behind her, when a pair of strong arms pinned her to it and kissed her roughly. She kissed him back just as hard and moaned when his hands grabbed the back of her legs and wrapped them around his hips. They stopped kissing to breathe for air and she looked into his eyes and said "Brandon" with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. It only made him kiss her harder.
A/N: Let's recap:
- How awesome is Elizabeth Jerningham?
- I wanted to show a bit more of Jane's thoughts. Also, we saw Henry act lovingly towards her, so, his love for her is definitely not dead, maybe just forgotten.
- We also got a glimpse into Mary's thoughts. She still harbors hard feelings towards Anne, but she saw a different side of her.
- Last but not least, it had been bugging me for the longest time the fact that we hadn't seen Anne and Charles treat each other they way they did when she was married to Henry. Of course, they're older and wiser now, and they love each other, but their past was bound to caught up to them. Luckily, it only made them want the other more than they already did.
I wanted to add more, but I decided to leave the rest for the next chapter. It'll probably be up on Friday. Remember to tell me what you think and I'll see you soon!