Edited 1/15
It was not until she was back in her rooms that she realised what she had done. Her attendant was still fast asleep at the bottom of her bed none the wiser that Anne disappeared. So not to disturb her, Anne gently sat on the closest chair and put her face into her hands.
What use had it been to confront Henry? Even if he did believe her innocence, he would not stop the investigation now, it was only a matter of time before the guards came to arrest her.
And for the Duke of Suffolk to walk in! How he must have loved to see Henry pinning her against the wall. The vile man was probably looking forward to her execution. There was no doubt in her mind that if he told his bitch of a wife then the whole court would be aware of last nights events by morning.
Alas, there was nought to be done now. With shaking hands, Anne poured herself a goblet of wine and drained the cup.
She had gone too far this time. And though she would never admit it to another soul, she was terrified.
Mentioning Elizabeth had a mistake, a foolish mistake. While Anne would gladly die if it guaranteed Elizabeth's safety, and maybe even the chance for her to be Queen, the words had been spoken to anger her husband. She may have public support for a while, but her death and the anger it would bring would be forgotten eventually. Elizabeth would need support from others when she was a woman who would help her to be a fine Queen, not support that would dwindle before her third birthday.
There was little chance of Elizabeth becoming Queen. And selfishly, she did not want her daughter to grow up without her. Elizabeth was the one good thing that had come out of her marriage, she wanted the chance to watch her daughter grow into the beauty she was destined to be.
The thought brought tears to her eyes. Elizabeth was too young to understand. While others may tell her that her mother loved her dearly, she would be too young to have many memories of her. She would not understand why her mother could not be able to see her anymore.
Even if Henry could find no way to make Elizabeth a bastard and was still considered a Princess, her legitimacy would still be questioned by other monarchs and the Catholic Church, but her position would be even worse than before. Princess or not, she would still be considered the child of a traitor and a whore. Henry would barely be able to tolerate her, look at how he had treated the Lady Mary whose mother had only ever loved Henry. How would he treat his other daughter whose mother he believed to be a whore? Nobody would dare speak up for Elizabeth because of who her mother was, not even her family. Her father and uncle would distance themselves from the whole scandal in hopes of not falling with her.
Anne drained another goblet of wine. She could already imagine her father's plots to gain more titles, but this time involving Elizabeth. The thought made her sick to her stomach. What kind of world would Anne be leaving her sweet daughter in?
The tears finally escaped her eyes trailing softly down her cheeks. How ironic it was that three years ago Henry had been prepared to go against the Pope, betraying all of his religious beliefs just to make her his Queen! And when he finally placed the crown upon her head he wanted to remove it with a blow to the neck! She was going to be remembered for centuries; whether people pitied her or laughed at her, she did not know.
Where had her sweet Henry disappeared to? Was he still in there, underneath the cold front he put on when in her presence? Did he look at Jane Seymour the way he once looked at her? It broke her heart to even think of it. Anne did not doubt that he was infatuated with the girl, but she would never hold his attention for long. If she was to be Queen then she would have to be crowned quickly, because Jane Seymour had no hope of keeping a King's attention for years as she once did.
It had taken her a while to understand Henry's infatuation with the girl. Jane Seymour was pretty, but so were many girls and Henry did not want to make his wife. No, Henry thought himself in love with the girl because she was the complete opposite to his current wife. Sweet, quiet and obedient.
Things that Anne could never be.
For all her bravado when she argued with Henry, Anne was terrified. She was not afraid to die, she would go to her death with the dignity of a Queen. But she was afraid of never seeing her daughter again. Anne once told Henry that she would only ever be unhappy if he ever stopped loving her. At the time it had been true, even now, after all of the pain he had put her through, she still loved the man who had courted her.
But now she would be happy if it meant she got to keep her life.
Anne angrily wiped her face cursing herself for being weak. No, the man who had courted her had disappeared a long time ago, and she would have to come to terms with that. The monster who was preparing to sign her death warrant was not the man she loved.
She hated him with every fibre of her being.
She vowed that these would be the last tears she shed over Henry Tudor.
For over twenty years the Queen's chambers had been occupied by Katherine of Aragon. Anne could remember the rooms well when they were finely decorated with Spanish furnishings from the time she had been a lady in waiting to Katherine. The rooms had always seemed dark and suffocating. Perhaps it only felt that way to Anne because she knew what she was in love with the Queen's husband and would never feel comfortable around the woman. When Katherine was banished from court in 1531, it was not long before Anne was living in the Queen's chambers. Although Anne was not crowned for a further two years, she was Queen in everything but name.
Anne quickly saw to the rooms being redecorated in her favoured French style with even grander furniture than Katherine's. Though she would never admit it to anyone else, Anne never felt truly comfortable in the Queen's chambers. They would always be a reminder that Katherine was once acknowledged as Queen and Henry's true wife, and even in her death people still considered her the rightful Queen. No matter how much Anne redecorated the walls or changed the furniture and linens, the rooms had never really belonged to her. They would be used again by whoever her predecessor was and many times after that, just like the Queen's jewels, they were never truly hers.
She was just a number in a long line of women who would reside here.
Over the next three days, Anne wondered what the chambers would look like next. Mistress Seymour would most likely be the next Queen, so Anne thought that considering her never leaving English soil and was not well educated, the rooms would be plainly furnished. Plain rooms for a plain girl.
Anne wondered how many of her ladies were loyal enough to her to refuse to attend the next Queen, the one who was taking her place. Anne knew that Nan, her faithful friend who had been by her side even during the King's courtship, and Madge, her cousin, would be loyal to her. Some may have been loyal to her, but their families may tell them to serve the next Queen, and then others maybe glad that she was getting discarded for someone else. Anne was not naïve to think that all of her ladies were loyal to only her, she didn't doubt that given the opportunity some would be willing to spill their guts on any information her enemies could use to bring her down.
Anne wondered what court would be like after she was gone. Would it be a warmer place like it had been when she arrived, or was Henry so far gone that the cold atmosphere would still be present when she was not? Which courtiers would celebrate the fact that Anne Boleyn was finally gone, and which courtiers would mourn her death?
Anne wondered about many things during her wait for the guards to come.
But they never came.
Anne almost thought that Henry was being despicably cruel by making her wait. Each second that crept by felt as though an hour had passed. She froze when she heard footsteps coming to her chamber, wondering if now was the time. She tried to keep herself and her ladies busy so that they would not be watching her all the time. If any of them knew what was coming then they hid it well. They passed the time learning the latest dances, by sewing more clothes than ever before to hand out to the poor in the day and having gatherings with her remaining friends in the evenings.
On the fourth day Anne had had enough. If it had not been for Nan's gentle but firm reasoning, she would have gone to Henry's rooms again and to demand to get this over with.
Nan had naively thought that he had changed his mind about the whole matter and was content to leave her as Queen. Anne was not as hopeful. When she mingled with the court she could feel the stares boring into her back from some of the King's closest friends who would be privy to what he was up to. She thought that Henry was most likely trying to find a way around annulling their marriage before she died without causing further scandal among the common people. Anne smiled grimly. Her words concerning Elizabeth's future had truly affected him.
She sent for Elizabeth to come to court that morning knowing that it may not have been the best idea for her to be around unfriendly courtiers at this time, but she had to see her daughter. If she rode out to Hatfield, she feared that some would think that she was trying to escape England. The thought did not cross her mind, for where was she to run to? She had no allies, no powerful friends.
She was alone.
She was reading in the gardens absorbing the sunshine when she heard the familiar shout of "Mama!"
Anne rose abruptly and turned to her daughter, her book quickly forgotten. Elizabeth was running to her as fast as her little legs could carry her. Quickly forgetting formal ceremony, Anne ran to her daughter and lifted her into her arms, revelling in the child's delighted giggles.
Anne always wondered why Katherine had fought so hard when Henry wanted his annulment, and it was not until she had given birth to Elizabeth she began to understand. She did not doubt that Katherine fought because she believed that their marriage was lawful and that she was indeed Queen, but Anne now thought that most of her fought for Mary's rights.
From a young age Mary was the heiress presumptive and was told that she would one day be Queen from a young age, it must have been difficult for Katherine to realise that there was a good chance that Mary would not become Queen once she was recognised as a bastard. Anne had been impatient and could not understand why the woman did not make things easier for herself and her daughter by not fighting.
Even now, if the roles were reversed then Anne would stand down in order to protect her daughter from her father's cruelty, even if she had to give up the chance of becoming Queen. But now Anne could understand why Katherine did not stop fighting. If she held out long enough, then she may have thought that Henry would realise his mistake and come back to her and proclaim Mary as a Princess again. The thought was a foolish one. Henry was not a man to admit he was wrong, and he would always want a son and proved how far he was willing to go to get one, regardless if he hurt his wife and child in the process.
Katherine died alone and in poverty whilst her daughter served Elizabeth in Hatfield. A lesson that Anne had come to learn over the years of being Queen was that Henry would always love himself more than anyone else.
Whilst Anne would go to her death with an easier heart if it meant that her daughter was going to be safe and had a chance at becoming Queen one day, Anne feared that this was not the case. The Lady Mary still had many supporters that would not be happy to see Elizabeth still as a Princess, and even may try to get rid of her when she was older to make way for Mary to the throne.
Once Henry had died and left no male issue leaving the throne to Elizabeth, Mary might even form a rebellion against her. She may claim to love her sister now, but Anne did not doubt that Mary would be ruthless in her attempt to take the throne.
Regardless, she knew that the chances of it happening was slim.
The Seymour family was well known to sympathise with Lady Mary and would take the opportunity to persuade Henry to reinstate her as a Princess and into the line of succession. Henry could be very volatile at times and always let his emotions rule his decisions. He could decide to declare Mary legitimate any time and declare Elizabeth a bastard if he pleased. With Katherine dead, he would not have to return to her so he could marry whom he wished, there was nothing stopping him but his pride. Anne's death would have been for nothing if he declared their daughter a bastard.
What kind of future would she have without Anne there to guide her? With Anne's death, all of her estates and title as Marquess of Pembroke would go to the crown leaving Elizabeth with nothing, especially if the King refused to acknowledge her as his daughter. It was too risky, a risk Anne could not bare to take. No, whilst Elizabeth may have a chance to become Queen with her death, it did not guarantee her safety.
This was what she could not understand about Katherine's decision. Why continue to fight a battle that you have already lost? Katherine should have told her daughter to yield to her father's demands for own safety. Henry had once said that he would try her for treason if not for the fatherly affection he has for her. Anne did not doubt that if she did not sign then Henry would do just that eventually once his patience ran out. She may not have become Queen, but she still could have been safe and happy, which was what Anne wanted for her daughter. Being a Princess or a Queen was just a title, and Anne had learnt these past few years that there were more important things in life than a fancy title.
Anne kissed the little girls cheeks and cried, "My Elizabeth! How I've missed you!" Anne held her closer and smiled. "You have gotten so big, my darling."
Although she tried to see her daughter as much as she could, there were times when she did not see Elizabeth for months. Each time that she saw her, Elizabeth had grown so much. Two months ago her daughters hair was pure blond, now her hair was darkening with beautiful shades of red beginning to show. At under three years old, Anne could still manage to hold her daughter in her arms, though she was significantly heavier than the last time she held her like this. She craved for a time when Elizabeth would be too big to swing around anymore, and knew that it was unlikely to ever happen.
"I missed you too, Mama!" the child giggled holding onto her mother's neck tighter. "Lady Bryan said that I'm a big girl now, and she said I get to start my lessons when I'm three!" Elizabeth said smiling proudly.
Tears filled Anne's eyes as she looked at her daughter's beautiful innocence. To be excited to start her lessons and she would never see it! She would not see her third birthday! Anne had to bite her tongue to stop the tears from flowing. She spared a glance at Lady Bryan and said with a thick voice, "You may leave us, Lady Bryan." The governess curtsied and left her young charge with her mother. Anne dismissed her two ladies impatiently ignoring their curtsies. She wanted to be alone with her daughter. Being royalty meant that she never had any privacy. One could never be truly alone, and Anne could count the times on one hand when she and Elizabeth had been left alone together.
"Why are you sad, Mama?" Elizabeth asked quietly, her smile dropping. She didn't understand why her Mama was not happy. She was starting her lessons, she wanted to be as clever as her Mama was so she was very eager to learn. She maybe a big girl now but it upset her to see her Mama so sad. "Did I do something?"
Anne forced a smile onto her face and quickly reassured her, "I am not sad, my darling. Mama was just being silly, you did not do anything." The toddler looked far from convinced so Anne said, "Shall we go and walk by the ponds? We could look at the swans and see if we can spot any fish."
Elizabeth smiled widely and held onto Anne's neck tighter. "I love swans! But I only want to go if you carry me Mama." She maybe almost three, but big girls still needed to be held by their mamas sometimes.
Anne's grip tightened around her daughter. "I wouldn't have it any other way sweetheart."
Since Anne was a small child she always loved to be outside. She loved the feeling of the sun on her skin and the gentle breeze against her face in the summer. Before she was sent away to the Archduchess of Austria's court, Anne would spend many days playing in the gardens with George and Mary, even her father when he came back to Hever. Other times she was content to sit with a book outside for hours. When her father was away at court, Anne used to love to play in the rain. Her nursemaid would be furious when she would return sometime later dripping wet and covered in mud.
Elizabeth seemed to have inherited the same trait as her mother. As her daughter leant over the water fountain looking for fish, occasionally pointing out the odd fish which swam past and clapping in delight, Anne knelt on the ground, for once not thinking about her expensive gown, keeping a firm hold on her. It was for her own sake as well as Elizabeth's. The child could fall in if she got overexcited, which Elizabeth got very often, and leant too far over.
But more than anything she needed to feel her daughter close to her. She needed to smell the sweet scent of childish innocence and cherish the memory of it.
The gardens were deserted which was surprising on a warm spring day, though Anne was glad for the privacy. It was as if the whole court thought that she needed to see her daughter for a few hours in peace without the scornful gossip that followed her everywhere.
It was most likely the last time she would see her.
"Mama! Look Mama a fishy!" Elizabeth clapped exuberantly and turned in her mothers arms. Her smile vanished and was replaced by a sad frown when she saw tears trailing down her Mama's cheeks. "Mama? Why are you crying?"
Anne touched her cheek gently, surprised to feel wetness upon her face. She smiled sadly at her daughter and shook her head. "It is nothing, my precious girl. Mama was just thinking about something sad."
Elizabeth frowned unhappily. Her Mama should not be sad. She should be happy like she always was when Elizabeth visited. She reached up and touched her Mama's face with her chubby hands and wiped the tears away and solemnly said, "Don't be sad Mama, I'm here!"
Anne closed her eyes in despair. How was she supposed to explain to a two and a half year old child that she was sad because this was likely to be the last time they would see one another? She pulled Elizabeth closer to her and stood up. "I am the most happy when you are here, Elizabeth. Never forget that."
Mother and daughter stood locked in their embrace for sometime. Anne did not bother to open her eyes when she heard footsteps, but her body did tense. Not now, not with Elizabeth here.
Anne reluctantly opened her eyes when she heard a throat being cleared. She expected guards to be there to take her to the tower, so seeing the Duke of Suffolk standing alone took her by surprise.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness" he said respectfully bowing low, though Anne thought that Charles Brandon did not respect her in the least.
When Henry had been courting Anne, he did not seem to hate her as he did now. The Duke even seemed to support Henry in his quest for a divorce. When her father told her that Brandon had allied himself with them to bring down Wolsey in exchange for bringing him and his first wife, Margaret, back to court, Anne hoped that Brandon would have continued to help her become Queen. He would have been a good ally to have. As the King's closest friend he always had the King's ear, Brandon would have been able to strengthen the King's resolve to get his annulment. Alas, her hopes died as soon as Wolsey fell from grace.
The Duke distanced himself from the Boleyn's and the Howard's as soon as Wolsey was in the ground. Anne knew Margaret, Henry's sister, did not approve of her, and often wondered if it had been her influence that caused Brandon to despise her family. But when she died and he married the newest bitch Catherine Willoughby, his hate deepened. Anne knew that the girl was not a friend to her, her mother had been a lady in waiting to Katherine and would no doubt be loyal to the woman. Her hatred of Anne was not a secret at court, and quite possibly told her husband to destroy Anne whenever the opportunity came. Henry began asking her advice on important matters, not Brandon's. He suggested to Henry that Anne had been Thomas Wyatt's lover, which resulted in the Duke's banishment. That had been a time when Henry had loved her more than anything in this world and would have defended her honour to any man, even his best friend. When Brandon returned he seemed to have learnt his lesson on questioning her virtue, but that did not stop the looks of loathing he sent her way everyday.
When Anne became Queen, she treated the Duke with indifference until she began to fall from Henry's favour. Anne knew that Brandon was a dangerous enemy to have. When something went wrong between the royal couple, Brandon was always there whispering something scornful in Henry's ear to anger him further. As her influence over Henry declined, his increased.
There was no doubt in Anne's mind that Charles Brandon had played a part in her downfall.
"Your Grace," she replied coolly.
"The King wishes to speak with you."
Anne raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "I did not realise that delivering messages was the duty of a Duke, Your Grace." Anne almost smiled when she saw his face contort in anger before turning back into a smooth mask. She looked down at Elizabeth and smiled reassuringly. "I must go and see your Papa, my darling girl. How about we look for Lady Bryan sweetheart?" Elizabeth nodded happily and motioned to be put down. Once she stood steadily on her feet, she took her Mama's hand and turned to walk away.
"That is not necessary, Your Majesty. I can escort Princess Elizabeth to her nursery-"
Anne laughed shortly without sparing him a glance. "With all due respect, Your Grace, but if you think I am about to leave my daughter with you, then I may have overestimated your intelligence."
Brandon's jaw clenched in suppressed anger and Anne relished in it. "His Majesty made it clear that he wished to speak with you right away, Your Majesty. I am perfectly capable of seeing the Princess to her nursery."
"I am sure you are, Your Grace. If Henry has you acting like his errand boy, I'm sure that you would have no objections to playing nursemaid to his child as well, " Anne replied as she towed her daughter away. She met Brandon's gaze and raised a condensing eyebrow at him. Elizabeth's curious eyes burned holes into her, but she ignored her. "But I would like to see my daughter there myself-"
The Duke followed her and wrapped a hand around her arm and pulled her to a stop. He leaned down and for an absurd moment, all she could think about was how blue his eyes were. She had never spent much time thinking about Charles Brandon, only to think of him as Henry's lapdog. But in that moment, she noticed just what it was that caused all of the ladies at court to fall over themselves to get him into their beds.
"My God, woman!" he hissed, his cool breath caressing her cheeks. His hand tightened around her further. "It is not as though I would harm the child!"
Not looking away from the Duke, Anne let go of her daughter's hand. "Elizabeth, go and sit on the bench please."
"Why?"
"Because I am asking you."
"But Mama-"
"Now, Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth frowned unhappily, her Mama rarely raised her voice at her and she did not like it when she shouted like that. It must have been the mean man who upset her. He would not do as Mama said, and everyone must do as her Mama says because she was the Queen. Elizabeth scowled at the Duke but made her way over to the bench.
Once she was out of earshot, Anne embraced her anger. "You forget yourself, Your Grace. Who do you think you are, Your Grace, to speak to me in such a manner? I am still your Queen and you will address me as such."
She yearned to strike him across his face for everything that was happening to her. She did not want to have to pretend that everything was okay in front of her daughter and her ladies all of the time, she needed an outlet for her anger and pain, and the Duke of Suffolk was the only person who she could unleash her anger on. She knew that he hated her, she knew that she had not behaved accordingly in the past, but surely they were not reasons for her to be put to death.
"As long as my head is still attached to my neck you will treat me with the respect I deserve, is that understood?" Anne laughed harshly. "Then again, thanks to you and the rest of the King's lapdogs I'm sure that it will not be long before I am a head shorter. But until then, Your Grace, I suggest that you learn some manners." Brandon's hand fell from her arm in surprise. She regarded his speechless form coldly for several minutes and when it appeared he had nothing to say, Anne huffed impatiently and turned away from him.
His large hand caught her arm once again before she could move.
She looked back at him in surprise as he quietly said, "I never meant for this to happen."
Shaking her head sadly, Anne did not doubt the his sincerity, but it meant nothing to her now. "Tell me, Your Grace, what did you think would happen when you whispered your poisonous lies into the King's ear?" When she got no answer, Anne shook his arm off of her and ignored the tightness behind her eyes. She would not cry in front of this man.
"Save your apologies," she said softly. "They mean nothing to me."
"Come along Elizabeth," she called. Elizabeth took her mother's hand in silence and tried to keep up with her quick footsteps. She turned back to look at the gardens but her attention was caught by the mean man who was watching them walk away.
Henry Tudor was not a patient man. The only time that Henry was willing to be patient was during his courtship with Anne. He was determined to honour her by waiting until they were married before sharing her bed, and though they gave into their passion a few months before they were married, Henry had waited seven years for her.
When Anne gave birth to Elizabeth instead of the son she promised, his impatience got the better of him. He needed a son, and he could not wait long for one. Anne had only given him another daughter, whose legitimacy was questioned, and two miscarriages. Surely it was a sign from God that this union was not a true one. Anne may still be able to have children or she could be barren, but no matter how much they had once loved one another, Henry was unwilling to take the chance of being married to a woman who may never give him a son.
He had done once before. He could not afford to do it again.
"Her Majesty the Queen," his herald announced, shaking him from his thoughts.
Anne walked in alone with her head held high before sweeping into a curtsy murmuring, "Your Majesty." Henry noticed that she walked with a confidence that had been missing from her step for the last couple of years. She looked like a Queen, beautiful, confident and graceful. Henry almost felt guilty for what he was about to do.
He offered her his hand helping her up from her curtsy, something he had not done in years. Anne masked her face into a smooth mask and snatched her hand away as soon as she was standing. She reminded herself that just because he occasionally chose to act like the man she fell in love with, he was not him.
This was the man who would see her to his death in his quest to have a son.
The silence was tense as husband and wife regarded one another. Anne could not believe that things were going to end like this. If someone had told her three years ago that she was to die for being unable to give the King a son, she would have laughed. She understood that Henry wanted a son to secure the Tudor dynasty and Anne was sure that she could give him a son, she was still sure that she could give him one eventually, but she was never given the time. She had naively believed that Henry loved her more than anything, and would wait as long as he had to for his son.
The only thing Henry loved was himself.
Maybe her father had been right, maybe she should not have let herself fall in love with the spoilt King. If Henry took lovers would she have cared if she had not loved him? But how could she have not fallen in love with him? He was everything she dreamed about as a girl, the passion and love that she craved. Would she have survived being married to someone she did not love?
Anne collected herself and regarded him coolly. He seemed to understand she would not speak to him, after all, what more was there to say?
"I do not believe you are guilty of the allegations made against you," Henry said, his voice formal as if talking to a stranger, not the woman he loved for ten years. "It pained me deeply to hear the rumour of your behavior, however I had to have these allegations investigated. After our… discussion I looked into the evidence myself and after hearing you speak of it, I realised that you could never have taken a lover. You will not stand trial, you shall live," he spoke softly, as it she should be giving him thanks for not letting her die.
Anne wanted to laugh. Why should she give him her gratitude for sparing her life when he had no reason to condemn her to death in the first place?
She knew that his words held no truth. Anne was sure that when Cromwell told him of her supposed behavior that Henry was grateful for a way out of their marriage. He wanted her to be guilty. Anne knew that her words about Elizabeth and the people's reaction had affected him. She realised the reason why the guards never came was because he could not find a way to make Elizabeth a bastard and kill Anne without causing a public outcry, not because Henry changed his mind and wanted to give her another chance.
Part of her hated herself for still hoping that Henry still loved her, but a bigger part of her hated him.
Anne looked away from him in disgust and murmured quietly, "Your Majesty is very gracious."
"Things cannot continue the way that they are, Anne." She flinched at hearing her name fall from his lips. "I need a son, and so far you have failed to give me one."
"May I speak freely, Your Majesty?" Henry waved his hand indicating that she could. "I am Your Majesty's most humble and loyal subject. You raised me from a lady to a Queen, and I shall be forever grateful. I still believe that I can give you a son, but if it is your wish to annul our marriage, then I will comply if it pleases you." Although she hated to sound so submissive to him, Anne knew that she would have to be careful if she wanted to keep Elizabeth in his favour. Anne knew that her time as Queen was coming to an end, and though part of her was sad that it had not worked out for her, another part was glad to be escaping with her life.
Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise. He expected her to at least attempt to persuade him to keep her as his Queen, to even fight against an annulment as Katherine had. "It pleases me greatly. For your cooperation, you will be known as the Marquess of Pembroke, and Elizabeth will be known as the Lady Elizabeth and will be welcomed to court as my acknowledged daughter."
"I have one request, Your Majesty. I would like for Elizabeth to live with me. I would be willing to live in one of my manors closer to London rather than Pembroke, if it pleases you Your Majesty." Anne had always hated living apart from Elizabeth, she wanted to watch her daughter grow up with her own eyes, not have to listen to reports on how she was doing.
"Of course," Henry said. Although Anne had agreed to an annulment, she still had the power to make the situation difficult. If letting their daughter live with her was what it took to keep her happy then he would do it.
Anne smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I will gladly do anything as you please." She curtsied to him once more and leaving before he could reply. Henry frowned in bewilderment. When had the fiery woman he once loved become so willing to please him? He almost looked forward to having an argument with her. There were times when Henry had taken pleasure from their arguments in the past, and more recently it had pleased him when he saw his wife in distress knowing that she feared him.
Henry pushed thoughts about Anne away. He could marry his sweet Jane soon. Once he had gotten divorced from the woman who had been the object of his affection for ten years, he would finally have his son.
Although Henry would never admit it, not even to himself, he was going to miss her.