AN: Hey everyone. I am so sorry for being such a horrible updater. But honestly, my life has been pretty...crazy. I went through the hardest batch of infertility journey I had faced so far with two early miscarriages and then a wonderful surprise of a healthy pregnancy! I am now 13 weeks pregnant and so very excited! Plus I got a new computer which means I can write again! You just can't update on an iPhone. Hope everyone forgives me and I really hope I can get back into swing of my stories! BTW I changed a few things in that last chapter, like the timeline for Mary's deadline.
Chapter six: The Lonely (Former)Princess
Anne stepped out of her carriage, grateful to able to move her limbs. The ride to Hatfield had taken nearly three hours longer than it should have, due to the coachmen no wanting to anger the king by going to quickly and causing harm to the queen in any way whatsoever. While it annoyed Anne, she didn't want to give Henry any reason to be angry at her.
She noticed as she walked into her daughters residence that it was upkept very well, please to see that Lady Bryan took her duties very seriously. Anne didn't give them much notice of her arrival so she could see workers rushing, cleaning up and preparing rooms for the queen and her servents. Lady Sheldon and Mistress Nan were some of the few to attend her on this short trip.
Lady Bryan quickly came towards Anne and curtsied gracefully and smiled at the queen.
"Your Majesty, a pleasure to see you. The Princess Elizabeth is finishing preparing for your visit and will be down shortly. The evening meal will be ready within the hour also."
Anne nodded pleasantly, satisfied. Just as she was preparing to respond, she heard, yes heard, her daughter running down the stairs, her maids rushing behind her, urging her to slow down. But Elizabeth had a gleam in her eyes. She hadn't seen her mother in months and was excited to have her for two whole days!
"Mama! Mama!" Elizabeth cried out as she reached her mother, before Lady Bryan could stop her. Anne waved the governess away and kneeled to hug her daughter, lifting her gently.
"Elizabeth, my heart!" The two figures hugged each other tightly. Anne out of desperation and need, Elizabeth out of love and joy. Anne had to hold back her tears lest anyone saw them. They wouldn't understand, couldn't understand the fear that had overtaken Anne's heart and soul.
"Mama, where's Papa? Is he coming too?" The child's high pitch voiced asked, looking over her mothers shoulders as if her father would appear behind them.
"No, my sweet. Papa is a very busy man and has many duties to do. But he sends his love and hopes he can see you soon." Elizabeth pouted for a moment but quickly recovered. She was still happy to see her mother.
Dinner was a quiet affair with Elizabeth ranting off everything she had learned/seen/done since seeing Anne. Anne gave all the appropriate responses, letting Elizabeth dominate the conversation while looking for the Lady Mary. Anne knew that Mary actually never came down to dinner and ate in her rooms, unable to see her sister sitting in what she thought was her rightful place. A week ago that would have angered Anne beyond anything, it only made her think of how she could change that and how it could benefit Elizabeth if something happened to her status as queen.
"Lady Bryan," Anne stated during a pause in Elizabeth's speech. "Please tell The Lady Mary that I would like to see her after I dine and Elizabeth is in bed." The red-headed princess frowned at those words, not liking that her bedtime was already being discussed. Lady Bryan nodded her head gracefully and rose to do the bidding. Anne still wasn't sure what she was going to say to Mary and it frightened her a bit. She had never lost her temper on the girl the few times they had met and she wasn't wanting to start now. And Anne had no intention of stepping down as queen to his 'mistress' and Mary so loved to call her. Although it seemed her new favorite word for Anne was harlot, at least the letters that had been intercepted had said.
Anne spent the rest of the night getting her daughter ready for bed, telling her a story, helping to bathe her and dress her. Things a normal queen would never do, but something that Anne so desperately wanted to do. She could remember her mother doing these things for her and want Elizabeth to remember moments like this, for they would be far and rare because of their royal status.
By the time Elizabeth was asleep Anne was pacing in her rooms, waiting for the Lady Mary to be announced. Of course the girl was taking her time, making Anne wait but she knew that Mary would come. She would be too interested to hear what Anne had to say. A knock on the door let Anne know that Mary was there and she forced herself to stand still waiting for Mary to be presented.
Mary walked into the rooms her head high, her clothes clean but old and dark circles under her eyes, from what Anne could guess was from crying. They stared at each other for a long while until Anne spoke.
"Mary."
"Anne." Both let the non use of titles go, knowing the other would refuse to use them anyhow.
Anne motioned for Mary to sit in the chair across from hers. Both women sat at the same time, once again avoiding formalities.
"Thank you for coming, Mary. I had hope we could talk." Silence. "First I wanted to start by saying how sorry I am for the loss of your mother." Fire flashed in Mary's eyes, "I lost my mother young also, so I do know the void it leaves in your heart."
"You are the reason my mother, the queen in dead!" Mary spit. Anne said nothing. What could she say? Anne did not send her to the castle where she died in poor conditions, but nor did she do anything about them. She just simply didn't care enough and thought it would put Katherine in her place.
"Your father has agreed to allow you to pay your last respects to her and be her Chief Mourner, if you would like." Mary physically recoiled in what seemed to be shock. "I have spoken to him and he agrees that as her daughter you should be there."
"You spoke to him? I don't believe it."
"Believe what you will, however I am not all heartless as you think. I did not put you here. In contrary I didn't not want you in Elizabeth's service because I feared you would do harm to her but your father wanted you here to put in your place as he said." Mary started to shake her head in denial and Anne understand, she held everything her father did on Anne's shoulders. Her father was just a lost soul that Anne has tempted him away from his true family.
But Anne pressed on. "But I do take some of the blame. Once your father explained to me why he was doing it, and assured me that nothing would happen to Elizabeth I saw no reason to change it. In fact, I put it from my mind. But as Lady Bryan has sent me reports I see that your relationship with your sister is truly loving I have started to become grateful to you as I didn't think I would. Elizabeth loves you and thinks you are the best sister in the world. And I thank you for showing her love, even though she is my child.
"But I want us to move past this. I know you do not agree that your parents marriage was invalid but you have to understand that even if I am out of the way by whatever means, the King is not going to change that. I know that might be hard to accept and I also know you won't do so today or anytime soon, I do wish you would. I want you to be in the good graces of your father. I want to you be married with a family of your own and a household. While you aren't a princess in the eyes of the law you are your fathers natural daughter and you should have the same rights as your brother, Hal."
Anne paused to watch Mary. The former princess looked angry and saddened by it all, not quite sure what to take it.
"We want you to come to court, for the birth of our new child which I know will be a son, your brother that will become Prince of Wales. Your father has agreed that you will be treated with honor but he will not recognise you until you sign the oath. He also agreed that you may have some time to decide it and gave you until the end of June when that baby is due. I do not know what he will do with you once the baby is born and if you still refuse him. I suggest you don't refuse him and you sign before the baby is born to show him that the birth of a prince didn't solely make your decision."
By this point Mary had looked away from Anne and was staring into the fire, toying with the very simple locket around her throat that Anne suspected was a picture of her parents. It was a long while before she answered and Anne was relieved when she finally did because her lower back was hurting and needed to use the chamber pot desperately.
"I agree to go to my mothers funeral. I agree to go to court. I agree to nothing else. I do it because I hope that once my father sees me, he will remember the love he had for me and for my mother and go back to his old life, and go back to the pope. Now if you will excuse me," she rose from her chair and without a backwards glance left the room. Anne did not call her back nor force her to show respect. She didn't care, feeling so worn out. she knew that Mary would suddenly give in and she also knew that it would be easy. But if she could get Mary right with the king again, it may perhaps save her and if it couldn't do that, it would at least assure that Elizabeth had someone who cared about her in favor.
As Anne fell asleep that night she didn't dream, the first time in quite a few nights. No visits from her mother, no dreams of Jane nor Henry. Just peace and Anne felt in the morning that she had made the right step in fixing her life.
Next chapter will be what Henry is up to with Anne gone. Please review!
