Chapter 7: Maîtresse en titre

Jane Seymour was paler than usual. She could feel the sweat pool up around her neck and under arms. She was trying to focus on her prayers, obliviously to everyone else in the chapel at the time, even though there were a few. God's Will, it was all that kept going through her head in these last few weeks. But her heart was constricted. The King hadn't tried to contact her until yesterday, right after the Queen left to visit Lady—No, Princess Elizabeth. Jane was always correcting herself now. With her position so precarious she didn't want to let a slip up happen and the King hear about it. Oh how the fear of just the thought of it froze her thoughts.

King Henry wanted her to come to meet him; he said he needed to talk to her. Jane prayed that it wasn't to blame her and banish her from court. A sob escaped her lips, which she quickly covered. Lord, she just wanted to be happy. She just wanted to be safe and away from all this. Dejected, Jane left the church to meet King Henry. He asked for her alone, stepping outside of the bounds of making sure she had a chaperone, which worried her. He clearly no longer cared for her reputation. It took a good twenty minutes before she reached the corridor that she was to meet the King and she was in no better state. When the King smiled at her she did relax a bit, grateful that he was at least still friendly to her.

"Sweetheart, how are you?" Henry asked warmly, reaching for her hand. She gave him what hoped was a smile back, not answering. He never really required one anyway.

"I'm so glad you were able to meet me, today. I have something to show you."

"I look forward to it, Your Majesty." He smiled again at her.

"Henry, please." Jane just smiled shyly at him, once again not answering. They turned a corner and came to a set of doors that were open. They walked through and Jane could see that the walls were newly plastered with wallpaper in a muted blue, similar to the color of ribbon that she had given the King on the day of the joust. Fabric was everywhere, new chairs and bedroom furniture were scattered everywhere. The rooms were a good size, comparable to the Kings and Queens she supposed. It had a clear sitting area and a section for the bedchamber. There were several people in the room who bowed to the King and continued to work. Jane was mildly interested in what was going on.

"Whose rooms are these, Your Majesty?" Jane inquired innocently.

"Well, that depends on your answer, Lady Jane." He replied stopping her and showing her to a lovely chair with a damask fabric on it. Once again in a pastel color, a light yellow. He had a chair placed across from her and he sat down gingerly, his leg still giving him trouble from the jousting accident.

"On my answer?" Her eyes were wide, unbeknownst to her making her look that much more desirable to the king. She was something so different from what he usually had with women. Usually they jumped at the chance to be with him but Jane genuinely didn't see the benefits of it—yet.

"Lady Jane, it is well know that I love my wife very much," Jane fought to keep her expression clear because it wasn't long ago that he was complaining on how is love for Anne was dying, even though she was carrying his child. "However," The king kept going. "I feel something in heart so deep for you. I adore you so very much and it will be many more months before the Queen can keep with her marital duties, which is for a very good reason for she is carrying the prince that this realm so desires. And even when those do continue I know in my heart of hearts that it won't be the same. You have changed me so much, my dear, dear, sweet Jane. And while I do regret I cannot treat you with the entire honor you so deserve I can't let you go."

He paused here, and Jane was a bit breathless. She had an idea what was coming. She wasn't completely dimwitted as her family made her out to be. But her brothers did warn her about this situation that she thought was unfolding in front of her. They told her at all cost to say no. To preserve her innocence for the king loves the chase, after all hadn't he chased Anne Boleyn for so many years and then it seems once he had her slowly started to get almost bored?

"Will you be my maîtresse en titre?" The king asked breathlessly, he seemed anxious. She knew that he had only asked this to one other lady before and she had rejected him.

But Jane only wanted two things in her life: to be happy and safe. Would this make it for her? Or should she follow her family's advice and follow the path? As far as Jane saw it to be, she was lucky the king was still interested in her. And hadn't she been praying for the Lord to provide his Will for her? To keep her safe and not be involved with the drama of dethroning an anointed queen? If she said yes, she would lose any chance to be queen. After all, if kingdoms around the world were having trouble accepting a woman like Anne, how would they actually accept a known whore to the king? But if the king tired of her, he would most likely find her a husband, a Lord of some sort. All one had to do was look at Bessie Blount.

However if she said no, she risked a lot. Did she want to play off her chastity (not that this wasn't a concern for her, no, but she did believe it to be the lesser of two sins of what her brothers had planned if the king did not seek divorce from Anne soon enough)? How would it play out? Would the king still love her and want to be with her to the extent of getting rid of his pregnant queen? Jane was feeling torn when something in her heart finally had an answer and a measure of peace overcame her. She knew what she had to do and for once she was going to do it for herself. She only hoped she didn't have to be the one to tell her brothers.

"I would be honored."

Anne had a headache that would not go away. Her step daughter was cause of it. Mary was a very stubborn young girl who at first refused the dresses that Anne brought with her (it wasn't as if they were Anne's herself) but with talking to her about how she needed some proper mourning clothes for her mother's burial, Mary finally conceded. Anne was so thankful when she arrived at the palace and was able to set up chaperones and guards to travel with Mary, who had a two day trip to Peterborough Cathedral and only three days until the burial. She sent George with her, knowing that he would be the kindest out of her family, to watch over her. After all, Anne was trying be kind with Mary no let her start an uprising. But she did take the easy way and made a servant notify him of his trip.

And Anne tiredly walked to her rooms she noticed that the mood seemed odd. People were looking at her oddly, making her feel slightly off. She assumed some new rumor was going around as to why she randomly left and bringing with her the Lady Mary. But it wasn't until she got to the rooms and saw her father standing and waiting for her, smiling when her suspicions really rose.

"Anne," The earl said warmly, but he did bow low, clearly remembering their previous conversation. She allowed him to rise and gave his a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Father. Is everything okay? I am awfully tired from the trip so I hope it isn't anything serious." She was hope that the point got across that she really didn't want to speak. She gratefully sank to her bed, lying flat down. There were few people in the room and she needed to relax and unwind from being a queen, not start entertaining people.

"There is news. I think it is great and I hope that you do too, after all it was your idea. It is about the Lady Jane." Anne's heart stopped briefly, praying it wasn't so but she knew what was coming. She tried to keep herself relaxed, preparing for the words that she knew was coming.

"The king has made her his maîtresse en titre." Anne sat up very slowly.

"Yes, I did expect this." She actually didn't. She thought he would just take her as a mistress not his official one. "After all, weren't you the one father to tell me that he has every right to have one?"

Her father looked at her shrewdly, looking for evidence that she was going to go into a rage. "Yes, I did. I'm so glad you see reason. And now because she has accepted there is no chance he can make her his queen! Don't you see? The people would never accept her!"

But Anne knew that wouldn't stop her enemies from bringing someone else to the forefront to take her throne.

"I'm so very glad, Father. Now if you will excuse me, I must rest, for the sake of the babe." Her father kissed her hand and left the room quickly, seemly putting the whole thing behind him. Anne however couldn't stop the tears that came unwanted. She felt Nan place her arms around her and hold her. They stayed like that for a very long time.

AN: I'm so sorry for the delay. No excuses really just hard to find the motivation to write. Please ignore any mistakes in here. Next chapter will be the Seymours reaction, and a little more with Lady Mary which I am having a hard time with. I don't want to make her a mary sue that so many do on these stories just able to forgive Anne because I don't think it will come for a very long time, but I do think that if Anne never miscarried she would have signed the form, knowing the a son would never change her father's mind.