Author's note: sorry about the wait guys, two tennis matches and soccer games I had to play before I could post this up. BTW did you read about all those things that JRM did? Pretty weird of him. He also broke up with his GF who is 19 years old. Guess he likes them young
I walked out as fast as I possibly could, my lady's maids tried to keeps up with me. I was fuming, my cheek hurt and to tell the truth…. So did my heart. If someone asked me why my heart hurt at the time, I would not have found a response. I turned around.
"Stop following me and go back to my quarters." They all saw my stressed face and scurried off. I walked as fast as I could possibly go to the stables. I needed some place to think. I pushed by anyone who was in my way. People bowed as I past by, I did not even acknowledge them. When I finally got to the stables, I sat down and cried uncontrollably. I did not know what else I could have done. All of the things that Henry said to me came into my mind. Did he really love me? If he did, why did he have to hit me so hard? What id I really did love him back?
I shot my head up to think about that. Was it true that I was falling for what every woman fell for?
"Your grace?" I heard I man say. I shot up and wiped my eyes.
"Yes Cardinal Woolsey?"
"His Majesty is in great distress that you have not accepted his offer of marriage." Woolsey said with his hands clasped forward.
"Yes, it has occurred that his Majesty does not like being denied, but that is not my issue Cardinal, now if you will excuse me." I said trying to walk past him. He stepped in my way.
"Look Princess, I think that you should go and talk to him. Maybe you can find a way to come to an agreement. I know that you have some sort of feelings for his Majesty." Woolsey said holding out a hand telling me to not walk past him.
"Yes, and the feeling that I have for his majesty is hatred, I am going back with my father to Italy. I do not want to prolong my visit to England, now if you will excuse me." I said angrily as I walked by him.
"Your father the King of Italy has left." I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around.
"What do you mean? Why haven't I been consulted?" I said walking back to Woolsey. Woolsey stepped back.
"He left a few hours ago, he said that he wants you to spend some more time with his Majesty, since you two are the dearest of friends."
"Where in hell ever gave him that idea?" I asked bitterly. Woolsey took a deep sigh.
"All his Majesty tells me to tell you is that he loves you and he is willing to do anything for you to love him in return. He also told me that he wants you to come back and talk to him."
"If he was so open to love and compassion then why is he doing this to his former wife?" I asked while folding my arms and looking at Woolsey cynically.
"I do think that it is a conversation between you and his Majesty. If you want to talk to his Majesty then I suggest that you follow me, if not then I will leave you to your thoughts." Woolsey said as he gave me a slight bow. I released a deep sigh and followed him back to Henry's chambers.
"Your majesty, Princess Honoree is here to see you." The guard said as I entered the room taking a curtsy. The king was knelling in from of the burning fireplace, moving the burning wood with one of the metal poles. He looked towards me, with his eyes reddened from the tears. He had taken his jacket off and he was wearing a black and silver sleeveless shirt with onyx stones around the sleeves.
"Henry I-," but he held up his hand motioning me to remain silent. I shut my mouth and looked toward the ground. He walked up to me and sat at the table.
"What do you want me to do Honoree? I have professed my love and yet you still deny me. What do suggest I do to win your favor?"
"I cannot say, for I do not know what it takes since no one else has won my favor before. I have not an answer for you."
"Do you like clothes? Jewelry? Horses? What can I give you so that you will fall in love with me?" When Henry said this I gave him an insulted look.
"Unlike many other women, I cannot be sued by such trifles. I do not care about materials and Jewelry like your whores have got accustomed to." I snapped angrily. Henry opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it. He got up an
"I do not know what to do. Is there anything I can do?" He said as he came up and pulled me to him. My back was against his chest with his hands on my stomach, and his head on my shoulder.
"I need feel comfortable around you."
"And you do not feel comfortable around me now?" He asked redirecting my face to the side so our lips were touching. I smiled.
"Maybe. And how are you going to get this annulment anyway? Don't forget about Queen Catherine's nephew." I said as I tried to pull away from such and intimate position. Henry held me tight so I could not move.
"Do not worry about such things. Woolsey has promised me to get an annulment soon and that way we can be together."
"What about Anne Boleyn? I do not think that this is fair to her. You are not concerned about her reputation?" When I said this Henry looked down at me with confused eyes.
"Why would this be selfish? She will get her fame for a while and then when the time comes, I will pretend to be bored with her and marry you."
"That will not work Henry. It would look to suspicious. And that is cruel to her, sacrificing her youth for deception. I would not be able to live with myself if we were to do such a thing." I said as I leaned back on him.
"What if I marry her for a little while and then annul my marriage for her to marry you."
"What if you end up falling in love with her?" He pulled away almost making me fall.
"You do not trust me." He said as he went and sat down in the chair. I rolled my eyes.
I was silent when he said that. He studied me closely as I looked at him with solemn eyes.
"Sit down Princess." I obliged and sat down and tapped my fingers on the wooden table. He put his warm hand over mine to seize my tapping.
"You know I love you." He said as he felt the smoothness of my hand with his fingertips.
"I know." I said quietly.
"Then why do you deny me?"
"Because I feel bad that you are doing this to Queen Catherine and Anne. You are deserting one and humiliating the other."
"I want you. I only love you. I want only you to give me sons. Why can't you understand that?!" He cried furiously.
"I do understand that! But you have to think of the consequences Henry if you do this!"
"I DON'T CARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES!"
"WELL YOU OUGHT TO!" I yelled back, Henry slammed his fist on the table, stood up letting the chair fall down to the wooden floor with a heavy thud. He walked towards the window and looked outside at the pond.
"I will deal with all of this, if you just tell me how you truly feel." He said as he looked over his shoulder towards me.
"I….. I do love you……..but I don't know if I can trust you."
"Why don't you trust me?"
"Because when we are married you will soon grow tried of me and then you will go to brothels and I will get angry and then we will start fighting. It goes on and on Henry." I said as I leaned back in the chair. Henry turned around walked over to where I was sitting and knelt before me.
"I vow that if you will be mine, I will be yours wholly until the day I pass on." He took my hand and kissed it.
"Promises are easy. Keeping the promise; that is the most difficult challenge of all." I said as I took my hand from his grasp so I could touch his cheek.
"I will keep this promise Honoree." Henry whispered.
"And if you break the promise?"
"You do not ever have to go to bed with me nor talk to me ever again." Henry said as he propped himself up, closer to my lips.
"So be it then." ………..Was all I could get out before his lips met mine in a long searing kiss. His lips were warm and soft. His tongue slipped inside my mouth and tangled with mine. Neither of us needed to break the kiss for air.
'Oh I almost forgot' I thought about the dinner invitation I gave out to Anne Boleyn. I broke the kiss.
"I have to go. I forgot that I am having dinner with a friend tonight." I said as I got up from the chair but Henry pulled me back.
"This friend is not a man is it?" Henry asked as he held me by the back of the neck.
"Far from it."
Henry smiled and gave me another peck on the lips. I returned the kiss and left him so I could get ready for dinner.
The dinner was set up, with quail, chicken and cow meat in thin slices, a fruit basket, loaves of bread and bowls filled with gravy, wine and cranberry sauce. I put on an emerald green dress with a French styled hat, and an emerald studded necklace. The fire crackled in the fireplace right next to the table to keep us warm. Everything was set up, now it was time to wait for Anne. I sat at my side of the table. I still had I few minutes, so I let my mind wander about Henry and how I made I promise to marry him, thus putting myself in a game full of lies and deceit. I did not know what the total outcome would be, and that scared me to death. Was I going to be married to him, and then shunned by the people of England? Or was Henry going to end up falling in love with Anne Boleyn and leaving me? Or was I actually going to live a happy and prosperous life with Henry, be his Queen, and give him the son that he has always dreamed of? All of these bittersweet thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in." I said in a bored tone.
"Your Highness, Mistress Anne Boleyn." The guard at my door said as he let Anne in to my dining room. I smirked and stood up from the table to greet her.
"So glad you could make it Mistress Boleyn."
"Please, call me Anne. To tell you the truth I was a bit curious when you asked me to join you for dinner."
"Well now that my father returned to Italy, I had no one to dine with. I needed some company, besides I have heard about you." I said taking a sip of wine.
"Oh? And what have you heard about me?" She asked as she gave me a proud look.
"That you have been getting cozy with the King." She gave me a triumphant look when I said that.
"Did his Majesty tell you that we are in love?"
"Something like that." I said as I cut the piece of meat that was in front of me.
"What exactly did he tell you?"
"He told me that he has never loved someone the way he loves you." I said nonchalantly, putting a piece of steak into my mouth. Anne smiled.
"Good, because if I am to be Queen, I need to know that my husband does love me."
"Of course, love should always come first in a marriage. Don't you think?" I asked sarcastically. Anne glared at me for a moment.
"I know what you are thinking. That I am marrying the King to become Queen. Well you are wrong. That is only part of my reason." She said as she picked a grape from the centerpiece and ate it.
"And the other reason?" I asked, somewhat intrigued.
"I want Henry to break off from Rome so he could become head of church."
"And why would you want that to happen?" I asked now leaning back in my chair.
"So England can be free from all of the corruption and superstition of the Roman Catholic Church." She said toughly. She seemed hard-headed, which was something I admired in a woman.
"Really? I thought that you wanted to break ties with Rome so Henry will be able to get an annulment quickly."
"Well, that is another reason." She said while putting a piece of chicken in her mouth.
"Oh so it is about political and social gain." When I said this Anne grinned wickedly.
"That is why I take this pursuit of his Majesty very seriously. Do you understand why?" She asked seriously.
"Absolutely, you are ambitious. And if more woman where like you, the world would be a more interesting place."
She nodded in agreement and then took a sip of her wine.
'She sees me as a threat. And she is sure that the King loves her.' I thought sadly. In a different world, or in a different time. We could have been friends. But now I know that she sees me as an enemy, let me play the part as the enemy.'
Review PLEASE