April 30th, 1563

Whitehall Palace

Jane twirled around in the mirror after she had been dressed, admiring herself in the pretty pale blue dress her mother ordered to be made for her to wear to her aunt's wedding. Lady Exeter would be marrying the Earl of Winchester, and her mother wanted to make sure that Jane looked every part of the Princess Royal. She wore her pale blond locks down, falling down to her shoulders, with a small golden tiara on her head.

"What do you think of it, Elizabeth?" She asked.

Elizabeth giggled. "It is pretty, Jane."

It was no secret that Elizabeth was Jane's favorite companion. Rose was just as fun, but recently her mother added two new girls to her group: Lady Agnes Howard and Lady Emma Boleyn. Lady Agnes was a timid thing and bored Jane severely. She also had the strange habit of sewing constantly, offering the finished products as gifts to Lady Norfolk. However, Lady Norfolk would simply point out a flaw in the work, greet Elizabeth and Jane, before returning to to the queen. After she would leave, Agnes would go off in a corner and cry for hours, only to return to sewing. Lady Emma, on the other hand, fit in perfectly. She always had a practical joke to pull on Lady Cromwell or a way to get out of their lessons.

"More than pretty, gorgeous!" Emma offered.

Jane did a small curtsy. "What about you Rose?"

Rose looked Jane up and down critically. "I think you need more jewelry, my lady."

Jane reached around her neck in shock and turned back to the mirror.

Rose broke out laughing. "I only jest, Jane. It is very beautiful dress indeed."

Jane looked back to see if Agnes would offer an opinion, but she was sewing furiously.

"Agnes?" Elizabeth called gently.

Agnes looked up, pained. "Yes?"

Elizabeth gave a pitying look. "What is it, Agnes?"

Agnes held up the garment she was working on. "I was trying to sew a baptismal gown for the new babe our lady mother is having."

Elizabeth hesitated. "I already made one, Agnes."

Agnes's face fell. "Oh. Of course you did."

Jane watched the two sisters. She was thankful that she had never been forced to interact with Lady Eleanor, as she was sure that she would act in the most inappropriate way, not befitting of a Princess of England, let alone the Princess Royal. Elizabeth seemed to genuinely like Agnes, which Jane would never understand. Then again, Elizabeth had not be usurped in her father's affections by Agnes. In fact, Agnes was ignored by all, including her aunt who had brought her to court in the first place.

Lady Norfolk entered the room and curtsied to Jane. "Your Highness,"

Jane smiled. "Welcome, Lady Norfolk."

Agnes walked up to her stepmother, offering her work. "I made this for the babe. It is a baptismal gown."

Lady Norfolk inspected the cloth closely before handing it back. "Elizabeth already made a gown and Rebecca made the cap. Besides, you have missed a few stitches around the collar."

Agnes took the gown back and nodded. "Of course, lady mother."

Lady Norfolk turned her attention to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, please do something with your hair, plait it or brush it. You know how tangled it gets when you do not."

Elizabeth frowned. "Mother, I already brushed my hair. Ask Lady Rose."

Rose nodded quickly. "I saw her. She almost cried trying to get all of the knots out."

Lady Norfolk nodded. "Very well. I must go check on Rebecca. Oh, and Princess, your brother, the Prince of Wales, will be here to visit you shortly."

Jane brightened. "Arthur is here?"

Lady Norfolk nodded kindly. "Yes, he and the Princess of Wales arrived this morning."

"What of my sisters?"

"All of them are here, Princess. Now I must go."

Once her mother was gone, Elizabeth let out a sigh. "I cannot believe she thinks that I do not brush my hair!"

"Well Elizabeth, you are not necessarily the easiest when it comes to hair." Rose pointed out.

Elizabeth glared at her. "That is not true!"

"It matters not, my hair is the best of us all." Emma interjected.

Jane stopped listening. She was excited to see her brother, she hadn't seen him since Christmas. It was true that she would be seeing her sisters, but she and Arthur had a special bond. He was her twin brother and she dreaded the day that she would go to Navarre to marry Henri, Prince of Viana. It meant that she would never see her brother again until they met in heaven.

Elizabeth, Emma, and Rose kept chattering to themselves, Agnes's simpering sobs were simply ignored. They were all used to her fits now.

A flourish of trumpets outside of her door notified her of her brother's presence. His servants opened the door and he strode into the room with Princess Anne of Pomerania at his side.

Jane dipped into a slight curtsy while her friends dropped to their knees in reverence for the Prince and Princess of Wales.

"Jane!" Arthur pulled her into a hug.

She squeezed him. "Arthur! I missed you! How is Wales?"

Arthur scowled. "I hate it there! It is so boring."

Jane frowned. "Have you at least learned how to govern?"

Anne answered this. "He hates it, so I help make a lot of the decisions at Ludlow. Not that the courtiers take our opinions too seriously, it is just a lot of tutoring."

Arthur nodded. "Mother could not have picked a better person to succeed her as Queen. Anne enjoys all of the parts of governing that I hate."

Anne smirked. "You mean all of it? You only enjoy when you go shooting or for sword practice and archery."

Arthur turned to glare at Anne. "You were not supposed to tell her that."

Anne giggled. "I apologize, Arthur."

Jane smiled, she was glad that Arthur and Anne were friends now. When Anne had come from Pomerania Arthur just ignored her, but when Jane decided to make friends with her Arthur began to make an attempt at friendship with his future queen.

Arthur turned back to Jane, red faced. "Has Alexander been to visit yet?"

Jane shook her head. "Not yet, but when he comes he will not speak to me. He runs straight to Elizabeth every time."

Arthur smirked. "I suppose you are not interesting enough for our brother."

"I suppose not, did you visit Anna yet?"

Arthur shook his head. "I always visit you after I see Mother."

The door swept open with fanfare as their father entered the room, ending all hopes for continuing the conversation. Jane curtsied along with her friends and Princess Anne. As they rose she noticed her father smiling at her, but she looked away. She was still angry about what she had overhear him say to Eleanor, the fact that Eleanor existed made her skin crawl.

"Jane, is that the dress your mother had made for you?" he inquired, stooping down so that they were eye level.

Jane nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Her father frowned. "Jane, you do not have to call me 'Your Majesty' while we are not in public."

Jane rested her steely gaze on him. "I would be more comfortable if I called you 'Your Majesty'. You are my king."

"You are also my daughter. My sweet pearl."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "I thought Eleanor was your 'jewel', Your Majesty."

He flinched as if he had been stung and she could hear the others in the room audibly gasp, not that she cared.

"Jane..."

Jane shook her head. "I would prefer that you did not explain, Mother already told me enough."

Something snapped in her father and he quickly left the room. His destination was unknown, but Jane was past concern, she was apathetic towards her father.

April 30th, 1563

Palace of Whitehall

Anne was dressing Isabella's rooms so that her sister could see her before the ceremony. Prince Edmund, Anne's newest nephew, had been due in late February or early March so Anne and Isabella had set the wedding date for the end of April. However, Edmund decided to come two weeks later than expected and as a result Isabella could not attend because she wasn't churched. Anne had offered to push back the wedding but Isabella had insisted that the wedding happen as planned. At least Ruth would see her married before she returned to one of her estates to give birth, and for that Anne was grateful. Her lady, Elizabeth Boleyn, placed a silver and emerald necklace around her neck that Anne didn't remember owning.

"Do you like it?" Isabella inquired as she joined her near the vanity.

Anne ran her fingers over it. "It is beautiful."

Isabella nodded. "I ordered it from Calais, some of the jewelers worked on that piece."

"It is magnificent, I cannot accept this Isabella."

Isabella laughed. "You are the sister of a queen. You must accept it."

Anne was going to reply until Edward burst into Isabella's chambers, furious.

"What did you tell her!"

Isabella approached him calmly. "Told whom, Your Majesty?"

Edward shook her. "Jane! What did you tell Jane?"

Isabella was unmoved. "I would much appreciate that you did not shake me and let me go before I say anything to you."

He did as she asked with a sigh. "What did you tell her about Eleanor?"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "The truth, something you fail to tell or hide. I told her that Eleanor was her sister, everything else she heard you say yourself. Have you forgotten?"

"I thought she had forgotten."

Isabella shook her head. "She is not a babe any longer Edward, she is nearly six years old now and she understands a lot, just as Arthur does. Now, you have to fix your mistakes. I cannot sway Jane, she is stubborn one."

Edward sat in the chair opposite Ruth, who had decided to bust herself sewing.

"Lady Norfolk, what do you think should be done?"

Ruth set down her work. "You know better than to ask my opinion. You will only end up making us both angry, and I am with child so I do not wish to upset myself unnecessarily."

"Please, Lady Norfolk."

Ruth sighed. "You need to explain the situation to Jane and then send the girls away. It is obvious that Jane will not accept them the way Elizabeth and Rebecca accept Agnes."

Anne shook her head. "Speaking of Agnes, why does the girl cry so much?"

Ruth looked surprised. "She cries? She has never done so in my presence."

Anne nodded. "She curls up into a corner and cries often. The girls just leave her be and she stops eventually, it just worries me that she cries everyday for hours."

"I will have to investigate this then." Ruth turned back to Edward. "As for Jane, she is already jealous of your affection towards her full sisters, there is no reason for her to accept Eleanor, Bridget, Penelope, or Catherine FitzRoy in any capacity. Even if they served her on bent knees Jane would still spit in their faces. If you want Jane to forgive you, you will have to send them away to the country. Perhaps, Hatfield and send their mother with them."

Edward shook his head. "I love all of my children equally and I would not send them from court simply to please Jane. She is only one child out of eleven."

Ruth snorted. "You are already favoring Marie's children over your children with Isabella. You have your legitimate children scattered throughout the countryside and yet your children with Marie remain at court."

"Can we please save these conversations for another day? It is Anne's wedding and so all attention should be on her." Isabella interjected.

Edward nodded. "Very well, madam."

He vanished from her chambers just as quickly as he came.

Anne relaxed as Lady Anne put her hair into a braid before pulling it back into a bun. "Thank you, Anne. It looks elegant."

She noticed her sister brooding. "Isabella what is it?"

Isabella shook her head. "I do not know how long I can force myself to stay in a marriage that I do not want. Is there any way that I can annul this forsaken marriage?"

Ruth put her hand on Isabella's shoulder. "Unfortunately, there is no real cause for a divorce. However, you can leave court and make him understand how much you truly mean to him. How can you show your worth if you are always available?"

Anne eyed them warily. "What are the two of you planning?"

Isabella smirked. "Perhaps, I may have an escape plan to make in the near future."