A/N: So here is chapter two of Two Queens, One King. I do so hope that you all enjoy it, as I enjoyed writing the chapter and thought it turned out quite well.
This chapter has many important moments and was longer than I had originally envisioned mostly because I decided to add Henry and Anne's wedding to this chapter rather than postponing it to the next chapter.
I would like to thank everyone that reviewed the first chapter and encouraged me to continue with this (and my other stories) I would also like to think everyone that favourited or put myself or the story on their alert list. It really does mean a lot.
Anyway on with the chapter, as usual I own nothing. Please Enjoy and review.
Chapter two:
24th of February 1527
Whitehall Palace
There were not many moments in her life that Anne could ever remember feeling quite as nervous as she did now. She had always prided herself on being calm and composed, on presenting herself with an air of grace and charm, yet now when such things were needed most she could barley keep herself standing upright.
Henry had deemed it necessary that she be given a title; he did not want his future wife to be labelled a commoner, not by anyone. Anne personally did not see the point in such a thing, already Henry had given her father two titles, along with the Earldom of Ormond (a title her father had been after for years) Henry had also granted his future father-in-law with the Earldom of Wiltshire (George was now therefore Lord Rochford), Henry had joked that perhaps once Anne had gifted him with a son, that Thomas Boleyn too would benefit. Her father's elevation's meant that she was no longer a commoner in any regard, and besides she was a Howard on her mother's side, the niece of the Duke of Norfolk, she was not common she never truly had been, yet still Henry was adamant that she must have a title of her own, a title worthy of her future position.
A part of Anne wished that he had not gone to such efforts, once they were married she would have a title, to do this now seemed to Anne to be a way of simply quieting those who spoke against her, and Anne knew it would do little, if the people of England and Henry's court wanted to hate her they would continue to do so title or not. She was of course honoured and grateful to Henry as well, she was the first woman in England to be given a title in her own right, something she could hold onto and pass down without it being the property of another, it was an honour and a curse all at the same time.
She had also found it difficult to construct an appropriate outfit for her ennoblement given the time restraints, she was already having enough trouble having her wedding dress made in time with Henry insisting that they be married as soon as possible Anne was starting to worry that she would have half a garment when the day of her wedding did come.
For the ceremony of her ennoblement, she had elected not to wear purple, a part of her had wanted to, to deem herself royalty in front of the whole court, yet the more reasonable side of her won out, once she and Henry were married she could dress from head to toe in Purple, now was not the time for such displays. In the end she had chosen a gown of deep red, she knew well enough that Henry appreciated her in the colour, and it suited her well, the dress was adorned with golden embroidery, and it fit her wonderfully, with a square neckline and tight fit sleeves. Her hair she wore in a delicate bun, without a headpiece, her necklace and earrings where the exact shade of her dress. Anne knew she looked beautiful, what was more she knew she looked like royalty, yet still she could not calm her nerves, and she did not know why.
Perhaps she was so nervous because of how important a day in her life this would prove to be, this was the first step to her becoming the wife of the King of England, the second wife of Henry Tudor, and she knew that was the real problem. Since she was a young girl she had envisioned her wedding day, she had pictured her husband and her future children, and while marrying the King of England had never truly been one of her fantasies, in all of her dreams having to share her husband, to be one of two wives had never once crossed her mind, it had never even been a possibility to her, even when discussions about the annulment had been taking place, Anne had never thought that this would be the outcome, not once. She had agreed to it, that was true she had consented to being the King's second wife, the Princess Consort of England, she had done so because she loved Henry and because she had known within herself that there was truly no other way, her only other option would have been to lose the King, she had had no choice, and still she could not make herself comfortable with the idea of being one of two.
" Make way for the Lady Anne, Make way," As the herald announced her presence to all the courtiers present in the great chamber of Hampton Court, Anne begin to make her entrance, and as gracefully as any Queen or Princess, she made her way to the dais where her betrothed was seated, her father and brother standing to the left of the King. They were all of them, the three most important men in her life, and they all looked extremely proud to see her raised so. In an hour or so, she would no longer be known as simply the Lady Anne, now she would be known to all as the Marques of Pembroke, the King of England's future bride.
Henry watched in awe as Anne made her way towards him, kneeling gracefully at his feet, with her eyes modestly cast down when she reached the foot of the dais. He did not think he had ever seen a more beautiful sight, he also did not believe that Anne herself had ever looked quite so lovely. Slowly Henry nodded his head, and Master Cromwell came forward, with Anne's patent of nobility in his hands.
"To all and singular, as well nobles and gentiles as others to whom these presents shall come, it is the King's pleasure, by this patent, to confer on the Lady Anne Boleyn, in her own right, and on her offspring, the noble title of Marquess of Pembroke." Cromwell's voice rang loud and clear throughout the room, not a single person present would be able to say that they did not hear how far the Lady Anne had risen, "And also by this patent, to grant her lands worth 100,000 pounds a year, for the maintaining of her dignity."
It had been somewhat difficult for Henry to decide upon a suitable title for Anne. At first he had wanted to create her a duchess, he had wanted to give her more than one title, he had wanted to give her everything, yet his councillors had advised him against it, and in the end he had been inclined to agree with them. To give Anne the title of a Marquess (especially of Pembroke), was more than any woman in England had ever before been given in their own right? It was a rank high enough to earn her a place in the nobility, in her own right, and also to announce to all of the realm that it was she who was to be his new bride. Charles and Wolsey had even pointed out that in giving her any higher titles, it would perhaps give the wrong impression, as if he was saying that she needed such things to be his wife, that without them she was not good enough, and Henry would not allow for that to be said, not of his Anne. While the title of a Marquess was not nearly quite so grand as he had originally planned, he knew that Anne would be more than grateful for it and besides, she would be a Princess soon, the title was more than anything for their future children, their first and second born sons, would of course be the Prince and Wales and the Duke of York respectively but their younger children, perhaps their youngest would be able to inherit Anne's title and pass it on to their future generations.
Standing from his chair, Henry stood in front of Anne, giving her a small smile as he did so, he could tell she was nervous although he could not see why, this was a day of celebration for them both. With another nod of his head, Henry signalled for one of his pages to bring fourth the ceremonial cornet that all wore when they were given titles, as Henry placed it on Anne's dark locks he could not help but think that she looked a Queen, Anne was made to wear a crown atop her head, after that he placed the traditional fur cloak around her shoulders, for a moment he forgot about protocol and placed a gentle kiss upon Anne's skin, he did not care if it made others talk let them talk, he was the King, he could do as he willed. With another nod of his head Cromwell passed Henry Anne's patent.
" The Patent of your nobility," Henry said softly, handing the rolled parchment to Anne.
" Thank You, Your majesty," Anne said softly, her eyes never leaving his, slowly her stomach began to settle when she saw the look of love emitting from his eyes.
Slowly Henry placed a kiss upon her hand, before taking her hand in his and leading her from the throne room. All the while the herald proclaimed, " His Majesty the King, and the Lady Anne Boleyn, the Marquess of Pembroke.
After them the court followed in order of precedence and both Anne and Henry were glad that neither the Queen nor the Princess were present, for a moment it was just the two of them, for a moment Anne felt as if she were the only one in both Henry's heart and his mind.
The Queen of England's Apartments
" So he has made her a Marquess?" Katherine questioned, the man in front of her, in her anger and disbelief her Spanish accent had become prominent. It did not become her, she knew to get so emotional, after her last (proper) encounter with her husband, where she had called into question his whores blood, she had had no doubt that he would find a title for her, or at the very least for her father, in the end he had done both.
" Yes, Your Majesty," Thomas More, said his voice clearly showing his disapproval with the turn of events that had been occurring throughout the English court.
" I had expected a grander title," Katherine said, with a slight smile. While it was true that Anne was the first woman in English history to hold a title of her own, it was still only a title of a Marquess for another month at least, Katherine would still be above the woman, for another month at least she was Henry's only wife. '
" Henry had wanted to it is true," Thomas responded choosing his words carefully, while he knew Queen Katherine would never speak against him, he also knew that there was others who would, even he had enemies, " Thankfully he was able to be convinced otherwise, of that at least."
" There was things he could not be convinced on I take it then?"
" Yes well, he still granted the Marquess an exuberant amount of money, a hundred thousand pounds per anum to be exact," Katherine could not help but gasp at More's words, to give anyone let alone a woman that amount of money was unheard of, Katherine was the Queen of England, she had been for over a decade, and yet she had never been given an allowance quite so large, yet still she said nothing, she knew there was no point in arguing, she had already lost, " We also tried to convince his Grace to allow the Marquess to be addressed as Your Highness, rather than Your Majesty once they are married, but…."
" He refused quite adamantly, I presume?" Katherine said, laughing slightly. Henry had made it perfectly clear that despite her title as Queen, Anne would be treated as her equal (if not her better), even if she didn't have the title, she would be treated as a Queen, Katherine was not surprised at all to learn that her husband wanted her addressed as one, after all he could not have his wife being addressed the same as his daughter and sister, now could he.
" Quite," Thomas responded with his own small smile, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. Like any other good catholic he found the idea of bighemy to be downright disgusting and disrespectful, it made a laughing stock out of the sanctity of marriage it was therefore fair for one to assume, that this whole situation quite unnerved him. The King's council were divided upon the whole solution, half of them, like Wolsey saw the Pope's decree as the only option to secure the King's happiness and perhaps even the realm, More, along with the other half, the most staunch of the Catholics, believed it to be a sin even with the Pope's blessing, yet none of them would speak a word against it, for they knew it would do them no good. The Pope had given his blessing; there was nothing that could be done to sway Henry now.
" I suppose he thinks she will give him a whole horde of children then?" The Queen's voice broke him from his thoughts, and as he looked at her he was struck by her sadness, oh to be put in such a position must have surely been hell on earth for the woman, Thomas personally could not imagine the turmoil the Queen must have been enduring. " I mean if he is already planning on passing her title off."
" I do not doubt that he believes that she will, she is only twenty after all."
" And I was only twenty four when I married him. I do not think age will determine her fate, sir Thomas, God can grant children, and he can just as easily take them away." Katherine stated knowing the truth of her words all too well, she herself had been pregnant seven times, yet she had only one living daughter, if Anne did not deliver on her promise of a son, Katherine could only imagine what that would mean for Henry and for England, she did not think for a second that her husband would give Anne the same amount of chances she had been given to produce an heir.
" In the end, I suppose we must all just wait and see."
" Yes, Sir Thomas that is all we can do."
28th of February 1527
Whitehall Palace
It almost felt like an age since she had last been to court, yet she felt now after waiting so long she felt no feelings of relief to be back. While it was true that she had missed her parents greatly (her mother in particular) it was also true that her arrival at court left her with nothing more than a feeling of unease. She of course knew the reason she was there, she was the Princess of England, the only heir to the throne, and at the age of eleven (just recently turned) she knew well enough how to get information from those around her. Her father, the King, was to take a second wife, and Mary was now expected to bend her knees and accept this new marriage with a smile, simply because the Pope had decreed it legal and just, yet still Mary was having a hard time with what was about to occur.
The moment she had walked into Whitehall, she had immediately been taken to her father's council rooms. She had not even been given the chance to be changed from her travelling clothes or even to see her mother. When she walked through the door she was not in anyway surprised to see who was waiting for her.
Her father was of course there, looking as Handsome and kingly as he always did, but the woman standing beside him, in a place reserved for his wife and Queen was not her mother, it was that woman that whore, Anne Boleyn. Mary had of course seen the woman before, Anne had been a member of her mother's household for some years now, and like her sister before her she had caught the eye of Mary's father. Mary would not deny that the woman was beautiful, not in the traditional English sense of course, but still she was a sight to behold, even more so in her dress of purple and gold thread (which of course made Mary think poorly of her own choice of outfit, which was plain and muted in contrast), they looked a royal couple, yet they weren't one, not yet anyway.
" Father," Mary said curtsying gracefully with a lowered gaze, gone were the days where she would run into her father's arms with a gleeful 'Papa', that kind of affection had much disappeared since her father's eyes had wandered onto Anne Boleyn.
" Mary," Henry said with a smile, allowing his daughter to rise so that he may look at her. She was still short for her age, yet still there was no denying that his daughter was growing into a beauty, she looked more like Katherine, Henry had always thought she had, yet there was enough of him in her that she looked a Tudor too, " Will you not say hello to the Marquess?"
It took a lot of strength for Mary to be able to face that woman, and give a small curtsey with a muttered, " Madam," yet if Anne was displeased by her future stepdaughter's reception of her it did not show.
" Princess Mary," Anne responded with one of her most flattering smiles, before dipping her knee's slightly, both Mary and Anne knew that had she not been the betrothed of the King much more respect would have been expected of her towards the heir to the throne, yet no one said a word, very soon Anne would be the wife of the King, and she would not have to bend a knee to anyone, " I hope your journey to court was pleasant."
" It was thank you," Mary responded curtly, her tone cold, especially for someone so young.
" Mary," Henry said, drawing his daughter's (slightly scowling) face back onto him, " I am sure you know well enough why you have been brought to court."
" It is true that some things, rumours if you will have come to my attention, yet I was not sure of the truth of them." Mary responded, and all within the room were shocked at how old she sounded, her words were far beyond the capabilities of any normal eleven year old, yet she had spoke calmly and with grace, Henry could not help but think that his eldest was a true Princess in every way, and once again he was glad that the arrangement they had found themselves in had allowed her to remain legitimate, even if she was not in his own opinion. With her blood and intelligence Mary would grow into a powerful asset for their family, perhaps one day she would even be a Queen, as Katherine so often wished.
" What you have been told is true Mary, The Marquess and I are to be married, the pope has allowed for me to take her as my second wife in the hope that God will grant England a Prince, we have had you bought to Court to be able to celebrate our joyous news."
With a deep breath Mary held back the emotions that were cursing through her body. While she had known that this was what was going to occur, it was still a shock for her to hear the confirmation from her father's lips, she had questions still, but she knew that her mother would be the only one who would answer such inquiries with truth.
" I offer you both my warmest congratulations," Mary responded evenly, her eyes not meeting either her father's or his mistresses, she feared that if she looked at either of them that her courage would falter, and that she would tell her true feelings of all that had transpired over the past years, and Mary knew without a doubt that such comments would not bode well for either herself or her mother, " And I will pray for God to grant us a Prince by the new year." Out of the corner of her eye Mary could see Anne flinch slightly at the last of her words, for her whole life she had been told to pray to God to grant her a brother, when such prayers went unanswered her mother was cast aside, Mary only hoped that if the Marquess did not bear her father a son, that her downfall would be something splendid.
"Mary," Her father responded nodding slightly in her direction, with a small smile planted upon his face. Immediately Mary understood that she was being dismissed, it hurt her slightly that he did not make any effort to give her an affectionate farewell, in the past he always sent her off with a kiss, but now she supposed that had all changed.
" Father," Mary said with her own smile and nod of her head, before dropping into a curtsey and leaving her father and future stepmother behind.
As soon as the princess had left the room, Anne let out a small sigh of relief, of all the meetings that she knew she would have to take part in and attend, that had been the one she had most dreaded. It was no secret that the Princess was her mother's daughter through and through, and therefore Anne knew without any doubts that Mary would hate her just for the fact that she was who she was, yet Anne also knew that Henry loved and doted on his daughter, and so for Anne's sake at least it was imperative that her interactions with Mary be at least civil, it would not do well for her to make an enemy of the King's eldest child.
" Sweetheart," Henry said softly, taking Anne's smaller hand into his own, " There is someone else I would like for you to meet."
Anne looked at Henry with some shock he had not told her of any other audiences and she could not quite think of anyone else that it would be necessary for her to meet before their marriage took place, her answers however were immediately answered when Henry gave a wave towards the door, and through it came the little Duke of Richmond and his governess, Lady Bryan, a woman of Anne's own kin.
The boy was a sweet thing to look at, with a pale complexion, and blonde hair, it was clear that he favoured his mother, however Anne could see Henry in many of the boys features. Anne had of course seen the Duke before, yet they had never been formally introduced. Young Henry would be eight that year, and Anne knew that for Henry his illegitimate son was proof enough that he was more than capable of producing a healthy son, it was also therefore a message Anne knew, if she did not bear a son as Bessie Blount had then the blame would lie entirely upon her shoulders.
" This is my son, The Duke of Richmond and Somerset," Henry's voice was proud and his eyes shone brightly as he looked upon his son, illegitimate though he may be, he was in many ways Henry's pride and joy, " Come forward child."
With nervous steps the little boy came closer to his father and Anne, Anne could just tell that the boy was hesitant with new surroundings, and she knew well enough that he had never been treated warmly by Katherine, perhaps he was afraid that Anne to would treat him with cold indifference.
" Hal, this is to be my new wife, your new stepmother, Anne, say hello to her."
" Hello my lady," Hal said softly, with a slight bow of his head. Anne could not help but laugh; he was indeed a precious child.
" Oh he's such a sweet boy," Anne exclaimed with a large smile, before bending down to eye level with the child. She did not in any way want to give of any impression that she was not interested in the boy, illegitimate or not he was the King's only son, Anne knew it would be imperative that she have good relations with the boy, " Hello Your Grace, I am so delighted to meet you."
" Thank you," The boy replied shyly, his blue orbs slightly downcast.
Within moments Henry had the boy in his arms, swinging him around jovially, before carefully placing him upon the ground.
" Now go on and be a good boy do you here?"
" Thank you sir, Good day Madam." Anne could not help but smile again at the little boy when he departed the room; she just hoped that one-day here own children were as well mannered and sweet. She knew well enough that she needed a son, a son within the first year of her marriage, a little dark haired beauty, a future King of England.
The Queen of England's apartments
It took every ounce of patience Katherine possessed to wait for her daughter in silence. She had been told immediately when Mary had arrived, yet her daughter had not been bought straight to her, and the thought of why that was had her on edge.
When Mary usually arrived at court, she would be given the opportunity to change out of her travelling clothes, and then she would be presented to her parents, as of late it had become custom for Mary to visit her parents secretly, with Katherine usually being the first to have their daughter's company, yet she had been left waiting at least two hours since her daughter's arrival, and she could not help but wonder at what that could mean.
Katherine had also been made aware that her husbands bastard was also presently at court, at times Katherine could not help but think that the child was only bought to court in order to remind the whole of England that her husband had a son, a fete his wife and Queen had been unable to achieve. It was no coincidence, Katherine knew, that the King's children had been summoned to court, just weeks before Henry's wedding to Anne, no doubt he wanted to present the idea of a loving and united family, as well as (no doubt) trying to soften his children to Anne, Katherine just knew that Mary would not be so easy to sway.
Her daughter arrived in Katherine's rooms with her governess in tow, Katherine was surprised by her appearance, it had been many months since she had seen her daughter, and she looked as if she had aged extraordinarily. She had been changed out of her riding clothes, and into a splendid gown of purple with golden thread, her dark locks she wore down and upon her face she wore a serious expression. Her daughter was beautiful, but Katherine immediately knew that not all was well with the young princess.
Mary made no attempt to run into her mothers arms, usually in the privacy of their own rooms such royal protocols were forgotten, yet when her daughter was bought before her, she neither squealed in delight nor even smiled, instead she dropped into a respectful curtsey, the words "my lady, mother," falling softly from her lips as she did so.
"Mary, darling," Katherine said dropping to her daughters level and outstretching her arms. Immediately her daughters expression softened, and after some hesitation she run into her mothers arms, and it was then that Katherine realised the reason behind her daughters strange behaviour, she had thought that was how Katherine had wanted her to be, and she had been afraid to act in any other way, even in such things had once been normal occurrences, no doubt there new situation had caused the change, and Katherine found herself once again cursing Anne Boleyn, and Henry too for allowing all of this to occur.
" Why is he doing it Mama?" Mary questioned, her voice soft and full of anguish. Katherine had never heard her daughter sound so upset and yet sound angry at the same time.
" Because he must." Katherine responded pulling Mary into her line of sight as she did so. She detested what her husband had done, but she would not allow her daughter to be swayed by her grievances, she would not risk Mary's happiness nor her place in Henry's affections.
" No, that is not true I do not believe…"
" Mary," Katherine interrupted her tone sharp, " That is quite enough. Your father is not a simple common man, he is the King, and a King needs an heir."
" He has me." Mary cut in her eyes filled with tears, and the sight broke Katherine's heart. She had once promised her daughter the title of Queen, she had thought that in time Henry would see that Mary could rule just as well as any man, but he had not. This was not Castile, and Mary was not her mother. England needed a male heir.
" Yes," Katherine responded choosing her words carefully, she did not wish to upset her daughter, not any more than was necessary, " He does, but he needs a son to rule after him, and I cannot give him one, it does not mean he loves you any less Mary."
Katherine could all but see her words repeating themselves over and over in her daughters head, once she had promised Mary she would be a Queen, She had promised her daughter the throne of England, that she was and would remain to be her father's heir, yet now Katherine knew she must break all such thoughts from her daughters head. Mary would hate Anne, that much Katherine knew for a certainty, but if the girl gave the King a son it would not bode well for Katherine's daughter to be that child's enemy. England was lost to Mary now, but that did not mean that all was lost. Her daughter could still be a Queen, as Katherine was a Queen, but she could not be a monarch and Katherine could not fight for her to be. Not anymore. Not if she wanted the both of them to keep their heads.
The pope was a coward to act as he had, yet in acting in his way, he had left all parties satisfied in their own unique ways. She was allowed to remain Queen, her daughter a Princess and their rights maintained, Anne Boleyn would marry the King, and if she bore a son he would be King, and Henry, Henry got to marry his love, have a chance at another heir, and keep peace with the Pope and the Emperor and the people of England all at one. All of them had got what they had sought to achieve, yet none of them it seemed had truly got what they wanted.
" He will love me less when she has a son." Mary spat out, her mother's words obviously not soothing her in anyway. Mary knew that she had no say in such matters, her father was a King, and the Pope God's voice on earth, they had both spoken it was her duty to obey, yet that did not mean she had to enjoy doing so. She would never love Anne Boleyn or her brats.
" Mary, that is not true." Katherine said softly, reaching out to touch her daughter, but Mary only moved away.
" It is true, he no longer loves you and soon he will no longer love me, and it is all her fault. She will never be a Queen not a true Queen, not like you."
Her daughter it seemed had grown older and more bold than her years, and Katherine knew that such words were dangerous, even in the privacy of her own rooms there were spies. In these circumstances they could trust no one.
" Mary I will not have you speaking of such things," Katherine chided gently, her daughter had inherited a great many things from her parents being stubborn and quick to temper where just two of them, " And in any case the Lady Anne, will not be a Queen, she will be your fathers second wife and known to all as the Princess Consort. "
Her words seemed to soften her daughter's features somewhat, yet still Katherine could all but see her daughter's mind working overboard. " The princess consort?" Mary questioned a small smile gracing her lips as she rolled the title around on her tongue, " So she will never be placed above you and her children will not be placed above me?"
" Mary please," Katherine pleaded, she did not want her daughter to fall from her fathers graces just because of Anne, " The Lady Anne, will be your father's wife just as I am, she will be awarded all the same curtsies as if she were Queen…."
" But she wont be," Mary interrupted stubbornly, " She cannot have your title."
" No she cannot, but it matters little in any case, her son will be your fathers heir."
" If she has a son."
" You best hope she does Mary, it will not go well for any of us if she does not, and besides any children the lady has will be your brothers and sisters you must love them well." Katherine put it, she could not stop Mary from hating Anne but she would not have her daughter hating her trueborn siblings, whether they came from Anne's womb or not. The Pope had decreed it, Anne's children would be legitimate and Mary would learn to love them, as she had come to love little Henry Fitzroy, yet Henry Fitzroy bought no threat to her, he was always a bastard.
" They will not be my true siblings." Mary said her voice firm, " they will not be your children, they will be hers."
" And your fathers," Katherine stressed not liking the tone of her daughters voice, had she done this? She could not have Mary make an enemy of Anne Boleyn no matter how much Katherine might hate the woman, to make an enemy of Anne would be to make an enemy of the King, " If they come you will love them and you will treat them kindly, do you understand?" I will not have another civil war in England.
" Yes, mother."
" It will not be all bad Mary, you will see." Katherine tried, but the look on Mary's face told her plainly that her daughter did not believe such sentiments. It could be worse, Katherine reminded herself, Mary could have been called a bastard and you a whore, this was the best alternative.
March 5th 1527
Whitehall Palace, London
"You look so lovely, Annie." Her sister said pulling on a stray strand of Anne's loose dark looks behind her ear, " The people will love you."
The People of England love Katherine, Anne sighed at her sister's words before looking at her own reflection in the looking glass in front of her. Her wedding gown was a dress of Anne's own design, she just felt grateful that the Royal seamstress had been able to complete it despite the time restraints that had been placed upon her. It would not have done well for Anne to look a pauper on her own wedding, especially not her wedding to the King of England, even if she was just his second wife.
As was the custom her gown was white in colour, with cream panelling upon the skirts and sleeves of the gown. Her sleeves were in the Tudor style, bell sleeves which opened up to reveal lace inner sleeves, the skirt was full, and the bodice square cut with diamonds adorning the neckline. She wore her hair down in loose curls, a lace veil sitting prettily upon her head, and a peal necklace around her neck. It was a gown fit for a Queen, everyone who had laid eyes upon it said as much, but you are no Queen, nor will you ever be.
" The dress is beautiful," Anne said nodding her head, with a small smile, that at least had gone well for her. She did not want to admit it but she was nervous, nervous of the reception she was about to receive from the commons and nobles alike, and even more so of all that was to come afterwards. Perhaps Wolsey had been right, perhaps a small private affair would have been better, Henry had been open to the idea, but Anne with her fathers and uncles voices in her head had refused, do you want them to think me your concubine and nothing more. Her outburst (which had of course been for Henry's ears alone) had settled the matter, and the preparations for the Royal wedding had begun. She regretted that now, a simple affair would have been fine, it would have been better. The pope had given them leave to marry, there was not a person in England who could call their union invalid, there had been no need for such expensive and elaborate festivities, yet now that was what she had, it was too late to think of all she should have done.
" You must be so excited," Mary continued completely oblivious to her sisters worries, as she pulled the vial forward and in front of Anne's face, as two of Anne's ladies pulled at the train of her gown.
After the wedding she would be given a whole horde of new ladies, a few of Katherine's woman would come into her service Anne knew, those who bore Howard names or had some connection to her whether it be through blood or marriage. She needed her own around her, her father and her uncle have been certain of that. Yet a part of Anne thought it would have been better if all of her ladies had been new to court, blood did not always buy loyalty, she knew that well enough.
" Yes," Anne responded smiling tightly, she was more nervous than anything else, and anxious too, of this day and all the days to come. " Very."
" The King will not be able to take his eyes away from you," Mary said sweetly, " It would be hard for anyone to look away from you today."
While Anne appreciated her sisters efforts, she knew that Mary's words were not completely true, there were others that people would look to today, she would not be the centre of attention, not even on her wedding day. The king's sister would be present, and the whole of England knew of her fiery temperament, Henry's daughter too would be there, she is my daughter I will not have them say she refuses me, as would Katherine, The Queen of England.
She had been invited of course, they had to all of them seem to be content with their new arrangements, but neither Henry or Anne had expected her to accept the invitation. Mary was a different matter entirely of course, as the King's only legitimate child and heir, there had never been an option of her not being in attendance, but Katherine, Anne could not imagine why Katherine would want to attend, would it not be embarrassing for her to see her husband marry another? To see herself replaced by a younger and more beautiful woman. She wants to remind all of England that she is still here, She wants them to know that I am no Queen, that she is still the Queen of England and I am just his second wife….I am only here to produce an heir.
" Yes, and you must be perfect because of it," Thomas Boleyn warned, grabbing hold of his daughters arm forcefully. Anne had almost forgotten his presence he had been so quiet, her father it seemed was as nervous as she was, " You must make sure they know where his heart truly lies, who his real Queen is."
" Katherine is his Queen," Anne bit back, tearing her arm away from her fathers grasp, " I have his heart it is true, but she is the Queen, no one is like to forget that." I am the Queen of the King's heart, but she is the Queen of the people, they will love her as they will never love me.
" Katherine will hold the title yes, but once you give the King his great desire it will matter little." Thomas Boleyn continued as if his daughter had never spoken in the first place.
If I give him his great desire, Anne thought with a frown, if I give him a son.
Anne nodded her head stiffly at her fathers words and placed a tight smile on her face, do not let them see you frown, do not let them see you as being anything other than happy and content.
She would be travelling to the church in an open carriage, she would be on full view of the commons of England, she had to be perfect for them as much as she had to be perfect for Henry.
She would be the last carriage in the procession. The other guests (including her future husband and Katherine and her daughter) had already made their way to the church long ago, before the crowds had really started to grow.
The streets have been decorated beautifully. Everything was perfect, and had been well done; yet Anne could not help but notice that the crowds did not cheer her much. Anne waved and smiled widely and the people no matter the silence do not let it bother you, once you birth their future King they will love you. They will cheer for you then, and it seemed that as she moved further alone in the procession, with her smile never faltering and her hand always waving graciously that the noise did begin to louden somewhat. Whether it was her imagination or not Anne did not care, today she was to marry her love, today she was to marry the King of England. Nothing else mattered.
That was the thought that kept running through her mind as she took her fathers arm and walked down the aisle to were Henry was waiting for her. She did not look at the guests, she did not notice Katherine or the Princess, she kept her eyes focused solely on him, and he did the same to her. It was as if they were the only two people in the world, and for now they were.
Wolsey conducted the ceremony with a doting smile, he will try to be your ally now, the Queen hates him and you are a friend of France, the enemy of they enemy is my friend. The whole ceremony went by in a blur, one second she was entering the church the next Henry's lips were upon hers in a fierce and passionate kiss. All this waiting for a moment that seemed to last seconds, yet she knew that it would forever be the most important moment of her life.
She was the King's lawfully wedded wife; her marriage had been blessed by the Pope himself. Let them call her a whore now, it mattered not, not anymore.
As Henry escorted her out of the Church while their guests clapped around her (even the Queen clapped briefly).
" Sweetheart how was that?" Henry whispered into her ear, " Did you like the city? Was not everything well done?"
" Yes," Anne whispered in return with a smile, " It was beautiful, but no one shouted, and they kept their hats on their heads. It was more like a funeral than a wedding."
" I don't want you to worry about that," Henry insisted firmly, " We have a banquet to go to, I want you to be happy. I want you to smile. Remember, you are my wife now."
" I know." But not your Queen, " But…."
" I said, you are my wife," Henry insisted again, his voice growing slightly angry and his grip on her arm tightening, " Now, everyone is waiting for us."
Anne placed a smile on her face again, and waved to the crowds once again, she could not ruin this day. Henry was right she was his wife now, nothing else mattered.
"Hear ye, hear ye! Make way for his gracious majesty, King Henry, and Anne, The Princess Consort of England! Make way, make way!" The royal herald proclaimed as their carriage moved through the crowds.
It was done now; they were man and wife for now and forever. She was the King of England's wife, and the Princess Consort of England.
Queen of England's Rooms
" Did you enjoy the banquet Mary?" Katherine questioned her daughter, twirling a dark lock of the Princesses hair around her finger as she did so.
Katherine could not help but notice that her daughter scrunched her nose up slightly at her mother's words. The wedding was long over and done with, Henry had already bedded his new bride, she knew. Katherine herself had not attended the celebrations that had been held after the wedding ceremony, she had thought it best to spare them all the awkwardness of such an interaction (and if she was being truthful she did not want to witness the new happy couple in all their glory), but she had insisted that her daughter attend at least for a few hours. She must not be forgotten, Mary must always remain in her fathers thoughts.
" It was a fine evening Mama," Mary responded brusquely, " Frances and Eleanor were there, they told me that Aunt Mary hates the Lady Anne just as we do Mama."
Katherine could not hold back her gasp at her daughter's words; it was not so much what she said but more the implication behind it. What would have happened if someone loyal to the Boleyn faction had overheard Mary and her cousin's words.
" She is not the Lady Anne anymore Mary, she is the Princess Consort of England. She is your father's wife, and your step-mother." Katherine reprimanded her daughter brusquely; she had not raised Mary to act to improper.
" I do not need a step-mother, I have you," Mary replied firmly crossing her arms over her chest, " and I will recognize no Queen in England besides my own mother."
" She is not the Queen Mary," Katherine said gently, placing her arms around her young daughter and pulling her close to her body, " but she is your father's wife and you will be civil with her, I will not have you or your cousins, nor even your Aunt, talking of the Princess in such a way, did you ever think what would have happened if someone had heard you?"
At that Mary lowered her hair shame shining through her dark eyes. Her daughter was young still, Katherine must remember that she knew, young and a Tudor, she was always going to be stubborn and wilful. She is a child still, a child that has had there whole world turned upside down, a child that thinks her father no longer loves her.
" I did not think so," Katherine said gently, " From here on out I will not have you speaking ill of Anne Boleyn. I am not telling you to like her, I am simply telling you that you must be civil with her, for the sake of us all."
" Yes, Mama." Mary said softly, never once looking up to meet her mother's eyes is that because she is lying to me, or because she does not want me to see her upset?
" Good, now tell me more about the feast, did you dance?"
" Yes, Mama," Mary responded looking up finally a slight smile on her face, " With Papa and Uncle Charles, and cousin Henry as well, it was a nice feast….even if it was for her."
" It was for England Mary, for England and for us all." No matter how hard she tried to, Katherine struggled to convince herself to the truth of her own words, if she hardly believed the sentiments how would her daughter ever believe them?
A/N: So how did you all like it? Please review to let me know your thoughts.
As I said this chapter had many important moments, especially for Katherine, Anne and Mary, the relationship between these three woman will be a very interesting one, as they all learn to adapt to the path that has been chosen for them.
Once again I ask that you all leave a review.