Thomas and Edward managed to be civil with each other over the following months. They even began to gain some of their old, distant and thought to be lost friendship back. Edward continued to be left in the dark when it came to Thomas's feelings for his wife, and knowing continued to haunt Anne. She would try her best not to be left alone in a room with Thomas, and when she was she would not allow her eyes to wander to him or would quickly find a reason to leave.
It was difficult, however, for Anne to treat her brother in law terribly since her son, even at such a young and tender age, seemed to be fascinated by him. The connection between little Edward and Thomas made her toes curl and it even slightly annoyed Edward, but he did not say anything to anyone but Anne.
Queen Jane began her lying in at the end of September. Anne found it important to visit her as often as possible and make sure she was doing well. She would shoo away the King himself when he bothered her too much. The King was bothered by this initially and had it in his mind to throw Anne out of the Queen's chambers, but he knew that she was right. He didn't want to overwhelm Jane at the end of her pregnancy when everyone had been so careful to make sure her pregnancy ran smoothly through the first three terms. During the time that Anne spent with Jane, she also found out that she herself was pregnant once again, having missed her courses in September. Jane was as excited for her as she was for herself, but Anne reminded her she needed to be calm and relaxed throughout the rest of her pregnancy so she could have an easy delivery.
By the 9th of October 1537, the Queen went into labor. Henry would not sleep as he awaited the arrival of his predicted son, but he found that he grew very exhausted waiting as Jane's pregnancy went on for three days. The people of England began to worry greatly once the second day of labor passed. People began to question whether or not the Queen or the child would live through it, but Henry would not hear it. He allowed a procession to be mounted in London to pray for the Queen, but he would not have anyone speak of it to him except Edward. Edward was enlisted as the messenger, the one who would carry news back and forth from Jane's room when Henry could not be present himself. It was not the best job to have, as Henry had an awful temper and was of course, very annoyed throughout the entirety of the three days due to his worry. By the third day his temper had faded for the most part, and what remained was a gloomy man and King who wanted nothing more than for his wife to make it through the pregnancy. He even admitted to Edward that he loved Jane more than either of his previous wives and that, by this point, he would be happy to see her make it through the pregnancy alone. Edward believed that Henry loved Jane, but he was not sure if he could believe that he would be happy had Jane made it through the pregnancy without their son.
The eve of the Feast of St. Edward brought, at last, the birth of the child. Henry had been in a meeting with a few men about his wife when Edward came into the room, bowing quickly. He could barely catch his breath when he tried to speak. "Your Majesty, the Queen has delivered!" he told him.
Henry turned with his eyebrows raised to Edward and then told the men he would need to excuse himself. He stalked over to Edward and put a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eye. He needn't speak for Edward to know what he was silently asking.
"It is a healthy baby boy, your majesty." Edward assured him, smiling.
Henry's face lit up like a firecracker and he squeezed Edward's shoulder. "Let's go then!"
The two men jogged to the Queen's chambers and Henry passed quickly by the doctors and midwives to his beloved wife. Edward found his wife amongst the crowd and went to her side, taking her hand in his. It was a monumental moment for their family. The two watched carefully as Henry rushed to Jane's side and shed tears as he took his son into his arms. The boy was named Edward, and he was to become King Edward VI when he succeeded to the throne.
"He looks a bit too much like his father, don't you think?" Anne noted to Edward three days later at Prince Edward's baptism. She had gotten a better look at the boy over the past three days and noticed that his chubby cheeks looked much like his fathers now, instead of his fathers in his youth. I hope for the sake of England that he is not an obese child. Just a little cushion is all they need.
Edward shook his head. "No, he looks a lot like Jane, I think."
"We can only hope." Anne said, smirking a bit. She watched and listened as the Garter King of Arms proclaimed Edward as the Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester. She kept a careful eye on her sister in law as well, whom she was surprised to see at the baptism at all. Jane had insisted upon attending her only child, her son's baptism and told her ladies and maids that she felt fit as a thistle. Anne would have argued had she not been a mother herself, but she knew what it was like to be charmed by your first child.
Both of Henry's other daughters, Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth, were present at the baptism. Mary was a godmother to her half brother and little Elizabeth carried the baptismal cloth, and Thomas Seymour carried her. Anne was quite close with Mary, but had little interest in the young Elizabeth. She appeared to be a spitting image of her mother, only with the fiery red tresses of her father. The fact that Thomas was the one carrying her about angered her more, but she said nothing of this to Edward. She dared not speak badly of the King's daughter to him, even if she was part Boleyn. His love for the King was second to only her.
The day after the baptism, Edward and Thomas received more gifts from the King, such as lands and pensions. Edward also earned a new title as Earl of Hertford. Anne and him were both ecstatic over the news and Edward, despite his developing friendship with his brother, was quick to rub it in Thomas's face. The celebrations for both Edward's birth and the Seymour's advancement were grand, and Edward and Thomas returned to their chambers too many nights in a row having drank too much. Anne was reluctant to find that when Edward was heavily inebriated, as he was for several days, he seemed to just want to sleep and was not violent or demanding of her.
The celebrations had to a sudden end when Jane took to her bed on the 19th of October, only ten days after the birth of her son. By the morning of the 23rd, it was believed she had recovered from whatever illness had overcome her, but by the evening, Jane's wait staff found they were very wrong in their presumptions. She became delirious and the King went into worry again. He was at Jane's side whenever he could be, and he cancelled many of his meetings and even his hunting trip to be there with her as she faded from life. Near midnight on the 24th, Queen Jane passed away. Henry had been at her side, and Anne, Edward and Thomas lurking nearby in worry. Anne cried for Jane, which Thomas was surprised for, since he had never seen Anne cry except in frustration. Over the time that Jane was queen, Anne had developed a very strong relationship with her, and now that she was gone she felt the loss in her heart, much like the King, who grieved like he had never grieved before. He hung Hampton Court with black from one end to the other, and would let no one forget the late Queen, his most favourite and beloved Queen Jane.
Henry was so in so much agony, that he could not even bring himself to attend Jane's funeral. He locked himself in his rooms and would see barely anyone with the exception of Thomas Cromwell and occasionally, Edward, but only for an update on his son's well being. All of Jane's jewellery was distributed amongst her close friends, Princess Mary for one, the two Seymour brothers and Jane's ladies in waiting. Everything else, her manors and castles, were returned to the crown. Anne, Edward and Thomas all began to wonder: what would they do now without their Seymour queen on the throne? Who would the King's eye fall on next? He could not have himself be single for long. It was not a good look for a man of such great power. He needed a wife, and he would have to begin looking for one soon, no matter how upset he was.
"We must intervene. We need to place someone in his way! He cannot go off marrying a Howard girl, or god knows who." Anne said in a worried tone, her hand on her belly protectively. There were so many new women at court that the King could have his pick at. What if he made the wrong choice? Everything they'd done would be for nothing and Jane would have died, leaving the King a son, but for nothing. "We cannot let him make the wrong decision."
"I can't see how we can intervene on this one, Anne. He will barely see Thomas or I. He wants only his Cromwell." Edward said, rolling his eyes as he sat in his privy chamber with his wife and his brother. "Cromwell probably already has the King's mind made up for him. He'll hear nothing from us. It's too late."
"But we cannot just let our work fade away to nothingness!" Anne said, throwing her hands up in the air. "If we cannot help him in his decision for a new wife, we must at least stay involved in the game. We cannot fade away like many family's have in the past."
"How could we?" Thomas asked. He was seated beside his brother, looking up at Anne. "We have Edward and the King is only refusing to see us because he is upset. He'll get over his grief eventually, and then we will take our rightful places around him."
For once, Anne had to commemorate Thomas on his thinking. He made a good point. They had Edward and he was their connection to the throne, to the King and to the memory of Jane. Henry would soon return to his normal self and want Edward at his side once more. He would not forget how dutiful the two brothers had been to him, and how their sister had given him his only male heir. Bravo, Thomas, bravo! I can't believe there is truly a brain inside of that head. "Right. Then, we must always be close to Edward. We must ensure his wellbeing at all times and love him as aunts and uncles should, then we will certainly hold our favoritism at court and with the King."
Edward nodded his head in agreement. Even he was impressed by Thomas's thinking. Why did I not think of that simple response myself? "Everything will work itself out and be fine. The King will relapse and be back to normal soon…"