[A/N: Here's the next chapter, lovely readers out there :D thanks for the reviews, all of you~~my, my Marie's really getting' around but anyhoo; enjoy :) *]

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`The wind blew softly in the air, coming by with a gentle blow, the trees moving with it as if dancing to their own music. The sweet smell of food breezed also in, circling in the air, laughter and chattering was what filled my ears. My eyes glanced around as I sat at the bank of the river here, turning my head back to the side to see behind me, so many people out today just as before. A normal day in the court of Tudor. My hair was down today and laid in curled waves past my shoulders, hanging at the middle of my back. Today I was wearing a white and orange colored dress, a crown headband of orange flowers in my hair, one hooking lovely at my right ear, the stem still attached, and I wore my new orange dress shoes. Today was sunny, spring showing everywhere so I wanted to look my best, for everyone. Near by I saw my brother chatting with Edward Seymour, wasn't he a new one at court? Brother to Jane Seymour or something? Hmm. He was very attractive but he seemed to interested in that Richard boy that Cara flaunts about with behind closed doors. I wonder if father or Uncle know of this yet, they had before but do they know it's continuing? Did Seymour stare at my sister like he did at Richard? This I noticed every so often but never paid any mind.

"Lady Marie." I heard a groan of relief as someone, that being Charles Brandon, sitting down in the grass beside me, his arms resting on his knees as he looked at me, my gaze slowly moving back over at him as I turned my head. I had to frown at first in annoyance but then sighed, blinking slowly at first before taking in a deep breath. He just seemed to enjoy himself, looking out at the river, everyone else being busy behind us farther back.

"Mr. Brandon, what could you possibly want?" I had found out he did have a wife, already cheating on her probably but I wasn't going to assume now, I was to happy today.

"Besides you?" He chuckled "A nice cup of wine perhaps, with a side of duck pudding." Brandon leaned back then in the grass, laying flat on his back as I had one hand on the ground, supporting me up as I stared down at him with a quirked eyebrow in question. His eye-lids drooped and a crooked grin appeared upon his lips, his right hand slid over to my right forearm then to the base of my neck, brushing the back of his hand across my left shoulder, then letting the hand go back over to my right side and entangle itself into my hair gently, ruffling it affectionately.

"Stop." I protested in a whisper, looking away but he kept his hand in my air, scratching my head with his nails as if I were a cat then slid his hand back out, back over to his stomach area, his left hand laying in the soft cool grass. He looked tired, either that or bored perhaps. He was one of the two. You could just tell by looking at him "You shouldn't do these things. You're a married man."

"Am I." He mocked softly, then sat back up, still sitting in the grass as he stared at me no longer joking "I cannot stop. I've tried."

"You loved Princess Margaret--"

"Loved. Yes I did, very deeply. But now she's dead." He told me, determination held in his voice and slight annoyance "Now I love you." He smiled at me, his eye lids still drooped but he was very serious at the moment. What would his wife think of this? Adultery. No matter if he was the King's best friend...He'd be punished.

"No, you don't. You just want to get in me in bed, and once you've accomplished that you'll toss me aside just to find another harlot to fulfill your sexual needs, sir." I told him, now I the one speaking with determination and annoyance. I poked my right hand at his chest, shoving, but moments following he grabbed it and gently cupped his hand around my wrist there, then his fingers stroked the skin exposed around it as he held on.

"No, sweetheart." He whispered to me, seduction in his voice "I will always love you even if I have a wife and children. There'll always be you."

I stared at him as if he were a complete idiot, standing up quickly nearly losing my balance as did he, his hand letting go of my right wrist and slid down my dress covered legs until he grabbed onto my left ankle, tightening his grip, stopping me from storming off, away from him.

"Marie--" He didn't call me 'Lady' this time.

"Do not make promises you certainly cannot keep, Mr. Brandon. Good day, sir." I yanked my leg back and he slumped over at this sudden reaction and stared at me, I know, as I stormed off as always from him, walking through the crowd of people. I saw George near by, but he was...he was talking with Anne, and she was smiling. They always had a connection, the two of them together, she seemed happy with him unlike with her husband. Hmm. I looked around for the King but he was no where to be seen until...

That's when my eyes rested over to one of the long white clothed tables, seeing every chair behind the table filled, in the center was the King, and he was laughing, eating and drinking, carrying on with his friends and people around him, without a care in the world it seemed. Time seemed to stop as I simply stood there, he then slowly looked up as if feeling my eyes on him and our gazes met, I then looked away, walking off into the woods then, which was right beside the area everyone else was, where the bank of the river was. It was about a few minutes until I got far away enough so the noises were all but gone.

I kept walking, my hands cupped together in front of me as I could the small noises of leaves being stepped on, my feet stopped as did the rest of my body, I stood beside a large oak tree as my head titled to the side slightly, looking out of the corner of my eyes.

"Your majesty, why are you out here all alone?" I asked then titling my head back up arrogantly, moving around the tree as he followed, I finally glanced back and our gazes met once more, he stared at me, nearly leaning against the tree, both hands placed apart on it as he kept his eyes on me, they blurred with something unknown to me. Lust?

"But you see, Lady Marie." He playfully mocked me softly, teasing "I am not alone. You are here with me, are you not?"

I smiled at him but then if faded as I moved further away but he grabbed my right hand, yanking me over to him, our bodies pressed together as I casted my eyes down, but he kept staring at me, breathing heavily now. All I wanted now was to shove him away but he was the King of England, how could I do that?

"Your grace, please." I licked my lips once in slight fear but held it back then, finally having enough courage to look up at him, staring into his eyes as he leaned in to kiss me. I was going to turn my head away, to protest, resist. But I had forgotten how to move and before I fully knew it, Henry Tudor's lips were on mine. They were warm and kind, then he pressed himself harder against me, I stumbled back with him and now my back was against the tree. I had kissed only two other men before, one willingly and the other...well there was that one time but that was not important right now. One of his hands slid over my chest, sliding under my upper-dress area, down the 'v' slit and into where my cleavage was, but then I remembered how to move, pushing him gently aside, he seemed to forget how to fight back as I quickly stepped back and away from him. I did not let my eyes linger up to his this time.

"If I did not know any better, your grace, I would say you are trying to seduce me." My voice trembled, I knew it and he knew it. My eyes casted back up at him, he stared back at me with a crooked grin on his lips.

"Why would I want to do that, Lady Marie?" He asked playfully, then walked by me arrogantly but still teasing me, just grinning "I'm a married man." Then he trotted out from the woods, and out of my view. Just leaving me alone in the woods, I stood there for a few moments before walking out, not even fully taking notice as I walked past Anne till I took a second glance. She stared at me with jealousy, envy in her eyes, and poor George beside her didn't even look up at me as I walked by. But I kept my head high this time, smiling as I walked over to my brother and Edward Seymour. Perhaps they could brighten my day somewhat, yes?

"Mr. Seymour, whatever are you telling my brother?" I asked in a sly voice, my eyes on him as he chuckled, taking a sip from his cup that he held, probably wine. I could feel my brother's laughter rumble slightly throughout his body as I hugged him, he let a arm wrap around me as Edward looked over, my eyes following then went back to him. I scoffed softly, but Edward heard it as he looked back at me. He knew he had been caught staring at Richard again by me.

"Oh, Lady Marie, what have I done to receive such a burden on my day?" He asked with a scoff of his own, he really did not like me it seemed. I hadn't a clue on why he felt this way. Maybe it had something to do with me being friends with Anne? Hmm.

"I'm disappointed in your, sir." I told him "No new insults, I'd be ashamed if I were you."

"Luckily for me, you're not. It'd be so distasteful." He told me in a sourish voice, as if the words themselves were poison in his mouth.

I let go of my brother, his arm sliding off of me as I stepped near Seymour here, our gazes meeting as we glared at each other "You think you're so smart, don't you, Mr. Seymour?"

"Oh, my dear. No, no. I don't think I am. I know I am." He whispered to me in a low voice, a certain edge to it that nearly frightened me but I would never admit that out loud. How dare he?! Thinking he can insult anyone he wants to...well, I may have insulted him but that gave him no right to insult back. Two wrongs do not make a right, at least I believe they don't. That was how I was raised, hopefully so was he but it seems he apparently wasn't. Thomas behind me was just chuckling in clear amusement, I glanced back at him once then gasped softly as I felt something behind plucked away from behind my right ear, I quickly snapped my gaze back over to Seymour, who was still in front of me but now holding my orange colored flower in hand, just staring at it as if it were the most interesting thing in the world until he finally looked back at me.

"You look beautiful in this color." He whispered "Like the sun and autumn leaves." I truly believe that was the first nice thing the man ever said to me but then he turned around, but not without looking at me with disgust again and walking off, probably to find Cara or Richard, or someone. I looked back at Thomas then, my mouth slightly agape and eyes widened somewhat.

"Did you hear him?!" I hissed out and my brother just simply laughed out-loud in amusement, some people staring but then looking away after a while "It's not funny, Thomas!" He just continued to laugh

"Yes it is, dear sister." Thomas nowwas hiccuping up now with his laughter, as if in a drunken state nearly now and it was still mid-day.

"It's not!" But he really didn't seem to care. Cara near by was dancing with Richard. How nice. Did father see? He would eventually. I fear for her deeply and severely now.

But then I looked back at my brother, and glared at him but then looked off as I saw Anne walking over to us, that's when Thomas straightened up right away and I curtsied as Thomas did his special little bow of arrogance, as I loved to call it; Anne simply stood there with her other ladies in waiting behind her, just with her hands cupped together over her stomach area. I stood back up straight with Thomas standing with me at the right, both of us waiting now. What could Anne insult us with today?

"Lady Marie." She nodded at me then looked at Thomas "Mr. Cornwell." She seemed to refuse to call him by his new title, just like Anne to do this. My eyes casted down, I would not look at her now but I could feel her eyes on me. Burning into my skull, her stare was nearly intimidating but of course, something no one would admit out loud, well maybe Richard but that was another story.

"Your majesty." I spoke softly, looking up at her now slowly and she seemed to take a look of what my friend use to be, a look of affection. Was she testing us? This was Anne, she had that Boleyn blood in her veins. Manipulation at its best unless you happened to look at the Cornwells that is.

She nodded at us then turned to the left and walked off, her ladies in waiting following after a few moments, Jane Seymour looked at me but then quickly away and trailed off with the others. I should have been there, I really should have. But I wasn't of course. Would Anne be mad? Perhaps.

"That was rather interesting." My brother commented, leaning in over at me with a look of worry in his eyes but then he saw George, and then quickly scampered off. Why was it all the men left me but only Charles Brandon stayed? That was most annoying now.

Later on as it was getting quite dark, night time of course, there were people still dancing and chattering, and I was dancing with my brother, Thomas, teasing him as the fire gleamed from afar. That's when I felt a tapping on my shoulder, I stopped as did Thomas. My eyes looked back as I turned my head, there was George Boleyn staring down at me.

"May I?" He asked, a hand extended out and I smiled kindly, almost worried but I took his hand. Would he leave me again?

"Sorry, Thomas." He told my brother but Thomas just laughed then once his eyes laid on another pretty lady he was gone in a speed of light and I was beginning my dance with George here. He stared at me in almost sadness and awe, twirling me around the dance getting a slight faster tempo now, a steady rhythm.

"Oh how I've missed you." He whispered to me, turning me back around quickly and yanking me back to him, not truly caring that his wife could be watching us, his teeth were chattering nearly but was breathing heavily "I love you, Marie, I still do with all my heart. Do you believe me?" He sounded like Brandon now

"Your wife--"

"Forget Jane Parker, Marie. This is about us now. I'll divorce her and we can get married, we'll have children. Don't you want that, Marie?"

"You said my name twice." He knew I was trying to change the subject

"I know." He looked at me with a plead, begging "Think about it, will you? If not for me, then do this for yourself. Just think about only your happiness for once."

But then the King appeared at that ruined the moment

"George, you wouldn't mind if I stole Lady Marie from your dance, would you?" But George stepped back, not even looking at me

"No, your majesty, of course not." He walked away then, he looked as if he were trying his best not to come back and kidnap me and he walked over to his wife of course, Jane Boleyn. I looked at the King, fighting the urge not to slap him. My King.

"You did not have to ruin that." I told him and he stared at me amused but faked being confused, taking my hand and this uncomfortable dance began. We trailed around in a circle, with the other dancers around, I shoved him back slightly then raised my head up proudly, arrogance as I moved to the right, thrusting my body slightly and I swore I could hear him groan as if in pain but then grabbed me and pressed his body into mine, my back to his chest now and I could feel his hot breath in my right ear, it tickled.

"Lady Marie, why do you hide yourself from me?" He asked me, I looked on in confusion, tilting my head to the side to look back at him and his eyes burned with lust.

"Your majesty--"

"Call me Henry. I want to hear my name come from your lips for once." He told me huskily and I stared at him just as I did Brandon, like he was a complete idiot, which is something you do not do to a man like him.

"Well, Henry of England, I am to be married so why must you do this to me?"

"That could easily change, darling." He told me as I stood beside him now, hand in hand with him as we danced with the others, his eyes on me.

"What are you talking about--"

He smiled at me "It was very nice to see you today." He told me, it was moments like these that I noticed his beard was beginning to show much more now, it made him look handsome, and he was also wearing his new fur robe, I had known this because Anne had gotten it for him at Christmas. She had asked me for my opinion, and I had chose this. He had commented to many how he loved it, thanking Anne for it. But...Did I happen to know Anne's husband more than she did? The music getting louder and seemed to fit the moment quite. I then walked off from him, and this time he didn't stop me. I kept walking to and not stopping as I reached my tent, I just wanted rest now. Perhaps I wouldn't wake up this time. And to be quite honest, that would be just fine with me. But when I got in to the tent, parting it for me to step in I saw my Uncle standing in there as no one else was. He just smiled at me "Ah, there's my favorite niece." He chuckled in amusement at the look on my face. Tonight I would not be getting any rest it seemed.

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