Queens of Spades and Hearts Chapter 7: All you ever going to be is mean, a tudors fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, if I did I would be Godess Supreme and a multi billionaire producer.

A/N: Here you go another chapter and I want to thank SSLE, Dani, for helping me write some of the last bits. And thanks to all my reviewers never imagined this would go so far.

Keep reviewing!

Long chapter for you this time!

~VXLP

"You, with your words like knifes, and swords
and weapons that you use against me.
You, have knocked me of my feet again,
got me feelin' like a nothin'.

You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
calling me out when I'm wounded.
You, picking on a weaker man.
You can take me down with just one single blow.

But you don't know, what you don't know

Someday, I'll be living in a big old city.
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides and your
wildfire lies and your humiliation
You, have pointed out my flaws again,
as if I don't already see them.

I walk with my head down, trying to block
you out cuz' I never impress you.
I just wanna feel okay again.
I bet you got pushed around,
somebody made you cold

But the cycle ends right now cuz'
you can't lead me down that road

And you don't know, What you don't know

And I can see you years from now in
a bar talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion but
nobody's listening

Washed up and ranting about
the same old bitter things
Drunk and rumbling on
about how I can't sing

But all you are is mean

And all you are is mean,
and a liar, and pathetic,
and alone in life
and mean, and mean
and mean, and mean

But someday, I'll be living in a big
old city. And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday, I'll be big enough so you cant hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be so mean?

But someday, I'll be living in a big
old city. And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday, I'll be big enough so you cant hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean"

~"Mean" by Taylor Swift

July 11th 1534- February 1537

Elizabeth watched the years fly by quickly. Eventually they had to admit their feelings for each other in public. She did not know where to start with her father. Father -no, she rephrased, Your Majesty. In the end it all went very badly at first. Her father had learned she had wedded and bedded Eustace Chapuys without his permission or the queen's who had grown very affectionate towards her stepdaughter, in the recent years surprising everyone, she had grown closer to Elizabeth -something that angered and ignited the envy of her eldest sister Mary.

To keep up with the appearances her father had dismissed them from Court shortly after Elizabeth could no longer keep her pregnancy a secret. Her father was delighted at the thought that she had a child growing in her belly, a child he thought who could also be another potential male heir. Two boys were not enough, he had to have more in order for their line to be secure. But he could not allow his desire for more heirs to get in the way of his duty. His daughter had to be made an example, he did not want to be shown off as a weak King who let his emotions get in the way, so he dismissed Elizabeth and Eustace to Hatfield -for a while, until the court and her husband's former master got used to the idea. Charles V had been a problem they worried before they consummated the marriage.

Since their union had been made public, Eustace had given his letter of resignation to the Emperor, something Charles V had not taken too lightly at first, but he figured if he lost one sister to a heretic, he could have the other sister under his control through his Catholic Ambassador.

Mary had been the less thrilled to hear about her sister's union with the man who'd sworn he was loyal to her. ONLY to her, were his exact words but like everyone else he had betrayed her in the end, he destroyed her trust the second she laid with the person she loved the most in this world besides her husband and son, her own sister. The man had no shame, his depravity knew no bounds. She was disgusted to know that her father kept receiving Elizabeth's letters and what was more her own cousin the Emperor and King of Spain deciding he had more to gain with Elizabeth's union with his former servant, decided to give Eustace a dukedom! This was outrageous. He was making Eustace Chapuys the Duke of fucking Sicily! How had this had happened? How had a man with humble background rose to the highest position in Christendom? No man should have so much power, especially that man!

February 24th 1537

Hundson Residence:

Elizabeth hated being in this place, this was a place of memories, terrible memories for her sister and for her as well. Elizabeth had deemed this place the devil's house. It was the place that transformed her sister into the loving, kind, sweet hearted girl into the cold, austere woman she was today. She preached the gospel of Jesus and all her saint's religions to the places where she went to give charity to the poor, but inside she had a different purpose for her "Good will". Mary saw life as a competition, the more charity Elizabeth and Queen Jane gave, the more she felt compelled to do the same. For every penny Elizabeth gave, Mary gave twice the income their father had her and husband on.

Nobody could deny the Duchess of Bavaria loved her family. She was devoted to Philip as Philip was devoted of her and their son, Henry. Mary was currently expecting another child, and the same astrologer who had failed to predict both of Mary's children were going to be born boys, had been called from France by their father to predict the gender of Mary's child -of course he said exactly what everyone wanted to hear, the child was going to be born a boy.

What a fiasco, she thought her sister a better and intelligent person to fall for such nonsense. Nonetheless, slowly gaining fame among the poor and being brought into her father's good graces by the Queen and her brother whom she had gotten very close, closer than what Mary hoped to be with the future King; Elizabeth was forced to make one last stop to her sister's before heading home (to Hatfield) to Eustace.
She was a busy woman, the Duchess of Sicily and Marquess of Yorkshire was now a potential candidate for next in line in the throne of England. Almsot four years had passed since Edward's birth, and what had followed the Queen and King's initial joy was a trail of miscarriages and sorrow.
Jane had used all of her strength in Edward that there was not any left to deliver other babies.

Like her predecesors she had the weight of a nation on her shoulders. Her father was not getting any better, Elizabeth had seen the man that had swung her in yellow colors, on the celebration of Mary mother's death, something her sister had not forgiven her father to date; transform himself into someone that was barely unrecognizable by the people who had grown to know him as a kind, sweet and valiant King, a man who embodied all the ideals of a Renaissance Prince. Though she agreed that the Catholic Church was corrupt (something she was having trouble still convincing Eustace to convert to her way of thinking), she did not agree with the drastic meassures her father was taking, and of course like her sister and the Queen she disagreed completely on these meassures partly because they were all one man's doing -Secretary Thomas Cromwell, the Earl of Essex. The hold that man had on her father was ridiculous, he only needed to tell him who to lie with to turn the King of England into his full slave! And then just a few days after her niece and nephew's birtht there had been that incident in Ireland with the revolt on the shrines of Kildare and of course it ended badly. Eustace was on the side of the rebels, the Irish chieftans all Catholic claiming the King was a heretic. Elizabeth on her part thought they were foolish to revolt on something silly as to how to worship the Lord. "We all believe in God, does it matter how differet our worship is?" As long as they kept the same ideals and preached the gospel of Christ, love, virtue and charity who cared, she told Eustace, how was He worshipped? Sadly for many radical Protestants as their counterparts they believed that the doctrine was everything, and not to be part of it meant you were against it and therefore sided with the devil. It was a waste of time and money, her father had squandered nearly all the treassury sending his troops to Ireland thinking if I could get the same revenue from their corrupt monasteries as I got here, I will be richer than King Midas! It was a huge surprise for everyone involved in the attack when they discovered the monasteries in Ireland barely had anything left that could make up for the soldiers killed in battle fighting the rebels. There was no option left but for her father to leave the men there until he could find a greater bounty for them and for himself. Meanwhile he had transformed the Council of Wales that his father, the first Henry Tudor established on his first years in coming to the throne, to the Court of Great Sessions that changed his title from Lord of Ireland to King of Ireland.

It was an outrage, but an outrage that the people cheered and as long as the King had the approval of the people, he could do whatever he wanted, it didn't matter if he was right or wrong.

"Aunt Bessie!" A two year old, nearly three, ran to her favorite aunt clinging to her leg. Her dress was not so big like she normally wore, Eustace insisted since she was preparing in the morning to have a personal breakfast with the queen and king, that she take better care of herself, the doctor explicitly told her that she would start gaining weight and tight corsets would not do her or the little surprise she was about to tell Mary any good. Her stepmother had insisted as well that she used simpler dresses. Elizabeth detested simpler fashions, she was born from the true anointed queen, why not let the best of Europe exalt her beauty? But she swallowed her pride, it was all for the life she carried.

"Hello luv" Elizabeth greeted kneeling in front of her niece, whom she should call her stepdaughter. This was Eustace's child, her brain racked. 'It doesn't matter' She responded 'whatever he did with that Catholic whore is in the past.' Besides, the child bore no blame, she was the only innocent in all of this.

She took the two year old Anne Elizabeth -Annie -as her loved ones called her- in her arms and ran her hand through her long red wavy hair. Tudor hair, and she had the temper to match it. She could still remember all those nights Elizabeth, shortly after her marriage to Eustace, had been called to Hundson to help Susan and Mary calm her down. It always made her sister envious to see how easy it was for a woman as 'simple' and less experienced as Bess whose eyes always served as a reminder of the woman she hated, the same woman who was her daughter's namesake; throw off her daughter's tantrums with one simple phrase. "My love" she would always start and then she would sing for her, and the child would fall asleep in her Aunt's arms.

Annie locked gazes with her Aunt and asked her why had she and "Uncle" Eustace stopped visiting her recently. "Don't you like me anymore?" She couldn't use the word love for she had rarely heard it being used for herself. She thought that it was a word she was forbidden to speak, and her parents always preferred her brother anyway, they must think that it is a waste of time using it on her -a girl. She didn't know that her name was Annie or how to react when her aunt and uncle started calling her by her name instead "sweet pea". All she ever heard in Hundson was "girl" or "Child be quiet" by her daddy. Mama was different, she didn't yell as much but she was very strict with her rules of cleanliness and anything she deemed as a mess in her room she would punish Annie by putting her under lock and key for days. She would only be allowed to come out when it was for food or personal cleanliness.

Elizabeth shook her head lightly, she was always careful when she craddled her niece. Annie was strong and healthiest child of the Tudors, but she was also very fragile emotionally. In her short years she had known nothing but humiliation and grown in a house of sin and lies. Elizabeth wanted desperately to take her and run away with her and Eustace, and never look back but Mary was her mother, and no matter what she and Eustace wanted, the courts would favor Mary.

Annie had spent since the year began in her parents' close watch, and she missed being her aunt and uncle who always brought gifts to her and pampered her to no end, besides that her uncle was always nice but sad whenever he saw her with her daddy. Yet it was more than gifts. Under her mother's wounded pride, Annie could sense something else in her. You could taste it; a sibling rivalry that predated them. It started with their mothers and her mother sought to continue, she could not stand to see her younger sister be with a man she had freely chosen and rewarded with higher prizes and lands than her. Annie tried to tell her mama that it wasn't that that mattered, but her mother always silenced her.

"Porque no me visitan?"[1] Asked Annie more strongly and in Spanish to better impress her Aunt.

Elizabeth poked her niece's nose to keep her from crying. Annie was special but often too emotional and if they had spent more time together that would have been already resolved. "Don't worry sweet pea. Soon when it is your birthday you can come and stay the night with us"

"Really? En serio tia, y podre estarme mucho?"[2] The child's eyebrows were raised, and her eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope and happiness, imagining all her presents.

Elizabeth nodded "Really and what is more, your Uncle has a big surprise, he plans to give you what you always wanted" What you deserve -Bess left it unsaid.

"What is that?" Asked Annie her excitement growing by the minute. Her Auntie Bess whispered something in her right ear and if possible, her eyes lit up more.
She gasped "Thank you Auntie. Thank you!" She leaned forward and buried her head in her Aunt's neck. She loved her Aunt, she was the only woman she knew that was this good to her, and her uncle was just as well or even better.

Each day Eustace had prayed for the return of his lost one, his daughter. Each day he rayed had been worse than the day that had come before it. Today he hoped that Bess would bring good news for a change of his daughter's faring with her mother and Philip. A cold wind was blowing from one of her niece's room open windows. Elizabeth went with Annie still in her arms, to close it, but a voice from behind sent chills worse than the cold wind down her spine and Annie's.

"Annie you are going to choke the life out of your aunt" It was Mary who surprised them both by walking into her daughter's room unannounced. She felt offended that Bess had come and not waited in the parlor to greet her as Susan had suggested. All she cared for was Annie, typical, Eustace's child.

Annie had felt as though something or someone had watched them, something cold and implacable that wanted only to harm them. Elizabeth had felt it too, but it was the first time she felt it near Mary's presence, she should have watched her surroundings better, damn it!

Not to get her niece in anymore trouble Elizabeth put her down. Nearly three and she could already walk and run, she was excelling in all her studies despite Mary and Philip's boasting of their son, better than Henry. There was a secret envy and resentment in Elizabeth's heart when she saw Annie and the way she was treated, because she was so often reminded of herself and regretted that she could not take this child from her "parents" to her real father. She deserved better than Hundson, and she deserved a better mother. That child should have been HERS.

"But mummy I was only talking with Auntie Bess" Annie said walking to her mother to justify for her actions. "Besides I do not want to go back to my lessons" she added knowing what her mother would say next "I do not like Henry's tutor"

"He is your tutor too"

"But he does not let me have breaks or eat, he lets Henry. I do not want that, besides Annie already knows Spanish better than Henry"

Mary rubbed her temple with both hands feeling a coming headache. She looked straight into her daughter's eyes. "Annie you need to learn how to talk better, now go please and stop looking at me like that I am only doing what is best for you, go listen to me for once!" She clapped both her hands in front of the little girl and Annie ran past her mother covering her teary face.

"Are you insane?" Elizabeth cried.

"What?" Mary asked seeing nothing wrong with what she'd done. "Oh you mean that, well Bessie when you and Eustace start the process of having children you will understand"

"No we won't" she shook her head in utter dismay at what Mary was saying. The process -she called it- everything for was a competition. The whole was against her, she was blind to her own daughter's pain! God, she thought, did my mother and her family truly killed her spirit? She always justified the things she did to her sister, she said her sister was a threat to them and to her family, but she never understood the true extent of the queen's damage to Mary. It was beyond repair now. Regardless of that, Elizabeth did not see it as a justification to the unjust treatment she was subjecting Annie.
"And" her voice became very low "you are not mistreating any child, you are mistreating HIS child, my niece and stepdaughter. By all your saints Mary do you think she is an idiot, she will soon know to distinguish her real father from her fake one" She went to add repeating "She is not stupid Mary" like you -she thought.

Mary saw her sister, really saw her for the first time in years. She was the youngest daughter of the Tudor line and was a handsome youth of twenty, dark brown eyes -like her mother's unfortunately that served to remind Mary of the woman who took everything from her childhood- and graceful and thin unlike any other English rose. She was called the "Tudor rose" and mounted better than woman, or man. She was a rose whose touch could give true warmth, while Mary was her father's true jewel whose light shone brighter than fire but gave no warmth.

"How dare you, I welcomed you into my home, if it was not for me Annie would not see you or your husband -"

Elizabeth cut Mary off and wrung her hands in mid air "Oh stop it Mary! The world is not against you as you often put it, the only one responsible for your misery is yours and don't say you are not miserable because you are, I know you better, we were raised together so I know when you are lying and when you are not!" She pointed a guilty finger at her sister "You chose to mistreat Annie and why? Is it because you still love him? It is isn't it?" She advanced to her sister pushing her finger against her sister's chest. "You lost him he is mine now, and it pains you, oh yes I see it sister, it pains you that you cannot have the man you love because you were not brave enough as me, the commoner's daughter!"

"Stop it, you know fully well I am with child and anything -"

"I don't care if you miscarry in this moment, I don't care if you are carrying the next King of England, all that matters to me is MY stepdaughter and you better start treating her right, because I see that child cry again and she comes with me mark my words Mary!" This is when Elizabeth was transformed into the queen her mother always destined her to be. Her threats scared the bravest of men but they had no effect on the two people she loved the most, her husband and her sister.

"You are bluffing" Mary said backing away and running to her chambers, too much stress the physicians said could be harmful for the baby.

"Am I Mary?" Elizabeth asked a smirk on her lips as she followed Mary to her rooms, unfortunately her sister knew her very well too and locked the door before Elizabeth could get in. "Oh and Mary?" When she received no answer she continued, savoring each moment of this. "I am with child, HIS child!"

"Go away!" Mary yelled from her bedroom, but Elizabeth was already on her way down when reaching the parlor she saw her niece who had escaped from her lessons crying, no doubt yelled by Henry's tutor or Philip again.
Elizabeth was sick and tired tending to Mary's mess, she was nobody's janitor but what Annie said then as she hid behind her father's favorite chair made her heart stop and she wheeled around. "Please God don't make them hate me"

That was enough for Bess. She kept her promise and threat to Mary real. Grabbing Annie she shusshed her and hurried to the carriage that was outside waiting for her. "Auntie Bessie what are you doing?" Asked Annie surprised and her eyes shone true fear.

"I am tired of this farce, the truth will come out for once"

"No Auntie, daddy will be very mad, he will yell at me" Annie cried harder while hanging on to her Auntie afraid she might be dropped.

"No sweet pea your father does not yell at children!"

"Annie, Annie ... Annie come back here! Elizabeth what are you doing?" Philip ran after them, Annie seeing his eyes shoot daggers at her buried her head in her Aunt's neck. Elizabeth could feel her tears. She wheeled around before stepping into the carriage, using the same volume as Philip to scare him. Seeing the terrible look on her eyes made Philip back away. "Don't you dare you are not even this girl's father!" She hissed.

"Listen Elizabeth I understand you are angry, this is very emotional for all of us Mary just told me the news you are with child, congratulations, but you have to return Annie, sweetheart I am sorry I yelled" Philip soften his voice in the last sentence when he looked at Annie whose head was still buried in Bess' neck.

"I am not Mary I am my father's daughter and I will not tolerate how you mistreat this child"

"Bess come on -"

"No I will speak and you better not come near her again or I will Philip"

Philip Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine had been awarded and made member by and of the Order of the Golden Fleece by the bravery he displayed during the battle for Vienna against the Turks in 1529. His tales where well known in Germany and he was recognized as a bright and skilled warrior and commander who could keep his coolness in the times of great danger. It was the reason why her father had chosen him to be Mary's husband. He was also a protestant like many of his family, but unlike his staunchly lot he was more conniving and he cared more about money and politics than he did for religion. Lutheranism happend to be the religion that benefitted the rich barons and Princes of Germany so naturally not wanting to fall behind, he claimed himself to be a faithful follower of the new doctrine. But no one could have guessed that the fearless warrior would be mentally disarmed by Henry VIII's youngest daughter.

"What do you want?" Philip asked his convenience taking hold of him. He cared for his wife, but he would not have Bess ruined their chances of becoming closer to the throne after the Prince Edward, because of that child. He looked behind him, Mary was there, her pale figure shown in the window of the second floor where she locked herself in after her discussion with Bess. Her eyes spoke of regret and her face was full of sorrow. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't risk their son over Anne.

He turned back to Bess "How much for your silence?"

Elizabeth snorted in laughter. "It takes more than gold to silence Elizabeth Tudor, no dear brother in law, you have to do better than that. Promise right here and now that you and Mary will not come near Annie again, and you have my word"

It is hard to take orders from any man when your blood was nobler than they, but when it was a woman, it was even harder. Philip reflected as he stood there shivering. Elizabeth had stepped into the carriage and wrapped her coat and shawl around her niece to protect her from the cold. He saw he had no choice. "Fine then" he said turning back into his wife's residence. He told himself it was for the best, but somehow when he went back to Mary to explain the deal she'd made, he didn't sound so convincing.

~o~

Hatfield Residence:

Eustace looked at the sky. It was getting late and the moon was coming. The skies looked purple, he knew it was a clear sign that rain was coming.

He went back inside to the living room where he returned to his book. He told Elizabeth he was born a Catholic and he would die a faithful Catholic, but his wife had been so insistent on "openning" his mind to other doctrines that just to stop her rants, he began to read "forbidden" books. Surprisingly he did not find them as offensive, however he disagreed with most of these new so called "doctrines". They were a joke and a blasphemy but if people wanted to follow the devil and his acolytes' path who was he to tell them not to? He believed that men should not be forced to worship something they did not believe in, and despite that being Luther and other of his predecesors' followers they did the same crimes they condemn the church for. Forcing others to worship them and their leaders and if they refused they were either refused (in the case of women) they were burnt to the stake, or isolated from the rest of society.

"Bunch of hypocrites" He said aloud surprising some of the women in his wife's service. They knew of his affiliations, but they said nothing. 'At least -they thought- he is trying.'

Eustace heard the galloping of horses and suddenly coming to a halt. He stood up and went to receive his wife, hoping she could tell him everything regarding the news of her pregnancy when she told Their Majesties or when she told Mary, the last which he enjoyed immensitely as he pictured her face turning scarlet with fury. Most of all he cared about news concerning his daughter's welfare, Annie. They had not seen her in months, and they had been so busy with this pregnancy that she had been pushed from their minds. He hoped she was doing alright, as alright as his child might be in Mary and her idiotic husband's care.

"Uncle! Uncle Eustace!" He gasped when he saw Elizabeth walking alongside Annie. He looked up at his wife in confusion. Elizabeth merely smiled and lifted Annie and carried her to the living room where Eustace had been.

"Uncle Eustace, Uncle!" She kept screaming trying to break free of her Aunt's embrace to be in her uncle's arms. Elizabeth let her go and Eustace took her, rocking her like the little girl she was.

"Auntie Bess said I could stay with you the whole year and you give Annie gifts. What gifts will you give Annie?" Annie asked Eustace who still couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What gifts will you give Annie uncle?" She persisted.

Eustace found his voice and bore a genuine smile "A lot, a lot daug- Annie, a lot and you can choose whatever you want to take with you home -"

"So I will have to go back?" Annie's face fell.

"No you won't, you will stay here with us, we will protect you won't we?" Elizabeth said looking cautiously at her husband, hoping he would agree with her on this.

He nodded and not because he was afraid of what Elizabeth might say, but because his prayers were finally answered. "Yes" he agreed "you can stay whatever time you want, I will protect you, you will have whatever you want, whatever you say"

Annie lunged completely unto him, and squeezed him very hard saying how excited she was and she couldn't wait for her birthday to come, and now that she knew she would have a cousin she wanted it to be a girl so she could share her dolls with her. They all shared the laugh.

"Cuantos debe de haber en el mundo que huyen de otros porque no se ven a si mesmos!"
(How many people there must be in the world who run from others because they can't face the truth of themselves!)

~"Lazarillo" in Lazarillo de Tormes - First Treaty (1554) by Anonymous

1537, July 23rd

Hatfield Residence:

Soon enough Mary broke her promise and she and her husband along with all her ladies and half of Philip's German servants came nearly two weeks after Annie's birthday. In the same fashion Elizabeth had done when she took her daughter, Mary came to Hatfield not waiting to be announced.

While she was entering the house surprising Kat Ashley and Kate Romanov nee Parr who were her sister's top ladies; Elizabeth and Eustace were in the parlor discussing baby names with Annie.

"Athena!" Annie said pointing to her Aunt's very pregnant belly.

Eustace covered his mouth to avoid laughter. Annie had not changed her mind on her name choice. Greek mythology was her favorite subject, and he was in part to blame. He read to her every night about Petrarch and his discussions over the Greco-Roman myths, and he taught her Greek and Latin which only increased her love for everything Greek. Aristotle unlike her mother, was her favorite Greek philosopher.

"Athena!" She repeated.

"Annie, English name" Elizabeth reminded her, reaching she cupped her beautiful white, thin cheeks in her hand. "How about Anne or Elizabeth like me and you hmm?" She offered.

Annie shook her head, the girl was definitely as stubborn like Eustace. "Athena!"

"Annie" her father said softly but with a warning in his voice. "Come what is so bad about a normal name?"

"But Athena is my favorite goddess!" Her eyes gleamed and her hands were perched on her skirt, if they did not say yes or offered a compromise they would have another display of the famous Tudor temper in their hands. "It is a good name for an intelligent child"

Elizabeth and Eustace could not contain their laughter any longer. "What makes you think the child will be as smart as you sweet pea?" Bess asked welcoming Annie to sit closer to her.

"You are smart so is Uncle Eustace" she said simply as it was the most obvious thing in the world. Eustace looked at Elizabeth and said it was better just to agree with her.

Just when they were about to celebrate they had averted another 'disaster', they heard a voice that made them, including Elizabeth who put a protective hand over her swollen belly; jump from their seats.

"Annie it is me your mama"

Annie gasped and hid behind her Aunt Bess' purple, french-style dress. Eustace reached for her but it only got worse. She clung unto his leg, pulling the black woolen pants looking more frightful. "Anne it is your mother there is nothing to be afraid of"

"Annie does not want to" She kept saying clinging on to her uncle's (in reality her father, though he and Elizabeth were still unsure when they should tell her the truth) leg.

"Auntie Bessie make bad go away" she said to her Aunt.

Chapuys picked her up in his arms and whispered in her ear "I am here, nothing will happen to you. Let us talk with her calmly, yes"?

Annie opened her eyes. "Promise?"

"I promise. Have I ever broken a promise to you?"

"No" she said smiling and giggling as soon as her uncle inspired her confidence.

"That is our girl, now go" Eustace said tickling her.

It hurt Mary to see that her daughter had become so distant from her. It is your fault –a little voice in her head said. No, I am not the one who blackmailed. It is Bess' fault and her so called husband, they took my child.

Mary reached out for her daughter, but Annie was wary of her mother's embrace. She remembered all the times she had spoiled Henry, and when she would berate her for not being as good as Henry, as good as her uncle the Prince Edward, or as good as her Auntie for that matter.

"Sweetheart come on, is alright, look what Susan brought you." Mary motioned for Susan to bring her the flowers Mary had picked out for her along with her new doll. "Don't you remember how you used to like playing with Susan?"

Meanwhile Elizabeth and Eustace had retreated to behind the parlor where they became silent spectators. Elizabeth looked at Eustace. "How can you tell her that?"

"She is her mother no matter what" Eustace said, not fully believing it.

"Eustace..."

"I can´t take her away from her, Elizabeth."

"She is her daughter as well as mine, and I don´t know...perhaps Mary will soften towards her and realize her mistakes, why else she would come almost a year after everything?"

Elizabeth chuckled cynically. "You really believe that? After all Annie has suffered?"

"I don´t know." He answered truthfully. "I hate Mary for what she did to my daughter but on the other hand I can´t avoid but think that I am responsible for it too. If she had been Phillip´s daughter she wouldn´t have treated as badly"

"Do you really hate her?" Elizabeth asked softly. Even a year after their marriage and her pregnancy which was on late stages she was still wary of Eustace´s feelings for her sister, for she knew better than anyone how strong they had been "do you not...feel anything more for her? Hate is not the opposite of love" she said

"I love you" he emphasized kissing her lips more passionately, and when he broke their kiss he whispered in her ear, with his fingers still in her soft skin, the softness of it reminded him every day what he had lost, and what he was glad he did to be with his wife and unlikely soul mate.

"What we had, I thought that she and me were meant to be together, I now see that it was you, it was always you. I married you because you were smart, kinder and far more controlled … sometimes" he said -the last part causing Elizabeth to chuckle "than your sister, and because I fell in love with you, because I wanted you and no one else"

She smiled leaning into him "I love you too" she whispered

His hand descended to her belly "we haven´t finished discussing names"

"I know." Elizabeth said "we´re not calling her Athena!" Chapuys laughed -"she has imagination" –he said.

"She gets that from you Eustace, I know you have been reading her at midnight, despite that I told you not to" she said giving him a warring look that meant to scared him but only made him laugh harder.

"You should not laugh at this. I scare people"

"You don´t scare me" He said kissing the tip of her nose

"I hope she is a girl so she can be as handsome like you, and smart as our Annie?" Eustace said for he could not think a child so sweet, pure and innocent as Annie being Mary's child.

Elizabeth smiled at our Annie "We will see, I hope it´s healthy that´s what matters, though a boy would probably satisfy the king...and the emperor" she said knowingly

"I am happy with whatever it is" he said leaning forward placing a hand on her swollen belly and kissing it before looking up at her again. Only three months and they would meet their blessing, he knew that his daughter, whom he was still forced to tolerate her (as a result of her ignorance of her true parentage) calling him uncle; would be happy to finally be part of their extended family.

He diverted his attention from Elizabeth at where Annie was.

Mary was trying to make her daughter comfortable, but the more she asked, the more it upset Mary.

"Honey was is the matter? You used to say you wanted me to hug you"

"It is not the same." Annie said tearing her face away from her mother's kisses.

"Why not? Look" Mary leaned forward to whisper at her daughter, ignoring the warring look of Elizabeth or her own chief lady in waiting Susan. "I brought you a surprise"

At this Annie's head perked up. "Really?" she asked excitedly and her eyes becoming hungry with curiosity.

"Yes, it is outside your daddy gave it just for you, you want to come home with me and daddy? You can meet your new sister, she is very pretty, and you will be a good big sister to her"

"What about Auntie Bessie and uncle Eustace?"

Mary chuckled, she hated Eustace for having taken her child from her, she felt it was his fault for who else to influence Elizabeth with that conniving scheme but him?

Mary hated the way her daughter's face became pensive, just like his face, no matter how hard she and Philip had tried to educate her when she was living at Hunsdson, Annie would always, unknowingly imitate Eustace, and it was something that hurt and angered her for her daughter hardly listened, she was even more hyper active than Elizabeth at her age.

"Honey, you can come back again, but consider staying with me, come one you know how lonely I am without you little Annie"

"Mary" Eustace said warningly

She ignored Eustace's warning. "I will behave, so will daddy, he brought you a puppy just for you, don't you want to meet him? He has tons of surprises for you"

Annie's eyes became downcast. Mary's fingers were placed on her daughter's chin and she raised her head up to meet her eyes. "Annie he will not yell, he is willing to make peace with you. He is very sorry for yelling last time"

"No" Annie said in the same way her father, her real father would say no, softly but strongly at the same time "I want to stay with Aunt Bessie and uncle Eustace. I like it better here"

"Annie I am your mummy, me and your daddy will always be your parents, just remember that, we love you."

Susan knelt next to Mary, and gave her as Mary told her to the other doll "Look Annie your doll, this was picked by Henry and your daddy. Don't you want to meet your new sister?"

"Daddy doesn´t love, he yells at me and he doesn´t look at me as Uncle Eustace does, he never tucked me in bed at night, or read for me, or played with me. He never taught me languages"

"Annie adults can sometimes say things we do not mean, but he is your father Annie, and he already said he was sorry, he wants to make it up to you, look just take this doll, I know you always begged me for a doll like this, see her pink ribbons, and her green dress?"

"I don't want the doll" She said again softly "I want to stay"

Mary felt a great hole had been punched in her chest, she had been through many blows but this was not one she could tolerate.

"Honey, just take the doll please, fine if you do not want to come with me to live, fine Annie but just accept this gift from us your loving parents, and just come outside to say hello to your daddy and get the puppy. Annie I promise you will like him"

Annie eyed her mother with a frown and the same blue eyes that Eustace used to look at her with. Mary felt profoundly affected by that look that she had so many times before but not in her daughter´s face.

"Only if auntie Bessie and uncle Eustace come to...and Alex too"

"Who is Alex?"

"The son of Lady Katherine " Elizabeth said neutrally. "He plays with Anne sometimes"

Mary raised herself up and looked at Elizabeth with questioning eyes. "Mistress Howard?" She asked shocked. They had her daughter being taken care of by that sixteen year old who had built a reputation that only a libertine Howard could?

"Not that Katherine. Katherine Parr. She married a Russian duke after the death of Lord Parr, remember Mary?"

"She is nice mama, she lets me read ALL kinds of stuff, even in French Master Abelard the Discourse of the Trinity" Annie interrupted her Auntie, which she usually did and Elizabeth let her for Kate was a good governess for her niece and stepdaughter.

"Oh" Mary said gulping and holding down the need to yell at Elizabeth for letting Annie become too attached to someone else not their family. She looked down at Annie again. "Just one minute, just one peak honey, just say hello to your father, please do it for me"

"Can at least uncle Eustace and Aunt Bessie come too?"

"They might not want to Annie ... this was supposed to be a private moment between you and your daddy" she said eying Eustace coldly.

"Mary," He said suddenly "I need a word with you."

Eustace gave no time for Mary to reply, when Elizabeth came and picked Annie up and brought her to Kate's quarters that had been opened, and her inhabitants, Kate and her son Alex, had been listening to the entire conversation. The Governess was already aware of the situation.

"Did I do something bad?" She asked her Aunt and governess Kate.

"No you didn´t honey your fa...your uncle just wants to talk with your mother"

She beat herself up in her mind for having to rephrase Eustace's title to her. Annie did not show confusion, and Elizabeth feared that like her husband and Annie's father, she was hiding everything inside, too much for her own good.

Mary walked to where Elizabeth was, but was stopped by Eustace.

"What do you want from me Mary? Why are you doing this?"

"I want nothing, I just want Annie back Eustace where she belongs"

"She doesn't want to go. And a child should never belong where she is mistreated"

"I loved my child, and in case you don't know, Annie is legally Philip's, not yours, not Elizabeth's." she said with a firm tone, mirroring Eustace's cold looks. "I do not deserve to be called the best mother, but everyone makes mistakes Eustace you better than anyone know, I just want her back with me, I have talked with Philip and he agreed not to yell at her anymore. He is sincere. He is waiting outside for Annie to give her many presents"

"Mary...when she told me how you treated her, how Phillip, Phillip! –who is not even ever her father, you have no idea of how angry I was. How you humiliated her, how unloved she felt, how diminished before Henry she felt. During her first months here I would wake every night with her crying. I spent more nights sleeping by her side than with Elizabeth. She panicked when she was alone -when she didn´t see me or Elizabeth. And I never, ever, told you that you could not come here, that you could visit her, even though Elizabeth hated that idea, I always said that you would be welcomed here and when she told me about what happened in Hunsdon I wanted to..." he sighed squeezing his hands "to go there and make you beg for forgiveness and you now appear here" he said with voice calm as it had always been since the beginning "as if nothing had happened as if she was only spending some kind of summer break here. I don´t doubt you love her, but you hate me more, and you always see me in her. In any case" he said sighing diverting his eyes from Mary turning his back to her and he whispered almost inaudibly "you are right. I cannot forbid you or stop you from taking her..." from me he thought. Again. First my son who died and I didn´t accomplish his request for you and now Anne -"she is your daughter and I´ve told Elizabeth that...that she shouldn´t make the truth or what really happened public for Anne´s sake"

"Thank you Eustace, all I ask is for her to see her father, to see Philip, and as you eloquently put it, let her decide"

"As you wish my lady" He said feeling hurt with eyes with an immense sadness he looked at her and bowed.

Kat Ashley, loyal servant, lady in waiting and best friend of Elizabeth went back to report to her mistress the Duchess of Sicily, when she finished telling all the accounts of her husband's conversation with Eustace, Elizabeth stormed off to meet Eustace as he reached Kate's quarters where Annie was.

"You did not do that. You want Annie to grow up neglected like Mary did, to history be repeated, your history, her history, my history?"

"Elizabeth we can´t do anything she is her mother. Do you really want to fight for this? Mary would win"

"Giving her would only make Anne would only suffer more"

"Elizabeth, I don't want her to be between two families, two parents like I was, like you and Mary were"

"So you are giving her up"?

"A parent makes sacrifices." He tried to smile but failed weakly.

"A true parent, you just proved that you are willing to give up what you love for her stability, you are more deserving of Annie's love than Mary, she would have never do that" Elizabeth said feeling immensely sad, for Annie with her hair, her looks was not only a miniature version of Eustace, but she also reminded Bess of her, and she was very much like her.

Elizabeth went to retrieve Annie, who kicking and screaming and crying begged not to.

Suddenly she managed to get free from Elizabeth who gasped and in the sight of them all, she ran to Eustace, and caught her as he jumped into his arms.

"Please papa, no papa, I don´t want to leave you" His eyes widened at hearing her calling "papa" or "father" but she only tightened the hold on his neck "you are my papa, you are my papa, I know you are, you look like me!"

A/N: Huge cliffy! I am evil I know! buahaha

R/R to know what happens next!

Translation Spanish to English:

[1] "Porque no me visitan?" -Why don't you visit me?

[2] "En serio tia, y podre estarme mucho?" -Really Aunt, and can I stay long?