Disclaimer: No I don't own everything. If I did I would be Goddess Supreme and a Multi Billionaire producer!
A/N: Thanks to everyone for supporting this fic and the pairing and I recommend you watch another CHABESS shipper, LadyJaxs99 her new fic Love the way you love you can tell it will be a hit already and have many reviewers, you can find her pics on her flickr page or on mine under my favorites. And see SSLE vids about Philip and Anne of Austria on youtube, she does good videos you won't be disappointed! Thanks SSLE for helping me with some ideas of this fic and I enjoy writing with you your fics too, you ever need help or brainstorming I can help or she can too she knows a lot too!
~VXLP
"When I was very little my mummy used to say that good girls don't cry. That good girls are obedient to EVERYTHING their parents say, that good girls don't fight them, good girls stay and watch by while their parents impose their punishment on them. Because good girls are the epitome of the perfect woman. As I grow up and watch the scars on my wrists I see that the good girl is another system input in our brains by the slave institution of the traditional family that has been implemented with the only purpose to perpetuate the cruel hierarchy we live in. Families see the word "good" as an excuse for mistreatment or driving a child to commit suicide, the mother or father who say to their child I wish you were not born, and I would be happier without you are a perfect example of this cruel and useless system"
~"Parents, tradition and their slaves" by Anonymous
1541, December 25th
Nonsuch Palace:
Eustace had expected he would be nervous. This was their first Christmas at Court especially as a whole as a family. The King's Christmas feast was said to be nothing short of glorious, he wanted to show off his new palace he had ordered Cromwell to build shortly after his wife had miscarried four years ago, the last boy she ever had; to his old and new subjects.
He and Elizabeth were now in quite good terms with Henry though Eustace still despised the man, but Henry was quite attached to Anthony Andrew, or Anthony as he preferred. Especially because the boy was quite sweet and witty and he had conquered everyone around. To the Emperor, through the Imperial ambassador who replaced him –the Flemish Francis Van der Delft; Chapuys told him they were educating him –and he included Annie in the letter, by now Francis must have guessed she was based on appearances his- in the Catholic faith. It was something that wasn't entirely a lie but it was not exactly truth either.
Life had been kind to them, during the last two years, Annie was growing and they were both being educated together with the Duchess Dowager Katherine Parr as their main tutor. She loved her brother dearly, and since that fastidious day she had not mentioned Mary.
With the exception of some passing comment Mary had been forgotten. But Elizabeth could not help but be wary knowing that for Christmas she and Phillip as well as their children would be there
"Why can't I call you papa, daddy?" Annie said breaking the chain of thoughts that gone through Eustace's head, and he looked down at his five year old daughter smiling.
"Annie only a few people know the truth" He said.
"But it is no fair, I want to call you like you are my father." She said huffing in a manner that reminded Elizabeth of herself at that age.
"Anne you know how people at Court are, vicious and they are not very open minded when it comes to parentage, your parents are not married, and being half-sister to Henry and might I add being born on the same period of time, some consider it ... well, not normal"
"Then they should be made to be open minded" she argued crossing her arms against her chest as they waited for the royal usher to announce them.
Eustace dreaded it. SHE and Philip along with all their offspring would be there.
"Annie is my sister, she should call you father" Anthony chipped in defending Annie as any good brother would do.
"Not you two. Come on, behave, Annie we've discussed this, it´s our little secret, I keep your secrets too don´t you?"
"Yes but they don't include one as big as this"
"Don´t worry, one day they will" Eustace said sarcastic
The usher announced them as they finally entered the great room of the biggest and most luxurious room in the King and Queen's favorite palace.
"Here we go" Anne said sarcastically imitating her father.
"God she is like you" Elizabeth whispered making an effort not to laugh.
"It is to fear" He said.
The King supported by his cane, much like Eustace was forced to these days, came accompanied by the Queen Jane and the newly invested Prince of Wales, Edward Tudor to greet his youngest family members.
"Granddad" Anthony and Annie said unison running to their grandfather, unlike Mary's children who always obeyed protocol, Andrew and Annie were allowed more freedom, though they knew when and how to behave thanks to their mother and main tutor Lady and Duchess Elizabeth.
Henry smiled at them openly.
"How big you have grown" Jane said ruffling Annie's wavy red hair.
"You look very beautiful, Anne." Henry said "And you Anthony. How are your studies?"
"They are doing fine Your Majesty, Father Bors and the rest of all scholars as Archbishop Cranmer, give me great reviews -as they do to Anne" Though he forgot to mention that Anne was what Cranmer called an "insolent student" having a mind of her own to express her opinions freely.
"Yes" Henry smirked "So I have heard. They tell me you are precocious for your age. Both of you. And both very curious But I am glad I used to be like that when I was your age. " Anthony met the king's eyes bravely and boasted that he was happy to be thought on the same level as his grandfather. Then Henry included, reminiscing of his childhood memories, "Curiosity is the beginning of knowledge. It´s not worth to learn when you are forced to"
He remembered his only friend back then had been Charles, Anthony and of course William who was now gone. Many of his friends were falling fast, and he often dreamed of them in his nightmares asking Jane later when he'd woken up -if it was true what Thomas Moore said of him before he died- that the ghosts of all the people he condemned to death, would come back to haunt him?
He shook these thoughts away as Jane knowing what went through her husband's mind these days, knelt to her son, her eight year old Prince Edward who was a year older than Annie and besides her future king, her cousin-uncle.
"Do you feel tedious?"
"No" Edward said eying Annie for the first time. He did not know what to think of her. He barely remembered her, they always kept him behind locked doors, barely able to see anybody unless his father would approve.
She had changed a lot, she was very tiny he could remember from three years ago when he went to visit Hertfordshire country side, on Hundson his eldest sister's household. She had been pale, more than he was at the time, also very silent she had seemed always sad.
"Something on your mind Edward?" His father asked, and Edward sighed inwardly, why was everyone on his back? Why couldn't they just let him express himself without having to watch over him like hawks?
"No father, I was wondering if I could spend time with my cousins Annie and Anthony?"
Anthony sighed in relief, he was glad his uncle for once was referring to him by his preferred name and not by that horrible name of Andrew. That name always sounded so simple but his parents always used it when they were angry with him or they meant to give him one of their long sermons.
Eustace and Elizabeth looked surprised by the request but she quickly understood. He was a five year old, who didn´t have any brothers or sister of his age, it was normal he wanted to be with someone of his age
"If that is what you want" Jane said "they are of course your cousins"
Henry smirked "Of course, I don´t see why not. You and Elizabeth even used to live together a connection like that should not be lost"
"Thank you father" Edward said, and Henry flinched. It was the first time that his son was not using his title in public, but he let it pass seeing Edward very happy and smitten –he could tell by the way he was looking at his niece.
"I hear you liked Le mort d artur by Sir Thomas Mallory?" Edward asked very impressed that she could have read that at such a young age and finished before him. He was barely halfway through the book. Edward disliked tragic endings and because his whipping boy hearing from his tutor the ending was tragic, the Prince was not sure he would enjoy the ending. Besides, he could always lie and say he finished it, nobody would know except him and the boy his tutors used whenever he got something wrong. He made a mental note that when he was King, he would take away those awful practices. Only two when she read that? It was impressive, though not as highly impressive as his own record, at two he had read more than his fair share of his father's favorite works.
"Yes, I liked it, a lot, but I prefer the Greeks and Romans"
Edward moved slightly closer to Annie and Elizabeth and Jane had to make an effort not to laugh. Again and again their gazed met, until he wanted to take her hand and lead her to his room where he would give her all the books his father gave him in exchange that he could hear her melodic voice one more time.
"Homer then?"
Annie pressed both lips together shaking her head, she was way past that. "No, not really. I prefer Virgil much more, the Ovid is more detailed than Homer's Iliad or the Odyssey for that matter."
Henry´s eyes widened slightly and his eyes were directed to Chapuys "I see you've taught her well"
Chapuys smiled at his daughter and bowed a little "Thank you, your majesty"
"I am apologist to the idea that both woman and men should be educated. You have made a good work with your child and with Annie Your Grace" Henry said eyeing Chapuys -obviously referring to him and the fact that he had married his daughter without permission and that in a regular way he would have had executed him, but the Emperor apparently was quite happy with it, and they had just signed an alliance to go to war and since Mary had married Phillip of Bavaria and was obviously no longer within his reach, the Emperor had to try the other daughter, or at least, the children they would have. And for now, Charles had been quite happy with the reports he received about Anthony.
Phillip had been angry. Chapuys and Elizabeth had been talking with the king for at least more than ten minutes than what his family had. What really angered him was that his "supposed" daughter was being friends with Edward, the heir, and the credit was all being given to Eustace.
His son would inherit not only Sicily, but being a strong supporter of his cousin and her mother's cause, he had juxtaposed the queen's favor for his wife to her youngest sister and Eustace's bastard –Anne Elizabeth.
Philip was not ignorant to the Emperor's schemes. Philip's family was siding with France against the war with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. The King though claiming to be restoring England to the true principles of faith was a conniving monarch like Charles who would sooner sell his soul to the highest bidder if it guaranteed him victory in battle. The King of England not only wanted to go down in history as a "great" king, he wanted immortality, he had said so to the former Ambassador and he would go to the ends of the earth to achieve it.
"What has she done now?" Philip asked not believing that his wife was actually asking that question, and he began to chuckle as he drank what was left of the red wine in his silver cup.
"Just look at "our" daughter, she has now the Prince and heir wrapped under her little finger."
"Look at the bright side, the Emperor will be against my daughter"
"Really?" Asked Philip being skeptical "By now Van der Defelt must know as everyone in this bloody Court that she is not my child. If she becomes Queen, Edward will her puppet and you know she will favor Elizabeth over you. We can expect another Margaret Beaufort or worse another Margaret of Anjou" Philip mentioned a twisted and grim expression crossed his face at the thought of that happening.
Mary said but eyed her daughter sadly. She could have had that girl, and now she had lost her forever. "Let us feast" the king said, gesturing for Annie and Anthony to sit beside them. Annie pulled Eustace's sleeve making him lean down, and she whispered something in his ear that made him laugh. Mary could not believe that Eustace was such a good father, something she had never deemed him to be.
"How wonderful" Philip continued on saying.
"That is enough Philip," Said Mary with a reprimanding tone to her husband "Annie will never get near that throne and you know it. You really thing the Pope, your family or anyone after you are siding with the English, will let her, whom is whispered to have strong tendencies towards heresies even your people Philip do not approve of, be my brother's spouse?"
Philip shrugged seeing no point in arguing, his wife as always was right.
"Mama why can I not talk to my sister?" Isabel who had not yet met her eldest sister asked, tugging her mother's sleeve.
Tall, sweet, and without the arrogance of a Wittelsbach that was also a common trait in someone with Tudor blood running through her veins, she saw things differently from the rest of her family.
Elizabeth and Eustace sat by Andrew and Annie, Elizabeth was whispering to Eustace and he laughed looking loving at Elizabeth and caressing her cheek with two of his fingers. Mary´s eyes hardened, she was on the other end of the table, but continued on looking at both of them wondering how on earth so different people with such a difference in religion -something that used to matter to Eustace- she thought bitterly it used to be the most important thing for him, he would never fall for a heretic, and yet he did -could be so close and so "into" each other.
She followed their movements, as Elizabeth´s moved her hand to intertwine with his, which was placed on the table
"Ugh" she said, loud enough for Philip to hear.
"Mary, let them go, let them be, leave them alone" Philip muttered not wanting to cause a scene in front of everybody.
Isabel looked quizzically at her parents, and continued to tug both their sleeves, asking why could she not talk to her eldest sister?
"Sweetheart later, she is busy with the Prince" Philip answered, in his mind not wanting to talk about Annie or anything that had to do with Eustace's spawn.
"But I want to talk to her, she is my sister"
"Mind your father Isabel, and take your hands off the table" Mary said looking away from the "happy couple" of Eustace and her sister, the more she looked at them, the more sickening feeling she got in the pit of her stomach.
"No fair" Isabel muttered in Greek, her favorite language, unknowingly her eldest sister's as well.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Why would you want to talk to her anyways?" he asked his sister, his real sister he considered.
Isabel looked at him like he was the biggest moron on the planet.
"Maybe it is because she is my sister, I don't know Henry"
"What did we say about sarcasm?" Mary said giving her daughter a reprimand.
Edward was too busy talking with Annie while the King marveled at Andrew´s knowledge especially at such early age he has much more learned than Henry who was five. Elizabeth and Chapuys had news to tell "Do you think I should tell my father?" Chapuys arched his eyebrows a little.
"Do you tell him now, or after? It´s up to you Elizabeth"
"He´s is talking to Anthony now, I´ll wait"
Unfortunately, Henry was too focused on the conversation with his grandchild, basically ignoring everyone around and Elizabeth had to stand and interrupt
"Your Majesty I am sorry..."
"No Elizabeth I do have to congratulate you. I am amazed with Anthony's scholarship"
"Thank you, Your Majesty but I do have a piece of news" she said with a whisper, close to his ear
"Yes?" Henry looked up and now Jane was now also paying attention
"I am with child" Elizabeth said softly only to her father and the queen ear´s only
Henry's smile widened.
"My daughter this is really great news, I-I, our former Excellency you should be very proud, a new addition to the Tudor House, I pray that our little Lord or Lady will be as gifted as Andrew or beautiful as our Lady Anne" When Henry said Lady Anne he felt a knot in his throat, not so long ago he had been paying tribute to Elizabeth's mother who also shared his favorite granddaughter's name.
When he looked at Elizabeth she reminded him of Anne, when she had been a child. He had been very proud of her, but it was her eyes that had to remind him of that witch, and when he thought that he had made his peace with his doomed and late wife, along came Annie whose defiance, knowledge and ways of behavior reminded Henry of her again.
But he let that go for now, this was a joyous occasion indeed, the month their savior was born, he received the greatest gift of all -another Tudor would soon be on the cradle, and not to forget that soon England would conquer alongside the Emperor France.
He would become Immortal, the greatest and most celebrated of all magnates the world would ever know.
Eustace did not like that look on the King's face. It was the look that ate up all men's souls: ambition.
"To all of you" he said standing "I have a great piece of news! Once again in this joyful occasion we receive a great piece of news! That my daughter, Elizabeth, is again with child"
"And it must be said, now that both of my daughters are in the line of succession that other Tudor is the way to secure this glorious dynasty!"
Everybody cheered as Elizabeth sat again by her husband´s side "He just had to"
"I know" Chapuys said "but at least he is happy"
"And you?" Elizabeth asked softly "are you feeling well?"
He looked at her "Of course I should be asking that to you my love"
Elizabeth leaned forward to kiss her husband´s lips gently.
"This is our best Christmas, it turned out to be better than you expected mister" She said in a mock angry tone.
He chuckled merrily "Since when was I wrong?"
"Since today" she said "and since always, do not forget you are married to the most intelligent Lady in this Court"
"You remind me that every day Bess"
"Only because you forget my Duke" She said lovingly looking at Andrew being more praised by his grandfather, and on top of it all even Jane Seymour was falling fast in love with her son.
Her hands fell to her belly, still flat that held another life that she and Eustace had created purely out of love.
"Soon we will our new son or daughter? What you want it to be?" Eustace asked.
"As long as he or she is healthy I could care less" Unlike Mary she did not care for gender, personally she would like twins, son and daughter to keep both her niece and her loving son company, but it would be whatever the Lord willed.
"I feel like there is no need for conversation
Some questions are better left without a reason
And I would rather reveal myself than my situation
Now and then I consider, my hesitation
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning, burning bright
I wonder if the things I did were just to be different
To spare myself of the constant shame of my existence
And I would surely redeem myself in my desperation
Here and now I'll express, my situation
There's nothing ever wrong but nothing's ever right
Such a cruel contradiction
I know I cross the lines its not easy to define
I'm born to indecision
There's always something new some path I'm supposed to choose
With no particular rhyme or reason"
~"Burning Bright" by Shinedown
"I love you" he whispered.
She smiled "When will this be over?" she wondered whispering seductively.
"Do you have any ideas, my lady?"
"I have plenty of them"
"We have all night to hear them, and express ourselves" he said with a mischievous grin
"As you cry a lot" she said laughing
"I told you I hated pity Bess"
"Eustace you really cannot stand a joke? How dull of you really" she said taunting him causing him to laugh once more.
A few hours after the feast ended, finally, especially for the children who had almost fallen asleep. Eustace guided his son to his chambers he shared with his sister. Annie was nowhere to be seen but Eustace promised him she would join him shortly after she was done playing with the Prince.
"You are very beautiful" Eustace managed to say huskily whispering in her. Their son had to share temper; otherwise he would not have lasted this long in joining her.
"You praise me too much"
"You like to be praised" He said leading her to their chamber when they were stopped by a familiar voice and her cough.
"Mary" Elizabeth said vowing her head in a mocking manner to her sister. She might be Duchess of one of the more important German provinces, but Elizabeth knew very well that the Wittelsbach's closest clan member, Philip, was an impoverished Duke whose titles were next to nothing compared to Elizabeth's and Eustace's.
"I-I was wondering if I can speak to you Bess for a moment"
"Whatever you have to say you can say it in front of Eustace, your grace" Elizabeth said smirking at Mary's annoyance.
Eustace moaned discretely, Oh God why? Why people insisted on making him unhappy? 'Please let her be fast' –he thought eyeing the bedroom
"Very well, father talked to me after you left, by an act of parliament that it is intending to pass after he introduces this bill along with Chancellor Audley, they will finally reinstate us Bess to the line of succession right after Edward"
"Good, you could be Queen" Elizabeth said growing serious.
"So could you" Mary said "Queen Elizabeth"
"Yes but there was no need for that, we had already heard it being said to Charles Brandon, and he" said Eustace, not need to clarify whom he was referring to "had said it in the feast."
"I just wanted to comment it to you both." Mary said feeling more annoyed at being interrupted in this brief moment of joy that she hoped would reconcile her with her sister, by Eustace.
"You forget Mary that your children can be heirs too, that is if God should forbid our brother was to pass away, your children would be Princes" Elizabeth said.
"Yes I know Isabella and Henry"
"You have another child Mary" Eustace pointed out clenching his fists, a child he wished to add that she did not deserve "Anne Elizabeth"
"She would not be on the succession if God forbid should I become Queen in the event of Edward's death and no heirs to follow him"
"Of course she would not" Eustace smiled cynically "and I thank God for that." Besides he could see by the bump on the former Princess' stomach, that she was also with child, why she had not announced it was a mystery. Mary loved the attention centered around her and her loved ones, then again it was perhaps the failure of having one child born a girl in the same year as his son Anthony, that made her hide the pregnancy –at least until she was sure the child quickened enough to tell her that it was a boy. Personally Eustace thought that those superstitions that if it was a boy the belly was supposed to be pointing up and if a girl down, were plain ridicule to a man's intelligence. It was what God willed it to be, end of story. But men like the King and Eustace's long time old friends like Cornelius Agrippa and his idol Parscelus, loved playing with the laws of nature and they believed that man was strong and intelligent enough to control it.
"Good" Mary said interrupting Eustace's train of thought "something we all agree on, I would much rather have Andrew take her place, but I really come in peace terms to talk to my sister. Elizabeth" she looked deep into her sister's eyes, eyes that often had haunted her because they were the same shape as her mother's, yet hers were kinder and more empathic. "I want us to be friends again"
Elizabeth asked "Why should I do that?"
"Bess remember that at eleven I took care of you when you were only one, you grew up with me, I was always there for you. I have never yelled at you, I offer to you only kindness"
"You offer kindness but you offer none to the people I most love in the world. Even now."
"Elizabeth this is not about them, this is about us"
"No Mary you cannot dissociate, or at least I can´t, my family, my husband, my niece, from you and me. What you´ve done to your daughter, what you´ve to my husband I can never, ever forget them, for it erased every good imagine I had of you. And for what?"
"I paid dearly for that, there is not a day Elizabeth that I do not wake up begging for forgiveness. I can't change the past, but I can make it up to you, to Eustace to your son, to the little one that you are waiting for. I wish you the best to your son I really do"
"What about Annie?" Elizabeth asked not missing the omission.
"Annie does not want anything with me. I have come to accept that as much as it hurts me"
Suddenly Katherine Parr appeared "Oh I am terribly sorry to interrupt but Elizabeth if I could have a small word with you?"
Elizabeth nodded looking at Mary "Give me just a second" Eustace almost rolled his eyes at being alone with Mary.
Elizabeth looked at Eustace her eyes inquiring if he would be okay being left alone with Mary that is.
"Go" there was nothing about Mary he could not handle anymore.
"I-I could -"
As Elizabeth left with Kate, Mary looked down finding sudden interest at her feet.
"Tell Annie I passed by your Grace and Happy Christmas to the three of you" She said wheeling around to leave, when Eustace against his better judgment stopped her.
"How longer are you going to keep ignoring your daughter? Is that why you are here? Because you hate it that it is Annie, and not Isabel who is on the mouth of everyone"
She did not turn to face him. "Your Grace I have no knowledge what you speak of, Annie is better off with you it was her decision"
"And furthermore I am happy to see Andrew in favor with my father, I wish you all the best" Mary said nonchalantly
"I don´t understand, my lady" He said softly threading carefully "I can´t understand why. I could understand Phillip, it was not his daughter and he was forced to deal with a child who was not even his to call her his daughter. I don´t like it, I don´t approve of it but I can understand. But I don´t understand you. Why have you treated her so badly?"
"I do not have to respond to you the reasons behind my daughter's education"
"It was not education. Why Mary? Did you hate me so? Do you still do? Why didn´t you punish me, instead of her? Why?"
"Why are you asking me this Eustace? She already chose to be with you, we all saw how great you are, fine! I was the witch of the story, what more do you want? Do you want me to beg her for forgiveness?"
"No," he said softly "I want to understand and she wants too. She wants to know and I want to know too, why have you done that to her. I just...I never thought..." He sighed and put his hand on his forehead thinking hard what he was going to say next, when he found his courage he looked straight at her again pointing a guilty finger "In the beginning I didn´t even believe what she said Mary, I didn´t believe my daughter"
"What did she say? That I am the witch, the ogre, she is just a child, well was a child anyways, you can't take anything she says seriously"
"No she didn´t say that, she merely talked of what happened in her house. And she didn´t need to tell me everything, Elizabeth saw it when she went to Hunsdon and I saw it too. Why Mary? Why?" He whispered "Why have you made this to her? Why have you done this to me?"
"Eustace I do not want to talk about this, I came here with the intention of making peace with my sister, not all is about you or ... her, so spare me the cavalry you are putting me through"
"You, it has always been about you" Eustace said walking toward her "Why don't you stop the self-pity game, and that everyone hates you, and look at yourself in the mirror to see what you have become"
His words made her turn scarlet red "How dare you speak to me like that?"
"Mary just tell me, I have spent sleepless nights wondering why, how! How could you have changed so much? Was I always wrong? Even when we were together? Was I that stupid that naive that you fooled me?"
"No it was not you"
"So who? Who was it?" He said walking to her placing his hands on her shoulders "Why damn it I deserve to know, your daughter and I cried tears of blood because of you, you´ve made me more miserable than what I ever was in my life, I was ready to lay my life down for you, why damn it I deserve to know!"
"Everything! It was everything!" She snapped very close to tears now "You, me, everyone, father nobody let me be with you, you and I fought so hard to be on that succession, when I thought that my cousin could make things easier, Philip came along, Cromwell Cranmer everybody forbid me to marry you! Yes you could argue you and Elizabeth are happily married -but she is Elizabeth she did not have the weight of such a great ancestry behind her. She did not have the Catholic religion on her back with her enemies trying to knock her down! How could she, she is Elizabeth the one reformist and even Catholics loved, the child of reformation everyone calls! Everything my mother made me vow on her deathbed by her letter would have been thrown away...I made a choice, yes I have to live with it, but a choice you and others can blame me for, but one I was forced inevitable to make, so yes criticize me, blame me but every time I looked at Anne Elizabeth I did not see you, what I could have with you I was envious!" Eustace was speechless and let go and she carried on "Because she had been born with everything, she was the love of the Court, my father, the Queen they all loved her, you and Elizabeth did as well. It made me hate how everything that was ripped from me unfairly and yes Eustace I was envious. She even has my brother wrapped in her little finger, or do you not think I know that the reason Kate Parr came to call Bess is because she found Annie kissing Edward? I saw it just moments ago, Annie kissed him as cute as a "child" can be on the lips, they call it experimenting. Yes let us hail Annie!"
He looked at her, feeling a wave of affection and also compassion. He took off a handkerchief and cleaned her tears "Calm down Mary. What if they like each other? They are children, let them be."
"No I can't, I can't because Edward is now in greater health, he is no longer sick and he is so close to Annie, that if she becomes Queen or someone important it will be a great blow to me. That could have been me ... everything is so easy for her"
"No it is not" He said "I know her nightmares, it´s not easy for her" he whispered
She pulled away from him and threw her hands in the air.
"Is that supposed to bring me comfort? One little nightmare? She will get over it"
He rolled his eyes "Why are you like that? Why are you so insensitive to other´s pain especially to your daughter's pain? And to think I was here, letting my guard down again!" He sighed frustrated throwing his hands in midair "That's it I give up"
"Only to her, the moment she was born she cried when I held her, I tried loving her, I really did but she was always afraid of me."
"Of course she was! Even I was afraid of you! When you love Mary and that person hurts you, you become afraid. That happened to me and it happened to her"
"She should have behaved then, did she tells you when I told her to pray, to come with me and Henry to our reading sessions, how she would run away, how she always threw fits, how she always threw stuff at Henry, at me, how I found her praying for a new mother?"
"She did she told me all that. I told her she shouldn't have done that"
"So you know then that innocence is not something natural of her, that deep down she does things because she wants to"
"She doesn't do them now. Her innocence is natural now" He said mockingly
"And you believe her? You think there is not one ounce of ambition in her, just like all her namesakes, and I do not just mean the Boleyn woman, but Anne Bretagne, all Annes. She knows that she has no place in this world, she will do what she can to leave her mark in history"
He rolled his eyes "My God you are paranoid. SHE IS SEVEN! I've had an enormous trouble in convincing her not to call me father in front of court. You don´t know your daughter, Mary you have no idea of who she is"
"No," she shook her head, smiling cynically at him, looking at him with reproaching eyes "you have no idea what she is"
"Yes I know. Only you Mary would see evil in a three year old which was the age she was when you last saw her"
"You are really naive Eustace and let us not forget you saw evil in my sister when she was born, you saw her as a threat, or maybe I should tell poor little Annie that you pitied her when you saw her and I revealed she was your daughter"
He smirked "I was wrong in relation to your sister. She is the most wonderful person I have ever met. And about Annie I never saw a trace of evil in her"
She smiled even wider, chuckling. "Mark my words Eustace, if she becomes Queen or dares to step ahead of her brother, my Harry (I could stand if it was Anthony, he has every right) I will destroy her and you"
"Do you still love me?" He asked bluntly "And don´t forget before answering that I can read you better than anyone else"
"I will answer what I want, when I want, but keep your daughter away from Edward, if he wants to marry have children, let him, but I will not let her come close to him. I will destroy her Eustace if she does."
"I will not keep my daughter away from Edward, or anyone really. And you didn´t answer my question."
She smirked "I do not have to answer anything, least of all to you! And do tell Annie that! She even has the slightest idea of being close to Edward when he reaches the age to marry, I will destroy her and crush her that no one, no one will want to be near her again"
He lost his patience and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall. His eyes looked murderous an for once in her life she felt afraid of him.
"Eustace wh-what are you doing?"
"You have no idea of what I would do to if you hurt Annie."
"E-Eustace...l-let me go" One of his hands reached her neck. And he approached his face to hers "Mark my words Mary, I would do everything, EVERYTHING, to protect my family. You do not know what I am capable of"
"Y-y-ou cannot hurt a woman -the m-mother o-ff" she began to cough as he squeezed harder "y-you ba-astard"
"I didn´t hear you quite well. But did you understand what I said?"
Mary looked at his eyes full of hatred of her and did the only think she could think of: she kissed him in the same moment, he realized what was happening, he pulled her face away with his other hand "Stop doing that!"
"I have warned you Mary, don´t you dare to hurt Annie."
"Or what? Ruining her reputation is that hurting? She is a b-bastard Eustace, what more could it hu-hurt?" It only made it worse for her as he kept squeezing.
"Go to hell, Mary. If you do anything to my daughter I will kill Mary. I will kill you" He said whispering in her ear.
"Eu-stace I... y-you a-re choking me ... f-for o-nly one litt-tle bastard" she looked pleadingly at him. He let go of her making her fall to her knees "You will live knowing that I loved you more than anything and you ruined that. And now that I love my child and my wife instead." He was shaking, Mary had never seen him so angry "You will live knowing that I would kill you and torture you if you make Annie suffer again"
She caressed the rough spots on her neck that still hurt, where he had touched and looked up. "You would have me killed?" Had it come to this? He was choosing their daughter over her, her own sister, once again another Boleyn girl displacing the rightful heir, over her?
"I would do anything for my children Mary. Whether they are my children with you or my children with Elizabeth, unlike you I do put my children above any kind of personal ambition or gain I may achieve"
She coughed violently feeling very sore, looking at Eustace with pleading eyes as she extended her hand out to him, however he left her there in the floor.
"I have many eyes still Mary" he said turning briefly at her.
"What is that" she coughed more violently "supposed t-to mean?"
"That I know everything."
A/N: Read and Review and if I see more response and more reviewers I will def. post another chapter and who knows AWA might come up if I find the files I lost thanks to my dad old dusty laptop, oh well but r/r and this gets updated faster that's what I meant to say.
~VXLP