Once again thanks for everyone who's reviewed, alerted or favorited this fic. Sorry for those I have not PM'ed but been busy just arrived to visit my mum, I will get to it asap.
~C.

"I watch the city burn
these dreams like ashes float away
Your voice I never heard
only silence
Where were you when our hearts were bleeding?
Where were you when it all crashed down?
Never thought that you'd deceived me.
Where are you now?
How long can you stand the pain?
How long will you hide your face?
How long will you be afraid?
Are you there?
How long will you play this game?
Will you fight or walk away?
How long will you let it burn?
Let it burn
Let it burn
I watch the city burn
these passions slowly moldering
a lesson never learned
Only violence
Is your world just a broken promise
Is your love just a drop of rain
Will we all just burn our fire
Are you still there
How long can you stand the pain
How long will you hide your face
How long will you be afraid
Are you afraid
How long will you play this game
Will you fight or will you walk away
How long will you let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Will you wait until it all burns down
Will you hide until it all burns down
Will it hurt when it all burns down
Will you fight when it all burns down
Will you stand when it all burns down
Will you love when it all burns down
Will it end when it all burns down
Will you just let it all burns down
How long can you stand the pain
How long will you hide your face
How long will you be afraid
Are you afraid
How long will you play this game
Will you fight or will you walk away
How long will you let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn
Let it burn"

~Let it burn by Red

1558, June 15th

Bridewell Palace, London:

"Your Majesty may I come in?" Before Annie could answer, the little Princess ran to the door and opened it completely and stepped aside to let her (unknown) grandfather in.

"My lord Earl" She said as was customary. Eustace smiled down and looked sympathetically into her light blue eyes, his family's trademark. He and Edward had always worried that someone would link the color of her eyes to him and Annie. It would spell ruin if they did, but the King's friend, his former whipping boy, Barnaby Fiztpatrick had assured the former Ambassador that nobody would as long Edward remained their sovereign lord.

"What would happen if he didn't?" Eustace didn't dare to ask. He was content that his daughter had everything she desired in life. God knows, he thought, she deserved it after been cursed with a mother like Mary and enduring her for two years at Hundson.

He'd only begun to scratch the surface of her taunts at the hand of her twin brother Henry who every bit like his namesake, their grandfather.

"He would push me from the steps, throw his hot soup at me and threaten to pull me into the cook's flames if I told mama" She'd told Eustace on a rainy day on the first day when she came with his wife to stay in Hatfield before her mother tried to force her back. She told him all kinds of stories how her mother was aloof to her pain, how she always pretended that she didn't know and for a moment Eustace wanted to believe that he too could pretend that none of what Annie was saying was real. It couldn't be real. He didn't want to believe that his Mary, his Princess, his former lover, Katherine of Aragon's daughter could be capable of such mischief. Even his mind could not put a name on what she'd done to their daughter. But soon it became evident that Mary hated the girl with a passion and nothing would please her more than to see her out of the way for her (legitimate) children.

"He called me bastard, bastard!" Annie would cry day and night and he would soothe her in her sleep and spent his nights in her bed, ignoring the aching of his limbs, instead of being with his wife, trying to calm her down.

At the time it seemed fitting that Annie go with her mother, he believed that she was an honest woman who believed in God and what was best for her child, even if he didn't love her it wasn't his place to judge for he was a man, and girls' place was with their mothers. Elizabeth, his angel of reason had brought him back to the rightful path and cleared his minds of all doubts that Mary stirred in his mind and made him see the truth of his former love. She was a cold, calculate, ambitious, and ruthless woman. No different than the harlot, Elizabeth's mother, she'd condemned.

Annie reminded him of her sometimes. They both were bewitching, beguiling and highly sophisticated women, and as if that wasn't enough, their names were the same, it was through their mothers they came from the royal line and their fathers were both Ambassadors.

Anne Boleyn, Anne Elizabeth, he cared not who was who, or who Anne Boleyn had been or who'd she been. Eustace had figured it long time ago since he'd laid eyes on his daughter for the first time that there was more to her than met eye, and whatever grave injuries she'd done in the past she was that person no longer. She was and always would be Anne Elizabeth Chapuys-Tudor, His daughter, His firstborn, and His true child.

Annie did not thought that she and her daughter could be friends, Diana had bore too much of a resemblance to Jane Seymour much for her dislike of the woman in the last years of her reign where she made it very clear she had no desire for her son to continue his pursuit for his future wife. She was considered lower stock and Annie would not put it past her late mother in law to hiss in her son's ear that she'd probably known other men before him. Which was not true, Annie had not known or been intimate with other man. There was only exception to the rule, but they had never been close enough to give themselves to the other. Edward was first and foremost the only man she'd ever known in flesh and spirit. He was her angel, her deliverer, and her true love though she was disappointed of his lack of faith in her sometimes. Like his father he was urged by his council for a male heir. He believed it was His responsibility to continue the Tudor line through his son. A woman, much as he claimed love for his daughter did not figure in the picture but Diana was no other woman. She might bare equal resemblance to her grandmother, she might appear the same woman, and might grow into the same simple beauty, nothing exotic or alluring as Jane Seymour had been; however Diana was raised and born a Princess, taught since birth of her independence, taught that she would one day rule a great kingdom or else be a great ruler's wife. She was prepared for whatever fate had to offer and like her mother she was not afraid of change.

Diana curtsied as her mother cleared her throat. "My lord Earl" she repeated and then rephrased as her mother cleared her throat a second time and scolded in a highly pitched voice, "My lord Earl, grand uncle welcome" in a begrudging voice holding her chin up as Annie taught her.

"Your Highness, my grand niece Diana it pleases me that you are accompanying your mother." He said hoping to engage in casual conversation with his granddaughter, unfortunately Diana left him no more room for conversation as her reply was short and showed her quick-wit. "Thank you my lord grand uncle, if you may excuse me now I have to attend thy wife on my lessons. My grand aunt hates tardiness" She left immediately not waiting for her reply or her mother's dismissal.

Annie gave Eustace a simple smile. They well knew the truth, there was no easy way winning Diana without suffering first. Her daughter was like the God of Israel, merciful looking on the outside, hard and a cold shell in the outside, and she always chose on the wrong people in their family to trust.

"Forgive her she is having a hard time adjusting herself to new life in Bridewell"

"It's been two weeks now" They've already celebrated their birthday and Diana showed no better good will or ill will for that matter to her grand uncles, she accepted their presents and was courteous to them but that was far as it went.

She was neither no good or bad or to them, and to Eustace she showed a colder will but was no longer outspoken, certainly Elizabeth had straightened his granddaughter up. Something Edward did not agree. But what did Edward know? She told her father.

"Edward is her father and his lord" he simply said "and I am not content with the idea of having my granddaughter spanked is not something I appreciate" He said as a matter of fact.

"Neither do I but Edward is a man, you are a man."

"What does that mean?"

"Men see things differently than women do. Our bodies were made to bare children and our minds more prepared to handle them once they grow into maturity."

"Diana is not yet mature enough to know right or wrong let alone handle all these kinds of lessons. You and your aunt are placing too much expectations on the little girl, it is too much than she can bare Annie" he said with a cautionary tone sitting next to her.

He changed the subject seeing this was stressing her and placed a hand on her swollen stomach. The child or children as he'd begun to suspect were growing too fast, at three months she began to show and at four all her gowns had been altered and Edward had ordered new gowns for her. "I am large as a whale" she often complained to her husband.

Now at six months she felt heavier and it was getting very hard to walk. Edward had commanded her that she remained in doors much to her chagrin but Eustace agreed. It could be a son she was carrying.

Annie did not see the child as an obligation though it was her duty to give England a male heir to continue the Tudor dynasty, she was happier with the thought that this child, boy or girl, would be Her child and no one else's and she would have a little sibling whom Diana could play and teach and share all her toys with.

Annie rested her hand above her father's that was on her belly. Immediately after making contact he felt the children, for he'd always insisted there were two, respond to his touch and slightly move making Annie smile.

"He has not done that" she said "he always kicks or hits but he never moves. What have you done to soften his spirits?"

Eustace smiled sheepishly. Honestly he did not know. He was good with children that is all. He came from a big family and his nieces were constantly getting pregnant and he was always chosen to be godfather, he'd done it many times before his gout had worsen and it rendered it impossible for them to keep inviting him to Annency or the closest home he had to England, in Antwerp where his brother Rupert and his nieces constantly stayed at.

"They likes his grandfather" He said insisting they were two.

A month later his theory was proven correctly when Annie was seven months pregnant and Edward grew alarmed when he wrapped his arms around and felt two kicks coming from several places of her belly. He called the doctor believing the most ridiculous thing, that the child was split in half and she was about to miscarry like the last time.

The physician assured him that Annie was alright and healthy as ever and so were her children.

"Children?" Edward asked his eyes boggling out, his mouth open forming a big 'o'. He finally found his voice. He was a King and his tutor had taught him that no matter what, no matter how terrible or great the news he must never act surprised. "Children?" he asked now in a more casual tone but his eyes were bright with excitement. The physician smiled on him, his smile was genuine for he like so many others was praying the Queen had a baby boy this time.

"Yes Your Majesty, your wife it seems is with children"

Edward was too desperate to show his love to Annie, he dismissed the physician and his servants quickly and wheeled to his wife and showered her with kisses. "You made me the happiest man in Earth"

"We made this future together" She said kissing his nose taking his hand in hers, placing it on her stomach where they felt the (now) children kick wildly, they continued with their wild, cheerful movements until they felt their parents' hands withdraw. They did not want to weary them with excitement. Now it was of the utmost importance that she be kept from public appearances and government functions.

"I am not going into confinement" Annie said crossing her arms against her chest when Edward stated his case before her.

"Annie we have talked of this, we agreed it was best for the children"

"We agreed and if I remember correctly, you would allow me to participate in charity functions and in your Northern progresses, I am your Regent Edward and the Mistress of this realm in your absence!"

"Anne this is different, you are pregnant with two children! What if they are boys? What if you miscarry again?"

Annie grumbled. Again, again he had to bring that up! She was sure it would not happen, she had learned from her mistake. She would take better care of this child.

"It has nothing to do with your care. Don't you see, it is the excitement and the stress you'd be put in that could endanger both your lives? I can't loose you both!" Edward said, turning the conversation unexpectedly around her.

Annie knew he loved her and meant well but she had not believed his love for her would outweigh his concern for their unborn children.

She sighed "Edward" she had to calm down, this pregnancy was wearing her down and Edward did mean well but he was wearing her more than the children were with his refusal and overprotection. She was not a child, and not a domestic Queen, couldn't he see that? "I have been your regent for two years since you left to France to defend Calais, been there in his absence raising g armies, learning strategy from the remaining officers, leading men into battle, crushing the Imperial Commander Sepperus fleet and securing England's borders from the constant threat from the Spanish and at home with the neighboring Scots." How could she say after all she explained that she was not capable of enduring with the pain and stress of childbearing? She'd commanded the fleet that destroyed Sepperus' and been riding to the camp of returning soldiers just as she'd received the news, and she was four months pregnant at the time!

"If I had known you were carrying twins I would have ordered the commanding officers to lock you in Bridewell and not mingle yourself caring for those men!"

Edward had a high aberration for the putrid bodies and the stench the dead gave out. It was no wonder he was never at the head of his armies in Calais. Like his father he was an avid warrior but unlike him he was not so keen on taking greater risks. Edward was just not made for battle. It was a puzzle for the French who lost the in the last skirmish where they intended to take Calais, how this weakling could win every battle?

"I managed to crush the enemy's ship and as Katherine of Aragon, secure the Northern borders. If I were such a weak and feeble creature tell me my dear husband how could I have withstand all that? How tell me?" She challenged.

Edward was at a loss for words, she had him in that. But he was not going to let her out of this palace again!

"Edward come on I am your wife, your Queen, we should rule jointly together"

"You are my Queen Consort, we should not rule jointly and less so when you are with children! Think of your children and your welfare" Annie scoffed and turned her back on him. He sighed and more pleadingly he said "Annie please think of me then. What shall I do? What shall England do without you? Do you want to leave Diana an orphan?"

She wheeled around "You exaggerate"

"I don't Madame, I love you more than everything, I will not let you do this to me or to Diana, think of your child" He begged. Annie thought too much of herself that she hardly gave a thought to those around her, sometimes he wondered if she really loved them as she claimed.

She rolled her eyes. Edward had his way. "Only because you blackmail with Diana and do not twist my words Edward, I love my child, you, and this country, but I shall not pay the price for that love. I shall not be in chains. This will be the last time you confine me into your rooms. Next time that we have a child you will give me leave to do as I please with an escort of course and I shall accompany you to every entourage"

Seeing he was not going to get her to agree to him unless he yielded to her request, he nodded "But on one condition" he said.

"And which is that?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"You let me pick the name next time and I decide on their births" He said pushing his lips against hers, it became a fierce battle of the tongues where the movements of their children stopped them from succumbing to their passions. "Agreed?"

"Agreed" she said with a smile pushing her husband on the bed where she landed on top of him, he groaned for his leg but the kiss she gave him silenced him.

1558, July 5th

Greenwich, Palace of Placentia, London Borough:

The court moved again to Greenwich. Annie was going to get bigger and it was the King's wish that she gave birth in Greenwich. It was a tradition that all the Tudor Princes and future Kings be born there, the tradition had been started by the late King who'd been the first of their dynasty to be born there.

Edward raised himself from the bed hastily. He was careful not to wake his wife. He did not fit the traditional role of a King. He was not broad shouldered, plump, strong armed, strong necked as his father but he was a brilliant tactician –he boasted the best since his namesake Edward IV.

Annie would be angry if she knew where he was going, but he had to keep up appearances. Tradition spoke against a King sleeping with his wife at her time of child bearing but Edward worried for her and Diana so much. The Tudor court was full with gossip and assassins. He was wary of anyone, there were only a few you could really trust and because of that he surrounded himself with childhood friends and his closest family members.

He gave his wife a soft kiss on the cheek, she began to stir. "I shall be back soon" He said wishing he could have said more, but she would understand.

He met with his friends in the stables where they prepared his white stallion, a poor choice in Barnaby Fitzpatrick's opinion, when it had been another white stallion that got scared easily and caused him his first injury. "Are you sure Your Majesty wants more bad luck to befall on your leg? You'd be known as one legged Edward" His friend said jestingly.

Edward barked with laughter, the rest soon followed. "That beast I already slew, nay this one is a fine horse and a fine breed, I have raced him many times"

"When your wife was not looking" Said Barnaby filling in the blanks

.

"Does your tongue never sleeps my friend?"

"No sir, my tongue is my mind and I am rather happy speaking it" He answered merrily.

Edward chuckled. He'd find a bride for his friend, he promised himself. Hopefully the wench, Edward thought, would straighten his friend.

They joked on some more until the stable boys adjusted the metal around Edward's injured leg on tightly as they adjusted his saddle so he would not fall.

"Enough staring at my metal gentlemen let us all ride!"

They set off.

Annie waited for his return. She growled. She could not believe he had done this again, left without saying goodbye or leaving a note! Soon as he gets back, she promised, she would straighten him out and he would hear her this time.

She hated worrying. "How much longer?" She seethed frustrated, nightfall had come and he still hadn't returned. Eventually others got worried and they organized a search party.

Four of the five men came to her chambers later. Annie did not need to hear the news, their eyes told her everything.

Her gaze fell, yet she asked "My husband?"

"Madame …" the oldest and bravest of the messengers stepped forward and fiddling with his hat, he took a deep breath and proceeded to tell her "His Majesty fell from his horse, everyone told him not to race but he insisted and Baron Fitzpatrick jumped from his horse, he broke ribs and bones from his arm, it had to be amputated, as he tried to catch the King before he fell from his horse"

"What caused the fall?"

It seemed too much of a coincidence, too ironic and like a satire. Three times he'd fallen from his horses, first because of that damned stag got in the way of his (first) white stallion, second from the joust and now … what?

"Tell me!" She said with an air of authority, her feelings aside, she had to take command, she had to be strong for England and her daughter.

"A snake, Baron Fitzpatrick tells me, 'tis like the devil creature came out of nowhere and bit the stallion's leg it went wild and started running, the King got sick and even relieved himself in his saddle, the Baron raced his own beast against the King's dying one but when the horse fell the King fell on his back, the saddle had unfastened and the metal straps around his ill leg broke with the fall. The King hit on his head, it was too late when we found the Baron crying over His Majesty's body." He left many details unsaid, he did not want to be the one responsible for causing the widowed Queen a miscarriage.

It was too late, however not a miscarriage, a cry of pain as realization struck her that she was all alone and her one true love, her soul mate, had died!

They came to restrain her but she barked at her ladies, pushed ever servant and trashed her room. Philippa and Isabella looked at each other, an understanding passing between them, they ran to get Eustace Chapuys who'd already been told.

Eustace soothed his daughter and held her in his arms like a frail little child, very careful not to press on her belly.

Her unborn seemed to sense her distress and began to shift their position, Anne ceased crying all at once.

"What will I do?" She asked frantically "What will I do?" She wanted to pull her hair to throw more things, to hit, kill something. Someone had been responsible for the King's death, she was sure. This was no ordinary death. And it was a humiliating way for her love to die!

She told the servants that nobody must ever speak of the details, he died from his frantic horse that was it, the people needed not to know the full picture.

God! Why Edward? Why him? "What am I going to do?" She had a King, possibly two in her belly. How was she going to rule England now in their name?

"You will be strong" Eustace kept saying to her "You will keep strong"

"I don't know if I can't. I can't" She said sobbing uncontrollably.

"You must" He said with equal mourning. With Edward dead her position and that of his family had become more precarious. God if you are there, be merciful, spare my daughter, spare her children and spare Elizabeth.

They spent in each other's embrace drawing foul tongues on the next morning when she allowed her ladies to reenter her chambers and dress her up in mourning clothes.

Eustace knew, and sometimes he wished he didn't know so much, that it had been improper to stay with his daughter the whole night, but he could not deny his daughter anything. She was his firstborn and she'd needed him in these hard times to come.

"I won't cry
I found myself in wonderland
get back on my feet again ...
Is this real? Is this pretend?
I will take a stand until the end"

~Alice in Wonderland by Avril Lavigne

They cleaned and prepared the body and buried him on the sixth of July, almost immediately. Annie wasted no time. In less than a day she had arranged everything, a task so speedy yet so splendid that outranked the splendor of other funerals, even the King's late father.

Diana had been told on the next day. She had been awakened by her mother who shook her and dragged her from the bed. "Come you are to dress" she said her tone leaving no room for explanation, however Diana was not satisfied. She asked her mother what was wrong so many times that she lost her patience and she reeled to Diana and shouted the whole truth to her.

"No! No! I don't believe it" Diana said feeling tears forming in her eyes however she did not spill them as her mother shook her harder and spoke firmly: "Princesses do not cry. Do no cry, do NOT cry" then more softly seeing her daughter's fright she added "You know what this means right?" Diana nodded "You are now your father's heir, if I fail to produce an heir you will be Queen Diana, and as a future Queen you must act your part."

"But lady mother I do not know if I can" She said biting her lips and remembering on the good times she had with her father so tears won't spill. She was not a baby anymore, she was a Princess, the Princess and everyone expected her to act her role. What would they say if they saw her sobbing and crying like a baby? The English wanted a strong English monarch and for them she had to act like one.

Diana did not cry at the ceremony as she promised her mother, she rubbed her forehead instead of her eyes constantly feigning she was hot, but Eustace and Elizabeth knew better having been for a short time in charge of her well being.

It broke Elizabeth to see her grand niece so young, so inexperienced and so sad. But there was something different about her. When she'd been told of her father's death her childhood had ended. She did not smile, cry or showed any emotion, she remained in her stoic state for the entire ceremony and then her mother led her to their carriage where they rode back to Greenwich. Edward had been interred in Westminster, Elizabeth said her final goodbyes to her brother leaving a red rose on her tomb, the symbol of their Lancaster ancestry.

She felt at ease now that the ceremony was over. She found herself wondering what would it be like if it had been her father in Edward's place and her mother while yet pregnant with her unborn brother? She would be the Princess too, and like Diana the heiress presumptive. Her mother would not waste a single thought, she and her father would crown her and anoint her with the holy oils. She would be Elizabeth I, the heiress to a great fortune and to a great legacy, she would make of England a richer kingdom, a greater Empire that her father had ever dreamed of. Alas. Elizabeth had to shake these treasonous thoughts from her head, she was happy where she was and she trusted Diana to follow in her would-be footsteps and if Annie had a son, she trusted he too would follow in her dreamed footsteps. Like any married woman now, Elizabeth's hopes and greatness would be lived through her only heirs, her sons Anthony and George. Mainly Anthony. George was too slow of wit and he was too serious to be her son. She would often joke with him that he was not really her son, that he was from the fey or left to her doorstep by gypsies. She did not see what all her taunts and affections and ambitions for Anthony had done to George.