So season two begins in the story. This is just a little filler to begin with, hope you all enjoy.
And so it began.
Henry's desire to make Anne his wife and allow her to sit by his side as the Queen of England forced him to disobey the church and look outside of the Papal law. Henry found himself in the company of one Thomas Cromwell – an old friend of the Boleyn family (an acquaintance which worried many close to the King, including Isabella) who was helping him to find his way around the Papal law. Cromwell had been partitioned by the King to find a way for him to begin his own Church, which he would be the head of so that he could grant his own divorce.
This idea came around after Cromwell gave the King a book that stated that the King was the messenger for God in his own country and not the Pope in Rome. Henry took this idea with great enthusiasm – this would mean that he would control the Christian law in England and he could grant himself his divorce...providing that he found a Bishop who was willing to marry himself and Anne after it was granted.
Henry wrote to the Pope – there was a new Pope in Rome after Pope Clement had died – asking for his matter to be reconsidered and it be recognised that his marriage to Catherine was never void in the first place. He also held a court to try and get his way – he was determined to get his way – and the Bishops had given him permission to be head of the Church of England but only as far as the law of Christ allowed. This gave Henry and Anne great joy and a great cause to celebrate as they would finally be able to marry.
However the news did not give Anne's father cause to celebrate. Isabella overheard the two of them talking not long after the trial; she did not catch all of the conversation but just enough so that she knew that Boleyn was not happy with how the court had ended. From what she overheard Isabella began to worry for the safety of one Bishop Fisher as he seemed to be on the top of Boleyn's 'hit list'. If Isabella had heard more of the conversation she may have gone and told His Majesty about what she had overheard but the logical part of her brain told her that she had not heard everything – that she may have been mistaken in what she had heard.
Isabella had no great love for the soon to be Queen – she found her vapid and conceited the vast majority of the time and the rest of the time she was just plain irritating – but she had no desire to upset the King. She had no desire to upset the man she loved, who had been her trusted friend throughout her entire life and who had given her so much. She also had no desire to upset the King when so many who had before her had very soon after found themselves a head shorter or locked within the Tower awaiting trial.
Henry's desire to marry Anne was not only taking its toll on the relationship he shared with Isabella but it was also taking its toll on his relationship with Sir Thomas More. More refused to acknowledge that Henry wanted – and was going to – set up his own church: More was adamant that the Catholic Church was the way, the truth and the light. When More hinted that the attempted murder of Bishop Fisher might have had something to do with Anne, Henry flew into a rage stating that the entire Kingdom would blame Anne for everything if they could. More tried to calm him but it was to no avail – the King was angry and More was beginning to be the cause of that anger.
Not only was this strain put on Henry also the strain of still having Catherine living in the Palace was hard for both him and Anne. Henry commissioned Brandon to ask Catherine to leave the Palace, her constant presence was frustrating as Anne told Henry that she was the third person in their marriage and that she wanted her gone. Catherine, however, refused to leave stating that she would answer to God and to her conscience but would not leave His Majesty's side. It was after learning this that Henry decided to take matters into his own hands.
He gave orders for Catherine to be removed from the Palace – she would be taken to live with Princess Mary at Ludlow Castle. He took Anne riding and while they were away Catharine's presence was removed. Every single trace of her was taken out of London and moved to Wales as if she had never been there at all. Isabella did think it a little cruel of Henry for he did not even say goodbye to Catherine when he left with Anne that morning, leaving Cromwell to do all his dirty work. He also asked Catherine to give up her official jewels as the Queen of England – another blow for the woman he was supposed to be married to.
Catherine refused to give up her jewels sating that she would not give up what was rightfully hers to 'adorn a woman who is the scandal of Christendom'. She did leave the Palace however, with a dignity and grace that befitted a Queen of England. She passed a message on to Henry which he did not receive well, taking his frustration out on the messenger who had brought Catharine's goodbyes. This message was received while Henry was dining with Anne and it was the first time she had seen him truly loose his composure – to say the least she found it rather disturbing.
If it had been any other friend or lover of the King they would have gone to Isabella for advice – it was known that she had a great insight into what the King was thinking and how to deal with his violent temper but Anne was stubborn. She refused to ask for Isabella's help on the grounds that she simply did not like her. She did not like the fact that she was so close to His Majesty but she had already managed to get him to drive Catherine out of his court, asking him to send Isabella away as well would surely put her out of favour with him.
In the winter of that year at Christmas it was widely known that the King refused to receive Catharine's gift, further causing a rift between the two of them. Anne prevented him from flying into a rage telling him not to let her spoil their happy time. Henry kept his composure until a conversation with Brandon about his marriage to Anne almost made him angry. Brandon asked if he was willing to marry Anne whatever her history. It was rumoured that Anne had been lovers with Thomas Wyatt before her engagement to the King and that the poet (and Thomas Cromwell's commissioner) frequently entered her chambers at night.
The rumours were denied as just that – rumours but Isabella had it on good authority (after a conversation with Mr Wyatt himself) that she had deceived Henry in the completeness of her maidenhead. She was not a virgin when she had first been with the King – a simple poet had gotten there first. Isabella certainly did not want to be the one to tell the King this. It was well known that Henry punished all who spoke against the Lady Anne and Isabella knew that not ever she would be granted immunity from his rage when it came to slanting his lover.
After their conversation Brandon was banished from court, a feat which Isabella saw the injustice in – the Duke of Suffolk had been asking a simple question as a friend. Suffolk was only looking out for Henry especially as he was about to rip apart the entire church in England on a lie fed to him so that Anne could seduce him into making her queen.
"Who is this Thomas Cromwell?" Brandon asked Isabella after receiving the news, while they were out walking. "What do we know about him?"
"I know very little about him Your Grace but that is simply because I am not an active member of His Majesty's court." she replied.
"It just seems as if he has appeared from the shadows to come into the King's graces very quickly with very little known about him." he stated. "I do not trust him."
"I'm sure His Majesty will see fit to invite you back to court soon." Isabella told him. "You are one of his trusted friends and I believe that once he has forgiven you for listening to rumours then you will be welcomed back." Brandon stopped and stood in front of her.
"But you know that they are not simple rumours, don't you Isabella?" he asked. Isabella turned her head so that she did not have to face him when she answered.
"I fear, Your Grace, that this is far too bold a question for you to be asking me to answer."