Here we go; Anne's death and the end of Season Two, thank you guys for sticking with me this far. This is now my longest running story to date and we're only about to go on to wife number three :D enjoy, I love you all 3
It seemed as if Henry was beginning to come around to many other people's way of thinking about his most recent wife. He began to realise that his marriage to her was based on his being seduced by her witchcraft and that the marriage was now null and void and he could take a new wife if he wished. He knew that God was against the marriage as he would not allow the two of them to have to have any living male children to become his heir. These suspicions were confirmed when the Palace doctor examined the foetus of Anne's still born child. It had the appearance of a male but the foetus was deformed in a number of ways. What those ways were the doctor would not tell Henry but he said that maybe the Queen's miscarriage was a blessing in disguise.
His Majesty informed Secretary Cromwell that he wished to rid himself of the Boleyn family. He wished to dissolve his marriage to Anne and remove the rest of her family from court. Cromwell took it upon himself to invite Jane Seymour and her family to court and that they should be given his private rooms. When Anne found this out she was very unhappy and flew into a rage with Cromwell saying that she still had the power to crush him – although Cromwell was beginning to suspect that this was no longer true.
The list of things that displeased the Queen and sent her into a rage was growing rapidly. She discovered that Henry had given Jane a locket with a picture of himself inside it. She tore the necklace off Jane's neck and threw it across the room. Isabella remarked (if only to herself) that a true Queen of England should never behave in this appalling manner...Catherine certainly never did when Henry had given Anne gifts. Anne had also taken to slandering His Majesty to her ladies maids – and especially in front of the Lady Jane. She was heard telling Lady Rochford, her brother's wife that 'the King cannot satisfy a woman, he has neither the skill nor the virility'.
This comment of hers Isabella found most amusing as she had always found the King to be most virile but at the same time she knew that it was a comment only for Jane's benefit. As Jane was virginal she had no idea what the King would be like, she had never thought about the King in that way before but her love for the King was so strong that she would never believe the poisonous lies that Anne had to say.
One night during a banquet with friends Charles Brandon brought it to Henry's attention that a number of men were seen going into the Queen's bed chambers late at night and she was seen to be flirting with them and behaving flirtatiously. Anne's ladies maids were put on trial, they were asked in secret if these allegations against the Queen were true. It was the Lady Sheldon who finally broke and gave Secretary Cromwell all the names of the men she had seen.
After finding this out Henry had Jane sent away, saying that she was the only goodness in this world of liars and he would not have that tarnished. Jane, only willing to serve his Majesty agreed to go back to her father's house and remain there until this business had finished. Henry also asked Isabella to leave, but to return immediately after Cromwell had finished questioning Anne's maids. She agreed saying that she would pay a swift visit to the Lady Mary who had been feeling unwell but would be back as soon as His Majesty needed her.
The first to be arrested was the musician Mark Smeaton. He was tortured into confessing even though it was widely known that he was not sleeping with the Queen but with her brother. Once Smeaton had confessed the others who were named were then arrested; George Boleyn, Thomas Wyatt, Mr Brereton and Henry Norris. George and her father were also arrested for plotting to assassinate the King and rule in his place. Thomas Boleyn, while under trial, stated that the punishment should be, in his own words 'the most just'.
Isabella was given a list of all those accused, most of them she could believe that they had slept with the Queen (aside from Mark who had been sleeping with George Boleyn – nothing got passed Isabella once she returned to court). Mr Brereton on the other hand she knew that there was no chance he had slept with her; she had known him to be a good friend of Chapouis'. Chapouis had told her once that he had been sent to England by His Holiness Pope Paul to assassinate the Queen by any means necessary and it seemed that now he had his chance – this was the only way he could have her killed by pleading guilty to sleeping with her.
Shortly after these men were arrested and a number of them confessed Anne was arrested and taken to the tower. She pleaded not guilty when she was put on trial but the evidence against her was too great and she was sentenced to be put to death (how that was done His Majesty would chose). Her lovers were also condemned to be put to death as well and she watched from the tower window as George was beheaded. After being tortured for so long by the time he reached the executioner's block Mark was almost praying for death. His death upset her greatly also.
Thomas Wyatt was the only man out of all those who had been arrested who was found not guilty, which Isabella found ironic as she knew that he certainly had slept with the Queen. He had not slept with her once she had become Queen of course but before she had married Henry. She had heard a rumour that when he found out he was going to be allowed to live he shouted to Cromwell 'but I'm the only one who's guilty!' but it fell on deaf ears.
It came to the day of Anne's execution and the Queen was fearful to say the least. Seeing her brother die in the same way she would be had shocked and distressed her to her very core. Anne had never particularly behaved in the way a Queen of England should but now she was acting hysterically. She had been dreaming of her death for so long and now it was finally upon her, she just never expected that it would be like this. The King had recanted the sentence of burning and gave her a quicker death of decapitation and allowed her to be killed by the executioner of her choice; the executioner from Calais. On the morning of the day she would die she prayed that God would save her from her fate.
"It appears that God is no longer listening Your Majesty." came a familiar and hated voice from the door to her cell. Anne turned to see Isabella standing there. She stood up, rage fuelling her now rather than fear. She strode over to Isabella and squared up to the woman who in her eyes was her enemy.
"What are you doing here?" she asked anger in her voice.
"I have been commissioned by His Majesty to tell you that your marriage to him has been declared null and void." Isabella stated, trying to sound impartial. She did not particularly want to do this job but she had known that Henry wanted her to because of Anne's hatred of her and she could not deny that seeing Anne in prison did give her a small amount of pleasure. Finally she was getting what she deserved.
"On what grounds?" Anne asked, the fury still in her voice. Isabella shrugged.
"I know not," she replied. "nor do I particularly care all I know is that it is."
"Then that means..." Anne began, more to herself than to Isabella.
"Yes." Isabella stated. "Elizabeth will be declared a bastard." Anne looked up into Isabella's eyes, hatred sparking up in her again.
"You're enjoying this aren't you? You've always hated me, ever since I was a maid to Catherine; you have wanted me gone so that you could marry the King." Anne screeched. Isabella laughed softly.
"Your Majesty I have no desire to become Queen and I never have. This idea of me is all in your imagination, on many occasion I have tried to extend the hand of friendship to you but each and every time you pushed me away." Isabella told her. "Now you do not have the luxury of receiving friendship." She curtseyed slightly and made to leave the cell.
"You vile poisonous bitch!" Anne called after her. "You did this, didn't you?" Isabella turned and gave the Queen a small smile.
"No, Your Majesty," she stated. "you brought all of this on yourself." And with that she left Anne in the tower to stew in her situation.
Anne did find out why her marriage with the King was to be declared null and void. Bishop Cranmer told her that it was because of His Majesty's carnal knowledge of a member of Anne's family. Because Henry had slept with her sister Mary her marriage to him was declared null and void. This saddened Anne greatly, especially as it confirmed what Isabella said to be true and that her daughter would be declared a bastard. Cranmer took her last confession and she began preparing herself to die.
Unfortunately for her, her death did not come. She was told that her executioner had been delayed and that her execution would be postponed from nine o'clock to twelve o'clock. Anne was reported to be slightly hysterical as she had believed that her death would come before this. She had expected to be dead by twelve so this was almost good news. She prepared herself yet again and was ready to go to her death but the tower jailer came and told her that once again her death would be postponed till the next morning. She begged him to get the King to reconsider – she was ready for death and if she did not die now her resolve would weaken. She was not granted this final pardon.
Her father, Thomas Boleyn was to be released and it was Lord Suffolk who came to give him the news. He seemed incredibly happy about this – obviously he had not been preparing himself for death. Suffolk told him that he was stripped of all his royally given titles and that he should remove himself from the court and never place himself within the King's sight again. Boleyn accepted this and asked if he still was able to keep his Earldom that he had been given before he had fallen into favour with the King. Suffolk flew into a rage at his selfishness. He asked if Boleyn had watched his son die and if he would watch his daughter die, asking him if it was all worth it. When Anne's father finally left the tower he did not even look back to see his daughter watching him, tears in her eyes.
The next morning Anne was to be executed. Isabella attended the execution with the Duke of Suffolk and his son. Before she knelt before the executioner Anne prayed for the King's soul and for her own soul. Her ladies cried as they added the final preparations to their mistress and the crowd knelt in respect. The executioner called for his sword and as Anne looked away he swung the sword he had been hiding from her. It was over.
After Anne's death Henry held a small banquet in honour of his new start, his new life with Jane and his new reign, away from the lies the Boleyn family had filled him with. As he sat at the head of his table a large covered plate was brought before him. Isabella, who was standing in the corner of the room with Jane and the other ladies in attendance, wondered if Henry was about to unveil Anne's head on a plate as John the Baptist had been presented to Salome. Not that she thought Henry would desire such a thing; it was just that if he had asked for it (to check that she was dead, as it were) he would be granted his request.
What was under the veil was not Anne's head, which greatly relieved Isabella as she had not wanted to see the severed head of her former mistress before she ate (no matter how much she had disliked the woman). Under the veil was an elaborate pie decorated with a swan's wings and neck. It looked amazing and Isabella thought that she really must congratulate the cook on his masterpiece because it truly was a masterpiece.
As Henry took his first bite of the pie he turned to look at Isabella and he smiled at her. It was half way between a smile and a smirk and it was a look that Isabella knew well. It was the look that he had worn when he had decided that he was going to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. It was the look that he wore when he decided that he was going to change the entire country. It was the look that he wore when he had told her that we was planning to take Jane's hand in marriage. This time it seemed different though, this time it seemed as if Henry was going to change the country for the better – Jane was going to undo all the damage that Anne had done when she married him. Henry and Jane were about to lead the people of England into a better future and Isabella was just glad and extremely proud that she was going to be able to see it.