Chapter 7:

When George had arrived in the King's study, he was not surprised to find that the King was alone.

"Ah, Lord Rochford, have you heard? Apparently I am still a married man!" The King exclaimed, as he ignored George's bow.

"I'm afraid I do not follow, your majesty." George said as he sat down across the King as he was told to by the King's gestures.

George waited for the King to finish his goblet of wine-clearly not his first since he arrived- "I had just finished a meeting with Master Cranmer, apparently despite the fact that I had just divorced with the Duchess of Surrey, I have apparently been married still, to the Duchess of Pembroke!" The King said.

At hearing, his sister's title, George paled, luckily it seemed the King was inebriated enough that he had not noticed. Over the past months since his first visit to Pembroke, George had visited more often as he visited his sisters and his nieces and nephews, George had often feared what was to become of the three of them once the King finds out that he had fathered two more children from Anne, one of which was the son he had so longed for.

"I do not understand, your majesty, how can you be married still to my sister when Master Cromwell had given you both the contracts to end your marriage?" George asked, he needed to know more about what the King had been speaking of, he needed to know what he would write to Anne so that they could prepare for whatever the King might do.

"Cromwell." The King said, hissing out the name in anger, "It was precisely because of Cromwell that I am still married to your sister! He failed to send her the correct divorce papers and instead sent her one of the final draft but not the one I approved of!"

George listened to the King rant about Cromwell's incompetence and how Cromwell's carelessness led him to further scandal in the country should everyone find out that he had been falsely married once more.

"Enough about Cromwell, tell me, what news do you bring from the North?" The King said. He had sent George to see if the rumors about an uprising were true.

"Your majesty, while there had been talks of an uprising due to the dissolution of the religious houses, it has long been done as the people had only wanted to prevent further houses from being dissolved as most of them were unjustly ordered by Master Cromwell." George reported as he began informing the King of what he had heard up north and reassured the King that there would be no cause for an uprising now that Cromwell had died.

"That is good to hear." King Henry said as he drank another goblet of wine. "I knew I could always count on you, despite being a Boleyn." he said.

There was a short lull in the conversation and George had decided to ask, "Your, majesty, if I may ask, what do you plan to do with your marriage to.. the Duchess of Pembroke?" George decided not to use Anne's name as it could still sometimes rile the King up, but he needed to know what could happen to Anne once more. Whenever he had visited Anne, she had always had a smile on her face, she was happy and carefree and she loved her life in the country. News that she was still apparently married to the King could change all of that.

"I do not know, George. I have asked master Cranmer to prepare a new and updated contract that we will both sign but now.." George waited for the King to speak as he faltered, "But now I feel as if I do not know what I want rom Anne. She was the first person I fought for and loved so deeply. I was angry and hurt that she had failed to give me a son and that she kept getting in the way of my right to take a mistress but this past year with Jane, while I was happy.." The King said, "it wasn't the same as when I was with Anne. She was the only one who could make me feel frustrated, angry, flattered and loved all at the same time. She was the only one who made me feel alive."

George remained quiet. He knew the King must still have feelings for his sister as Smeaton had once informed him that one of the King's chamberlain had told him that the King would often call out Anne's name and declare his love for her in his sleep. Surely if he had no feelings for Anne, he wouldn't dream of her so often?

When George left the King's office, he had immediately went to his personal study and grabbed a pen and paper. Initially he had decided to write to Anne and Mary of the latest news but he was having difficulty with trying to come up with the right words.

As George finally thought of what he wanted to say, his door burst open and in came his father.

"George, have you heard? The King is divorced once more!" Thomas Boleyn said as he sat down across his son. "This may be our chance again, we could still put another Boleyn or Howard girl in the throne!"

Ah, so no one had known of the King's new issue with Anne and their marriage. George thought it was good that his father had yet to know, he would surely travel to Pembroke and bother Anne as if he had never left her side when the truth was Thomas Boleyn had never lain eyes on Anne ever since the day she left court.

George sighed, his father and uncle were once again planning something, no doubt.

"Father, as much as I would like to hear of your plans, I am quite busy. Please see yourself out." George said. Ever since Anne's downfall, George had begun to distance himself from his father and uncle. He was polite to them yes, and he ensured that they did not see him as an enemy but every now and then, his father would grate on his nerves as all he ever seemed to want to talk about was planning how to advance further in court.

"What is wrong with you, George? You have been avoiding me and don't dare deny it!" Thomas Boleyn said as he confronted his only son.

"I am not avoiding you father, I am simply too busy to care about your plans and ambitions. In case you haven't noticed, I do have estates to run and responsibilities to the King. Seeing as all you care about are titles and the money that comes with it, someone has to ensure that the money keeps coming in so that you can play in court all you want. As your heir I simply took charge and so, if you excuse me, I must go and make sure all our properties and earning as as should be." George said. It was true, his father seemed to think that because he was the Earl of Wiltshire that the money and prestige was just there. Somehow his father failed to realize the hard work that entails in keeping up the money and the properties the owned.

Stunned, Thomas Boleyn made to leave but stopped on the door and turned, "I know you have been visiting your sister, George. But be careful, the King is still quite mad with her." and then left.

Once his door closed, George released a sigh and said, "Yes, mad indeed, madly in love with her still."

It had been two weeks since his conversation with the King and his father and as it was expected, the news of the King's marriage to his sister was found out by the whole court and George felt it was his duty to inform his sister of said news in person before their father or uncle made their way to Pembroke.

As he prepared himself while the stable boy saddled up his horse, he heard, rather than saw the King approach.

"Lord Rochford!" King Henry shouted as he made his way to where George was.

"Your Majesty" George bowed as he greeted his King.

"Are you going for a ride? I am as well, we should go together." King Henry said as he saddled up on his horse that was brought to him by his stable boy.

Sighing, George knew that the King had been avoiding court and his people, the news of his marriage to his sister was still fresh and many people were speculating what the King would do next.

"It would be my honor to accompany you, your majesty." George said as he too saddled up his horse. Once the king saw he was ready, he kicked on his horse and away they went, George following him.

As George and the King made their way away from court, George couldn't help but feel as if the King was waiting for him to speak or that the King had something to say to him.

Knowing that the King had a reason for coming with him on his ride, he decided it was better if he waited for the King to bring up what he had in mind.

Aside from the small talks the two had of the weather and of the current event at court, the King and George rode in general, awkward silence.

It wasn't until they were already half way on their journey had George noticed where they seemed to be heading.

"Your Majesty, I beg your pardon but, where are we headed to?" George asked. He had an idea on where they were headed but he wanted to know from the King himself.

"I should think it is obvious, Lord Rochford. After all, you have gone there quite some time the past months, have you not?" The King said.

George sighed, he had tried to keep his visits to his sister as discreetly and quietly as possible, it seems some people in his household still report to the king. He will have to figure out who that person is. "Your majesty.. I.." George spoke, he didn't know what to say, how to explain his visits to his sister..

"Do not bother explaining, Lord Rochford. Anne is your sister and it is your right to see your own family. I am too, I have not seen my Elizabeth in a long time." the King said, stating his intention of why he was going to Pembroke, he didn't mention that he had also wanted to see Anne and see how she has been all these months since their non-divorce. The truth was, ever since the King found out about their still valid marriage, the King has not been able to get Anne off his mind.

Ever since King Henry found out about their apparently still valid, all he had been able to think of were Anne and his daughter Elizabeth, of how he had replaced them with Jane who couldn't ever give him a child, not even a daughter as healthy as Elizabeth or as sensitive as his late daughter, Mary.

He thought of what Anne and Elizabeth's lives must have been like after leaving Whitehall and Hatfield, if they ever thought of him or if they ever missed him as much as he did them. Elizabeth, he was sure had missed him as he had not seen her since yuletide but Anne, he wondered if she still felt something for him, if she would still be willing to sign their new divorce papers or if she would find the energy to fight for a title she still apparently rightfully claimed. Then he wondered what he would feel if Anne decided to fight for her title as Queen and his rightful wife, would be be glad? Would he accept her back as his Queen? Or would he still insist that she sign the divorce papers? Henry didn't know which scenaro he prefered, but all he knew was that he could not get Anne out of his thoughts and out of his heart.

"I apologize if I offend your majesty with my question, but, what will you do when you see my sister Anne?" George asked, bringing King Henry out of his thoughts.

"I do not know George, part of me still wants nothing to do with her but there is also a part of me that yearns to see her once more, to see how she is." King Henry said as he chuckled, "Even now, Anne seems to still have a hold on me and I don't know why I cannot seem to just forget her entirely."

"Anne is quite a unique person, she has always been able to hold one's attention unlike other maidens I've ever met." George offered as a reason for the King. He knew why King Henry felt that way, as much as the King liked to think that he could hide his emotions well, he was clearly wrong, everyone knew that the King still has strong feelings for Anne, if it weren't love then it was something pretty close to it.

"That is true, Anne has been the most unique woman I've ever come across. Quite unique indeed." King Henry said as he once again got lost in his thoughts of Anne and their past.

Nothing more was said between the two traveling men until they arrived in the gates of Pembroke Castle.

George immediately informed the King that he will go ahead first so that he can inform the servants of their arrival, the truth was, George simply wanted to warn Anne and Mary of the King's intention to see Elizabeth so that they could prepare for the truth of their secret to come out because, if George were to be truly honest with himself, there was no way that the King will not find out about Alice and Christian while he was here.

Luckily for George and unluckily for King Henry, Anne had taken Elizabeth out into town for the day and would not be back until early afternoon, so with nothing to do, George offered to give King Henry a brief tour of the public rooms and the gardens of Pembroke Castle to pass the time as it was clear that King Henry intended to wait for the two ladies to return.

As they were making their way back to the Library, George noticed two women whispering and rushing about, he ignored them and followed King Henry to the library until he heard one of the women utter the word, 'Alice' and 'missing'. Deciding to see what was going on, he decided to follow them after he informed the King that he needed to see a few things for Anne while in the castle.

"I cannot believe you lost her! She's one year old, Gertrude!" said the other woman, "You best hope we find that little girl before the duchess returns or else we are in big trouble!"

"You, you mean, the duchess will let us go from her service?" said the other woman, Gertrude, "Victoria, I can't lose this job! It would be a disgrace to my family! Oh I didn't mean to turn away from little Lady Alice, I was just preparing her clothes for her bath!" Gertrude said, tears spilling from her eyes.

George decided to interfere now, "Excuse me, did you just say that you lost my niece?"

At his question, the two women immediately turned to see who had just eavesdropped in their conversation, when they saw that it was Lord Rochford, the brother of the Duchess of Pembroke, they immediately curtsied and refused to look up.

Sighing George spoke, "I don't have time for this, the King is here and I want to know, where. is. my. niece?" he said, he could not have his niece crawling around the castle where the King might see her, Alice looked exactly like Anne and despite her red hair being darker than Christian's and Elizabeth's it was not hard to tell that she along with her siblings are fathered by the King.

It was Victoria who spoke to him as it was clear Gertrude was on the verge of a breakdown, "We are looking for her, your grace, Lady Gertrude here was preparing Lady Alice's clothes for after her bath and so she placed her on the carpet where her toys were and when she turned to take the Lady Alice to have her bath, she was gone."

"I see, where have you looked? The King cannot see her until the Duchess herself decides to do so, have the other ladies help you look for her and once you find her, keep her in her room. I will keep the King busy in the library. Surely it will not be that hard to find a one year old little girl." George said, he knew Alice could be quite a handful as from what he had witnessed of the child whenever he visited and of the letters mary and Anne sent him of the twins, as little as those letters were. Alice was quite like Anne when she was a child, curious, inquisitive and cunning and despite being the youngest and the smallest, she was also the fastest and the most determined of Anne's three children.

As the two ladies left George to look for little Alice and to ask the other ladies to help them, George returned to the Library to distract the King from finding out about the missing child, hoping that everything would be fine, that the King will not notice anything amiss.

How would he notice, after all, he had no idea what was truly going on in Pembroke.

Little did George know, a certain one year old had found her way to the Library while he had left the King alone.

AN: So I got over my lost edits and I initially had a longer chapter prepared before but since Google Docs loved it so much, they took it away and made me re-write it! :(

I do think this is much better and much more concise, it's also a better chapter ending for me so that I can transition the story onto the next chapter. :)

Let me know what you guys think of this chapter! :)

xx

unamedhpauthor