Chapter 13

The wedding was beautiful.

She couldn't think of any other word to describe it.

It was completely different from her first wedding where the people was anything but happy for her. Now there they were on the streets, shouting for God to bless her.

Right now they were back at Whitehall, celebrations for her and Henry's renewal of vows and her re-coronation-an event Henry had wanted to do as well to symbolize to the whole of Europe and to England that Anne had been his rightful Queen all along- were currently in full swing. Wine, food and gifts were sent through all the towns in the country as Henry wanted the people to celebrate their union as well.

Currently, they were sitting on their thrones as they watched the celebrations go, they had danced the first dance and a few ones after that and then Anne had danced with her brother while he danced with her sister, Mary, then they decided to sit down and had watched as the merriment went on around them. Anne had of course invited her father and her uncle but thankfully, George had informed them that while they were welcome to attend the ceremonies and the celebrations, they were not to personally interact with Anne unless she called for them. Thankfully they seemed to have listened and obeyed her for once.

Elizabeth was currently dancing with her grandfather while Alice dancing with George, or rather, George was carrying her and swaying, much to the amusement of the little princess. Christian on the other hand was content to lie on Mary's shoulder as she sat on the table reserved for Anne's family.

"Are you happy, my love?" Henry whispered as he watched Anne observe their children. He had noticed Anne had not talked to her father. He knew that Anne had not totally forgiven Thomas for the way he treated her and Mary, and for the way he discarded both of them when it seemed they were of no use to him.

Anne looked at him and smiled, "Of course, are you?" she said as she touched his cheek, Henry involuntarily leaned to her touch even more.

"Yes. I am, I am the happiest man alive." Henry said as he smiled and reached out to kiss her.

It only when they heard cheers and claps from around them that Anne and Henry ceased from their kiss as they realized that they were surrounded by their subjects who, it seemed, were happy for them.

It was then that Anne saw Thomas Seymour at the very back corner of the room. She knew that Thomas Seymour was there only because he wanted to be able to tell his sister about the celebrations, as Jane had not attended the wedding ceremony despite being invited to attend.

It amazed Anne how she felt nothing toward any of the Seymours, she'd learnt for forgive Jane, she'd rarely interacted with Sir John and Thomas Seymour and so she could not really hold a grudge against them and Edward Seymour was now far away in Scotland where he will stay until Henry calls for him to return. No, the Seymours were no longer a threat to her, in any case, their more noble titles had been stripped from them and so they would rarely be in court, it was only Jane who held a title of nobility now and Anne knew that Jane will rarely ever step foot in Whitehall again.

Anne had written Jane a few weeks before the wedding when the invitations had been sent out to all of England's nobilities, she'd informed Jane that despite their past, she would be welcome to attend the celebrations and that Henry will not take it against her should she decide to not attend. Anne also made it clear, that while their past animosity had brought them so much pain, she has since learned to understand their predicament at that time and had promised Jane that should she attend, her rooms as Duchess of Surrey and the King's former wife -though the marriage was invalid, although she didn't say it in the letter- has been prepared for her.

Anne had not expected Jane to send a response, however, a few days later, she'd received a letter from Jane. She wrote back saying that she had thought that the King might not want her presence to taint such a happy reunion, however, as a sign of peace, she would be coming to court to pay her respects to the two of them.

Anne had not expected such strength from Jane, to see her love and former husband remarried to his former wife- who was able to give him three healthy children one of which is his long awaited male heir- was no doubt in Anne's mind, a terrible blow to Jane especially as Anne had found out from her brother that Jane could never have a child of her own.

True to Jane's letter, she had arrived in Whitehall in the morning two days before the wedding and had immediately requested a private audience with Henry and Anne. It was the first time the three of them were in the same room together and to say that the tension and the awkwardness between the three were palpable, would have been an understatement.

Flashback:

When Jane had arrived, it was quite a surprise that no one was roaming the halls of the palace, as it were, she had arrived two days before the wedding and so, she had assumed that everyone had been so busy preparing for the celebrations and were all currently in their own chambers, making sure that their best jewels and outfits and gifts were being prepared. So, when Jane had luckily arrived in the King's private study without being detected.

"Your majesties, The Duchess of Surrey." She heard the page boy announce her.

Jane braced herself, it would be the first time she would see Henry after the end of their marriage and he would be with her.

"Your majesties" Jane said, she didn't want to admit it, but it hurt to have to address the two of them in the plural form of the title when just a few months ago, she held the title along with Henry.

"Jane." She heard Henry's voice first before she felt his arms touch her shoulder as a sign for her to rise. She didn't want to admit it, but it hurt to see him happy. Happy that he is no longer with her and that he has everything he has ever wanted. "I trust your journey was well?" he asked.

Jane smiled and nodded, "Yes it was, thank you for asking. How have you been, Henry?" she asked, she knew it was alright for her to use his first name when in private as he did so first.

"I have been well, and you?" Henry asked. Clearly, Jane thought, they were all at a lost for words. How does one act, after all, when you are in a room with the very woman whom you took place just almost over a year ago, the very woman who, is to be married to the same man you love?

"I have been well, Surrey is such a lovely place. The people are very kind." she said. It was then that she noticed Anne walking toward her and Henry.

"Hello Jane." she said. If Jane were honest with herself, she felt fear creep up on her once more at seeing Anne. It wasn't that she still felt intimidated by the woman, but she had known Anne was Queen, and she had been awful to Jane back then. Anne afterall, had been the only woman to capture the King's heard for the longest time. She could never have competed with her.

"Your majesty" Jane said, as she curtsied and bowed her head to Anne.

"Please, let us do away with the formalities, just for now." Anne said as she smiled. "I would like to apologise to you Jane. I have been cruel to you in the past and I do regret that I had let myself be clouded by anger and jealousy that I treated you harshly."

Jane was speechless, she'd heard from her brother, who still had spies in court, that the Anne that returned from Pembroke was quite different from the one that left Whitehall before, but knowing it and witnessing it somehow made it even more real.

"Of course, Anne. I also would like to apologise for any wrong I've done you." Jane said, she did not need to specify, what it was she was apologising for: she was sorry she stole her husband. Jane had admitted it to herself, she had become a home wrecker, just as she blamed and judged Anne to be one for ruining the marriage of King Henry and Queen Katherine, it seemed, to Jane, fate just loved to play with her life.

And with that, Anne, Henry and Jane sat down and caught up with one another. Jane had also presented her presents for them as she informed them that she would not be attending the wedding nor the celebration as she did not want to attract attention away from the two as well as it might further create rumours instead of leaving them be.

Jane knew that this was as far as her courage could take her, she wasn't brave like Anne who would face the world head on even if the whole world had turned on her. Jane had only wanted to show her respect to Henry and to Anne, to finally bury their painful past behind and to finally be able to move on with her life, in Surrey. But she was not strong enough to face the people who surely would judge her presence and further create rumours about and against her. Life in court was not meant for a girl like her, it never had been.

Anne and Henry understood Jane's point and respected her decision, however Henry also made sure to let her know that she will always be welcome in court.

After their audience with Jane, she had left for Surrey the morning before the wedding, she again tried her best to keep a low profile while in court and was able to successfully leave without much fuss.

It was, as Anne felt, the closure the three of them needed in order to start anew.

AN: Chapter 13 is here! Finally! I wanted to give Anne, Henry and Jane the closure they all needed. I think that Anne and Henry needed it more than Jane mostly because they were starting a new life together again and I think that the burden of their past will just keep haunting them if they don't, as they say, "seal the coffin" (is that the right term? if its not, let me know the right one!) once and for all. You won't hear anymore from Jane after this chapter and I think Chapter 14 is the last one, because it's the epilogue! Yay! I'm finally done with this story, well, almost! :)

Also, I wanted to clarify one thing that may have been lost in translation or was not noticed by some.

Mary is dead. She got married to the Duke of Bavaria's nephew while Jane was still Queen and moved to Bavaria as well. She died in childbirth, she gave birth to a daughter, who was named by her father as Mary Katherine, in honor of her mother and grand mother. This can be seen in Chapter 1. Sorry I killed her but I didn't want to have to write too much characters! :D

Other than that, I think I'm all good!

I hope you like this chapter! :)

xx
Unamedhpauthor