Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors.
Chapter Eighty: A King's Heart.
19th of May 1535 - Hampton Court Palace
Hurrying down the corridors towards the chambers that she shared with the other ladies that served the Queen, Jane Seymour did her best to remain composed while her hand clutched at the letter that had been handed to her. It had been discretely handed to her when the messenger had arrived with a letter for Queen Anne, a great show had been made when the Queen's letter had been delivered especially since it was from the King.
Jane had only been able to sit there and watch as Anne's face had glowed with delight at receiving news from the King, it even appeared that he had forgiven her for giving him a second daughter. From what Anne had said, the King had enthused at the knowledge that she had given him a third healthy marriage and had promised to find a grand match for Princess Beatrice considering the matches made for her older siblings.
Prince Alexander was engaged to marry Anne of Denmark who was a similar age as him, while Princess Elizabeth was engaged to marry Prince Eric of Sweden; both matches cementing England's fall away from the See of Rome. While Jane might not have been able to point out where either countries were on a map, she was certain that these matches would cause further religious discord in England.
Entering her chambers, Jane quickly closed the door behind her before she dared allow herself to look down at the letter that had been handed to her; her heart pounding in her chest at the sight of the King's seal. This was certainly not what she had imagined when she had done as Katherine had instructed her and put herself in the King's way, he wrote to her when he did Anne. He made such sweet promises to her and Jane knew his words were spoken from the heart, he sent her such beautiful poems that she had never thought that one such as she would ever deserve.
Breaking the seal on her letter, Jane felt her hands tremble as she carefully opened the parchment out so that she might read his words; she did not wish to tear the parchment and damage anything that the King had to say to her. Moving towards her bed, Jane sat down to read the King's letter allowing his written word to flow over her; his words flooded her senses, they made her feel so special and she could not imagine that he wrote such things to Anne. No, she did not believe that for a moment not when he swore that his heart beat for her; that she was the one that he longed for while he was away fighting to defeat the Emperor.
Jane allowed her fingers to trace the words that he wrote to her, his writing flowed so smoothly leaving her defenceless in the wake of his professions of love for her. He could build her palaces out of the paragraphs that he wrote to her, perhaps even cathedrals that could rival anything that Jane had ever seen. He wrote to her of the beauty of Italy, made promises of such splendid gifts that he would bring back to her when he returned and how he would ride to her at Wolf Hall when he returned.
Jane blushed at his words of how he would worship her when he had the chance, how he would ensure that no other would hold his love for she had it all. A part of her felt triumphant at the idea that he wrote such things to her, that it was the thought of her that he longed for, that he kept with him on the cold nights spent in tents or the halls of Milan before they had marched towards Florence.
Jane only wished that she could write back to him, express her own feelings for him despite what she had been told by Katherine and Sir Nicholas Carew. Sir Nicholas Carew had done well when it came to instructing her on how to hold the King's attention, he had aided Jane in everyway that he could especially in how to keep the King's fickle wandering eye.
Sir Nicholas had known the King since he was a young boy, he had been placed into the household of the then six-year-old Prince Henry and shared in his education. If there was anyone who could help her gain and hold the King's attention then it would be his childhood friend.
Jane had never imagined someone like the King would pay any mind to a woman like her, she was the daughter of a knight not a nobleman. Pressing a kiss to the letter, Jane closed her eyes and she wished for nothing more than the chance to converse with the sweet man that sent her such beautiful letters.
It made her heart ache that she would never truly get to call him hers, she would never be his Queen not when he had a healthy son with Anne and her cousin was likely to give him more. The two healthy daughters that had followed the birth of their son, were still a good sign, a sign that Anne could still conceive and give the King more children.
Jane bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall at the very idea that she could never marry the man that she knew with all her heart was the man that she loved. No matter how much Jane tried to do as she was told, to play the game that her former mistress that had tasked her with.
Jane had admired her former mistress, she had once been a much-loved Queen before the King had decided that he was tired of her and that he had to have Anne. Jane swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, her eyes closing and she wanted nothing more for things to be simple again.
It was hard to believe that this was her life, that she was receiving letters from a King and yet there was a small part of her that wondered if it was all just a dream. The King sent her the most beautiful gifts that she had ever received, gifts that could fed her family for decades to come and yet she had to return them as she had been instructed to do.
As Anne had done to encourage the King's feelings for her, to make him displace his once beloved wife and daughter for her and have a crown seated upon her head as his Queen. Crumbling the letter up in her hand, Jane took a deep breath knowing that while she could not displace Anne like she had done to Katherine; she could cause the other woman a lot of pain. Whoever owned the King's heart, held all the power and Jane knew that with the help that she was getting that she would hold it very soon.
If his letters were anything to go by, he longed for her in a way that he had done with Anne; he had expressed his disappointment to her about the birth of a second daughter and his longing to have many sons for the future of the Tudor line. There was no denying that she had felt touched when he wrote of his desire to have children with her, that she would be treated well if she agreed to be his mistress… however she knew that she could never agree to such a thing.
Jane had been at court for many years, her mother having served before her in the very same household; there were no shortness of stories about what had happened to those who shared the King's bed. Anne was the only one that seemed to have escaped the fate of his other mistresses by playing her silly little game that had landed her a crown. The sound of someone approaching snapped Jane from her thought and she quickly stuffed the letter under her pillow before the door to the chambers opened.
"Jane? We must return to Her Majesty," Lady Elizabeth Ughtred stated stepping into the chamber with a frown upon her face. She did not know what was going on with Jane, she no longer recognised the woman that had been her older sister; who she had shared a nursery with and told all her problems to.
Since her return to court last month, Elizabeth had noticed a change within her sister that truly had her worried; she did not know what Jane was up to and she feared the worse. It was no secret that Jane had been supportive of Katherine, that if it had been possible then Jane would have stayed in her household. Elizabeth did not understand why her sister could not see, why could not grasp that the woman that she had so admired was a traitor to the crown that she had once worn.
"Of course," Jane replied forcing a smile, she got to her feet and smoothed off the gown that she was wearing; her cold eyes taking in the sister that she had once so trusted. Like all her other siblings and most of the court, Elizabeth had fallen under the Boleyn charms; she was a traitor to the true Queen and had turned her back on all that was good and holy.
England was in grave danger and would be ripped apart because of Anne, she was falling away from the flock of Rome and Jane swore that she would not forgive or forget those who did so. When she had the power, she would right the wrongs done by Anne and her heretics on the council; they would be made to suffer for what they did now to England.
Walking past her sister, Jane allowed her mask to slip from her face when she was sure Elizabeth could not see it; her war was just beginning afterall.
I recommend Bed of Deceit by BellalunaMcKenzie, For Even as Love Crowns You by wizardfantasy and Sanctuary by Cattyfan. Also check out My Lord Husband,The Enemy by Esme24, That Subtle Wreath by EvilFluffyBiteyThing and its sequel, A Progress in Kent.
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