Chapter Six - Love's Labour Lost
Anne fled the scene in the gardens where she had kissed Philippe. Anne was in complete shock that she had allowed herself to kiss him. She wasn't one to normally run from a situation like this, but this thing with Philippe was entirely new to her and she didn't know if she wanted it to even continue. It felt almost wrong to kiss him and she couldn't quite place the feeling as to why it felt that way. She ran up the flight of stairs and made her way to the east wing where the royal apartments had been. She finally stopped running and caught her breath, pacing back and forth anxiously.
Her breath trembled and she placed her hands on her hips as she continued pacing to calm her nerves. Anne finally stopped her pacing after a time and looked out the window. This corridor had quite a boring view, it was the courtyard in front of the palace and the opposite wing. She could see courtiers walking up and down. There were ladies walking in twos and threes, gentlemen were standing in multiple parties as well. In a corner here and there, she could see some people also relieving themselves. Anne made a face of disgust, but this was the way of the French court. They were not the cleanest royals to be sure. She moved away from the window and walked back up the corridor.
Anne made her way back to the garden party outside, hoping to avoid Philippe. And he was gone, much to her relief. She couldn't scope him out anywhere. Her sister, however, did catch her and hurriedly made her way over to Anne. Mary was utterly confused at Anne's behavior and made it known.
"What the hell was that, Anne?" Mary cried.
"I don't know what came over me, Mary. I don't know why I let him kiss me. What's wrong with me?" Anne's voice was trembling, and she was on the verge of tears as she began pacing again.
Mary's gaze softened and she stopped Anne from pacing.
"You just don't like him like that. That's all. It's completely alright not to. I just wish you hadn't allowed yourself to kiss him. I think he might be more interested in him than you are of him. Was it a bad kiss?" Mary explained, calmly.
"No, it was nice. I just - yeah, I think you might be right. I don't know how I feel about Philippe. I don't know if I even want to think about it. I know I have only known him for a short while, but my heart will not allow itself to attach to him in any way, Mary. It's closed off. I think he's lovely and sweet, but I cannot continue to encourage him."
"That's completely alright! It's good you noticed it now and not later. I would talk to him about it immediately though. Don't wait to do that. It'll only get worse in the end." Mary said, reassuringly.
"I doubt I can find him now; I don't even know where his lodgings are."
"I don't think you have to look very far, Anne." Mary whispered, looking behind Anne's shoulder.
Anne could see her attention was elsewhere. She turned around and saw Philippe walking back up their way. Mary patted Anne on the shoulder, hoping to boost her confidence a little more before leaving the pair. Anne shifted uncomfortably as Philippe came up to her. He'd looked like shit, especially after what she had done to him.
"I'm so sorry, Philippe. I don't know if I can allow this to continue any further than friendship."
"Why not?" he asked, his eyes flashing for a moment. "What could possibly be holding you back?"
"It's happening so quickly, and we met only a few weeks ago. I would like to know you better as a friend."
"I can't just be your friend, Lady Anne. I want to be more than that. I have to be honest about how I feel at least. You have taken over my mind and I can't stop thinking about you."
"I can't, Philippe!" Anne exclaimed, getting frustrated. "I hope you can understand that. If you can't accept the fact, I just prefer to be friends, then maybe we shouldn't see one another anymore."
He looked as though he'd been punched in the stomach and slowly nodded. He released a struggling breath and laughed incredulously.
"Fine, we'll do it your way then. I'm sorry for wasting your time, my lady." Philippe barely could say the words and he left in a hurry, storming off away from Anne.
Even as he stormed off, she could see his fists clenching tightly together, his shoulders tense as he walked. He kicked at the pebbles, and some went flying. Anne sighed and gnawed at her bottom lip. She knew it was for a good reason. And Mary was right, it was better to tell him right away than wait longer and for them both to be miserable in the long run. Anne turned back towards the white tents that hosted the garden party. She found her sister and Princess Mary and the other ladies-in-waiting.
"How did it go?" Mary B. asked softly.
"Not well, but it's done," Anne answered.
"That's good at least. Now you don't have to worry about it or it dragging on."
"I hope so. I told him I'd still want to be friends, but he didn't want that."
"Well, at least you have an answer."
"What's happened, Annie, why do you look so down in the dumps?" Princess Mary inquired, looking concerned.
"Anne had to break someone's heart, sadly," Mary B. answered, her voice full of understanding.
"Already?" Princess Mary gasped. "You don't waste any time, do you, Lady A?"
"I'd rather not lead the poor guy on, it's not fair to him." Anne explained.
"That's incredibly smart of you, and for your first court romance too. I must say I'm rather impressed." Princess Mary said, with a proud look on her face.
"He seemed really, genuinely interested but I am sorry for it, a little."
"How was he, Mary B?" Princess Mary asked, turning to look at Anne's sister.
"He was more depressed about it than I thought he'd be. I think Anne is right in saying his interests were for real."
"Well, he'll get over it and there are plenty of more men around for you to set your sights on. Good for you, Anne." Princess Mary complimented and patted her friend's arm in a motherly way.
"I hope so," Anne barely whispered, praying and hoping that her feelings of guilt would go away sooner rather than later.
. . .
June 1, 1520 - A Week Before the Field of the Cloth of Gold
It had been a long six years in France and Anne was starting to feel it, even at twenty years old. It feels like yesterday she had just arrived and started her position as lady-in-waiting to Princess Mary. That had all changed a few months later, Mary had been crowned Queen of France. That had only lasted until 1515 and then during a liaison between her and the king, he had died suddenly. Queen Mary was hardly swayed by the supposed "traumatic" experience when it happened. She had confided in Mary B., Anne and Jane first but when she was presented as Queen in court the following day, she was in full mourning and put on a fake presence of being heartbroken at the death of her "beloved king" and husband.
Not long after, she had run away with Charles Brandon who'd come to visit for a time at the behest of her brother King Henry of England. He would come to collect Mary and bring her home. Anne was the only one who knew that they had fallen for each other. They secretly got married and Anne was one of two witnesses that had seen their wedding. Later, Mary Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk had written to Anne and told her everything that happened after they'd returned to England. Her brother had been fuming and was in utter rage when he found out they got married without his knowledge.
He had eventually calmed down and accepted the fact they got married but it took him a good long while. Mary Brandon had avoided going back to court for a while, as did Charles, so as not to get in the way of the king. Anne later that year also learned that Philippe had gone off to fight in the Battle of Marignano under Francis I during his Italian campaign and died in the war. Philippe's brother, Francois, had given her the news during Yuletide.
Also, despite having her sister Mary as his mistress, Francis married the now Queen Claude. She and Mary were serving as Queen Claude's ladies-in-waiting. Mary continued to be Francis' mistress. Because of that, the talk around the palace was that Mary Boleyn was called "the very great whore" by courtiers, the English mare by the king, and a homewrecker by some others. Their father was obviously furious about that so last year he'd asked Mary to come home to England. Mary was completely distraught about the fact she had to go back to England and leave Anne behind.
Anne was left by herself in France, and she knew that she would be fine, she'd learned so much in the past six years and had lasted this long in her position. Mary had written to Anne a few months ago announcing her engagement to William Carey. Anne had been thrilled and wrote back eagerly, completely excited to hear that Mary found someone so kind and special. And not only that, but she was also maid-of-honour to Queen Katherine. Things certainly did look up for Mary and Anne was so happy to hear all the wonderful news.
She shared the news with Lady Jane and Lady Kate, both of whom had stayed to be ladies-in-waiting under Queen Claude. The other ladies had departed back to England little by little over the few years. Some left because their fathers had found husbands for them or better posts. Now, there were only three English ladies left and Anne was thankful that Jane and Kate had both stayed. Now, the entire French court was preparing for the event of the summer. King Henry the VIII of England and King Francis I of France were finally under peaceful terms and wanted to celebrate their momentous occasion. The expense of this festival would be extravagant; Anne found out the sum from Queen Claude who'd briefly whispered it in hushed tones.
The Field of the Cloth of Gold would ultimately symbolize their peace treaty and the fact they wanted to showcase their wealth and power but also the fact that they had mutual respect as God-ordained kings of Europe. They were the spokesmen for God and His kingdom, according to their ideologies and this was the way to show it off for the world to see. The alliance, they all hoped, would be a powerful one and one that would cause the envy of Spain and even Portugal.
Even the entourage traveling with them was magnificent, Anne would later see. Several hundreds of attendants for both English monarchs would travel with them by boat and then across land to meet Francis and Claude. And there were just as many in King Francis' traveling court. It was then when Anne received wonderful news that her own mother, Mary and William Carey would be joining the traveling party. Anne was thrilled and made sure to have everything ready in fine condition for their arrival.
The royal entourage made their way on the day to the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Anne saw the magnificence of the whole spectacle. There was one colossal tent made of gold that shimmered in the sunlight that morning. Other tents were scattered throughout the field. Red and white tents ran along the vast open area. Anne walked along the path with the other courtiers and looked at everything. Court jesters were present and playing with fire and doing tricks and stunts. There was a fountain of wine nearby which was pouring out wine constantly. All around people were socializing, laughing and getting ready to enjoy the festivities.
Anne walked around until she was able to find Queen Claude. Lady Jane and Lady Kate were already there with the circle of royals, and they sat in the tents at the tables, feasting. Anne took her place beside the queen and poured herself some wine and plated her food. The table had all sorts of fruits, meats, pastries and desserts - and it was a decadent feast, everything one could possibly enjoy. Anne ate slowly and joined in the aimless conversation about the festivities that would take place during this royal summit.
The first tournament that would begin was jousting, but that wasn't until tomorrow morning. Today was feasting, settling in, and an all-out masquerade ball. All the ladies were excited about the prospect of rooting for their favorite knights and got their colors and ribbons ready to offer good luck and they were already placing bets for tomorrow. Just as their feasting also began, King Henry and Queen Katherine made their presence known. Trumpeters sounded outside the tent and the royals came forward into the tent, bowing and dipping into a curtsy in front of Queen Claude and King Francis. The French monarchs got up and stepped away from the table, having to go around though, but went to greet their English counterparts, nonetheless. Queen Claude embraced Katherine and kissed her on the cheek. Both Henry and Francis laughed boisterously; they shook each other's hands and clasped the other's shoulder in a brotherly manner.
Anne smiled; she was thankful that there was peace between them - no signs of animosity between the royals. Anne looked at Queen Katherine and admired her beauty and her elegance. Her long reddish gold hair was tucked under a French hood, and she wore the colors of her husband's house; a lush, emerald, velvet green dress embroidered with the finest gold thread. All the ladies-in-waiting and the king's men were standing to pay homage to the kings and queens. Queen Claude introduced Queen Katherine to her ladies. Anne was the first to greet the other queen.
"This is my maid-of-honor, Lady Anne Boleyn. My other ladies-in-waiting, Lady Jane Herbert and Lady Kate Spencer and I have three other ladies, but they seem to have disappeared on me again."
"Lady Anne Boleyn?" Queen Katherine asked, raising an arched brow. "Is your sister Mary Boleyn?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Anne answered, dropping into a curtsy.
"How amusing that we should each of us have a Boleyn girl as maids-of-honour, Queen Claude," Katherine said, not taking her eyes off Anne.
There was something about Anne Boleyn she didn't like. She couldn't quite place what it was. Queen Katherine glanced at her husband who had indeed noticed the young woman. Even though he was talking to Francis, he was not-so-subtly eyeing Anne Boleyn.
"What a small world it is," Queen Claude remarked, with a laugh.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty - is my sister present?" Anne inquired, standing up straight again.
"I believe she is; she is right outside the tent."
"Might I go see my sister, Majesty?" Anne turned to look at Queen Claude.
"You may, dear Anne."
Anne curtsied quickly and departed the feasting tent and found Mary almost immediately. She had a husband at her side and their mother was there too. Anne nearly shrieked in delight when she ran up to Mary. The sisters embraced one another warmly and laughed as they held each other. Elizabeth Howard, their mother, smiled at the reunion of her daughters. Mary's husband also did and glanced at his mother-in-law.
"I can't believe you're here in Calais! I'm so excited you are here. How is everything?" Anne cried, as she pulled away from her sister's embrace.
"We're doing so well. Oh, also, Anne, this is my husband, William. William, this is my sister, Anne."
"Pleasure to meet you, Anne, Mary's talked only about you this entire trip over to Calais." William said, giving Anne a quick hug.
"I'm so glad for you and Mary both. I can't believe I missed the wedding though! How did the wedding go?"
"It was a quiet ceremony at home at Hever Castle. But it went so well. Mary and I both wish you could have been there, Anne." William answered.
Anne gave Mary a light-hearted smile and then turned to her mother. Lady Elizabeth smiled warmly at her daughter and hugged her. Anne hadn't seen her mother in almost ten years, and it was wonderful to be with her family again, even in a foreign place.
"Oh, my Anne, it's so good to see you and have both my daughters together," Lady Elizabeth exclaimed, with a contented sigh.
"Mother, you look so well, you haven't aged at all. What's your secret?" Anne asked, with a playful look.
Lady Elizabeth laughed gleefully and patted her daughter's shoulder. She shook her head, rolling her eyes at her youngest daughter.
"Anne," she remarked.
"What? I'm genuinely curious!" Anne said in her own defense. "Also, is Father here?"
"I do believe so, but I think he's calming down Francis' mother. She was in a state when we arrived only to see King Henry clean-shaven. They had made a vow not to shave until this summit, but Henry did. It seems Louise has taken that as a snub towards her son. She's more offended than he is. Your father is trying to appease her. Honestly, the French take offense to every little thing," Lady Elizabeth hissed, with a bit of snark.
"Well, our father always did have a way with kings and queens. He always has the right thing to say. I'm sure things will blow over." Anne added.
"Quite right you are, Anne, it has indeed been smoothed over, my dears." Thomas Boleyn greeted his family with a smile and hugged his daughters; he kissed his wife and shook his son-in-law's hand firmly.
"Hello, Father, long time no see! How's everything been for you?" Anne asked, lovingly.
"Oh, nothing I can't handle. I suppose things have been kind of mad since the whole planning of this summit for the kings. But I told Louise that our good Queen Katherine likes a clean shaven face. That is why Henry had to shave. He didn't want to appear like a ruffian in front of his wife. She is very careful about hygiene, I suppose. Henry might not be, but Katherine is a different story altogether."
Anne, Mary and their mother all giggled, amused by their father's sharp wit.
"You really do have a way to appease our kings and queens, don't you darling?" Lady Elizabeth said, with a hearty laugh and smile.
"I'm so terribly clever at it," Thomas exclaimed, with a flare of the dramatic about him. "Now, come, the feasting is still going on and we don't want to keep our kings and queens waiting for us. Let's go on in and join them!"
. . . AB . . .