~His Beloved~

Woman Loved By Many

Her hand came across the face of one of her attackers who dared to touch her in an intimate place. He groaned, rubbing his face before his hand came across her cheek. "Prissy bitch." He sneered as he tossed her small bowl of food to the ground and stood up. Anne held her cheek as she felt the blood trickle out of her face. Her ladies lept to their trying to clean her face, but were stopped with a simple lift of Anne's right hand. She signaled for them to return to their food. Anne could take care of herself. "You all need to eat. We need all the energy we can get." Her ladies gave her slight smiles. Even in tough times like theses their mistriss stayed resilient. Anne would not let them break her. "We can scream. We can cry. But we will not give into their torment." Her ladies nodded, drawing new strength from Anne.

Lord Buckingham hadn't been back in days. His men were becoming more & more restless as King Henry's search for Anne intensified. Anne knew it was only sometime before they located her, but question is would she be alive when they did. If she waited to be rescued her life she'd risk her life. Anne decided she'd find her own way out. Of course, she'd need to come up with a quick plan. These me obviously were not use to holdig hostages. One missed moment of focus & Anne and her ladies could make a run for it. It was all in the matter of timing.
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Brandon caught one of them me who knew of Anne's whereabouts. His loose tongue made for an easy interrogation, but what he admitted shocked even Henry himself. "Duke of Buckingham is alive?!" The tied up commonor nodded quickly. "A paid someone to his place during his execution." Henry and Charles lifted their eyebrow in question. "How do you pay a dead man?" Buckingham's flankie explained how Edward paid the family for the loss of their son who stood in Buckingham's place the day his body was tortured. "His face was beaten beyond recognition so no one knew it wasn't his grace being killed." Henry was foaming now. Not only had Buckigham managed to escape torture and death, he kidapped Anne and was plotting again to take Henry's life. "When will this war between english houses end." Charles mumbled. Now Henry had gotten Anne involved inside this never ending civil war. "There's more, m'lord." The torrified man insisted. "Buckingham has lost his mind. He spent the last few years in hiding away from society. He's gone mad with a need for power. His plan is to kill your family goes against everything sane. He's lost touch with reality."

Henry slapped the tied up ma. "Why would your ignorant friends allow such a crime to occur purely for your amusement? Why take Anne?" The man whithered in fear. "Majesty, it was never suppose to this far! We thought we could keep the woman for ransom, kill Buckingham after we were paid then release the Lady Anne." He rambled. "What has changed?" Charles inquired. "Buckingham hasn't been seen for days! The others sent me out to find him, but you located me first. Lord only knows what that mad man is cooking up, your grace." Henry drew his dagger ad placed it at the full front of the traitor's throat. "You will tell me where Anne is or you will lose your life." Poor man gulped as he stared into the furious eyes of his king. "Yes, your majesty."
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Screams pierced the ears of anyone close to the bunker. The women cried out as they watched Buckingham tear down every man with his sword. Blood was splattered everywhere from the many slashes Edward tore into the bodies. They watched as each man lost their lives trying to protect themselves from the Duke who clearly had a mental breakdown before returing back to the hideout. Anne pulled at the ropes wrapped around her hands and feet as the Duke stalked towards her. She didn't have enough time to react as Edward ripped the ropes off, pulled Anne to her feet then began to pull her out of the bunker, ignoring the pleas coming from her ladies. Anne stuggled to break from the wild man's grip. "Let me go, your grace!" Buckingham gave her a daring smirk. "Change of plans. I will kill you & send your  head to the king. Then take the crown from him as his grief consumes him. A swift & quick death for you both. What do you think, m'lady?"

He was serious. Anne saw the screws turning in his mind as he envisioned the scenes playing out. "You have gone mad, your grace! That plan will never work!" He feet paused as he roughly pulled Anne in front of him. "Why not?" Anne saw the glint of doubt in his mind and decided to stall him. "Henry is too prideful to allow my death to be the end of his reign. He'll grieve for me, take another mistress and fall for her. That's how kings are. They never let the little things in life like the death of a mistress keep them down for too long. I am nothing, but a toy for Henry. That's why I was leaving the night you took me. Henry does not care for me the way everyone thinks." Buckingham dropped Anne to the ground. "Then are useless to my cause?" Anne agreed. "But Jane Seymour isn't. Henry loves her. She gave him beautiful daughter. It's her you want. And I can tell you where to find her."

Buckingham grinned smugly as Anne began smirk. "You little devil. You going to use me to get rid of your rival." Anne shrugged. "Every man needs a woman with a dark side." Buckingham happily agreed. "I wish my wife could've been as smart as you. Maybe she would've survived like myself if she was willing to do what she needed to live. I hate weakness." Anne metally agreed thinking of the sickening way Jane always managed to play the innocent dove in Henry's eyes. "I know what you mean." She meant it too. "I'll let you go, if you tell me where Lady Jane and her child are right now." Anne's eyes sparked with interest as the thought played into her mind about sending this mad man to finish the deed Anne herself could never do. Just as quickly as the thought came it was gone. Henry would never forgive Anne if she hurt his precious Seymour angel. "They're at Henry's manor not too far from court. His majesty meets her there from time to time. I can take you there." 

Buckingham removed the sword that he currently had pointed at her as she laid on ground beneath her. Anne released a breath of relief as the weapon was removed out of harms way. Buckingham brought his hand to hers to help her up. Just as Anne was about to make a run for it, she heard noises coming from the bunker where her ladies still remained. Buckingham began to panick as Charles and his small troop of soldiers located Anne & the Duke. Anne felt Buckingham pull her into him and place his sword to her throat. "I will kill her if you come any closer." Charles kept his me back as his eyes met Anne's. Her eyes plead with him to save her, which he'd happily do. Anne gave him a sigle glance before she made her next move, biting hand holding Buckingham sword so hard he screamed out and dropped the sword. Anne kicked her feet into his leg to make him lose balance as she sprint to Charles direction.

As Buckingham moved to pick up his sword and drive it into a close enough Anne, a dagger thrown from the opposite direction landed into his shoulder. Anne reached Charles' waiting arms as she happily lept into his embrace. The two of them moved behind the five soldiers who now moved to arrest a distraught Buckingham. Charles held onto Anne as she tightly embraced him. He pressed his nose into her still soft raven haired. Anne realized what was happening and slowly pulled apart from Charles, staring directly into his affectionate gaze. She knew that look because it was the same look Henry use to give her. Anne gulped as she mumble a midest "thank you" to Charles who simply nodded with a smile on his face as his hand caressed her cheek. "Are you alright?" He inquired as Anne's heartbeat sped up. "Yes, your grace. Thanks to you." Charles' loving gaze was broken by one of men explaining that they were ready to depart. Charles gave him an okay, then focus back on Anne. "We're returning to palace by horseback. Yours ladies can ride on the back of one of my men's horses. You'll ride on mine."

With that, Charles moved to mount his horse as Anne's ladies swarmed her. Her eldest lady, who acted more as a nanny more than a servant, gave her a look that showed she did not condone the interaction between Anne and the Duke of Suffolk. Anne's cheeks turned crimson red, ignoring the silent reprimandation from her lady, she walked over to Charles' horse. He helped her up, then allowed her a moment to adjust. "Are you ready, m'lady?" Anne gulped once more as her arms wrapped around his waist. "Ready." Charles let out a chuckle at the sound of her nervous tone. "Don't worry Lady Anne, I do not bite." His hands momentarily touched hers before he took the reigns and directed the horse in the path back to the palace. Anne allowed herself to relax as she laid her head on Charles' shoulders. Deep down she knew this little adventure was a cake walk compared to the trouble this new revelation would cause once they returned back to court. But that was tomorrow's problem, right now Anne would live in the moment and enjoy the company of yet another man who she managed enchant.