Evermore

Chapter II

BRING ME MY CHILDREN

Greenwich Palace, May 21, 1536

Young Queen, Anne, opened her eyes to the darkness of her bed-chamber, where she laid on her bed, dressed in a gown of several layers of white muslin and flowy sleeves, that clinched at the waist with a sheer light blue stash which she had personally chosen in honor of her son, her prince.

Not too far from her bed, near the fireplace sat her homely maids and her treacherous ladies, making the little prince a wardrobe and amongst them was the notorious Jane Seymour because King Henry had chosen not to remove her from her household, and despite having been ordered to remain the maiden hadn't wanted to remain. For she feared that the young Queen would lash out on her and this time not only rip a necklace from her neck, and so her hands trembled with fear as she tried to contribute to the other ladies-in-waiting's efforts to make the little prince a wardrobe. 

"You...!" Anne said, grudgingly as she sat up, looked towards the fireplace, and saw the maiden stitching a tiny cotton gown. "How dare you! Show your face here!"

Lady Jane looked at her and jumped to her feet, and the other ladies did the same, only not out fear like her, but out of respect, then they bowed to her as they had done before.

"Majesty," they all uttered except for Lady Jane who opened her mouth to speak but failed to produce a single syllable for her eyes came into immediate contact with the young Queen's piercing blue eyes, and she froze for they were like two lightning blots charged and ready to strike.

Though sore from childbirth, the young Queen hastily slipped out of her bed and went straight towards her, despite being in pain." Get out!" she demanded. 

Aware of how violent she could be, Lady Jane quickly backed out of her bed-chamber, and the other ladies gossiped amongst each other. All the while, the young Queen grabbed the nearest thing she could find to cause damage, which was a golden candle holder with lit candles, and launched it at Lady Jane with all her might. "Don't you dare come back here!" she yelled, as the maiden dodged the candle holder and ran for the hills.

At that moment, her title-less sister Mary, came running into her lodgings and headed straight for her bed-chamber. "Sister...!" she exclaimed, worryingly.

"I want her out of here!" Anne said, through her teeth and tightly placed her hands on her hips and heavily paced back and forth. "I want her out of here! She's the very reason Henry turned on me! And had George killed!

Not even a second later, King Henry rushed into the room having heard the commotion and immediately locked eyes with the young Queen who immediately denied him the privilege by turning to her ladies. "Anne..." he uttered, hoping she would turn to look at him because he felt remorseful about what he had put her through. But she didn't, she just exhaled sharply for she couldn't stand him being so close to him anymore, not after all he had put her through.

Her sister Mary sauntered over to her and wrapped her arms around her. "Calm down," she said, serenely. "I'm here."

The young Queen took control of her emotions and gently pushed her sister away and turned to look at her husband the only way she could, with anger. "I delivered you a healthy son, the least you can do is send your mistress away, so that I can be at peace, knowing the woman you so soon turned your back on me for, is far away and can't do me or my children any harm."

King Henry took her words like a grain of salt and left, which made the young Queen's blood boil. "Bring me, my children," she ordered, then she curled her lips tightly and exhaled a small portion of the anger that was making her blood boil. "I want them both with me before dusk for their own safety."

Her sisters eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "The Seymours can't be trusted, Mary, you and I know that now, and as long as Henry shows favor to them, my children if if not with me. Are not safe," she whispered to her because as trusting as her homely maids were, the other ladies were not, they had been disloyal to her when she had needed them the most.

"I'll see to that," Mary said, softly as she took her hands into her own and caressed them. "But if Henry doesn't approve, I'm afraid, there won't be much I can do to bring them to you."

"I understand," Anne said, slipping her hands away. "But you must do all your power to make sure that they're safe, no matter what — even if they're not with me."

Mary nodded and left, and the young Queen looked at her homely maids individually and gestured for them to follow her into the sitting room. "Not you," she said, sharply to the others as they stood to follow her.

The homely maids followed in the young Queen's footsteps with their heads held high as the others stayed behind and hushing chatted amongst each other about how cold she was being towards them.