A Tudor Rose

Chapter 7

Having put some music on, Anne sat, continuing with her drawing, her passion, the one thing to keep her altogether.

"Hello Anne, I figured it'd be you down here, " Jane greeted the younger queen with a smile, before going to sit on one of their sofas.

Shielding her work, Anne's eyes followed Jane from the bottom of the stairs to where she ended up sitting down.

"Don't worry Anne," Jane giggled, "I'm not going to sit that side of you so you can continue with your drawing," Jane was considerate with tiny things like that. Tiny things that meant a lot to Anne.

And Jane's giggle was quite possibly the cutest thing Anne had ever heard. Every time the noise was emitted from the older queen, Anne blushed slightly, making her want to kiss the woman even more.

"Thanks Jane, you can see it when it's done," Anne answered, telling no word of a lie.

"What's got you up so early?" Jane inquired, clutching the cup of tea she had brought down with her.

"Just, thoughts, I guess,"

"Well, are they anything I can help with?" Jane asked, obviously wanting to help Anne.

Anne contemplated confessing it all right there and then, but her mind told her that now was not the right moment.

"Umm, no, I don't think so but thanks Jane, " Anne started to add some of the finishing touches to her piece of artwork.

"Sure? Cathy told me what happened after Aragon, " Jane leant forward, addressing Anne. Anne looked up from her drawing.

"Oh yeah, " Anne spoke, her eyes meeting Jane's "That, that was like nothing. I promised you Jane. Last year, I promised you, if I ever had those thoughts again then I would come and find you, " her voice filled with disgrace over what happened. She was never proud of what she did to herself - but at the time it felt like her only option.