A Tudor Rose

Chapter 12

"Yeah, of course, Anne, what's up?" Jane asked concerned. She sat back down of the sofa and motioned Anne to follow.

Jane sensed the younger queens nerves and held both of her hands. She herself was scared though, for Anne. Anne had never been so nervous to talk to Jane, even when Jane found out about her self-harming.

"Hey," Jane whispered sympathetically as she wiped a slowly falling tear from Anne's cheek.

"Sorry, Jane... It's just... I'm scared," Anne confessed, her leg shaking with fear. She looked up, avoiding eye contact with Jane.

"Aww, sweetheart, come here," Jane pulled Anne into a warm hug in an attempt to comfort the queen. She allowed a few of her tears to slide down her face. She loved Anne, and seeing her this upset tore Jane apart.

"You're gonna hate me..." She coldly explained while Jane hugged her, not participating in the attempt.

"Look, Anne, nothing you ever say will ever, ever make me hate you," Jane responded, making sure Anne knew she was safe. She was slightly hurt at the fact Anne thought so little of her but she wasn't going to let Anne know that, all she wanted was for Anne, to be honest with her.

Breaking apart from the embrace, Anne gazed into Seymour's ocean eyes, her grey eyes seemed to tell her story all on their own and Anne constantly found herself lost in them.

"I've been waiting to say this for a long time," Anne started, subconsciously pulling her sleeve down to cover her left hand. "I... really like you Jane, and I think I always have done," Anne confessed, still avoiding any potential eye-contact. She turned to face away from the queen in case Jane viewed her as some kind of disappointment.

"Oh, Annie..." Jane replied, having had a massive weight lifted off her chest, leaning on Anne, a reaction which surprised Anne, who had thought this would have made things awkward between her and Jane. "I love you too, and I have done ever since day one..."

"Really?" Anne whispered, creating direct eye-contact between her and Jane for the first time in the entire conversation.

"Really." Jane looked up at Anne before returning to the position she was previously in. 

"So..." Anne rested her head on the top of Jane's, "Are we a thing?"

"I'd like that, if it's okay," Jane responded with a smile plastered across her face. 

"Yeah, I'd like that too." Anne whispered softly before hesitating, " Would it be okay if we didn't say anything to the others? Just for now?"

"Whatever you want love,"