Festina Lente

Chapter Fifty: Heart of Stone

22nd of February 1534 - Hampton Court Palace

The celebrations for Prince Alexander's second birthday was well underway and Anne could not help but feel like a weight had been lifted from her shoulder at having both her children at court with her. 

Henry had yet to return to her bed and the doctor had encouraged her to rest more before returning to her marital duties; they could not risk her health or the life of another babe should the same misfortune occur. 

The news that her sister had been successfully delivered of a son, the same day that Anne had lost her own; though she dared not hold such a thing against Mary who had done nothing but her own duty to her husband. 

Little Edward Stafford would perhaps make a fine companion to Anne's own son when the time came, he would need loyal friends and who better than his own cousins to fill such a position. 

Snapping out of thoughts, Anne plastered a smile on her face at the sight of her boy who had changed so much since she had last seen him and the cheeky smile on his face eased her mind. 

"Madam," Clarice greeted softly, moving to stand beside Anne thankful that such an occasion had allowed her to have her own children at court with her. 

Contessina and Filiberta were not the only children in attendance and it seemed most of the nobles at court had invited their offspring to court in hopes of showing off possible companions for the young Prince of Wales and his sister. 

"Sister," Anne replied turning to her, her eyes catching on her niece and a smile forming on her face knowing that this was perhaps the first time that she had met the youngest Boleyn since she had been born. 

Only a month younger than her Elizabeth, she had no doubts that Filiberta would be a good companion for her daughter and perhaps even a lifelong friend. 

"My brother is certainly a lucky man, though I do not envy him for having to deal with our father," Anne noted admiring Filiberta for a moment more before looking down at her own daughter in her arms. 

Elizabeth resembled her brother in many ways, they both had the Tudor red hair and there was no denying that the King was their father; they favoured his side of the bloodline rather than their mothers.

Thomas Boleyn had been furious and had quickly confronted Anne demanding to know what she had done to loss her baby, there had been no care about his words on her wellbeing only the reminder that one son did not secure a dynasty. 

Even with her doctors encouraging her to take time to recover, her father was eager for her to fall pregnant again and produce the Duke of York that England desperately needed. 

His taunting words had shaken her more than anything, a nagging reminder that her husband could easily decide to replace her just as he had done with Katherine when she had failed to give him a son. 

Though Alexander was an exceptional boy, the line of succession needed to be made secure and to do that the King would need more than one son to secure the Tudor succession and prevent a civil war. 

Staring across the banquet hall, Anne watched her husband speak with a lady that she could not recall; the look on his face reminding her much of the one that he had often had when she had first caught his eye. 

Her stomach churned and she quickly looked away, her eyes instead focusing on their daughter praying that Elizabeth would have a better marriage than this. 

"May I offer Your Majesty some advice that my mother once shared with me?" Clarice asked softly, she did not wish to offend Anne nor did she want to say anything that might be considered out of turn.