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'WHAT DO YOU mean there is trouble with Anne?' Henriette inquired, looking up from her book, which she told everybody was full of prayers, but really it was a romance. She would be scolded if her Father found out she was filling her head with such wishy-washy nonsense.
Thomas Boleyn scratched his head and frowned, sitting around his two younger children. George rolled his eyes, as if the answer was so obvious that someone would have to be very stupid to not have seen it. Henriette was curious, and obviously if there were matters with Anne, people were not talking of how Charles Brandon continued to flirt and charm her and pile her with substance-less compliments.
'Well, to be frank, the court is talking of how Anne has caught the eye of King Henry, for they danced together thrice yesterday evening, and he had a necklace of rubies to her apartments this morning.' Thomas' eyes lit up when he spoke of the jewels; he was ever the scheming man. Henriette nodded, but was sure that he saw this as more of an opportunity than 'trouble'.
'What father means to say is, Anne is taking after our sister's sluttish ways, and we all know very well how fond he is of Boleyn girls,' George chuckled, turning to eye Henriette. 'Careful Hen, you may well be next!'
Henriette would have gone bright red if she were not so cross at her brother's comment. And besides, King Henry was not the one she had her eye on—not that she would admit such a thing—but Charles Brandon was starting to make her feel giddy whenever she thought of him.
'What does Mary think of all of this?" She asked, worried a slight for her slandered sister. Though she and Mary did not always get along, she did worry for her at times.
'There is no need to fret about that, child. Anne is the one the King wants now. Mary has been... in better words, put aside. The King has simply discarded the old for the better.' Thomas pursed his lips and sighed. 'Anne always was the prettiest of you girls.'
Henriette did not even flinch at that. She was used to her father's cruel and spiting words. She was very often the subject of them. Whenever she did something he did not like, he would tell her how her sisters would never do something like that, or how George would have never forgotten to study his Latin because he was intelligent, clearly a foreign concept to vapid little Henriette.
'I think it is all jolly good that Anne's caught the King's eye. Mary never was all that bright. Perhaps a marriage will be in the cards, seeing how that old cow of a Queen is faring. She has crow's feet and has only given him a useless girl. If he does not discard of his Queen, then perhaps Anne shall be maîtresse-en-titre. Think of all the wealth and power we shall have..." George drooled, and Henriette could only scrunch up her nose in disgust.
She hated her family. The way her father and brother were hungry, no, ravenous for any shred of power they could cling onto. The way they used her sisters to get what they wanted, and how she was treated like a clueless little child. She knew more than she got credit for. Henriette also hated how Mary had brought shame upon the family name, and how everyone called her the King's whore—what would they think of her now?
There was only disgust, and she felt it deep in her soul. It was a speck at first, but soon it grew with anger and resentment, and it had formed a lump in the back of her throat, and everytime she swallowed it served as a reminder of how she truly felt about her family.
꧁꧂
THAT NIGHT, THE whole court gathered to watch a masque that was put on by the ladies-in-waiting of Queen Catherine. Mary and Anne looked beautiful in their long, flowing gowns of white ivory, their hair bedecked with feathers and flowers. Mary was Kindness, and had a yellow posey in her hands, while Anne was Perseverance, and though she held nothing, there was a clear look of it stretched across her pale face.
Henriette did not envy that the girls were in the performance, and instead watched as they glided across and spoke in rhyme; even singing in their melodic voices which caused the court to go completely silence in awe. It was a beautiful, but ultimately vain performance.
Henriette could see how the King watched Anne lasciviously, while she glanced at him one or two times, though clearly would not give him everything that he wanted. It was a typical habit of Anne. She would leave them hanging for more.
Just as she had left Henry Percy in the dust, for now the engagement had been called off, she continued to drag the King about as he was wrapped eagerly around her finger. Anne had that quality to her, she was not a typical beauty like the fair-haired ones at court; instead hers resembled something like Athena—an enchanting, enrapturing intelligence that any man would be stupid to not fall completely in love with.
When the performance ended, the whole court rose in applause, and the cheers were all that anyone could here for a long while. When Henriette turned to leave, her long dress trailing behind her, a hand gripped her wrist and led her behind a large stone column. She was about to open her mouth to scream, when he put his hand over her mouth. Henriette stared into Charles' grey eyes and wondered what he was daring to do.
'Mistress Boleyn,' He said with a sly grin, his face lighting up with mischief. Henriette sighed heavily, trying, but failing, to force those unwanted feelings out of her body. She wished he was not so stupidly charming, or so handsome, or... Oh, well she could go on for days.
'Whatever do you wish to speak to me for? And at such a time, I would declare it is hardly appropriate!' Henriette scowled, trying her hardest to look cross with him. She had lost all her wits.
'My, I hardly thought you would have any dignity after what your sisters have done,' He teased. She looked down at the stone floor, trying to push away the embarrassment she felt at the mention of her sisters.
'Your grace, if you have nothing of any substance to say to me, then I suggest you let me go.' Her face burned as her temper began to rage. Why was he being like this? He could be so insufferable at times, and yet she felt a horrible bout of butterflies inside herself whenever they locked eyes.
'I wish to ask something of you, Mistress Boleyn, and I am afraid I can only ask you to do it. I have not seen anybody else more suitable for the task,' Henriette knitted her brows together, trying to read the code he was rambling on in. What did he need from her?
'Shall I go on?' He inquired, and Henriette nodded her head in fear. 'I need you to be my spy. You are the perfect candidate for it, as you have not quite made your mark like your sisters, but you certainly have your charms about you.' Charles smirked, glancing down at her chest, and before she could say anything, he continued on talking.
'Now, this is no easy task, but I know you have the wits to do it. I would like for you to... seduce the King, and once you have gotten the information from him—which is anything you think is of importance—I want you to report it straight back to me. But you must be careful with every step you take. The King is a very paranoid man, and he can't know that you have any idea about court politics.'
Henriette was baffled, and for a moment, she was sure she was dreaming. What had he just asked of her? To commit espionage, and possibly treason? It would be hard enough to catch the King's eye if Anne was captivating him, but to get him to share all his secrets? It was almost an impossible task.
'I don't quite know what to think, your grace. I am honoured, though, I think you have come to the wrong person. I have neither the intelligence nor the charms to do such a thing!' She said, her voice trembling. Charles chuckled.
'Forgive me, Mistress Boleyn, but I do not make mistakes when it comes to this sort of thing. You are exactly the right person for this. You are more intelligent than you give yourself credit.' Charles said, his eyes twinkling. Henriette did not know if this was just sheer flattery to wheedle her into the job, or if it was really honesty. She assumed the former.
'And what do I get out of it?' She quipped. Charles pursed his lips, and glanced around for a moment before responding.
'You get whatever you desire from me, and I am sure that shall please you well enough,' He said smugly, and Henriette just about wished that she could wipe that idiotic look off of his too-proud face. Was he reading her mind?
'Very well, I shall consider it.' She replied bluntly, knowing that it would frustrate someone so self-righteous that she was only 'considering' his demands, and in turn a smug smile was drawn upon her own face.
Charles stood there stunned that she had hardly accepted the offer, Henriette stormed out of the hall, not caring to dance among the rest of the over-joyous courtiers, or to gloat and watch the King fawn over another of her sisters.
Was she really just asked to spy for Charles Brandon, who was horribly charming and never left her alone? Henriette sank down on her bed once she reached her chambers, and for the first time in her life, she was suffering from a very difficult dilemma.
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a/n: hi guys! finally an update. i am so slack with these sorts of things. i hope you all had a lovely christmas if you celebrate, and i hope you enjoyed this update. i have lots of plans for this story, and i'm sorry that i take forever to update. thanks for reading!