The hustle and bustle of the castle excited Anne more than anything else. Her parents had been right. English court was quite different from the French one. Always, things were happening. There were knights jousting, having sword fights, drinking, dancing, and singing...the activity never ended. Of course, England was involved in more than one war and the people lived life to its fullest when they could.
Tonight there was a full ball that everyone would attend and Anne was excited to dance the night away with her darling, Henry Percy. He had followed her family here and sought her attentions almost every night, drawling his poems to swoon her. And his romantic efforts are well rewarded, she thought with a sly smile.
There were several intrigues about the court and Anne felt badly for King Henry VIII's Queen Catherine, who did well to ignore his covert flirting and chasing. It was almost as if she didn't mind. She doted on the princess and paid no mind to her husband's philandering. Anne wasn't sure, but she thought her sister had the king eating from her hand. Tonight would tell.
Mary's wedding had gone as smoothly as possible and she had looked beautiful, even if she had cried as she repeated the vows to her new husband. It was painfully clear that this was not a match she had wanted, but she carried through with it as any good woman would. Anne scoffed at the thought; she guessed that she was not a 'good woman'. She would do anything before she would marry a man she didn't choose. Luckily for her, she had Millie on her side. Briefly, she wondered where things stood with her own betrothal. She would have to ask Millie tomorrow as she got dressed for breakfast.
She looked around now at all of the noblemen and women as the band prepared to play. Anne watched from the side as the king prepared to dance with her sister. Shocked surprised caused Anne to cover her mouth as the two began to dance. It was no wonder the King had arranged for Marry to wed his right-hand-man. It kept her close to his side as well. The fact that King Henry was dancing with her now instead of his wife was more insult than Anne thought any Queen should have to bare.
Alas, Queen Catherine watched on with a smile plastered on her face. She nodded to her husband as she stroked the hair of their daughter. No doubt, she would use the girl later as an excuse to leave the ball. She often withdrew into her chambers early on nights such as these.
As the King and Mary danced to the music, Anne searched the crowd for her own Henry. She saw him across the room speaking with a pretty noblewoman and fought to push down a flare of jealousy. The other woman was laughing and stroking his arm. Anne's own mouth set firmly as she started to make her way over.
As she approached someone took hold of her elbow and gently turned her around. Before her very eyes, James Butler appeared with a large grin on his face.
"Surprise!" he said with a laugh.
Anne was lucky enough to recover herself with a smile of her own. "Why, Mr. Butler, surprise indeed." She raised her hand to his shoulder and gave a quick squeeze. She hadn't seen him since she had been told of their betrothal.
"Mr. Butler? Surely, you can call me James, given our current situation," he said with shining eyes.
Anne could think of no response in that moment and just smiled indulgently. "Shall we dance?"
"I would love to," he responded as he took her hand and lead her to the floor. And so they danced, and Anne could admit that he was a lovely dancer. Still, her eyes strayed to Henry as he continued to speak with the woman. They were still laughing. She bit her lip and wondered what in the world could have them laughing for such a long time.
"When do you think we will end up getting married?" James asked, drawing her eyes back to him.
"Why I haven't heard a date yet, have you?"
"I would like for the wedding to be sooner rather than later."
Anne took in his bearded face and serious countenance. What would it be like to live the rest of her life with him?
"I'm sure there are things that need to be worked out with the estate," Anne suggested as something to stall the plans.
"Why wait for that?" he asked."Ours is a love match, is it not?"
Anne tilted her head with some wonder. They had spent many hours together in France, but she had never uttered a word of love. Declarations had left his own mouth, but never hers. She had always smiled and nodded. She chided herself for her lack of clarity.
"King Henry had mentioned the possibility of settling the land claims through marriage and suggested the younger Boleyn daughter...that would be you. My father sent me to France to see what I thought and we got along so well that when I returned home, I told my father to go ahead with the plans. I think everything will work out beautifully."
Anne raised her eyebrows in response, her mouth pursed with a neutral expression.
"Are you not happy with the arrangement?" he asked, perplexed by her lack of emotion.
"I think time will tell, Mr.Butler...James." Anne felt her shoulders tightening and forced them down into a more relaxed position. She took deep breaths. What she had thought was harmless flirting had ultimately been her undoing. "I am sure things will all work out wonderfully." She forced her smile to reach her eyes as she made a turn in the dance.
"Perhaps we could make our way to a more private area...to get to know each other better." James wiggled his eyebrows, clearly anticipating some sort of intimate interaction.
"Yes, okay," Anne replied with a gulp. Her hand slipped easily into his, but she lead him instead of following. She walked around the room with the intent of passing Henry, in the hopes that he would stop them.
Before they got that far, a woman touched James' arm and he stopped walking as he took in the face before him.
"Lady Fitzgerald, what a pleasure to see you here!" he gushed, and something in his countenance changed noticeably.
Yet the lady did not return his smile. "A pleasure, James? How could you?" She glared at Anne and then back at James. "With everything we have been through, how could you agree to marry her?" The lady's hand flew up against her mouth as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. With a quiet cry, she turned and ran the other way.
Anne stared after the lady, bewildered by the outburst. When she looked to James, she saw him staring after the woman making her way through the crowd, bumping into people as she went. What a scene, Anne thought with embarrassment. James looked at Anne apologetically, confusion clear on his face. His gaze moved down at their entwined hands and then back at her face. He tilted his head as if wondering what was happening. He let her hand go suddenly as if it were on fire.
"I should...I haven't seen her since you and I first met..." he stuttered.
"Yes," Anne nodded, rubbing her released hand on her skirts. "You should go after her."
Relief filled Anne as James gave chase leaving her to wonder as to their relationship. Anne certainly hoped the lady was of special interest to James.
Feeling suddenly alone and awkward, she looked around to find her own lover and was glad to see that his eyes had finally found her. She smiled at him uncertainly and was relieved when he returned her expression, even if it wasn't the happiest of smiles. He looked hurt, but she could turn the tables quickly enough after what she had just witnessed.
"Who were you speaking with earlier?" she asked as she approached him with a scowl touching her lips ever so slightly.
"What? Oh, that was Mary Talbot, a funny lady indeed," he replied. His smile seemed quite genuine, and after the scene Anne had just been a part of, she was in no mood to see another woman make Henry feel happy.
Anne's scowl was now firmly on her lips. "Funny?"
Henry's face quickly became more serious. "Not as funny as you...?"
Anne raised an eyebrow with a sigh. "Is she only funny, or is there something else that draws you to her?"
A smile graced Henry's lips once more as he took her hand. "Would you care for this dance, my love?" he whispered.
Anne relaxed as she followed Henry to the floor and allowed him to lead the dance as they watched each other, one reading the expressions of the other. It did not take long for Anne to forget Mary Talbot. Every time her body brushed againstHenry's more joy filled her, until finally they were laughing with merriment.
After numerous tunes had played, Henry took Anne's hand and walked out to the garden. He looked contemplative as he stroked her hand and searched the sky.
"What do you hope to find up there?" Anne asked to break the tension.
He let out a soft laugh. "A miracle, perhaps?"
One of Anne's eyes squinted as she gave him a lopsided grin. "Miracle for what?"
"I feel like our love is going to be blocked at every turn. You and James Butler. How could we ever go against the king?"
"I told you already that I am working on that...arrangement. Please, Henry. If we are to be blocked at every turn, then let's make our path straight."
Henry gave her a real smile then as he took her into his arms and kissed her lips with confidence. Anne's heart fluttered as she returned his affections.
~~
Millie enjoyed the evening as much as she could, but her attention was constantly drawn to the main players in her game. King Henry spent the night dancing with Mary Boleyn, who positively glowed under his gaze. Their spouses, meanwhile, did their very best not to look miserable. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that whole situation was about.
On the other hand, Millie had witnessed the moment when James Butler had made eye contact with Joan Fitzgerald. The potion she had used on James in France was very long-lasting and could only be broken by true love; Millie almost spat at the foolish notion. Yet, here she was, a witness to the breaking of the magic...by a simple gaze. It seemed that a few things might work to her advantage in this situation. If Mr. Butler and Miss Fitzgerald were a true love-match, then James would be more easily swayed to break the engagement with Anne in a cordial manner.
Still, the problem of the King having a hand in the betrothal lingered. Millie suspected that, since James Butler was close to Cardinal Wolsey, the Cardinal had likely played a role in the arrangement.
Now, through the crowd, Millie watched as Henry Percy and Anne embraced in the garden. They were discrete, in the shadows. With a keen desperation, Millie hoped that Anne would get over Henry Percy. He was the heir to an impressive earldom. Perhaps Millie could do some damage to the church through that vein. Still, she wanted more. With a sigh, she contemplated the fact that perhaps she would have to make do with an Earl's influence. Her eyes then traveled back to Mary and the King. Perhaps she'd chosen the wrong child after all.
~~
A/N I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think about the spell breaking? As always, please comments and vote! <3