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.
Instead she hoped to offer her advice that might lighten her mind and allow her to continue to carry on the duty of which she had been charged to do by God without wounding her heart.
"You may speak freely," Anne stated looking to Clarice, she did not think that she knew much about the late Duchess of Nemours and she would be happy for the distraction from the sight of her husband flirting.
Elizabeth fussed in her mother's arms as if sensing her mother's uneasy about what her royal father was doing and Anne was quickly to settle her and wish that she could see her children more.
"Men are like storms, they must be weathered and only stone can do that. The King is like a fire and he will consume you if you are not careful," Clarice stated recalling the conversation that she had shared with her mother.
It had been after her father had brought Ippolito to live with them because his mother had died, she had found her mother standing on a balcony overlooking the courtyard watching her father teach her brother how to ride a horse.
"And how should I do that?" Anne asked looking to Clarice, she had to admit that living with Henry was rather like a storm and at times she did not know what to expect from her husband.
He could blow hot or cold with her especially if she had displeased him in some way, the loss of a baby after the birth of Elizabeth had left her guessing where she stood with him now.
"You must have a heart of stone, my mother said... no matter how hard the storm pounds against it, it shall not hurt you," Clarice told her, she looked over to where the King was flirting with a lady of the court.
He would not change and Clarice could not allow this to drive Anne to do something that she might come to regret or would not be able to correct.
Anne pondered what Clarice told her, if the late Duchess of Nemours had been able to tolerate not only her husband's affair but taking in her husband's bastard when the lady had died then perhaps, she too might survive this.
If Henry wished to take a mistress then she would bare it, she would try not to throw fits nor would she allow him to see how much that his actions hurt her.
Alexander, Elizabeth, and any other children that she might be blessed with by the King would be the loves of her life; she would have them to love her in return and her family around her would be enough for her.
"I shall be the Most Happy, the Queen with a heart of stone," Anne mused turning to Clarice, she nodded to her knowing that she would be able to count on her to help her do this.
It would not be easy, she had fallen for a man that did not appear to exist for her now; instead that man had changed into a stranger who was her husband and could tire of her at any time.
Henry had been trying to get rid of Katherine before her betrayal had been discovered, he had tired of her and had sort to replace her with Anne; her only saving grace was the fact that she had a son.
Her children would be her saving grace, everything she would do from this moment would be in service of them and making sure that they did not grow up without a mother; for she was certain that Henry would not seek a divorce should he wish to rid himself of a second wife.
Not after spending several years trying to get Katherine to agree to a divorce before she had been denounced as a traitor to the crown; it made her wonder just what he would do to her.
Shaking those dark thoughts from her mind, Anne stood from her throne holding Elizabeth in her arms as she made her way towards her son.
Alexander paused in his game to smile up at his mother, the thrill of being around his royal parents lightening his mood and he was eager to show them all that he had learned from his tutors.
"Mama," Alexander called eager for her to join his game, his call to her bringing Henry out of his flirtation and he turned in time to see Anne hand their daughter to one of her ladies before moving to join him.
Every inch the Queen that he had risen her up to be, Henry could not shake the feeling that something had changed about his wife; she had been rather sullen since the loss of the babe.
He had avoided her much since then and only seen her when she had re-joined court only days earlier to welcome their children to court; he had high hopes that she would fall pregnant again quickly.
There was no doubt in his mind that they would do so, she had fallen pregnant quickly last time and they already had two healthy children in the nursery.
"Your Majesty," Thomas Cromwell murmured interrupting the King's thoughts, though he was hesitant to do so especially during such wonderful celebrations but there was a matter that greatly needed his attention.
It could not wait and Thomas knew that it was important especially with the King's continued disillusionment with the Catholic Church, the movement was slow to start but building quickly.
Henry admired his wife and children for a moment more, his line was secure for now and he had no doubts that Anne would give him many more healthy sons.
Turning from the sight of his family, he nodded to Thomas Cromwell before following the man from the banquet to discuss matters of state.