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1532, TWO YEARS SINCE the death of the hated Cardinal Wolsey, and Anne had resigned herself to comply with the King’s plans. Not that she had a choice; he had broken with Rome, despite the threatened excommunication, he had set himself as the head of the church in England and could grant his own divorce.
That could only be a good thing, in Anne’s mind. It was the first step toward the growth of the new religion in England, to rid themselves of Rome and the Pope and remove the parts of Catholic dogma that were corrupt.
There was nothing that would stop this King. Anne only wondered why it had taken her all these years to realise it. She made a huge mistake in thinking she could do what no one else had done, defy the King, change his mind once it was made up.
This year should be the one when he would finally have his way. It had to be, as Anne could stand no more. No matter how much she told him she was not worth all this upheaval to the people of England, no matter how much she assured him that she would never love him as a man, only as a King, he simply refused to believe her.
He wanted her and nothing and nobody was going to stand in the way of something he wanted.
Her reputation grew worse with every passing year. Her own uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, blamed her, accused her of wanting to be Queen. She had told him many times it was not her, but he, like Henry, refused to believe her. He was firmly on the side of Queen Katherine and the Catholic religion, although he was too much of a coward to admit it.
She had heard that Harry Percy and his wife had parted for good and, more worryingly, she had heard that he suffered ill health. It seemed he was often shaky and weak. She wished there was something she could do for him, but there was nothing.
Now she was the number one woman at court. The King treated her as he would his Queen, better than he had in fact treated his Queen during the latter years of their marriage. People approached Anne with requests for favours from the King and while she tried to ignore them, it was never easy.
Her father came to her after the yuletide celebrations. She knew he had been watching her carefully and she thought it likely he was anxious for her to take her place as Queen, but she was surprised when he dismissed the servants and sat beside her, took her hand in an affectionate gesture she had rarely known from him.
“Anne, my dear,” he began. “I have hoped all this time that this thing with the King would peter out, but it seems it only grows more intense. Rumours abound, but I need to know the truth, for my own peace of mind and for your safety.”
“My safety?” said Anne. “Since when has my safety been a factor?”
“It has always been a factor.”
“The King still clings to the idea of making me his Queen,” she said. “I cannot dissuade him.”
“Anne, it would not be good for you,” said Sir Thomas. “Is there a way to avoid such a thing?”
She laughed.
“If there were, do you not think I would have found such a way? I have no wish to be Queen. I have no wish to be married to the King.”
“I am thinking your contract with Harry Percy might be used.”
“Now?” she said, her voice rising. “After all this time? If I told the King there had been a pre-contract, he would likely charge us both with treason.”
“Surely not. He is besotted with you.”
She turned her dark eyes on him in a stare that made him move away.
“He is not besotted with Harry,” she said.
Sir Thomas frowned thoughtfully.
“Then perhaps...” he began, then stopped abruptly.
“Perhaps what?”
“Perhaps if you give him what he wants, what he has waited for all these years, his ardour might fade.”
“He is right, Anne,” said a new voice.
Anne got to her feet and hurried to meet her brother, her hands outstretched to take his.
“George,” she said. “How lovely to see you. I have missed your counsel.”
“Then take it now. Listen to our father; give King Henry what he wants and you might yet be allowed to leave him.”
She held his hand and led him to sit beside her. Here she was, her beautiful clothes testament to the King’s love and affection, her beautiful apartments the same, her father on one side and her dear brother on the other.
She had suspected her father of manipulating everything to forward a marriage to Henry, but it seemed she was wrong.
“I have considered such a plan myself,” she said. “I am just so distressed that I shall be refused the basic right to go to my marriage untouched. That is all I wanted.”
“And the King thinks that means you want to be married to him,” said George.
“And that is what I do not want,” she said. She looked from one man to the other and her mouth turned down. “I cannot bear the idea of sharing my bed with him. I feel no desire for him. He is not attractive to me, not in the least, and, as a man, I do not like him.”
“Oh, my darling,” said George. “If this be the case, you are indeed trapped.”
***
THAT YEAR, HENRY DECIDED that Anne needed a title. A King could not marry a woman with no title, and no woman had ever been given a title in her own right. Some were born with the title of ‘Lady’, daughters of earls, marquesses and dukes, but no woman had ever been awarded a title in her own right. A countess was the wife of an earl, a marchioness the wife of a marquess and a duchess the wife of a duke.
It was a difficult question but Henry, as always, found a way. He would give Anne the title of Marquess of Pembroke. It was a man’s title, to be sure, but he could find no evidence that a woman could not wear a male title and it was a title that was in his gift.
He felt better when he had the Letters Patent in his hand. All that was now stopping him from marrying the love of his life was this question of the validity of his marriage to Katherine, a question that still hovered over them like a black cloud.
Anne had tried to talk him out of it. She had tried to assure him that it was not right, that he should not change the law of the land and the church but Henry knew it was her gentle nature which made her talk that way. She even felt sympathy for Katherine and Mary; that told him she was a most compassionate and wonderful woman, the only woman for him.
Anne was going to make a great Queen, a far better Queen than any that had gone before her. God was telling him so.
This night he had announced Anne’s new title and seen her wear the gorgeous cloth and wonderful colours that were not permitted to her before. As soon as they were married, she would wear purple and ermine and she would give him sons; he was sure of it.
Anne could not help but be happy with her illustrious title. Her father was Earl of Wiltshire, her brother Viscount Rochford but her new title put her above even them. She could hardly be sorry for that.
She sat beside the King at the end of the dance and glanced surreptitiously at him. He was a fine figure of a man, despite his age and his increased weight, and his clothes were glorious. Where once she had found his looks unattractive, those looks were gradually becoming more appealing. Perhaps it was the familiarity, the closeness he had initiated. Whatever it was, she could still summon no desire for him.
She had never felt that little tingle, that throbbing deep inside for any man except for Harry Percy. Certainly the King had never ignited such feelings in her.
She had thought a lot about her father’s words, about her brother’s, and she knew she must give in to Henry. It was the only way to perhaps make him realise he did not really love her.
Other women had loved him, had shared his bed, but they were all too afraid to refuse him. Yet Katherine had loved him; for twenty years she had loved him, genuinely and dearly, but he was young when first she knew him.
He was not so bad; she could certainly think of worse men to couple with. He had done so much to have his way, he had broken with Rome, formed his own church, turned on some of his oldest friends but Anne did not believe he had done all those things out of love for her. He had done it because he could not bear not to have his own way in all things.
And what else might he do to have his way? He had even turned on Wolsey, would have had him executed if he had not died on his way to London to face trial.
Anne was convinced that if she gave in to him, she would be cast aside, possibly carrying his child, just like her sister. She would go along with Henry; it was the only way to have some semblance of a life.
She had to forget Harry Percy, had to forget that his misfortunes were Henry’s doing and hope that giving in to him would be the end of his obsession and free her once and for all.
***
MARY PERCY WAS SEEING her father’s lawyer this morning and when he arrived, she sat with him in the small sitting room beside her bedchamber and put her case.
“I want an annulment,” she said.
“My Lady,” said the man. “I can understand your feelings, but do you have grounds? It is a pity that the disrespect you have suffered is not a valid reason, but that is the law. Once married, you are married for life. Those God has joined together...”
“Stop,” Mary said, holding up her hand. “I have grounds. My husband had made a previous contract of marriage with Mistress Anne Boleyn. He was not free to marry me.”
The lawyer drew a sharp breath.
“If that were true,” he said, “it would also mean that she is not free to marry the King and everyone knows that is why he is intent on divorcing the Queen. Can you imagine his anger, should he learn of this previous contract? He might even find some charge of treason to bring against Lord Percy, just to have him out of the way.”
“I know that,” she said coldly. “But whether or not it pleases the King, it is the truth. We are not lawfully married and I want an annulment on those grounds.”
“But Lord Percy’s life would be in jeopardy.”
“I suppose so,” she said. “I hope you do not expect me to care what happens to him. Begin proceedings, please.”
“Do you know who stood as witness to this contract? It would help.”
Mary’s mouth twisted thoughtfully.
“No, I do not. It was some snot nosed little sycophant who overheard them. Wolsey would have known his name, but tis too late to ask him. Begin proceedings and we will see where they lead.”
When he had gone, Mary’s heart skipped a beat. He was right that it was a dangerous thing to do, to accuse Anne Boleyn, the King’s obsession, but she had every right to bring this action if she chose. She had not seen Harry since the birth of her child, when they agreed never to see each other again. They had no marriage, so why should she not obtain her freedom? Anne Boleyn; Mistress Anne Boleyn – the woman was not even of the nobility, not really. The King’s recent award of Marquess of Pembroke meant nothing.
Harry Percy was just recovering from one of his many illness when he received the petition for an annulment from Mary, citing his pre-contract with Anne Boleyn.
This was the first day he had been out of bed for a week and he was feeling weak and not inclined to deal with something so grave.
Why Mary had waited all these years to take this step, he could not imagine. Perhaps she had never thought of it before, perhaps she had harboured a hope that their marriage could be salvaged and now realised it was a lost cause. She must know this was not a wise step.
He perused the document carefully, noting that she had no evidence but her word. It was no secret that he and Anne betrothed themselves, but one could hardly call it a contract of marriage, not without witnesses.
He wished it could. There was nothing he would like better than for it to be proven he had contracted a marriage with Anne; that would mean his freedom and hers and they might even be able to rekindle what they once had and be together. But, no; the King would never allow them to be happy.
He smiled, a little remorseful smile as these thoughts raced through his head. He had heard nothing from Anne since that last letter, telling him it would be too dangerous to keep in contact. It was possible she did actually love the King by now; he had certainly done everything within his power to persuade her, scandalising Christendom by trying to divorce his wife, elevating the Boleyn family with honours and titles. Who knew what else he had planned? Harry thought Anne would resist even all that, but he could be wrong.
He could not allow Mary to endanger Anne. If it were proved there was a pre-contract, after everything that King Henry had done, and she had never told the King of it, she would be condemned in his eyes. And it was no secret what became of those who fell from favour.
He had to stop Mary, at all costs, even if it meant taking her back and trying to rebuild a marriage that was never much of a marriage to begin with.
***
THE KING CAME TO ANNE’S chamber as soon as he received word of the Countess of Northumberland’s petition. He was angry, that was apparent, angry enough to charge all three of them, Harry, Mary and Anne, with treason.
He waved a heavy piece of parchment in her face, his voice rising with every word.
“What is this?” he demanded. “Who is this woman to accuse you? Or, are you going to tell me you have been lying to me all this time, that you are not free to marry me?”
As you are not free to marry me.
She caught his hand and kissed it. Appeasement was what was needed now. He was about to set up his own church, with himself as the head; she wanted nothing to interfere with that. To be rid of the Pope was worth any sacrifice.
“Let me order an enquiry, Your Grace,” she said. “You know it is true that I was betrothed to Lord Percy, but there was no pre-contract, no witnesses to our tryst. I swear it.”
He studied her carefully for a little while, then a smile forced its way onto his mouth.
“Very well,” he said. “We will quash this before it ruins our plans.”
Our plans.
“We will.”
“I will tell Lady Northumberland myself that she should withdraw her petition and quickly. I am to have a new queen, before the year is out. Cranmer will get me my divorce, I know he will.”
When he left, she sat down to write to both Lord and Lady Northumberland, asking them to provide proof of the allegation in the form of the names of witnesses to the so-called pre-contract. It was but a week later that Mary Percy withdrew her petition.
***
IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE what Anne said, how much she protested, she was the manipulative woman who had slighted Queen Katherine and enchanted their King. And since everyone saw her as that, and there was no way out, she decided she might as well go along with it.
All she could do now was work alongside him to complete the break with Rome and hope to give him a son. If she must marry him, she would do so, but what would become of her if, like Katherine, she failed to provide an heir?
It was not only his mighty ego which demanded a male heir, it was the newborn Tudor dynasty that desperately needed one. Anne would do all she could to make this year the one that provided Henry with his divorce and a new queen.