Anna

Henry and I eye f*ck the whole time the royal court went on.
I guess he looked better in the light today.
I saw the change in him gradually.He had filled out. Worries of the kingdom and frequent poisonings seemed to escape him.
Thé vitriol against him seemed to have diminished; It was almost obsolete.

Henry

I smirked as Anna looked up at me again, pressing her fan open and waving it pridefully.
My thorn looked delightful today. The shade of royal blue she was wearing made her look like a queen.
My queen.

"Sire?" Cromwell whispers as a speaker of the house gave a speech. He was groaning on about sanctions for the kingdom or something.  "What Cromwell"

"We'll... Jane was is not court."

"And?" I shrug not caring for her absence.

"Today is the vote for England. We need the queen to vote as a bipartisan."
The speaker breaks and a quick recess was taken.
I watch Anna as she stands from her chair and departs. Even the way she walked had me under a spell.
"You can always call on another lady of high standing."I look around pretending to find an even nobler suitor but knew my choice from the start.

"Call her" I point to Anna.

Cromwell frowns following the direction of my finger. "No sire. She's—-"

"Is that backtalk I hear Cromwell?"

"No...no sire" He mutters but nods and quickens his pace to catch her. I watch them as he whispers something to her. She smiles and looks over at me; a painted smirk rested upon her lips.

Anna

I take my seat next to Henry as the vote for the sanctions. He refused to look at me, paying attention to the speaker of the house as they called on him for process.

"Does the king grant his power to continue?"

"I do" he says, focused on the task at hand.
He continued shifting through a few papers. He was so studious it was sickening.

Why did he call me up here if he was going to ignore me!
No. I refuse it.

"The king and lady Anna May approach the bench"

It was a wide wooden podium that would hide the indiscretions.

I take my fan and slap it open making a rather intrusive sound.  He ignores me still, too engrossed in his sanctions.

"As suggested by the speaker—" he continued his speech.
Covering my palm with my fan, I take off my glove and push it above his thigh. Everything was hidden behind the podium. No one could see us.,
His head shifted only slightly as he felt my palm.
Soon, they were in his pants.

What a naughty girl I was.

The amount of skill needed for executing my plan even filled me with surprise.

Henry coughed impatiently, desperate to mask his moans as he continued his fight for sanctions.
He tried not to let his emotions fill his face. I look up at  him as if nothing was happening. As if I was diligently hanging in his every word.
I could feel it pulsing with excitement. He would explode.

He leaned a bit forward, his face turning red as I  worked with rhythm. I was surprised he was still determined to finish his speech to the court.

Just as he was about to burst I felt fake remorse for putting him through this and tucked it right back.

He didn't deserve to enjoy my skill.

"FUC*K" he slammed his fist against the podium, shaking the benches and chairs in the row. The people look startled at his unexpected outburst.

Fake concern fills my features as I snap my head towards his. "Are you alright my king?" I stand up and touch his palm. "Your face is flushed?"

He glared at me, knowing I was the very cause for his outburst.

"Yes. I'm fine Lady Anna." I sat down again and smile as I push on my glove.

He left the podium and sat down beside me.
Court continues despite his own outburst.

"Court is dismissed" he mumbles, loud enough to overtake the speaker.

"I think the king wants a recess" he smiles, quickly finishing his speech.

"Court is dismissed!" He shouts, this time making everyone stand.  "Get out!"

"But my king" Cromwell walks to speak to him.

"Get out you RAT! EVERYONE!"

I stare straight as the people pile out one by one.
I stand to go but Henry yanks my wrist making me stay seated.

"Where the fu*ck do you think you're going?" He fumed, still waiting for the people to pile out the
court.

"You seem tired my king. I just want you to be well rested" I pretended to show concern, standing up again. This time he snatched my arm and pushes me in his lap, making me straddle him.

"Don't worry about me Anna" He looked into my eyes, pushing a thumb to my eyebrow.
It happened so quickly after that.
My  blue dress was down to my ankles by the time the sun set.

——-

Henry

A few weeks later

"Spain is impatient my king. Your approval rating has been steadily increasing but some discourse has come along from other nations."Cromwell informs me. I was in my throne room for another day of service.

"What does Spain want?" I asked impatiently.

"You said the funeral argements for the pope would be done swiftly and respectfully"

"I thought I was being swift."

"Sire..it's been 10 months."

"Only 10?" I smirk. I didn't care for the pope nor did I care to give him a proper burial. That annoying imp didn't deserve it.

"The body is deteriorating the more we wait. Spain demands the body"

"No" I whisper, halting that plan. If I returned the body in the state that it had been in my kingdom, there would be a war.The people in Spain were callously loyal to their religious icons for reasons unbeknownst to me.

"Fine. Arrange for the funeral. But do spare on the expenses"

Cromwell bowed and left my throne room, eager to start the arrangements.

———

Next day
Henry

I walk to the royal court in haste. Cromwell insisted I come early to finalize which coffin looked best. I instructed him to stop calling me for insignificant matters such as this but he refused.

As I come in, I hear the soft moans of  a woman. They sounded like ...Anna?

What's this?
I peak from behind the door and see her and Thayne  intertwined in a compromising embrace?
So this is where he was hiding? Under my thorn?
And she thought she was so clever? Showing me unparalleled devotion and care.
So she wanted to have her cake and eat it too?

"Sorry my king, but I knew you must see with your own eyes" Cromwell comes behind me, smiling as we watched the scene unfold.

"They didn't even have the decency to finish this in private.
Look how they mock you sire!
Look how they laugh at your innocence.
How they jeer at your convenience"

I couldn't tear my eyes away as I watched Anna intertwined in my brother's arms.
Her brown eyes...they were glossed, not with lust, but love.
Every stroke he initiated, she let him lead, submitting herself to his warm embrace.
She was showing him that he was the leader and she was his submissive servant.
It was more than an escapade. More than a petty f*ck.

It was a dance of love and it made me seethe.

"Anne went behind your back and died for her infidelity. I suggest you do the same with Lady Anna sire" I could hear Cromwell frothing with excitement as he suggested the outcome.

And from that day, I chose to close my heart to her.
She would not make a mockery of me.