The Seventh Queen (On Hold: Revising)

Anna's words.

An event-nay a spectacle- devised by the great king had been witnessed by most of London's inhabitants. The banishing of Lady Maraush Wallace had caused such an enjoyment that even Thomas, Anine's carriage man, came to watch without the fear of being punished by their queen.

Anine stood up in her bedchambers looking from her window, watching the event unfold. The crowd of beggars, peasants, and highborn had grown larger in the past hour. Her mother howled in rage as the group of soldiers raided her apartment and threw her things into the wet courtyard.

When the king had announced Lady Wallace's banishment on anonymous reasons given that he was the king and could banish if he pleased, Anine's aunt had refused to go without knowing why she was not welcome at court anymore. It had been quite the scene in Henry's meeting room. She demanded the reasons for her exile but Henry scoffed and left her alone to be escorted from the castle.

Anna appeared at Anine's side flushed and breathless. All Anine could do was smile. Had Anna run along the castle trying to get any information she could about what was going on with the unseelie queen.

"You had something to do with this didn't you?" Anna asked taking a breath between each word.

"No," Anine said with a smile. "I let the king know that my mother was a supporter of Katherine and that  she would try anything to sabotage any of Anne's pregnancies. This- she gestured towards the thickening crowd- Is her doing,"

"What exactly did you say to Henry?"

"The only things that mattered to him." said Anine. "It seems the king still has some stored passion towards me,"

"Indeed," Anna said. "You did not give into his passions?"

"I wanted to," she said flushing at her admittance. It had been a long time since Anine had wanted to indulge in such things with anyone. 

"He will wait to have you," Anna said just as the crowd below began to stir. Some hurled profanities at the Lady Wallace as others told her they would pray for her safe return to the Welsh outlands.

All of which had only upset Maraush more. When one would say they would pray for her, a rosary would go up in flames, while the ones who flung curses began to cough up blood. If she continued Maraush would expose them for what they were.  Then her menacing eyes found Anine in her bedroom window, sliding a cat-like smile across her slender lips. She mouthed a warning, turned and climbed into her carriage before anyone could cough up another profanity.

Anna held her thoughts until Anine turned towards the door. "This does not change the course of events Anine,"

"But I have removed the threat to Anne's pregnancies," she was stunned by her friend's bluntness.

"There are and will always be events that are unchangeable." added Anna watching the crowd disperse from the lower courtyard.

She knew Anna disapproved of how she had gone to getting Maraush evicted from the castle. It wasn't hard to read the way Anna held her arms, under her breasts, rigid and painfully calm.

"I know you wish me to ask for your council before I do anything that goes against Maraush,"  Anine said "But if I am ever to be queen I must know how to make my own choices,"

"Yes, Your majesty," Anna said sourly.

"You must never fear to be able to talk to me freely Anna," she touched Anna's shoulder. "I will never take that for granted."

"I have been around almost as long as the Lady of the Lake and have seen many things happen that were prophesied long before the immortals were thought of, but you are headstrong and always hated hearing history, but you must know that I knew of this before you and your sister were conceived."

"I knew that you knew my history, and others, as well as or better then the fates do, but you do not change things. Why is that?"

Anna smiled softly and turned from the window. "You must know that you can never change the events of things that were long ago written. I tried once..." She trailed off.

"What happened?"

"I lost a queen and a sister in one day," she turned on Anine and pulled her into a hug. "Nothing you need to worry about my princess. Its soon you should get ready and go see to the courtly duties around here."

And that was the last Anine would hear of something close to Anna's past, at least that night.

(C) Kelcey Winn