Her Grace

34.

Chloe was settling back into court life well, she hadn't lived at court since she was quite young but she was acclimatising very well, she had still spend a lot of her time there until recent years had left her visiting a lot less regularly

She had only been at court for a few weeks but the whole place seemed to have found a new lease of life with her around

She'd walk into a room and everyone would seem much happier for it

She loved just wandering around the castle happily, even though there were now like ten different doctors plus Ryan and Harry telling her better of it

But she couldn't help herself, it was such a big place and she still hadn't seen it all, she just loved exploring the place, and the gardens, well she REALLY loved the gardens

The queen however found herself less and less content, Chloe was polite, but little more, she would sometimes make a remark that was a bit to far for Anne's taste and Chloe showed little respect for her as the queen, almost never bowing to her as supposedly she should

Chloe dined with the king more regularly than she herself did, Harry would visit her regularly throughout the days, in her mind, Chloe was being treated as though she herself was the queen which Anne would not have

Everyone at court loved Chloe and Anne could not see why, all she saw was a spoilt and ignorant child who flounced around the castle like an idiot and yet somehow everyone adored her and no matter what Anne herself did, she could never truly win over the people, especially not like Chloe had

Everyone wanted to see Chloe, she had gotten so many gifts in the few weeks she'd been back, her dresses were all new and very expensive, she had the finest jewellery in the whole kingdom and all she had to do was click her fingers and somehow anything she could possibly want was suddenly given to her

It drove Anne mad

She was sure this was Harry's way of punishing her for the miscarriage, it wasn't her fault, she could swear to it she'd done nothing to cause it, but Harry didn't seem to believe her, he hadn't shared a bed with her for a single nights since and it hurt

But she was a girl on a mission, the only unfortunate thing was that she didn't realise just how much like herself the girl she was up against was

She had finally had enough one day when she decided to go talk to Chloe about the respect she was lacking, having had enough of it, she walked into the princess' rooms and immediately one of Chloe's servants announced her, father shocked as the queen had just walked straight past him and straight into Chloe's rooms, completely against royal protocol

Immediately Chloe's ladies curtsied to the queen but she did not, she stared at Anne's ladies who had followed her in with her eyebrows raised

"Your grace" they greeted her as they all curtsied rather nervously, seeing the look in the princess' eyes and knowing their own mistress well

"Your highness" Chloe spoke dryly and Anne raised her own eyebrows at Chloe, her stare just as harsh but not worrying Chloe even a little bit

"It's your majesty, I understand you haven't been at court in quite a long time but the correct way to address the QUEEN is your MAJESTY" Anne spoke very commandingly but Chloe didn't really care

"I wasn't speaking to you, your majesty, I was correcting your ladies, the correct way to address the PRINCESS, is your HIGHNESS, not your grace" she replied, her tone matching Anne's

"Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but since you are married to the duke of Suffolk, you are a duchess are you not? And that is grace not highness" Anne thought she could outplay Chloe but this girl had spent her life being given etiquette lessons, she was not going to lose this petty argument

"You are correct, I am a duchess as well, but by that logic, would we not be then have to correct what we address you as, you are also a marquess are you not? And regardless, I never used to have to call the queen anything so formal, as a child it was lady mother and ever since Catherine and I had disregarded such formal terms, now you came here for a reason so I'd suggest you hurry because I'm due to go for a walk with my brother shortly and I don't think he'd be pleased with whoever made me late" Chloe replied very sharply, not caring for Anne at all, she wasn't interested in having to listen to whatever she had to say

"Well, it's very much linked in fact, you've been at court for a few weeks now and you have yet to show any of the respect that I, as queen, am due from all my subjects, including you" Anne told her rather plainly, getting to the point as Chloe had insisted

"Forgive me, your highness, but I am HARRY's subject, not YOURS, and also, you have yet to show me any respect I am entitled to as the princess of the country you are lucky enough to sit upon the throne of, and it's in my own right I deserve such respect, not because of my husband" Chloe quickly replied, she wasn't going to indulge this power hungry and vindictive whore if it killed her

"Hold your tongue! You might want to be careful what you say to me! If I wanted to I could have you sent away in a heartbeat! I could have you banished from court if I chose!" Anne was getting very frustrated now but Chloe remained calm and did not relent

"I really wouldn't care if you, and anyway, I don't think you really do have the power to do that considering Harry quite literally begged me to come back to court, I think it in fact might just be YOU who should be careful what they say to ME, because at the moment, I have ALL the power in the world, and you have very little, I have the allegiance of everyone at court and almost every single person in this country, barely anyone came to your coronation did they not? I drew in a bigger crowd just to return to court, your grip on power is weakening and mine becomes stronger by the day" Chloe urged her to back down, knowing that every word or of her mouth was true and they both knew it

"How dare you!" Anne yelled in anger but Chloe just rolled her eyes

"Cut the theatrics, the country hates you, you're losing favour with the king more and more each day, I mean, all you're really useful to him for is giving him an heir and you've yet to do it? I'd be careful if I was you, Harry has always gotten bored of his little whores, never his own sister, and considering you worked so hard to ensure that my niece was removed from the line of succession, you had probably better pray you soon give my brother a son, otherwise he might just start looking elsewhere for a way to ensure the Tudor line continues to hold the throne upon his passing" Chloe snapped back, she was done with this conversation as far as she was concerned

"You jealous, conceited, arrogant, spoilt little brat!" Anne spat back, furious over the princess' words

"Get out of my chambers, right now, and don't you dare ever walk in without my permission again, I'll show you the respect you've decided you deserve when I see that you deserve it, and I highly doubt I'll ever see that day" Chloe spoke aggressively and then after one last glare she turned with a flip of the hair and glided past Anne, out of her chambers, telling her guards to make sure she left

Chloe was fuming, but she knew better than to throw a tantrum and have a headfit over it, she was much more careful, Anne would most likely cause her own downfall soon enough, Chloe need not have anything to do with it

Anne wouldn't dare speak a word against her, for fear of further falling out of favour with the king

Chloe was in complete control

———————————————————

Well they're definitely not getting along very well are they? Is Chloe really as secure as she thinks she is? Or is it still dangerous for her to speak in such a way to the queen? Could this all come back to haunt her? Could her confidence be her downfall? You'll soon find out Xoxo