Anne Cromwell

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Anne was relieved that he was so understanding of her not telling him right away. A small part of her still felt guilty, as if she didn't deserve him to be so understanding. "Yes, we are both well. And I saw to it that the physician does not share that information with anyone else, but I cannot keep it hidden for much longer before my condition becomes obvious."

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caelanmaddox‌:

“And… you’re certain that this is my child?” he asked, it was a blunt question.. but one that he thought had to be asked. Surprisingly, what she had said about him being under no obligation sparked an anger in him, he shook his head fervently and after taking a couple of breaths began to speak again, “No. If it is my child then I am prepared to handle the consequences. It would be dishonourable to leave you with a child in this way and I wouldn’t want my child to be raised a bastard. How long have you known? Have you seen a physician?” 

Anne nodded. “If I were not certain, I would not have come to you if I were not certain.” She let out the breath she didn’t realize that she had been holding when he spoke. She wouldn’t be alone. “I found out not long after the lockdown. I saw a physician, I thought I was ill, he was the one who told me. I wanted to tell you, but at first I just was unsure how. Then all of a sudden it was the joust and I feared if I told you then you would have been distracted and feared that distraction may have caused you harm. I never intended to keep this secret from you for so long.”

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She nodded, her false confidence and determination melting away, her fear and uncertainty evident on her face. At that moment, she was almost certain that her worst fears had come true and he would leave her alone with their child. She blinked back the tears that stung her eyes, refusing to let herself cry. She took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. "Yes, I did. And like I said you are under no obligation. I have not deluded myself as to what our relationship has been. I am prepared for what is to come, no matter what shame it may bring to me."

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"My night has been more than enjoyable, I danced with several gentlemen and I am sure I will dance with more as the night goes on," Anne began, a smile on her face, "but tell me more about this man whose company you are enjoying. I must determine whether or not he is good enough for my sister." Although the last part of her sentence was more in jest than serious, she wanted to hear all about the man her sister was interested in. Too often, the conversation was the other way around and Anne was enjoying their roles being opposite.

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"My dance partners can wait long enough for me to take a break. I fear if I keep dancing I may collapse from exhaustion at the end of the night." Her expression was serious, but her tone was filled with mirth. "And idle conversation seems more than appropriate for the night. With the masks you have less fear of the consequences of offending another, it makes people more bold and the conversations more interesting."

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"Yes, back to real life," Anne said with a sigh. Real life wasn't all bad, but Anne would much rather stay in the fantasy of the evening. "Thank you, yours is lovely as well. The color suits you." She flashed a smile at the woman. "As far as the gentlemen, I suppose you must be right, this is the longest I have been without a partner to dance with all evening. No, I suppose you are right, the festivities may very well last until the early hours of tomorrow morning. If it is over for you, I do hope you have enjoyed the evening as much as I have."

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Anne found herself looking once more at the tents that lay just beyond the lists, before looking back at the blonde, hoping she was not coming across as rude. "I am grateful for that, I do not believe I would enjoy such a gruesome sport." She paused for a moment before answering her companions question. "I enjoy card and dice games, although I do not partake in them very often, they are interesting to watch."

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caelanmaddox‌:

Since the jousting matches, Caelan had figured that he’d done more than his part as a public figure at English Court to appease his King, and so he didn’t partake in most of the other events connected to the festivities. He’d thrown himself into his work again, spending most of his time with his men, going over strategies and training them for hours beginning at dawn. This day would mark his first day of giving his troops some time to rest, and he was actually glad to rejoin court for a while, indulging in some ale brought over by one of the roving servants who seemed too afraid to say no to the Captain of the guard, which amused Caelan to no end. As he sipped on his drink, he began talking with one of the french ladies at court, smiling at the woman passively as she clearly attempted to flirt with him to no avail. When he heard Anne’s familiar voice, he turned and bowed his head, placing his goblet down on a window sill before following her. He did so wordlessly but once she stopped and faced him once again he looked at her with a raised brow, wondering what she could possibly  have to say. “Can I be of any assistance to you, Lady Cromwell?” he asked, clearing his throat as he waited for some other courtiers to pass through, leaving them with complete privacy. “Anne.. what is it?” 

She gave a sour look over her shoulder at the woman as she walked away with Caelan following her. She left him to a part of the hallway she thought would be abandoned at this time of day, but there were several other courtiers there and she waited for them to walk away before speaking. She waited an extra moment for them to get far enough away before she spoke. "Before I say anything, I want you to know that you are under no obligation to do anything if you do not wish to. I am prepared to do what I must if the need be." She looked down at her hands and took a breath before looking him in the eyes. "I am pregnant and you are the father."

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caelanmaddox‌:

“I don’t see how anyone in their right mind could forget about you, Anne.” he said honestly - not trying to be sweet or anything like that, simply being honest with someone that he felt deserved honesty from him. He chuckled at her next bequest of him, shaking his head, “No jouster can promise that, I’m afraid. But worry not, because I happen to think I could do quite well in the tournament. And nothing has killed me this far..” he said, trying to be reassuring but suspecting that it wasn’t working. He saw concern in her eyes and could tell that she was not teasing or joking around like she probably would, had jousting not been infamous for causing injury.  “I’ll be fine, my lady. But your concern is humbling.” 

She blushed at his honesty. He was always honest with her and it made her feel even guiltier about her dishonesty. "Then be as careful as you can be. I will be in the stands watching and praying for your safety." She paused for a moment, listening to make sure nobody would enter the tent before she kissed his forehead.

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Anne had not seen Caelan since just before the joust. She had expected him to approach her at the masquerade, but he hadn't and then several days had passed since the masquerade and she still hadn't heard from him. His silence had filled her with worries and doubts, especially with the news she was going to deliver. Tired of waiting for him to come to her, she had set out to find him. When she finally spotted him, he was speaking with a woman she did not recognize. Jealousy flared up inside her, making her feel bolder than she had during her search. "Caelan," she said, her voice unreadable. "I need to speak with you in private."

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georgetteofvalcis‌:

                              As Georgette swept up to the peripheral of the ballroom, a gilt chalice of wine in hand, she found that her calves began to ache – the hours of dancing she’d partaken in, coupled with a continuous stream of spirits weaving in her bloodstream, had begun to weigh on her person and she thought it entirely necessary to refuse Lord Cuthbert her next dance and relish in a moment of dire respite. She rose a brow to the woman next to her – Cremuel’s daughter.  ❛ Yes, what a pity we cannot enjoy such marvelous costumes and joyous company forevermore. I fear we will soon return to the drudgery of court once the magic dissipates. Pray tell, madam, what is the inspiration behind your attire ? ❜

"The day to day of court has upsides, but I wish I could wear this dress more than just tonight." She smiled, glad to talk about herself. "I was inspired by the tales of Camelot and Queen Guinevere, they are one of the few tales that managed to hold my attention as a child. They still hold a fond place in my memories."

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earlofcrawford‌:

david smirked, it was not every day that he was able to tell a joke this terrible and it was still to be thought entertained. “ i am surprised ye enjoyed that. i choose this terrible pun on purpose. ” he did admit as she stood tall with a terrible after taste of the joke in his mouth. either she was easily impressed or naive, or both. who knew with such young ladies these days. the earl did notice the flirty voice and big eyes she had pinned him with. “ david lindsay, earl of crawford at yer service. ” david bowed before taking her hand and placing a soft kiss to them. 

"There is something even more amusing about a pun that is terrible. It takes a certain amount of confidence." She smiled as he kissed her hand, appreciating the attention that simply batting he eyelashes gave her. "Anne Cromwell, it is a pleasure to meet you."

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elizabethxseymour‌:

“Anne!” Elizabeth exclaimed, smiling at the sight of her husband’s older sister. The second Henry saw his aunt he tugged on his mother’s hand faster as if pulling her to Anne, and Elizabeth just laughed as she adjusted to make sure Edward was secure in her arms. “Of course, that is perfectly fine with me. As you can see, your nephews have been eager to see you as well.” she said, looking at Henry who had already let go of her hand and hugged his aunt. “No, you’re in luck. They’ve just woken up from their nap today so they’re in good spirits. I thought I would let their father continue on with his nap though, he’s been watching them alone for the past few days as I’ve only just joined them, and I’m sure poor Greg is exhausted.” 

Anne scooped Henry up as he hugged her, planting a kiss on his forehead. "I have missed the four of you, I must however say that I missed these little ones a tad more." As she spoke a teasing smile played across her features. "I can imagine he must be, I do not know how you do it all the time, after an hour or so with these two I am exhausted."

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lareine-eleanor‌:

Eleanor stopped, startled, as she saw the girl collapse over a nearby potted plant and void her stomach. She turned her head ever so slightly at the smell, her own stomach turning at the scent of it. “Are you sure?” she asked, glancing back at the young woman with concern. “Perhaps you should see a physician – that seemed rather…well, violent.”

Anne nodded, smiling in what she felt was a convincing manner. "I am quite sure, I am well now." The taste left behind was nearly enough to make her throw up again. "However I thank you for your concern."

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youngestcromwell‌:

“ it is, isn’t it? grace spoke as she approached the woman near her only to realize who it was. the younger one of the two had barely seen her sister as of late and she had so much to tell her and most importantly ask her some questions. ” you look lovely, anne. “ grace, even though she was about three years younger only always looked up to her sister. she did everything with such ease, the most complex things where grace simply failed to do so. and grace herself did look much more different than usual. her dress did shine no matter where she stood, the fabric had some lite golden elements woven into it, the colourful flowers and ruffles and giant bow near her decolté was a complete opposite of the pastel colours she wore usually. ” i wish i could dance the whole night away, i do not want to stop. “

"Thank you, Grace. You look lovely as well. If you had not spoken, I do not think I would have recognized you." Anne looked her younger sister over, admiring the dress that was so different from the younger girls usual garb, it was a dress that Anne herself would want to wear. Even Grace seemed to have a shine to her that was not normally there. "You seem happy, or at least happier than usual." She flashed a teasing smile at her sister. "I did not think you enjoyed dancing. Has a boy caught your eye, perchance?" Although her tone was light, her question and interest in the answer was genuine. Despite their closeness in age, Anne had always felt fiercely overprotective of her younger sister. She may not have always been the best at showing it, but it was true nonetheless.

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Anne had enjoyed the past week of festivities well enough, but the masquerade was her favorite. She always had a flair for the dramatic, and her dress suited that perfectly. And though the silver mask didn't do much to hide her identity, she didn't care. It was her last chance to be the Anne Cromwell she had always been before she shifted into someone else entirely

She had spent the evening flirting and dancing with every man that had given her the time of day. She had taken a break momentarily, draped against the wall a glass of wine in her hand. She had tired quicker than she thought she would, but she would not let that stop her from having her fun. She straightened herself up before speaking. "Tonight has been so much fun, it is a shame it must all come to an end."

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Anne Masquerade Costume | Guinevere