MOST HAPPY.

ANNE BOLEYN. FORMER COUNTESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND. WIDOW OF HENRY PERCY.

[cfboleyn]

aliencr‌:

the queen has striven away from the big crowds of court to seek solace in a small prayer for her daugther maria which she has not seen in so long. the cool air of the church calming her nerves as she spoke quietly to god, may he bless her sweet child and may he watch out for her health. “ amen. — ” crossing herself she stood up from where she knelt, smiling and knowing that he will do just as she has asked him.

she did not know if she ever was a bad mother, but she knew she did her best with her and that is all that counts. turning to leave she noticed another woman, mildly embarrassed that she might have spoken to loud and had disdurbed the others prayer. “ i beg your pardon, your grace. — i did not mean to be so selfish and ruin another’s prayer. — i hope you may forgive me. “ the queen’s words were warm and gentle as usual as she spoke, hoping she had not selfishly taken the silence she was gifted in this church for granted and her own use only. 

@cfboleyn

    “ Majesty. ” As soon as Anne found the Queen’s gaze upon her she lowered herself into a graceful curtsy, even in the house of God a Queen was still a Queen regardless of personal alliances or beliefs. “ Your display of faith ruins nothing but it does inspire - devotions should never require forgiveness for that is when we are purest of heart. ” Anne spoke as a believer opposed to a Catholic or a Reformist; though her protestant beliefs aided her in the idea that one does not need a priest to feel God’s presence. She always found it so baffling that they were taught to believe that God was all seeing and all knowing and yet they could not converse with him in privacy? They could not read his word for themselves to further their devotions? That level of control was the true blasphemy, she believed, not the desire for religious freedom. 

“ Even in the face of so much disagreement, I find that this is the one place we may all find common ground and peace. It is the one constant in this world. Whether you are in England or France, God will always listen. I only hope that you will need not pray to find comfort here, that you are being shown the hospitality you deserve? ” 

[cfboleyn]

annedheilly‌:

@cfboleyn

Genuine friendships were a rare commodity in life at any court, no matter where one was. England or France - there were always going to be people who wanted something in exchange for their companionship, Anne had learned long ago. But she had at least found herself lucky in a close few, and she certainly numbered Anne Boleyn among them. The English lady had become part of the princess’s retinue before the return to France, but it hadn’t taken the Duchess long to envelope her in her circle. The Lady Anne was witty and intelligent - and wonderfully candid, in a way very few dared to be with her while still maintaining her favor. That in itself was a feat.

Of course the impulse to see the woman was only natural, and she extended the invitation at once when she was settled into the English court once again - familiar now that she had already made the trip. The Lady Anne’s arrival had the Duchess moving to her feet, never minding her condition as she came straight to greet her. “Madame, I was beginning to abandon hope of gaining your company again. It is so very wonderful to see you. You look very well indeed. Independence suits you.” She could not resist, reaching to cup one cheek in her hand, her own flushed with the warmth of the afternoon. “I trust all is very well with you?”

    When Anne had made the decision to make a brief return to France she had fully intended on reuniting with old companions and supporting the Princess before she would become a Queen, it was a mission of nostalgia if anything, so it came as a true surprise when she found that her presence at French court was enough to water and cause a friendship to blossom; a rare one at that. Firm and true friendships between Ladies were often formed in the early years in life, otherwise there was too much competition in their world to truly solidify a bond between two of similar standings, and yet there were often a rare few who managed to defy all of that and truly take a liking to each other that would lead to a friendship that would stand all tests court would throw at them. It was one such as the latter that happily blossomed between Anne Boleyn and the Duchess of Étampes.

With her time in France unfortunately only brief, the arrival of so many foreign courtiers at Hampton Court brought the possibility of a reunion into Anne’s palm along with a formal invitation to meet with the Duchess. Anne accepted, of course, with so much happening at court and she herself only just returning from Scotland she was not certain how long the Duchess had been present at court and so she went right away. Once she stepped before her, Anne offered a slight curtsy along with arms raised slightly open as if to jokingly announce herself and then stepped forward almost immediately to meet her dear friend half way. “ Duchesse, the pleasure is all mine I assure you, I had so hoped these festivities might bring you upon our shores once again. I am well, yes, very well... Though, independence surely does not look so well upon me as your condition does you, ” Anne reached for her hands which she then held out beside them, admiring the blossoming Duchess a moment with a smile of pure delight. “ Why, Your Grace, you are positively glowing. Come, you must sit and rest. I trust that you are well? How was your journey? By God, I fear we have so much to catch up on and so little time. ”

[cfboleyn]

bcyerisch‌:

          elisabeth was perplexed— and hated the feeling. she had become a strange paradox in the recent months. she had wealth, a title, lands and loyalty. security in both her past and her future, from noble ancestors to her three sons, healthy and strong. and yet…

         …and yet, there was the uncertainty of her present, an anxious, pressing feeling. she wished she could know what the almighty had in store for her, but as she knelt at a pew in hampton’s chapel, seeking answers, she found none. a low, faint snarl rumbled at the back of her throat, her frustration finding an escape hatch in the quiet stone room. “damn them. damn luther, damn calvin, damn zwingli, damn all those protestants straight to hell with no chance at purgatory,” she half-growled, half-whispered.

    “ I believe I have never heard such blasphemes being spoken on sacred ground. ” The former countess genglected towards the altar, eyes low with a tilt of her head but fixated upon the crucifix upon the wall, before rising once again to tread careful and quiet footsteps upon the marble ground to take a place of her own at a pew. “ I beseech you forgive my intrusion, alas you seem extremely distressed and I could not forgive myself if I were to pass by without offering aid. ” The dark gaze of Anne Boleyn remained focused upon the religious shrine throughout, nimble fingers moving to make the sign of the cross upon herself before hands joined together as though in prayer. “ Has someone here present upset, your Grace? A particular person of the protestant faith, I suppose? ”

[bluereevesphotography]

Sunset at Hever Castle

[cfboleyn]

blushofflowers‌:

          a strange sort of homesickness had set in, one out of place amongst the festivities. one that called not for portugal, but for punjab. despite all her small, stolen european traits, despite the distance in time and years between nalini and the house of her birth, she still remembered much— so very much. some parts she craved to see again. she remembered being very small, watching a temple dancer in all her finery dance at a festival she had long forgotten the name and time of. if she asked sneha, she would most likely remember.

          but for now, that lively temple dancer still danced in her memory. she was graceful, to be sure, but there was no chance that nalini could emulate her grace… 

          but there was no one around on her way back from the gardens just after sunrise, her arms full of wildflowers, her bounty nearly overwhelming. she slowed, then paused. she tapped her foot against the courtyard’s floor, just as the dancer had, and moved her head, just so, just as in her memory. soft, slow movements of dance brought to life nalini’s memory of that childhood afternoon, and the world around faded away as nalini closed her eyes and moved without a care in the world.

    Although she was someone who flourished in every day court, Anne adored when courtiers came from far and wide to mix among their English halls. The wine always tasted sweeter to impress the Florentines, the amount of gold decoration doubles to outshine the French, English accents polished to ignore the Scots and everything else was generally louder and more boisterous to welcome and intrigue those who came from far and wide. It was a courtiers dream.

Thankfully summer had chosen to bless the English isles quite on time that year and the early morning sun was already pleasing to the skin, as pale as it may be, beckoning Anne to rise early and make the most of the day ahead of her. A jaunt in the gardens before breakfast was quite a therapeutic idea, to enjoy the peace before the chaos of Hampton Court roused for the day, but she soon found that she was not quite as alone as anticipated and not without entertainment either. Hands joined to clap quietly, alerting the other woman to her presence but not so loud that it might frighten her, a smile of an impressed nature dancing upon rosy lips to curve towards the rounded apples of her cheeks. “ That was beautiful, I admit I have never seen a dance quite like it. ”

[cfboleyn]

TWO YEARS LATER | MISTRESS BOLEYN. LADY NORTHUMBERLAND.  LADY ANNE.

In the two years which have recently passed, Anne Boleyn hasn’t exactly reinvented herself but has reverted and flourished in doing so. Her period of mourning has come to an end, she no longer finds herself obliged to weigh herself down with blackened fabrics, and there has been a great deal of encouragement from the surviving relatives of Henry Percy and her own kin to marry; to which Anne has responded by making herself much too busy with courtly duties to even consider the thought. She has also opted to no longer be referred to as a widow or a dowager countess, her address of choice is the LADY Anne, out of respect for Percy’s family and also a grab at her minimal independence. In terms of how she has reverted, Anne appears in a youthful spirit once more and finds herself most at home in the heart of political talk or general conversation of intrigue; it is this which once opened the doors to foreign and native courts alike and it appears those same doors have opened to her once again. 

One thing most notable about the past couple of years of Anne’s life has been that it hasn’t entirely been spent upon English soil. With the news of the betrothal between King James of Scotland and the French Princess Georgette, Anne travelled North to Scotland where she was placed as one of the Ladies in the new Queen’s procession; a gesture that brought a great deal of overwhelming emotion to the older woman given how she had adored Georgette’s mother when she had been in her service. Another place she ventured to was France. Before the Wedding, Anne travelled to France where it felt almost as if she was more at home than she had ever been at Hever Castle. There she was reacquainted with women she had once served along side, men whom had once wished to court her and, most surprisingly, a very old friend. 

Another venture to Scotland came about with the invitations to the King of England’s wedding, where Anne wished to call upon Scotland’s new Queen to enquire unto her happiness and to update her on how the English court has changed since her last visit given how tense her visit is likely to be. As a Protestant Anne does not oppose the idea of a Protestant Queen, she rather welcomes it in fact. She is not so careless as to openly preach and risk being burnt for it, however she has high hopes that the union will bring about change or at least open the people of England’s eyes to the possibilities. Who knows? Maybe England shall have it’s own church one day.

[theclassicsreader]

We’ve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen.

D.H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley’s Lover (via theclassicsreader)

[cfboleyn]

monsieurwyatt‌:

 Her rejection of his name would have bred insolence in his veins, but the tepid nature of time had produced a far more reasonable Thomas Wyatt; a third apology would not be given, and thus he would do all within his power to not incur charges that would demand such. “I only married in vain hopes that I could indoctrinate myself against the poison of lost love, with the construction of a false idol; do not render her dead, whatever grievances you claim against the past. It is only the hope that she may live, which I predicate all action on.” Through the years where phantom met fantasy, the conjuring of Anne Boleyn eclipsed on the preferred figment of his imagination - their docile ending, a reunion of their persons from long ago. Time could not rob him of the person he had been for Anne. 

  Faithful? It could not be doubted, no matter the myriad of truthful sins against him. Over Anne’s face passed gleam after gleam of expression, the most frighting of which was a greeting to the past. “George shall always be Cheshire cat to our party, and Francis an unyielding conscious; what role am I to claim in your narrative, Anne? I am not glad to be a jilted remainder of your past, if I am not allowed to gleam pleasure from the knowledge I endure, even if as a villain.” She passed over the coldness of his cheek with the tips of her fingers, accompanying the action with an unconscious but tender smile, which converted the action into a caress. She loved the past; but her heart could not endure the peculiarity the present brought them. “I thought it by grand design, that I sought love in every lovely creature that crossed my path; my heart too bountiful in expression, that release was necessary by godly decree. That to tether myself to a single soul would be to deprive myself of my true nature, no matter the ramifications may be. But I have you here with me, Anne Boleyn - for perhaps this is the only title that may reflect the magnitude of your light - and I think it all mindless escape, if its conclusion is not to be with you. Time has failed to rid me of the desire to concoct a day where we may be together, in the simplest of terms; my poems will cease to be loved, as little amusement is found in purity of emotion.” He desired nothing greater then to violently deny any reality in which they inspired ugly emotions against each other; but the cynic who ruled his mind as violently as his heart, could not form the words to deny the boldness of truth Anne released against him. “Then let us be friends, Anne. Should the King be dead, or stolen away in his chambers, my days at court will be marked with bliss if you shall seek my company with pleasure. No court may be engulfed in joy without our merry band of thieves present. “

    “ I hold no such thoughts. Our paths may be set in stone, our present made so by the choices we have already made, but it would be a terrible falsehood to say that I do not dream often an alternate past in which things were different; in which we lived differently. Anne Wyatt lives there quite happily and I in envy of such simplicity. ” Theirs was a tragic tale, seemingly taking a turn for the better with gentle hearts and wise intentions to soften the blows of the past. There had not been a day in recent memory where Anne had not dwelled upon her actions, how things may have been different had she acted otherwise, and yet no amount of wondering or dwelling would return her to the past, to France, where anything could be changed. No, her only hope was to stare unapologetically forward, seeking a future which she could mold by her own hands - ideally with Thomas Wyatt present one way or another.

“ Can I not take pride in being the only woman to have dared to jilt Master Thomas Wyatt? ” For a moment an emotion-filled expression adopted a hint of amusement, granted to her only by the weight that felt as though it had been lifted from her chest at their first civil conversation in years. “ No - you are no such reminder - you are cupid himself. Each of my happiest days proudly bearing one of your arrows when my only desire has ever been to aid in the resting of your winds, to lay down your bow and allow you to feel loved in return instead of watching as you frantically scatter the days of others with passion and poetry. ” In the days of her youth, Anne dared to believe that the heartbreak she suffered at the hand of her beloved poet would never heal but, in comparison to the crushing hold of Henry Norris, Thomas’ claim over her heart had been much more gentle than her irrational thoughts could comprehend. The years of her marriage were filled with such anger and pain that she returned to France in her dreams for comfort, to seek solace in arms of real adoration, and now the personification of her safe place stood before her as clear as day. Standing beautifully real and firm as ever, regardless of their spines cracked like a well-read book’s. “ Loving friends. I share in your desire. if anything time has only furthered how my heart had longed for such a day, but, for now, we only have this. Whatever is to become of this court I stand certain that our band of merry men will hold strong, firm in their mischief and madness as they always have been, and as shall you and I. ” The hand which had been so bold as to caress the curve lining from his cheek to the sharpness of his jaw fell from it’s beloved post to seek a home against his forearm instead, feet stepping as if to silently suggest returning to the rest of the court almost as gracefully as if it were a dance. “ If we shall fall or burn then we shall do so together, but I would not see you starved of my company much longer. Wont you join me for supper? It has been some time, I understand if it is too much of a challenge for your poor soul to handle the woman I have become so we may invite George and Francis also; I would not wish to overwhelm you so soon, Tommy. Oh, won't you say yes? ”

[darlingdormer]

[lochiels]

[weloveperioddrama]

the tudors + women being friends with each other (requested by anonymous)

[cfboleyn]

risinghoward‌:

       The sombre mood at court was most uninspiring, and the young lady found herself in desperate need of entertainment or distraction. Catherine had been so excited to come to court, following her dismay from missing the king’s coronation. She had implored her grandmother to grant her attendance, but at the time she had not yet turned eighteen, and the dowager duchess was intent on keeping the impressionable maiden away from the frivolity and scandal of the English court. She had since celebrated her birthday and joined the alleged intrigue of court, only to be met with the worrisome whispers of a missing king. 

With her chin resting on the ball of her hand, she let out a great sigh and crumpled into the finely upholstered chair. Fingers rhythmically tapped against the wood, in time with the popular melody that was chorusing through her brain, when a flash of raven hair caught her gaze. At once the vivacious lady sprung from her chair to intercept the woman’s footsteps. Her heart leapt with excitement. 

“ Anne, ” Kitty breathed through her words, unconsciously brushing down the fabrics of her gown, preening herself in hopes of looking more suitable in the presence of her older, far more graceful and coveted cousin. “ You look well. Are you well? It has been too long since I have been in your company, Cousin Anne. I hope I seem more grown since the last time we spoke,” Kitty rambled, unable to pause with uncontained excitement. 

@cfboleyn

    The absence of the newly crowned King grew more alarming by the day, whilst the persistent whispers of the same tales became dull and sent the former Countess’ mind almost to sleep a she drifted about the court. Dark mourning gowns and somber atmosphere was not, however, enough to place a great weight upon the soul of Anne Boleyn as she insisted on remaining as her ever consistent self; exchanging smiles and niceties with courtiers in passing and introducing herself to new faces out of both intrigue and need for expansion. No one could possibly say which would come to a close first - the King’s absence or the ever dragging days of Lent - so one must make the effort to lift their own spirits of fall into the shadows with the sheep.

A sudden appearance in Anne’s path startled the older woman, her brow arching out of shock before her expression softened into a more pleasant sense of surprise. It had been quite some time since she had the pleasure of seeing Catherine and it indeed was always a pleasure; some Howards inspired much more delight than others and Kitty was one of those exceptions. “ Oh dear Kitty, you are positively a woman grown! I may have not recognised you, can you forgive me? ” With the warmth of a smile shaking away her surprise, Anne extended her hands as a desire for true reconciliation but also to cease Kitty’s fidgeting so that she might get a better look at her cousin. “ I am well, though always better having seen you, I trust you are quite the same? I wish I had known to expect your arrival, I would have arraigned a supper we might share... Nonetheless, wont you walk with me? I find these rooms to be suffocating from the mass of gossip and whimpering maidens and I would much prefer to hear all of what I have missed since we last met. ”

[risinghoward]

LIKE MOTHS DRAWN TO THE FLAME…AND BURNED ANNE BOLEYN + CATHERINE HOWARD

@cfboleyn

[tvcinemagifs]

Anne of a Thousand Days (1969) dir. Charles Jarrott

[cfboleyn]

henriofvalois‌:

     Her answer made sense, of course. She held the furs in her arms now, and he had no cause to be suspicious of his sister’s companion. She had been his mother’s companion, too, he reminded himself. He’d been but a babe and her a very young woman at the time, but if his mother entrusted her confidence to the Boleyn woman, who was he to question? “Ah, if my sister has not long since sat, then I am twice as certain I shall refrain.” He made sure to say it with all the seriousness he could muster, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world, but his smile broke through not even a full breath later. “Non, Mistress Boleyn, I would seek sustenance at another time. I find I’ve no appetite at this moment.” He moved, deciding to make himself comfortable now as he settled on one of the couches. 

     His shoulders rolled back as he stretched his legs, a crack of bone audible in the room. “You are correct in your presumption that most would attend supper this eventide, but you have yet to find your place either. Are you not with hunger?” He asked, brow raised as he moved his hand to gesture that she could sit with him should she wish to. 

        Giving how well versed she was in the etiquettes of court, how a lady should conduct herself and how one should behave, and yet she found herself standing guilty of breaking two rules she set strongly for herself; to never be found alone with a man and to keep sentimental emotions at bay. But this was no ordinary man and the emotions which threatened to overwhelm were not silly or fleeting for he had been a mere babe when she had last laid eyes upon him, Anne had comforted his mother as he came into the world with a great set of lungs. The child she had once known for what felt to be a fleeting length of time now stood before her as a man, the Dauphin of France at that, and yet she couldn’t help but see his mother before she saw the looming crown.

“ No, your highness, I find hunger evades me. ” A gentle nod of thanks was given as Anne took the kind offer and opted to sit in a seat opposite the Prince, resting the furs she came to retrieve in her lap. A look of calm captured her exterior but sentimentality captured her heart in an iron grasp, shrinking the former Countess until she felt as though she were a young lady in waiting once and she let out an almost bashful laugh. “ You are gracious, forgive me, it may be the candlelight but you have quite a look of your mother. La Princesse Georgette resembles her often but you have her eyes - a fact which she was most proud of. ”

[mademoiselleboullan]

Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, hélas, I may no more. The vain travail hath wearied me so sore, I am of them that farthest cometh behind. Yet may I by no means my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Sithens in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written, her fair neck round about: Noli me tangere, for Caesar’s I am, And wild for to hold, though I seem tame.

– A poem by Thomas Wyatt, which is said to be about Anne Boleyn.

[cfboleyn]

monsieurwyatt‌:

 He crimsoned, half in shame, half in delight. Never again, had Wyatt believed that he would be made a request by Anne Boleyn, unless she required him to fling himself from the highest peak known to man. The expression across her face failed to be as soothing as the dress adorning her figure. Whether her countenance was distressed from pain or apathy, Wyatt could not fully discern; he would always find himself in great stress, when Anne’s true feelings were not made known to him through voice or feature. Mechanically obedient he followed, his eagerness in step mimicking the frantic steps of a hound, desperate to maintain pace with his mistress. When Anne ordained him worthy of speech, the words which fluttered into spring’s humid air failed to meet his preconceived notions on their topic of conversation. Thomas had expected numerous things to be said, though he would fail to produce a viable list if interrogated for so; and yet his expression was surprised, albeit thoughtful. His eyes were somber, thought revived by the act of taking council with Anne, on her command.

Her words, more vehemently then ever before fastened into his person the conviction that fate was built from stone, and that God had appointed a trial, nay a challenge; to turn to the false idol of hope, or lay down to his will. The Tudor line was not meant to last; whether its climax, bloodless or violent, was near, he was not sure. The only concrete belief Thomas clung to, beyond the will of fate, was the weight of his devotion to Anne. For all the pain suffered on Earth, Heaven must offer them affection in reward for the insufferable years of pain between them. “You will think me a villain of putting the King’s disappearance to the back of my mind - I do not wish for his death, nor would I be glad to see the ensuing revolution his demise would bring.” Thomas allowed himself to steal a gaze across Anne’s face, before furthering descending into his ramble of devotion - beauty was a wretched thing that faded, but not a day would pass where all he required could not be found in her features. “Whether the King returns or not, you shall never be without I, Anne - though you shall never carry my name, Anne Wyatt will always be. All antipathy between us dies each time I reflect on our love. Besides, one thing has survived two Tudor men - our merry little band. Would George ever truly let us part? And Francis….we are tethered.” 

    The name carried from his lips rang as a grave sin and a most heavenly chime; the apple Eve was so tempted by could surely not have tasted as sweet as the name Anne Wyatt sounded upon his lips, Anne was certain of it. It was so that the name caused rosy lips to part without a word, eyes casting to the sky above as if in search of divine intervention when restraint failed, but it did cause a gentle curve of lips into a small smile that was undeniable given their close and hidden location. “ Wyatt, you say? I believe that to be the name of a young woman whom remained in France - free to forever roam the realms of what once was and a love that sprung between two young courtiers long agao. She once was caught practicing her writing such a name, after which her brother tormented her for months over her scribblings but all teasing came to a swift halt when that same brother brought news that the man from whom she sought such a name had chosen to marry elsewhere. ”  

A time for anger had passed but it was not impossible to detect the sorrow in Anne’s eyes as they dove into his own and willingly drowned; swirling in memories of a time filled with nothing but bliss and nights which passed preoccupied in a loving embrace. But even for the sorrow in Anne’s eyes, she found herself thinking clearer than ever, thankful for two meetings surrounded in heartbreak and anger, which brought her before him with an appearance much lighter than the black gown still forced upon her in mourning. “ George would sooner spirit us both away I fear, and as for Francis... Well, heavens knows I could not bear to part with him for long, both for mine own heart’s sake and for his head. Though you surely know that I could never think of you as a villain, no matter how my thoughts are portrayed in anger. ” An idle hand raised in a silent gesture of peace, a thumb brushing against his cold cheek whilst fingers which were warm from remaining in the warmth of her sleeves defied the cool spring morning’s air and rested against his neck fleetingly. “ For years I suffered at the hand of a husband whom did not desire satisfaction but you are not the same, you are not Henry Percy, Tommy. The love in your heart is great and you will never allow one woman to try to behold it entirely for I believe that you fear it, you fear the loss of one love for the sake of another and there may not be a soul on this earth capable of changing your mind. The girl you knew in France thought she had, the woman I became at this court sought the challenge and, alas, I now fear that to do so is only to continue hurting one another. It breaks my heart to know that you love others and it wounds you that I would call you a friend when the title only solidifies the love I bear for you and this desire to remain tethered. My heart wishes to only have you visit me just once more, to savour what it was to be loved and devoured by you, but my mind is wiser now and demands that we only cease hurting one another. For the sake of what once was - what would our younger selves if they could see the venom we have unleashed upon one another? ”