Title: A Change of Fate

Summary: Based on the what-if story in which when Anne came back from France in 1528 she came back to a court in turmoil. The King has sought to divorce his wife, Katherine of Aragon, and very popular Queen and replace her with the Lady Jane Seymour the daughter of a knight. Will Jane remain Queen and have a healthy son or will Anne put an end to her?

Word count: 5977

Rating: K+

Author's Note: Chapter XIII is finally here. Sorry for not being able to update sooner as explained in the author's note yesterday. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing previous chapters.

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Katherine had barely been able to sleep that night, her dreams were marred with images of her beloved daughter Mary. In those dreams she envisioned arriving to Ludlow to have her precious daughter Mary already be dead and telling her that she had arrived too late to help her – or even to say goodbye – and that she was to return to the More immediately. Katherine had woken up in a cold sweat multiple times thinking about the possibility that her Mary, the only source of happiness in her life now was gone, her life snuffed out as quickly as a candle flame.

Since Katherine could not sleep she quietly rose from her bed, awakening only Maria de Salinas who had been sleeping at the foot of her bed in case her Mistress required anything, and made her way to the small prayer room that had been set up for her in the More. Katherine had been aware of the chapel at the More, but she had refused to pray their once the Lord of the house had changed the chapel to be in line with the Kings new religion. It went against her conscious and beliefs as a faithful Catholic to do such a thing so she had settled for a smaller more Catholic room of prayer were she could speak to the one true God without risking her immortal soul.

Katherine lost track of time as she and Maria continued to pray for Mary's survival. She was scarcely aware of the light of the sun that began to spill into the windows of the room and was less aware of when one of the ladies of the More came into the room with a plate of fruits, fresh bread and two goblets of wine for her and Maria. Only when Charles entered the chapel begging forgiveness, but they would soon be off did Katherine rise. She thanked Charles and returned to her rooms where Maria and Lady Elizabeth helped dressed her in a manner that would have befitted her old station as Queen, though Katherine still knew the truth even if Henry chose to ignore it that she was his true wife and Mary his true heir and only once she was dead could henry remarry and father more legitimate children, and made her way to the courtyard.

"You're Highness" Charles warmly greeted the former Queen of England and now Dowager Princess of Wales as she approached him.

"You're Grace" Katherine replied back with equal warmth, "I trust that we will be off shortly, I am most eager to see my daughter and to help nurse her back to health."

Charles gave a swift nod of his head as he directed his gaze towards the carriage that stood near the gates, "The men are making the final preparations for the journey Ludlow is a long ride and they are predicting the journey to take a couple days."

"I will go wait in the carriage then, You're Grace." Katherine turned to her left and signalled to Maria to accompany her while her other ladies went to the carriage directly behind hers.

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Jane's chambers were the same that they always were in the mornings. Dorothy Seymour, Jane's chief lady-in-waiting, was giving out orders to some of the ladies – mostly the lower ranking one as not to insult any powerful nobles – to prepare the Queen's outer chamber for breakfast and the activities of the day, which weren't anything much Anne thought bitterly. When she had been in Katherine's household as one of her ladies-in-waiting she did much of the same thing that she did here now in Jane's household but it didn't feel the same. With Katherine there was the sense that she made shirts for the poor and attended mass for often than anyone else in court because was truly committed to fulfilling her role and duty as Queen of England even if she was failing in one of her most important tasks, producing an heir to one day succeed his father as King of England and keep the house of Tudor strong.

Since Jane had become Queen her brothers made frequent visits, which had started to become more common in the recent days as the King was less inclined to show her favour and to that extent her family which had expected to gain many rewards for pushing a much loved Queen off the throne so that they could take that power for themselves. Whenever they came in they always found a way, even if the conversation had nothing to do with it, to remind everyone that Jane was the one true wife of the King and never referred to Katherine as 'his previous wife' or 'the old Queen' instead choosing to call her the Dowager Princess of Wales which even then they could barely call her that as it sill included her into the royal family.

"Lady Anne" Dorothy said as Anne quickly focused her attention on the woman in front of her, "I would like you to see to it that the bowls for Her Majesty to wash her hands with are sufficiently warm. Her Majesty prefers the water to be slightly colder than warm."

Anne gave a shallow bow to Dorothy as she was required to give to the chief lady-in-waiting and quickly went to her task, picking up the bowl of boiling water and carefully pouring some water with ice in to balance the temperature out. Dorothy watched as Anne performed her task was rising frustration, they clearly weren't going to get her to do anything that would cause a scandal and force her to remove herself from court so that the King could focus his attention on his wife as was right and proper.

Behind the thick curtain that separated Jane's outer chamber with that of her bed chamber her sister and lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth, was helping her dress into one of her finest gowns. Today was a very important morning for Jane as the King was visiting her to break his fast with her, it was also her last chance to convince the King to refuse Katherine permission to visit that bastard daughter of hers the Lady Mary as surely such a meeting could produce nothing but trouble for her especially if Henry was warming towards Katherine as he had been of late and wanted to continue to do so. Allowing such a thing to occur was something that could not happen, she all too clearly remembered how Edward had berated her for letting this happen, as if it were her wish she see those two reunited when Jane would rather see them both dead and out of the way.

Flash back

Jane was sat in her chambers with her ladies-in-waiting sewing garments for the poorer people of England who could not afford to buy such a thing themselves. This was one of the activities she partook in more and more frequently since she had become official wife to the King, even though she would rather sow embroidery it was a sacrifice that was necessary to make. Her popularity was at an all-time low since Henry had made it clear to the court that he was making himself free of his so-called 'wife', Katherine of Aragon, who had needlessly and cruelly kept the good King Henry in an incestuous and unlawful marriage and that she was determined to place her bastard daughter Mary on the throne as a mouth piece of her cousin the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Back in those days Jane couldn't understand why she would block the King from obtaining the male heir that the country was in such desperate need of, she thought Katherine a very selfish woman – on who was unable to see that this had to happen and instead clung on to her belief that it was her God given duty to rule the good English people as their Queen, Ha, is if God wanted the country to erupt into another civil war and take away another generation of people who were forced to choose between Katherine's girl and whatever blood connection to the King the other side had – but now she, the one and only wife of the King, could understand. The power. Jane knew that the only way to secure her position as Queen and therefore her position of power then she need only present the King with a healthy male heir to be Prince of Wales.

However all that had changed. Mary was ill. On death's door the messenger who came bearing the news had told them, that she had a fever with constant vomiting and was soon to depart of the world of the living. When Jane was told such news her surprise was genuine, she knew that the Lady Mary was not one who enjoyed good health but Ludlow had been a place where she had never fallen ill, and she played her part perfectly and to the letter as her ladies-in-waiting were watching her. She feigned sympathy and vowed that she would pray every day for the Lady's swift recovery and swore that her ladies would follow her example, even as she spoke her words some of her ladies faces morphed into an expression that said: 'Do you really intend to pray for her survival or for her doom? Do you pray for her to die so that any child of yours will not be threatened by her mere presence as she is the daughter and granddaughter of monarchs and yours will have its legitimacy called into to question before it is even born?'

Jane tried hard to act as though she was truly concerned with Mary's health and that of her recovery but she knew that the questions in the eyes of those around her were true full, that she a woman who had always boasted modesty and kindness to all those around her would pray for the death of her rivals daughter. It was not as if Jane had tempered with Mary in any way shape or form – as she expected halt the court to think that her sudden illness was brought on by Jane or her family – she had done nothing to induce the Lady into falling ill, but news of her maybe impending death was not one of heartbreak to Jane. Once Mary was dead the line of succession would be clear for her son. The only other factor was Fitzroy, the Kings son by Bessie Blount, who was a Duke twice over and could pose a threat to her son. Perhaps once her son was born she could persuade Henry to lessen his titles, claiming that a bastard should not be as well of as the true and legitimate son of the King or maybe she could convince Henry to send Fitzroy away into the countryside to be forgotten about at the very least.

Jane had no time to ponder such thoughts for much longer as her oldest brother, Edward the newly created Earl of Hertford, walked into her rooms demanding to speak to the Queen alone. Of course custom dictated that no man except the King – of course – should be completely alone with the Queen of England, lest they be accused of adultery or in this case incest with the Queen, so Jane's two sisters, Elizabeth and Dorothy remained seated as the rest of her ladies quietly left the room to return to their allocated quarters.

"Dear sister" Edward began once he was sure that no unkind ears could be listening into their conversation, "As I am sure you have heard the Lady Mary has fallen deeply ill at Ludlow castle."

"Yes, I was informed the same night as the King was. It's such a shame, it would be deeply disappointing if she were to die now before she had the chance to meet her legitimate brother." The edge in Jane's voice was lost on no one in the room as they nodded their head in a silent agreement.

"Yes well, perhaps this way we won't have to… meddle with her after all" The last part of his sentence was barely that of a whisper as what he was saying could be considered treason depending on what mood the King was in. "Anyway enough of that. I have come to talk with you about a different matter, one that could prove to be disastrous to us if it is allowed to be followed through with. Do you know what I speak of, sister?"

Jane gave him a look that told him that she didn't understand a word of what he was saying, that he might have had better hope to saying it in French to her, and while he was frustrated he couldn't blame her. Her female mind made her weaker than her male counterparts and it was only natural for a woman to stay out of politics and focus her simple mind on tasks better suited for her.

"The King had agreed to allow the Dowager Princess of Wales to travel to Ludlow and nurse her bastard daughter back to health, which for we know her illness could be a ruse to give her a chance to plan with her Spanish cousin the Emperor. And while all that is happening you dear sister sit before me with an empty womb." Edward was almost at the point of shouting and Jane could focus on nothing else but his words. Katherine was traveling to Ludlow? To see Mary? And Henry had allowed it? God only knows what those two would be plotting together but there was only one thing that Jane was certain none of this would be good for her.

End flash back

"Why? Why do you think he did this?" Jane said absently as she looked up to see the confused look on her sister's face. "Allowing Katherine to visit that Spanish bastard of hers the Lady Mary." Jane elaborated.

"I don't know" Elizabeth replied honestly. "While His Majesty has done the right thing in making her a bastard, as it would not do good to allow a bastard born child to assume the titles that should be given to a legitimate child, he may still remember the time she called herself Princess of Wales and is only doing this as an act of kindness towards the girl. I am sure that once she is better Katherine will be taken away from Ludlow castle and put back in the Moor."

"But not for long. When Katherine signed the Oath the King promised to treat her with more kindness; to allow her to move into Eltham Palace and if her daughter signs to permit her to host the Lady Mary. Don't you see he is falling back in love with her, and it's all her fault!" Jane spat furiously, how could the King her husband not see what they were doing? That they were using the same tricks that Katherine had used when her first husband died in order to deceive Henry into wedding her under the guise that she loved him when all she really loved was the power and the crown on top his head.

"Her fault? Whose fault, Katherine's? Or the Lady Mary's, Jane she can't help being ill if her illness is a true one as they say it is." Elizabeth gently told her sister. She and Dorothy often had to deal with such things as this, since Jane had become Queen of England she had been madly paranoid that something bad was looming over her shoulders. It didn't help matters much when the King had outright refused to coronate her and make her a true Queen or that her brothers Edward and Thomas came into the Queens rooms at least once a week to tell her everything that she was doing wrong with no suggestions on how to make the problem better. This breakfast was a good opportunity for Jane as it was the last chance she had at convincing the King to abandon his plan of allowing Katherine and her daughter to meet. Maybe once the King saw her he would remember that it would be for the best if he never allowed the two to meet again and focused his attentions on his wife as any good husband ought too.

"The Lady Anne of course!" Jane all but screamed, "It is widely known that she and the blasted Duke of Suffolk and his wife meet and talk quite frequently. The King dismisses it as a relationship of friends or some sort but many rumour that the Duke and his wife often leave the King and her alone so that they can be in private."

Elizabeth, quick to grasp what she was saying turned to look Jane in the eyes and began speaking, "Honestly Jane you have nothing to worry about with her. She is interesting I'll give you that, but she is nothing compared to you and besides once you have a son the King will never look anywhere else; he'll have no need to."

Jane pondered what her sister spoke as the door to her chambers opened wide and a messenger declared that 'His Majesty King Henry VIII is here to visit his wife Queen Jane'. Both ladies moved from where they were standing behind the curtain and walked into the outer chamber where Jane saw her husband waiting for her. Walking up towards him Jane gave her a deep curtsy and soon after all her ladies followed her example.

"You're Majesty" Jane said once he'd given her permission to rise. Henry led Jane to where the table holding their food was placed and walked around to the opposite side where he took his seat with Jane doing the same. "I thank Your Majesty for taking time out of your day to come eat with me, I have been looking most forward to it."

"Yes, well with all that is happening I have been… very busy. But I'll will try to be in your company more often, it is the least a husband can do for his wife." Henry said while trying to keep his smile from faltering. He remembered when he first met Jane, she was so different. Different from his then wife and different from the many mistresses he had taken. Jane was quiet and obedient, never uttering a word unless it was in her place to do so. It was such a contrast from Katherine who was never afraid to speak her mind, viewing Henry as an equal due to their shared royal status. Henry supposed that had always been one of the things that had infuriated him the most about her, the fact that without him she would still be something worth looking at; the Infanta of Spain. That was one of the things he liked about Jane as well. She knew her place. Knew that without his love she would be nothing but the daughter of a knight who would have been honoured to be married off to a nearby Lord.

Now though, things had changed. It had been little over six months since their marriage and yet Jane showed no symptoms of being with child. Even during his false marriage to Katherine she had always been quick to become pregnant with his child. What made it worse was that he could feel the other European Monarchs laughing behind his backs, making him out to be a fool. For surely one would have to be to go through all the trouble he went through to divorce Katherine only to marry a barren woman. He would have to talk about this to a member of Jane's family and ask if there was some kind of impediment to her conceiving his child – was she not aware that he was in desperate need of a legitimate Prince to be King after him so that the country would not fall into civil war between his two bastard children or any other pretender seeking to make the best of such an opportunity and put themselves on the throne instead.

Henry knew that the conception of a child would be more likely to happen if he visited Jane's bed more often, as he currently stood he made sure to visit her bed at least three times a week – except the week in which she experienced her monthly course for a child could not be conceived then – but every time he did he felt as though he was betraying Anne. Anne had not told him not to sleep with Jane, in fact she made sure to time her visits to that he could spend as much time with his wife as possible, but she didn't need to. Henry felt the same flare he had felt when he first saw Katherine, the bride of his brother Arthur, and Jane when she claimed that she would only accept gifts of the King when she had made a good and honourable marriage. Lust. Henry knew that lust and love were to very different things and that he could not go after Anne the same way he had gone after Jane as to do such a thing would make him even more of a laughing stock Henry did admit that the idea was a tempting one. Jane was no Katherine of Aragon who had one of the most powerful men in Europe on her side or a child that she believed to be of a lawful and legitimate union. The common people had never liked her either there would be little to no resistance to her removal, but that didn't matter. When his father, the great Henry VII claimed the throne Henry was sure that he didn't intend for it to be remembered for his son who got rid of his wives when another woman caught his fancy. No, he would preserve the Tudor honour.

He also owed it to Anne to behave honourable as well. She was the Marquess of Pembroke and formally the daughter of a knight. The people of the court only knew her as a friend to him through his sister and her husband. It would be best for all if he concealed his affection for Anne. The last thing Henry wanted was to give the court a figurehead in Anne to rally around in the hopes of deposing his unpopular Queen. Instead he would act as the perfect husband to his wife and Queen.

No words were spoken between them for a while and Jane knew the reason why, Anne Boleyn. Her husband's newest whore. As a wife Jane knew that it was the man's right to seek comfort outside of the marriage bed particularly when his wife was with child, but this annoyed her, worried her. If was as simple as Henry taking Mistress Boleyn as his mistress then she would have been able to handle the situation. It would hurt yes, but she would be able to comfort herself with the fact that this was just a onetime thing that would disappear as quickly as it showed itself. But this was something else completely. She couldn't lie to herself and claim that Anne was his mistress, she wasn't. She was his friend, and Jane couldn't tell that in the future that the line between friendship and something more wouldn't be blurred. All she knew was that this had to end. Jane resolved to speak to her brother about it, surely Edward would know what to do with the situation at hand. Perhaps they could create their own scandal for Anne instead of her waiting for her to make one of her own.

"Husband, I have heard about the illness of the Lady Mary and I am very sorry to hear it. I pray daily that she recovers swiftly" Jane suddenly changed the subject, remembering Edwards's words and knowing that it was her last chance to make Henry change his mind.

"It is something that has been troubling me for days." Henry said honestly these past few days had been hard on him knowing that his only daughter to survive infancy was on deaths door and that there was nothing he could do to stop it, "Unfortunately I cannot be there for her, the risk of contamination is too great and the affairs of state keep me busy, so I have sent Katherine in my place. She has signed the oath and swears that she will convince Mary to do so once she is well." 'Not to mention the fact that it would undoubtedly make Mary happy to see her much beloved mother' Henry inwardly thought.

"Why don't we visit Mary ourselves once she is better instead of sending Katherine to her. For surely she would be more happy to see her father than her mother" Jane smiled sweetly, inwardly hoping that her words would have the desired effect on Henry and she would not have to bear the brunt of his anger.

If Jane was hoping for anything good to come from her words she was doomed to be disappointed, inside his head Henry was fuming. How dare her!? How dare she openly defy his orders like that and expect to be indulged like a spoiled child? She was his wife not his mister, she had no businesses involving herself with matters not meant for her, why did it matter whether Katherine visited Mary or not. She may have once been his wife but he trusted her to carry out her end of the bargain and convince Mary to sign to oath and she had yet to breach his trust and therefore he had no reason to complain of her.

"As I have said dear wife, I have my reasons for not being able to visit and therefore Mary's mother will stand in my place as is proper. I shall hear no more of this from you and you will content yourself with your Queenly duties. Once you have birthed me a son Mary will be moved out of Ludlow and you will be an anointed Queen as you so desire to be." Henry said while trying to keep his voice straight. Jane had no right to complain of Mary when she had not yet gotten herself with child, he was only preparing the country for the worst if he died suddenly with no male heir to succeed him. If Jane proved able to bear a son he would dismantle such plans but for now things would stay as they are.

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The view of the countryside in all its glory and thoughts about visiting Mary kept Katherine content as the carriage continued to roll across the dirt path underneath them. They had set out little over two hours ago and it would take them approximately two days to get to Ludlow castle. It was soon to be noon and therefore their first stop to eat and drink as well as to care for the horses. Katherine had spent the first part of the carriage ride in a comfortable silence with her friend Maria, who had come with her from Spain to serve as her Lady-in-waiting. Katherine remembered back in those days how excited she felt to be marring Arthur, as was her duty her mother had told her. She had brought Katherine up with the knowledge that she would one day be Queen of England and Katherine did not want to disappoint. When she first met Arthur he was kind enough, but he was barely able to speak around her. When the time came for their wedding night the poor boy had been too nervous or tried to complete his duty.

Katherine believed that to have been caused by his formidable grandmother, Margret Beaufort, who never let Arthur out of her sight and always kept him cooped up inside. At the time this hadn't worried Katherine, by the time she and Arthur left for Ludlow they were becoming fast friends and that in time they would join together and truly become man and wife and that Katherine would be able to spare Arthur the embarrassment that he was too weak to be with his wife and claim that she was the one to blame. That she had a difficult time conceiving the Tudor heir.

Looking back at it now Katherine could see how such a plan was doomed to fail in a place where secrets were non-existent, and little over a month into their marriage Arthur died. That was the first time she had truly felt heartbreak, when she was told that the husband she was beginning to love was taken from her and his arrogant brother was too fill the shoes that were many sizes too big. Then – for the sake of the alliance – she married Henry, and despite all that he said she did come to him as a virgin, but even Katherine couldn't lie and say that Henry should have never doubted her. It shocked her when Henry came to her all those years later asking for a divorce, after all she had learned to fall in love with him. But what was more shocking was that he was using the same argument he had dismissed as falsehood back when he wanted to marry her and others were claiming that they should send her home, saying that she was truly his brother's widow and that their union had been one of sin. After all those years of a faithful and loving marriage he was willing to through it away. He claimed that a woman couldn't rule England as the people would never accept it. Then why couldn't he marry Mary so that the throne would pass through her to her son? Sure Katherine would be hurt that her beloved daughter would be forced to step aside for a child – even if it was her grandson – but she was sure that she could resign herself to the idea and love the child as part of the family.

That's when it dawned upon her. This was about pride. Pride, in the sense that Henry would never want the people of England thinking that he was so incapable of bearing a son that he had to get his daughter to do it for him. No Henry wanted the world to know that he, Henry VIII King of England, Ireland and of France, had sired the next King and it was when she realised this she knew that she had to sign the oath. She prayed for forgiveness for her soul and for Mary's every day since she signed the awful piece of paper and promise to get Mary to do the same, she had decided long ago that the possibility that Henry could be talked out of divorcing her had gone a long time ago and that it was a certain fact now that she was the Dowager Princesses of Wales and Mary was the oldest of Henry's bastards. The only thing she could do now was make the transition easier for herself and Mary and hope that the King showed mercy towards them, she only hoped that the English people and her mother could forgive her for being so weak.

Outside the carriage Charles Brandon, the first Duke of Suffolk, was talking to one of the leading men and they all agreed that now would be a good time to stop as to feed and rest the horses. They had been traveling now for just under three hours and it was now noon, prime time to rest as the weather seemed to be holding out and there were no signs of incoming rain towards them. Slowing the pace of his horse to allow the carriages behind them to approach them Charles leaned over to the man driving the first carriage and spoke to him. "We are expecting to stop now"

The man simply nodded before signalling with his other hand to the man driving the carriage behind them and began to slow down the already slow pace of the slow pace of the carriage to a stop. Gently, Charles swung down off of his horse and opened the carriage door. "Your Highness, were are taking a short break if you wish to come out of the carriage and eat we have some blankets laid down on the grass nearby" True to his words behind Charles was a large blanket lying on the grass. Upon the blanket there were a few silk pillows with the most luminous of them all intended for Katherine and above it all was a thick canopy to keep the sun's rays off them while they ate.

"Thank you, Charles" Katherine said as he extended his hand to help both her and Maria out of the carriage and lead to where they would be eating. Katherine sat down first alongside Charles as did Maria before the rest of her ladies from the carriage behind her came and filled up the remainder of the space. "So Charles, tell me, what am I to expect out of this journey?"

"His Majesty has decreed that you are to visit Ludlow to help the Lad Mary aide in her recovery and help in her choice regarding the oath. He has also decreed that I am to escort you to Ludlow and once the Lady Mary has signed the oath to Eltham Palace." Charles said uncomfortably knowing that although she had signed the oath it was not a subject that would be comfortable to talk with her about considering what it meant for her and her daughter.

"I have no doubt that Her Majesty is none too pleased about this" Katherine said with resentment rising up in her voice thinking about how while her daughter was suffering Jane was currently basking in Henry's attention. "I assume that Henry is still deeply in love with her?"

"Fear not Your Highness, the Queen had been falling out of Henry's favour even if he hides it well from the court it is obvious when we are alone that she has disappointed him in some way and has even began to ignore her power hungry family's attempts to get a private audience. Many say it is due to her not being with child already" Charles stated glad to be able to inform Katherine that her replacement was struggling to fill a role not suited for her.

"That is to be expected of Henry, he has never liked to wait for anything. Even more so now as he knows that he can just divorce Jane and find another wife to begin the whole process over again with." Katherine felt some measure of sympathy toward Jane as Henry would not be as generous or as kind as he was towards Katherine in terms of having a son or a divorce, if Jane wanted to rest easy at night the she would have to complete the job that Katherine was unable to do and have a son.

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Author's Note: What did you guys think of the chapter? Please be sure to tell me in the review section below please.