Wolsey has fallen from grace, and with the act of attainder on him, he will die, I know this but I can't revel in it. Cromwell will take Wolsey's place and Cromwell is a snake, he is no friend of mine he is a friend of power. George was insistent on the play, so was Mary, both of them exude the arrogant Boleyn air that had once been a pride to me. How can I explain to my kin, my brother and sister that I no longer revel in the triumph of Wolsey being gone, of Katherine being gone, of all the actions Henry has taken to achieve his goal. There is little in my mind during these days other than the inevitable, I should set aside my family pride and refuse the king, perhaps bed him. No, I am Anne Boleyn and the foreknowledge, the dream, whatever overcame me has given me this opportunity.

I dance, and make merry as I should, as the Spanish ambassador watches on, Wolsey, the red cardinal is danced off to hell and I swallow the bile in my mouth, I keep my head erect, my shoulders back, and my eyes are swift taking in everything more. The unsettled look on the ambassador's face does not surprise me. Henry, his laughter has rung out loud, and as this masque has gone. George comes up behind me and whispers intimately in my ear "I fear the king will laugh himself to death" it is a jest, and I remember this, I had laughed and turned to embrace George, I had danced in his arms and made merry yet I find my desire to protect him stronger than my desire to have that brief moment of happiness. I step away, and turn to beam my smile at George.

"Dance with our sister you rogue I have a king to keep happy" My fingers brush against the red gown I donned for this masque, my face painted red, my dark hair down my back in waves of ebony black. I know even with the makeup smeared on my face Henry is attracted to me. His eyes are on me, has he looked anywhere else this whole time? Of course, he has not. He wouldn't manage to tear his eyes from me for some years yet. My thoughts drift to you again Elizabeth, you will be born in a matter of four years and yet, it seems a life time away, will my change of heart mean you do not come to me? Surely a price will have to be paid for this knowledge in my head. As I curtsey to Henry, and his hands take mine I feel the flush of desire, the love I had…have, for Henry is there, yet when I look into his blue eyes, I see my death.