Anne awoke after the wonderful night with Edward, turning over to her other side, her eyes slowly opening. She had expected, as usual, to find her bed empty, but Edward was still there beside her, his eyes open. He looked at her sweetly, and reached out to stroke her left cheek. "My love." He said, his voice hoarse as it is with the first words of the morning.

She could not help but smile at his touch and words, and at the sweet sound of his morning voice that she had missed so much. She reached up and grabbed his hand, bringing it gingerly to her lips. "My love." She repeated, looking into his eyes with her powerful gaze. The light of the morning sun had begun to seep through the windows, and Anne could feel the warmth of it touching her shoulders. She could see Edward's eyes move from hers, and following the sparkling, dancing of the sun light for a moment. He then returned his gaze to her.

"I must get up." He admitted, reluctantly. "I must do as the King bid and tell Thomas of the journey that awaits him. I'm sure you understand the urgency of this?"

Still holding his hand, she nodded lightly. "I do, husband." She said. She pondered for a moment, on how Thomas would take this news. He certainly would not take it in good cheer, which Edward would like. Nothing brought more pleasure to him, with the exception of herself, than making his brother utterly miserable. "May I come?"

Edward grinned, and pulled Anne towards him. "I would like nothing better." He said, honestly. Their bodies exchanged electric currents of excitement, but Anne used her self-control and pushed herself away from Edward and out of bed. She could feel his eyes on her as she rose, her naked body now covered in the sunlight that had previously only danced upon her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" He asked, sadly, from behind her. He extended his arms to her, but she could not see. She went over to the pile of her gowns on the ground and picked them up to examine them. Rips. She noted, shaking her head slightly, a smile on her face. It had been a long time since Edward had torn her dress off and destroyed it. She turned to her husband, holding up the gown.

"You ripped it!" She exclaimed, shaking it in the air.

Edward had a hard time keeping his eyes on the ripped piece of garment when her naked body was the true centerpiece of his vision. "I'm sorry!" He shouted, and then laughed. He turned onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. "Perhaps you need to stop being so desirable."

Anne rolled her eyes and threw the gowns onto a nearby table as she headed over to her chest to search for a new gown. "You have best get up." She said, as she opened the chest and leaned down into it, flipping through her options.

In this time, Edward had snuck from his place on their bed and come up behind Anne, wrapping his arms around her waist. He allowed one of his hands to snake its way up to her breast, and gave it a tender fondle. When he spoke to her, he whispered in her ear, as he had done the night before. "I am up." He said.

And he was. In more way than one! Anne thought, as she felt the push of his masculinity as it rose against her back. She felt a shiver of delight go down her spine and she sighed, turning towards him. She placed her hand on his masculinity and shook her head. "You will have to wait for that." She ordered, her gaze piercing. "We are on business of His Majesty, and as his most faithful servant, I would expect you to be more prompt and timely in delivering his requests." She stroked him for a moment and then released him, watching his expression of pleasure on his face. She smiled to herself as she turned back around to her chest.

Edward growled, but released his wife. He placed a quick kiss on the back of her head, and turned away. "How I have missed you." He said quietly, almost to himself. How I have missed us. He admitted, only in his head.

Anne and Edward did not bother to call Thomas to see them, for they knew only to expect him to be tardy. Instead, they hunted him down in his own chambers and virtually cornered him. Anne closed the door to his chambers after her and Edward entered.

Thomas had been sitting at his desk, with quill to paper. Who he was writing to, Anne could care less about. She stood near the door as Edward took several steps closer to his brother. Thomas heard his footsteps, but did not look up from his paper. "What is it, brother?" Thomas asked.

Edward chuckled. "Will you not even turn to face me? I am an Earl after all."

Anne could see Thomas's shoulders shift uncomfortably for a moment, as if he was contemplating his next move. To her surprise, he turned around and rose from his seat. He swept a great bow to his brother, and rose up with a grin. "What can I help you with, my lord?" He joked.

Edward's smiling face quickly disappeared. He hated when his brother pestered him like this. "Idiot." He said, looking at him with an expression that could be described as utter disgust.

Anne spoke up, taking a few steps towards the other too. She looked conniving. "We bring news to you from His Majesty." She said, her voice sweet. She looked to her husband, then back to Thomas. "Tell him, Edward."

Edward came close to Thomas, placing his hand on his shoulder in an almost brotherly fashion. He looked into his eyes, and told him of his fate, as Anne watched on from the sidelines. She had left the punch line to her husband, as she knew he had waited for a moment such as this for his entire life. When he was done, Thomas's mouth gaped and he remained speechless for a moment. He looked disappointed, heartbroken; perhaps a combination of the two. For a single second, Anne felt a little bad for him, but she quickly rid herself of that thought. He was a fool to court a married woman, and then a fool to court her even when her husband was dead, for she was a strong beauty, and a smart one. Much too good for him, much more fit for a King, she thought.

When Edward had finished delivering his speech to his brother, he had taken a few steps back, to distance them. He smirked to himself, happy with his performance and joyous at Thomas's dumbfound reaction. He added, when even he could not stand the silence for much long: "I believe His Majesty would like to see you on your way as soon as possible. Perhaps even today!" He could not hide the excitement in his voice.

His brother frowned in reaction, looking from his brother to his sister-in-law in confusion. "What roles have you two placed in this?" He asked, or rather demanded. "Did you do this only to ruin my chances with Katherine?"

Edward gawked. "No, you fucking fool." He spit. "You did this all on your own, I was just blessed with the gift of telling you the bad news myself." He walked over to Anne and put his arm around her waist. She smiled confidently.

"Don't be too heartbroken Thomas." She cooed. "After all, Edward is right. If you had not be such a fool and so openly courted Katherine, you may have saved yourself from this feat."

Thomas furrowed his brow. "How?" He asked. "Why does the King care if I court the woman?"

Edward shook his head in disappointment at his brothers increased stupidity. "Do you not understand the way the King works after all this time? Do you not remember when he wished to marry our own sister? Do you remember what he did then?"

For a moment, Thomas said nothing once more, but finally it dawned on him. Once again, his jaw dropped in amazement. When he closed it, he shook his head. "It cannot be." He muttered. "Are you telling me that the King wishes to court my lady Katherine?"

Anne raised her eyebrows, as if to say, of course, what other reason would there be?

"My God." Thomas said under his voice. He shook his head and looked down at the floor as he began to pace his own rooms. He paused and looked back up at his brother, a sheepish look of hopelessness on his face. "I cannot go, she cannot marry him."

"But she will." Edward replied simply. "No woman on this earth would in their right mind refuse the King his wishes."

Anne nodded. "And if you are wise, you will leave and let him have his prize without complications."

Thomas continued his look of disbelief, but suddenly, his face changed. He now looked angry, enraged. For a moment, Anne could see the resemblance between her husband and his brother. "You two want me gone! Edward, you've always wanted me gone! And just when I find something that may make me happy, that may make me, in marriage, a wealthier man than you!"

Anne gasps, and claps her hand over her mouth in horror at his comment. Before Edward could hold her back, she released herself from his arm and approached her brother-in-law. She looked up at him, for he was a tall man, and she was only an average height woman. But if you could see their personalities beside one another, you would see that Anne overpowered him on that playing field. She could feel the heat rising in her body. She clasped her fists, staring into Thomas's eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, furious.

"You know well what it means, wench." He retorted. "You are nothing more than a heartless bitch. I was a fool to have been enchanted by your beauty for so long, for beyond that, you have nothing!"

In a swift movement, Anne raised her right hand to Thomas and backhanded him across the face. In that moment, Edward had taken a few large strides over to his brother and wife, and grabbed Thomas by the neck of his shirt. Thomas's was taller than his brother, but Edward was a much more powerful man in both status and stature. Anne could see the beads of sweat forming on her husband's head as he raised his brother off the floor and slammed him into the wall behind him. He held him there for a moment, their gazes connected. He readjusted his grip and shook his brother. "How fucking dare you speak of my wife in such away!" He screamed. He released Thomas from his grip and let him fall to the ground, turning on his heel to return to his wife.

Thomas rose to his feet and although Edward tended to Anne, he heard him approach him. Just as Thomas came up behind Edward to grab him by the shoulders and engage in a brotherly brawl, Edward turned and landed a tight fisted punch right on his jawline. Fuming, he turned back to his wife and, with his arm around her waist, led her quickly from the room. He could not bear to look nor be in the presence of his brother at this moment. He can say all he wanted! He thought angrily. But he is going away, and I do hope that he will stay in the Netherlands for the rest of his being.