A Love Most Dangerous by Martin Lake

run around the court that
the King and Queen had quarrelled bitterly once again. The King had loved
Anne's bold, flirtatious impudence in those long years of teasing when she
entranced him and made him hot for her. But such boldness did not suit him in
his Queen. He had, it was said, become thoroughly tired of her imperious ways.
    I had been confused by this for I could not understand
how anyone could not love Anne Boleyn, least of all her husband.
    One morning I broached the subject with Jane Seymour.
    To my surprise she looked uncomfortable at my words.
    'Whatever's the matter, Jane?' I asked.
    She looked away as if pondering something deeply
troubling. Then she turned back to me and her face seemed changed. It was as if
she had finished calculating something very complex and had come to a difficult
decision.
    'I will tell you,' she said, taking my hands in hers.
'But you must not tell anybody.'
    'Not even Eleanor?'
    She paused and in that pause I grew confused. It was
as if she was calculating again, moving the beads upon the abacus once more in
order to get the answer that she wanted.
    'Eleanor has left the court,' she said.
    'Why?' I asked.
    'Because I did not wish her to remain. She had become
too close to Anne Boleyn. And to the King.'
    I shook my head at this. How could Jane's wishes have
any bearing on whether maids remained at court or not?
    And then I found out.
    Jane reached inside her bodice and pulled out a
miniature locket. She opened it up and showed it to me. I gasped. Contained
within the locket was a picture of the King.
    'Where did you get that from?' I asked.
    'Henry gave it to me.'
    'Who?'
    'Henry.'
    I shook my head in confusion. 'Henry who? I don't know
any Henry.'
    'Henry Tudor,' said Jane. And she smirked.
    My heart seemed to stall and then began to race like a
hare fleeing hounds.
    'I don't understand,' I said.
    Jane gave me a condescending look. 'King Henry is my
lover, Alice. He is my bed-fellow.'
    I blinked and shook my head. I could not believe it.
    'But you?' I said.
    Jane grew suddenly cold. 'What do you mean by that?'
She leaned forward and clutched my hand so tightly it hurt. 'Do you mean I am
not as desirable as that witch Boleyn?'
    'She's not a witch,' I said, aghast.
    'You'll find out soon enough what she is, dear Alice. Witch, adulterer, traitor and a whore who sleeps with her own brother.'
    I shook my head, refusing to believe what Jane was
telling me.
    'It's me that Henry loves,' Jane continued. 'Not Anne.
Not any longer. And it will be me who gives him an heir. A son; not a bastard
girl to shame and disgrace him.'
    'You're lying,' I said. 'You're wrong or you're
lying.'
    Jane laughed at me then. It was a cold and cruel laugh
which made the tears start in my eyes.
    'You'll find I'm right, dear Alice. And let me warn you now. It were best for you if you did nothing to displease me. I shall
forgive this little outburst as childish temper. But I will not forgive any
further disloyalty.'
    I ran from the room weeping.
    Two days later there was a masque in the Great Hall. I
had kept well away from Jane Seymour since we had spoken. I could not
understand what was happening. I did not like what was happening.
    The King and Queen were sitting on their thrones,
watching the masque with great pleasure. To one side of them stood Jane
Seymour. She seemed tense, as if waiting for something dire to happen.
    At that moment Philippa Wicks appeared at my shoulder.
    'Look Alice,' she whispered. 'Watch what Jane is
doing.'
    I turned to look at Jane. And then I saw it. She
opened her miniature locket quite deliberately, sighed visibly and closed it
again. A moment later she repeated the movement.
    The King was engrossed by the Masque and did not
notice. Not so the Queen. Her eyes locked onto Jane Seymour and her action.
When Jane repeated the performance a third time, Anne leapt from the throne and
grabbed her by the arm. She tore at the locket. Jane cried out and tried to
keep hold. But Anne was the