I have had this idea for years. I haven’t developed it too much, because I know I haven’t the talent to write it. But here goes the idea, maybe someone out there will write it!
FIRST – You would need to get permission from Diana Paxson IF you want to make your “school” (see below) successor of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley and Paxson collaborated on some Avalon books and some Bradley wrote herself and some Paxson has written herself. But I am pretty sure the “Avalon” is copywrighted. And Paxson is still alive as far as I know, though certainly not young. (If someone wanted to use Avalon and could get permission be sure to read some of the Avalon books first – best is still The Mists of Avalon – a “King Arthur” themed book, with Morgaine as the protagonist and with a very “feminist” overtone.)

OK, so now the Anne idea. I have always found it interesting that Anne was called a “witch” – oh, we know, that was mostly polics and face-saving for Henry VIII – but THAT’s in the real world. What I propose is an alternative history book where Anne IS a “witch”. But she really isn’t a “witch witch”. She has attended a special school for women and been initiated as follower of the old Goddess religon. (Here’s where one could call the “school” successor of Avalon —– or not)

The School. It has been located in a very remote part of England (or maybe Scotland?) for many years. (Avalon really DIDN’T die of Christianity as proposed in Mists of Avalon). Some families have been sending daughters there for centuries and Anne’s mother went there and so did some other Howard girls.

There are 2 “layers” to this school. One is for girls whose families just want them to be much better educated than average. They learn languages and math and geography and history and so on. All the attendees at the school do this. But the 2nd layer for those considered suitable – and those specifically SENT there for this purpose – teaches and practices the goddess religion.

Of course this school has to be VERY careful. Probably they even have a priest “in nearby village?” who is liberal minded about teaching girls so girls who wish it can go to Mass, etc. Girls who learn the “old religion” are WARNED to be VERY VERY careful and not to openly admit they are pagan. People in the “nearby village” pretty much know whats what with this school, they are descendants of the serving people at Avalon. They supply the school with food, etc., and keep its secrets – even from the priests.

Anyway the chosen girls learn things that could get them called witches such as midwifery and healing lore – and yes, some spells – as for love and conceiving a child and so on.

The place has had quite a few “minimum” headmistresses (not much of “the sight”) BUT the head of the school (The Lady) who is there when Elizabeth takes Anne and Mary there and presents them is one who comes along “once a century” and she is very skilled and has a large dose of the “Sight”. She is quite young to be Lady when the Boleyn girls first meet her.

Since this is alternative history, I would have Anne and George be twins – they always seemed like it to me, even in the real world. There is some reason (prophecy?) why Thomas Boleyn doesn’t want people to know they are twins. So one or the other is fostered out for a few years (with whom could add to storyline) and returns and is accepted as a Boleyn kid, maybe people think that one is Tom’s but not Elizabeth’s. And also Mary is just slightly YOUNGER than the twins. She always seemed to me to be younger even tho’ we now know she was eldest.

OK so Elizabeth takes Anne and Mary to meet the Lady when they are quite young (not ready yet for school). They are blessed (sained) in the Lady’s way. And the Lady makes a prophecy. She says Anne will study the Goddess way and she will bear a child who will be the greatest sovereign England will ever have. She says Mary can study the other subjects, but she isn’t suitable for the Goddess. (Of course devious Mary picks up some of that lore by spying and interrogating Anne cleverly – and what magic she learns she uses for her own ends and for ill)

Later they both go back to study. After that they go to Europe as maids in waiting and so on just as real history says, and they meet up with Henry Vii when they come back, and Mary becomes mistress, and Anne falls for Northumblerland heir, and has trouble with Wolsey – all like the real word except I’d have her “curse” Wolsey and it later came true – we know what happened to him. But her beloved’s father shows up so quickly and drags off his son, Anne has no chance to “do anything”. She had been very happy because Henry Percy loved her without any help from magic.

Of course Anne seeks The Lady’s help (remembering the prophecy) when she sees that Henry VIII is interested. Other priestesses from the “school” go back and forth and they and Anne do some ensnaring work on Henry. The Lady and the priestesses see a break with the Church as ultimately a good thing- the more freedom of religion there is, the more likely someday they as pagans will be accepted. The witch hunts later by both Catholics and Protestants are not foreseen.

All kinds of ways to interplay “magick” here – I would adore a “witch wedding” – Henry having learned a little about that tradition – but I am afraid his knowing just could not be made to work — given what a confirmed Christian he was – but maybe some writer can make it plausible. I do think Henry might know some of the priestesses as friends of Anne and healers, maybe they even work on him

All kinds of ways to bring in magick even when Anne gets to be Queen. But alas – the first time Anne and Henry bed both are extremely nervous. Poor Henry cannot perform. And Anne screams at him and belittles him. And he instantly comes to “hate” her. She can’t undo this with magic either.

Then Elizabeth is born — and then in spite of all the spells Anne can’t seem to conceive a son, even the Lady still thinks the “Greatest Monarch” will be a boy. The healer priestesses may know from observation that some women can only birth one healthy child – they may say magick not enough to interfere. (I mean the Rh factor – THEY wouldn’t have called it that – but they could know there was “something”.) I’ve always thought Anne was Rh negative

Things get worse —- just as in the real world. And eventually Anne gets arrested and charged and her trial is a sham, etc, etc. BUT when she’s been condemned and is in the Tower – the Lady gets in to see her (How? If not by magick then maybe one of the guards is husband or brother of one of the Lady’s students–and can be bribed to look the other way). The Lady has had a vision and realized that Elizabeth is the great monarch, she berates herself for having assumed it was a boy. She regrets the help she has given Anne giving where it brought them. And then, she informs Anne she is actually dying of cancer and she wants to save Anne so they switch clothes and the Lady (I never HAVE come up w/a name for her) uses glamourie to make Anne resemble her to herself resesmble Anne. Anne gets away – horses and escorts are waiting – and she is taken to the “school”. She and the priestesses have already been TOLD she is to be the new Lady and they must help her all they can, Anne being only mnarginal with the Sight, One priestess is very sighted and espec. helps. So Anne asks why the Lady and others want her for Lady? Seems they’ve divined there will be big tumult (Henry and his son later “investigating” monasteries and nunneries) and Anne has the political skill to save them

The Lady gets executed – her glamorie stops when she is dead, but one of the waiting women is also in cahoots and makes sure no one else really looks at the head

Henry’s minions do try to investigate this “school” thinking it must be a convent and Anne does save it convincing the searchers that it is just a school (turns out a lot of the paraphenilia used there for Goddess worship can disguise itself when in danger). She also does some magick to scare the seekers to death so they don’t complain too much about a “school” for girls and are in a hurry to leave the place.

Anne can’t keep in much touch w/Elizabeth, too dangerous, til Elizabeth is old enough to understand and keep secrets. Of course then we might have a sequel book where the priestesses help Elizabeth become Queen and E. has a daughter Robin by Robt. Dudley with a lot of help and glamourie to hide her condition and a #1 midwife priestess because the birth is very hard. E. has asked Anne (now knowing this is her mother) to help her abort the child and Anne is going to do so but she gets a prophecy the child will be a new Lady and VERY powerful. Which she does (another book?) I would have that “servant” of Elizabeth Blanche Parry be a secret priestss to help E.

I would also have Anne meet and fall in love with a troubador who had to leave France for political reasons and he knows about the Goddes because there is a similar institute in France, where his mother studied. The dude is very ill or injured when Anne meets him but the priestesses and she save him (altho’ they get warned he won’t live long) He and Anne marry in the witch rite and Anne has 2 sons (Irony!) but NO daughter to succeed her, that’s why Robin becomes so important. One of these sons becomes a fairly ordinary lawyer in London, the other an entertainer like his father and they have kids who study at the “school” (more opp for sequels, plots etc)

That’s the basic idea and I think I’ve written enough so a canny author could pick it up and go with it (I don’t want to break this forum by TOO long a post)