Breaking The Crown | An Alastor x Reader Story

Unkind Afterlife

"Did you hear they will announce the verdict tomorrow?" Jane, my fellow lady in waiting whispered as we sat by the window with our sewing. I bit my lip, trying not to think of poor Queen Elizabeth locked in the Tower waiting to see if the King would send her to the block. 

When I didn't say anything, Jane continued, "My husband said they will be pushing for a witchcraft charge."

"Witchcraft?" I hissed, finally looking up at her, "We're in Hell! What in the nine circles does he think a witchcraft charge will do?"

Jane shrugged, as though it didn't matter much. She didn't need to explain. King Henry could make up whatever charge he saw fit to give. After all, in this court, his word was law. 

Thankfully, neither one of us moved to say anything more. A second later, the door banged open with a herald announcing the arrival of the King. Abandoning our sewing, Jane and I stood to curtsey deeply to the man who ruled our lives and terrorized our dreams. 

"Ah, (Y/N), my sweetheart!" Henry just narrowly fit through the door. The afterlife had not rid him of his monstrous size and the limp that had plagued him in life. Limping towards me with two pages following closely to catch him if he stumbled, King Henry grinned like a wolf at its prey.

Taking my hands, he raised me to my feet. The massive figure loomed over me, and for a moment I wondered if he would crush me if he fell on top of me.

"Soon, sweeting, we shall be free to marry. We only have to wait a bit longer." The King patted my hands, under the impression he was consoling me. 

Any sane woman would have run away in terror, but this was Henry's court. Sanity would get you killed. So instead, I smiled as sweetly as I could and replied, "I can hardly wait, your majesty."