Tudor Roses & Romance

Chapter 20: Dark

Like dreams, everyone has fears. These days there seems to be a fear for everything. From hair to feet, spiders to snakes, from closets to basements, from heights to depths, from death to living, sometimes fear is life-defining. So, the question becomes, what are you afraid of?

Perhaps the greatest fear is the one that stares back in the mirror. As one famous Prince (who loves purple rain) said, "There's a dark side to everything." If that's true, then there's also a ring of light because what is light without the dark? That unlit shadowy cavern is sometimes the best teacher, especially for how to come into the light. Without darkness, nothing is birthed, and without light, nothing grows.

But there is a warning. Too much of either is unhealthy. Balance is key, but often times we forget that principle. We either burn to a crisp from too much sun or wither away from the darkness. And the scary thing is, it's better to be burned than to shrivel and fade because regeneration happens after a great fire.

Once in the dark, it's hard to find your way out. That gloomy void becomes full of ugliness--- anger, hate, jealousy, and suffering. Those things fight hard to keep you there, never changing, constantly the same. Their grips are tight and firm, and their motives are manipulative but confident. The dark always looks and watches for whom it can devour and depress, and the truth is this... the darkness makes everything disappear, but it makes nothing go away.

The months and weeks continued to push forward without any hiccups in Mary's pregnancy. The holiday season took on a special meaning for the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk with their new marriage and the impending birth of their daughter looming in March. The new year was bright with promise and full of wonderful possibilities to be welcomed with open arms.

The only thing unwelcomed was the King's persistent abysmal attitude and hostilities. The arctic chill that engulfed England wasn't only from the weather. It also came from His Majesty. Charles and Mary found themselves left out in the cold for the first time in years, maybe decades. Party after party swept through the walls of Whitehall and Hampton Court Palace, ending with the Snowflake Ball on New Year's Eve. But not one invitation came for the Brandons.

Two of the kingdom's most famous royals did not receive an invite, which confused the press and the couple. Instead of the usual holiday gifts, they were gifted the King's cold shoulder. The pair explained their lack of social soirees as wanting to spend time together before the baby arrived. The press accepted the answer but still cast doubt on the King, especially since a slow drip, drip, drip started sprinkling in from parts unknown.

This particular drop regarding Henry was exceedingly juicy. Now one would think His Majesty would be thrilled to be on the front page of a magazine or two. After all, it's what he wanted, what with his cunning eyes kept on polling numbers and reality television shows. And the topic is his favorite subject--- himself.

However, the King was less than elated, for no story involving mistresses and murder would ever stay secret for long. That old vice called curiosity is always lying in wait for more detail. The sordid tale was given to that gossip rag, The Tattler. Like all tattle-tales, they left the public wanting more until the slow drip became a leak to start the new year.

As angry and upset as Henry became, and honestly, he was rather enraged, the man knew this information came from one source. The only problem with that was the source was deceased. Catherine had made good on her deathbed promise of outing him if he continued to ruin Charles and, by virtue, their daughter. It fell to the King to figure out to whom the late Queen had given her knowledge of his doings and where it was coming from.

To put it bluntly, Henry had a massive headache. Little by little, the King's world crumbled to the ground like the gingerbread houses that Mary and Elizabeth enjoy making at Christmas. But not once did he imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him, and yet they did. Instead of doing some major introspective house cleaning, as most people in his position would do, Henry did what he does best--- put the blame somewhere else. Because it's always easier to shift the burden of your own faults to other people.