The Rose, The Falcon, and The Tower

The Lady in the Tower

The melancholy woman sat on the cold stone bench near the window, the spring wind blowing through her long dark brunette locks. The most important woman in the Kingdom sat imprisoned in the fearsome Tower of London.

She, who was once the King's most beloved sweetheart, wife, and Queen. The mother of his heir and Princess. He had turned on her in favor of that clever plain little Seymour girl. She, the witty and beautiful Anne Boleyn, sat defeated awaiting the news that her beloved husband, King Henry VIII, had annulled their marriage and condemned her and 5 innocent men to die in less than a week.

She had begged her jailer, Sir William Kingston, for an audience with her husband the King to plead her case and prove her innocence personally. She had not gotten a response and by now did not see an audience with Henry happening. Anne sat there on that cold stone bench, contemplating her past and her future as she prayed to God to help her.

The creaking of the door brought her out of her musings. She turned to see her husband and King standing in the doorway. "Good Morrow your majesty...." Anne muttered as she bowed as was custom. Henry nodded his head and motioned for her to stand. "You wished to see me madam?" Henry inquired coldly as he took in Anne's haggard appearance, noticing she had gained quite a bit of weight. "I have important news for you, your majesty, and I only hope I'm not too late in telling you." Anne said as she stood placing a hand on the stone wall to help balance her. "What is it you wish to convey to me Anne?", Henry asked as he walked toward her. "Henry, have you already annulled our marriage?" Anne asked as she watched him with her dark brown eyes. "No, the council will have our marriage annulled by this time tomorrow, is that all you wanted to know Anne?" Henry stared at her, his piercing blue eyes meeting her dark brown.

"Oh praise God I am not too late." Anne said as she fell to her knees, head bowed as she sent up a prayer of thanks to the Lord, before turning to look at her husband again staring him dead in the eyes as she said "Henry...I am pregnant again." King Henry felt the air being sucked from his lungs as his wife said those words.

The mighty king stumbled as he walked towards his wife, grasping her by the shoulders and pulling her up to stand so his eyes met hers. "Are you certain Anne?" he muttered as he grasped her shoulders tighter. Anne looked at Henry sternly as she answered him. "Most certain my lord. The Tower physician says I am four months pregnant and I have a mad hankering for apples just like when I was having our Elizabeth and all our sons." Henry released her, the news sinking into his skull.

He started to pace in the small prison chamber before turning to look at his wife. "Answer me one question Anne. Did you ever betray me since or before our marriage?" Anne stared at Henry with a hard look in her dark eyes. "I swear on the life of our beloved child Elizabeth that I have never once betrayed you. Not in action or thought Henry." Henry nodded at her words knowing that if she swore on their daughter's life she was most certainly telling the truth. He watched her closely for a moment before he spoke again. "You will be removed from the tower and be reinstated as Queen by this evening. You must have the best care, but listen to me Anne. This is your last chance. Should you, God forbid, have another miscarriage I will not hesitate to divorce you and marry my Jane. I will see you at Hampton Court tonight. Till then I bid you good day, madame." Henry walked briskly out of the tower, leaving his pregnant wife on the cold stone tower floor.