the heir's secret

hatred

"I will ask you again." My questioner shouts as I sit in silence. Spit shoots from his mouth as he speaks and it falls onto the floor, changing the colour of the dry stone. "When did Elizabeth start showing signs of her hatred for the queen?" It has been the same every day, it never changes. I watch his hand twitch at his side and I wonder how many people have screamed by that hand as he tortures them. I push the images out of my mind and instead look at the floor, keeping my eyes averted from his gaze.

"The lady Elizabeth does not hate the Queen." Suddenly I feel a sudden pain spark in my cheek as his hand hits me, the force completely pushes me off my chair and I crash to the ground with a painful smack that stabs my side on the cold floor. I am taken aback by the sudden pain and I lay on the stone floor, my hair covering my face. I put my hand up to my mouth to comfort the pain in my jaw.

"I am becoming very frustrated with you, Katherine Woodville! Either you start telling the truth or my questioning techniques will change!" I hear him as he picks up the chair, making it scrape on the floor, then he grabs me by the arm and lifts me up. I don't bother restraining for he is stronger than me and I know that I wouldn't win. "Now then," he carries on. "I will ask you again, Woodville." He kneels down to my height and looks straight at my face with a menacing glisten that lights up the greenness in his eyes. "When did Elizabeth start showing signs of her hatred for the queen?" His hand clenches at his side and I know that he will not hesitate to strike me again. I consider answering the same but the pain in my jaw changes my mind and instead I decide to say what he wants to hear.

"When she was young." A wide grin appears on his face, filled with knowledge that he has finally cracked me.

"There we go, now we're getting somewhere." He moves the hair from my face and I flinch at his touch, fighting the urge to pull away from his vulgar hand. "So, now we can get back to my original question. Why does Elizabeth hate her majesty the Queen?"

"She doesn't!" His hand clenches again. "I swear it, she does not hate her. But God knows they have never gotten along. They are very different people but she does not hate her, I swear!" His smile now gone he runs his finger down the cheek that he had just slapped until he gets to my throat, then he stops there, letting his cold hand wrap around my neck like a snake wraps around a mouse but instead of squeezing he keeps it there, just lingering as if waiting for his moment to tighten.

"Tell me, why do you care so much for her? Why are you risking your life, hmm?"

"She is my friend!"

"Oh of course," he carries on, his hand still on my neck. "I have questioned many lady in waitings and servants. I was the man who question the lady Rochford. I knew that Katherine Howard was an adultering bitch, I just needed my proof. Rochford cracked pretty easily and she eventually became mad. She was executed along with the teenage queen, but I'm sure you know the story, you were there after all." I remember the image in my head. Elizabeth had liked Katherine Howard and I had liked her too. "Do you know why she cracked?" I shake my head. "Because she was not willing to die for the girl, but she died anyway." I look down at the floor as he stares at me. "You are her maid."

"She is my friend!" I repeat. I don't know what he is hinting at. Why is he telling that dreadful story of Henry's fifth wife? Suddenly his hand pulls away from my neck but he stays kneeling beside me.

"I know what Elizabeth is doing. She wants the queen dead, she wants to..."

"No!" I interrupt. "Elizabeth has always been loyal, she is loyal!" The man smiles at me in a way an executioner would before he cut off his enemies head.

"You have confirmed two things to me today. One, Elizabeth does not like the queen, and two," he stands up and I hear the click of his knee as he rises, "you and Elizabeth planned the uprising together."

"What?!" What does he mean? I didn't, I didn't plan it with her she did it on her own.

"You told me that you were friends. Elizabeth told me that you were simply a lady in waiting, nothing more. This proves to me that she was lying." He leans into my face, "you are just as guilty as she." God, I forgot, how could I forget? Elizabeth had told me to tell them that I was just her servant, nothing more. Now I have sealed my fate. "Thank you for your time, Katherine. I shall see you in court tomorrow." The door opens suddenly and two guards walk in, they take me by the arms and lead me out, his grin never leaving my mind. I am not even guilty. This was not my fault, this was all Elizabeth. I told her not to do it, not to take any risks. Now they believe that I am guilty too. I hate her, I hate her!