the heir's secret

hurt

What? Why has he called me up? I am not a witness. Elizabeth looks up from her seat and I see her shock but then I notice something else, betrayal in her eyes.

"Katherine Woodville." He repeats. I stand up slowly and walk towards the stand, he approaches me and puts his hand on my shoulder, slowly he leans into my ear. "Speak against her and I will save you." He whispers. A few seconds that to anyone else would simply look like he was helping me up onto the stand. I process what he has just told me in my head. He wants me to speak against Elizabeth, say before everyone that she is guilty and deserves to die. He has offered me my life in return for Elizabeth's. He holds out the Bible in front of me, his eyes studying my expression, wondering whether I have made my decision yet. Obligingly I put my hand on the Bible, my soft skin lightly touching the hardness of the book.
"Do you solemnly swear to speak the truth and nothing but the truth before God?" I hesitate, my voice caught in my throat. What should I do? Does she really deserve to die?

"I do." I reply, my mind now made up. Lord Byron smiles as he puts the book down but his hand does not twitch with excitement, he must still wonder whether I will do as he asks or disobey him. He walks a few paces towards the front of the court as he prepares his first question in his head.

"Lady Woodville, you are Elizabeth's lady in waiting, her maid if you will, are you not?"

"I am." I reply, my voice a little shaky, I swallow almost in hope that it is possible I could digest my nerves.

"Tell me, when did you meet her?"

"I was ten years old, my Lord. As was she." I almost smile as I remember the first time I saw her. The silk of her bright red dress swaying with each turn of the dance.

"So you have known her for eleven years. Tell me, did Elizabeth show any signs from a young age of her hatred, jealousy and envy for her majesty the Queen?" I hesitate.

"Elizabeth... when she was young, my Lord the most important thing she cared about was beating me in a race. She would run till her cheeks were red and she was panting for air. She also cared about her studies... philosophy, mathematics, history and poetry. On the rare occasion when she did see her sister, Mary would pray with her and read her a book. They only really started falling out when Mary became Queen."

"And why is that?" He replies his hand starting to twitch at his side.

"Because... Mary sees Elizabeth as a threat." The audience starts talking quietly as they discuss what I have just spoke. My questioner opens his mouth to ask his next question but I interrupt him, catching and blowing his question into the wind before it has even been said. "Elizabeth is not the problem here. She is innocent of everything that she is accused of, in fact the only reason she is here today is because she is heir to the throne and a threat!" The crowd erupts with noise. I take a quick glance at Elizabeth and notice her staring at me, shock and love finally unmasked beneath a sheet of confidence. The Lord's start shouting as they try to hush the audience but the noise only increases.

I look down at Lord Byron his face alight with fury and anger, he points his ringed finger at me spitting threatening comments, but I ignore every one of them. Gracefully I step down from the stand and walk back to my seat as the chorus of voices hide the sound of my footsteps. The noise carries on until one of the Lord's at the front of the court stands up with his hands in the air. Slowly the noise dies down as intrigument fills the room to listen to what he has to say.

"Quiet, everyone!" He shouts. When the room is silent again he turns to Lord Byron. "My Lord, I thought your witnesses were supposed to be against her!" Lord Byron hesitates.

"Yes... forgive me, my Lord, the woman has lied or been bribed, I am sure of it." Suddenly the doors burst open at the back of the room and all our heads whip round. Queen Mary storms in, her long brown dress swaying with each step. Every head bows as she walks towards her sister. Elizabeth rises slowly from the floor and looks her sister in the eye, her stare accusing and defiant.

"Sister?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Get me the Bible." She says to Lord Byron at her side. He grabs it quickly and then puts it into her hands with a bow. "Put your hands on this." She demands. Elizabeth obeys without question. "Do you solemnly swear before God, the virgin Mary and everything that is holy that you are innocent?" Elizabeth hesitates. Will she really lie before God?

"I would never betray you." She replies, all the while keeping her eye contact strong. Everyone holds their breath with anticipation of what Mary will reply. There is a long pause as the sisters look at each other. You would not believe that they were sisters by their appearances but they both have the Tudor hunger for power which runs in every family member. Mary reaches down into her dress pocket and takes out a big piece of paper.

"Do you know what this is?" Elizabeth doesn't reply, "this is your death warrant, all I need do is sign it!" Elizabeth drops to her knees in desperation.

"Your majesty, if you do that you will be murdering your own sister!" Mary falls to her knees in front of Elizabeth and she takes her hands in hers.

"This court case, it means nothing, I simply ordered it to scare you, make you admit. Please, Elizabeth stop the hurt you are causing me."

"I am sorry, Mary if I have caused you any hurt, that was not my intention. Please, just let me go back, let me go back to Hatfield." Mary stares at her for a while. I cannot remember the last time they were so close to each other, Mary used to be kind before her hunger for power became stronger than her hunger for love and affection. after a moment she stands up, leaving Elizabeth on her knees.

"Very well. You are put under house arrest until I say otherwise." Then she turns and storms out. As soon as she is gone I get up from my seat and run to Elizabeth. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

"We are free."