The Seventh Queen (On Hold: Revising)

The Seventh Queen

(C)Kelcey Winn

May 19,1536

Gathered amongst the crowd of the English subjects were the corrupters; the deceivers. Anne knew this as she walked out of the Tower of London to face her death. The one thing she had known she could not avoid. All eyes were wet with sadness and vengeance. All eyes watched her. She should have known death would be her end. She had after all convinced the King she would be capable of giving him a son. The failure to do so had been her demise. Questions arose in her mind as she walked towards the Tower Green. Had Henry ever really loved her? Had she ever truly known love from her former king? Memory suggested otherwise to the silent queen.

Xxxxxxx

The counsel and parliament members stood as Anne was ushered into the Tower of London. She had been bound with chains and knew nothing of what she was bound for. All eyes that fell upon her were accusing; hateful. All around her sat her destroyers. She almost let a smile feed her lips with poison. This was how it was to end.

Thomas Cromwell was at the head of the table. His eyes full of lust for power and hunger for blood. She ventured her gaze around the room. Surprisingly she found Henry staring at her from the far right corner of the room. He faced her with a cold, unloving stare. She almost let out a cry, but held it back. She would show she had not been beaten down by the king and his pawns. She would be strong. But at the moment of her decision for strength she collapsed upon the floor in pure exhaustion. She had not been given much time for recovery from her miscarriage. The ordeal had weakened her. Almost killed her.

"Where is my father?" she demanded as she pulled herself from the floor. "Where is my brother?" she looked around the room once more. Her eyes pierced each man's heart with anger and spite, "And on what charges have I been brought here for?"

None of the accusers answered her. All shuddered around her from the bite in her words; the steely glare she had produced even when upset. She was the queen that the country had needed. She was here for reasons she did not know. She looked around once more; challenging any of them to accuse her. She found Henry's eyes again. He cast his stare away from her. His eyes did not want to gaze upon her. She felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach. Clutching the bottom of her stomach, she let out a soft sob. Soft enough for her husband to hear. No, she would find no love in this room. For in the end she would have to endure this alone.

"Your Majesty," she spoke choosing her next words carefully. She watched as his gaze came back to her. A faint hint of emotion in his eyes, "Come try one more time with me. This time I am certain you will have your son."

She watched him clinch his hands into fists and pound against the arm of the royal chair. His face contorted into a mess of angry lines as he contemplated her words. She had lost it. His love had finally turned into hate against her.

"Silence your tongue!" Henry bellowed, "You have done too much of your seducing for the last few years. Your bewitching has come to an end. Be silent."

She thought she saw a small smile cross Thomas' face. She hung her head. Her mouth slipped into a tight line as she pressed back her final words. She had been defeated; beaten down into the pits of hell. She heard the squeak of chair legs as someone was preparing to leave the room. She looked back up only to be inches from her former lover. He moved to touch her. The effort it seemed to her was hard for him. He hesitated then finally let his fingers caress her bottom lip. The gesture was one he had done when they had first known each other. The gesture of his love towards her. She felt him pull away and push past her and leave from the room. A tear rolled down her cheek. Her fears finally lay to rest with his departure.

She collapsed from the intense pain of abandonment. She had been thrown away like Katherine of Aragorn. Another useless toy to the king. Had this been how Katherine had felt when the king had announced his divorce from her? She would never know. She heard a throat clear and immediately she brought her eyes up. Thomas Cromwell was smirking down at her from his seat.