The King's Favourite

Actions Have Consequences

A few days had passed since the incident and both Henry and Anne had recovered with help from each other. Anne had recovered mentally but the red marks on her body had not- thankfully the Court accepted these as a result of an over passionate bedroom experience. Henry had recovered with a new determination to marry Anne, partly as an apology, wholly for love.

Henry and Anne were sitting side by side listening to the music played for them by Jane Seymour when Henry turned to Anne and whispers "I have something to attend too. I will return soon." before getting up and leaving. Anne knew he would return and wasn't worried, she didn't know however of his sudden idea.

Henry stormed into a room where Katherine and her ladies were sitting doing delicate embroidery. Katherine was sat in the middle of the room and was talking to her ladies as she sewed- she was taken aback by the sudden entry of her husband.

Henry pointed at Katherine and yelled "This woman is accused of paying someone to harm another. She was jealous of my love for my mistress-Anne- and paid someone to harm her. Arrest her at once!"

Katherine was even more shocked by this sudden action then the arrival of Henry. The guards entered the room and looked at one another with a confused expression, had the King really just ordered the arrest of his wife.

"Well don't just stand there. Arrest her!" bellowed Henry with a finger pointing at his wife.

Katherine was approached by the guards and was ordered to follow them to the tower of London. She yelled for her innocence but remained graceful and with dignity as she walked past her betraying husband

"Do I not please you?" she called in her harsh Spanish accent "I have done nothing to Mistress Boleyn."

Henry was proud of his ingenious idea but hadn't decided what the next part of it would be. He didn't want Katherine executed as she was innocent of the crime he had framed her for. The King hadn't expected it to go so well but felt slightly guilty to be arresting his innocent wife. He left Katherine's ladies in shock as he left the room. Henry wanted to think of a plan to remove Katherine without her being executed, he had made a suitable start but needed to plan his scheme in more depth. There was a route he could take that lead back from the queens rooms to the throne room, it was perfect for deciding on a plan and offered beautiful scenery whist he walked along through the gardens.

The route took around 10 minutes and Henry had formed a plan. But when he arrived back to the throne room, the music wasn't playing and the floor was covered with servants. However, the change that worried Henry most was the absence of Anne.

Henry walked up to where the servants were gathering of the ground

"Where is Mistress Boleyn?" he ordered.

A young servant of about 15 years rose from the floor and curtseyed to the King. She was wearing the castle servants uniform of a brown dress with an apron and held a stained rag in her hand.

"Your majesty" she began "Mistress Boleyn had a dizzy spell and suddenly got very hot, she was sick on the floor and her dress before running out of the room."

"Sick?" the King questioned.

"Indeed your majesty, and she was so awfully embarrassed by it" replied the servant before being thanked for the information by the King. She returned to scrubbing the floor as the King ran out of the quiet room.

Henry ran straight to Anne's chambers, he knocked on the door.

"Come in" came a timid and weak voice.

Henry entered the room and caught sight of Anne, she was sitting on the floor by her bed crying. A chamber pot sat full of yet more sick and her dress was ruined. Anne looked a state with her pale skin and puffy eyes but was pleased to see Henry.