Memories of Ghosts

Five: I Should've

**WARNING: Sexual abuse is a major theme in this chapter. This is a part of history so I found it necessary to add to the story and did my best to portray Elizabeth and Arthur's reaction to this. I do not mean to offend anyone and I'm terribly sorry if I do.

Thank you all again for continuing to read this fanfiction of mine! Your views, comments, kudos, and favorites keep me going and I can't wait to see you all in the next chapter!**

20 March 1549

It took two strikes of the axe to fully behead Thomas Seymour.

Arthur was standing in his usual spot behind the wooden platform with the executioner's back towards him and the audience facing him. He didn't actually watch the decapitation (he'd seen more than enough to last a lifetime) but he did hear the strangled grunt of Thomas when the dull axe hit his neck the first time and then the sound of his head dropping into the woven basket below the second time. His eyes were glued to the set of footprints in the mud beside him, the impressions made by Thomas himself as he was ushered onto the platform a few moments ago.

The court declared him guilty of treason and Arthur couldn't agree more. The bastard was found in eleven-year-old King Edward's chamber in the middle of the night with a bloody pistol in his hand! When Arthur arrived at the scene, Thomas was wrestled out of the room while little Edward was sitting upon the floor with his shot and bleeding dog at his feet, shocked tears sliding down his face. A servant came along and wrapped her arms around the boy in attempt to comfort him as Arthur whirled back around and stormed after Thomas, demanding to know what just happened.

After many weeks of trial and interrogation, it was revealed that Thomas was attempting to kidnap the young king and to become Lord Protector. Obviously the court found this disturbing and began to question his marriage to the late Katherine Parr, wondering if he married her for the sake of gaining power. Arthur found these charges distressing as well, but surprisingly not as much as one of the other treacheries he was sentenced with.

There was a rumor that Thomas had induced rather inappropriate behavior around fifteen-year-old Lady Elizabeth and wanted to marry her off.

That was why Arthur was glaring at Thomas's footprints now with such heated anger that he could feel his fists slightly tremble. Not only was the man a power-hungry fool that attempted to abduct a small king from his own bedroom, but he was a perverted animal as well. Arthur was in the interrogation room with Sir Robert Tyrwhitt when he questioned Elizabeth. He had stood behind the old man as he asked the young lady hard and sometimes intimidating inquires. He was worried for her; he thought she would slip and stumble, panic and cry, under the harsh glare of Robert.

She had proved him wrong.

She never broke her calm composure as she responded with logical answers. Her eyes remained focused on Robert and Arthur sensed him getting frustrated with Elizabeth's intelligence for he wasn't getting the confession or evidence he needed. Although he was concerned with Elizabeth's mysterious relationship with Thomas, he couldn't help but to feel a little proud of her. I'm glad to see that Kat's teachings are becoming useful, young Elizabeth.

In the end, the only thing Elizabeth admitted that there was indeed gossip circling the idea of Thomas marrying her and how he asked about her finances and estates.

And now Thomas's head was in the bottom of a worn-out and blood-stained woven basket.

Arthur's eyes finally lifted from the ground and watched the crowd shake their heads and mumble under their breaths at the pathetic sight before them. The audience was small and consisted mainly of court members, royal servants, and a priest. He skimmed over them quickly, their expressions all the same: they contained nothing but hatred. Many turned to go and he was about to do so as well when he caught a familiar girl standing to the far left.