𝖗𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊, 𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐯

00:25

𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐁𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆. Her hands are clasped behind her back as the Archbishop talks, his lisp slurring every 's' sound he makes.

She's been listening to their degrading words for what seems like forever. "She killed a man, my liege," the Archbishop announces with an incredulous look at Henry, seeing that his other arguments have failed to move the King.

"As have I," Henry retorts, his expression blank. Elizabeth takes in his appearance, wondering again if she'll ever see her Henry again. He sits on the throne, a red cloak covering his body with a puffy white collar and a large golden necklace that hangs low. Upon his head is the crown and gone from his eyes is the mischief.

"Yes," the Archbishop says with an exasperated look at his king, "but you had reason to."

Henry leans forward. "Are you saying the Lady Elizabeth should not have defended herself and her kin from such a vile attack?"

One of the other men looks at Elizabeth. "If I may, my liege," he speaks up as he stands. "We have reports from townsfolk that the lady spent time with the man she killed. A lot of time." He gives Elizabeth a snide look, the coldness in his eyes doing nothing to Elizabeth.

She's dealt with men and their twisted beliefs that women are nothing more than decoration for their arms. Women have no place in the world other than bearing children and welcoming their husbands and fathers home with a warm meal on the table.

Elizabeth is sick of it. "I am not some trinket for men to pass around," she snaps, her glare focused on the Archbishop, who turns around with raised brows. "I have a life and I have value. Edwin was not my friend nor was he my husband. He had no right to my body, no matter what you pathetic little men believe."

The Archbishop scoffs as he looks at Elizabeth, the other men murmuring to each other as their feathers are bristled by Elizabeth's defiant words. "Lady Elizabeth," Henry says with stern look. "Please."

Elizabeth turns her glare on the King. "No. I will not sit here and listen to this blatant abuse of power. I am tired of men thinking they can use us women whenever they so please. I did nothing wrong. I defended my honor and the honor of others. If I had not acted, we all would be dead."

Elizabeth looks into the eyes of each and every one of the men adorned in red cloaks. Many give her shocked looks, other disbelieving glares. One in particular looks at her with a cool curiosity and Elizabeth recognizes him as the wheezy man who made the magic bird work at the feast.

Her eyes land on Henry's and she almost finds herself surprised by the angry look in his eyes. She knows it wasn't her place to defy him in such a way before his council, but she wasn't going to listen to those pathetic men speak any longer.