Broken timeline - Part One

Chapter Ten - A millenial amongst Tudors

I woke up, scared, dizzy and cold. The guards didn't care if I froze to death, I had only my light leather jacket and my scarf to keep me from turning into a block of ice. The ground underneath me was hard and wet, it had rained through the night and water got through the small opening in the wall.
'If you don't die on the scaffold you'll die of pneumonia !' Shouted my mind,
Yeah well thanks for reassuring me ! Ugh I'm speaking to my brain, again...

I got up and tried to see if anyone was out there, but I couldn't see anything. Okay, now was a good time to start panicking. I needed to leave this place and try to find a way to go back in time, but I had no idea how I had even gotten here. All I know is that I was in a Church, so maybe I should start there. Maybe the Church of St Peter Ad Vincula is some sort of time travel machine. Wait... That's just plain crazy. Lot's of people have visited that place and no one has disapeared ... At least no missing reports had been filed.

I was trying to take a look at what was happening outside through the small window when one of the guards opened the door so abruptly that it made me jump.

"You are expected at Greenwich Palace this very morning, you will be taken there this instant, gather your belongings and follow me this way." He said without a hint of kindness in his voice.

I didn't answer, the last time I tried to sound smart, I ended up here and there was no way I was going to make the same mistake again. Following him meant leaving this damp smelly room so I hurried and picked up my bag, put my jacket on, wrapped my scarf around my neck and followed him outside. Three other guards were there, one of them put the chains back on my wrists, as if, with my small kitten strength, I would be strong enough to beat four bulky men.

I climbed onto the horse behind one of the guards and tried to keep myself from falling. After a forty five minute ride, we had finally arrived at Greenwich Palace. It was very impressive to see it standing in front of me. Back in 2017 it was all in ruins and only a few rooms had been excavated. But it was hard to think about admiring the architecture of the building when I was probably going to be sentenced to death by the King, and I didn't even know which one it was, since I hadn't been able to know in what period I had landed yet.

I tried to come up with a backstory last night, but without any information on my time location I couldn't think of anything. I guess I'll have to improvise and be a very good liar.

The Yoemen handed me the the palace guards. I thought that no matter the time period, security was the same. They looked at me like I was an alien. I remembered that time when the security guard looked at me like that when I had triggered the anti theft doors at Bloomingdales, because the cashier had forgotten to remove the anti theft clip on the dress that I had just bought. That time I knew that I wasn't risking anything, but today I was scared to death about what was coming for me.
After walking into the castle, keeping my head down, trying to avoid any stares, we finally stopped in front of a very large door.

The guard informed the doorman of our presence and the later entered the room, leaving us waiting outside. We could hear him behind the door, announcing loudly our presence.

"Your majesty, the woman found in the Tower has been brought here, shall I allow her in ?"
I couldn't hear a response, and after a few seconds he came back out and signaled the guard escorting me that we could enter. I hid my bag underneath my trench coat, to avoid raising any suspicions. The guard grabbed me by my arm and walked me into the room.
I was so terrified that my vision became blurry and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

I kept my head down, trying to calm myself. I was afraid to look up and see all those faces staring at me, impatiently waiting for the King's order to make two pieces of me.

'And I thought getting sent to the principal's office in high school was the worst thing that had happened to me !'

"You stand in the very presence of His Majesty, King Henry the VIII, King of England and France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of Ireland" loudly said a man.

I was in shock; before me stood a tall, muscular, redheaded man. He was at least 6 foot 5 and stared at me with piercing blue eyes.
That was King Henry the VIII.

I was in the freaking Tudor era ! I was panicked because I knew that he loved to separate people's heads from their bodies on a whim. He had a crazy temper and could accuse anyone of high treason; anyone he wanted to get rid of.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

Henry Freakin' Tudor, son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The red and white rose all embodied in this man. Beloved but feared.

OMG. This is not happening.