The last goodbye
He entered the room slowly. No noise, except the steps of the only lady that was leaving. No words, only the surprised expression on the former Queen's face. But she wasn't really surprised after all. She looked up to meet her guest's eyes and immediately looked down again, but for Thomas More that moment had been enough to get a glimpse of an unpleasing detail: Catherine had been crying and seeing those tears seemed to him like receiving a stab wound in the chest. A stab wound that had pushed him to step forward and take her hand in his. He would have wanted to do more, but he didn't dare.
"Can I…"
The question he was about to ask remained incomplete between his lips, while the hand he had raised remained half-open between air and her cheek. She didn't make him finish and fall into his arms. She crossed the line. He held her, while she kept her head on his shoulder and then he stroked her hair while he could feel her starting to cry again.
"Thomas…" she whispered suddenly, pulling slightly away.
No Sir before, no last name after, just Thomas, as she called her when they were alone, like in that moment. They stared at each other for some moments, finding themselves tempted by that new closeness between them, that inevitably led one to look the other's lips.
"Stop me" Thomas begged, while he could feel now his conscience crumble in front of the emotion that was leading him to break that short distance.
Catherine didn't answer and prey of that same emotion, she crossed the line, again, a bit more. She put her lips upon his, discovering his taste in that first kiss, hanging on that contact as pure oxygen, because they both knew it would also be the last one. It was a kiss that had the taste of regret and despair, but that let shining through all the love and the desire they were feeling, not even them knowing how much. Then suddenly, she raised a hand and gently moved him aside to see him again. The passion didn't make her forget the context and that taste of life didn't make her forget the death threatening them, especially him for now.
"Sign that oath, please" she found herself saying with a frantic voice.
Thomas took a step back and looked at her with widened eyes; he just couldn't believe his own ears.
"You can not asking for that, not you…" he murmured astonished, shaking his head.
"But do not you understand?" she interrupted him "I can not.. I can not loose you too!" she admitted, looking down after that surprising consideration.
"Catherine…" it was just a whisper, while a sweet smile appeared on the former lord chancellor's lips and a hand went to stroke, without hesitation now, the cheek of the woman he was undeniably in love with.
"Just do it, please" she repeated, looking at him again.
"I can not, you know I can not" he answered simply, keeping on stroking gently her cheek.
A sob escaped Catherine's lips seeing that last glimpse of hope falling to pieces, realizing it was for real the last time she saw him alive. He approached her again and a moment after they were kissing again, suddenly unable to stay apart, even if for that short moment all for them.
"We will see again soon" Thomas said unexpectedly calm "And we will be together for ever then"
Catherine looked at him confused for a moment, but then she understood and nodded, letting lull herself in that last embrace.
It was the taste of Paradise that was waiting for them.