Author's Note:

Hi everyone, and welcome to a little oneshot I decided to put together for the 483rd anniversary of Anne Boleyn's passing. It might not be the best, but I hope it's a decent enough tribute to her. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Tudors or Dying Light. All rights go to the original owners.

Survivor

Dedicated to:

Anne Boleyn (1507 - May 19, 1536)

Queen Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533 - March 26, 1603)

...

History was one of my favourite subjects and also the only time I tolerated school. It allowed me to escape from my bullies and enter the Tudor era of England where I was able to learn about what it was like back then, the events that occurred and the historical figures. Two of them in particular, Anne Boleyn & her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, became my favourite Queens and whenever the anniversaries of their deaths came, I always took an opportunity to remember them.

Today was no exception.

I suppose I should introduce myself before we continue. My name is Libby Mason, I'm seventeen years old and to other people, I'm just your average teenager who was born and raised in England. But I'm actually not because I'm on the autistic spectrum and I suffer from two conditions; hearing loss and social anxiety. This affects how I function in everyday life, such as socialising and building a connection with people. Sure, some of the kids in school gave me a chance and I gladly took every one. But...they didn't work out, they never did and that's made my anxiety worse over the years.

Well, at least I had my parents by my side to help me cope … that is, until four months ago. My younger brother and two sisters are family members too, though they would appear in spirit because ... they passed away before we got to know them.

It's now May 19, 2016, and that marks the 480th anniversary of Anne's execution. My Mum would always take me to the Tower of London where we'd pay our respects to Anne at the Church of St. Peter ad Vincula. The two of us would sometimes bring flowers and little messages to say Hello and express hope that she was in a much better place with Elizabeth and her family. We would also occasionally pay visits some of the latter in question, one example being Catherine Howard. It felt very alarming to discover that she was the same age as me when she married Henry VIII and that she was just 19 years old when he subjected her to the same fate as Anne.

Neither of them deserved to be executed...! If anything, Henry deserved to be on the scaffold because of his egotism and arrogance!

Despite the horrible events that occurred, I admired that Anne held her head high and soldiered on. If she could survive in such harsh environments for as long as she did and not let her enemies bring her down, then... maybe I could too? And, I did! I followed her example by mustering the strength to soldier through school drama and adjusting to a new life in Turkey, and I'd like to think I managed decently enough.

But after a sudden event, I needed to follow her example more than ever...

Why? Because a pandemic infection popped out of the blue four months back, and … and there were so much chaos when it happened! The infected ripping citizens apart, the bloody sights and families getting separated - some thankfully being evacuated to the United States and others unfortunately being left behind to get imprisoned by a Quarantine Wall!

And like most children separated from their families, I too was separated from mine...

Since then, I mustered the strength to solider through so many events that nobody should ever have to endure; working together with complete strangers (who would later become my second family), killing the infected, fighting Rais and his gang of bandits, being lied to and recovering from the losses of loved ones. The latter affects me most of all, so much so that I often wonder how Elizabeth coped with the loss of her mother...

Did she... did she have nightmares about it? Was she able to cope okay?!

"Please do not weep for us, child,"

A gentle voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I frantically glanced around for the source, just now becoming aware of the sensation of tears brimming, my chest heaving painfully and my glitched breathing. Oh nonononono! "H-Hello?"

The area I sat in, the Tower's base of operations, had a large space with a mildly dark green wallpaper, multiple framed paintings and a lighter brown floor. It also had the small standard kitchen far to the left and on the right sat a dark chair, matching crates (with tall bookshelves) and a lighter table with sheets of the Scouts' mission plans strewn over it. The final pieces of furniture consisted of a black television sitting on a table near the bookshelves. It flashed images of an adorable elephant on a blue screen and informing everyone of the dangers in the quarantine and the night in a child-like nature.

Good method to help the children learn about the virus.

"W-Who am I speaking to?!" I choked out, struggling to calm my rapidly growing anxiety.

As if to answer my question, a deep red soon pooled around the floor in front of me and it didn't take long for a pair of kind brown eyes to lock with my emerald ones, the latter bulging with shock when I realised who my visitor was. My Queen! She looks just as beautiful as I imagined!

Anne's spirit knelt in a magnificent crimson gown and the sunlight reflected her signature B pendant perfectly. "Do not be afraid. For I am at peace with my darling daughter and my family. The loved ones you've lost are at peace with us, and not all of us will die."

Oh...! I'm so glad that you and everyone else are well!

Her Majesty's pleased smile (upon witnessing my relief) faded into a worried glance when she took notice of the deep purple-red scars on my arms, prompting me to mentally push the memory of that event back and force a reassuring grin to paint my face. Please don't be alarmed, My Queen. I'm used to this by now, anyway.

Anne sensed my thoughts and responded with an understanding, yet sympathetic smile. "I hope that you will find peace one day, too."

I hope for that as well, though it will be very difficult to search for... I opened my mouth to thank her, when all of a sudden...

"Libby?"

Turning towards the Headquarters' front doors, I saw Kyle leaning against the frame with concern. "You okay, kiddo?"

Before I answered, I glanced back to where Anne knelt … only to see nothing. She's gone... "She was just here..." I found myself murmuring.

"Who was just here?" Kyle questioned worriedly, walking over to sit next to me.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," I reassured him, grinning as I continued. "I may have just received a visit from someone who I look up to,"

Hearing this, my paternal figure flashed an intrigued look. "Oh, that's interesting. Will I have heard about her?"

"If you've looked into England's history, then yes." I answered happily. "Both she and her daughter are survivors like us, though the circumstances back then were a lot different than our situation,"

But despite their respective ordeals, Mother & Daughter prevailed and they'll always be remembered...