Anne May 17th 1536
"This is it then" I ask Master Kingston,
"This is the day that the King has ordered my brothers death?"
"Yes madam" he smirks cruelly.
"As well as four other men?" I question him.
He nods.
He sets down my food and then leaves me to my fate.
I have only a few ladies left to attend to me, and together we begin to pray for George, Francis, Mark, Henry and Thomas, as one by one they are led to the block to die.
George May 17th 1536
This is it; this is the day that I George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, brother of the Queen of England is destined to die. Yet strangely I feel little regret, I feel regret only for my sister Anne and the four men, whom I were once proud to call my friends they must now go to their deaths for my folly. I do not think I can bear to watch as one by one they are led to die. But still I watch as the four men go before the block and have their heads chopped off. Then it is my turn, I climb shakily up those wooden steps and I make a short speech.
"Since this is my last day on earth I must confess, I have never engaged in any relations with men, nor with my sister Queen Anne"
I tell the crowd, who boo and hiss at me, I can tell they do not believe a word I have said, just as they will not believe a word Anne says either After the shouts die down I lay my head upon the block and I close my eyes and try hard to remember a happier time when we were simply the three Boleyns the most favored courtiers in King Henry's court, when Katherine was still Queen, But not any more, we made this bed and now we must lie in it. I think to myself as I spread out my arms and hear the axe, slicing through the air…
Mary May 17th 1536
This is it, the day that the whole country has been waiting for; it was the day that my beloved George and four other innocent men were to die. While my sister Anne wasn't fairing much better, her death was also immanent. Out of us Boleyn's I was the luckiest, my mother and father were poor and dying of heartbreak what with two of their children locked up in the tower, sentenced to death. But I did not feel lucky, here I was riding off into the sunset with my husband William Stafford, baby Anne, Catherine and my son Henry. While my siblings remained in the tower living on borrowed time. As I rode away from the tower, I had one last glance up at the window. Anne waved at me, and I waved back knowing that she understood that I could not live with myself for leaving but at the same time, I dared not stay.
Anne May 17th 1536
They leave my brother until last. Being a lord, he is entitled to make a speech, however to my intense disappointment I cannot hear it. I look out the window at my brother and watch as he stumbles up the wooden steps and lays his head down upon the block, I wipe away the tears that are falling down my cheeks but I do not look away, afraid that if I do so I may never be able to look back. Finally as his head is on the block, he glances up at my window and though he cannot see me, he knows I am there and he smiles that secretive, cunning, mischievous Boleyn smile for the last time as he spreads his arms out and the executioner swings his axe. I look away from the window as I here the thud and then again and again until finally the Boleyn boy, the precious heir is dead.
I am alone in a bed of my own making.
Mary 19thof May 1536
As we ride slowly away from the tower a million memories of yesteryear run through my mind, William knows better than to interrupt me when I am in this mood, especially today. I have not seen my father and mother since Anne and George were arrested, or my uncle. I think they have been banished, which is not surprising. I think back to a few short years ago, how happy we all were. Anne was Queen of England and pregnant, father, uncle and George were being elevated to Viscount's and Lords as well as being knighted so they were happy, mother wasn't exactly thrilled about the situation but she was happy enough. As for me although in someway I still loved the King, I had finally began to realize exactly what I felt for William. I remembered back to our childhood, our time in France, the games we used to play together, the fun we had. Sure we had some tough times over the years, particularly Anne and I but we were still a family. I remembered when Henry loved Anne with a burning passion, when she was his life and his reason to go on living.
Then Anne had those miscarriages and our perfect world began to crumble.
It broke my heart to leave Anne and at the same time break my promise to her, to care for Elizabeth, but I knew she understood, I had my own family to care for now and while he might not love Elizabeth very much at the moment, I knew the King would care for her.
I sent up a prayer to God to look after Elizabeth and the immortal souls of Anne and George.
I knew I would never see any of them again; it was time for me to move on with my life, in memory of the brother and sister I had lost, I would never forget them, I vowed to myself as our small family rode off into the sunset and into the unknown.
Anne May 19th 1536
Today is the day I am destined to die as Master Kingston escorts me from the room I hear my ladies weeping behind me, but I am strangely calm. I saw how calm my brother was when he laid his head upon the block and I vow I shall be as calm. My execution was supposed to be yesterday but the executioner that the King in his infinite mercy has granted me from Calais had not yet arrived. They say he is very good. All I want is for this to be over, there is nothing I regret in this life except being denied the chance to be with my daughter, but I know that she will grow up to be a fine Princess without me in her life and that someday others will tell her that her mother was brave and proud as she walked up to the block. That thought comforts me as I walk up those same steps that my brother walked up not two days ago.
I walk up to the block and remove my cloak and my necklace, and then the crowd quiets down as I begin to make my speech. After a few minutes when I have finished my speech to the crowd I tell the executioner.
"I pray you sir that you should be swift as I have only a little neck"
And with that I close my eyes and begin pray to the Lord to look after my daughter and my family. I hear the fine sword slicing through the air and I take my last breathe.
And think of them.