Warning Sign

A warning sign
I missed the good part, then I realized
I started looking and the bubble burst
I started looking for excuses

Seymour's surly glance at the left, Brandon's sadistically amused one at the right, the echo of the King's screams in the ears and the ill-concealed unhappiness of the new Queen still in front of his eyes: that was what Thomas Cromwell could tell at ten o'clock in the morning. Good way to start a day.

Days seemed more and more long and he was more and more tired; he felt his power, that were already standing upon fragile bases, sway every minute a little more and his last move, promoting the King's marriage with Anna of Cleves, has become a complete disaster. God was punishing him maybe, and in the meanwhile his own conscience was punishing him to have risked too much. He closed the door at his back and closed his eyes for a moment.

Even that 13 April would have been a normal day.

You came back to haunt me, and I realized
That you were an island and I passed you by
And you were an island to discover

Two goblets of hot wine, hot as was at the moment her hand that he was keeping in his own and Catherine's sweet eyes in front of him: that was what Thomas Cromwell could tell at eight o'clock in the evening. Good way to finish a day, and there was no irony this time.

Enemies or friends? It was hard to say in the sudden change in their relationship during those four months since the coronation of Anne, the new Anne. Then they met a compromise, they were adversaries, a word that meant nothing and everything at the same time. They had their own opinions, they kept their contrasts, but they found a contact: they could not hate each other for a while, they could spend some time together, they could spend that evening together.

And maybe that 13 April would have had something special.

Come on in,
I've got to tell you what a state I'm in
I've got to tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign…

Catherine's hand moved away and reached the goblet. The one of his guest was still completely full.

"You can drink it, it is not poisoned" she invited him, slightly ironic, breaking the silence in which they were unusually absorbed.

Thomas made a hint of a smile at that bitter joke, took the goblet and approach it to his lips, then he changed his mind and put it again on the table.

"I am afraid that the King wants to kill me" he finally said with a sigh, too tired to hide his tiredness.

Catherine looked down for a moment at that statement, so surprisingly sincere, so terribly possible.

"He appointed you Earl" she simply noted then, as if that fact was a guarantee for the future.

But things weren't that way and they both knew that. It could have perfectly been Henry's last joke, the last defeat for the ones who wanted Cromwell dead, the last victory for a man who had gained more than he could have ever hoped to ask for.

It was an unexpected gift, an unexplainable mystery, maybe a warning sign.

When the truth is, I miss you
Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so

The danger and the fear of prison and death weighted on him, and yet in that moment have disappeared. It wasn't often to happen, but sometimes he felt better, almost fine, and it was unusual to note that most of the times, she was there when it happened. The truth was that he missed seeing her figure in the Palace and he missed the little talks. The truth was that maybe he missed just her.

"But, my lady, what did you want to tell me?" Thomas asked, remembering suddenly that he wasn't the one to ask for that meeting.

"Nothing…" she whispered "I just wanted to say happy birthday…" added then giving him one of her best smiles.

And he took all the time to observe that smile. Because it was a too clear answer, even if not at the question he was looking for. It was the warning sign that he really missed her.

Here I am with the new chapter! This one was with the song "Warning sign". Since we don't know the day when he was born, I invented the 13 April as his birthday!

See you soon (let's hope!)