A/N I'm so sorry for the time it took me to get this up. Life's not really making it easy to post anything right now but I'll try to be more frequent. Thank you to all of you who reviewed and favorited or alerted this!
Anyone who's decent at grammar and spelling and would like to beta this is very welcome to pm me:)
November 17 1523
The vigil the Queen, Lady Northumberland and Margaret Howard had kept over the Lady Rochford had not been disrupted by the many visits the King had made to her bed during the past two days. The Queen could have been quite upset that her husband was so publicly showing his love for the unconscious woman but she was too concerned and cared too much for the young woman to be upset.
On the eve of the second day of their vigil the King had been given a rapport from the head physician.
"We believe your majesty that if her Ladyship lives so will the child. In fact the child seems to be faring well, perhaps better than the Lady Rochford. On the Lady's prognosis I am afraid that there is little I can say with certainty. She has been unconscious for a long time your majesty. There is a possibility that she will not wake up. There is also the possibility that if she does wake up she will no longer be the same. Her fate lies in the hands of God." The King had nodded and the bowing physicians had quickly retreated while the King had kissed his beloved Mary on her forehead and whispered in her ear.
"Please return to me my love. Our children need you. I need you. You make me better man. Come back to me Mary." If anyone saw the King with tears in his eyes they did not comment on it and tried to give the king a semblance of privacy.
The ladies that kept their vigil said little during their stay at Mary's bedside. They usually kept their silence when they did not pray. It had been confirmed that the children were safe and that no one had harmed them. The Queen and the other ladies had been much relived by this and had decided that for the time being the children was better left in the country with extra protection out of harms way and in ignorance. The children all loved Mary so much that they preferred not to tell them before they could tell them something definite. They could not tell if it was for the children's well fare or their own inability to be able to handle questions of the nature of "what if…" they thought too much themselves about the potential outcomes to be able to face that situation with out loosing what little calm they had left.
The spirits of the ladies rose when the first sign of life from the Lady Rochford came in the night that day. At first the sight twitching of her hand went unnoticed until her sister Anne saw it. The Lady leapt from her kneeling position until she was at her sister's side taking Mary's hand in her own.
"Mary? Sister dearest can you hear me? Please come back to us. If you can hear me try to squeeze my hand." All of the ladies held their breath until a brilliant smile stretched over Lady Northumberland's face. When the Queen standing by her side with a hand upon Anne's shoulder looked at her Anne nodded unable to speak trough the tears of relief. The Queen closed her eyes and smiled slightly.
"Blessed be God." The ladies all spent a few moments cherishing their relief until the Queen realised something and quickly sent a prayer of gratefulness to God before summoning on of the chamber maids to her. The timid maid smiled brightly with the news she was to give the King and no other. She hurried away leaving the ladies with hope as the looked at the woman who was sleeping again.
The King received the news with much happiness and immediately hurried to his beloved Mary's chambers were she was no longer unconscious simply sleeping according to the doctors. The King thought she looked more peaceful now that she had some colour in her face and he knew she had been somewhat conscious. He hoped she would wake up soon but most important for him was her safe return. He knew that the doctor did not know what would have happened to her after her long time of infirmity. He prayed that she would still be Mary but either way he would honour her.
As the King spent time with Mary and in prayer the investigation of the poisoning of the Lady Rochford was well underway. The King was in a cold fury that had made the council work harder than ever before. Therefore when a timid maid stepped forward and asked to not be punished with her employers in lieu of her information the investigators happily listened to the terrified maid's story. The maid had been present for more than one incriminating discussion and it was clear that she was terrified. The investigators knew that the word of servants could be questioned but they did not doubt the maid's words. Her fear was clear and her many apologies for not stepping forward sooner made it clear that the young girl was terrified of being punished herself as she as a maid was not exempt from torture like a woman of higher status would be. However the investigators needed to move quickly. Soon they had people who despite from the maid's testimony had seen the Mister Seymour close to the kitchen shortly before the poisoning. The Mistress Jane's animosity against the Lady Rochford was also well documented as well as her wish for the Lady's death, since the Lady did not try to keep her opinions quiet if she thought people agreed with her.
Mister Seymour had spent the past few days preparing an alibi for the poisoning due to his sister's loose tongue in front of the servants. Therefore when the King's soldiers led by the duke of Suffolk came to get him he feigned ignorance and innocence.
"Your Grace can I assist you in any way?" the duke looked at him in contempt. Even if the Lady Rochford had been horrible and tried to damage other trough her position nothing excused the attempt in someone's life, especially not a regnant woman or with poison.
"Mister Seymour you are arrested on suspicion of the attempt on the Lady Rochford's life. You will be taken to the tower for further questioning." Edward's eyes widened a bit before he smiled sure that he had managed to get a watertight alibi. After all the man shared his belief so it should be alright.
"But I spent the evening discussing with Mister Cromwell. We have some common interests. Surely the man would not let me poison his mistress." The duke smiled at him coldly and a small tingle of fear started to work it way up his spine. He was sure that his alibi would hold.
"Yes mister Seymour mister Cromwell has already informed us of speaking with you during the evening of the Lady Rochford's poisoning and he also tells us that he spoke with you for less than half an hour and also that you approached him a few days later asking him to remember a longer conversation since you shared so many interests." The duke stepped forward and smiled at him threateningly.
"I would advice you mister Seymour that no matter what interests you share mister Cromwell has laid his loyalty with Lady Rochford since she is the one who can further his career. You are nothing to him except the one who tried to murder the Lady who gave him a chance to make a good life for himself." As Edward Seymour was dragged away screaming the fear exploded in him. He had been sure he could keep away from the scandal. But if Cromwell had betrayed him he would make sure to drag the man with him to the executioners block as well.
