Henry and Cromwell stood there for a few moments, trying to comprehend what the man had just said.
Francis Bryan had poisoned Princess Mary's new husband. As much as Henry wanted to deny it he knew it was true.
The question was why?
When Henry had recovered significantly to be able to speak he ordered Cromwell to alert the entire palace and to offer a large reward for his capture, he knew it wouldn't be easy, after all, Francis was a known expert in such matters of killing and getting away with it.
****
Meanwhile Francis had left court like a coward. His plan had failed and now he would be lucky if he remained uncaptured.
He shuddered to think what would happen if he didn't.
****
Within an hour of Henry finding out that Francis was responsible for nearly killing him, the entire court was buzzing, with rumors that the poison was actually intended for Princess Mary's new husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Bavaria.
Elizabeth and Edward had been sent back to the country for their safety, while Mary and Philip remained only because Henry didn't want them out of his sight.
They had been married nearly a week and they still hadn't spent anytime together.
Mary had been shocked, but not surprised when she heard that Francis was the one who poisoned Philip. But now that he had disappeared,( or at least temporarily), hopefully they could act like a real married couple.
They weren't the only ones who were acting like a married couple; Mary had noticed that the King had been more attentive to his Queen of late. Could it be that her father was falling in love with Anne at last?
With the uproar that the King's poisoning attempt had caused, she had not even had a chance to move into the new chambers that she would be occupying with Philip. Soon they would capture Bryan and Mary was sure that this scandal would be forgotten.
For the moment, (though Philip was still concerned about Francis and refused to let Mary out of his sight) she had more important things to worry about.
Like becoming a wife, once and for all.
Yes, she and Philip had yet to consummate their marriage.
Mary had been preparing for this moment for most of her life but even her knowledge of the bedroom (which was lacking to say the least) could not hope to compare to the real thing.
So, yes, she was nervous to say the least.
****
But eventually she couldn't put it off any longer.
All is quiet the first night that he finally enters their new chambers.
She is already waiting, trying to look like she's not nervous, but failing miserably.
" Mary?" Philip asked, concerned.
" We don't have to do this tonight you know. I understand if you need time."
And with that sentence, uttered by the most perfect man in the world, she pounces, kissing him fiercely with equal amounts of fear and passion.
Mary knows she won't die a virgin now.
She knows that she is loved.
****
He was running out of options.
Francis had hoped that in time this would all be forgotten, but instead it was only growing worse.
He had many loyal informants that he had bribed or employed for years, but even his own family wouldn't help him.
His only option now, as much as he hated to even consider it was to admit defeat and give himself up, hoping that the King would take pity of him.
Considering that the man who he was referring to had killed many innocent people if not directly then indirectly, including Mary's own mother and his first wife the former Queen of England through neglect then he didn't have much of a chance.
Francis knew he couldn't of kept it up much longer anyway, after all, he may have been a fool, considering he was about to die for a girl whom he would have never obtained, but at least he wasn't a coward.
He would face his death, and, if he was lucky, it would be quick.
****
Cromwell sighed with relief. He had just been informed that Francis Bryan had given himself up and was currently in The Tower on the orders of the King. He could have killed Bryan himself with all the trouble he had caused Cromwell recently and he was on thin ice as it was. The King already hated him due to the fiasco of the Cleves marriage and with Edward Seymour, the brother of the King's beloved Queen, Jane, Charles Brandon, his longtime bestfriend and Princess Mary's recent return to favor, he was on very thin ice indeed. This was one less thing he had to worry about, but all the same, he was still troubled, particularly by the King's heretic eldest daughter, but for the moment, there was nothing he could do about her.
Not yet anyway.
****
It had not even been 24 hours after Mary and Philip had consummated their marriage and Mary had already received the news that Francis Bryan had been captured.
"Will they kill him?" she questioned her husband the next day.
"Perhaps, if the King wishes, after all the punishment for regicide is death Mary" Philip reminded her.
Mary was not a cruel person by nature, but anyone who had attempted to kill her husband and almost killed her father, the King, by her reckoning could not be allowed to remain alive. Especially given his odd behavior, the man had no scruples and Mary knew that if he could attempt to kill once then he could certainly try again.
And she was not prepared to risk it.
Sir Francis must die.
****
"Your Majesty" Francis managed a grin, depsite being chained to the wall.
" I don't understand Francis, why would you try and poison my daughter's husband? What do you have against him?" Henry said, looking at him sadly.
Bryan was silent for a moment before he said so quietly that Henry could almost pretend he didn't hear him.
" I have fallen to victim to the deadly disease known as love. What a fool I am."
" You know you will have to die Francis. I cannot allow an attempt on my life or on the life of someone in my family to go unpunished." He said eventually.
" I know Henry, but Henry, could you do me a favor?" Francis grinned again.
" A favor?" Henry frowned.
Francis cleared his throat and tried to avoid breaking down.
" Make it quick."
Henry nodded, his eyes hard as Francis began to laugh, his laughter could still be heard as Henry hastily made his way out of The Tower.
****
It seemed as though not a day had passed since Francis Bryan had been captured, but in fact it was well over a week when the King finally set the date for the execution.
Mary didn't go. She avoided violence whenever possible, the only time she had ever wanted to see someone executed was at Anne Boleyn's execution. So Philip despite his protests, went without her. Mary shuddered to think of how many people had died on the block of wood that Francis was about to be executed on today, so many lives lost….
Anne Boleyn(although she had to admit that she didn't exactly mind that), the Countess of Salisbury her old governess,Thomas More, Bishop Fisher, Robert Aske… and then there were people who had died as a result of his negligence, like her mother, her beloved mother…
Mary knew that what she thought was treason, but she also knew that it was true.
She didn't need to see an execution; she already had enough death in her life as it was.
****
Meanwhile Francis was preparing for the most important moment in his life and ironically enough, it was his death. He wasn't one for a fancy speech, nor was he one to praise the King who was about to kill him, so in true Francis fashion he simply spoke his mind.
" People of England. Now that it is my time to die, although not in my bed as I had hoped, I can finally speak my mind. Beware the King of England, for he will not stop until he has destroyed evey last one of you with his wickedness and greed."
Before the shocked King and court could react however, he continued.
"And to the Princess Mary, though I have fallen victim to her sweet and addictive nature and the power of her position and am about to pay for it with my life, I tell the King that he must look after the precious jewel, his eldest daughter, for if she can make a man like me fall for her with a few sweet words and nothing more, then there is no telling what she can do for England."
The King glared at him with hate but nodded nonetheless. After all, had he not always done his best to look after his daughter? But he knew that in regards to Mary at least, he meant well.
Meanwhile the rest of the court stared in shock at the words Bryan, a well known womanizer, with a heart as black as coal had just spoken, as well as the way of which he had spoken of the King and before any of them had time to react, Bryan had knelt down upon the block and spread his arms.
With one whack it was done.
Sir Francis Bryan was dead.
