"No sacrifice can make atonement again
The blood is on your hands, you should be ashamed ...
This to you I pledge, take your final step
You listen to the snake, I take the final blame..." ~My Name by Charlie Mann

Thomas Henry and Anne Katherine bowed their heads to their aunt, the Princess of Wales and her husband. She looked magnificent and so tall. Their aunts were not so tall. Meg Giggs was, at first glance but the closer they got to her they realized she was not.

Perhaps we are being over-dramatic. Anne thought and then whispered to her brother when their backs had turned and they held each others' hands and began to walk, following their elders to the king's study.

"I think we are not. Uncle Harry is tall too." He remarked, squeezing her hand tighter. They had always been together. They had not met their royal uncles and aunts until now. Now they would meet their other grandfather.

Thomas More had never been present, except when they had been sick and he visited them, praying to the silver crucifix he placed on their drawer, asking God to heal them. That was the only time he had bee present. Other days, he was there but he was absent. It was hard to explain, he just wasn't there-there. He barely greeted them, he just sat there at the breakfast and dinner table turning to his visiting children, their aunts and uncle, asking them to say Grace instead.

Now, it is different. We will finally be where we belong.

Since they had use of reason, they were told how important they were and when their grandfather was arguing with their step-grandmother Alice, they heard him tell her the real reason why they couldn't go anywhere. "They are royals Alice. Royal offspring of a bastard royal but royals nonetheless. If Harry wants to see them, he can come right here!" Step-grandmother Alice shook her head. "You are being insensitive Thomas. How long before they start to ask questions 'why don't I get to see my other grandfather?' or 'how did mommy and daddy die?' You've alienated them more by keeping them ignorant."
"I would rather they were ignorant wife!" He yelled with spite, surprising her. "Than being used, abused and worse, killed like they were animals.
She stood up abruptly and walked over to him. "That won't happen to them Thomas and you know it. Why can't you say the real reason why you are afraid? I know you love them but you refuse to look at them. I have seen how you turn away every time they look at you or bury your nose in a book when they come asking for help ..." She sighed. "Now, I know how much you blame yourself for her death but it is time to move on Thomas. God is not punishing you anymore than He is punishing them. What happened, happened. And there is nothing you can do to change it. See them Thomas, they remind me a lot of you every time I see them. They draw you constantly and have read your entire books and translated it to Latin. They are still waiting for your review."
Their grandfather said nothing. He moved closer to the door and they ran away, back to their rooms where they got on their beds and pretended to be asleep.

Their aunts, Meg and Meg Roper told them it would be fine, their royal grandfather would love them. But it was not him they were scared of. It was his Queen. Their father had been her stepson, her aunt's son. Would she look good on the offspring of her husband's bastard son?

They gulped as they both shared the same thoughts and squeezed -if that was possible- even tighter.

The royal steward hit his staff on the floor, announcing everyone's presence. They curtsied and kept their eyes glued to the ground as they were told by Sir Cromwell to walk forward. Two steps. Four steps then a fifth step and they stopped.

The steward had called them lord and lady but they never felt like a lord and lady. Thomas was told he was a Marquis but he was always treated the same in the More household and taught his status made him no better than anyone.

Their grandfather got down from his chair, he ordered them to look at him. They slowly raised their eyes.

The king was even taller than Harry and Anne. He was a giant! Golden auburn hair, elegant voice, soft and refined yet stern too, and his eyes a beautiful dark grey like theirs.

"Your Majesty." They said again, breaking the silence.

He smiled. "You are very tall for your age. Is that the medal of saint Thomas Beckett in your wrist?"

Thomas Henry nodded.

He touched the boy's wrist. "It's a beautiful craftsmanship, personally I don't see the reason of worshipping such a man. My son your uncle has pointed out the many dangers in doing that."

Mary Tudor rolled her eyes. Her father was taunting. Playful taunting. But taunting nonetheless. The poor boy looked like a poor defenseless mouse, very pathetic. He will wet his breeches. She thought. To everyone's great relief though, he did not. Thomas Henry said confidently taking the medal from his wrist with his other hand and putting it on top of his sleeve. "You can have it then Your Majesty to fill your treasury, I do not like it either but I thought you would."

Henry laughed at the boy's reply. "What made you think that?"

Thomas Henry turned to his sister. Anne answered for him. "We heard that you gave thanks many times to the shrine of St. Thomas Beckett at Canterbury Your Majesty. We wanted to impress you."

"We did not mean to look disrespectful." Thomas added.

"You did not displease him. It's a beautiful medal and you are very smart if you are looking for ways to impress your grandfather at this age. Tell me which one of you can say the Lord's prayer in Latin faster?"

"Father I do not think-" Harry began but Henry shushed him. He was having a lot of fun with his grandchildren, they were bold and displaying great intelligence at their age.

Queen Eleanor, nobody noticed except for Cromwell, squeezed her hand, digging her nails into the handle of the royal armchair. Her lady mother had been right. If she had not been such a sentimental fool, she would have gone ahead with the plan and not only relish in ridding herself of her cousin and his wife, but also Anne who would have no one to testify had been present in her marriage. And those two brats, she would have seen to them working in her household as her servants.

Thomas Cromwell pitied the king's eldest grandchildren. The cogs in the Queen's brains were already turning, thinking of new ways she would make these two children responsible for her misery.

It was no wonder why the King tired of her. That dark thought had been festering in his mind for years since he was part of the Burgers council, and when he came into service with Wolsey and even today when he served the King directly. The Princess of Wales was a great respite from the Queen, she would occupy her position one day and when that happened, England would embrace the true faith openly at last. But Thomas wasn't blind, he did not want a fanatic state like the more zealots of his faith wanted. He wanted an England that was free of the papacy and other foreign powers. The type of England that he knew future Queen Anne envisioned.

What if she goes back on her promise? He recalled the time she was with her ladies. He had come to tell her that the King would be receiving his grandchildren and she was pleased to hear that. Then she told him that his former master had always favored a French alliance as she, but with the winds ever changing direction, her lord husband had talked about an alliance with the Empire or one of the territories rebellious to his uncle's dominions. He was quite surprised to hear it, but then the Prince of Wales was a reasonable young man and if what the Princess said was true, then he would support in the future an alliance with the German league when he and others proposed it. Of course, things changes as the Princess said. And Anne Boleyn came from a very ambitious family, they would switch allegiances if it meant more titles and staying in the Prince and the King's favor.

"What else do you dislike my little lord? Tell me. You and your sister come sit with me." Queen Eleanor told his servants to bring two extra chairs for the pair of children before her husband did. The rest of the royal family sat on the other chairs in the room. Her cousins Mary and her husband-to-be Duke of Bavaria on the King's left, their backs facing the wall. With them were her sons, at her right was her daughter Princess Joanna with her half sister, lady Isabella. She still wore that brooch that said empress.
She really thinks she will be empress. She doesn't know my brother. He will never love someone like her. Fuck her maybe, fuck her senseless as he fucks our cousin and sister in law Isabel, but he will never love her. Her brother Charles loved her. Ferdinand was ultra Spanish, he called himself prudent and boasted of his good will to whoever he met. She loved him because he represented all the good in the world until she came here and she heard the rumors of their elder brother bedding his pretty little wife, their cousin Isabel of Avis. And all her respect for him was gone. You need more than a good heart to succeed in this world. Her mother told her in one of her letters.
Charles had always been the one who took after their parents and their grandfather Fernando, Ferdinand's namesake. Ferdinand was too good and too stupid. He was lucky not to lock up Isabel in a tower like other men would have if they discovered their wives cheating on them. With his love of Isabel, she would be Ferdinand's light to guide him out of the darkness and help him rule Spain after their mother died.
Watching Bella again, Nor could not help but see the similarities in character between her and her youngest brother. She would have been better suited for Ferdinand than for Charles, but that is how fate wanted it.

Poor girl, she thought again. Charles will devour, use her, bed her and once he puts a son in her, he will forget about her and return to Isabel.

Nor would let the girl day-dream. She deserved a little happiness before the storm.

"And the grandfather told us we could not go out because it was dangerous and we could get sick again." Thomas Henry told his royal grandfather moving the chess piece one square forward.

Henry chuckled. Thomas More had become the mother hen. Who would have known! He slapped his hand on the table. Anne Katherine smiled and imitated him.

"Tell me, did you listen or you snuck from your grandpa's watchful eye?"

"It wasn't my idea. Annie said lord grandfather said we could."

"No, I did not." Annie said.

"Yes you did."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes, yes you did and I call you double liar. Ha, ha!" He said smirking in triumph. Annie pushed her tongue out.

Henry roared with laughter. The two reminded him of himself and Mary when they would fight over the most menial things. "Stop you are going to kill your poor grandpa from laughter." He said. A big grin appeared on his face . The two started arguing again.

Henry turned the conversation around by telling Thomas Henry it was his turn to move his piece since he had already done so with his Queen.

"Check mate again." He said with triumph.

Henry could not argue with that. He had left his king unguarded to see how good the boy was, and he was not disappointed. "You merit a prize my lord Marquis, what it will be? Everything you want."

"But grandpa More said we had to be humble."

"And you are, but there is nothing wrong about being covetous once in a while and you are not being greedy. You are helping me being humble by giving something to you and your sister. So what will it be my little lord?"

The twins looked at each other then they smiled and turned to their royal grandfather, saying in unison what they wished for.

"You did not have to get them an entire stable." Thomas told his former pupil.

"Thomas you have kept them too isolated from the world. They are children, let them have their day in the sun and they are horses of the finest breed." Henry said to his former mentor. The kids were helped into their ponies by their uncles -the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. Mary, Anne Boleyn and Isabella were seated watching the boys help them. His Kat was the only women standing. Mary insisted she could help them. Henry did not doubt his pearl could. Mary was a better horse rider than anyone but he wanted his daughter relaxed before her wedding. The Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine's men had come from Germany, some of them were his uncle the Duke of Cleves' representatives and they were very strict and highly conservative in spite of their schism with the true church. It would not do Henry any favors to have them spreading tales about his 'wild daughter'.

"Who do you think will fall first?" Bella asked her ladies, widow Stafford, Margaret Lee and others.

"My bet is on Tommy, he looks so nervous and small." Mary said, suppressing a laugh when the boy almost fell.

"Stop it Mary, and lady Bella you should be more sensitive, I am sure you also fell the first time you got on a horse."

"I did not Your Highness. My mount was very steady."

"Yes as much as when you fell and started crying and then said I somehow did it." Mary Tudor pointed out, and laughed at her sister and her ladies' expressions.

Bella was cowed into silence. Anne thanked Mary for that. They watched the child mount their ponies at last. It was the best experience they had. They felt like they were flying. When they went too fast they were told to slow down and then the sun came down and they were ordered to come down.

"That was great! We want to do it again."

"When can we mount them again grandpa? I want to ride again." His sister supplied.

"It is enough for one day, I promise you we will do more tomorrow and I will be there with you."

The twins cheered. Thomas told them to say their farewells then escorted them to their chambers that they shared with their aunts and their husbands. It was the first time that Thomas really saw them. They had a lot of Lizzie, a lot of him in them, but their eyes were definitely Harry's, dark grey and full of mischief.

Before he turned to leave he felt his sleeve being tugged. He looked down at Annie. "What is it?" He said kneeling down to be at her eye level.

"Can I pray with you?"

"Of course but why don't you pray with your brother and aunts instead?"

"I like praying with them, but I want to pray with you today."

"Fine, then come." They went to his chambers and knelt down in front of his cross. They said their prayers in Latin then grew silent and spoke mentally to their Creator. Thomas asked Him for guidance while Annie thanked Him because she and Tom had finally met their other family and her grandfather More had finally looked at them.

"Amen." Thomas said and Annie said the same, crossing herself.

"Off you go then. Sleep well." He said, but she did not move. "What is it?"

"What was she like? My mother."

Thomas closed his eyes. He knew this was coming but he was not prepared for it. God, what could he say without blowing this up. He started at the beginning. "She was like you, outspoken, fearless, beautiful ..." Annie blushed. "... and also very smart."

"Like aunt Meg?"

"No, not like her, your mother was not book smart but she was smart in other things and your father saw that and loved her deeply for it ... You remind me of her."

"Is that why you could not look at me and Tom?"

"Yes." He admitted. He knelt again. "Annie when I lost your mother, I didn't just lose a daughter, I lost everything."

"But you had my aunts Meg, Cecily and even aunt Meg Giggs too and uncle John."

"It's complicated Annie. I did some things in the past that I thought God was punishing me for and I thought if I didn't see you, the pain would go away but it made it worse." Thomas admitted. "You and Tom made me see things clear."

"Are you going to remain here with us?" Annie asked.

"Of course, I will stay here as long as you want." He said and passed his hand through her black hair. He had made a promise to look after them when they had been entrusted into his care by Henry and Katherine.

Mary brushed her hair. Her unruly hair as her mother complained would not be so unruly if she was more lady-like. "You have perfect ahir Mary. It flows like a fountain of fire. You could win everyone you'd liked with that hair if you brush it more often and dress on your finest like your sister. And always smile, you look so beautiful when you smile." She only smiled for Philip. He made her feel ... different. Beautiful but not in the traditional sense, she felt comfortable when she was around him and she hated admitting this but when she was with him she felt like she could do anything.

She climbed to her bed and fell asleep. In her dreams she always saw herself running, many bodies rising from the ground telling her to run, that hell was coming but today she did not feel afraid when she saw the same bodies, and she was not alone, she escaped them. When she awoke she found a new day. The day she had been waiting for.

Philip was nervous. He put on his black conservative hat. There was a pearl falling from his coin and the pin below it. Mary did not like it because it was the Emperor's gift, a gift she hated because she kept saying that he and his mother were responsible for her brother and sister in law's deaths. Philip begged her not to make a scene. He would always be there for her, but his wife-to-be could learn a thing or two from her mother who was very subtle in the way she handled things.

He took a big breath and walked inside the church of Westminster. Mary glared at him seeing the 'Pelegrina' pearl on his hat butthen smiled as he took his place next to her.

They said their vows. Mary's lips curled into a playful, innocent smile that Philip knew better, meant her impatience for her upcoming wedding night.

She had always dreaded the idea of marriage and sex. She did not like the idea that as a married woman she would have to be submissive to a man's authority and in sex, they always taught her, men always had the upper hand. She wanted to be the one in charge, the person who always gave commands rather than the one who had to follow other's commands. But today, she would let this slide. Today she would celebrate her loving union and the morning after with a triumphant emergence from the marriage chamber proving that she was no longer the wild bastard everyone made fun of, but a Duchess and not just any Duchess but a ruling Duchess and Countess Palatine with powerful in laws and someday the mother of the future Duke and Count whom she would mold in her image.

Philip was nervous about hurting his wife. He told her the only people they had to focus on were themselves. Taking his chemise and hers, he got on top of her and began kissing her. Her lips felt like soft roses, he could smell her Jazmin-Musk essence on her hair and body as he descended to her breasts, nibbling her nipples.

Mary told him not to stop, she begged him to continue. Clutching the sheets, she braced herself as he went down on her sheath and pushed his two middle fingers in her clitoris. "You are wet Mary, I hunger for your wetness. Will you let me continue?"

"Yes ..." Oh God Yes, she thought wildly, screaming in ecstasy when he withdrew his fingers and pushed his tongue inside of her.

The witnesses outside looked at each other. The Duke of Suffolk smirked at his old time friend, Thomas Knyvert. If their friend, the King was here, he would frown and interrupt them at once. Mary was his pearl and he could not stand the idea of anyone hurting her. But it was clear from the magnitude of her screams and the moans from the Duke, that he was not hurting her.

The guards rolled their eyes. Were they getting paid for this, to stand outside the door all night after the Duke of Suffolk, Lord Knyvert and the Lady Roper, entered with the Duke and Duchess' servants to withdraw the bloodstained sheets and show them off to the King and bishops as proof of the consummation?

God's nightshirt. It was going to be a long night. Those two were going at it like a pair of wild devils.

"Ahh ... Philip... oh Philip ... ahh ... I can't ... Ah!" She screamed louder as he moved one of his hands to her abdomen, to keep her still. "I am so going to fuck you now my wild lady." He said with a cockish smile.

Mary glared at him. Nobody called her wild. She opened her mouth to respond when he came up and silenced her before she uttered the words of her chastisement, and kissed her hungrily. When he withdrew his lips she looked down, his hands were on her shoulder and the other on her breast, fondling her nipples, drawing an erotic response from her. But that was not what amazed her, it was the length of his shaft. It was so big.

Is he going to ...

"Do not worry." He said, brushing her fears away with another short kiss before spreading her legs farther apart. "It will be all right. What did your sister in law and your mother told you?"

"They said it hurts then it doesn't."

The Duke smiled. They should have told her more. He knew his wife was not all that ignorant. She just was nervous and her big pride didn't let her admit it.

"It will hurt at first but what comes later, is a wondrous sensation." He whispered in her ear then without warning, he entered her hard.

She bit her lip. She felt being ripped apart from within, akin to being split in two. Her lord father used to tell her about his experiences in battles, she loved those stories and the ones her mother told her about when she accompanied her mother to the soldier's camps. Men dying for their country, sacrificing arms, legs, everything from the cause. There was nothing, they told her, to describe the pain of those men except this -she thought.

He momentarily stopped and opened his eyes, locking them with hers. "Are you alright my lady?"

"Y-yes ... please continue ..." She begged, her hands going to his back, clawing them into his skin.

"My sweet lioness, you're going to like what comes."

She said nothing. He grinned and began to move again, slowly, very slowly and then he began to increase his speed as he felt being taken with bliss. Mary threw her head back as her body shook with pleasure. The pain that had engulfed her minutes ago disappeared. Mary moaned. Her body began to move at its own pace, copying his. They were one with each other and Philip's lips on her, intensified that feeling. She exploded in him and he within her, and what she felt as a hot rush streamed from his manroot into her womb, was wondrous.

The Duke, Lord Knyvert and the Princess of Wales had to withdraw to their respective chambers with their spouses, and return early in the morning because the Duke and the new Duchess had gone at it all night.

But the end result pleased everyone.

The King was pleased to see the bloodstained sheets, so was the Princess Dowager.

"My daughter today you are a woman." She told her daughter when they were at the wedding banquet. Henry had organized all kinds of banquets and jousts in her and Philip's honor. She put her hand on her cheek.

"Please mother do not cry." Mary said, hoping she would not embarrass her in front of Philip who was dancing with her sister. Her legs still felt tired but not too tired to refuse his offer. Isabella though, sitting there with her friends complaining about how she had gotten married before her, made Mary feel pity for her so she asked Philip after they finished dancing, to take her dancing.

"I am human Mary, let me have this moment. You are our dearest treasure. I cried so hard when you were born, I bled and I thought that you would not make it but you were strong. You looked at the room and grew silent when you watched your father. You have never cried except once. You remind me so much of my sister, we used to be good friends. She was like you, you know. Strong, outspoken and so tough. I admire you."

"Mother I am nothing like her, if I should be compared to anyone it should be you. You and father taught me everything, I grew up with your stories about lady grandmother and I knew then that I wanted to be like her, a warrior."

"I know." Katherine said, pushing her hand down to her daughter's. "And believe me you will be. You and your husband will be like your grandparents, you will rule over his territories alongside of him and you two will be very happy. I know it."

"Thank you mother. And you need not worry, I promise to write every day and visit as much as I can."

"I know, sweet heart, I know." Katherine told her and embraced her daughter. Isabella had told her before she said farewell to her youngest daughter, that she would understand her tears when she had children of her own. She felt like crying too but she would not. Mary and Philip had a year to live here, and in a year so many things could happen. Her daughter could be with child and she could see her grandchild, perhaps even be named its godmother before she and Philip left.

"Congratulations little sister." Isabella said when she came back.

"Do not start Bella, your false smile doesn't fool me. You are not going to start berating me for marrying before you."

"You always love to be rude but I don't come here to complain. I am actually happy for you." Bella said. "Philip looks like a nice guy and he is very funny and handsome. You scored big time with him."

Mary could not agree more. Philip was everything every woman dreamed of. But it was more than just they physical that attracted her to him.

"Soon your time will come. Father has been saying all day you will the next one."

"I guess that will make us rivals won't it?" Bella said, a little worried.

"Oh sure, we will be fighting like bitches for our husband's thrones like one of those jealous wenches in the songs about the white rose and red rose that our tutors drilled in our heads all day long."

"You did pay attention to then?" Bella asked, surprised that she did. Mary was always so outspoken and defying everything her tutors said. Vives complained he couldn't teach her, but her mother insisted on her children being taught together.

"Yes, I am not one to play with my dolls like you." Mary said. Bella chuckled at the jab.

"I guess I deserve that but you have to admit you were very wild."

"Who says I am not? Just because they force me to dress and sing to our parents' pleasure doesn't mean I still can't bite." Mary said sweetly with a devious grin.

"Ha, ha, sister I really feel for your husband. So promise me you won't bite me if my husband does something against your husband?"

"No, we will always be sisters no matter what. Blood will always come first." Mary said confidently and that put Bella at ease. Philip came at that moment, leaving their cousin Henry Brandon whom he was having a good talk with, to ask for Mary's hand again.

"My lady wife, would you do me the honor of being my dance partner one more time?"

"You do not have to ask my lord" she said with a flirtatious grin and took his hand.

Juana's spy reported to her from England. When Juana opened the letter, she smiled. So the little bastard had married at last. Well, enjoy your daughter's happiness sister because it won't last. She would crush her just as she crushed her brother and that insect, Lizzie More.

There was another part of the prophecy that astrologer told her that she did not tell Nor. "And when your joy is taken from you, the lioness, the black dragon and raven will bite you, burn you and claw the eyes from your face."

It was no mistake. The lion and dragon were obviously that bastard boy, her nephew John. But the lioness had to be Mary Tudor, the Duchess of Bavaria. Who else? Little snake, she did nothing but bite and growl. She was a beast. If she was her daughter she would beat her until she behaved but her sister was always a foolish romantic.

She mentally laughed. It was why their mother loved her so much, because Catalina was a lover of foolish romances and she was the perfect lady. But she knew better, her sister was anything but submissive. She was after all their mother's daughter and just like her, a true hypocrite. And like their father a whore.

Her sister's middle daughter was different. She would ruin Juana if she was allowed to live, but Juana didn't want to kill her. No. She was Catalina's favorite and more importantly, she was Juana's son in law's favorite child. He adored her, worshipped her. If something awful were to happen to her, it would drive them to their early graves.

Then there were the other two, the dragon and the raven. The Tudors were dragons, but it was no coincidence that the dragon and the raven were together in this phrase. She always though it was that commoner Anne Boleyn. She had taken the white falcon badge from her Butler relatives, it was the closest thing to the raven. But then as the years passed and More brought his royal grandchildren to court and she received reports on them, she realized it was those two she had to worry about. Thomas Henry Tudor, a Marquis who in spite of his Tudor heritage had the same trademark black hair as his father and mother ... The black dragon. And his sister, the raven, the More badge.

How could she had been so blind? She should have killed those two when they were infants, but no matter she would remedy the problem.