It is more of an uprising than many had expected for Norfolk has made many promises and there are any number of ambitious men who wish more power for themselves, as well as those who wish to overturn the religious settlement, for all that it has kept England in peace this many years. Indeed, it makes Henry rage to see how many would try to overthrow that peace.
"They will plunge us into civil war for thwarted pride, the Lord help us all" is what one councillor says and Henry agrees, especially as he reads the rebels letter of demands. They wish him to annul his marriage to Anne, to declare Mary his sole heir alongside Reginald Pole - to annul Mary's marriage besides so she might marry a man of 'royal English blood who would rule well beside her' and to hand over 'that base born traitor Cromwell to receive justice and thenceforth to restore those of high degree to the places they are due by virtue of their birth'
Henry knows what they mean to do to his Thomas. The Lord alone knows what will happen to his children (the fate of his own uncles, the princes in the tower screams in Henry's mind, a fear he cannot shake) and Anne, Anne will be named nothing more than his mistress and will lose all. Henry vows that it will not happen but oh, oh there is fear in his heart.
He thinks of his oldest daughter and finds that, despite everything? Henry is simply worried for her, to have this upending her life when she has only recently found her feet again.
(He knows, he knows he was not always the kindest to Mary but he has never wished this for her, not for the world)
"Make sure that the Princess Mary is safe - I would not have these men abducting her for their own ends. Charles, have soldiers sent to guard her and Duke Philip and if it is not safe for them to remain there I would have them return to London."
Henry clasps his friends shoulder. "I am trusting to your judgement in this regard, my friend - I know you will not fail me. Further I would…"
He is interrupted by a messenger who comes to inform the council that a great company of men have taken a town in the north and having lain waste to it are continuing along the road south. Henry, Henry wishes to break something but he does not. Instead, glad for the steadying presence of his loves beside him he turns towards reshaping the plans they had made for events are moving faster than any had thought they would.
"I want Anne" Northumberland says and Norfolk smiles. It is an easy enough request to grant - his niece in return for Henry Percy's support. "I want Anne and I want those brats the king forced upon her well away from us"
"Of course my Lord Percy" and Norfolk watches the other mans face turn rapturously happy as though he is thinking of the idyll of country life he shall have with 'his Anne' and is once again amused at how easily he has bought the man.
It had been no small feat to smuggle in an army of mercenaries and fanatics from the continent (the gold that Reginald Pole has raised has certainly assisted matters but it was still no easy thing) as well as to find support among some of the nobles - Percy had been an easy fish to hook - clearly still believing himself in love with Anne and bitterly wishing to get out of his unhappy marriage he had been all too eager to pledge his support and that of his men. Others had been lured through the showing of the play - mostly younger men who burned for more power and wealth than they currently possessed and still others through promises of alliance.
No it had been no small thing to raise this army and already it had had success in the sacking of a town. Already they had showed their power, Norfolk thought with satisfaction - now the so called King will see what happens when he crosses me and it will be a glorious thing to see him bought so low.
Christopher Marlowe is concerned- for Norfolk had moved far quicker and had clearly laid his plans far deeper than any had thought for he had clearly been building up a base of power and support and moreover had managed to stage the play several times and to several different audiences. Enough so that the players troupe had started seeing past the gold that would pay off their debts and begun to ask questions.
"I do not like any of this" the lead actor was saying to him in an undertone. "They tell us it is naught but a play but why do so many nobles and rich men congregate in the audience and mutter and plot? What is this Christopher?"
Marlowe makes his tone as nonchalant as he can when he replies. "Nothing for the likes of you or I to question, Robert for it will cause nothing but trouble. Take the money, bow and ask no further. But…" he makes his pause sound as natural as possible "I confess I am worried myself that my play is being taken as more than a fancy of Camelot and is instead being used as somewhat else by the great men of the realm."
"Do you mean what I believe I am hearing? That this is supporting" Robert looks around and lowers his voice even further "that we are being used to support treason and rebellion and the return of popery and war?" His tone is horrified for Robert, for all his somewhat flexible morals in other ways is an extremely fervent advocate of the new religion. "I will not have it, I will have the troupe leave…."
Christopher stops him, firmly and decidedly. "Don't. Don't even think of it. If you leave you will not make it out of here alive, do you hear. Norfolk thinks nothing of the likes of you or I and he will have you knifed as soon as he thinks you might threaten him. No, keep playing your part but keep your eyes open - the more you learn the more you will be able to plan to get out of this with your head intact."
Robert nods, still looking terrified but he is doing a better job of concealing it than Christopher might have imagined - considering that his performance skills do not always translate to the Robert that lives off the stage. But he supposes that terror will often sharpen such things.
"I will, if you will listen to me and tender your advice my friend?"
As this is what Christopher has been wishing him to do (for he cannot be everywhere and the actors see far more than their betters think) he agrees readily and lets the other man leave with a feeling of accomplishment. But there is still the matter of how to untangle this mess and that, that he will leave to the greater men of the realm.
And it is a mess - the rebel army has taken and sacked several towns and is making its way steadily towards London and thus the danger has become so great that it has come to this. Henry will have to have the children sent away to somewhere by the coast with a ship waiting to take them to France if the worst should happen. So Henry, Anne and Thomas say farewell to them, trying to be as calm as they can for them.
The two youngest children may not be aware of what is going on but they seem to know that they are being parted from their parents and both William and Margaret cry heart wrenchingly as a result. Indeed they only barely manage to prise William away from clinging to Henry's leg and Henry himself does not wish to let him go. But George, Tommy and Bess? They know. George goes willingly with his aunt but the look on his face is painful to behold. Tommy is solemn and too grown up - he vows that he will take care of his siblings while his Papas are gone but he is still only a little boy and Henry, Henry cannot bear it that he should have to be acting as grown man (Henry remembers being a child amongst rebellions and the terror of a parent leaving, perhaps never to return, remembers his mother being haunted by her own ghosts and trying to hide it and he had never thought it would come to his own children). Bess, Bess is so brave and strong but her hug for her him is tight and her 'I love you Papa' is delivered in a voice that he can hear the shakiness in.
Anne and Tom say their own goodbyes. Tom embraces each of his children (and they are all his children too, regardless of blood) and tells them he loves them and Anne, Anne does the same but she gathers them all together and whispers "I love you my darlings. I will always love you and I bid you never, ever forget it."
The three of them stand there together and watch the boat leave with the children and Henry feels as though half his heart has left with them and feels all the more the sting of his failure - he should have been harsher with Norfolk than he was, he should have seen the rebellion brewing in his kingdom sooner and because he did not his family is danger. I will not make those mistakes again Henry thinks, as he holds his loves in his arms. I will never hesitate again.