Flame- Cranmer (T) Warning: this story contains a brief description of a human burning!
This is it; everything I have worked for is lost. The reformation I helped begin almost thirty years ago is being destroyed, and now, my end is coming as well. These are the events that lead me to this gruesome end.
My involvement in the divorce had originally been accidental. I would have been content being a religious man in the country, never a political figure. No harm was meant in discussing the politics of the realm with my acquaintance, Gardiner, but my solution the King's Great Matter made its way to the King's ear, quickly gaining me the King's favor as well as Anne Boleyn's. She had helped me obtain the title Archbishop of Canterbury, although I did not feel I deserved it. Queen Anne had fantastic ideas for the reform of England, and I was more than happy to help her. It was I who officially declared the King's marriage to Katherine of Aragon void. I was truly sorry when Queen Anne had been falsely accused and condemned to die. I even wrote to the King on her behalf, but to no avail and, later, had to declare her marriage null as well.
I tried to stay out of the public eye for some time after that. The King's marriage to Jane Seymour and the Catholic Pilgrimage of Grace saw to that. My hand was also in the ill fated Cleves marriage. Later, it was I that wrote the letter informing the King of the misconduct of Katheryn Howard. It was an act that I was sorry for, but it had to be done. Finally, the King married Catherine Parr, a good Christian woman who embraced reform. I regained my former favor and the reformation could be pushed once more.
When King Henry died, he left the crown to his son, Edward. Though Edward was but a child, he knew what he wanted, at least in terms of religion. I helped lead the young King's push for Protestantism and the Book of Common Prayer was written. Sadly the boy died, although I, and others supported the claim of Lady Jane Grey, Mary took the throne.
I recall when Mary was a young woman and had just been reintroduced to the court. She was kind and soft-spoken. Now, she rules England with an iron grip, forcing the people to follow the will of God's enemy, the pope. She is truly her mother's daughter, an observation she would be overjoyed to know. Under her, I exchanged places with my once friend and ally Gardiner in the Tower of London and my title of Bishop was given to Reginald Pole. I have remained in prison these past three years condemned of charges of treason and heresy. In my moments of weakness I bowed to the will of the Queen and recanted all of my acts committed in my drive to reform. By law, my recantation should have spared me the flames, but Mary is not allowing it. She wishes to make an example of me, but I think it is her own want of revenge that is driving her. She knows of my role in the Great Matter.
All this had led me to being tied around the middle to this post, a fire lit around me. As I recall my recantation, I make a bold statement. I thrust my right hand into the flames before they can begin to lick the rest of my flesh. Through the tears of pain streaming down my cheeks and the stench of siring skin, I choke out that this is the hand with which I signed my recantation and it shall be punished by burning first. Filled with smoke and pain, I pass out. Before all goes black, I am content to die, fore I die for my beliefs. I die for my reformation.
Hey guys, thanks for reading and sticking with me through this. As you can see, I'm coming down to the end of my 30 topics. Unfortunately, I haven't been sticking to order the topics are presented in, so I'm stuck with the ones that are causing me trouble. So now I have a little request for you all. There are four topics that I have absolutely no idea how to fill. They are:
"Thousand"
"Transformation"
"Silver"
"Order"
If you have any ideas, please share them with me either in the reviews or pm me! (It will make me 'the most happy')
*Warning: I don't do non canon pairings or AU settings for Tudors, sorry.