Thanks for the reviews
K
"Do you deny these allegations, your majesty?"
Anne felt her throat close up. She did not in all her years think she would come this far only to fall. Everything had been good. She had made the king fall in love with her. She had a baby, a daughter, her sweet Elizabeth. She knew she failed the most important task, but she would never regret having her daughter. She thought she had time, after all he gave Katherine of Aragon seven years, she thought she would have the chance to make things right. She was feeling positive and she just knew the next child she had would be a son and then she would be safe.
She thought wrong.
The morning the guards came into her room, she felt her life flash before her eyes. She did not know what she was being charged with and she was scared.
Anne was never scared, but she was that day; she was now. They had the proof; the marriage records. To Anne's defense she thought the Cardinal had dissolved the marriage, but it so happened he died of an illness before he made it official. She was still married to Henry Percy and she was scared she would use her life to pay for that childish mistake.
"There was a marriage" She said slowly "But I believed it annulled"
There were murmurs from the council. Anne looked briefly at them. She knew some of them were the reason she was here, she knew the Seymour's had won Henry's favor. She tore her eyes from them and focused on the ground in front of her. To her left she could feel the eyes burning a hole in her skin. Those eyes could only belong to the King; the man she had thought was truly her husband. Anne tried her hardest not to look at him. She had humiliated him and if there was anything Henry hated it was to be humiliated.
"Do you have proof that you did not enter a marriage with the king knowing you were already married?" Cranmer asked again
Anne looked up at him and shook her head
"I did not know, I would never intentionally humiliate the king. I-"
"Then why did you not inform him of your previous marriage?" It was Brandon this time and Anne clenched her jaw as she tried to keep her cool.
"I was told to keep it a secret." This time she tried her best to look up at Henry.
"Your Majesty should know I would never intentionally humiliate you. I love your Majesty so much, please forgive me" This day was all too familiar to Anne. It was almost two years ago that they were in this same hall and Katherine had gone down on her knees asking Henry not to leave her.
She had been hoping then that Henry would not change his mind about her petty pleas and now she prayed he would be forgiving.
"You have committed a great crime by lying to the king. You were anointed Queen of England under the pretence of being married to the King. These offences are punishable by death." Cromwell looked at her with pity "The council would vote"
"Guilty" Charles Brandon was the first to say it, and then it continued.
The first "not guilty" came from the Duke of Norfolk (who the king had pardoned for having no idea about his nieces transgressions).
It was five to one now and the last vote was to be cast by the Duke of York.
Henry looked at his brother closely. He did not know what to expect from James, he assumed anything James did was just to spite him, but whatever happened to Anne could not matter to Henry, or so he thought
"Not guilty" James said. Henry looked at him with questioning eyes, but James never met his gaze.
"The council has found you, Anne Boleyn guilty of treason. You shall receive your sentencing in two hours" Cromwell said dismissing the court.
Anne stood still where she was. She knew what her sentence would be. She used everything in her not to cry as she was lead away. She did not want to think about the last time she saw her daughter as the very last. Her eyes looked up to meet Henry's, but he was not looking at her, he was looking somewhere else. As Anne looked away her eyes fell on Katherine's.
Katherine did not look happy, neither did she look sorrowful. Anne felt embarrassed and she felt she had failed herself in every way. She had set goals and she had faild. She looked away from the former Queen and continued her way to wait, wait for the end.
K
"Your Majesty" The men of the council rose as the king entered the room
"What has the council decided?" Henry asked his eyes falling on his brother, who stood at the corner.
"We have decided she be beheaded" Cranmer said "But it is not unanimous" He finished looking in the direction of the Duke of York.
James cleared his throat
"If I may have a word with his majesty in private" he said
Henry considered him for a few seconds before he nodded his head and sent everyone else out.
"You're Grace" Henry said stiffly
"Do not let them condemn her, Henry" He was not begging, but to Henry it sounded like James was pleading for Anne's life.
"Why not?" Henry asked fixing him a hard look. He had long decided he would wed Jane Seymour after he was told about this scandal a week ago, but Henry truly did not know if he was okay with Anne being killed
"She did not dishonor the crown by becoming adulterous. She was sixteen and I believe her mistake was just what it was." James paused to see if Henry would say anything, but since he remained quiet, James continued.
"Anne is a smart girl and I don't believe she would do something like this on purpose. Cardinal Wolsey was close to the Boleyn's, he was the one that brought them to court-"
"I know that" Henry said a bit irritated from hearing known facts
"Good. Then you know she is not lying" James sighed "I know about Mistress Seymour. I think it is best you judge Anne fairly. We can't change the vote of the council, but on the day of the execution, I advise you pardon her. Send her away somewhere"
Henry looked down at the table in front of him. Both men were quiet for a minute, after which, Henry slowly nodded his head.
James took this as his cue to leave and he was about to when Henry spoke
"You have been absent from court for a while" He said slowly and James turned to look at him
"You banished me" He said simply
Henry let a tiny smirk play on his lips before it vanished all together
"I heard you have another daughter" He said
"We named her Mary" James told him and Henry nodded
"You know I never expected you to stay away. Banishing you is a bit of a joke isn't it?" Henry said
"I wanted to stay away Henry and I don't wish to be in your presence except absolutely necessary"
Henry felt himself get red in the face
"Very Well" He said bitterly "Suite yourself"
James nodded his head at him in greeting before he left the room.
K
The wait was painful and the morning she had to dress and get prepared for her own execution was even more brutal. She could not sleep at all and neither could she eat or drink. She walked slowly to the scaffold pinching her fingers as she went. She was breaking skin, but she did not care. At top the Scaffold, she saw the executioner, very costly man, she was told and he had a fine blade, one made with perfection fit to cut off the head of a queen, even thought she was a pretender.
Anne climbed the scaffold. She was scared, but she did not let the hundreds gathered see it. She was about to open her mouth to say her final words when she saw a path being made in the crowds. The standard of the king could be seen and Anne wanted to believe so badly she was being spared. Something told her the king only wanted to watch her die, but she tried to hope.
"Drop the blade" Henry said as he came to a stop at the foot of the scaffold.
Anne did not know when her legs melted and she was now kneeling on the floor.
"I have decided to pardon Mistress Boleyn" Henry announced to the crowd. Some groaned, others cheered. Charles Brandon looked shocked but not totally disappointed, (As long as she was out of the picture, he was fine).
Henry turned to face Anne.
"You must know now that you must be sent to the More. Elizabeth would remain in Hatfield and she would be raised as a princess, but you know she cannot be in the line of succession." It hurt Henry to say so. "You may visit her, two times a month and when I decide she shall be sent to you."
Anne looked up at him, tears in her eyes, but she did not let it fall. She had just found his favor and she did not know the right words to say. She would gladly go away as long as she had hope to see her daughter
"Thank you your Majesty. Your are the kindest and most noble prince" Henry nodded and looked her over once more before he turned and walked away.
Anne sighed in relief as felt a thousand tons lighter as she was led off the scaffold. She was to head to Hatfield and see her daughter before she went to the More. She could not help the smile that played at her lips. She did not care about the prince she never had, Jane Seymour, being Queen. Her life was so simple now. It was now just about her and Elizabeth and she was so relieved.
K
I know this is far from how things work. Sorry for being lazy and not looking it up
