"Sign here.." Cromwell said gently, pushing the document in front of the distraught man. It had finally been done. With a few brushes of the pen, the marriage between Henry Percy, Duke of Northumberland, and Mary Talbot would be dissolved. It had been handled quickly and quietly as the king had demanded. The Lady Mary would be removed to a nunnery in the Staffordshire countryside. It was close enough to her childhood home and far enough from her married life to give her a semblance of peace. The woman had gone practically mad with the trial and sentencing, but Cromwell was pleased to see her here today, sane enough to make everything official.
Cromwell waited patiently while Lord Percy finished reading the document and pushed it towards him on the table. He had truly pitied Hal. To watch a man who truly loved another be forced into an unwanted marriage only to have the woman purposefully keep him from the only happy thing that would have come from the union was a sight indeed. Cromwell had come to enjoy the time he spent with Percy and was hoping to negotiate a new role for the both of them at court. Lord knew the young lord needed a change of scenery to get over this betrayal. And where else would he find an eligible maiden worthy of becoming the next duchess? He had wasted too much time already with the woman sitting across from him and Northumberland needed an heir.
Cromwell reached out to push the papers towards Lady Mary now and watched eagle-eyed as the woman picked up the quill with shaking hands. Everyone knew that she was more upset for being labeled practically a murderess and losing her title than actually ending her marriage to Hal. During the trial she had been practically spitting at her husband in anger-screaming about how what she had done was nothing compared to his actions. About how he had married her under false pretenses. Cromwell, as overseer of the trial, had allowed her to rant for a moment. It did nothing but help their cause to see her acting in such a manner. But when she had started about Hal being truly married to Anne Boleyn, Cromwell had shut it down.
He couldn't have the woman crying out that the heir to the throne was a bastard in the eyes of God...It wouldn't be good if the king had heard. So he had called a halt for the day and had Mary hustled back to her rooms, where she remained in lock down. He had visited her later and had squeezed her skinny arm in his cold fingers. "One more word about Anne or the king or the princess and I will see you burnt as a witch! You know I have the proof needed to convict you..." He had hissed in her ear and was satisfied when she looked up at him fearfully. For the rest of the trial, Mary Talbot had been silent, only sending her soon-to-be ex-husband and Cromwell heated glares. When the verdict had been read, she had spit at the foot of the judge and had been led away.
Regardless to how it had ended, it HAD ended. Officially, now as Mary signed her name and coldly pushed the papers towards him. She rose from her seat and left, leaving them only with a disdainful look down her nose. Once she had left, gone to pack the rest of her things for she was departing at first light, Cromwell reached over to pour a goblet of wine for his friend. Of course his motivations for revealing the duchess' actions and for pushing ahead for a trial had not been for Hal's well being, but he still felt for the lad. After all, he had handed Cromwell an opportunity to get back into Henry's good graces. This could have easily turned into a question whether Hal was actually married to Anne, a ruling that could have labeled Henry's marriage to Anne as invalid, making him a laughing stock. Instead, with someone trusted in the helm, it was a matter easily and quickly put to rest. Mary Talbot would retire to a country nunnery, never to be heard from again and Hal would marry a suitable young lady at court and start producing heirs.
As he watched Lord Percy drink deeply to chase away his demons, Cromwell raised his own glass to his lips. Perhaps the king would even give him the power to select who would be the new duchess. It would be a quick way to gain some power among court. All the lords would be pushing their young daughters the duke's way. Cromwell would only be too happy to take on the challenge of finding the right lady for his friend.