This chapter is going to be pretty long in terms of plot! I'm trying to get onto the main events of this story, so if the chapter plots seems rushed, then that's why, and I'm sorry. :( I hope you all still like it, though!
A warning: SOME PARTS OF THIS CHAPTER INCLUDE ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND MENTIONS OF BLOOD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
At the bottom of the chapter, there will be another two polls, so feel free to look at them for me? Thank you!
CHAPTER FOUR
April 20th, 1534
It was their first time going to Hatfield together.
The last time that Henry had went, Anne was feeling indisposed and did not ride with him. The last time that Anne had went, Henry had been busy with state affairs and was unable to take a break to visit with her. Needless to say, they were excited to visit their children together. They had decided to spend the night at Hatfield with their children in honor of their first visit together, and while Henry was also excited for the visit, he was fearful as well.
In the months that had passed since they handed their children into the care of their governesses and household at Hatfield, they had grown significantly, going from small newborns to crawling toddlers faster than Henry would have liked. The quadruplets were still in perfect health and seemed likely to thrive, something that had Henry proud and relieved, although he did not want his children to overwork themselves and do anything too quickly, especially not when Anne would be unable to visit them soon.
His beloved wife was beginning to show in her new pregnancy, which meant that she would not be able to travel as much as her stomach grew, taking plenty of care so that she would not have a miscarriage or a stillborn. Anne was back in Mistress Stafford's charge again, as Anne had praised the woman for taking such good care of her in her last pregnancy that they would be fools not to use her again. After all, it was thanks to Mistress Stafford that Anne had safely delivered of their four children. Henry had been so worried about Anne's health over her pregnancy, especially once the midwife had confirmed there were multiple babies in the womb, but luckily, he would not have to worry about that this time around, as a few days ago, Mistress Stafford confirmed that Anne was only pregnant with one child.
Henry was sure that Anne was relieved that she would likely not have to undergo another long and painful labor, as she had last time, although he also knew that she had been somewhat disappointed that she was not pregnant with multiples again. She had also promised that she would give him another son, and although he also wanted a third son, if he was honest with himself, he would be fine with another daughter as well. He had two sons already, which secured the succession, so while a third son was preferred, he would not fret if his wife gave him a third daughter instead.
His thought of Anne's pregnancy changed to him thinking about how technically, he already had three sons and three daughters. His oldest son, Henry Fitzroy, the Duke of Richmond and Somerset, had grown up so fast. He was a husband now, married to the Duke of Norfolk's daughter, and if the rumors were correct, he would have a child of his own around November. The thought of him being a grandfather was a chilling one, though it filled his heart with pride to know that the marriage between his son and Mary Howard was a happy one, and that they had been blessed with a child soon. Initially, he had been worried that they might fall sick if they consummated their marriage too soon, as the same had happened to his brother after his marriage to the Dowager Princess had been consummated. But Anne had managed to sway his mind against ordering the young couple from consummating their new marriage and insisted that naturally, God would work His will.
He thought of his other illegitimate child, his daughter, the Lady Mary. Even after being in the service of her half-siblings for four months, she had still not yielded and recognized that she was illegitimate, despite the fact that nearly everyone in the country had now accepted that his marriage to Anne was lawful and valld, while his false union with Catherine of Aragon was cursed in God's eyes. It hurt him to treat his daughter in such a way, because he still had love for her, but he would not yield and change his demands for her; not when his marriage and children with Anne were involved.
Thankfully, Anne had not been publicly scorned for Henry's decision to send Mary to Hatfield, as the entire world now knew that he would never dream to set aside Anne and their children, not when she had given him two sons and two daughters in a single birth. No one would be able to claim that Anne felt jealous or threatened by Henry's love for his daughter, since they all knew that her dreams of becoming Queen or uniting England with the Empire would never come to fruition now. He considered finding a husband for his oldest daughter, as it was only fair that his oldest illegitimate daughter got married now that his oldest illegitimate son had, but the challenge of finding a husband for her was hard. Years ago, Mary had been promised to the Dauphin of France, a match that had been welcomed by all, save her mother. Then, she had been bethrothed to her cousin, the Holy Roman Emperor. There would be no chance of that now, as he had discovered her illegitimacy and would never dream of marrying her to a King or an Emperor, a present one or a future one.
There were several candidates he had considered as a husband for Mary. Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey, was Anne's cousin and one of the top candidates for the hand of his eldest daughter. Someday, he would be the Duke of Norfolk and one of the highest peers in the realm, so naturally, he was a promising choice for Mary. However, Thomas Cromwell had advised him that perhaps he should find Mary a foreign husband. He suggested a political marriage in the Protestant league to a man named William, who would be the future Duke of Cleves, as well as a man named Philip, the Duke of Bavaria. He was more partial to the Duke of Cleves, as he was the same as her and had two sisters close to her age, although he would not finalize anything until Mary submitted herself to him. He intended to speak with her while he and Anne were at Hatfield, to let her know that the faster that she recognized herself as illegitimate, the faster she could have a husband and a child of her own someday.
"I think that we should name our son George, for my brother," Anne said to him as they began their walk into Hatfield, her hands on her stomach as she spoke. While she had not felt their child move yet, she still enjoyed putting her hands on her belly, a symbol of protection for their unborn child.
Henry nodded and smiled. He fancied the name George, as it was not only England's saint, but the name of his brother-in-law, whom he had formed a close friendship with. The Duke of Buckingham was a fine gentleman, chivalrous and bold as a man ought to be. As of late, they had enjoyed hunting together, and while Anne was not able to go to each hunt, he knew that his brother-in-law would give her all of the details of it, now that his relationship with Anne had improved. It warmed his heart to know that the Boleyn siblings were all reunited again, as now that Margaret had died, all of his siblings were truly gone. He prayed that his children would never have to go through the pain of losing a sibling, especially so young.
"Your Majesties," Lady Bryan and the ladies surrounding her curtsied as soon as they entered the room.
"Mistress Bryan," Anne smiled, eager to see her kinsfolk and governess to her children. She then turned to the young woman next to Lady Bryan, who was the governess of her daughters. "And Mistress Champernowne."
"How are our children?" Henry asked, looking as the children were brought into the room by other ladies. They were so big now, he could scarcely believe that it had been almost eight months since they were born! Edmund squealed loudly at the sight of his parents, as if he recognized that he was being brought to them along with the rest of his siblings.
"Their Highnesses are a credit to Your Majesties in every way," Lady Bryan declared, her pride in her charges written plain on her face. "I have never seen any children as well-behaved as the Princess Royal and Duchess of Clarence and Hereford, and the Prince of Wales and Duke of York are the most curious boys I've ever met. They have already begun to crawl, and I believed that before next month is out, they may begin to attempt taking their first steps."
Anne felt a twinge of despair surge through her as Lady Bryan spoke. It would be a disappointment to her that she would likely not be with her children as they took their first steps, instead having other women witness it and send a report to her and her husband about the spectacle. Out of all of the hardships that she faced throughout her life, being separated from her children was by far the worst. When the children were first born, she had assumed that the children would stay at court with them until they were at least a few years old, as Catherine's daughter had not been given her own establishment right away, nor had Henry Fitzroy been given his own! It wasn't fair. Henry knew that it wasn't fair too, as they had talked about it before, but he assured her that it was the royal custom for children to be given their own households young, and Henry would not allow anyone to deny his children's claim to the throne.
Her thoughts went to the issue of the Catholic factions continuing to claim that her marriage to Henry was cursed and his so-called union with Catherine was valid, although their numbers had certainly dwindled since the birth of the quadruplets and her newest pregnancy so soon after the birth. Among their leaders was Bishop Fisher, who Henry had placed in the Tower for refusing to sign the Oath. Rumor had it that Pope Paul had intended to make the bishop a cardinal, to which Henry responded that he would have to wear the cardinal's hat upon his shoulders.
The Mad Nun was another leader of the Catholic force, although they would not have to deal with her anymore, as her execution was probably taking place as they spoke. Once an ally of the King, when he still believed that his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was valid, she had turned on him the moment that she realized that Henry intended to set his sister-in-law aside to make her his wife and Queen. It was a relief, in a way, as she and Henry had ultimately proved the Mad Nun wrong, but she did not want her to die. Anne felt sick to her stomach thinking about how fast Henry and those in favor could turn against someone, and she could not help think about what would have happened if she never gave Henry a son...
No. She would not let her thoughts go there. She was sure that Henry would love her, son or no son. While gaining a male heir was a large part of Henry's Great Matter, he also had genuine love for her, and they had been truly happy together during their courtship. Now that she had a son she was safe for life, whether the Catholics of England liked it or not. Edward would be King someday, so she was safe, but she knew that her husband would never set her aside for another woman, even if she had no son. Their love was a true, genuine one, and could not be matched by any carnal desire that Henry might feel for another woman of his court, whether he took a mistress or not.
"Excellent," Henry murmured, picking Eleanor up and kissing her cheek. "I trust that the Lady Mary has been behaving herself, as befitting her station?"
Although Henry had expected no other answer than no, it did not stop him from being surprised at Mistress Champernowne's report on his daughter. "No, Your Majesty," Mistress Champernowne hesitated, unsure as to what she should tell him and what not. "The Lady Mary refuses to recognize the Princes and Princesses as legitimate, and instead calls them the illegitimate children of Your Majesty and Queen Anne, who she calls your mistress. She claims the titles of Princess of Wales and Princess Royal, attempts to eat under the canopy of state, and has tried more than once to persuade other ladies to refer to her as Princess and sneak letters for her– not that any of them complied, Majesty," She added hastily, wanting to be sure her King did not assume they agreed.
Henry grimaced as she spoke, although he felt unfathomable rage when Anne informed him that on her last visit to Hatfield, Mary had called her his mistress to her face. Mary had no right to treat his wife like that! Anne was his precious jewel, his beloved wife, and he would not allow anyone to speak to her in such a manner, whether they were related to him or not.
"I wish to speak with my daughter at once," He declared sternly, following the lady who led him to Mary's room. The room that he had chosen for her was small, as befitting her new station, at least until she submitted to his will. He froze as he saw his daughter crouched over the bed on her knees, eyes closed as she clutched a rosary in her hands. Catherine's rosary.
"His Majesty, the King," The lady announced, before scurrying off to rejoin Anne and the others.
Mary opened her eyes and stood up, putting her mother's rosary around her neck and turning to face the father that she had not spoken to in years. Had God answered her prayers? Had her father come to deliver her from his prison and reunite her with her mother? Was he to make them a family again, to banish his Concubine and make their children bastards?
"Your Majesty," Mary spoke quietly, curtseying as she looked up to her father.
"Mary," Her father replied plainly, as if speaking to her for the first time in years was a casual activity. "It has come to my attention that you still do not recognize Queen Anne."
Her father's words threatened to knock the air out of her lungs. Mary had to stop herself from doubling over in sickness. How could her father still be focusing on that whore? Had he not grown tired of her and their sham of a marriage yet? When would her father open his eyes and see that her mother was his true Queen, and she was his true heir? When would he see that he had been blessed by God all along, as He gave him a good woman as a wife and a pious girl for a daughter?
"No, Your Majesty. I cannot recognize another woman while my mother, the true Queen, remains alive." Mary said, holding her head high even as her father looked angry at her.
"Your mother is no Queen, Mary. She is my brother's wife, the Dowager Princess of Wales who lied about her virginity so that she might become the Queen of England." Henry explained, his tone still even as he spoke so that he would not lose his temper with his pearl. "As such, my union with her could not be valid, as exemplified by her inability to produce a healthy male heir. Whereas Queen Anne, your step-mother and my true wife, produced two healthy male heirs in a single pregnancy."
"That whore is not your wife!" Mary protested indignantly, her eyes fiery with the same passion as her mother's. "My mother is your one true wife and Queen, and will remain so until God calls her to Him! His Holiness, Pope Paul decreed that your marriage to my mother was holy and valid in the eyes of God, and no Oath or Act through Parliament will be able to change that! Why will you not forsake the Concubine, Father? Why will you not unite yourself with your real family?"
Henry glared at her, furious at her words against Anne. "The Queen and our children are my real family. The decrees of the Bishop of Rome have no weight here. The Church of England does not answer to Rome. As you well know, Mary, as the King, I am the Supreme Head of the Church of England, and answer to no one but God. I have tried to be patient with you and your mother, Mary, as I understand the effects that the shock of discovering our marriage was false might take on you both, but I have been patient for long enough. If you and your mother do not bend to my will, I will be forced to take drastic measures against the both of you."
It hurt Henry to threaten his daughter. Mary was still his precious jewel, and if only she recognized that she was illegitimate, she would be restored to his good graces, able to marry and finally have a family of her own, which he knew that Mary would want above all else.
"Father, why are you letting the Boleyn witch control you?" Mary asked desperately, her voice rattling as she choked back sobs. "You're a good Catholic, not a Lutheran heretic like her! She's trying to lead England down the path of heresy with her and her ilk, so that she might risk the damnation of their souls, of your soul! I know that she sold her soul to Satan so that she would have the Queen's Crown and healthy bastards, and I know that you know! You're stronger than her witchcrafts and dark arts, Father, I know that you can break free!"
Henry was startled at Mary's words. While he knew that Mary did not like Anne, he was upset to hear her address his wife as a witch and a heretic, even going so far as to claim that she sold her soul to Satan for the Crown. He did not care much to stop his daughter from being a practicing Catholic, but he had seen flares of radicalism in her that he had never seen before, not even from Catherine, Fisher, or More, all of whom were staunch Catholics. He was scared for her. Who was feeding his pearl these lies about Anne? Who had corrupted his pearl, planting seeds of fanaticism into her mind so that she might delude herself into thinking that his beloved wife was a witch?
"There is nothing to break free of, Mary." He said again, his voice going calm in order to mask how shaky it had become in the wake of her declarations. What he had to do next pained him, but if it was the only way to get through to her, then so be it. "And, in light of your words against my wife and heirs, I hereby decree that you will relinquish your honorary title of Lady, as well as your royal surname of Tudor. From henceforth, you will be known to all as Mary Fitzroy, and until you recognize Anne as my rightful Queen, you will not be honored or treated as my daughter in any way, shape, or form, save your surname. As such, Lady Bryan and the others will be able to punish you as they see fit, should you not comply." He spoke loudly, so that Anne and the other ladies that aren't nearby would be able to hear him, and although his heart broke to hear Mary dissolving into sobs as he spoke, he would not deter away from his course of action.
"You will no longer be allowed to say your prayers in private, and will attend Mass and services with the rest of the women in the chapel, in the English services. Give me your rosary, Mary." He ordered finally, holding his hand out expectantly.
Mary's hands shook as she removed the rosary from her neck, the last thing that she had left of her Catholic faith and her mother. How could her father let the Concubine control him like this? Her sobs were audible now, and she trembled as she handed the rosary to her father. She had not expected him to do all of this, stripping her of the false title that he had given her and her last name! How could Anne Boleyn have that much power over him? How had her dark arts prevailed once again? As her father left the room, not even bothering to say goodbye or console her, she sank to the floor in anguish, her sobs echoing throughout the otherwise silent room.
Why? She questioned over and over again in her head, letting all other thoughts leave her mind as she wailed. Why had Anne Boleyn been allowed to win?
May 19th, 1534: Day
The news of Princess Mary's confrontation with the King and further disgrace spread through the court like a wildfire, becoming the topic of gossip as quickly as a moth was drawn to a flame. Brereton was disgusted by the news when he had first heard it: King Henry, who had once lauded the Princess Mary as his heir and precious pearl, had stripped her of everything, including her royal surname! Now, to the King and his harlot, she was just Mary Fitzroy, instead of Princess Mary, the true heir to the throne of England. And if the rumors were correct, it was also true that the King was considering marrying his trueborn daughter to a heretical German duke as opposed to a great Catholic prince!
Even worse, the King had declared that should anything happen to him, the Concubine is to act as Regent for his little bastards as they usurp the throne from the real heir. Brereton feared that the Boleyn witch's dark arts was growing stronger with each passing day, as her belly grew larger and the demon inside her continued to fester and grow, too. He shivered as he thought of what would happen if the Concubine birthed another bastard son. Surely King Henry would be lost to her witchcraft forever, condemning the soul of every English citizen to Hell for eternity as he continued to plunge England further into heresy to satisfy her unearthly desires.
The whore would not be allowed to carry her hellspawn to full term, not this time. He had been too frightened from nearly getting caught after his first failed attempt to assassinate her to try again while she still carried her first bastards, but he would not shrink from his duties this time. He would purge England of Anne Boleyn's influence once and for all, murdering the bitch and sending her demonic pups to Hell with her.
He would carry out his plan tonight, as the King invited his bastards to court for the celebrations in honor of the Concubine's first full-year as 'Queen,' and it would be the perfect opportunity to destroy both of his enemies in a single day. Luckily, Princess Mary was far away at Hatfield, where the Concubine's heretical witchcraft would not be able to reach her, keeping her safe from the harm of Anne Boleyn once and for all.
After realizing that the Emperor's wars with the Turks would not be over anytime soon, Chapuys had given his blessing for it, unaware that Brereton had been plotting on how to murder the whore since their talk on Christmas. He shut his eyes as he remembered the conversation they shared, the scenario playing over and over again in his head.
"Brereton, my friend," Chapuys greeted him urgently, practically pulling him into a private area so that they could speak without being heard. "I have urgent news about the Princess and the Queen."
"What is it?" Brereton asked, eager for any news about Queen Catherine and Princess Mary. The news of Princess Mary's further demotion to plain Mary Fitzroy had startled him, and although he had no news of her since then, he was sure that it would be more melancholy than before. Most things were melancholy, now that Anne Boleyn had ruined England.
Chapuys's lip curled into a frown. "It seems that the King has been considering having the Queen and the Princess charged with high treason, as they refuse to yield and relinquish the titles given to them by God. I have tried to convince the Princess that she must yield to her father's will, but alas, she refuses to believe that he will have her and the Queen charged with such a high-level crime."
Brereton glared. "The work of the Boleyn slut, no doubt." He said bitterly, clenching his fists as he thought of Anne Boleyn. If she had not been charged by Satan to bring heresy to England from the licentious French court, Queen Cathetine and Princess Mary would still be loved by the King and not in exile, forgotten and abandoned by the man who once promised to serve as his wife's Sir Loyal Heart and his daughter's noble King. If not for Anne Boleyn, the King would still be a good Christian man and a true Defender of the Faith, not a man bordering on the obscenities of Lurheran heresy.
When Anne Boleyn encouraged the King to read a book by William Tyndale, a man notorious for being a heretic, she had opened the gates of Hell for them all, changing the man who had once been the most Christian Prince of Europe into a tyrant who would sooner let his own wife and trueborn daughter be exiled and humiliated than give up his Concubine and their bastards. It was wrong!
"Alas, my friend, I must ask of your help again." Chapuys lowered his voice more as a man walked past him. "We must be rid of the Concubine if we ever hope to see Princess Mary and Queen Catherine restored to the good graces of King Henry, as well as if we hope to see England restored to the true faith."
As Brereton nodded, Chapuys continued to speak. "My contacts in Rome have been granted an audience with the Pope, and they tell me that His Holiness still wishes for you to carry out the task that he has charged you with, even at the risk of martyrdom." He spoke confidently, a smile on his face as he saw the look of determination on Brereton's face. It warmed Chapuys's heart to know that there were still true Catholics at court, as in the wake of Anne Boleyn's 'victory,' it seemed to be swarmed with Lutheran rats. "The Queen, the Princess, and my master also approve of your plan." While he was not lying about his master's approval of his plan, he needed Brereton to believe that the Princess and the Queen also approved, so that he would not try and back down from the Holy task as he had last time.
"I will do whatever I need to succeed." Brereton vowed, holding his head high as he took in the words that his friend spoke. "I will not let them down."
As the false Queen passed the courtiers on her way to the King's chambers, Brereton could not help but picture the sight that he would surely see tonight: the harlot and her devil children dead. It was a beautiful sight, and he thought of his plan over and over again. Tonight, Anne Boleyn and her spawn would be completely and utterly destroyed.
Tonight, everything would be back to normal again.
May 19th, 1534: Night
Seeing the quadruplets again was a delight. Over the past month, Anne's stomach had grown a good portion, and while the child in her stomach kicked nearly everyday, she could not help but think about her four young children, far away at Hatfield and unable to see her everyday, so seeing them again for the first time in over a month was a relief to her. Thank God that Henry agreed with her that the children should be allowed to come to court until the middle of June, in honor of her one year anniversary as Queen. She wished that she could have persuaded him to let them stay at court until after their next child was born, but he was firm when he said that they would only stay until the middle of June.
The quadruplets continued to make progress, thankfully. According to Lady Bryan and Mistress Champernowne, Edmund and Elizabeth had attempted to take their first steps while the preparations for their visit to court was taking place, and Eleanor could now stand up on her own with no assistance. Edward, on the other hand, was attempting to speak, something that she had witnessed herself. As she played with him and Elizabeth, bouncing them up and down while Henry delighted in playing with Edmund and Eleanor, Edward had called her Mama!
Her heart had soared when she heard him speak that word, that magic word, as if he had just cured every pregnancy ailment that plagued her and destroyed all disease, hatred, and intolerance in the world. Henry was pleased, too, although he had joked about charging Edward with treason for not having Papa as his first word. She had giggled when he joked about it, although in truth, it raised alarm in her. Anne knew that Henry would never dream of harming her and their children that way, but she still could not help but think that something bad was going to happen to their children.
Despite Henry's assurances that Lady Mary would never attempt to harm the quadruplets, Anne still did not believe him entirely, especially now that Henry had decreed she would no longer be entitled to the honorary title of Lady, nor would she be allowed to style herself as a Tudor, instead being downgraded to plain Mary Fitzroy. Henry had even taken away her rosary, the one thing that she had left from her mother, and declared that she would attend the Anglican services with the other servants at Hatfield.
She didn't agree with him taking all of that away, no matter what Mary had said about her. She had heard her call her a Lutheran heretic, and a witch and a Concubine, but through all of that, Anne still did not feel right about Henry stripping his daughter of everything she had left. While Henry had confided in her that he was scared Mary was showing signs of fanaticism, it still felt wrong to her, and she was scared that Mary would retaliate against her instead of Henry. There was no doubt in her mind that if she was pushed to the point of no return, Mary would attempt to snuff out the one thing that Anne treasured above all, even more than Henry– their children. No matter how much she tried to ignore the feeling, it would not go away, and that filled her with dread.
However, she would rest easily tonight knowing that the children were safe there, tucked into the comfort of the royal nursery. She herself had begun to rest some, although her stomach pains and nausea had been growing more peristent, keeping her awake.
It was different than the stomach pains that she normally had, something she found odd. Nothing like this had happened last pregnancy...
Suddenly, she began to cough violently, vomit leaving her mouth and blood dripping down her nose and onto her as the fit continued. "Madge," She called for her cousin and lady-in-waiting, who instantly rushed to her side along with Nan Saville and her cousins the Duchess of Richmond and Lady Kitty Howard, who had also become her ward.
"Your Majesty!" Kitty Howard exclaimed as she watched Queen Anne, staring in horror at the mix of blood and vomit covering the woman. Anne reached through her skirts and watched in shock as blood dripped on her, screaming Oh God! multiple times and sobbing.
"Get a physician!" Madge Shelton called out to the ladies-in-waiting that were now awake and had rushed to see the spectacle happening near the Queen's bed.
"And someone alert the King!" Mary Fitzroy, the Duchess of Richmond, cried out through the sobs that formed in her throat, terrified at the state that her beloved cousin had found herself.
As commotion rushed around Anne, she could not help but stare at the blood in her hands that came from her skirts, sobbing as she looked towards the ceiling, hoping that God could see her. Please, don't take my child from me. She prayed, her sobs and retching noises filling the air. Please.
The Concubine had been successfully poisoned.
Soon after the King had managed to fall asleep, one of the whore's lady-in-waiting rushed into King Henry's chambers, bearing a message about the Concubine. While the poison had acted quicker than he expected, it was perfect for Brereton, as the commotion of the King's chambers had allowed him to slip away from the rooms undetected and make his way to the royal nursery.
The witch and the hellspawn in her womb would be dead soon, and when they got to Hell, they would be greeted with the corpses of her other demonic bastards.
Brereton managed to get through the guards of the royal nursery easily, as he paid off a chef in the kitchens to slip something into their drinks to make them sleep. It would not kill them, but it would allow to sleep long enough so that he would be able to murder the bitch's pups and then go back to King Henry's chambers as if nothing happened. The nursery was quiet and peaceful as he entered, stepping lightly so that the ladies would not wake up at the sounds of his footsteps. He made his way into the area where the bastards were being held, somewhat shocked to find it empty. Either way, it made his job easier.
Tension crept into the air as he made his way to the four cribs, glaring over each and everyone of the bastards as he circled around them. While it was easy to identify the boys from the girls, telling the boys apart was difficult. He had decided that he would kill the oldest first, as he was Princess Mary's prime rival as the oldest son and so-called heir to her throne. Then, he would kill the youngest son and the two daughters, finally bringing a stop to Anne Boleyn's madness.
He unsheathed his sword and loomed over the crib furthest to the right that held one of the boys, and had just moved to strike the child with his dagger when the demon in the furthest crib to the left began stirring and whining. Brereton growled; was Anne Boleyn using her dark arts to make her bastards wail in an attempt to stop his plan? He would not allow it. He stepped heavily towards the crib on the left and wringed his hands around the neck of the hellspawn, strangling it wildly.
The brat began to scream and sob loudly in pain and fear, choking against the force of his hands as he continued choking it in a wild frenzy. But as the eyes of the brat began to close, as if the life was leaving it, he felt a large force hit him over the head, which made him release his hands and sent him tumbling down to the floor.
The last thing that Brereton saw before his eyes closed and fell unconscious was the unyielding glare of a shaking George Boleyn.
May 20th, 1534
"The Queen has not miscarried, Your Majesty."
While the words that Doctor Butts spoke sounded like music to Henry's ears, the sweet melody of them soon turned into harsh, violent music as he recounted the events of last night. William Brereton, a groom that he had favored and lived close to for years, had poisoned his beloved wife and been caught attempting to strangle their son, Prince Edmund, in the royal nursery by George Boleyn, the Duke of Buckingham. The thought of it were enough to drive Henry to retch, although for the sake of decency, he managed to push it back through his throat.
"Thank God," He managed weakly. "And will she overcome Brereton's poison?"
Doctor Butts nodded. "Her Majesty has made excellent progress since last night, as well as this morning, all thanks to Mistress Stafford. We believe that in a matter of days, a week at the latest, she will be back to her regular health, although we advise Your Majesties to take.. precautions."
Henry raised an eyebrow. "What precautions?"
Doctor Butts paused for a moment, unsure of how to proceed, although he soon regained his composure. "Her Majesty will need to go on a strict diet, which will be supervised by Mistress Stafford with the help of Her Majesty's ladies. In addition, Her Majesty should rest earlier in the days now, although she will not have to go into her confinement just yet. Furthermore, after Her Majesty has safely delivered of her child, we advise Your Majesty that she should not conceive again so quickly, for risk of damaging her womb. You may still lay with her carnally, but before ejactulation, Your Majesty will have to.." He stopped and blushed, looking to Henry's eyes to make sure that he took in what he was saying.
"I understand." Henry nodded, a frown settling on his face. "That is all, Doctor Butts. You should go attend Her Majesty."
As Doctor Butts nodded and scurried from the room, Henry sighed and sat himself down on one of his chairs, swallowing the wine in the goblet he held. He poured it himself; after Brereton, how would he be able to trust his grooms ever again? Of course, he would have to ask for his grooms eventually, as there were tasks too demeaning for a King to perform himself, but for now, he would be fine.
He could not stop thinking about the previous night. If Brereton had succeeded, he would have lost Anne, their unborn child, and Edmund– and surely the other quadruplets. He would have lost everything.
How would Anne ever feel safe again?
How would he ever feel safe again?
Cromwell, who had been created Earl of Essex in honor of the quadruplets's birth, entered the room, followed by the dukes of Buckingham, Wiltshire, and Suffolk. The four men had just come back from interrogating the whoreson Brereton in the Tower, where Henry declared that the man be tortured into sharing his information, as well as whether or not he had accomplices, despite his status as a gentleman.
No mercy would be spared for the man who attempted to take everything away from him.
"Well?" Henry demanded, glaring at Cromwell, Wiltshire, and Suffolk. He would not let George become the target of his anger; as if it wasn't for him, he would have lost his beloved children. "What did Brereton say?"
"He confessed to the despicable acts that conspired last night, although thanks to our Grace, the Duke of Buckingham, there was never a question of his innocence." Wiltshire spoke up, his pride in his son beaming on his face. "In addition, he confessed to the assassination attempt upon Her Majesty, your Beloved Queen Anne, on the day of her coronation."
"Indeed," Cromwell spoke up, confirming Wiltshire's words. "Your Majesty, it seems that William Brereton is a delusional madman, as he consistently called Queen Anne your Concubine, a witch, and a heretic as we interrogated him, even going as far as saying that she was the messenger of Satan who had plunged England into an age of heresy and witchcraft. But, alas, it wasn't until he was on the rack that he began to share his.. accomplices..."
Henry paused for a moment and blinked, worry settling as Cromwell trailed off. "Who?" He mumbled, as if he did not want to know.
Suffolk swallowed roughly, attempting to push down the lump that gathered in his throat. "The Imperial ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, was one of them. Emperor Charles, another. And.." He could not bring himself to name the others, as he could not believe them himself.
Wiltshire seized the opportunity as Suffolk hesitated to finish the list of Brereton's self-proclaimed accomplices. "His Holiness, Pope Paul, the Dowager Princess of Wales, and Mary Fitzroy, Majesty– your bastard daughter."
Silence hung in the air between the five men. The Dukes and the Earl looked between each other as the King's facial expression went unreadable, each of them having a different look on their face; Cromwell was indifferent, Wiltshire excited, Suffolk worried, and Buckingham shocked. Finally, Henry looked up at the four men in front of him, and, in the lowest voice imaginable, hissed a single phrase.
"I want Catherine and my daughter thrown in the Tower– now."
.. In case you guys couldn't tell, I love George Boleyn. The Tudors did him really dirty by making him sexually assault Jane Parker and make him an overall tool. Luckily, you won't see any of that here! Also, Doctor Butts telling Henry to pull out while having sex with Anne was my favorite part of this chapter.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I know that it was very dramatic, and probably rushed in a lot of ways. Hopefully, I didn't scare anyone too badly with Anne's near-miscarriage and Brereton poisoning her. :( I probably wasn't accurate in regards to how poisoning went down! Sorry about that.
A curious thing about this chapter; as I wrote it, I rewatched Seasons Three and Four of Tudors, and while I watched, I noticed something. Whenever Mary made fanatical comments in regards to the Reformation and Lutheranism, Chapuys seemed extremely concerned about her, while in Season Two, he seemed to have the same mindset as her! I thought it was really weird, and honestly pretty funny, as he was the one who planted the seeds of fanaticism into her. I guess he didn't expect to see a tree grow that quickly! Lol.
Next chapter has a lot of things, but most importantly, Catherine of Aragon! We're going to see the fallout of Brereton's "confession" next chapter.. and it won't be pretty.
Here are the two polls for this chapter:
1. What role should Anne of Cleves and Katheryn Parr play in the story? I want to incorporate all of the six wives at some point. Anne is, of course, one of the main characters, and I already have a few plotlines for Catherine of Aragon, Katherine Howard, and Jane Seymour down, now what about AoC and Katheryn Parr?
2. Who should Mary get married to? Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, Duke Philip of Bavaria, or William, future Duke of Cleves? Or, maybe even someone else..? I'm open to any suggestions for a husband for Mary, as long as it isn't Philip II of Spain. He was terrible to her!
As always, I love criticism.