~A.B~
As I dressed for the day I felt a wave of dizziness pass over me and a slight pinch in my stomach as Madge began to fasten the fur hat onto my head. I shook my head and waited until finally I was fully dressed for a day with Henry. A knock sounded at the doors before Henry entered with a smile on his handsome face. He kissed me gently on the lips before pulling away,
"Hello my Love, how are you?" I quickly shook all thoughts of dizziness away and smiled at Henry.
"Very well love, are we going to the gardens today?" He kissed my hands before offering me his arm, I looped my much smaller arm through his as he began to escort us out.
"I saw how much joy the gardens brought you last time and I wanted to keep your spirits alive." I smiled at him before kissing his cheek.
"These past few months have been the happiest I've ever been Henry. And that's all because of you." He kissed me soundly on the lips when a burst of cool air brushed our cheeks. Snow fell gently and made a brunching sound under our feet.
We playfully walked through the snow filled garden, lightly kicking snow at each other, sneaking in sweet kisses and huddling together. As much as I loved our surroundings and as much as I enjoyed our time I felt a sudden pain shot from the pit of my stomach.
I let out a gasp as I clutched my stomach, Henry quickly stopped and held onto my shoulders.
"My Love, what is wrong." I opened my mouth the answer, but nothing came out. More pains shot up and suddenly it became too much.
I crumbled to the ground as my knees gave away and Henry landed on his knees beside as I start to cry, loud awful yells left my body as the pain became worse and worse. My vision began to blur and my hearing sounded as if I was underwater, the last things I saw and felt were Henry picking me and shouting for something….someone…..
~H.R.T~
I ran through the Palace as I shouted at the guards to fetch . I ran to the nearest rooms and laid Anne down on the bed. Her once rosy face was now as pale as the snow outside and her body felt cold to the touch. I felt tears well up in my eyes as the thought of her death passed, I was pulled from my thoughts when the door banged open and came into the room. He quickly ushered me out and called in his staff. The last thing I saw was Anne lying in the bed motionless.
I waited outside the chamber doors running my fingers through my hair, pulling at the strands as worry coursed through my body. Her screams echoing in my mind as tears began to form. I fell to the ground and leaned back against the wall as I sobbed.
~H.R.T~
"Your Majesty…Your Majesty?" I woke up and looked to the voice calling me. I saw standing in front of me. I wipe my face with my hand before standing.
"Well…what if wrong with her?" looked away before looking back to me.
"She has the Sweat." My brows furrow as I wrack my brain.
"Sweat? What Sweat?" clears his throat before continuing.
"It was first found a couple days ago in a small town right outside the Palace. It was burned to the ground along with the infected bodies. They thought they had contained it…but it appears to have reached farther than we imagined." Anger sets in my bones as I look down at the man.
"You're telling me there was a disease released out to the public and I was never informed about it?"
"Cardinal Wolsey was supposed to inform you of it, I thought he had informed You Majesty."
"Well obviously he didn't! Will Anne survive?" He sighed before looking to the floor.
"In the town it claimed all the lives there. It started with dizziness and stomach aches and gradually got worse until they finally collapsed. After collapsing the victims lived for two to three days maximum."
"Oh God." Tears welled in my eyes as I ran a hand over my face.
"Your Majesty I must insist you and the rest of the people in the Palace must leave at once. It is very infectious and deadly. The Queen and Princess Mary must leave at once along with you Your Majesty."
"I can't just leave her here alone to die. I WON'T LEAVE HER HERE TO DIE!"
"You are doing no good by staying either Your Majesty! She will die and you will catch the disease, then what will the people of England do?" I turn and punch the wall with all my might as I let out a scream of frustration. I take calming breathes before turning back to the doctor.
"I'm saying goodbye to her and you can't stop. Fetch the guards and tell them to inform everyone to leave at once, The Queen and Princess are to go to Ludlow. You're dismissed." He bowed before exiting, leaving me alone as I stare at the door. I let out a breath before opening the double doors.
~H.R.T~
Anne is lying on her back, face ashy as sweat lightly drips down her forehead. I slowly approach the bed before kneeling next to it. I take one of Anne's hands and hold it in mine lightly kissing it.
"I think this is God's way of punishing me. I am a married man with a beautiful daughter and I have hurt my wife so many times with random women. I never loved any of them…until I met you. When I'm with you I'm happy and at peace, a weight is lifted from my heavy shoulders. You bring a light to my world which was once filled with darkness, I had never experienced true happiness till the day I met you. Your smile brightens a room and your laughter can make any spirit believe again…that's why God is punishing me. Because I was an awful man till I met you and no matter how much I love you…I would never be able to give you everything you want…everything you deserve. You deserve a man who will marry you in the eyes of God, who will give you legitimate children. You deserve a man who will be at you beck and call, fall to his knees for you. And I can't do that because I am bound in a loveless marriage and knowing you, you would be ok being with me forever even if I was with Katherine. You would be ok being called my whore as long as we got to be together, you would be ok with bastard children because you would love them with everything in your heart. You wouldn't demand marriage, money, to be Queen…but that's what God wanted for you and you gave that all up to be with an awful man like me. You gave up your whole life to be with me…"
"And God is doing the one thing I never could, letting you live a peaceful life…I am so sorry my Love." I broke down in tears as I rested my head against the bed. Tears shook my whole body and after what felt like hours I raised my head and leaned forward, lightly kissing her lips before kissing her hot, sweaty forehead.
I kissed her hands before taking off the large ruby ring that never left my hand. I slipped the much too large ring onto her ring finger before kissing it. I slowing got up and walked to the doors, I turned and looked at Anne one more time.
"You are my true love Anne…and I wish I had meet you before I married Katherine." I walked out the door and gently closed them before stalking off down the hallway.
~H.R.T~
I lay in bed at the Elizabeth Castle wide awake as I picture Anne laying in that bed at Windsor, slowing wasting away too die…all alone. I shut my eyes and turn to the side as I allow sleep to take me.
Henry….Henry…..Henry
I jump up in bed and look around my room, I see someone sitting in the red chair by the window. I jump out of bed and grab the knife next to me and slowly stalk towards the person. Suddenly they turn around and I see…Anne?
She is dressed in a beautiful peppermint green gown with a gold and pearl headdress, pearls decorated the top of the gown and her sleeves fanned out to a lace. Her black curls pulled back resting on her exposed back. She slowly stood and walked over to me, running a hand down my cheek before sighing.
"Anne wha…what are doing here?" She laughed gently before folding her hands over her stomach.
"I'm not really here Henry, I'm dying in bed at Windsor Castle…alone. And why is that?" I hear anger in her voice which I had never once heard since I met her.
"I didn't have a choice my Love, I had to go for the good of the Country."
"You had every choice Henry, you're the King of England! You could have stayed if you wanted to."
"No Anne..please…please don't be upset with me."
"I'm not upset Henry…I'm disappointed. You gave us up because thought God was punishing you! When in all actuality He was testing you, to see if you had changed." Everything came rushing to me and I fell to my knees. I heard Anne's slippers gliding across the floor until I saw her white satin shoes in front of me. I leaned on my knees and hugged her legs close to me, her fingers running through my hair soothing me as I cried into her satin dress.
She finally pulled away and forced me to stand, she backed away from me and turned around looking into the darkness of the room. She held out her hands and suddenly two figures appeared with her. A beautiful young girl with fire red hair and brandy eyes, dressed in a golden gown with a pearl diadem much like Anne's and a little boy with blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, dressed in a royal blue suit with black pants. Both of the children hid into the folds of Anne's satin dress as they stared at me with wonder filled eyes.
"What is this Anne?" She held the children closer to her before answering.
"This is what you could have had…what we could have had. If you would have only stopped hating yourself, you aren't an awful man Henry. God isn't out to punish you for all the wrong doings you have done in the past…and when you let that guilt go you'll find happiness. You are a kind man Henry, but you are also lost. Until you believe in yourself and my love for you Henry, you'll be alone. I can only make you so happy, you have to try yourself." With that she took the children and they walked into the darkness together.
"Anne! Anne! Please Love! Please!" I shouted into the darkness as I tried to light a candle. Once it was lit I walked to the far side of the room and looked for Anne, but I saw nothing. I stepped forward and let out a yelp.
"Ow…" I ran my hand across my foot and felt little drops of blood, I looked to the ground and saw my Ruby Ring lying there. My eyebrows furrowed together and I bent to pick it up, I held it close to the flame and saw it was mine. I looked around the room as confusion filled my mind.
