The long walk that seemed to take forever, Marie could only keep her gaze forward. The echoing of her heels hitting against the stone pavement, she felt like screaming, like shivering, like crying but she didn't. She walked like a cold block of stone, which did not feel nor spoke. Her hands folded together in front of her, as she stood behind her sister, heading through the crowd, to get to the front. She wore a long dark orange dress, and her hair was tied up today, not lying past her shoulders. It seemed so cold to her, all of this, people standing around, waiting to see Anne be taken away like this, it wasn't right. Marie felt her legs grow wobbly for a moment, but Cara quickly noticed, wrapping an arm around her, guiding her to the front somehow.
She looked around, at the people, at the birds that flew overhead, and she thought of George. Of her sister. And of Anne. Her thoughts on them and of what was to happen. It felt as if it were a horrible night-mare, and that she'd wake up at any moment. But this wasn't a night-mare, this was soon to be quite real and a memory she'd always have, even if it wasn't one she liked. Her lips twisted into a sad frown, her lower lip trembling now, she tightened her grip on Cara's hand.
"It's going to be alright." Cara whispered to her, and Marie wondered how she could say that. It wasn't going to be alright. She had done so many things, regretted them and loved them. She had hurt her friends just as much as they had hurt her. She had played with love and look where it had gotten her. It seemed so quiet to her, even though people were talking to each other. How could they just stand here and watch, it wasn't…this wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't fair. But Marie knew things weren't fair really, not all the time, and that people had expected this. She felt so uneasy here, and she just wanted to leave.
Anne had wanted so much, she had gotten so many things, and now it was being taken away. It wasn't the fair thing to do as said, it wasn't how it was supposed to happen, and this was supposed to be like a fairy-tale. He was supposed to love her, be a husband to her, and take care of her. But Henry seemed to have other ideas…Henry the eighth didn't want to have Anne as his wife anymore, he preferred Jane Seymour now. It wasn't that Marie didn't like Jane; it was the fact of losing a friend that made her feel like this. She lost so much, and it wasn't stopping, it wouldn't stop. How could he do this? How could he let his wife be treated this way? She tried so hard to hold the tears back, to keep calm for Anne, but when she saw Anne walk up the steps, she could hear her own gasp then.
"I don't think I can..." Cara started to whisper but Marie just tightened her grip even more on her hand, holding it as if to keep together now, to not break down in tears, to stay together as long as she could. But Marie never looked away from Anne, her gaze only on her, not Cara at the moment.
"Thus I take my leave of this world, and of you." Anne spoke then, looking at everyone, her gaze stopping on a few faces then continued "And I heartedly desire you all to pray for me."
Marie felt as though she'd fall the ground then, to break down in tears, to lose control of her tears.
"No…" Marie whispered, glancing to the side as if expecting guards to come, to tell them that King Henry had changed his mind, and that this wasn't going to happen. She then glanced over to Cara, feeling the stray tear that dripped down her face "Cara…This isn't supposed to happen, it's too soon. No." She then looked back at Anne, already seeing her there, and the swordsman ready. She shook her head quickly, already hearing her breathing trembling.
Marie could hear her sister's soft sniffling, as she was trying to hide her tears, to make sure her soft sobs were not heard. Her lower lip still trembled, and she held on still so tightly to Cara's hand, both holding each other nearly as everyone started to slowly get on the ground as they watched, slowly they went as well. She could feel her eyes watering up again, tears soon to be streaming down her face. Her hair had come un-clipped slightly somehow, now loose strands in front of her face as Cara tried to comfort her, even though both of them clearly needed to be comforted.
Where was King Henry? He was supposed to come…to save her, but he wasn't here. Marie then realized he wasn't coming, that he wasn't going to do anything. It all seemed so horrible, a night-mare that wasn't stopping, there wasn't going to be guards to come and stop this. There wasn't going to be a letter saying that this wasn't going to happen. That little Elizabeth would have her mother, and things would be alright again. But things weren't going to be alright, Marie already knew that.
Marie clutched at Cara's arm then, her hand slipping from hers, the tears were starting to run down her face, even when she wiped them away. She glanced back up, her eyes widening and she couldn't even cry, she just gasped softly "Anne…" Her voice broke mid-sentence, and then there was gasps going all around. She couldn't move, nor could she speak at the moment, her eyes still widen and her lower lip trembling. Marie felt Cara slowly help her up, as she couldn't stand at the moment, her legs wobbly once more. People were leaving now, as if it was over, not with King Henry…it was far from over with him, as he was probably with Jane and she knew it. But she thought of George, of Anne, of everyone she cared about now. She held onto Cara so tightly, not looking away until her sister turned her around, still holding her.
"Come on." Cara whispered softly, slowly guiding her sister away gently.
Then Marie's thoughts went to Henry the eighth, to him and what he had done. He let this happen, he could have stopped it…but he said he no longer loved her. She felt the tears still dripping down her face, and she bit her lower lip for a moment, her breathing still trembling. She slowly stood up firmly, but still held onto Cara as they walked away. She knew now to make sure, to never fall in love with a man like him, to not be his friend. She'd find someone else to love someone who was kind and gentle, who loved her back. It was what she knew she needed now, and she'd have that, just as Cara would. She'd love someone who loved her back, and they'd be so happy together. They'd be in love, real love that would be there for her.
