I don't own Tudors.
Chapter 3
The sweating sickness has passed as many of citizen both nobles and common was taken from their loved ones too soon.
Now the court is watching and waiting for another trial of annulling the marriage of King Henry Viii and Katherine of Aragon.
Katherine of Aragon is confident that the trial will go nowhere. Though, under the pretense of being expressionless. She is deeply annoyed.
She received messages that Princess Eleanor had escaped, and no one had seen her since that fire.
Luckily for her Charles said he would take care of it.
Katherine knew that Eleanor had been a difficult child.
Eleanor had discovered her secret.
'I have no choice. Eleanor must understand that. God wanted me to be queen of England. Surely, she understood that.' Katherine is not in the wrong. She is on the right side.
"Proceed!" Henry ordered the court to sit down. Henry sat on his throne yet there was no second throne for the queen.
"Will you not be seated madam?" Henry tried to give Katherine a way out. She could join the nunnery or estate fit for the dowager princess of Wales. However, Queen Katherine refused them all.
She insisted that she is the true queen and will die as the queen.
"There is no seat for me as your wife and queen, my place is by your side," Katherine spoke with insistence.
Henry sighs as if he is tired. He waved to Thomas Cromwell who stepped forward and spoke, "Your majesty, did you or did not order your nephew, the Holy Emperor Charles to invade Rome in your last attempts to seize the pope and make sure he doesn't agree with your marriage annulment?" When the king returned from escaping the plague, he brought forth letters that proved the case over marriage annulment.
"Do you also deny that you lied to the king about being a virgin during your marriage with him for the last 28 years?" Thomas had questioned her.
Katherine seethed as she said, "Yes, I denied everything. As God is my witness."
"Really? Even thou we have this letter stating that you have written the emperor Charles to invade Rome and imprison the pope to prevent the annulment." Thomas passed forward the letter to the lady-in-waiting to confirm this handwriting.
For you see, this lady-in-waiting is the queen's most loyal lady who secretly delivers her mistress's letters to Spain.
"Can you confirm that this is Her Grace's handwriting?" Thomas knew that she was both her eyes and ears for Queen Katherine.
The lady-in-waiting's eyes widened and gasped at the letter. This was delivered just days ago before the trial happened.
She has no choice but to nod at the confirmation of the letter. Katherine was silently startled by her breath as she knew that something was wrong there. However, she is confident that it is only one letter and that is not solidified proof.
"So, you are confirmed that this is the letter written by the queen of England and even announced that she is a loyal servant to Emperor Charles and Spain!" Thomas turned with the letter as he yelled for all those who heard him. The men in court muttered and gasped over what was written in this letter.
"Order! Silence all!" The Bishops tapped the table.
Katherine's hands are shaking together in the fold. The letters hold much content between her nephew and herself.
"You said that you are King Henry's most loyal servant, yet you said the same to your nephew as well." Thomas looked to the queen as Katherine looked silently around with her eyes amid panic.
Katherine said, "This is clearly forgery and conspiracy to ruin my good name."
"But we have other letters written by you and your nephew." He waved his men forward with chests full of their letters. Thomas reached a very detailed letter.
"I believed that I should called forward to read this letter." Thomas looked at the audience and called out, "I called upon Charles Brandon, Duke of Somerset! Please step forward."
Charles Brandon paled and looked at the crowd in silence. He gulped silently and stood up then walked forward in the middle of the court. He looked to Queen Katherine who looked scared then to King Henry who remained emotionless.
Everyone wonders what they mean by bringing forth Somerset.
"Can you confirm this is the queen's writing?" Thomas presents him with the scroll.
Charles looked at the elegant detail writing and answered in a tense moment, "Yes."
Ohhh's were sounded out in the trial.
Thomas secretly prayed that this would work. "Can you read what it says there? Please out loud, my lord."
Charles stuttered a sigh and read: "My dear nephew, Holy Emperor Charles I, I your humble servant had done the dead to prevent any threats to my position as queen consort of England. Sadly, my prisoner…" Charles hesitated and looked surprisedly worried at what it said.
All the court leaned forward. Many are worried over what the letter said. Some like the older lords are getting impatient. One old lord stood up and yelled, "Oh Come off and say already! I haven't gotten all day here!"
"My prisoner Princess Eleanor Tudor and Duchess of Hertford had escaped. I asked you to send her to god!"
The men in court roared outrageously at the words.
"The princess was alive!?"
"A prisoner by the Spanish?!"
"Where is the princess?! Someone tells me…!"
Charles Brandon looked at the letter then the queen herself. All this time the fourteen princess is still alive, and Katherine has ordered the death of the sister of the king.
The few supporters had looked appalled at what the queen had done. Some who supported the king's decision to divorce glared at the queen wishing she was dead.
The King fisted his hands to reign in his anger. His own wife wanted to kill his sister. How dare she!
Katherine looked around and yelled, "It's not true! I am innocent! I wished her no harm! The princess has a poor health!" The ladies in waiting shrieked in fear for themselves and the queen.
"Liar!" One lord pointed to her as he shouted. He almost ran towards the queen to retaliate for the crime she committed.
King Henry stood up and ordered, "Stop in the name of your king!"
The chaos stopped when they all looked at the king. "Please be seated." The king sat back on his throne while others were still standing.
King Henry looked around as he added, "Now."
They all quickly sat down as he ordered.
The chaos Katherine had unleashed was her undoing. Katherine's head was bowed as she knew she had lost the battlefield.
It's all over. All her mother's work and dreams of uniting a Christian kingdom are gone now.
Thomas came forward and announced, "You lied about everything. First, your marriage with Prince Arthur is true you consummated. You allied yourself to Spain and sold off England for your benefit. You held the princess of England as a prisoner for years and tried to murder her to keep your secrets. For godly woman, you are the true devil." Thomas said in a whisper for the last sentence. "When the evidence came to the King and council, he believed you are two choices: Exiled to Spain or execution!"
Katherine shivers at the sentencing. Those two choices are like a death sentence for her. One if she returns to Spain there is no doubt that Charles will do to her like he did to Joanna. Executing a queen has never been done before.
"Unless" Thomas Cromwell added, "Someone here will convince the King to change his sentencing on you." He looked around to see if any Lord would defend.
Katherine looked around pleading for someone to help her.
However, the cold look of the lord is staring, judging her as she is the sinner in the marriage. Not even her close friends in court wished to help her. Her heart is beating fast.
She felt trapped.
She will die as a traitor.
"I will speak for the dowager princess." A feminine voice paused everything. Katherine gasped as she looked back at the face of her true enemy. The men, courtiers, and ladies looked at the sight. Many older generations thought they were looking at Queen Elizabeth of York, but it was Princess Eleanor Tudor. By the princess's side is Henry Percy and Lady Anne Boleyn.
'She even brought Anne Boleyn to mock me.' Katherine thought tearfully.
"After all, I have unfinished business with the Spanish princess," Eleanor spoke in the Tudor red dress. A symbol for going to battle.
Lady Anne Boleyn smiled to announce, "May I present my lords. My Ladies and our Beloved King! Princess Eleanor Tudor, Duchess of Hertford!" Anne curtsies before Eleanor Tudor since the princess tells her that she will give Katherine the final blow of her pride.
A few men smirked and kneeled before the lost Tudor princess. Others quickly followed even the bishop who knew better now. The support of Queen Katherine was lost.
Henry Percy escorted both ladies towards Katherine who was stoned, shocked at her now mortal enemies. Joined together to defeat her.
Princess Eleanor raised her eyebrow, "Well?" Katherine knew the custom that despite her status as the dowager princess, a true princess of England still outranked Katherine any day.
"Princess Eleanor," Katherine mumbled as she kneeled before her.
"I want you to know that I will forget you after this moment and never think of you again," Eleanor said to Katherine. Many men and women heard the princess. They knew it was the words of the dagger that could kill anyone. No doubt it was a final blow to Katherine of Aragon knowing she had been dealt with harshly by the princess. "But I am certain you will think about me every single day of your life."
Katherine clenched her lips and questioned, "And will you give the order to end me?" The Spanish princess is now afraid of what revenge the English princess has in store for her.
Eleanor looked at her brother the king. "All I asked Your Majesty is that you showed her the same courtesy that she had bestowed upon me."
Katherine bowed her head knowing what kind of fate awaited her in England.
Princess Eleanor looked at the King and Henry nodded his consent over the agreement. If it is the same courtesy that Katherine had given his sister for years. Then he shall return the favor.
Thomas Cromwell looked at the princess. She is young, but he will wait to see what they will have in store for her.
"I believed the court!" Thomas announced as he looked around the court and added, "Is Adjourned." He looked back at the princess.
BANG!
Reviews are welcome. I used the scene of Ever After of how Danielle deals with her stepmother.