My English teacher once taught me that actions speak louder than words. This situation is no exception.

Tom and I leave for Hybrid Palace in the evening, stopping at an inn on the way. "I never stayed in an inn before," I tell him before we part ways for the night.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Tom asks. "Neither have I."
"Good night, my lord."
"Good night." Tom heads into his room and shuts the door behind him.

I stay in the corridor for a few minutes. I'll see Mummy tomorrow. Maybe she can help us save Jane. I am not giving up on her.

My mind wanders back to the kiss. Tom is a great kisser, but do I want to be with him? Wikipedia is not the most reliable source, so it could be worth checking a few others out. But where should I look? My history books barely mention him, and...

I pull my phone out but think again. Should I let time take its course? Do I really want to know what is coming? I put my phone away and go into my room. Mummy will guide me.

The bed I am lying on has a straw mattress that pricks me no matter what I do. What have I done? King Henry will never forgive me for this. Oh, why do I care? He killed Anne! I grit my teeth. He will pay for what he did to her, I will make sure of it. If only I could do something about it now.

Luke's words run through my mind. Jane said she was kidnapped in 1536. I am abandoning her by running away with Tom! Will she ever forgive me for such a betrayal? I wish I let Luke finish what he would've said. Should I call him? No. He won't understand why I ran away with Tom. When we get to Hybrid Palace, I can tell Mummy. We can devise a plan then.

The next morning dawns sunny and bright, making the last part of our journey calm. We get off our horses when we reach the courtyard. "Mummy!" I squeal and throw myself into her open arms.
"It's good to see you." She lets me go and nods in Tom's direction. "Do one of you mind explaining?"

We tell Mummy everything. "I still have some questions," I say as I turn to Tom. "Why did King Henry make you divorce your wife? What was his excuse?"
Tom shakes his head. "He told me he would get me a wife who would understand me completely, but I already had that. I love Elizabeth and would gladly return to her and renew our vows."
"Then you should do so if you can."
Tom nods.

I look at Mummy, then at Tom. "Another thing I don't understand is this: Who kidnapped Jane, and why would they do that? If they wanted to cause trouble, why not kidnap the king?"
"That would make sense," Tom says carefully. "Whoever is doing it is trying to cause trouble and put a fake Queen Jane in her place. But that is not our issue. You said you are not going to serve her."
"I never said that." I fold my arms. "All I meant was I will not serve Jane while she, or whoever kidnapped her, is going to degrade me."
"You told the King you would not serve her."
"No, I said I will help because he and Jane need me. If you cannot see that, you are a fool."

Mummy puts her head in her hands. "What should we do?"
"Jane is one of us," I say, "and I'll hate myself if something happens to her." I will hate myself if anything happens to anyone else I care about. Catalina and Anne are already dead. There's nothing more I can do for them until 1544. And when the Titanic...

I stop that thought. I will not think about the Titanic now. It is centuries away. I'll have plenty of time to prepare myself.

But images of the officers come to mind whether I want them to or not. I cannot ignore what is going to happen in 1912. The best thing I can do is talk to them. What will I say to them? What if they think I am crazy?

My phone starts ringing. Thank goodness for that. Maybe it is Luke, demanding to know why I changed history and haven't helped Jane. I answer it without checking the caller ID. "Yes?" I ask.
"Thank goodness you picked up," Henry Fitzroy says.
"How did you get a mobile phone?"
Henry laughs. "The Doctor gave it to me. He said we were right to change history."
"He did?" Can I believe what Henry says? He's an ally, I remind myself.
"I was surprised, too. He found a timeline where Father survives, and... it's terrible."
"Terrible, how? Do you remember any details?"
"Father survives until he is a hundred and has many more wives than six."

What? How can he survive until he is a hundred? That takes us to 1591. My blood runs cold. Henry would tire of me quickly after Ruane. He will outlive Edward and Mary.

My legs grow weak. Tom takes my phone and talks to Henry. Mummy catches me as I collapse. "We need to kill the king," I say.