Chapter one: Death

She did not feel love when she was about to die. She knew that he hated her for their lies. She would die. It was her fate as Anne Boleyn. Thanks to Anthea for the wondeful chapter image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 19,1536

 

Gathered amongst the crowd of the English subjects were the corrupters; the deceivers. Anne knew this as she walked out of the Tower of London to face her death. The one thing she had known she could not avoid. All eyes were wet with sadness and vengeance. All eyes watched her. She should have known death would be her end. She had after all convinced the King she would be capable of giving him a son. The failure to do so had been her demise. Questions arose in her mind as she walked towards the Tower Green. Had Henry ever really loved her? Had she ever truly known love from her former king? Memory suggested otherwise to the silent queen.

Xxxxxxx

 

The counsel and parliament members stood as Anne was ushered into the Tower of London. She had been bound with chains and knew nothing of what she was bound for. All eyes that fell upon her were accusing; hateful. All around her sat her destroyers. She almost let a smile feed her lips with poison. This was how it was to end.

Thomas Cromwell was at the head of the table. His eyes full of lust for power and hunger for blood. She ventured her gaze around the room. Surprisingly she found Henry staring at her from the far right corner of the room. He faced her with a cold, unloving stare. She almost let out a cry, but held it back. She would show she had not been beaten down by the king and his pawns. She would be strong. But at the moment of her decision for strength she collapsed upon the floor in pure exhaustion. She had not been given much time for recovery from her miscarriage. The ordeal had weakened her. Almost killed her.

 

“Where is my father?” she demanded as she pulled herself from the floor. “Where is my brother?” she looked around the room once more. Her eyes pierced each man’s heart with anger and spite, “And on what charges have I been brought here for?”

 

None of the accusers answered her. All shuddered around her from the bite in her words; the steely glare she had produced even when upset. She was the queen that the country had needed. She was here for reasons she did not know. She looked around once more; challenging any of them to accuse her. She found Henry’s eyes again. He cast his stare away from her. His eyes did not want to gaze upon her. She felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach. Clutching the bottom of her stomach, she let out a soft sob. Soft enough for her husband to hear. No, she would find no love in this room. For in the end she would have to endure this alone.

 

“Your Majesty,” she spoke choosing her next words carefully. She watched as his gaze came back to her. A faint hint of emotion in his eyes, “Come try one more time with me. This time I am certain you will have your son.”

 

She watched him clinch his hands into fists and pound against the arm of the royal chair. His face contorted into a mess of angry lines as he contemplated her words. She had lost it. His love had finally turned into hate against her.

 

“Silence your tongue!” Henry bellowed, “You have done too much of your seducing for the last few years. Your bewitching has come to an end. Be silent.”

 

She thought she saw a small smile cross Thomas’ face. She hung her head. Her mouth slipped into a tight line as she pressed back her final words. She had been defeated; beaten down into the pits of hell. She heard the squeak of chair legs as someone was preparing to leave the room. She looked back up only to be inches from her former lover. He moved to touch her. The effort it seemed to her was hard for him. He hesitated then finally let his fingers caress her bottom lip. The gesture was one he had done when they had first known each other. The gesture of his love towards her. She felt him pull away and push past her and leave from the room. A tear rolled down her cheek. Her fears finally lay to rest with his departure.

 

She collapsed from the intense pain of abandonment. She had been thrown away like Katherine of Aragorn. Another useless toy to the king. Had this been how Katherine had felt when the king had announced his divorce from her? She would never know. She heard a throat clear and immediately she brought her eyes up. Thomas Cromwell was smirking down at her from his seat.

 

“You sly serpent of the devil,” Anne hissed, “You deceiver of deceivers. Tainted man of Satan. What have ye done to me and my marriage? What have ye done to my daughter?”

 

“The charges that have been brought forth against you are of the following: Adultery, incest, and High treason against the king himself. What plead you?” Thomas stated more then asked.

 

She smirked at the accusations. They were a pathetic attempt at soiling her reputation. She had never done such things. Had never slept with her brother nor had she ever slept with another man besides the King himself. But what use was it to fight these charges. They would win against her. The king himself would see to that.

 

“Not guilty,”

 

“Yet we have proof and accounts that convict you of these illicit crimes. Did you or did you not have sexual relations with Mark Smeaton, Sir Henry Norris, and George Boleyn?” Thomas said loud enough to fill the entire room. Anne gasped. Why would they believe that she had ever had sexual relations with her brother. “And did you or did you not conspire with these multiple lovers to kill the king?”

 

Kill the king! The words rang pain through her heart like a heated sword. She clutched at her chest and tried to stay as calm as she could amongst these destructive men.

 

“Who has accused me of such things? I would never betray his majesty. I would never try to kill him. I love him,” it was all she could say between her sobs.

 

But the group around her was as cold as vipers watching their prey. None budged at the tears she was spilling. None cared to comfort her. Thomas’ smile widened.

 

“We, the parliament and witnesses of god, declare thee guilty and to be sentenced to death,” Thomas said as he motioned for the guards to take her away.

 

Xxxxxxxx

 

Now she watched as Henry took form in his bedroom window. He was too cowardly to face her death properly. She swallowed her anger and took note that once she was dead she would finally be happy and free. She let a smile crass her luscious lips as she came to the steps that would lead her to her death.

 

Xxxxxxx

 

Anthony Kingston entered the room that had been the Queen’s quarters for the last four days. Every window had been opened and the foul smell of dying England had drifted into every corner of the room by now. He saw her sitting at the window watching the mass grow larger as her execution drew near. Was it enough for her to know that she was loved by the people of England? He doubted this. She turned to look at him. Her eyes were moist with tears once spilled. He watched her motion for him to come to her.

 

“Mr. Kingston, I hear that I shall not die afore noon,” she started, “And I am very sorry therefore, for I thought to be dead by this time and past my pain.”

 

He watched as her eyes registered the events that were going to pass. First the pain as her eyes moistened, then anger as flames erupted in her pupils, and finally they lit up with happiness. The final emotion confused him.

 

“There should be no pain, it is so little,”

 

“I heard say the executioner was very good,” she paused for a second, giving him a brief glance and then a faint smile as her next words passed her lips, “And I have a little neck,” she brought up her delicate hands and placed them around her neck. She let out a hearty laugh and glanced at everyone that was in the room. Her chamber maids hung their heads and dared not look at her. Even Anthony felt like kissing the Queen a final goodbye.

 

Mr. Kingston had experienced many executions, many had been women, but she, the Queen, seemed to be joyous for her death. She laughed and joked as if her head were not about to be cut off. He felt her hand touch his and heard her ask for him to perform a mass for her.

 

“I swear on the eternal salvation of my soul, upon the Holy Sacraments, that I have never been unfaithful to my King,” so she said before and after receiving the body and blood of Christ.

Xxxxxxxx

 

Anne ushered for her two ladies’ in waiting to stay behind at the bottom step as she made her final walk to the scaffold. She widened her grin, confusing many of the members of the crowd. They looked amongst each other. Asking with their eyes for the answers to her peculiar behavior. But only Anne knew the answers. She was happy for this death. It meant her escape from all of the pain she had caused herself.

 

“Good Christian People. I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it.” she spoke her final words with a heavy heart, “I am come hither to accuse no ma, nor to speak anything of that, where of I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray to God save the King and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never,”

 

“And to me he was ever a good, a gentle, and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of this world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul,” with her final words she knelt in front of the scaffold in the upright French style of executions. “To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesus receive my soul.”

 

Her ladies in waiting removed her ornate headdress and necklaces. One then tied a blindfold over her eyes.

 

“Where is my sword?”

 

The last words the Queen would hear before her death. She knew that the executioner had tried distracting her from her death, but she knew the sword was close to her. Death took her soul and raised it into heaven.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

History is great story. I would love to be able to go back in time and meet some of these people and listen to their story. I like the story. Your words made the story come alive. I bet the Queen was a real interesting character. I like the conversation and the ending. A excellent poem.
Coyote

[Ruth]

Your characters always interest me love! You have a talent for great description and vivid details! Thats great for the reader lol
This is inspiring!
The end of this gives me shivers! lol
The Queen reflecting and accepting after such a tense story!
Great write!
xx

[HorrorMaster]

Very good chapter

[Sean M. Addams]

very interesting story... i thought you did a great job with the characters and everything... can't wait to read more :_)

[Poetic Beauty]

you made the emotion really come to life in this story. You have changed this story up and made it come to life. This story held my attention all the way through and I love the moments between Anne and the King in the court room. It really added personal touch that let the reader know just how mad the king was at Anne.

[Jonathan De Elvira]

She had been terribly accused?? what the hell is going on??
hurm...I got to read more of this...keep up..