The Lost Martyr

July 6th 1535 Tower Hill 9:00 am:

I never thought this was to be the end of my life. Having my head being severed from my body with a bloody axe. On the outside people saw me as calm and composed, but the reality was I was quite the nervous wreck.

As I walked the steps to the scaffold I was thinking there was still time to escape. It was easy I wasn’t chained up like the rest of the prisoners, all I needed to do was to punch out Master Kingston steal a guards sword and make a mad dash for escape. People will help me I am one of the most well respected men in England. But where would I go Alice had a big mouth so I couldn’t go back home. Great my great escape just became complicated.

Yet there was also the possibility of my dear student Harry would pardon me, if he weren’t so enamored with that whore who said my book Utopia was nonsense. Well I guess Harry isn’t coming then.

Well since there was no way out. I guess I had to face the music. Well you had a good run Sir Thomas heaven’s waiting. Goodbye cruel world.

I was already on the scaffold. My chemise was drenched from my sweat yet I was shivering from the fear. I prayed that I was lucky that I wasn’t one of those poor souls who were dead in 7 blows of the axe. I looked at Kingston who gave me a quick nod to say some final words. I slowly walked to the edge of the scaffold and took a deep breath. I was going to faint so I used the scaffold rail for leverage.

“I won’t say much,” I said, “But I will say this that I died the kings good servant but god’s-“

All of a sudden a guard screamed out:

“THE KING!”

The crowd parted making a pathway and to my surprise, the gates open and to my surprise it was Harry riding on a horse. He galloped to over to the scaffold and demounted himself off the horse. He ran up the steps of the scaffold and gives me a hug and I swear a kiss as if I were his mistress. I must be dreaming.

Harry released me from his hug and leaned over the side of the scaffold to face his kingdom.

“Good people of England, as king and sovereign leader of this country I declare this man pardoned!” He yelled.

Everyone in the crowd cheered. I was definitely dreaming. The executioner crossed himself and said “thank god”. Harry walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders for support and we walked over to the horse. Then Harry mounted on the horse.

“Harry what in god’s name?” I asked

He threw me his cloak and made me put it on and I did. Actually it made me feel a bit better.

“I’ll explain on the way back to the castle, get on and hold on for dear life to me.” He said.

“Um Harry,” I said, “I never rode a horse….”

He scooped me up onto the horse and placed me behind him. At least I got it somewhat right because my legs were on either side of the horse.

“Are your legs on either side? Good, now wrap your arms around my neck and hold on with your thighs for dear fucking life. Let’s get out of here before we’re attacked by your enemies and I didn’t take my guards so I might as well get back before they worry about me YAH!”

I wrapped my arms quickly around his neck and Harry pulled the reigns and there we were making a mad dash out of the tower. Everyone was cheering flowers were being thrown in the air. I heard “God bless you wise Sir Thomas.” That’s when I realize it wasn’t dreaming. As we were leaving the tower Harry looked at his friend Charles Brandon aka the Duke of Suffolk who was in the crowd and screamed “BRANDON TAKE YOUR HORSE AND MEET US BY THE RIVER THAMES IN FIVE MINUTES!”

“Alright your Majesty YOU MADE A WISE CHOICE FRIEND!” He yelled back.

As we left the tower grounds I looked back for once last time and for the first time for about a year I was free!