The Tudor Witness
Chapter Eight
St. Paul’s Cathedral was probably the most beautiful church Catalina had ever been in.
It was only ten days later-November 14, and they were getting married in person. A platform had been built at the church so that the commoners of London could see them as they exchanged their vows.
Thank goodness the ceremony was held in Latin, or else Catalina would not have been able to understand anything. But now she could not pay attention. Arthur was grasping her hand, and she was trying not to shake.
Tonight was the night that Catalina had been dreading.
Before Catalina had left her mother had told her everything she would need to do, but also said that they were young, and that both her and the groom’s parents had both agreed that they would wait for the marriage bed ceremony until they were older.
But at the end it was changed. The marriage bed ceremony they had set to do now, yet Catalina was oh so afraid. She was still young, not old enough to bear children. But she was mighty sure Arthur would feel the same, being actually younger than she was.
And now it was over. The marriage ceremony was over and now they were traveling back to Westminster for the feasting and the marriage bed ceremony.
All through the dinner, Arthur and Catalina sat at the high table. They both ate nothing, both of them looking too afraid to eat anything.
She looked down upon the court. This would be the court she would look upon when she was queen as well, with Arthur beside her again.
The king and the queen were there as well, which made Catalina twice as nervous. So nice they looked, but how different they were from her own parents. Elizabeth, his mother, was a hefty woman, but very beautiful. Arthur looked just like his father, the red hair, the almond eyes, and the high-bridged nose.
The time seemed to be going fast, and after dancing (which Catalina and Arthur did not do) Arthur and Catalina were whisked away into separate rooms.
Catalina was brought to a room with many giggling maids, who were to change her into a nightgown and ready her for the ceremony. Luckily, her Spanish maid Juana was there, and she helped her best, trying to translate everything the other maids said.
“Ask God for help,” Juana said as she slipped Catalina into a silk nightgown.
Catalina tried to breathe as the women continued to prepare her. Someone sprayed her with lavender spray and then they all disappeared except for Juana.
“You must go ahead into the room,” Juana explained.
She figured she better get it over with and walked into the room. She gasped, seeing how nearly hundreds of people had fit into the bedroom, watching her as she wore only a nightgown that did not even cover her ankles! She knew that courtiers watched your every move, but she did not know that it was that extreme.
Arthur was standing at the side of the bed and they both got on it and under the covers. Catalina heard Arthur let out a deep breath and then he reached for her hand and held it tight.
The Archbishop of Canterbury stood at the foot of the bed, and he began blessing the couple, wishing them many children and many years of the Tudors-in Latin of course.
Then two courtiers closed the curtains upon the newlyweds to the rest of the world to do the only private matter in court.
Arthur looked so very nervous. “I…I don’t want us to do things wrong. I really don’t want to do this at all just yet…”
“I understand. Your parents tell you that you should have an heir, and I don’t blame them…” Catalina sighed, her body shaking.
Arthur turned over on his side to look at his wife. “So…so we are married now.”
Catalina nodded and also turned on her side to face him. “Crazy as it seems.”
Arthur got right out with it. “I think we should wait until we at least know each other more, I mean,” his face reddened, “until we love each other and we are sure.”
Catalina smiled and nodded. “I would like that.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “To tell you the truth I was right nervous about this.”
“So was I.”
He was quiet for a bit, and then asked, “So…tell me about your life. I’m guessing you already miss Spain and your family, right?”
Catalina shrugged. “All my siblings are gone. My oldest sister married and died in childbirth, and my two other sisters and brother all married. My mother and father had better things to do, really, than be with their youngest daughter.”
“Don’t you miss Spain?”
“I will always miss it. Nothing in the world is as beautiful as the countryside in Spain, dotted with little villages. Everywhere you look there are vineyards that make the sweetest wine and there are orchards where plums and peaches are grown.”
Arthur smiled. “It sounds quite different than England! So beautiful…like you.”
She could not help but smile as she looked into his blue eyes. She could see now how that painting had lied. He was much more comely now in person.
They were close to each other now, close enough to feel each other’s breath.
“So tell me about your family. Your parents seem nice,” Catalina said, grasping his hand tighter.
He nodded. “They will love you, if they already don’t.”
“That is good,” she sighed.
“You are afraid to be here.”
Catalina nodded.
“It’s okay to be afraid of new things at first,” she felt his hand slid around her thin waist.
She loved him already.
He was looking a bit nervous again.
“Arthur…I…”
But Catalina could not speak, for Arthur had laid a kiss upon her lips. She looked up at him, yearning for more, but Arthur’s face had turned a dark red.
“I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly.
“No,” Catalina smiled. “I liked it.”
Arthur’s lips curved up in a sly smile, something of triumph in his eyes.
He kissed her again, and then she kissed him back, with more passion than she expected, and when both were too tired to talk or kiss any longer, they fell asleep, her in his arms.
=+=
The Year 1528
Spring
“Elizabeth! Wake up! Elizabeth!”
I opened my eyes just slightly and saw Mary and Hannah standing above me. I knew it was Mary’s last day before going back to Ludlow, and she still hadn’t left her room. Until now.
“Mary, are you…are you smiling?” I asked.
“Elizabeth, I have the greatest news! I still have my position. My cousin, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, will never let the Pope go through with the annulment. He is very close to my mother, his aunt, and he is going to stop it all!” she cried with an excited voice.
I instantly threw my arms around her. “Oh, Mary, I am so happy for you.”
It would all be over soon, it had to be.
“Well, I must leave now, but I will be back in summer,” Mary hugged me again and left before I had the chance to say goodbye.
Hannah sat on my bed. “’Tis really going to be over now,” she sighed. “I can’t wait until things are back to normal and then I can really enjoy court.”
“What happens when Anne finds out?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” Hannah looked to the empty side of the bed. “Where is she anyway?”
“She went with the king last night…”
Anne came running in then, her red and fuming with anger. She slammed the door and screamed, not even realizing that Hannah was in the room.
“If that little bastard’s mother stops the annulment agreement from the Pope, I swear I will kill her!” she screamed.
I knew if I talked then I would be the next to get it, so Hannah and I both kept quiet, for we knew Anne wasn’t done just yet.
“Henry is afraid that this will actually happen and he wants to rid of me if I won’t give him what he wants now!” Anne yelled, starting to cry.
“Anne…”
“Get out!” she cried, her hands covering her sobbing eyes. “The both of you!”
We ran from the room, me still in my nightgown, and to the queen’s rooms.
As soon as we closed the door and bowed to the queen we danced around happily in a circle until we fell, laughing, onto the floor.
The king would be done with Anne so soon, and everything would go back to the way it had been. Anne and I would be the best of friends again, and we would live our days out as happy girls, maids to the queen, in court.
Anne arrived in the queen’s chamber as I wrote Mary a happy letter of the downfall of Anne Boleyn as her father’s betrothed.
Her eyes were red and she was not smiling. Her stare instantly landed upon me, motioning me to sit by her by the corner of the hearth. It was unusually cold still for spring.
Her hands fumbled with the needle as she tried to sew together a torn tunic. She had to rip the stitches out several times and do it over, for her hands were shaking. Anne had never had to sew anything twice. She was perfect at everything.
“Are you okay?” I asked when Jane Boleyn got up to play the harpsichord, drowning out our voices. She was terrible and played over-loudly. I was even better at it than her.
She shrugged her shoulders and did not bother to look up at me.
“The king has…has finished of you?” I mumbled.
“I…I am quite sure he has,” she finally said.
“Anne…I…”
She cut me off. “I love him Elizabeth. I love him more than anything in the world. I had him in the palm of my hand-the King of England! And I was so selfish. I had to keep my virtue, I told him. If he would’ve just bedded me it would have been over by now. The queen would’ve never been in danger of being replaced and I would have had the reputation of mistress to king himself!”
“I am sorry Anne,” I whispered.
“No you are not. You wanted to see me fall; you just wanted me to be your little friend who told you everything again. Well I am sorry, Lady Elizabeth, but you have thought wrong,” she growled and made to get up.
“Anne!”
“That is Lady Anne to you,” she growled at me.
“Lady Anne,” I whispered. “Please…”
“What?!” she cried, sitting back down.
“I…I love you like a sister, and you mean so much to me. I was on both sides in this matter, for I wanted both ends to come out all right. And maybe your time is not just yet here. Maybe…”
A smirk appeared on her lips. “Maybe…I can win back the king. I mean, with the charm that everyone believes me to have.”
“Now that is the Anne Boleyn I know!” I smiled.
“I must go to him now, before he has chance to think on this matter further,” she stood up and asked leave from the queen, who granted it.
The queen looked happy today. Had she known that Anne Boleyn was to fall? She would be wrong soon.
I tossed my letter to Mary in the fire, for it would not be valid in a matter of a few minutes.
That night as we laid in bed, Anne was too excited to sleep.
“I take it that you have won the king over again?” I asked, yawning.
“Yes, I have. But yet, I am sore afraid that his love for me is decreasing. I am afraid that next time he asks me to his bed and I say no, then I will be out of the picture for sure. My family wants me to bed with him, so keep their positions, but I’m not sure. Losing my virtue, is it worth it all in the end?”
“Well, I guess it does depend if you have his child, then,” I suggested.
“I am still promised being queen, if ever that can happen,” she sighed.
“No one is too sure,” I whispered and turned away, wanting some sleep.
“I am glad that you are still with me in this, Elizabeth,” Anne whispered in the quietness of the room.
“I will always be with you Anne,” I promised and giggled, adding, “to the death.”
“It’s good to know I have a friend,” Anne yawned. “By the way, the king says that tomorrow we go to Eltham, his favorite of all castles. Besides this new one of course.”
I rested my head against my pillow and looked out the window upon a clear full moon. Mary was surely on her way home, probably almost up at Ludlow by then. What would happen in the time that she was gone? From then to summer?
The first day we arrived at Eltham the queen’s ladies-in-waiting went to a luncheon with the queen to the king’s apartments.
The king’s apartments had recently been re-decorated, and the queen’s ones were in the process. I was afraid then of doing something wrong in front of the king, and also afraid of what connection I would see between Anne and the king.
As the guards announced our arrival, the queen bowed her head slightly towards the king and us maids sunk to the ground in a full curtsy, our matching gold and blue dresses spread neatly apart.
“Why must we match?” I asked Anne before we came.
Anne tried to pull down her bodice a bit, to show more of her bosom, but it would not budge. The neckline was too high. “I’m not sure, but the queen cannot force me to wear this horrible Spanish fashion!”
“Oh Anne, can’t you be something other than different for a day?” I asked, smiling at the thought of Anne being English, just like the rest of us.
“Are you asking me, Anne Boleyn, to be normal? I’m sorry, but I am not such a normal girl,” she laughed and we departed for the queen’s room.
But now we were bowing before the king, his face flushed, and his eyes locked on our group-locked on Anne.
“’Tis such a pleasure to come for a light tea, and with my maids, my dear,” the queen said to the king, a fake smile upon her face.
“The pleasure is mine,” he looked at his queen for only a second, and then looked back to our group.
He sat at a very grand table, upon which was set golden silverware and silver goblets with little red gems. The queen gracefully sat in her chair and a servant brought over a platter of wonderful looking food.
My stomach growled-I had not eaten anything at all that day, yet I knew that now it would be especially hard to eat when the king was constantly looking at Anne to my right.
We were sitting at a table off to the side, and I saw the king’s men across the room at another table. I noticed Tom and Hannah’s father among the group, and Anne’s uncle and father as well.
My brother was one of the boys serving the food, and soon he came over to our table. Even though he was in court, I did not see him much. He was with the king and I was with the queen. Most times he was out delivering messages from the king, and then he spent much time with the other pages his age.
He winked at me and before I could object, he dumped a pile of steaming meat onto my plate.
“It’s time you get some meat on those bones,” he whispered with a laugh and went on to Anne.
I would never eat that all in front of the king. I could see him already staring at us from the corner of my eye.
“Lady…uh…Rushford isn’t it?”
I felt my body freeze. The King of England was taking to me.
“Your Highness?” I looked straight into his deep blue eyes.
“Lady Elizabeth, why is it that I never see you put a thing in your mouth?” he laughed heartily. “You never eat, do you?”
I felt my cheeks go red with embarrassment.
Anne kicked me. “Say something.”
My mouth would not move though, and I was so afraid of what might come out of my mouth if it did.
“’Tis okay, my dear, you can eat. No one judges you here on what you eat,” he explained and I forced myself to look up at him. His face was kind and loving like my father’s had been. “It looks as if you haven’t eaten in year.”
That was mostly true. The last time I actually ate a real meal had been back when I still lived in our one-room cottage. I’d had little things in between meals, but I’d soon gotten used to not eating in front of the court.
“The girl is so skinny, do you expect her to eat much?” the queen laughed.
“Well, you’ve got to eat sometime. Its okay girl, do not be afraid to eat,” the king assured me, and I felt blessed that the king actually cared to comment on me.
I looked down at the meat on my plate and ate as much of it as I could, and I was glad for it.
“Isn’t that much better, my girl?” the king laughed and took a sip out of his golden goblet.
I nodded my head and smiled.
Jane Boleyn groaned. “Seems we have yet another Anne Boleyn on our hands,” she mumbled, even though Anne was close enough to hear her.
I felt Anne kick her under the table…or, or was that me? I didn’t even know. Maybe I was becoming like Anne. Oh Lord, I had to stop being around her so much. She was my friend but if ever there was a person I didn’t want to grow up to be, it was Anne. I admired her so but I wouldn’t want to be a mistress to any man, especially a man old enough to be my father.
“I am not,” I spat out so that all at my table would know.
Yet still, Jane Boleyn and Jane Seymour looked at me with doubt in their eyes.
I shifted my glance over to the table of men, and saw that Tom’s dad was eying me in a very peculiar way. He looked like Tom, with his blue eyes and light brown hair, with that tint of red. He would not look away from me, and I felt sore uncomfortable.
“Why is he looking at you so?” Jane Seymour observed.
“I…is he still looking at me?” I whispered.
She nodded and I suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore.
I wanted to ask Anne about the man’s strange behavior, but her eyes were locked with the king’s.
After we had eaten and the king’s men had gone the king asked all of the queen’s maids, and the queen herself, to stay.
“I need some entertainment,” the king explained with a smile towards Anne.
“I shall go and get the girls some sewing instruments to occupy them,” the queen quietly stood up and left the room, but not for the sewing instruments, I knew. But because the king would have it no other way.
Only a few seconds after the queen had left, the king called to his guards to have his fool come in. “Lady Anne, might you grace me with your company,” the king added, and patted the empty side of his large chair.
“Of course, Your Majesty,” she giggled and went to sit next to the king.
I think I was the only one that saw their hands clasped underneath the king’s cloak, hiding away their affections.
The fool came in to do some various tricks-dancing, eating fire, juggling-but the king tired of it easily.
“Send in the minstrels,” the king ordered of his guards.
“Elizabeth,” the maid named Bess called to me. She was a rather pretty girl, much prettier than Anne when it came to the style of the day.
“What?” I called to her as the minstrels marched in and began to play their loud trumpets.
They created a wall between us maids and the king and Anne. A tray of sweets was brought in, and only my small eyes could see through the wall of minstrels. I saw the king feed them all to Anne, and I saw them holding each other like lovers.
“Elizabeth, why are you crying?” Bess called back to me again.
“I…I’m not crying,” I muttered, not bothering to look at her as I wiped away the tears on my face.
“Yes, of course, and the king is not Catholic,” she groaned. “We all know that you know something.”
I looked over to the group of them, all sitting by the hearth. All eyes were upon me.
“What…what do you mean? I know nothing…” I tried to look away from them, for I was never a very good liar.
“Listen girl, I am in her family, yet I am told nothing. If I did know the things you do are her best friend, I would gladly share with the world what I know. Better to rid of her now,” Jane Boleyn spat.
“But you are married to her brother,” I exclaimed.
“Indeed I am married to a Boleyn, but a Boleyn I shall never be!” she cried.
“So go on, you are her confident. There must be something we do not know. Something…secretive,” Jane Seymour pleaded, her eyebrows raised.
“I…”
“Yes?” Jane pleaded.
“I…I cannot tell you!” I cried, wanting to just leave. But I could not leave the king’s room unannounced. That was not polite.
“I swear to you girl, if you do not tell me I will have you sorely regretting you did not tell me,” Jane Boleyn spat, her eyes ablaze with fire. I was right scared of her.
I was afraid, and the girls were all staring at me, looking ready to attack if I did not tell.
“Anne trusts me with her secrets,” I whispered. “Her uncle promised me a slow and painful death if I tell anyone.”
“We promise to tell no soul,” Bess nodded. She wasn’t a very good liar either.
But I was most certain that everyone would find out in the end. What did I have to lose?
“Well…” my heart pounded, the secret finally ready to be out. Or so I thought. “The king wishes to divorce the queen…”
I let in a deep breath as I saw the color drain from each of their faces. But I was no done. I was afraid to go on, but I knew that each of them knew there was more to it than that. None of them said a word, they just stared at me is disbelief.
“He…he needs an heir, and he wishes to marry Anne…” I looked away from them as I added that last part and hoped I would not regret what I said. Maybe I did feel just a bit good about finally telling someone, finally letting it out there.
The next morning I noticed Anne was gone again, but remembered her waking me up early that morning, telling me that she was off to ride her horse.. But I saw Hannah sitting, alone, by the window.
I rubbed my eyes and yawned, but she did not turn to look at me.
“Hannah?” I called to her, wondered why she was in my room so early.
“Come sit next to me,” she called faintly, not bothering to turn around and face me.
My wobbly feet walked slowly over to wear she sat by the window. I could see Anne of in the distance riding her fancy, new French horse.
Hannah turned to me. “The news reached me this morning. Both things were told me this day,” she sighed, taking my hands in hers. Hers were cold and shaking.
“What news?” I asked, shuddering, hoping the news about Anne was still kept safe in the minds of the queen’s maids. But they thrived on gossip, I knew. I would not be a secret for long.
“One good, one bad,” she took her hand away to wipe away a tear that fell from her beautiful gray eyes. “Tom came and told me the news about Anne. One of the king’s men passed it on to him, said they heard it from a maid-a maid of the queen. The maid would not tell who their source was, though someone was convinced that Anne must have told her. But Elizabeth, I am not stupid. Anne would confide in no one other than you.”
I paused, not wanting to hurt Hannah. “I thought you knew already,” I lied, more convincingly then I’d hoped.
“Oh, come off it Elizabeth, you were the only one!” she exclaimed.
“And maybe I was, but it was hard,” I sobbed. “Her family, her uncle, promised to kill me if I let the secret out!”
I threw my arms around her.
“’Twas a terrible burden you had to bear,” Hannah whispered, understanding me like only a true friend would. “It was a wonder you held the secret so long. No one can hold a secret forever.”
“But what if her family finds out?” I mumbled, not even wanting to think on that possibility.
“I was thinking of asking the queen if you and I could travel up to Ludlow for now, just until the whole court knew and no one person could take the blame for it,” she explained. “That way we could stay with Mary while the rest go on summer progress, for Anne will just be the center of attention again.”
“But isn’t Mary going to the progress?” I asked.
She frowned and rubbed her hands through her beautiful brown hair. I would never ever be as beautiful as she was.
“Oh, yes, I forgot. I bet she would like to stay though, seeing Anne will make her all sad again, like during Yuletide.
I nodded. “We can go talk to the queen later. Anyway, what was the good thing you wished to tell me?”
She reddened up and looked out the window.
“What?” I giggled, seeing the smile upon her face.
“My father takes you and your brother as very wonderful people,” she laughed, and looked at me with a joyful countenance.
“And…this is amazing how?” I asked.
“My father wonders what might become of you when you grow older, as you have no real titles. He sees how you are your brother are friends to us, and he wishes to…well…”
“What does he wish, Hannah?! Spit it out!” I exclaimed.
“Well, he wishes that somewhere in the near future, that I and your brother be betrothed!” she yelled with a huge smile.
I could not be happier. Hannah as my sister? There was no better thing! I hugged her tight as we laughed and thought of our wonderful lives planned out before us. But what about me? I thought in the back of my mind.
She added, whispering, “My…my father wishes for you to be betrothed to Tom.”
I felt my heart skip a few beats. I knew that I was still young, that I would have sweethearts in the future. But I also knew that a woman was quite lucky to ever have love come out of her marriage. And I knew that with Tom I would have a happy future. What was better than to marry a best friend?
“Life is good to us,” I sighed. “Why don’t we go to the queen and ask her now if we may go and see Mary at Ludlow.”
She nodded and took my hand in hers. “My father will send the agreement to be signed by Wolsey soon,” she explained as we walked along the corridors, our hearts soaring high.
Tom would be a good husband, I thought, and I would be a good wife.
I knew things could change. I myself would’ve liked Hannah married to my brother, but I wasn’t too sure about myself marrying Tom, who was my friend. I knew well enough that things weren’t set in stone. They never were.
We were the first ones in the queen’s room that morning. The queen was sitting on her chair, nearly half-asleep, looking at the fire burning in the grate. It was a warm day, towards the end of May, and certainly the fire place didn’t need to be burning so.
We both curtsied to the queen.
“Oh, hello girls! ‘Tis quite early to be here. The architects are coming soon to show me what they plan to do to this old place,” she explained.
As I looked around I saw that the place did need some remodeling. The paint on the ceiling was chipping off in many large pieces.
“Your Majesty, we have come to ask of you a question,” Hannah explained.
“Of course, what do you need?” the queen smiled. It looked as if the queen hadn’t heard the new talk around the court, and if she had, it wouldn’t have been any new news to her anyway.
“We were wondering if we might visit the Princess Mary up in Ludlow for a time,” I explained.
“Ah…” the queen nodded. “Afraid of you being caught, I guess?”
I nodded slowly, wondering how the queen knew. She seemed to read my mind.
“My ladies-in-waiting told me,” she explained. “I told them that they might as well pass on the message, for it was time that the court knew. I told them not to use your name, to be safe. But even so, it might make you feel better to be with Mary, and I shall grant you that. Best the two of you leave tonight, discreetly, so that no one will raise suspicions.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the both of us curtsied again and we were off.
“I can’t wait!” Hannah giggled as we skipped through the halls.
Tom was walking to his room and we passed by him. His gaze held mine for a few seconds and he smiled.
“Aww…” Hannah teased when he was out of earshot. “You two love each other already.”
I slapped her playfully and we stopped at Anne and my room. Before I opened the door I heard a sound coming from inside.
Hannah went to reach for the door.
“Wait,” I whispered and pressed my ear to the door.
“What is that sound?” Hannah asked.
“It doesn’t sound too good does it?” I groaned.
I opened the door slowly. The curtains were drawn, keeping out the light, and Anne was bent over the chamber pot.
She wore nothing but a shift, and that was soaked in water…or maybe that was sweat. It wasn’t like Anne to sweat uncontrollably, even though she had been riding. It wasn’t that warm out.
“Anne…” I muttered. “Are you okay?”
She bent over the chamber pot and I heard the sound that I had heard many times before. It took my back to years ago, nearly three years before, to my little cottage. It was the sound of my mother and my father dying, throwing up uncontrollably.
I tried not to scream, for I was so afraid that what Anne had was surely the sweating sickness. I nearly fainted at the thought of it.
Anne finally turned her face to look at us. Hannah screamed at the sight of her. Anne’s face was pale and her eyes were sunken in, surrounded by a purple lining. There was drool falling from the corner of her mouth and her hair wasn’t shiny any longer.
I’d seen that same face all to much and as I looked at Anne, I prayed a quick prayer to God that Anne would be spared.
“Let’s get out of here,” Hannah pulled me away just before Anne began to throw up again. I was crying too much to see where I was going as the memory of my mother and father dying of the same thing crowded my mind.
I could hear the screams throughout the castle.
Everyone had suddenly forgot about Anne, about how she was to marry the king, and now only thought about the sweating sickness as it was creeping up on every person.
Anne was the first in court, they said, for she liked to spend her time out of doors.
Little did everyone know, for the king had not shared it with his court, that London had been terribly infected with the disease since the beginning of May. And now his lover was paying for it.
Hannah and I ran to the queen’s rooms. The maids were in all of a panic and the queen rushed the two of into her room to talk to us.
“Now I don’t think it might be so safe to go to Mary,” the queen explained what we already had considered. We didn’t want to risk spreading the disease all the way up to Ludlow, on the border of England and Wales.
“We figured that,” Hannah nodded sadly.
“The king says that we must move north, to where it was colder. He wouldn’t have done so if it weren’t for Anne being sick. I swear he would have stayed her forever until the own sickness shot him down where he stood,” the queen sighed, sitting against her bed and covering her face in her hands. I could tell she was crying.
“’Tis okay, Your Majesty. Up north we will be much better off. Surely no one else has it but Anne?” I was fearful of the answer I would get.
“There is a handful more,” the queen sobbed. “I am just scared straight that it will reach my Mary. The king will not have her come down to stay with us, I know it.”
“Mary will be fine if it is still contained in London,” Hannah explained.
“I just hope you are right,” I answered myself, for I knew that was exactly what the Queen thought.
The next day we were moved into Beaulieu once again. It was a quick and quiet trip. We avoided all towns, and the towns that we were all forced to travel through had their people hiding away in their homes, fearful that a Londoner would come and pass on the sickness to their village.
Anne had her own carriage behind the queen’s. Jane Boleyn had joined her, to tend to her needs. I hadn’t seen Anne since the morning before, and was so afraid that her condition was worsening.
I remembered myself how we’d gotten the call that we were to go to Beaulieu. The king himself had come, unannounced, into the queen’s rooms, his nightgown still on, and him frantic and pale with fear.
He’d addressed to the queen in a hurried voice that they must leave London, and that his mind was no straight as to where they should go. The queen had calmly suggested Beaulieu, for she herself had no better place thought of.
It was raining that morning as I sat in the carriage with Hannah, Jane Seymour, and Bess.
The sky was dark-clouded and my eyes were constantly blinded with tears. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
The king had also said that no letters were to be sent to anyone, for fear of spreading the pestilence, so I could write to Mary no longer.
The court frantically set up in the old manor and everyone kept to their own rooms. I had a room with Hannah, then, seeing as Anne was so deathly sick and no one was even allowed to visit her.
William came to tell us that we were requested in the queen’s rooms, and the three of us walked together.
“What does she want of us, do you think?” Hannah asked William.
“I’m not sure. She said she wished to speak to all three of us,” William shrugged.
He came to walk a next to me, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I didn’t realize until then that I’d been shaking.
“Are you okay?” he whispered, rubbing my arm gently.
I shuddered. “No,” I muttered, for it was true. I was nearly worrying myself sick.
“Mother and father are watching over us, Elizabeth. I don’t think they will let God take us,” he assured me, and let go of my arm to go walk next to Hannah.
What a cute couple they made. I could not help but smile, thinking of them married.
The queen hadn’t even bothered to dress her hair that day, and she wore a simple black gown with no jewels or any of the like. I also realized that she wore no powder on her face like she usually did, and that her wrinkles showed terribly.
The maids were all gone, hiding in their own rooms, yet Tom was also in the room. I wondered why he had been called by the queen as well.
The queen came right out with it. “Tonight, secretly of course, I would like the four of you on a carriage and off to Ludlow. My dear Elizabeth, I know you have seen so much of this, as your brother has, and I do not want to put you in this terrible situation again. As for you two,” she nodded to Tom and Hannah, “I want you two to leave only for your safety. Such small souls should not be put in such danger. Already seven people have died in this court, and I believe it seven too many. The two of you must ask your parents to go, but I see no reason why they would not agree. Go and pack your things and then come to this room tonight when it is close to the middle of the night.”
The four of us nodded and were off again.
Tom and Hannah went on past my room to go and ask their parents, and William and I went into my room to wait.
“I have nothing to pack,” William sighed as I went to sit on the window seat. “You should pack all you wish to keep, for they will surely be infected with the disease if you chose to leave it behind.”
My mind was much too clouded to hear him. All I could think about was my mother, and how she held me in her arms and told me to leave with my brother. How she had held me that one last time. It had seemed like so long ago, but in other ways it seemed as if that had just happened the day before. I couldn’t believe that three whole years had passed since then, I just couldn’t believe it.
“Are you thinking about mother?” William asked. I could tell he was behind me now. I couldn’t believe how he had grown up so since then. William was fifteen now, old enough to start becoming a courtier. I knew it would be soon. But that would only be true if he was not betrothed to Hannah, and if he was given a title. I hoped the time would come soon enough.
I was sobbing now. “I miss her terribly.”
He held me tight and we looked out the window together as the rain continued to pour down.
“I’ve always regretted never saying goodbye,” I gasped out between my cries.
“You said goodbye to her in your heart, Elizabeth. Mother understood that,” he kissed the top of my head.
There was a silence for awhile. I thought of Anne then. What would happen if she died? Would the king move onto another, or would he get the hint and keep his loyal wife? And what if she lived? If the sickness stole away from her beauty would she just be cast away from court and live out her life without loving again? Or would she still be the same old Anne?
As much as I wanted the king to go back to Queen Catherine I could not but hope that Anne would recover and still be the friend that I looked up to more than anyone.
“I have nothing I wish to take,” I sighed, for I really had nothing to my name but the clothes on my back.
That night I was too nervous to even think about being tired.
We hadn’t seen Hannah or Tom the whole day but we trusted that they would be there at the queen’s rooms at midnight.
At around fifteen minutes to midnight I was too anxious to wait any longer. William and I decided to go to Tom’s parents’ rooms, where we were sure they were, so we could walk with them to the queen’s rooms.
It was dark in the hallway, for no candle boys had been around to replace the candle stubs in the sconces on the wall.
We made it to their small apartments and knocked on the door, which was then answered by an older-looking maid.
“Come in,” she smiled without asking who we were.
Hannah and Tom were sitting around with their little sisters, and I guessed their parents were in the other room, for they were no where to be found.
Tom looked over at us and smiled, yet Hannah did not. Then Tom turned his head to look at Hannah. He whispered something to her and then she nodded her head slowly.
Tom walked over to us, a bundle on things in his arms.
“What’s Hannah doing?” I asked, wondering why she hadn’t even turned to look at us yet.
Tom sighed. “She…she has chosen to stay here.”
“What?!” I exclaimed and looked over at her, but she did not turn.
“She wants to help with the little ones, she says,” Tom shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t know what has gotten into her.”
I ran over to where Hannah played with her youngest sister, a small girl of four. Her face looked to the floor.
“Hannah, why don’t you want to go?” I asked.
She finally looked up at me, her eyes red from crying. “My mother says it is safe here for me, and she wants me to stay. Besides, I wish to stay with my sisters so they have something other than this sickness to occupy them. I am all they will have.”
“But there is a maid! A maid can take care of them! And what of your mother? It’s her children anyway!” I cried.
“I’ve made my decision,” she wasn’t looking up at me again but I could tell she was crying.
Something came over me, a terrible notion, and I threw my arms around her. We sobbed and sobbed until no tears would come out of either of our eyes.
“I will miss you,” she sobbed, her beautiful eyes glistening with more tears.
“I will miss you too,” I whispered.
“We won’t be able to write,” she reminded me.
I nodded, saddened again, and said, “I will be back as soon as it is safe. Remember that you can come at any time. Talk to the queen and maybe she might convince your parents to let you go. If not that and Anne gets better, ask her. She will talk to the king even for you on my behalf.”
I hugged her one last time and then she turned to cough. It was a terrible loud cough.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I got up to leave.
She nodded and smiled slightly. “Just a sore throat, is all.”
“Take care of yourself,” I sobbed and then hugged her just one last time, not wanting to let go, and then a fear came over me and I whispered, “Goodbye, Hannah.”
“Goodbye, Elizabeth,” she whispered and I let go of her to join my brother and Tom.
It was hard to walk as my eyes were blurry with tears and my head pounded with grief. William picked me up in his arms and carried me to the queen’s rooms, and then once again to the back of the manor, and into the carriage, and as it was whisked away into the night.
It was only ten days later-November 14, and they were getting married in person. A platform had been built at the church so that the commoners of London could see them as they exchanged their vows.
Thank goodness the ceremony was held in Latin, or else Catalina would not have been able to understand anything. But now she could not pay attention. Arthur was grasping her hand, and she was trying not to shake.
Tonight was the night that Catalina had been dreading.
Before Catalina had left her mother had told her everything she would need to do, but also said that they were young, and that both her and the groom’s parents had both agreed that they would wait for the marriage bed ceremony until they were older.
But at the end it was changed. The marriage bed ceremony they had set to do now, yet Catalina was oh so afraid. She was still young, not old enough to bear children. But she was mighty sure Arthur would feel the same, being actually younger than she was.
And now it was over. The marriage ceremony was over and now they were traveling back to Westminster for the feasting and the marriage bed ceremony.
All through the dinner, Arthur and Catalina sat at the high table. They both ate nothing, both of them looking too afraid to eat anything.
She looked down upon the court. This would be the court she would look upon when she was queen as well, with Arthur beside her again.
The king and the queen were there as well, which made Catalina twice as nervous. So nice they looked, but how different they were from her own parents. Elizabeth, his mother, was a hefty woman, but very beautiful. Arthur looked just like his father, the red hair, the almond eyes, and the high-bridged nose.
The time seemed to be going fast, and after dancing (which Catalina and Arthur did not do) Arthur and Catalina were whisked away into separate rooms.
Catalina was brought to a room with many giggling maids, who were to change her into a nightgown and ready her for the ceremony. Luckily, her Spanish maid Juana was there, and she helped her best, trying to translate everything the other maids said.
“Ask God for help,” Juana said as she slipped Catalina into a silk nightgown.
Catalina tried to breathe as the women continued to prepare her. Someone sprayed her with lavender spray and then they all disappeared except for Juana.
“You must go ahead into the room,” Juana explained.
She figured she better get it over with and walked into the room. She gasped, seeing how nearly hundreds of people had fit into the bedroom, watching her as she wore only a nightgown that did not even cover her ankles! She knew that courtiers watched your every move, but she did not know that it was that extreme.
Arthur was standing at the side of the bed and they both got on it and under the covers. Catalina heard Arthur let out a deep breath and then he reached for her hand and held it tight.
The Archbishop of Canterbury stood at the foot of the bed, and he began blessing the couple, wishing them many children and many years of the Tudors-in Latin of course.
Then two courtiers closed the curtains upon the newlyweds to the rest of the world to do the only private matter in court.
Arthur looked so very nervous. “I…I don’t want us to do things wrong. I really don’t want to do this at all just yet…”
“I understand. Your parents tell you that you should have an heir, and I don’t blame them…” Catalina sighed, her body shaking.
Arthur turned over on his side to look at his wife. “So…so we are married now.”
Catalina nodded and also turned on her side to face him. “Crazy as it seems.”
Arthur got right out with it. “I think we should wait until we at least know each other more, I mean,” his face reddened, “until we love each other and we are sure.”
Catalina smiled and nodded. “I would like that.”
He let out a sigh of relief. “To tell you the truth I was right nervous about this.”
“So was I.”
He was quiet for a bit, and then asked, “So…tell me about your life. I’m guessing you already miss Spain and your family, right?”
Catalina shrugged. “All my siblings are gone. My oldest sister married and died in childbirth, and my two other sisters and brother all married. My mother and father had better things to do, really, than be with their youngest daughter.”
“Don’t you miss Spain?”
“I will always miss it. Nothing in the world is as beautiful as the countryside in Spain, dotted with little villages. Everywhere you look there are vineyards that make the sweetest wine and there are orchards where plums and peaches are grown.”
Arthur smiled. “It sounds quite different than England! So beautiful…like you.”
She could not help but smile as she looked into his blue eyes. She could see now how that painting had lied. He was much more comely now in person.
They were close to each other now, close enough to feel each other’s breath.
“So tell me about your family. Your parents seem nice,” Catalina said, grasping his hand tighter.
He nodded. “They will love you, if they already don’t.”
“That is good,” she sighed.
“You are afraid to be here.”
Catalina nodded.
“It’s okay to be afraid of new things at first,” she felt his hand slid around her thin waist.
She loved him already.
He was looking a bit nervous again.
“Arthur…I…”
But Catalina could not speak, for Arthur had laid a kiss upon her lips. She looked up at him, yearning for more, but Arthur’s face had turned a dark red.
“I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly.
“No,” Catalina smiled. “I liked it.”
Arthur’s lips curved up in a sly smile, something of triumph in his eyes.
He kissed her again, and then she kissed him back, with more passion than she expected, and when both were too tired to talk or kiss any longer, they fell asleep, her in his arms.
=+=
The Year 1528
Spring
“Elizabeth! Wake up! Elizabeth!”
I opened my eyes just slightly and saw Mary and Hannah standing above me. I knew it was Mary’s last day before going back to Ludlow, and she still hadn’t left her room. Until now.
“Mary, are you…are you smiling?” I asked.
“Elizabeth, I have the greatest news! I still have my position. My cousin, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, will never let the Pope go through with the annulment. He is very close to my mother, his aunt, and he is going to stop it all!” she cried with an excited voice.
I instantly threw my arms around her. “Oh, Mary, I am so happy for you.”
It would all be over soon, it had to be.
“Well, I must leave now, but I will be back in summer,” Mary hugged me again and left before I had the chance to say goodbye.
Hannah sat on my bed. “’Tis really going to be over now,” she sighed. “I can’t wait until things are back to normal and then I can really enjoy court.”
“What happens when Anne finds out?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” Hannah looked to the empty side of the bed. “Where is she anyway?”
“She went with the king last night…”
Anne came running in then, her red and fuming with anger. She slammed the door and screamed, not even realizing that Hannah was in the room.
“If that little bastard’s mother stops the annulment agreement from the Pope, I swear I will kill her!” she screamed.
I knew if I talked then I would be the next to get it, so Hannah and I both kept quiet, for we knew Anne wasn’t done just yet.
“Henry is afraid that this will actually happen and he wants to rid of me if I won’t give him what he wants now!” Anne yelled, starting to cry.
“Anne…”
“Get out!” she cried, her hands covering her sobbing eyes. “The both of you!”
We ran from the room, me still in my nightgown, and to the queen’s rooms.
As soon as we closed the door and bowed to the queen we danced around happily in a circle until we fell, laughing, onto the floor.
The king would be done with Anne so soon, and everything would go back to the way it had been. Anne and I would be the best of friends again, and we would live our days out as happy girls, maids to the queen, in court.
Anne arrived in the queen’s chamber as I wrote Mary a happy letter of the downfall of Anne Boleyn as her father’s betrothed.
Her eyes were red and she was not smiling. Her stare instantly landed upon me, motioning me to sit by her by the corner of the hearth. It was unusually cold still for spring.
Her hands fumbled with the needle as she tried to sew together a torn tunic. She had to rip the stitches out several times and do it over, for her hands were shaking. Anne had never had to sew anything twice. She was perfect at everything.
“Are you okay?” I asked when Jane Boleyn got up to play the harpsichord, drowning out our voices. She was terrible and played over-loudly. I was even better at it than her.
She shrugged her shoulders and did not bother to look up at me.
“The king has…has finished of you?” I mumbled.
“I…I am quite sure he has,” she finally said.
“Anne…I…”
She cut me off. “I love him Elizabeth. I love him more than anything in the world. I had him in the palm of my hand-the King of England! And I was so selfish. I had to keep my virtue, I told him. If he would’ve just bedded me it would have been over by now. The queen would’ve never been in danger of being replaced and I would have had the reputation of mistress to king himself!”
“I am sorry Anne,” I whispered.
“No you are not. You wanted to see me fall; you just wanted me to be your little friend who told you everything again. Well I am sorry, Lady Elizabeth, but you have thought wrong,” she growled and made to get up.
“Anne!”
“That is Lady Anne to you,” she growled at me.
“Lady Anne,” I whispered. “Please…”
“What?!” she cried, sitting back down.
“I…I love you like a sister, and you mean so much to me. I was on both sides in this matter, for I wanted both ends to come out all right. And maybe your time is not just yet here. Maybe…”
A smirk appeared on her lips. “Maybe…I can win back the king. I mean, with the charm that everyone believes me to have.”
“Now that is the Anne Boleyn I know!” I smiled.
“I must go to him now, before he has chance to think on this matter further,” she stood up and asked leave from the queen, who granted it.
The queen looked happy today. Had she known that Anne Boleyn was to fall? She would be wrong soon.
I tossed my letter to Mary in the fire, for it would not be valid in a matter of a few minutes.
That night as we laid in bed, Anne was too excited to sleep.
“I take it that you have won the king over again?” I asked, yawning.
“Yes, I have. But yet, I am sore afraid that his love for me is decreasing. I am afraid that next time he asks me to his bed and I say no, then I will be out of the picture for sure. My family wants me to bed with him, so keep their positions, but I’m not sure. Losing my virtue, is it worth it all in the end?”
“Well, I guess it does depend if you have his child, then,” I suggested.
“I am still promised being queen, if ever that can happen,” she sighed.
“No one is too sure,” I whispered and turned away, wanting some sleep.
“I am glad that you are still with me in this, Elizabeth,” Anne whispered in the quietness of the room.
“I will always be with you Anne,” I promised and giggled, adding, “to the death.”
“It’s good to know I have a friend,” Anne yawned. “By the way, the king says that tomorrow we go to Eltham, his favorite of all castles. Besides this new one of course.”
I rested my head against my pillow and looked out the window upon a clear full moon. Mary was surely on her way home, probably almost up at Ludlow by then. What would happen in the time that she was gone? From then to summer?
The first day we arrived at Eltham the queen’s ladies-in-waiting went to a luncheon with the queen to the king’s apartments.
The king’s apartments had recently been re-decorated, and the queen’s ones were in the process. I was afraid then of doing something wrong in front of the king, and also afraid of what connection I would see between Anne and the king.
As the guards announced our arrival, the queen bowed her head slightly towards the king and us maids sunk to the ground in a full curtsy, our matching gold and blue dresses spread neatly apart.
“Why must we match?” I asked Anne before we came.
Anne tried to pull down her bodice a bit, to show more of her bosom, but it would not budge. The neckline was too high. “I’m not sure, but the queen cannot force me to wear this horrible Spanish fashion!”
“Oh Anne, can’t you be something other than different for a day?” I asked, smiling at the thought of Anne being English, just like the rest of us.
“Are you asking me, Anne Boleyn, to be normal? I’m sorry, but I am not such a normal girl,” she laughed and we departed for the queen’s room.
But now we were bowing before the king, his face flushed, and his eyes locked on our group-locked on Anne.
“’Tis such a pleasure to come for a light tea, and with my maids, my dear,” the queen said to the king, a fake smile upon her face.
“The pleasure is mine,” he looked at his queen for only a second, and then looked back to our group.
He sat at a very grand table, upon which was set golden silverware and silver goblets with little red gems. The queen gracefully sat in her chair and a servant brought over a platter of wonderful looking food.
My stomach growled-I had not eaten anything at all that day, yet I knew that now it would be especially hard to eat when the king was constantly looking at Anne to my right.
We were sitting at a table off to the side, and I saw the king’s men across the room at another table. I noticed Tom and Hannah’s father among the group, and Anne’s uncle and father as well.
My brother was one of the boys serving the food, and soon he came over to our table. Even though he was in court, I did not see him much. He was with the king and I was with the queen. Most times he was out delivering messages from the king, and then he spent much time with the other pages his age.
He winked at me and before I could object, he dumped a pile of steaming meat onto my plate.
“It’s time you get some meat on those bones,” he whispered with a laugh and went on to Anne.
I would never eat that all in front of the king. I could see him already staring at us from the corner of my eye.
“Lady…uh…Rushford isn’t it?”
I felt my body freeze. The King of England was taking to me.
“Your Highness?” I looked straight into his deep blue eyes.
“Lady Elizabeth, why is it that I never see you put a thing in your mouth?” he laughed heartily. “You never eat, do you?”
I felt my cheeks go red with embarrassment.
Anne kicked me. “Say something.”
My mouth would not move though, and I was so afraid of what might come out of my mouth if it did.
“’Tis okay, my dear, you can eat. No one judges you here on what you eat,” he explained and I forced myself to look up at him. His face was kind and loving like my father’s had been. “It looks as if you haven’t eaten in year.”
That was mostly true. The last time I actually ate a real meal had been back when I still lived in our one-room cottage. I’d had little things in between meals, but I’d soon gotten used to not eating in front of the court.
“The girl is so skinny, do you expect her to eat much?” the queen laughed.
“Well, you’ve got to eat sometime. Its okay girl, do not be afraid to eat,” the king assured me, and I felt blessed that the king actually cared to comment on me.
I looked down at the meat on my plate and ate as much of it as I could, and I was glad for it.
“Isn’t that much better, my girl?” the king laughed and took a sip out of his golden goblet.
I nodded my head and smiled.
Jane Boleyn groaned. “Seems we have yet another Anne Boleyn on our hands,” she mumbled, even though Anne was close enough to hear her.
I felt Anne kick her under the table…or, or was that me? I didn’t even know. Maybe I was becoming like Anne. Oh Lord, I had to stop being around her so much. She was my friend but if ever there was a person I didn’t want to grow up to be, it was Anne. I admired her so but I wouldn’t want to be a mistress to any man, especially a man old enough to be my father.
“I am not,” I spat out so that all at my table would know.
Yet still, Jane Boleyn and Jane Seymour looked at me with doubt in their eyes.
I shifted my glance over to the table of men, and saw that Tom’s dad was eying me in a very peculiar way. He looked like Tom, with his blue eyes and light brown hair, with that tint of red. He would not look away from me, and I felt sore uncomfortable.
“Why is he looking at you so?” Jane Seymour observed.
“I…is he still looking at me?” I whispered.
She nodded and I suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore.
I wanted to ask Anne about the man’s strange behavior, but her eyes were locked with the king’s.
After we had eaten and the king’s men had gone the king asked all of the queen’s maids, and the queen herself, to stay.
“I need some entertainment,” the king explained with a smile towards Anne.
“I shall go and get the girls some sewing instruments to occupy them,” the queen quietly stood up and left the room, but not for the sewing instruments, I knew. But because the king would have it no other way.
Only a few seconds after the queen had left, the king called to his guards to have his fool come in. “Lady Anne, might you grace me with your company,” the king added, and patted the empty side of his large chair.
“Of course, Your Majesty,” she giggled and went to sit next to the king.
I think I was the only one that saw their hands clasped underneath the king’s cloak, hiding away their affections.
The fool came in to do some various tricks-dancing, eating fire, juggling-but the king tired of it easily.
“Send in the minstrels,” the king ordered of his guards.
“Elizabeth,” the maid named Bess called to me. She was a rather pretty girl, much prettier than Anne when it came to the style of the day.
“What?” I called to her as the minstrels marched in and began to play their loud trumpets.
They created a wall between us maids and the king and Anne. A tray of sweets was brought in, and only my small eyes could see through the wall of minstrels. I saw the king feed them all to Anne, and I saw them holding each other like lovers.
“Elizabeth, why are you crying?” Bess called back to me again.
“I…I’m not crying,” I muttered, not bothering to look at her as I wiped away the tears on my face.
“Yes, of course, and the king is not Catholic,” she groaned. “We all know that you know something.”
I looked over to the group of them, all sitting by the hearth. All eyes were upon me.
“What…what do you mean? I know nothing…” I tried to look away from them, for I was never a very good liar.
“Listen girl, I am in her family, yet I am told nothing. If I did know the things you do are her best friend, I would gladly share with the world what I know. Better to rid of her now,” Jane Boleyn spat.
“But you are married to her brother,” I exclaimed.
“Indeed I am married to a Boleyn, but a Boleyn I shall never be!” she cried.
“So go on, you are her confident. There must be something we do not know. Something…secretive,” Jane Seymour pleaded, her eyebrows raised.
“I…”
“Yes?” Jane pleaded.
“I…I cannot tell you!” I cried, wanting to just leave. But I could not leave the king’s room unannounced. That was not polite.
“I swear to you girl, if you do not tell me I will have you sorely regretting you did not tell me,” Jane Boleyn spat, her eyes ablaze with fire. I was right scared of her.
I was afraid, and the girls were all staring at me, looking ready to attack if I did not tell.
“Anne trusts me with her secrets,” I whispered. “Her uncle promised me a slow and painful death if I tell anyone.”
“We promise to tell no soul,” Bess nodded. She wasn’t a very good liar either.
But I was most certain that everyone would find out in the end. What did I have to lose?
“Well…” my heart pounded, the secret finally ready to be out. Or so I thought. “The king wishes to divorce the queen…”
I let in a deep breath as I saw the color drain from each of their faces. But I was no done. I was afraid to go on, but I knew that each of them knew there was more to it than that. None of them said a word, they just stared at me is disbelief.
“He…he needs an heir, and he wishes to marry Anne…” I looked away from them as I added that last part and hoped I would not regret what I said. Maybe I did feel just a bit good about finally telling someone, finally letting it out there.
The next morning I noticed Anne was gone again, but remembered her waking me up early that morning, telling me that she was off to ride her horse.. But I saw Hannah sitting, alone, by the window.
I rubbed my eyes and yawned, but she did not turn to look at me.
“Hannah?” I called to her, wondered why she was in my room so early.
“Come sit next to me,” she called faintly, not bothering to turn around and face me.
My wobbly feet walked slowly over to wear she sat by the window. I could see Anne of in the distance riding her fancy, new French horse.
Hannah turned to me. “The news reached me this morning. Both things were told me this day,” she sighed, taking my hands in hers. Hers were cold and shaking.
“What news?” I asked, shuddering, hoping the news about Anne was still kept safe in the minds of the queen’s maids. But they thrived on gossip, I knew. I would not be a secret for long.
“One good, one bad,” she took her hand away to wipe away a tear that fell from her beautiful gray eyes. “Tom came and told me the news about Anne. One of the king’s men passed it on to him, said they heard it from a maid-a maid of the queen. The maid would not tell who their source was, though someone was convinced that Anne must have told her. But Elizabeth, I am not stupid. Anne would confide in no one other than you.”
I paused, not wanting to hurt Hannah. “I thought you knew already,” I lied, more convincingly then I’d hoped.
“Oh, come off it Elizabeth, you were the only one!” she exclaimed.
“And maybe I was, but it was hard,” I sobbed. “Her family, her uncle, promised to kill me if I let the secret out!”
I threw my arms around her.
“’Twas a terrible burden you had to bear,” Hannah whispered, understanding me like only a true friend would. “It was a wonder you held the secret so long. No one can hold a secret forever.”
“But what if her family finds out?” I mumbled, not even wanting to think on that possibility.
“I was thinking of asking the queen if you and I could travel up to Ludlow for now, just until the whole court knew and no one person could take the blame for it,” she explained. “That way we could stay with Mary while the rest go on summer progress, for Anne will just be the center of attention again.”
“But isn’t Mary going to the progress?” I asked.
She frowned and rubbed her hands through her beautiful brown hair. I would never ever be as beautiful as she was.
“Oh, yes, I forgot. I bet she would like to stay though, seeing Anne will make her all sad again, like during Yuletide.
I nodded. “We can go talk to the queen later. Anyway, what was the good thing you wished to tell me?”
She reddened up and looked out the window.
“What?” I giggled, seeing the smile upon her face.
“My father takes you and your brother as very wonderful people,” she laughed, and looked at me with a joyful countenance.
“And…this is amazing how?” I asked.
“My father wonders what might become of you when you grow older, as you have no real titles. He sees how you are your brother are friends to us, and he wishes to…well…”
“What does he wish, Hannah?! Spit it out!” I exclaimed.
“Well, he wishes that somewhere in the near future, that I and your brother be betrothed!” she yelled with a huge smile.
I could not be happier. Hannah as my sister? There was no better thing! I hugged her tight as we laughed and thought of our wonderful lives planned out before us. But what about me? I thought in the back of my mind.
She added, whispering, “My…my father wishes for you to be betrothed to Tom.”
I felt my heart skip a few beats. I knew that I was still young, that I would have sweethearts in the future. But I also knew that a woman was quite lucky to ever have love come out of her marriage. And I knew that with Tom I would have a happy future. What was better than to marry a best friend?
“Life is good to us,” I sighed. “Why don’t we go to the queen and ask her now if we may go and see Mary at Ludlow.”
She nodded and took my hand in hers. “My father will send the agreement to be signed by Wolsey soon,” she explained as we walked along the corridors, our hearts soaring high.
Tom would be a good husband, I thought, and I would be a good wife.
I knew things could change. I myself would’ve liked Hannah married to my brother, but I wasn’t too sure about myself marrying Tom, who was my friend. I knew well enough that things weren’t set in stone. They never were.
We were the first ones in the queen’s room that morning. The queen was sitting on her chair, nearly half-asleep, looking at the fire burning in the grate. It was a warm day, towards the end of May, and certainly the fire place didn’t need to be burning so.
We both curtsied to the queen.
“Oh, hello girls! ‘Tis quite early to be here. The architects are coming soon to show me what they plan to do to this old place,” she explained.
As I looked around I saw that the place did need some remodeling. The paint on the ceiling was chipping off in many large pieces.
“Your Majesty, we have come to ask of you a question,” Hannah explained.
“Of course, what do you need?” the queen smiled. It looked as if the queen hadn’t heard the new talk around the court, and if she had, it wouldn’t have been any new news to her anyway.
“We were wondering if we might visit the Princess Mary up in Ludlow for a time,” I explained.
“Ah…” the queen nodded. “Afraid of you being caught, I guess?”
I nodded slowly, wondering how the queen knew. She seemed to read my mind.
“My ladies-in-waiting told me,” she explained. “I told them that they might as well pass on the message, for it was time that the court knew. I told them not to use your name, to be safe. But even so, it might make you feel better to be with Mary, and I shall grant you that. Best the two of you leave tonight, discreetly, so that no one will raise suspicions.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the both of us curtsied again and we were off.
“I can’t wait!” Hannah giggled as we skipped through the halls.
Tom was walking to his room and we passed by him. His gaze held mine for a few seconds and he smiled.
“Aww…” Hannah teased when he was out of earshot. “You two love each other already.”
I slapped her playfully and we stopped at Anne and my room. Before I opened the door I heard a sound coming from inside.
Hannah went to reach for the door.
“Wait,” I whispered and pressed my ear to the door.
“What is that sound?” Hannah asked.
“It doesn’t sound too good does it?” I groaned.
I opened the door slowly. The curtains were drawn, keeping out the light, and Anne was bent over the chamber pot.
She wore nothing but a shift, and that was soaked in water…or maybe that was sweat. It wasn’t like Anne to sweat uncontrollably, even though she had been riding. It wasn’t that warm out.
“Anne…” I muttered. “Are you okay?”
She bent over the chamber pot and I heard the sound that I had heard many times before. It took my back to years ago, nearly three years before, to my little cottage. It was the sound of my mother and my father dying, throwing up uncontrollably.
I tried not to scream, for I was so afraid that what Anne had was surely the sweating sickness. I nearly fainted at the thought of it.
Anne finally turned her face to look at us. Hannah screamed at the sight of her. Anne’s face was pale and her eyes were sunken in, surrounded by a purple lining. There was drool falling from the corner of her mouth and her hair wasn’t shiny any longer.
I’d seen that same face all to much and as I looked at Anne, I prayed a quick prayer to God that Anne would be spared.
“Let’s get out of here,” Hannah pulled me away just before Anne began to throw up again. I was crying too much to see where I was going as the memory of my mother and father dying of the same thing crowded my mind.
I could hear the screams throughout the castle.
Everyone had suddenly forgot about Anne, about how she was to marry the king, and now only thought about the sweating sickness as it was creeping up on every person.
Anne was the first in court, they said, for she liked to spend her time out of doors.
Little did everyone know, for the king had not shared it with his court, that London had been terribly infected with the disease since the beginning of May. And now his lover was paying for it.
Hannah and I ran to the queen’s rooms. The maids were in all of a panic and the queen rushed the two of into her room to talk to us.
“Now I don’t think it might be so safe to go to Mary,” the queen explained what we already had considered. We didn’t want to risk spreading the disease all the way up to Ludlow, on the border of England and Wales.
“We figured that,” Hannah nodded sadly.
“The king says that we must move north, to where it was colder. He wouldn’t have done so if it weren’t for Anne being sick. I swear he would have stayed her forever until the own sickness shot him down where he stood,” the queen sighed, sitting against her bed and covering her face in her hands. I could tell she was crying.
“’Tis okay, Your Majesty. Up north we will be much better off. Surely no one else has it but Anne?” I was fearful of the answer I would get.
“There is a handful more,” the queen sobbed. “I am just scared straight that it will reach my Mary. The king will not have her come down to stay with us, I know it.”
“Mary will be fine if it is still contained in London,” Hannah explained.
“I just hope you are right,” I answered myself, for I knew that was exactly what the Queen thought.
The next day we were moved into Beaulieu once again. It was a quick and quiet trip. We avoided all towns, and the towns that we were all forced to travel through had their people hiding away in their homes, fearful that a Londoner would come and pass on the sickness to their village.
Anne had her own carriage behind the queen’s. Jane Boleyn had joined her, to tend to her needs. I hadn’t seen Anne since the morning before, and was so afraid that her condition was worsening.
I remembered myself how we’d gotten the call that we were to go to Beaulieu. The king himself had come, unannounced, into the queen’s rooms, his nightgown still on, and him frantic and pale with fear.
He’d addressed to the queen in a hurried voice that they must leave London, and that his mind was no straight as to where they should go. The queen had calmly suggested Beaulieu, for she herself had no better place thought of.
It was raining that morning as I sat in the carriage with Hannah, Jane Seymour, and Bess.
The sky was dark-clouded and my eyes were constantly blinded with tears. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
The king had also said that no letters were to be sent to anyone, for fear of spreading the pestilence, so I could write to Mary no longer.
The court frantically set up in the old manor and everyone kept to their own rooms. I had a room with Hannah, then, seeing as Anne was so deathly sick and no one was even allowed to visit her.
William came to tell us that we were requested in the queen’s rooms, and the three of us walked together.
“What does she want of us, do you think?” Hannah asked William.
“I’m not sure. She said she wished to speak to all three of us,” William shrugged.
He came to walk a next to me, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I didn’t realize until then that I’d been shaking.
“Are you okay?” he whispered, rubbing my arm gently.
I shuddered. “No,” I muttered, for it was true. I was nearly worrying myself sick.
“Mother and father are watching over us, Elizabeth. I don’t think they will let God take us,” he assured me, and let go of my arm to go walk next to Hannah.
What a cute couple they made. I could not help but smile, thinking of them married.
The queen hadn’t even bothered to dress her hair that day, and she wore a simple black gown with no jewels or any of the like. I also realized that she wore no powder on her face like she usually did, and that her wrinkles showed terribly.
The maids were all gone, hiding in their own rooms, yet Tom was also in the room. I wondered why he had been called by the queen as well.
The queen came right out with it. “Tonight, secretly of course, I would like the four of you on a carriage and off to Ludlow. My dear Elizabeth, I know you have seen so much of this, as your brother has, and I do not want to put you in this terrible situation again. As for you two,” she nodded to Tom and Hannah, “I want you two to leave only for your safety. Such small souls should not be put in such danger. Already seven people have died in this court, and I believe it seven too many. The two of you must ask your parents to go, but I see no reason why they would not agree. Go and pack your things and then come to this room tonight when it is close to the middle of the night.”
The four of us nodded and were off again.
Tom and Hannah went on past my room to go and ask their parents, and William and I went into my room to wait.
“I have nothing to pack,” William sighed as I went to sit on the window seat. “You should pack all you wish to keep, for they will surely be infected with the disease if you chose to leave it behind.”
My mind was much too clouded to hear him. All I could think about was my mother, and how she held me in her arms and told me to leave with my brother. How she had held me that one last time. It had seemed like so long ago, but in other ways it seemed as if that had just happened the day before. I couldn’t believe that three whole years had passed since then, I just couldn’t believe it.
“Are you thinking about mother?” William asked. I could tell he was behind me now. I couldn’t believe how he had grown up so since then. William was fifteen now, old enough to start becoming a courtier. I knew it would be soon. But that would only be true if he was not betrothed to Hannah, and if he was given a title. I hoped the time would come soon enough.
I was sobbing now. “I miss her terribly.”
He held me tight and we looked out the window together as the rain continued to pour down.
“I’ve always regretted never saying goodbye,” I gasped out between my cries.
“You said goodbye to her in your heart, Elizabeth. Mother understood that,” he kissed the top of my head.
There was a silence for awhile. I thought of Anne then. What would happen if she died? Would the king move onto another, or would he get the hint and keep his loyal wife? And what if she lived? If the sickness stole away from her beauty would she just be cast away from court and live out her life without loving again? Or would she still be the same old Anne?
As much as I wanted the king to go back to Queen Catherine I could not but hope that Anne would recover and still be the friend that I looked up to more than anyone.
“I have nothing I wish to take,” I sighed, for I really had nothing to my name but the clothes on my back.
That night I was too nervous to even think about being tired.
We hadn’t seen Hannah or Tom the whole day but we trusted that they would be there at the queen’s rooms at midnight.
At around fifteen minutes to midnight I was too anxious to wait any longer. William and I decided to go to Tom’s parents’ rooms, where we were sure they were, so we could walk with them to the queen’s rooms.
It was dark in the hallway, for no candle boys had been around to replace the candle stubs in the sconces on the wall.
We made it to their small apartments and knocked on the door, which was then answered by an older-looking maid.
“Come in,” she smiled without asking who we were.
Hannah and Tom were sitting around with their little sisters, and I guessed their parents were in the other room, for they were no where to be found.
Tom looked over at us and smiled, yet Hannah did not. Then Tom turned his head to look at Hannah. He whispered something to her and then she nodded her head slowly.
Tom walked over to us, a bundle on things in his arms.
“What’s Hannah doing?” I asked, wondering why she hadn’t even turned to look at us yet.
Tom sighed. “She…she has chosen to stay here.”
“What?!” I exclaimed and looked over at her, but she did not turn.
“She wants to help with the little ones, she says,” Tom shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t know what has gotten into her.”
I ran over to where Hannah played with her youngest sister, a small girl of four. Her face looked to the floor.
“Hannah, why don’t you want to go?” I asked.
She finally looked up at me, her eyes red from crying. “My mother says it is safe here for me, and she wants me to stay. Besides, I wish to stay with my sisters so they have something other than this sickness to occupy them. I am all they will have.”
“But there is a maid! A maid can take care of them! And what of your mother? It’s her children anyway!” I cried.
“I’ve made my decision,” she wasn’t looking up at me again but I could tell she was crying.
Something came over me, a terrible notion, and I threw my arms around her. We sobbed and sobbed until no tears would come out of either of our eyes.
“I will miss you,” she sobbed, her beautiful eyes glistening with more tears.
“I will miss you too,” I whispered.
“We won’t be able to write,” she reminded me.
I nodded, saddened again, and said, “I will be back as soon as it is safe. Remember that you can come at any time. Talk to the queen and maybe she might convince your parents to let you go. If not that and Anne gets better, ask her. She will talk to the king even for you on my behalf.”
I hugged her one last time and then she turned to cough. It was a terrible loud cough.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I got up to leave.
She nodded and smiled slightly. “Just a sore throat, is all.”
“Take care of yourself,” I sobbed and then hugged her just one last time, not wanting to let go, and then a fear came over me and I whispered, “Goodbye, Hannah.”
“Goodbye, Elizabeth,” she whispered and I let go of her to join my brother and Tom.
It was hard to walk as my eyes were blurry with tears and my head pounded with grief. William picked me up in his arms and carried me to the queen’s rooms, and then once again to the back of the manor, and into the carriage, and as it was whisked away into the night.
♠ ♠ ♠
SWEATING SICKNESS.heck yeah.