Taking Over Me

May 19th 1536 Tower of London, Tower Green

It was a bizarre way to behave at a execution many people thought of Sir Thomas’ behavior at the first execution of Queen. He sat in the last of the three honorary chairs at the side of the scaffold. He laid his head back at the tall spine of the chair. His hands gripped the chair’s arms so tightly his knuckles began to turn white. He really didn’t want to be there because the last execution he was Bishop Fisher’s. He made a fool of himself at that time, for he fell to his knees and threw up so violently at the guilt.

How embarrassing? By the time that execution occurred he watched 8 heretics burn at the stake and he couldn’t even watch a beheading. And god the way Harry, ordered the body to be handled-

“Don’t fall asleep Moore you’ll miss the show,” A voice said jerking the lawyer back to reality.

Sir Thomas turned his head to find Charles Brandon the Duke of Suffolk looking at him with a smile. Beside the young Duke sat his bride 4 months pregnant Jane Seymour Brandon. Sir Thomas grimaced at the pair; they were acting completely inappropriately for an execution, typical of them. The two of them were so in love that sometimes in public the two of them couldn’t keep their hands each other. In fact they only had eyes for one another.

That was a first for the Duke.

“Do you think I want to be here?” Sir Thomas said bitterly.

He looked into the crowd and the first two people he spotted were his only son John and George Boleyn. Sir Thomas didn’t know how and why they were friends, nor did he approve of the friendship at first because he thought he would poison his son with heresy. But after a few months of being around George, Thomas saw that John, his wife Anne and their children were still true blue Catholics and accepted George. John and George were sitting on an abandoned cart. George’s head was in his hands in mourning for his sister whose body was still warm and John’s arm was wrapped around him comforting him.

Boy did Thomas envy the young Boleyn, having someone to comfort him during an execution of someone close. He wished he had that whilst he watched the execution of one of his closest friends. He did have Katherine then but she excused herself because she couldn’t bear to watch. Brandon gave him a comforting pat on the back and then Mr. Cromwell the devil had to be there laughed at him. Thomas seemed to be alone to fend for himself.

Brandon looked over to the Lord Chancellor sadly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Whilst the Duke did this, Jane rested her head on his shoulder.

“Think of it this way Sir Thomas,” Brandon said again, “justice will be served today.”

Thomas turned his head away from the two lovers who embraced each other in another kiss.

“But that doesn’t change anything,” Thomas grumbled.

He went to close his eyes once more but then someone in the small crowd gathered to witness the execution shouted:

“She’s coming!”

Anne was still a queen until her head hit the hay, so she had to be treated like one. As much as Thomas refused to consider that whore a Queen he had no choice. In unison with the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, the lawyer rose to his feet. He folded his arms out in front and tapped his foot impatiently wanting to be home in the arms of his beloved Katherine.

Not a second after the crowd parted to form a path to the scaffold Anne descended from the gate. She wore a dark somber dress, a white damask covering her shoulders, her idiotic looking “B” necklace and a French Hood. She walked down the path to the scaffold tall and proud. She looked ahead only turning her head twice, once to look at John Moore, George Boleyn and Mary Boleyn Stafford giving them a slight smile and another to give a foul look to Thomas, Jane and Brandon.

Sir Thomas Moore wasn’t surprised he fought heaven and hell to put her on the scaffold. Instead of saying something he gave her a dignified nod of his head while his young counterparts rudely snickered. This in turn made Anne’s foul look fade to a slight smile and she too bowed her head at him. A few steps later she mounted the scaffold and made her way to face the crowd.

Thomas sighed and made his way back to his seat the Duke and Duchess following with their giggles. Anne then cleared her throat and the crowd went silent. When the only sound left were crows crying, Anne made her speech:

“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. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray 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 the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me.”

Thomas watched closely as Anne prepared to die. She took off her damask, necklaces and headdress (revealing her dark hair bound in a coif) and knelt upright. She looked over at Thomas. His heart skipped a beat. It was exactly what Bishop Fisher did before he died. He wanted to excuse himself and run but for some reason her dark eyes looked to him for comfort. Her ladies walked over to her with a blindfold. And the last thing that Anne Boleyn saw was Sir Thomas Moore crossing himself and mouthing:

“God Speed Mademoiselle Boleyn.”

And as soon as her eyes were covered he whispered the words:

“And may god forgive you for fucking up our lives.”

Somewhere In The English Countryside:

Katherine didn’t expect that by comforting Henry it would mean she would join him on a hunt as if she were Charles Brandon. She loved riding horses, definitely something she got from her mother Isabelle of Castile but she hated hunting. She didn’t know how men found killing animals fun, but she thought Henry was just letting out his aggression by shooting things.

Thomas was that way too. When she and Thomas became closer she learned that he loved Archery. He was skilled at it too. His shots were always either on or close to the center of the target. Maybe it was from his strong arms carrying his books all day.

And then as Katherine sat upon her horse watching her former husband kill an innocent deer….

BANG

A cannon fired in the distance indicating that Anne Boleyn was dead. Henry paused at what he was doing and sighed. Katherine quietly stepped down from her horse, tied it in place and walked behind the King to place a hand on his shoulder for comfort which he needed desperately. She suddenly felt his tense body relax.

“Henry, are you alright?” Katherine asked.

Henry said nothing. He just grabbed her hand and stood up to stare at her eye length. And then without warning he kissed her roughly. Katherine would have defended herself but she only gave in because she had sympathy. She prayed Henry saw it that. But at the same time she felt such guilt that she betrayed her beloved Thomas.

May 30th 1537 Cellar of Kimbelton Castle:

“You see dear Thomas,” Henry said, “if she did not as you say not love me anymore she wouldn’t have given into the kiss I gave her.”

Thomas grimaced at the King’s triumphant smirk that formed upon his face. And moments later the King burst out into laughter.

Oh if he didn’t have the damn gag around his lips he would call him a fool. However god must have been on his side once again because as he went to turn his head away from the king, he felt the silk gag that was loosely tied around his lips slack. He often hated to correct Henry when he knew he was wrong but this was an exception. He had to defend Katherine even if it meant his own life.

“Oh poor oblivious Harry,” Thomas said causing the king to abruptly stop laughing, “She only accepted that kiss because she felt guilt for you.”

He guessed that Henry was so lost in his story fantasy world that he forgot that he even gagged him once again. Henry once again got up from his seat and waltzed over to where Thomas was sitting and placed his hands on the arms on the wooden chair. He went to lean forward to look Thomas directly in the eyes but the humanist moved his head back. He had a defiant smirk on his face.

His eyes though remained directly on the King.

“You’re good,” Henry said, “but what evidence do you have to prove otherwise?”

Thomas laughed loudly and with a smirk on his face he said:

“Oh dear Harry….I have plenty…..”