The King's Favourite

Regrets Kill

It had been 2 months since Mary's execution. There was a strange feeling around court, everyone had loved gentle Mary and was upset she had been disposed of. No-one dared tell the King that they missed Mary for fear of joining her in death; they didn't know why she had been sentenced to death. Mary had a large turnout at her execution but no-one had actually announced the reason she was to die, most just assumed that Henry had found a new love interest and that she had to die so he could court another.

It was early summer and the flowers bloomed. The trees were filled with pink blossoms and all was beautiful, but Henry's mind wasn't able to find joy in the sunshine. He hadn't executed Mary for another as no woman sat beside him. Henry requested his musician and a woman with pale skin and strawberry blonde hair arrived in front of him. She wore a dark green dress and had her hair modestly styled into a plain bun. Some might say she was the perfect English rose with the most delightful manners and smile, yet Henry saw her as plain.

The girl stepped forward and politely bowed to the King "Your Majesty, it is a great pleasure to play for you today. Pray you enjoy my entertainment." she smiled and then took her place in a space in front of Henry, she glanced at a man with a lute and then at one with a viola and they started to play. Barely a note was played before Henry raised his hand to stop the activity.

"What is your name girl?" he inquired to the young maiden who stood before him.

"Jane Seymour, Your grace" she replied

"Jane, very good. You may continue."

With a bow to end the conversation, Jane turned to the musicians once more and they started to play once again. Jane began to sing with a voice like an angel and danced with the grace of a petal in a breeze. Yet Henry wasn't satisfied.

The song she so beautifully covered was a favourite of the Boleyn sisters and he missed the sweet flute accompaniment of Anne and the strong but feminine singing from Mary. Once Jane had finished the song he dismissed her with tears welling in his eyes. He stood up and stormed into a meeting where his advisers were discussing a situation on the Scottish border.

"Your majesty, we weren't expecting you today. Do we have your permission to move a legion of troops to the Scottish border, the situation is quite perilous?" Began a man in red.

"Boleyn" replied Henry with the single word on his mind.

The man replied "One executed by your command, the other flourishing in the French court."

Henry spoke calmly "Send for Miss Boleyn. If she flourishes in French court then surely she will have no problem doing the same in the court of her own country."

"Of course" smiled the adviser who wryly asked "Sir, may I ask the reason for young Mary's departure. A few rumors have been circulating around the court and I believe that it might be wise for you to clear them."

Henry was furious. "You doubt your King's judgement, all I asked was for the return of the dark haired Boleyn girl."

The adviser was taken aback but persisted in his questioning "The Boleyn girl will be sent for but the reason I ask is that a young man, was inquiring about the whereabouts of Mary. He said he was a childhood friend of hers and was surprised to hear of her execution, he wondered what she could have done to anger you and seemed upset about the news."

A smile curled around the edges of Henry's mouth. Maybe he wasn't sad about Mary but angry.

"Sire" asked the adviser "What should I do?"

Henry was quick thinking and replied "The young man you speak of is the murderer of my dear Son"

"You are certain" questioned the adviser.

"Indeed" said Henry with a forced stern expression "Send for the young man, I would like an audience with him." Then Henry turned and left his advisers to summon the raven haired Boleyn and the young inquirer.

The young man arrived first and was brought before the King as by request. An adviser introduced him as the young boy the King eagerly requested.

"Your name boy" bellowed the King

"Harold sir" he replied

"I heard you were close to Mary as a child. Why do you now inquire of her whereabouts?" Henry questioned

Harold was honest "I was close to her when she received her invitation to Court and promised her i'd visit when work permitted. I was passing through London to deliver some tools to a respectable gent and thought i'd see her. However when I asked for her I was told that she had been executed, naturally I wondered why my dear Mary had faced such a terrible end."

Henry was astounded by the forwardness of the Harold and felt quite threatened. Therefore he snapped back "Mary angered me and that is all a boy like you needs to know. The affairs of Court are not to be expressed to anyone and everyone who asks. I suggest you stop your inferior inquires if you wish to stay alive."

Harold apologized but questioned again, furious at the apparently unjust end that his one love had faced "Your majesty, I understand that Court affairs are not to be shared with someone as inferior as myself as you put it. Yet I must ask what I have done to deserve a threat such as death other than inquiring as to someones livelihood."

Henry had lost his temper and mind so yelled at Harold "You deserve to die since you murdered my Son."

There was silence all around the room at such an accusation, Harold stood firm trying to be strong.

"Your majesty. I wasn't aware that your son had been murdered. I assure you that I have only just come to Court and would have no motive to murder your beloved son."

"Liar" the King bellowed, enjoying the tension "You murdered my son because you were jealous of me and Mary and wanted revenge."

Harold protested but Henry had an answer to everything and soon a great rumpus of an argument had escalated in the throne room. There was a period of silence when no-one dared breathe. The silence was broken by Harold.

"So this is the great court of England, no wonder my dear Mary angered the King, he is angered even by a blacksmith asking to see the only love of his life." Harold yelled at the King in a last desperate attempt to plea his innocence.

Henry drew his sword and swung it through Harold's neck so hard it severed his head from his body and killed him. The body of Harold fell to the floor in a puddle of blood. Henry laughed and stood up. He walked out of the room, handing his bloodied sword to a maid on the way, the maid dropped it with a scream and Henry laughed again.

"A banquet shall be held tonight in honor of the murderer being killed. That's justice" the King yelled from the corridor with a hysterical laugh.

The whole of the throne room stood in silence, had the King gone mad. The body of Harold lay in the middle of the room, drenched in a pool of blood. Two male servants were ordered to remove the body and tell the kitchen to prepare a banquet. The maids were told to clean the blood off the floor and obeyed as quickly as the rich ladies departed.