The King's Favourite

The Queen's Trial

On the 18th of May 1536, Some guards arrived at Anne's cell. "Today you will be tried for your crime, your majesty."

Anne bowed her head in sadness and allowed the guards to handcuff her and walk her to the Royal Court. She entered to find the Courtroom full to bursting point. A magistrate sat at the front of the Court, with judge's at one side and the jury at the other. Anne was walked to a wooden box containing only a chair and told to sit on it, she knew there was no point in complaining so sat down. The queen of England had gone from the King's greatest gem to a commoner being tried for a crime she wasn't guilty of. All of a sudden she pitied dear Catherine of Aragon and her unjust removal from Court and death, now she would suffer the same fate as punishment.

The Court session began and Anne noticed George sat in a box identical to her's at the other side of the room, the only thing separating them was a much larger box with 4 chairs and a single person. The larger box contained the witnesses, or the single witness and accuser, Jane Seymour. Jane stood in her finest clothes, trying not to notice the evil eyes and curse words that Anne was muttering about her.

Jane was timid and tried not to attract attention at the most but today was different somehow. She had her long strawberry hair down with a small jeweled headdress, a piece of handmade silk adorned her breast and she was wearing the most expensive jewelry. But it was her locket that caught Anne's eye, it was the same one that she had removed from her.

George however, barely looked noble. He was far from his usual cheeriness and merriment as he sat with his head drooping in the box. He noticed Anne but didn't even present a smile before turning back to his gloominess. His clothing was crumpled and dirty and the only way to tell his status was his gold necklace that he wore to express his position as a courtier. It seemed as though George had lost the trial the trial before it had even begun, he lacked the hope that Anne desperately clung too.

The session began and the judges explained the charges "George Boleyn- You are accused of committing incest with your sister Anne Boleyn, queen of England. How do you plead?"

"Not Guilty your Honor" George replied with a polite duck of the head. He might have been the King's favourite courtier once, but now he was a low life criminal.

The judge then gestured for the witness and Jane stood up immediately: "I was emptying the Queen's chamber pot, as I do each morning, and I was forced to witness a most atrocious sin. The Queen and her brother committing a most dreadful sin as they stood together, I shielded my eyes but remembered what I saw. The Queen begged me to remain silent of the issue and tried to convince me that what I saw was something innocent, but her sin was too great to ignore and I reported it to the King. They were embracing and declaring their love for one another." Then Jane gave a bow to signal she was finished and returned to her seat.

Anne whispered "That scheming whore" before lunging to grab Jane, she grabbed the length of her skirt but was held back by the Guards before being asked "Do you confess to the crime Your Majesty?"

Anne then smiled sweetly and replied "The love between me and my brother is that of any siblings, not of lovers."

For the rest of George's trial, both he and Anne was quiet, a rare thing. They only spoke when the verdict had to be cast for George. The Jury all agreed that George was guilty and he was sentenced to death.

Only Anne's trial was left and she sat in silence with head bowed as the evidence was read over before the trial started. She glanced over at George who was shaking and was pale as death "Have hope George?" she muttered as she tried to offer him a hand to hold across the middle box. George saw Anne's gesture but was sour towards her "You and your ambition. Mary died for it and now I will. How can you have hope for any of us? For once, your royal status can't save you."