Emma's Six

The School Project

Four Weeks Later

We are all sitting in history class, watching everyone else present their assignments. Some people did their Tudor projects a group of four, but most did it in pairs or on their own. Many people looked at the Spanish Armada or one of Henry VIII's wives. Henry did a music video from his perspective, talking about his wives. We can't believe some of the things he is saying, and we have to chuckle at how ridiculous some of it is. Henry keeps saying how his wives adored him during the first point of marriage before finding interest in another person. The most outrageous story he told was when he stated that Katheryn Howard had betrayed Henry not only with another woman but with at least three men. He was overexaggerating.

Then the teacher calls for us. Anna hands over the memory stick and finds the video we worked on for four weeks. 'We decided to focus on the six wives of Henry VIII,' Kitty says. 'All of the outfits we made ourselves, and part of the inspiration comes from portraits we have studied. We hope you enjoy it.' Anna clicks on the video, and it begins playing.

'Divorced' Catalina is standing in her room.
'Beheaded' Anne was looking out of the window, but she turns her head, so she is facing the camera.
'Died' Jane is lying on her bed, facing upwards. The camera is facing down on her, and when she finishes speaking, Jane opens her eyes.
'Divorced' Anna is in her back garden, lounging on a deck chair.
'Devoured' Kitty is in her room, cuddling a soft toy wolf.
'Survived' I am sitting in my room with a book in my hands. I cannot pay attention to the video any more. We all go back to our seats. Kitty starts writing a note to me.

'And tonight,' Catalina on the video says. 'Park Vale, we are...'
'LIVE!' The setting has changed. All of us are standing outside Park Vale in the costumes we made. The school is still open, but all of the students have gone home. Mr Blakeman allowed us to film that small section there, but only while members of staff were on site.

'Listen up, let me tell you a story.' The setting changes, but we are now all in Jane's dance studio.
'A story that you think you've heard before.'
'We know you know our names and our fame and our faces.'
'Know all about the glories and the disgraces.'
'We're done cause all this time, we've been just one word in a stupid rhyme.'
'So we're picking up our pens and microphones.'
'History's about to get overthrown.'

'Divorced'
'Beheaded'
'Died'
'Divorced'
'Devoured'
'Survived'
'But just for you tonight
We're divorced, beheaded, LIVE

Welcome to the show,
To the historemix
Switching up the flow
As we add the prefix
Everybody knows that we used to be six wives.

Raising up the roof 'til we hit the ceiling
Get ready for the truth that will be revealing
Everybody knows that we used to be six wives
But now we're ex-wives.'

'All you ever hear and read about-' Catalina begins, only for Anne to cut across her.
'-Is our ex and the way it ended.'
'But a pair doesn't beat a royal flush.'
'You're going to find out how we got unfriended.'
'Tonight we're gonna do ourselves justice, 'cause we're taking you to Court.'
'Every Tudor rose has its thorns
And you're gonna hear 'em live: in consort.'

'Divorced'
'Beheaded'
'Died'
'Divorced'
'Devoured'
'Survived'
'But just for you tonight
We are divorced, devoured
LIVE!

Welcome to the show
To the historemix
Switching up the flow
As we add the prefix
Everybody knows that we used to be six wives.

Dancing through the night
To the break of day
Once we're done, we'll start again
Like it's the Renaissance
Everybody knows
That we used to be six wives
But now we're ex-wives

Divorced.'

Kitty finally lets me see the note- more like a letter.

Do not blame yourself for what you will have to do. Either I died, or we both died, and you had to marry the King for history to remain intact. If you didn't, you might never have been born. I couldn't face a life without you.

I forgave you before you even killed me. I loved you- I still love you. Right, that's now talking about your future. Forget you read that.

We also know that you fight aliens- you told all of us that in the past. We want to join you and your parents in the fight for justice.

'I wouldn't exactly call it a fight for justice, Kitty,' I say.
'It sounded better than 'fighting the scum of the universe.'
'I'll have to talk to Mum and Mummy, see what they say. Kitty, I can't make any promises at this stage.' Kitty and the other queens nod. We look up at the screen as we get to the end of the introductions.

'I said I bet you wanna know how we got this far,' I sang in the recording.

'Do you want to know how we got this far, then

Welcome to the show
To the historemix,
Switching up the flow
As we add the prefix.
Everybody knows that we use to be six wives.
Get your hands up!
Get this party buzzing!
You want a queen bee?
Well, there's half a dozen.
Everybody knows that we used to be six wives
But now we're ex-wives.'

The class are silent when the video ends, then the teacher starts applauding. 'While the costumes do not look exactly as the queens wore, I can see that you have taken inspiration from their portraits. I like how Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard have chokers to show they are cousins and almost met the same fate. The lyrics are catchy, and I'm sure it will make a great start if you six want a musical career.'
'That's it!' Anna says. 'Thank you, Miss, that's brilliant!'
'What is?' Anna lowers her voice so that the rest of the class can't hear her.
'We call ourselves 'SIX' because we are the six wives of Henry VIII.' We nod. It sounds like a cool name for a band, and there are six of us.

'So, what do you know about the life I lead?' I ask them at the end of the day. We are all going back to my place as my mums must know what is going on.
'A lot,' Anne shrugs. As usual, her arm is linked with Catalina's. 'We know that you are a human-Qetesh hybrid, that there is a Mr Smith in the attic and you will have a little brother called Luke.'
'I will have a little brother?'
'Tirer! I need to stop doing that.'
'Emma, you will have a little brother by the end of the summer,' Catalina says. 'His name will be Luke, and you will find him in the Bubbleshock factory. Mr Smith will try to use him to destroy Earth and—genial!'
'You said something I wasn't supposed to hear, didn't you?' Catalina nods but then puts a smile on her face.
'Hey, at least you have a head's up.' We nod and continue back to our homes.
'I have a few months until my little brother comes?' My friends nod. 'Should I do anything to prepare?'
'Your mums can't suspect anything,' Jane warns. 'Who knows what will happen if they do.'