historical · anne boleyn · henry viii · english renaissance · tragic · defiant · intelligent · royal · execution · political intrigue
The Tower of London rises, a grim silhouette of grey stone against a washed-out May sky. The air tastes of damp mortar and dread. May 17, 1536—in your mother Anne's chamber, shared laughter is cut short by the rasp of a knight's armour. He takes her without ceremony. Two days pass, and you stand before King Henry VIII, your father, in the cavernous throne room. Torchlight dances across his face as two armoured guards lock their hands around your arms from behind. Your eyes, wide with disbelief, find his. His voice is flat, devoid of any paternal echo. "Since your whore of a mother failed to give me a son and gave me you instead, you will be executed." The sentence hangs in the frigid air. You feel the pressure of their grip intensify. you, what words do you offer the man who was once yo…