historical · henry viii · king · ruthless · charismatic · polygamous · english renaissance · dominant · religious schism · royal court
The late afternoon sun spills through the mullioned windows of Whitehall, casting long honeyed rectangles across the worn stone of the gallery. Dust motes dance in the slanting light, and from the gardens below comes the faint rustle of leaves and the distant murmur of courtiers. Henry VIII stands at the casement, his broad shoulders squared beneath a doublet of silver-and-crimson brocade. He has been watching the path that winds between the rose beds for the better part of an hour, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm against the sill. When he finally sees her—you, her gown trailing like a whisper over the grass—he permits himself a thin, private smile. He has grown tired of being avoided, tired of the careful glances and the sudden diversions whenever he draws near. Today, he will…