Anne Boleyn- The Falcon Falls In May Read online

  The queen had been arrested, and not just her, but Cranmer’s good friend, Henry Norris, and the queen’s brother, George Boleyn. The king had evidently discovered proof that his bride had been unfaithful to him, and now was seeking justice.

  Since the Archbishop had been so helpful to him in ridding himself of Catherine, the king now wondered if he might come and help determine the next course of action for Anne.

  However, Archbishop Cranmer didn’t believe the claim. He had known Anne since the day she had become the queen. In fact, he had met her long before she managed to convince the king to marry her. Anne was beautiful, coy, smart, and sly—but if there was one thing she was not, it was an adulteress.

  Convinced that Anne was innocent, Cranmer felt stuck. He couldn’t consciously turn his back on Anne, but Henry’s temper and reputation preceded him. If Thomas Cranmer slipped up at all, he could be the next person on Henry VIII’s chopping block.

  At last, the carriage pulled near to the palace, and as the rain began to fall, Archbishop Cranmer hurried up the stairs, thanking the servants who both opened the door and then closed it again behind him. The king could be anywhere, but Thomas had an idea where he would be.

  Since his terrible accident, the king had grown a greater passion for dining, and Thomas imagined at this mid-afternoon hour, he would be able to find the king at one of his favorite places—his table.

  Sending a servant ahead to announce his presence, Archbishop Cranmer walked from one end of the hall to the other. The king was very particular about who disturbed him while he was eating, and Cranmer wanted more than anything to make a good impression. Waiting patiently, he looked out the window, toward the Tower.

  Shuddering at the prisoners who were being held unlawfully, Thomas jumped when the voice of a servant suddenly spoke behind him.

  “The king will see you now,” he said, and Cranmer thanked him. He still didn’t know if the king would be happy to see him, but he knew lingering in the halls now would only bring annoyance. With a gentle knock on the door, he was quickly admitted into the king’s dining hall.

  “Archbishop Cranmer! Thank you for coming.” The king motioned for a servant to pull out a chair. “Please, have a seat. The chef has whipped up something purely delightful, and with my weakness a mid-afternoon snack is just what I needed.” He motioned again, this time for the servants to serve a plate of meat pies to his friend, and though Cranmer had no appetite, he thanked the king for his graciousness and dutifully picked up his fork.

  Cranmer hadn’t seen the king in several months, and the first thing he noticed was that the king was gaining weight. His ruggedly handsome features were still present, but his cheeks were beginning to fill out, and his neck was growing thicker. Thomas said nothing of this change, but instead inquired as to the king’s health.

  “My health is shining, but my legs are not. I have been plagued with these sores that simply will not go away, in spite of every treatment. I’m not certain if it is the result of my doctor not knowing how to treat them properly, or if there is simply something wrong with me. But, I didn’t ask you to come here to discuss the sores on my legs now, did I?” The king laughed as he took another bite of his pie, and Cranmer winced.

  “No, Your Majesty, you did not. But I wasn’t certain as to when you wanted to discuss such things.” He smiled as genuinely as he could, but there was a worry in his grin that he knew would be difficult to hide. The king, however, didn’t seem to notice Cranmer’s anxiety, and instead continued with his opinion on the affair.

  “Cromwell has wisely pointed out to me that my wife, Anne, may not be as faithful nor as dignified as I originally thought. Yes, it’s true that she is very beautiful, and why would anyone refuse the chance to be with her? However, it’s not just the fact that she is attractive that bothers me, but the fact she is also conniving.”

  Cranmer said nothing for a few minutes, then gently prodded the king to continue.

  “I can’t believe how much of my life I have invested into that woman without a thing in return. The one thing I want in life, a son, she teases me with. Carries him in her belly for a few months, then before he is able to survive on his own, she has some sort of attack that sends her into fits. Needless to say, Cranmer, this cost me the life of my child.” The king angrily slammed his fork down onto the table, but Cranmer remained unmoved.

  “I am deeply sorry for your loss, that is simply terrible. But please, tell me what has led you to believe Anne is being unfaithful, besides what Cromwell said.” Cranmer approached the issue delicately, knowing that the king strongly favored Cromwell, a man whom the Archbishop had very little respect for. The king was breathing hard, but he picked up his fork again and calmed down a little.

  “Oh, I don’t know exactly what we have to go on at this point, but what I do know is that Cromwell is working hard to discover the exact extent of what she has been doing. We have already made two arrests in addition to Anne herself, and as far as I can tell, we are going to arrest at least four or five more.” He was speaking excitedly, but Cranmer shook his head.

  “My lord, you know that I love and honor you, and that I would, without a doubt, follow you into anything. However, I do ask you to be careful with this. If the queen is truly being unfaithful, we will discover her misconduct and handle it as it ought to be handled.

  “However, if she is innocent, we must be careful not to do something that will cause the people to riot.” He motioned out the window and toward the buildings that rose up in the distance, and the king followed his gesture.

  Wiping his mouth with his napkin, the king rose from his seat. He reached forward and shook the Archbishop’s hand, drawing him closer for an embrace as he did so. Pulling back and holding Cranmer at arm’s length, he smiled at him.

  “And this is the exact reason I have chosen to bring you out here. I know you are going to clear this up beyond the shadow of any reasonable doubt, giving me the freedom from that woman I need, while keeping things under reasonable control.” He patted Archbishop Cranmer on the shoulders, then held out his hand, and Cranmer kissed his fingers.

  Turning on his heel, the king turned and walked out of the room, leaving the Archbishop alone with this thoughts.

  I simply don’t believe it. Anne has got to be innocent, I just know it, but how am I going to prove that she is and change the king’s mind, without putting myself at risk of the blade?

  Shaking his head, the Archbishop turned and took his own leave of the room, his mind spinning in circles. The situation with Catherine of Aragon had been difficult, but this was a thousand times worse.

  Chapter 4 – May 4th, 1536: The Tower of London

  Anne walked over to the window of her lodgings and looked out. She could see some of the courtyard below, though it was difficult to see much with her height in the tower. She could see the countryside in the distance, and noted that it was going to rain again.

  Anne had never thought much of the rain before, but sitting in this cell for hours, she had no choice but to listen to it as it fell against the side of the stones. At first, the sound had been somewhat relaxing, and made her feel as though everything was going to be all right, but as the hours passed, the rain took on a more haunting tone, and started to drive Anne crazy.

  She walked back to the other side of her lodgings. Though she was imprisoned, she had been given a room that was much nicer than what she knew the other prisoners were residing in. Anne sighed, thinking of her brother in his own cold, damp cell, and hoped that he was at least somewhat comfortable.

  Anne hadn’t received any visitors, and wondered what might be going on in the palace itself. She had written to the king, pleading with him to reconsider and to believe her innocence, but she hadn’t received any reply in return.

  Instead, the only person she saw was the jail keeper, who would dutifully bring her meals at the appointed times each day. At last, Anne could stand it no longer, and taking a pen and some paper, she sat down to write.

&
nbsp; My Dearest Brother.

  It is with a heavy heart I pen these words to you, and I pray you are doing well. I do not know where they have placed you in this Tower, but I assure you I am in adequate care myself.

  I apologize you have become involved in this, and I swear I do not know how this has happened. I am innocent, as I know you know I am. Please, though the king has made this irrational decision, please do not think that it is permanent, nor that any harm is going to come to you.

  I am certain all of this will be cleared within the week, and we shall go back to enjoying life as normal.

  All my love.

  Your dearest Sister,

  Anne.

  Anne folded the message, then handed it to the guard when he came to bring her dinner.

  “If you would be so kind as to give this to my brother, George. Thank you.” Anne said as she handed him the piece of paper.

  “I’m sorry, I’m not certain that is such a good idea.” The jail keeper tried to argue, but Anne gave him a stern look.

  “You realize I am innocent, and once the king realizes this, I am going to be released. Pray that you do not do anything to cross me while I am in here, lest I need to tend to some business when I am set free.” Her eyes snapped at him, and the guard reluctantly took the paper.

  He closed the door with a loud thud, and Anne heard the lock slide back into place. She pressed her eye against the crack in the door, trying to see whether the guard took the message to her brother, but he rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

  With a sigh, Anne turned to the food he had brought her. It certainly wasn’t the same dining she had enjoyed in the palace, but she knew she had to eat it if she wanted to keep her strength up. With a final dutiful sigh, she picked up the spoon and began to eat.

  ***

  A loud knock on the door woke George, and he was immediately given the order to get back inside the room.

  “Stand away from the door!” the guard barked, and he backed into the corner of the room, holding his hands up. The guard walked in, setting the food down on the table. He then pulled two pieces of paper from his pocket and set them on the table next to the food.

  “One is from your sister, and the other is from your wife. Take care that you read them both.” He turned and walked out of the room. George ran over to the papers as quickly as he could, as soon as the lock had slid back into place. He quickly skimmed the one from his sister first, seeing if she may have heard any word from the king.

  His heart sank momentarily, but with resolution, he then turned his attention to the letter from his wife, Jane.

  Though Jane was largely disconnected from the things that went on in the palace, each time the king had met her, he had been kind to her. Perhaps there was something she could now do that would change the king’s mind on his alleged treason.

  Eagerly, George read through the letter.

  After you were arrested yesterday, a few of the king’s men came to me with the message. They told me what had happened to you, and they encouraged me to write to the king, perhaps that he would change his mind and show mercy to you on account of me, your wife.

  I am going to write a petition to the king on your behalf, as well as a petition to Lord Cromwell. Perhaps one of them will take pity on us in our plight and recognize that you are innocent of any form of treason.

  My love,

  Jane.

  Though the letter was brief, tear stains had fallen on the paper, proving to George how worried his wife had been as she penned each word. George looked through his cell. It wasn’t as sparse as a common criminal’s cell, and there were still few things inside he would be able to use.

  With only a single piece of paper, George hesitated, trying to decide which of the two would receive a response. He knew that his sister needed support, and he wanted to be able to communicate with her in this difficult time, but at the same time, he feared he would never see his wife again, and what little he was able to communicate with her would be her only memory of him.

  With a heavy heart, George sat down to write.

  My Dearest Bride,

  It has brought me great comfort and encouragement knowing you are out there fighting on my behalf. Though we are doing what we can to appeal to the king here in the Tower, it is nearly impossible for any of us to get word to him.

  I am not altogether certain how many have been arrested in regards to this treason, but you know as well as I do that I am not guilty of laying a hand on my sister. She is my sister, for goodness sake!

  I pray that you send your petition with Godspeed, and that your words are able to move the heart of the king. Until then, I will be waiting for my release, and the moment I am able to be in your arms again.

  No matter how long this takes, know that I love you, and I am thinking of you, and only you, always.

  All my love and all my best.

  Your husband,

  George Boleyn

  George read over the letter critically, wondering if it truly would be the last thing he ever said to his wife. Not wanting to believe the king would go so far as to have him executed, he folded the letter, content with what he had said.

  He then folded the note and slipped it into the same envelope his wife had posted to him, scratching out the address and penning a new one. He set the letter aside and sat down next to the meal the guard had brought.

  Though he had no appetite at all, he knew he ought to force himself to eat. Henry was a wild and unpredictable king, and he should keep his strength up in the event Henry chose to challenge him to a jousting battle as he had Lord Norris down the hall.

  If he does, may the Lord help him, I don’t know if he would walk away from that one.

  Chapter 5 – May 5th, 1536: The Tower of London

  “I don’t know what you’re going to do without your books besides think of the treason you have committed against the King of England,” the guard said snidely as he pushed Thomas Wyatt into the cell. This cell, unlike the cells of Anne and her brother George, was dank and dark, and Thomas could hear the sounds of rats in the walls.

  Walking through a puddle on the floor, he ignored the guard’s comment about his books. It was true, though Wyatt was a knight and had worked closely with the king in the past, he did enjoy writing poetry, and spent a fair share of his time devoted to the task.

  However, none of his poems had been published, and though he felt his words could compare to the great Michael Tarchontiota Marullus, he spent so much of his time devoted to the king and his charges, he didn’t have the time to pursue publishing his work.

  He had arrived at the Tower of London with Sir Richard Page, though the two men didn’t have time to converse before being placed in their separate cells.

  Though both Page and Wyatt were a member of the privy council, neither one had much of a connection to the other, and therefore had little reason to discuss the events that had taken place.

  Wyatt knew Sir Page was the head of the guard, and the fact he had been arrested as well proved just how desperate the king was. Thomas Wyatt had witnessed the things the king had done to Catherine of Aragon when he had decided he was through with the marriage, and it was only a matter of time to see how far he would go to get rid of Anne.

  Wyatt couldn’t imagine that there would be any real proof that Anne had been having an affair with anyone, but he also knew that once the king had made up his mind to get rid of his wife, he would stop at nothing until it was through.

  There were already rumors that the king had moved on with the beautiful Jane Seymour, though Wyatt questioned the truth to the rumors himself. Concerned with the things of the court and his own poetry, Thomas Wyatt did everything he could to stay out of the drama and rumors of the court.

  But it didn’t always work.

  Wyatt had been sitting in his home when the officials had shown up and arrested him, informing him he was being charged with having carnal knowledge of the queen.

  Now, Thomas Wyatt sat in the
darkness of the cell, thinking of his beautiful love in her own cell somewhere else in the Tower. Though he was married, he and his wife had been separated for ten years. He thought of the many problems he had endured in his marriage with Elizabeth Brooke, and thought of how if he had only married Anne, his life would be vastly different.

  Anne was the most beautiful creature Thomas Wyatt had ever laid eyes on, and he often dreamed about having a relationship with her. He thought back to when he and Anne had first met, and how he had been captivated by her beauty. At the time she was, of course, trying to catch the eye of the king, and though she shared an admiration for Wyatt, he ultimately lost to the position of the crown.

  It was true, Henry was an attractive individual himself, but it was said that Wyatt was near his equal. Both men were over six feet tall, and both were muscularly built. Though Henry had the advantage of the crown, Wyatt had the advantage of being able to use words in ways like no one else could.