The Other Henry VIII

Take Her Away

Hello readers!

I am very, very sorry for such a slow update. I have struggled with this chapter but at last it is released and I hope that you enjoy it. I will try and provide the next chapter very quickly to make up for the month that this one took.

RedPanda1203

19th May 1522

"She will be put under house arrest. The ladies that serve her must be minimised to two or three and anyone who goes into her chambers must be searched thoroughly. She is to have no contact with anyone except those who serve her and myself, when I please. And we shall have to decide what is to be done."

The council nodded their heads in agreement as the King finished speaking. The letters were scattered on the table, having been carefully studied by the members to draw as much information as possible. Henry took a deep breath in and as the men around him began to confer in low voices, he rubbed his face with both hands.

"Order, please my lords,"he requested and the room fell silent almost immediately. No-one dared step one foot out of place when the King was in a mood such as this. He seemed to be on the brink of exploding. "We will hold a meeting on the morrow, upon which we shall discuss these matters in detail. For now, my wife is secure and we may speak of the Papists."

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Diana had sat in the armchair by the window for hours. Only Catherine, Verity and Mary Sutherland remained and they had not wanted to disrupt their mistress in her daydream. In her hand was a letter, one she had written late at night as the candle melted into nothing but a wax stump. She had not bothered to have her hair bound, nor to demand for her beautiful gowns which had been carried out in a trunk early in the morning, so the Queen of England sat in a plain slate-grey gown with loose-flowing black curls down her back like a waterfall.

Perhaps she should rise. But what was there to do? She could not walk in the gardens, could not go down to dance with the rest of the court. Books were tiresome and the firelight was not good enough to sew. Diana took one more look at the letter and threw it in the crackling fire and watched until it was burnt to a crisp.

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22nd May 1522
Lady Bryan?"asked Clara, tip-toeing towards the formidable lady sitting on an armchair.
"Your Royal Highness,"replied Lady Bryan, rising immediately and curtseying stiffly. "How can I help you?"
"I would like to ask you something,"said Clara. She gazed up at Lady Bryan earnestly, doing her best to look pleasing and docile so she would get an upright answer.
"Of course, Your Royal Highness. Shall I send for some food? A hot bath? Are you comfortable?"
Clara smiled. "No, thank you. I am perfectly well and comfortable. But I wondered... what will happen to my sisters? And my brother? If Her Majesty is to be trialled for adultery, what will happen to them?"
Lady Bryan raised an eyebrow. Even she didn't know for sure if the Queen would be trialled, least of all what was to become of her children. Why would the little Princess know, or care?
"I would not know, Your Royal Highness,"began Lady Bryan but, seeing Clara's face, she continued.  "However, I have heard that the Queen is under house arrest. There are only whispers, I cannot be sure which are true and which are lies."
She watched the expression on the princess's face carefully. Clara wrinkled her brow and glanced down, her lips pursed.
"But if My Lady Stepmother is condemned like the maids say, can my sisters come and stay with me?"
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"House arrest? HOUSE ARREST? On what charge?"screamed Diana, marching away from the messenger.
"On treasonous adultery against the King, My Lady. His Majesty requires that you remain here with a maximum of two ladies to serve you until the Privy Council agree what will succeed this decision."
Diana let out a sickening wail, ripping her arm away from Catherine's calming grip, and charged right past the messenger. The guards that had arrived leapt forwards to seize her, but Diana dodged them easily and hurtled out of her chambers.
"My Lady!"screamed Catherine, lifting her skirts and making for the door but the messenger put an arm out.
"Leave it, Mistress. My Lady won't get far." Catherine turned slowly to him with a frown on her face.
"What will you do to her?"
The messenger released her and sighed.
"That is the business of the Privy Council and His Majesty. Let us all pray for a good outcome or who knows what will happen next."

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"Henry! I want to see the King! "shouted Diana, shaking off the guards. Her eyes searching the hall, she spotted her husband marching indifferently through a doorway. His fists were clenched. "Your Majesty! I demand that I speak with you!" The King turned, glaring at her with contempt in his eyes. "Please, Your Majesty," she begged, walking towards him. The surrounding courtiers watched in stunned silence as Diana strode right up to the King and said to his face "you have the decency to listen, do you not?"

He regarded her coldly, before gesturing to a small anti-chamber and leading her inside it alone. Diana watched in worry as three guards positioned themselves outside the door and shut it. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the shock and the pride supplying her with enough courage to ask "I beg Your Majesty to listen to me before you command your soldiers to lock me away."

"Yes?" he replied, turning his back to her and moving towards the window. Diana bit back an order for him to turn around; she had to remain submissive to her husband if she was going to reconcile with him. "I accept that you will order me to- "

"Who were the letters from?" he asked slowly. "The love letters that were found tucked inside your bedtable. They are all signed 'Your loving servant'. Who was it?" Diana sighed.

"It was not his fault. You must not punish him for it, Your Majesty," she answered carefully.

"WHO WAS IT?" demanded Henry, banging his fists on the table as he turned to face her with his livid blue eyes. "A stable boy, was it? A servant?"

"No," said Diana softly. She looked up at him unblinkingly. The King narrowed his eyes at this firm reply. "Then who?"

Diana closed her eyes and sighed. She wanted to protect Thomas so much... What would happen to him if she confessed? He'd be executed without a bat of the King's eye, no questions, no trial, nothing. And then who would look after her son? "I loved him, Your Majesty. And he loved me." She avoided the question quickly, desperately trying to steer her husband away from it.

"Oh really? And did you once, in your sinful affair, did you ever think of me? What I felt?"

"You never loved me!" argued Diana passionately. "Would you like me to list all the mistresses you have skimmed through during our marriage? How many times were you in another's bed?" She didn't wait for Henry's reply. "Sorrel Cavill! Jane Saxby, my own cousin! Alys Golding! Rebecca Cavill! Leia bloody Westover!"

"LEIA WAS NEVER MY MISTRESS!" roared Henry. "I ASSURE YOU, IF SHE WAS MY MISTRESS I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LET YOU CARRY ON WITH YOUR ADULTERY!"

"YOU NEVER LOVED ME!" repeated Diana, "CAN YOU NAME ONE MOMENT WHEN YOU LOVED ME?"

Henry grabbed her flailing wrists and held them still. "Yes."

"When?" Diana demanded, raising her eyebrows. Her eyes were swimming in tears but she was too curious to stop and cry.

"When I returned from the war, my memory was wiped clean. To me, you were everything I had missed when I was on the battlefield, sleeping alone at night. For those blissful weeks, I adored you with all my heart and soul. I noticed and loved everything about you, from that flawless arch in your eyebrows to the way one corner of your lips curves upwards, from the dimple on your chin when you smile to your smart remarks when you reply to my questions. I think I did truly love you, Diana." He strode towards the door and placed his hand on the smooth metal handle.

"You hesitate, Your Majesty," said Diana, tilting her head. The anger that had raged inside of her had melted into nothing. "Do you still love me?"

The King did not reply for a moment. He could not think of a reply that would be suitable for the question. "I do not know, Diana. But I am sure that I shall never find a woman so like me in temper as you are ever again." Henry pulled open the door.

"Take her away," he ordered and this time Diana did not struggle.