Read Online Between Two Kings by Olivia Longueville - Free Book Online Page B

king himself lay with his wife, Henry signed all the death warrants without any hesitation. It was what Cromwell and others needed to get rid of Anne. The chief minister still feared that if Henry had realized that Anne Boleyn had been falsely accused and that other men had been unjustly condemned and executed, he would have probably ordered to release her from the Tower.
    Cromwell couldn’t let Anne Boleyn live. She was his sworn enemy, and he had to get rid of her. The king needed to marry, and, thus, Anne had to die. In addition, too much blood had been spilled due to the king’s desire to set Anne aside and be free, and there was no way back. If Anne were pardoned and taken back by the king as his queen, much blood would be spilled in revenge of the murder of George Boleyn and other innocent people.
    If Anne were released, Cromwell’s well-being might have been threatened; he even could lose his life. Cromwell also thought about his son Gregory whose future also was at stake and tied to Cromwell’s own fate. Therefore, he couldn’t risk the interests of his family; Anne Boleyn had to die for the sake of Cromwell, King Henry, and England.
    To achieve that, Cromwell had to encourage the king to execute Anne at the earliest convenience. He had to manipulate Henry by making him angry at Anne; after a minute of hard thinking, he made up a story to tell the king.
    Henry cocked his head. “Master Cromwell, did the physician say that her life is in no danger?”
    Cromwell waved his head. “Your Majesty, you are right.” He paused momentarily. “Lady Anne will be ready for her execution in at most ten days. I suppose that you don’t want to postpone your marriage to Lady Jane Seymour any longer.”
    Henry didn’t answer. Instead, he averted his gaze. It was still extraordinary for him that a woman, whom he had loved and worshiped for nearly a decade, was capable of sleeping with several other men and committing such a vile crime – incest with her own brother – for carnal pleasure and for siring a son on her. The most abominable crime was her incest with George Boleyn because it was a mortal sin, a crime against the English law and against God, for which Anne would surely be stuck in hell after her death. Damnation was the price for Anne’s vile sins that couldn’t have been purified. Earlier Henry was sure that she had deserved to be punished for her crimes, paying with her life. He was so determined to sign her death warrant that he had dissolved Anne’s household two days before her court case and told Jane Seymour on the morning of Anne’s trial that Anne would be condemned on that day.
    Henry wanted her death with all his heart. Yet, something had changed during the past several months. Although he still wished Anne to be punished for her crimes, he no longer desired to spill her blood. Anyway, they had one child in common – Elizabeth. Although Henry once called the child Henry Norris’ bastard in front of many courtiers and they’d shaken their heads, either in disbelief or in shock, he knew he’d only spoken out because of his anger with Anne; he knew that Elizabeth was his daughter.
    Elizabeth was the product of the love and passion he had once felt for Anne Boleyn who had always pretended that she loved him. It was still difficult for him to understand that the only child Anne had given him was the child of his love for her, but not her love for him. What should he do now with Anne? Should he order her execution after her recovery? Or should he send her to a nunnery with a strict regime?
    He looked at Cromwell and blinked, his gaze expressing confusion. “Perhaps…” He stopped himself because he didn’t know what to say; his mind was reeling.
    Cromwell saw the king’s hesitation. He couldn’t lose more time. He had to act straight away. “I was in the corridor, near Lady Anne’s chamber, during her labor. I heard all her cries, some of help and some of anger. During the last hour of her