monarch

The queen's suite at Whitehall has had many occupants. In past reigns, Henry VI's queen, Margaret, the "she-wolf of Anjou," served here as regent for her insane husband; Here Edward IV and his humble queen, Elizabeth Woodville, enjoyed a happy and dangerous marriage.In this dynasty, the marriage of Princess Elizabeth of York and Henry VII ended the hatred of the War of the Roses, and she gave birth to her children here, one of whom is the current His Majesty the King.Under the current reign of His Majesty, this luxurious bedroom has witnessed Catherine of Aragon's fading and falling in love, and then Anne Boleyn's favor and destruction, Jane Seymour's smugness to death, and The previous occupant of the house, Anne of Cleves, who is now "the King's sister", also left in disgrace.And now, the latest drama in this bedroom has come to an end.

Mrs. Rocheford pushed open the door and found herself plunged into darkness. She blinked her eyes to adapt herself to the dim environment.The doors and windows of the queen's bedroom were closed, and all the curtains were drawn, completely blocking out the bright morning sun outside.The luxurious decoration and furniture in the room became a mass of vague shadows, which looked a little gloomy.

"Your Majesty, it's time to get up." Mrs. Rocheford said to the tightly closed curtain.In the center of the curtain was the queen's luxurious bed. There seemed to be a figure on the bed, but the figure did not move.

Mrs. Rocheford stepped forward and drew back the curtain.

The queen lay motionless on the bed, wearing only a petticoat.She seemed to have not slept all night, and the black eyes and the bloodshot eyes all showed this.She stared straight ahead, and Mrs. Rocheford's first feeling was that she was dead. She ignored the etiquette and took the queen's hand with her hand.

The queen's hands are hot.

Lady Rochford breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, it's time to get up." Mrs. Rocheford repeated, "Breakfast will be delivered soon."

The queen turned her head to stare at her, Catherine's face was pale, and the corners of her mouth were a little chapped.Mrs. Rocheford was a little hairy from her stare. She was about to find an excuse to change the subject, but the queen suddenly said: "Is there any new news?"

Mrs. Rocheford was a little embarrassed. The Duke of Norfolk did find someone to deliver the news to her last night. However, seeing the Queen's current state... She was a little afraid to speak. After all, the Duke told her to keep the Queen safe. She was waiting for the fiance the Duke would find for her. She couldn't make a mistake at this time... Mrs. Rocheford turned her head around, trying to think of a reason to prevaricate the queen.

"I saw the servant who delivered the dinner gave you a note last night." The Queen's voice was very soft, and she stared at Mrs. Rocheford expressionlessly, "Tell me, what else do I dare not listen to?" What about it?" She showed a sweet smile, but this smile looked extremely strange on this pale face.

Mrs. Rocheford licked her lips, "The Duke has news that Mr. Direham...has confessed." She glanced at the Queen, but she didn't respond at all, as if she didn't hear it. "He admitted that he had made a private appointment with you for life, and conspired with you...to deceive the king."

"Conspiracy?" The queen raised her eyes and glanced at Mrs. Rocheford.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The queen lowered her head again, she seemed to want to ask something, but hesitated, her two hands were tightly clutching the bed sheet.Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind. "Thomas...how is it?" There was a tremor in her voice.

"Mr. Culpepper..." Mrs. Rocheford hesitated, "he..."

"Speak," said the queen.

"He admitted ... to adultery with you," said Mrs. Rocheford with difficulty, "but he said it was you ..."

The queen's pupils dilated, and she looked at Mrs. Rocheford in astonishment, "What's wrong with me?"

"He said it was you who took the initiative and seduced him." Mrs. Rocheford's voice became softer and softer, and finally it was as thin as a gossamer.There was a silence in the room, Mrs. Rocheford raised her head, and the queen was already in tears.

"How... how could he... obviously he said..." Catherine said desperately, it was the love he expressed in the letter, but now he pushed it all on her head.

Mrs. Rocheford's face was a little red. All of this was a design between her and the Duke of Norfolk. This affair was originally a tool they used to stabilize the queen, but she would never say that . "Your Majesty, let me change your clothes." She tried to help the queen up.

"I want to see the king." The queen stared at her, her voice hoarse.

"This..." Mrs. Rocheford was in trouble. The king had obviously annoyed Catherine. How could the king meet her at this time?

Catherine pushed Mrs. Rocheford away. She didn't wear shoes and only wore a white petticoat, but she didn't care, and walked straight to the door.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Rocheford was taken aback. She tried to hold the queen, but the queen pushed away his extended hand.

Outside, the servants brought breakfast to the queen. Although she was under house arrest, Catherine still had the queen's daily quota.Several servants were startled when they saw the queen running out of the bedroom disheveled, and bowed quickly.

"I want to see the king!" Catherine ran up to the head servant, grabbed him by the collar, and almost pulled the tall man down.The servant was taken aback, "Today is Sunday, His Majesty the King is in worship, and cannot see guests..."

The queen shook the poor servant hysterically, "I'm going too, I'm going to church too..."

"Maybe I can help you get a priest to come here?" The servant was very embarrassed, "I'm just a servant, you know, I really can't help you."

The guards outside the door heard the noise in the house, and they opened the door of the bedroom. "What's going on?" The captain of the guard walked into the room, glanced at Catherine who was barefoot and wearing a petticoat, and asked the valet and Mrs. Rocheford suspiciously.

However, something unexpected happened, the queen noticed the open door, she didn't know where the strength came from, and ran past the captain of the guard and rushed into the corridor. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Henry!" her cry echoed in the corridor.

The captain of the guard was the first to react, "Hurry up!" He roared angrily, and chased after him, followed by a dozen guards behind him.

Catherine Howard stumbled and ran in the corridors of the Whitehall Palace. Her bare feet were bleeding, but she didn't realize it. People she met on the road looked at her in horror, and some women even screamed , but she completely ignored it.The Royal Chapel is just ahead, she only needs to run another hundred feet, only one hundred feet to arrive...

In the chapel, Bishop Boehner of London is presiding over the service.King Henry VIII was at the forefront, praying to the cross, while the other nobles formed a circle, praying to the king, expecting to see them first when His Majesty raised his head.

The Duke of Norfolk was alone outside this circle.A circle of open space formed around him, as if he was carrying some infectious disease.From being the most powerful minister sought after by everyone to being shunned by others, it is only a matter of seconds.The queen was placed under house arrest, her downfall was certain; the children of the Howard family who had been favored by the queen before were all arrested and placed under house arrest by the king; although the Duke of Norfolk was still free, he was obviously no longer a holy family.It is quite possible that he might be able to keep himself, but there is no doubt that his authority will wane.The Duke lowered his head as if praying devoutly. He watched the king from the corner of his eye all morning, hoping that His Majesty would give him a look, even if it was a look of dissatisfaction.However, what the king gave him was a complete disregard, as if he didn't exist at all.

The sound of hurried footsteps outside the door broke the silence in the room. Bishop Bona looked at the door with some dissatisfaction. Who dares to make loud noises here and disturb the holy car?He glanced at the king, His Majesty didn't respond, and he felt relieved.However, at this moment, there was a burst of crying outside the door.

"Your Majesty! Henry!"

It was the Queen's voice.

The king's eyes widened suddenly.

The door was flung open, and Catherine appeared in the doorway.She was wearing only a white petticoat, the hem of which was covered with dust.She was barefoot, and her feet seemed to be cut by something, and they were bleeding all the time, leaving bloody footprints on the ground one after another.

The crowd automatically made way for her, and it looked like Moses parting the Red Sea. "Henry, it's me!" Catherine's eyes widened, and she ran towards the king with a strange smile on her face.

Suddenly an arm was in front of her, and a man grabbed her. He was so hard that Catherine fell to the ground. She looked up and found that it was her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, who was standing in front of her.

The Duke didn't even look at his niece, he looked at the king with concern, "Your Majesty, are you okay?" His voice was full of anxiety.

The king gave him a meaningful look.

The captain of the guard, who was chasing the queen, rushed to the chapel panting. He was so frightened by what he saw that he knelt down on one knee and pleaded guilty to the king.

The king said flatly, "Take her back." There was no emotion in his voice.

The queen looked at the king, "Henry, I'm Catherine, it's me..." Her forehead had just been broken, blood was streaming down her cheeks, and she laughed loudly, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Several soldiers hurried forward, picked her up and walked outside. Her hysterical laughter could still be heard for a long time after she went out.

……

"How did she get out?" The Duke of Norfolk stared at Lady Rocheford angrily.In the bedroom separated by a wall, the queen who had taken the tranquilizer had already fallen asleep.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency." Mrs. Rocheford was a little embarrassed. "She rushed out in the morning when the guards weren't paying attention, and we didn't have time to stop her... She's been in a bad state recently, and we didn't expect to..."

"She doesn't look quite right," the duke added.

"Yes."

"I hope she's crazy," said the Duke coldly. "The madman can't be held accountable, so maybe she'll live."

Mrs. Rocheford's eyes widened, "You mean..."

"Why, what do you think will happen to her?" The Duke looked at the opposite woman mockingly, "She's finished, and brought down half of my family!" He walked into the room irritatedly Walking away, the expression of emotion and anger before was no longer the same, "I want you to hold her steady, but what happened? She ruined herself and dragged everyone else into the water."

There was another cry from inside the room.

"What's the matter with her? Isn't she all asleep?" The Duke roared irritably, "Go and see what's going on!"

"It is unnecessary," said Lady Rochford.

"What did you say?" The Duke's voice was as cold as ice.

"As you said, she is finished." Madam Rocheford raised her head and met the Duke's knife-like gaze, "I don't want to stay here anymore. You promised me that after all this is over, let me go to Austria Marry, marry the Duke of Klagenfurt." The more she said, the more confident she became, "This is over, and it's time for you to fulfill your promise."

The Duke looked at Mrs. Rocheford as if she were an idiot. "Ha! You actually took it seriously!" He burst out laughing suddenly, "I thought you knew that there was no fiancé at all, do you understand?" He laughed uncontrollably, almost out of breath.

Mrs. Rocheford was stunned, "What? The Marquis of Montison in France, the Count of Bilbao in Spain, and the Duke of Klagenfurt, aren't they all trying to pursue my fiancé? You said... "

"Do you really think that someone will marry you?" The Duke grabbed her by the neck, and Mrs. Rocheford felt that she was about to suffocate. She struggled frantically, but the Duke's powerful hands clamped her like iron clamps. neck, "after you sent your husband to the guillotine with your own hands? After you discredited his family and took away his family fortune? Jane Boleyn, all Europe knows you are a viper! Do you think Will any man want to marry you? The queen is lost, and you are lost, and that is the only consolation I have had in the whole tragedy."

"I... none of my business..." Mrs. Rocheford blushed.

The Duke pushed her to the ground, and Madam Rocheford panted violently, "It's none of my business...it's all you...I just obey your orders! The queen is like this, and the matter of the Boleyn family was also the same before. In this way, you asked me to report my husband!" Her eyes were red, and her sinister gaze was directed at the Duke of Norfolk.

"Me? I didn't ask you to pimp the queen." The Duke said sarcastically, "I just asked you to help her divert her attention. As for the Paulines," he smiled, "I'm killing my relatives." He turned around and walked towards the door.

"I'll tell them! I'll tell you everything, and you can't escape!" Mrs. Rocheford roared.

The Duke of Norfolk opened the door. He turned his head and smiled slightly. "Who will believe you? Everyone knows you are a poisonous snake. My dear Jane, everything you say and do will be true." Insignificant."

He went out of the room, the door slammed shut behind him, and Mrs. Rocheford's hoarse curses could be heard in the room.