monarch

In the end, Bishop Gardner did not get the confession he wanted, nor did he get the authority he wanted.Half a month later, Anne Asko was sentenced to death and was burned in public at the Smithfield Meat Market in London.

For Bishop Gardner, however, it wasn't all for nothing.On the same day that Anne Asker was burned to death, the king, who had been dormant in Whitehall Palace for a long time, finally made a move-he sent an invitation to all members of the royal family-Prince Edward, the Queen, Princess Mary and Princess Elizabeth , and asked them to come to the king's chamber for dinner the next night.The move was so unusual that the family had never been together outside of a formal ceremony.

Prince Edward was playing chess with Robert Dudley when the King's messenger arrived in the prince's study.

"You come from my father?" the prince asked pleasantly, "what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty invites you and other members of the royal family to have dinner with him tomorrow night." The messenger respectfully handed over the king's invitation letter to the prince, and at the same time lamented in his heart that it is much better to work with a son than with a father.

"I am honored to accept my father's invitation, and I will attend on time." Edward said to the messenger after reading the invitation letter.

After the messenger left the room, Edward handed the king's invitation letter to Robert, who was opposite, "What do you think?"

Robert Dudley looked at the invitation letter, his face was frowning, "Maybe it's a trap."

"It reminds me of the banquet held by Pope Alexander VI," Edward smiled. "When those guests went to the banquet in the garden of His Majesty the Pope, they all had expressions of death, and not every one of them could survive the banquet." go home."

"Do you think it has something to do with that Anne Asker?" Robert asked.

"If it's really related to her, then the target of this trap...is the queen." Edward stretched out his hand and pulled Robert's sleeve, "What do you think His Majesty is thinking? Is he planning to replace the queen again?" The king Marrying the seventh queen before dying sounds like a shocking thing.

Robert grabbed Edward's hand backhand, "It may not be impossible." He smiled, "But this has nothing to do with you, after all, you are his only male heir."

"Yes, you are quite right." Edward sighed, "Poor woman, I hope she can save her life."

Robert looked into Edward's eyes, "You won't do anything irrational, will you? For example, take the risk to rescue her or something."

The prince pondered for a moment, "I won't say anything unless it is absolutely necessary."

Robert didn't look satisfied. "I've been reluctant to mention this to you." He looked at Edward's expression, "I think you can see that His Majesty won't last long."

"I can see it." Edward looked a little lonely.

Robert put his hands on his shoulders, "So don't provoke him now, I feel... Your Majesty's spirit is not normal anymore, if he really wants to abolish the queen, let him go."

"But besides me, who can ease the atmosphere?" Edward sighed. "The current situation is really complicated. Once His Majesty abolishes the Queen, it will cause a chain reaction like a tsunami." He hugged her reassuringly Robert, "Don't worry, I will be very measured."

……

At dusk on the second day, the guests of the family banquet gathered in the dining room of His Majesty's bedroom.On either side of Her Majesty's throne sits the Queen and Crown Prince Edward, next to the Crown Prince sits Princess Mary, and next to the Queen sits Princess Elizabeth—the only one, given the turbulent relationship between the Queen and Princess Mary. possible seats.

There was an awkward silence in the restaurant, but no one wanted to break it.The queen was wearing a blue dress and a hairnet embroidered with gold thread, holding her head proudly; diagonally across from her, Princess Mary looked more indifferent than usual, the hairnet on her head was inlaid with pearls, And her skirt is bright garnet red.Two of the most prominent women in the English court were at odds. Twenty years of religious turmoil have torn the country in two, and not even the king's family can avoid it.

"Your Majesty is here!" The door of the dining room opened, and four attendants struggled to carry His Majesty's gorgeous chaise longue decorated with velvet and gold ornaments into the room - His Majesty's waistline had grown to five feet.The king was half lying on the chair. Although it was already summer, he was still covered with a thick bearskin mattress.The servants used a lot of spices for the king, but they still couldn't cover up the disgusting rotten smell on his body.Anyone can see now that King Henry's reign is counting down.

The four at the table rose, Edward bowed to the King, and the ladies curtseyed.

"Please sit down." The king waved his hand.

The servants began to serve the dishes, but there was still silence in the house. Everyone was eating in silence, even the king didn't speak.

The soup was put on the table, but was removed again; cold cuts and seafood followed, and when the main course was served, the king finally put down the knife and fork in his hand, raised his head, and looked at the queen, "Dear Kate, you have a bad appetite ?"

"I'm very sorry, Your Majesty." The queen smiled unnaturally, "I'm just feeling unwell."

"What a pity." The king was noncommittal. "Maybe you were frightened?"

"Why do you think so?" The queen still kept a smile on her face, but if you looked closely, you could find the corners of her mouth twitching slightly, "Could it be that something happened that would scare me?"

"I think Your Majesty is referring to that heretic, Anne Asker." Princess Mary said casually, "I heard that you seem to know her, don't you? I think that on the night your friend was burned alive, you It's very normal to have a bad appetite."

"Anne Asker is not my friend." The queen glared at her stepdaughter.She turned her head and put out a hand to take the king's.The king was a little surprised, but didn't push her away. "I met her once, that's all, I didn't even say a word to her."

"However, I heard that she gave you a lot of help in your writing process." Princess Mary insisted.

"I heard you're writing a book, Kate?" The king held back the queen's hand that had been put down on the back of his hand, "About what?"

The queen looked like a hare being stalked by a lion.

"Nothing." The queen tried to force a smile, but the expression on her face looked as if she had bitten her own tongue in the eyes of others. "It's just some religious insights, and I don't intend to publish it."

"Then can I have a sneak peek?" The king smiled slightly, "I still remember that when we were just married a few years ago, you used to discuss religion and philosophy with me... I don't know when you stopped discussing these things with me , but I think we have plenty of time to discuss today, don't we?"

"I'm afraid that my poor writing style will only delay your majesty's time..." The queen wanted to say something, but the king was already impatient.

"Someone bring the book, Kate, please."

The desperate queen could only turn her head and said to her maid: "Please bring the book from the top drawer of my dressing table."

The maid took the order and left.

There was an awkward silence in the room again.The king picked up his knife and fork again, eating the roast grouse on the plate in front of him; the queen held on to the arm of the chair so tightly that she looked like she was about to slip off her chair; opposite her, Edward seemed to want to She said something, but she still didn't speak in the end; Princess Mary sipped the wine in her glass with a smile on her lips; while Princess Elizabeth kept her head down, as if she was looking at the patterns on her plate.

After a few minutes, the maid finally returned to the dining room. She walked up to the queen and put a black leather booklet in front of the queen.

The queen took the book and presented it to the king.

The king took the booklet and opened the cover. "Lamentations of a Sinner," he read.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Queen said tremblingly, "Please read the preface."

"I dedicate this book to my supreme king and husband, His Majesty Henry VIII." The king raised his head and glanced at the queen playfully, "I feel very honored."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, pious and learned, is the prophet Moses who guides us today." The king continued, "It is he who freed us from the bondage and slavery of the Pope, a tyrant ten thousand times more vicious than Pharaoh."

The queen laughed twice, "Indeed, Your Majesty."

"I will be forever grateful to my king and husband, who by his excellence showed me a holy path and freed me from my blind and ignorant beliefs." The king smiled, "You really think so? "

"Indeed," said the Queen, raising her glass, "and I think any conscientious English subject would agree with me, and be as grateful as I am."

The king smiled and raised his glass, "To the queen." He drank the wine in the glass.

The queen's pale face finally recovered a little blush.

The king continued to read, and after about ten minutes, he closed the booklet and handed it back to the queen. "impressive."

"I don't know if His Majesty likes it?" the queen asked a little nervously.

"Do you agree with Martin Luther's doctrine of justification by faith?" The king did not answer the queen, "Do you think that a person can go to heaven as long as he believes in God, regardless of whether he did holy work or not?"

"I do think this point of view has merit." The queen bit her lips, "I think..."

"You also object to transubstantiation," the king interrupted her again.

"It's really hard for me to believe that the bread and wine at the Eucharist are transfigurations of the flesh and blood of Jesus," replied the queen, "but that doesn't mean..."

"However, I have ordered before that all churches in England must keep the Holy Communion." The king didn't care what the Queen had to say, "So you don't want to participate in the Holy Communion?"

"That's not what I meant, I just..."

"You're just putting on a show, aren't you, madam." The king's words took on a hint of sarcasm, and he turned his eyes to the pamphlet that had returned to the queen, "So where's your touching preface? Is it also pretending?"

The queen was terrified.She slipped from the chair and knelt in front of the king. She grabbed the king's hand, her eyes filled with tears, "That's really what I think in my heart, Your Majesty, I swear!"

Edward felt that he had to do something. "Your Majesty, I think..."

"It's late, my child, you should go back to rest." The king's voice was unquestionable, "And you, my daughters, good night." He looked at the two princesses, "Today's family banquet I will It was a great pleasure and I hope we will have family gatherings like this more often in the future.”

Edward had to stand up, "Good night, father."

"Good night, my child." The king reached out and touched Edward's head, "Don't worry, your time is coming soon."

The prince's eyes widened suddenly, and he didn't know how to reply for a moment. "Father, I..."

But the king just waved his hand and signaled everyone to get out.

Soon, only the king and the queen, kneeling on the ground and weeping, were left in the room.

"Get up, Kate." The king yawned, "You should also go back to rest, I think you must be exhausted today, after all, a lot of things happened today."

"I have no disrespect to Your Majesty." The queen looked at the king pleadingly, and she grabbed the king's hand vigorously, "Please believe me."

The king was a little uncomfortable being caught by her, and he pulled his hand out of the queen's palm.

"I hope so too." The king picked up the silver table knife on the table and played with it, "However, from my experience over the years, seeing may not be believing." He put the table knife on the queen's face, gently Patted, "There will always be deceit and flattery around me, and as for their true thoughts, only they know." He picked up the bell on the table, shook it lightly, and summoned the servants in .

"Send the queen back to rest," the king ordered, and he turned to the queen again. "Besides, dear Kate, I don't think you will write anything anymore?"

"No, I assure you, Your Majesty." As if feeling that words were not enough, the queen grabbed the fatal booklet and put it on the candlestick, and the booklet immediately burned.The queen flung the flaming book into the dead fireplace, where it was soon burnt up.

The king yawned again, "Good night, then." He waved his hand, and the attendants rushed forward and carried him back to the bedroom together with the reclining chair.