monarch

Bishop Gardiner watched expectantly as the king read the document in his hand - "Queen Catherine Parr's Arrest Warrant".He watched with satisfaction as the king put the paper on the small table in front of him, picked up a quill and signed his name on it.The attendants around him immediately stepped forward and sucked up the remaining ink on the document.

The king waved to the bishop, and Bishop Gardner hurriedly walked to the king with a low eyebrow, like a pet dog with the grace of its owner.

"Take it." His Majesty pointed to the documents on the table. He seemed a little tired and leaned on the back of the recliner with his eyes slightly closed, but he watched Bishop Gardner's reaction from the corner of his eye.

Bishop Gardiner tried his best not to look so beaming, but he still looked flushed, and he held the document in both hands like a sacristy holding the relics of Jesus at a ceremony The box is average.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of the king's mouth, "When do you plan to use this arrest warrant?" His Majesty asked casually with his eyes still half closed.

"If Your Majesty doesn't mind, I want to go now." Bishop Gardner looked like a child who got a toy he had wanted for a long time, and couldn't wait to try the gift in his hand.

"Are you so impatient?" The king opened his eyes and looked at Bishop Gardiner. His face was expressionless, but the bishop felt a chill on the back of his neck inexplicably.

"I just feel that His Majesty's order must be carried out immediately." The bishop hastily lowered his waist, "Of course, if His Majesty has other arrangements..."

The king didn't reply him, but turned to the attendant beside him, "Please open the window."

The attendants hastily stepped forward to open the windows of the room, and cool air poured into the stuffy room, sweeping away the stench in the room, and even Bishop Gardiner couldn't help but feel a burst of relief.

The king waved his hand, and the attendants hurried forward and moved His Majesty's chaise longue to the window, and Bishop Gardner hurriedly followed behind.

It is already July, but although it is already summer, the few rains in the past few days have washed away most of the heat, making the temperature outside seem cool and pleasant.With the help of his attendants, the king straightened up and looked at the garden outside the window. The tall trees were covered with pavilions, and the laughter of young men and women came from under the trees.There was a faint scent of laurel in the air, His Majesty took a deep breath somewhat intoxicated, and he stared greedily at those laughing young nobles, those well-dressed playboys and elegant and charming girls - those days It's gone forever for him.

After an unknown period of time, the king sighed slightly, and leaned back on the back of the chair.

"Let's go tomorrow." His voice was very tired, "The weather is so good today, don't spoil everyone's interest."

"Follow the holy will." Bishop Gardner was unwilling to do so, after all, nights were long and dreams were many, but the king's intentions did not allow him to make irresponsible remarks.

"I'm going to rest, you go." The king waved to the bishop.The bishop bowed again, and stepped backwards out of the room.

The king's eyes, which were squeezed by the fat on his face, opened again. He looked at the attendants beside him, "Call that doctor." His voice was very cold, as if he hadn't been affected by the summer. The influence of warm sun.

……

The next morning.

The queen sat in front of the dressing table, watching the maid combing her hair in the mirror.The queen's face was as white as paper, as if she was about to faint on the ground at any moment.The corners of her lips were a little chapped, and the dark spots under her eyes couldn't be covered even if the maid used a lot of powder.

There were a few light knocks outside the door, and a maid slowly entered the room. This was one of the few remaining confidantes of the queen.She walked up to the queen and glanced at the maid who was combing the queen's hair. The maid put down the queen's hair knowingly and tactfully, curtseyed and exited the room.

The door was closed again, and the new maid came close to the queen's ear and whispered, "The Earl of Hertford said there was nothing he could do."

The queen didn't look surprised, a bleak smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "Of course he won't help me," her voice was a little hoarse, "After all, everyone knows that I'm finished."

"That may not be the case..." The maid tried to comfort the queen, but her voice was obviously lacking in confidence.

"You know, when I married my first husband, he was already an old man." The queen seemed to be chatting, "Lord Latimer is old, but has a lot of status... We have never been married." He fell ill soon, so I became his nanny." The queen reached out and took out a white rose from the small vase on the dressing table, put it on the tip of her nose, and sniffed it gently, "Your Majesty the King That's when you knew me."

"Actually, I should have known earlier that he had taken a fancy to me as a nanny. Lord Latimer was well taken care of by me, and he basically suffered no harm in his last few years."

"And then he died, and I became a rich widow. Naturally, many suitors followed, including the brother of the Earl of Hertford."

"I know they are after my money and status, but frankly, it was the same when I married Lord Latimer." The Queen took off a white petal, and she let go of it to see the petal flying in the air. Drifting slowly, it slowly landed on the Persian carpet under your feet.

"But then the king appeared, and he proposed to me."

"I was taken aback by this, considering what happened to the previous queens, I didn't want this cursed seat at all."

"However, the king kept chasing after him. In the end, he lost his patience. I know very well that I must not continue to refuse him."

"I think as long as I keep calm at all times and don't do the stupid things that the queens did before, I will be fine." The queen pressed a finger on a thorn of the rose stem, and the white finger A tiny bead of blood came out. "I will still have great influence, and I can use this influence to do something." She let go of her hand, and the rose fell powerlessly to the ground. "What an idiot I am." She sighed.

There was another knock on the door, and the maid curtseyed to the queen, walked outside, and after a while, she returned to the room, "Your Majesty, your doctor, Dr. Robert Hoyt, is outside Ask for an audience."

The queen was a little surprised, "What did he come for? I didn't call the doctor?"

"He said that there is an urgent matter to tell His Majesty." The maid was also at a loss.

The queen pondered for a moment, "Call him in," she made a decision, "I have nothing else to do anyway."

Dr. Hoyt was led into the room, and the old man with white beard and hair walked quickly to the Queen and suddenly knelt down on his knees.

"Oh, Your Majesty! There is a great disaster, and I must tell Your Majesty!"

"What's wrong with you?" The queen was taken aback, and she quickly motioned for the maid to help the doctor up.

"Your Majesty, the king has signed the arrest warrant drafted by Bishop Gardner! He may come to arrest you at any time!" the doctor said hastily.

As if the queen was struck by lightning, she looked at the doctor dully, "You...how did you know?" She stammered and asked.

"Yesterday, my colleagues and I went to consult His Majesty... I accidentally saw this document on His Majesty's desk." The doctor looked like a resolute martyr, "I am a devout Protestant, and I will never You can't just sit idly by knowing the conspiracy of these Catholics!" He looked at the queen, "Please make a decision early, Your Majesty!"

The queen seemed petrified, and after a long time, she seemed to finally come to her senses, "Thank you, doctor, I will never forget my eternal debt to you. Now please leave now." She looked like a The corpse is talking.

"It is my honor." The Doctor bowed and exited the room.

When the figure of the doctor disappeared outside the door of the room, the queen stood up immediately.There was a sneer on her face, which made the maid who came back take a breath.

"Let's go." The queen stretched out her hand and tore off the hairnet she had just put on top of her head, and her hair fell loose.

"But your majesty, you haven't changed your clothes yet."

The queen ignored it and walked straight to the door.

The female officials in the outer living room looked at each other when they saw the queen rushing out of the room in her nightgown with disheveled hair.The queen walked through the room and walked out of the door of her bedroom as if they did not exist.

Just like Moses parting the Red Sea, the crowd in the corridor of the Whitehall Palace automatically parted a passage in front of the queen, with surprised, shocked or mocking faces on their faces.Everyone seemed to know exactly where she was going, everyone seemed to know what the outcome would be.

The queen finally came to the door of the king's bedroom, "I want to see His Majesty the King."

The captain of the guard at the door saluted the queen, "I'm sorry, ma'am. Your Majesty won't be visiting today." He replied coldly.

"Open the door." The queen's eye circles were a little red.

"Forgive me." The captain of the guard was not accommodating.

Tears rolled down the Queen's eyes, her legs gave way and she knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty!" she cried.

……

The crying sound spread into the room, and the king frowned in displeasure, "Who is outside?"

"It's Her Majesty the Queen." The attendant replied cautiously, "She seems to want to ask to see His Majesty."

"What's the matter with her? Why are you crying like this?" the king asked dryly, with no emotion in his voice.

"This... I don't know too well, Your Majesty."

The king listened quietly as the queen's voice gradually changed from pain to despair. "I'm going to see her." He turned to the attendants and ordered, and several attendants rushed forward and pushed the king's chaise longue towards the door.

The queen knelt on the cold marble floor and wept. Her hair was draped behind her and she was wearing a nightgown. Although it was summer, the rain in the previous few days made the morning temperature still quite cold, which made her shiver uncontrollably.

The gates were opened, and the king's chaise longue, surrounded by his attendants, was brought before the queen.

"Kate, what are you doing?" the king asked in a questioning tone, but his tone didn't sound surprised.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" The queen stepped forward on her knees, weeping and holding the king's hand on the armrest of the chaise longue.

"What is this?" The king's voice was still calm.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Your Majesty!" the queen sobbed, her big eyes filled with tears, looking pitiful.

The king stretched out his hand and wiped the tears from the corners of the queen's eyes, "Did you do anything to make me feel angry?"

"I hope not, Your Majesty." The Queen looked like a jasmine in the middle of a storm.

"That's good." The king smiled slightly, the fat on his face twitched, and the queen felt sick for a while, but she still controlled her expression.

"So I think you will be careful enough in the future not to do things that might offend me?" the king asked, his small eyes fixed on the queen, and the queen couldn't help but think of the time she watched on the beach. to the eyes of octopuses washed ashore. "Never again, Your Majesty, I swear."

"That's good." The king reached out and straightened the queen's messy hair.

"Bishop Gardner is asking for an audience in the corridor outside." An attendant stepped forward and said - the people at the door of the king's bedroom were driven to the corridor outside by the guards when the queen arrived.

Like a frightened deer, the queen whimpered and looked at the king, "Your Majesty..." She looked like she was about to cry again.

The king patted the back of her hand reassuringly, "Go and tell the bishop that I don't want to see him today, please ask him to go back." The servant was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something, "Oh yes, please tell him that yesterday The order I signed is void."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The king gently held the queen's chin, forcing her to look up at him, "I don't think you will forget what you said today, dear Kate?"

"Your Majesty, please believe in my loyalty." The queen looked at the king, and she looked as if she was about to cry again.

"That's good." The king leaned back on the back of the chair, he waved his hand, and the attendants hurriedly pushed him back to the room.

……

Bishop Gardner's face was flushed red, and the attendants beside him were even worried that he was about to have a stroke.

"I don't know what that means," said the bishop, looking as if he was shaking.

"This is His Majesty's original words. 'I don't want to see him today, please go back.', 'Also, please tell him that yesterday's order is invalid.'" said the attendant who sent the message.

"I...I can't believe it." The bishop looked like a mummy sucked dry by a vampire, "I must see His Majesty." He rushed to the corridor door leading to the king's bedroom, but was blocked by the guards. blocked the door.

Suddenly the guard at the door gave way, and a figure came out from the corridor. The bishop looked up, and met the queen's sinister gaze, which was so cold that the bishop, who had been in ups and downs in his career for many years, couldn't help but slapped. chills.

The queen stared at the bishop for a few seconds, she turned away without saying a word.Bishop Gardner looked at her leaving back and crushed the piece of paper in his hand.

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There have been various accounts throughout history as to how the doctor got the news that the Queen was about to be arrested.One of them is that all of this is arranged by the king, after all, confidential documents cannot be seen casually by anyone.And the king probably did this to satisfy his acting personality. He didn't actually want to abolish the queen. This drama has the best dramatic effects.