monarch

It was eleven o'clock in the evening, the hottest night in July.

The figures of the tall trees in the Whitehall Palace garden are clearly presented in the night sky.Most of the heat of the day has dissipated, and the night sky without a trace of cloud presents a deep blue under the bright moonlight.The men and women who were noisy during the day had already returned indoors, some had already gone to bed, and many people's night had just begun.

A cloaked figure emerged from the corner door through which the servants came and went.It might seem weird to wrap up your whole body in such weather. Fortunately, the mysterious man didn't meet anyone along the way.She hurried across the courtyard, leaving a scent of lady's powder in her wake.In the bright moonlight she went into the garden alone without a lantern.

A dense forest was planted on one side of the garden, and the man in the cloak left the road and walked into the forest on somewhat uneven ground.Everything is silent in the forest, only the chirping of cicadas and the occasional crows of a few ravens echoing in my ears.

Under a tall laurel tree, there is also a figure in a cloak, but this figure is much taller, and it is obviously a man.Seeing someone appear, the man took a few steps forward and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"It's me." A somewhat hoarse female voice came from under the visitor's hood.

The man bowed slightly, "Ma'am." He reached out and took off the cap of the cloak, revealing the iconic face of the Earl of Hertford.

The visitor also reached out and took off the cap of the cloak, revealing his true face.

"You are finally willing to see me." Queen Catherine Parr said coldly. She raised her head high and extended her jade hand to the Earl of Hertford in a gesture of grace.

"It is always my honor to meet you." The Earl of Hertford smiled, bent down and kissed the Queen's hand.

"You were not like this a few days ago." The queen's voice was very stiff, with a hint of sarcasm.

"It's different today," said the count. "With the changes in the situation, I think we have a lot of topics to talk about now." He seemed completely indifferent to the Queen's tone.

The Earl of Hertford held out his arm to the Queen, who hesitated for a few seconds, and put her hand on the Earl's arm.

"Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Although the earl sounded suspicious, he had already started to walk, and the queen had no choice but to keep up with him.

The two walked on the grass in the garden, and the queen's skirt rubbed against the ground, making a "rustling" sound.

"You must think that I'm done." The Queen's voice was full of complacency, "You turned a blind eye to my pleading for help a few days ago."

"Frankly speaking, I was really surprised." The Earl of Hertford seemed to be talking about the weather of the day, "When I heard that you ran to the door of the king's bedroom and cried, I really thought you were dizzy. ’ He stretched out his arm that was not on the Queen’s, and plucked a bay leaf that was hanging by the Queen’s forehead. "Katherine Howard did almost the same thing back then - she begged the king for mercy in front of everyone when the king was in worship."

"But the king didn't spare her." The queen smiled slightly, "I'm very lucky."

"Yeah, maybe you do have a lucky star." The Earl of Hertford also laughed, "Perhaps the king's heart has softened with age... Of course, it is more likely that Bishop Gardiner did it. His impatientness must have bored His Majesty."

"In any case, I'm safe," the queen said softly.They followed the path to an ancient fountain, where clear water flowed from the mouth of the mermaid statue into a marble pool.The queen walked to the edge of the fountain and sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the goldfish swimming in the pool happily spitting bubbles.

"So, you see, I don't need your friendship anymore." There was a sense of revenge in the queen's voice. She reached out and touched the mirror-like water surface, causing ripples in circles, and several of them swam nearby. The goldfish was so frightened that it immediately turned around and scattered away. "If you were willing to help me before, then I owe you a big favor now. But now you can't do anything for me, so naturally I won't do anything for you."

"Ah, I beg to differ, ma'am." The Earl of Hertford shrugged. "I can still do something for you. In other words, you still need my friendship." He held out his hand, that A bay leaf fell slowly from the air and landed on the water.

"Why is that?" The Queen's voice was full of irony.

The Earl of Hertford didn't take it seriously, he looked at his reflection on the water, "Do you think you're really safe?"

"Your Majesty has forgiven me."

"Ah, my dear lady, this is the key." The Earl of Hertford turned his head and looked into the Queen's eyes.

The queen felt a little uncomfortable, "I don't understand what you mean." She lowered her head again, put a finger into the water, and began to tease the goldfish.

"Your Majesty has indeed forgiven you this time, but what about next time?" The Earl of Hertford looked at the goldfish in the water and circled the Queen's fingers curiously, "Your Majesty's mood is as changeable as the weather, and the sky was clear just now. , In an instant, the heavy rain poured down, drenching the pedestrians who did not prepare their umbrellas in time from head to toe. I think you have been with him for so long, and you must have understood this kind of thing already. "

The bay leaf slowly floated to the queen's hand, and with the touch of the queen's finger, it sank and disappeared at the bottom of the centuries-old marble pool.

"There is also that good bishop Gardner. I think he must be beating his chest and feet now. I think he will be more patient next time. After all, only long-term fishing can catch big fish."

"So do you think you will have such good luck next time?"

The Queen pulled her finger out of the water.She picked up a handkerchief and wiped off the drops of water on her hands. "I trust His Majesty to be just," she said dryly.

"Ah, yes." said the Earl of Hertford casually, "but I imagine that a man as clever as you would not place all his hopes on it." His eyes suddenly became sharp, " Didn't you expect some sort of... once and for all solution?"

The queen was stunned for a few seconds, and suddenly she seemed to think of something, and this thought made her pale with fright.She jumped up as if stung by a wasp, "I don't understand what you mean." She said sharply.

"I think you understand." The Earl of Hertford reached out and took the queen's hand, and the queen shook his hand away, as if it were some sticky reptile. "I haven't heard anything today, and now I'm going back." She lifted her skirt and was about to leave.

The Earl of Hertford reached out and grabbed the Queen's hand again, and she tried to break free, but the Earl's hand was holding her like iron tongs, causing her some pain.

"What are you doing, do you want me to call someone?" The queen was startled and angry, completely forgetting that she was in the middle of a deserted garden.

"You won't." The Earl of Hertford stretched out his other hand and took the Queen's chin. "If you call someone, how will you explain it? Everyone will think you are my accomplice. Besides, The count looked around and laughed, "I'm afraid no one will be able to hear anything at this hour."

"I can't do what you say, it's crazy! It's suicide! Have you gone mad?" snapped the queen.

"Crazy? No, I'm sober. Think carefully, ma'am." The earl's voice was like the singing of a siren on the reef that confuses sailors. "Bishop Gardiner will not stop, and Princess Mary will not stop... ...they are attacking now, and we are defending...but even the strongest castle will be taken one day...it will be good for us to let this end soon...How many times do you think you will have such good luck? Don't you want to live? Or do you want to be sent in a ship to the Tower of London and watch the carpenters build the guillotine down there in the house where Catherine Howard stayed?"

"No...no, I don't want to hear it! Stop talking..." The queen covered her face with her hands, and she knelt on the ground weakly.

"You must listen to me." The Earl of Hertford leaned down and leaned into the Queen's ear, "Now is the critical moment... Think about it, your freedom is within reach, think about that kind of life ...This is the only thing I ask you to do, go back and think about it... Come and tell me your answer when you have thought about it, but don't think about it for too long, time is the most precious thing these days."

The Queen's hand was hanging down weakly, and she looked at the Earl of Hertford with eyes like two sharp swords, "You have a wonderful idea! Let me take chestnuts for you, and once the matter is revealed, you push me away." Get out... this is your good idea, don't try to deny it!"

The Earl of Hertford looked at the mermaid sculpture in the center of the fountain. The vines of morning glory climbed up along the mermaid's tail, and the withered buds hung on it. "Yes, I do think so." He gave a cruel smile, "And you have to do as I tell you."

"No, I won't. On the contrary, I'm going to denounce you! You rebel, you are a poisonous snake more insidious than the Duke of Norfolk." The queen was a little hysterical, "What do you think of me? You actually think that I will join forces with you to commit such crimes!"

"Unfortunately, you are indeed the kind of person I think." The Earl of Hertford smiled and moved closer to the queen, "If you have any doubts about this, you might as well recall your ex-husband, Lord Latimer—— How did he die?"

"I don't understand what you mean! I don't understand what you mean, please speak clearly!" The queen's face was pale as paper under the moonlight.

"He died in good time, didn't he? You've always been a lucky man, and in this case you've gone from an old man's nurse to the richest widow in England in a flash." One." The Earl of Hertford shrugged his shoulders, watching the queen tremble before him with satisfaction. "Fate is so elusive, isn't it?"

The queen looked as if she had been turned into a stone statue by Medusa's head, and she stared blankly at the Earl of Hertford.Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't say a word.Countless scenes appeared in front of her eyes like a revolving lantern. She hoped that she could faint, but in the end it was the Earl of Hertford's half-smiling face that was frozen in front of her eyes.

"Now you should go back." The Earl of Hertford stretched out his hand and helped the queen up.The queen mechanically wrapped herself tightly with the cloak, and walked back along the way she came, like sleepwalking.

……

"You are in a hurry." Princess Mary sat in front of the dressing table, looking at her own face in the mirror.Her maid was getting her ready for bed.

"I am deeply remorseful." Bishop Gardner watched the flickering flames in the fireplace, illuminating his white hair and the wrinkles on his face.He looked as if he had aged ten years in the past two days.

"Let the queen rest in peace for a while." Princess Mary's maid handed her a glass of pomegranate juice, and she took a sip, "The king's family comes and goes quickly." She didn't seem to be talking about her father, Rather, someone unrelated.

"How do you feel about His Majesty's health?" Bishop Gardner asked in a low voice.

"The doctor said that if His Majesty can survive this winter, he can last another year." Princess Mary put down the cup in her hand, "One year is enough time for you to try again." She turned and looked at Bishop, "You were the one who came to me in the first place. In the final analysis, all this is your own business, so you can handle it yourself. There is no need to report anything to me."

"In the final analysis... this has something to do with you... I am also doing it for you..."

"Me?" Princess Mary sneered, "What does this have to do with me? I didn't seek the position of regent. No matter who is regent, I am the king's sister and have great influence on the new king. I and you Cooperation is only for the just cause of the Catholic Church, at the end of the day, you need me and I don't need you, do you?"

"I expect His Highness to support me as always." The bishop half knelt down and looked at the eldest princess in front of him with some pleading. "This time it's just bad luck. It won't happen again, I assure you."

"Then I'm afraid you have to further prove your worth." Princess Mary stood up, "Okay, please go back, I'm going to rest. I hope you don't bring me such bad news next time. After all Well, the country cannot be placed in the hands of a man of bad luck, who must have been rejected by God. Good night."

Bishop Gardner didn't stand up until Princess Mary disappeared from the door. He reached out and wiped his forehead, which was covered with cold sweat.

"This family doesn't have a fuel-efficient lamp," he whispered.