monarch

On the evening of December 24th, Christmas Eve.

Every room in Greenwich Palace was brightly lit, the halls and aisles were crowded with people, their voices mixed together, like thousands of bees in a hive flapping their wings at the same time.The important ministers who ruled the kingdom talked in low voices, the young nobles showed their courtesies to the ladies, the diplomatic envoys huddled together according to their respective countries’ positions, and the adventurers and official fans were like fish in the open sea. Navigate through the suffocating crowd.

As soon as Edward entered the main hall, he was surrounded by stuffy air.All the fireplaces were burning red, making the crown prince in a complicated dress feel extremely stuffy.The air was mixed with the smell of sweat and women's powder, which made him almost suffocate.

Following the roll call by the ceremonial officer, the bees immediately quieted down by coincidence, and all eyes were on Edward. The eyes of flattery, expectation or ambition mixed into a sea of ​​desire.Although he had seen such situations many times, every time he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Edward walked to the seats of the royal family members, exchanged salutes with the queen and the two eldest princesses who had arrived, and then sat on the chair next to the king's throne.

The wings of the swarm began to vibrate again.Those who were eager to sell to the future king rushed towards the prince, but those dignitaries were one step faster than them.

"I wish you a Merry Christmas, Your Highness." The Earl of Hertford, as the first important minister, no one dared to rush in front of him.With the demeanor of a future regent, he ignored the chattering crowd, walked up to the crown prince, and bowed deeply.

"I also wish you all the best, Your Excellency." The prince nodded with a smile.

The Earl of Hertford bowed gracefully again, stretched his neck gracefully like a white swan, and swam away.

Bishop Gardner followed closely, "I wish Your Highness a Merry Christmas." His voice was a little hoarse, and the blue-black bags under his eyes were more obvious than a few days ago.

"Thank you, bishop." The crown prince replied politely, and the queen on the side raised her head high, as if she didn't bother to glance at her enemy.

John Dudley, Earl of Essex, and his son Robert came forward to greet the crown prince. As the king's health continued to deteriorate, so did the Dudley family, which was deeply favored by the prince. "My family and I wish you a Merry Christmas." The Earl of Essex bowed.

"Thank you, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas." When the prince said "your family", he smiled and glanced at Robert Dudley beside the earl, and got the same smile from the black-haired boy .

The stylized greeting lasted for about a quarter of an hour, and it was already nine o'clock in the evening. This was the time for the king to appear on the stage. Those who hadn't waited for the opportunity to greet the prince could only disperse in disappointment, preparing to welcome the king's arrival.

In a small adjoining drawing room, the new French ambassador, the Baron de Savieux, was sitting on a sofa, tapping impatiently on the arm of the sofa.Now that Britain and France have signed a contract, the hatred between the two sides has deepened. As the new ambassador, he does not expect any grand welcome at the upcoming ceremony.

"When will Your Majesty come?" He turned his head and asked the attendant standing at the door.

"His Majesty will arrive at any moment, my lord."

The ambassador was noncommittal.He leaned back on the back of the sofa and picked up the credential beside him.The ambassador was a little apprehensive at the thought that he would present this document to King Henry VIII in person at a later date.King Henry's hatred for France was no longer just a matter between countries. After King Francois tried to assassinate Henry, it all became a personal grudge between them.Who knows what this vengeful old fat man will do in the future?

As time passed, the crowd waiting in the hall became more restless, and 15 minutes passed quickly, but His Majesty never arrived.Being slightly late can show the majesty of the emperor, but it seems a bit strange to be late for so long.

Prince Edward glanced at the empty throne, and he turned his gaze to Robert Dudley, who was not far away, and found that the other party also seemed a little worried; he looked at the queen on the other side, and she didn't seem to know why.

"Ma'am, do you know where your Majesty has gone?"

The queen bit her lips, "I don't know either." She whispered, "When I left His Majesty's bedroom, everything seemed normal."

The prince nodded and sat quietly in his seat again.

Five minutes later, just as Edward was about to send someone to the king's bedroom to check, the king's personal servant appeared in the hall. He looked pale, and the crowd looked at him in amazement, as if watching a disaster rising from the distant horizon. star.

The servant walked up to the prince and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty has fainted. Dr. Paganini asks you to preside over the ceremony."

The prince's eyes widened.He took a deep breath and calmed himself down, "Understood, you go back." He turned to the palace steward next to him, and said in as calm a tone as possible, "Your Majesty is not coming, please come in the French ambassador."

The attendants in their ornate gold-embroidered uniforms began to blow the horns, and Edward stood up and walked to the throne to stand.

The door opened, and the French ambassador entered the hall with the sound of horns.He is a middle-aged man of about 40 years old, and he looks ordinary.When the door opened, he opened his mouth in surprise, evidently shocked by the fact that it was the Crown Prince who stood before the throne to greet him instead of a paralyzed King Henry.

"His Excellency Baron de Servier, French Ambassador!" The master of ceremonies called loudly.

The ambassador straightened up and walked in front of the crown prince, bowing deeply.

"Welcome, Your Excellency the Ambassador." Edward nodded to him with a smile, "I welcome you on behalf of my father. Unfortunately, His Majesty is ill today, so I can only accept your credentials. Your Majesty asked me to replace you. He sends you his deepest apologies."

"I am honored to present to you the credentials of His Majesty King François I." The ambassador bowed again, held the credentials in both hands, and handed them to the crown prince.

Edward reached out and took the document. "Your work is done, Your Excellency. Merry Christmas to you, and enjoy the festivities."

The ambassador saluted again respectfully.The ceremony was finally over, and both parties involved in the ceremony felt a sense of relief.

"Now let's start the dance." The prince looked at the Earl of Hertford, "Count, please invite the Queen to the first dance tonight."

The Earl of Hertford nodded in acceptance, walked up to the queen, bowed to her, and held out his hand.

The smile on the queen's face seemed a bit forced. She seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, but finally held the earl of Hertford's hand.The count took her hand and walked towards the center of the dance floor.

……

Edward remained in the hall for another hour.When his leaving would not be considered rude, he stood up, gave Robert Dudley a "follow me" wink, and then left the hall through a small door not far from the throne, A moment later, Robert Dudley also disappeared behind the inconspicuous little door.

The prince stood waiting in the deserted corridor outside the door. As soon as Robert appeared, he walked up to the other party, "The king is fainted." He whispered.

"Is it serious?" Robert asked.

"I think so." The prince bit his lip - which usually means that he is in a state of nervousness and anxiety, "something must have happened, otherwise he wouldn't be absent from an occasion like today."

"I think you should go to see His Majesty," Robert said.

The prince nodded, and the two walked along this small corridor, bypassing the crowd, and arrived at the entrance of the king's bedroom, where there was already a sea of ​​people.

The crown prince waved his hand angrily, and summoned the captain of the guard, "Please take all these people away, and don't disturb your Majesty's peace." He sounded a little angry.

The captain of the guard quickly ordered the guards to disperse the chattering magpies, and after a while, the door of His Majesty's bedroom became quiet.

The prince nodded coldly and walked into the door of the bedroom.

On the other side of the gate, His Majesty's bedroom was already in chaos.The doctors ran around the room in a panic, everyone seemed to be busy with something, but they were doing nothing.Edward ignored the chaos and walked all the way into the king's bedroom.

King Henry VIII lay livid on his bed, experiencing his third convulsion of the night.The king's small eyes, squeezed into a ball of fat, were twice their usual size, and they were bloodshot, and there was a ho, ho, panting sound from his throat, like an old bellows in a blacksmith's shop.The king's mouth was foaming, and his hands and neck were stiff.

Edward was taken aback by this terrifying sight. He looked at Dr. Paganini who was bleeding the king, "What's wrong with the king?"

"Your Majesty just had another stroke," Dr. Paganini replied.

The prince shivered. He turned his head and found that all the windows of the house were open, apparently to give His Majesty enough fresh air. The cold wind with snowflakes blew into the room, and even the flame in the fireplace seemed not so strong. .

There was another flurry of footsteps outside the door, and the queen rushed into the room holding her skirt, followed by the two princesses.

"My God! What's the matter?" Catherine Parr was pale, but her face was beaded with sweat, and she was wiping it with a silk handkerchief.She went to the king's bedside, knelt down, and took the king's already stiff hand.

"The doctor said that His Majesty had a stroke."

"Oh, my God!" The Queen looked trembling all over.The circles of her eyes were red, and big tears rolled down from those beautiful eyes that still had charm.

Princess Mary cast a disgusted glance at the queen, and she turned to Edward, "My dear brother, I think we should wait outside in the living room, leaving the doctors a quiet space." The queen of tears was satisfied to find that the other party stopped crying suddenly like a quail whose neck was strangled.

"I think you're right." Edward nodded.

"Help Your Majesty the Queen." Princess Mary reached out and grabbed a servant who was running around like a headless chicken, and ordered coldly.

Reluctantly, the queen stood up and walked towards the gate.

……

Dr. Paganini's rescue of the king lasted several hours.In the small drawing room outside the king's bedroom, are the members of the royal family anxiously waiting.In the hall outside, the gradually dispersed crowd also pricked up their ears, trying to hear what was going on in this bedroom.

When the door reopened and Dr. Paganini's tired face reappeared from behind the door, it was already midnight.The Doctor looked frowning as he walked up to the royals. "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, His Majesty's convulsions have stopped, but His Majesty is still unconscious."

"When will His Majesty wake up?" Edward asked.

"Maybe a week, maybe a month..." Dr. Paganini said with some uncertainty, "It depends on His Majesty's recovery."

"But you are sure His Majesty will wake up, right?" The queen grabbed the doctor's arm.

"Yes, however..."

"Oh, my God! You did!"

"Your Majesty will definitely wake up, but this may be the last time Your Majesty will wake up." Dr. Paganini faltered.

The faces of everyone in the room changed suddenly. "Are you sure? Doctor." Edward felt dizzy. He just grabbed the armrest of the sofa, hoping that the pain from his fingertips would make him more conscious.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it is." The doctor bowed his head.

The queen gave a soft cry, and fell unconscious on the ground with a dull sound.Like a porter on the pier throwing a bag full of grain into the cabin.

Edward closed his eyes slightly, he still felt a little dizzy.He had expected this moment to come, and now this moment has finally arrived.He took a deep breath and rang the bell to summon the servants.

"Please summon the ministers of the Privy Council, and let the king's lawyer come here to wait for His Majesty's call at any time." Edward ordered in a calm voice that surprised even himself.He turned to Dr. Paganini again, "I trouble you as an expert to inform the Privy Council of the king's condition."

"Follow your orders." Dr. Paganini bowed and left.

"My dear sisters, please go back and rest. I think everyone is very tired tonight."

Princess Mary didn't say anything, just sighed slightly, while Princess Elizabeth stepped forward and held her brother's hand, "God bless you, Your Highness." She said softly.

The two princesses leave the room with the unconscious queen.Edward sat limp in his armchair, feeling more than ever that he needed a hug from Robert Dudley.He sighed softly, stood up, and walked out the door.

The crowd in the corridor outside had dispersed. The prince unconsciously walked forward along the corridor, and suddenly bumped into a warm embrace. He raised his head, and the face of the familiar black-haired boy appeared in front of his eyes.

"Why are you still here?" The prince's voice was choked with sobs.

"I don't worry about you being alone." Robert wrapped the two of them together in a cloak, and helped the exhausted Edward to the crown prince's bedroom.He felt the head buried in his chest sobbing, and the tears wet the clothes on his chest.The strength in his hands increased slightly, and he hugged the boy in his arms even tighter.