monarch

The day after the violent quarrel that broke out at Hatfield House, Sir Thomas ordered his servants to harness the carriage and drove back to his London mansion with a large amount of cash to spend in brothels and casinos Among them, it goes without saying that the money came from his wife's dowry.

The first queen has been bedridden since that night, feeling exhausted, and the doctors are of the opinion that she is lucky to keep the baby in her womb.There are still two months left before the queen's due date. During this time, she must rest in peace and never have any violent mood swings.

So for a month after that, the Queen had been lying in bed, and she had a high fever since the second day in bed. However, contrary to the usual drowsiness of patients with fever, the Queen's nerves were always in an extreme state. The state of hyperactivity, which worried doctors, was considered by many to be a precursor to delirium.

Half of the 24 hours a day, the queen was in this delirium, muttering incomprehensible words, as if describing some kind of hallucination she saw before her eyes - those who were still alive. The shadows of the dead and the dead dangled before her eyes, and when she tried to stop them, these shadows turned into a hazy mist.

Christmas passed, New Years passed, and the absence of a queen at court led to much gossip.Sir Thomas attended the festivities with his stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth, and many criticized their closeness.According to the majority of the court, if Sir Thomas did not stop in time, a scandal would be inevitable.

The queen and queen who were bedridden in Hatfield Palace also learned of these rumors, but she is in this state at the moment, and it is difficult for her to react as she did when she was still healthy.

Entering January, the doctors were delighted that although Queen Xian was still in this state, her condition had obviously improved. She was awake for longer and longer every day, and her symptoms became milder and milder.So the doctors no longer need to stand by the queen's hospital bed all night, but a young maid, who is responsible for meeting the needs of the queen, and rings the bell to call for the doctor when necessary.

One evening at the end of January, Queen Xian took the last dose of medicine for the day, and then fell asleep. She slept very peacefully, and the hallucinations that had been haunting her for a long time did not enter her dreamland again.

When the first queen woke up, the room was pitch black, except for a small red candle lit on the fireplace, swaying faintly under the cover of the curtain, casting a gloomy and bleak gleam, like a distant lighthouse in the thick fog .

The clock struck twelve, and it was already midnight.

The first queen looked around the room with difficulty, but she didn't find the figure of the night watch maid. The little girl had left an hour ago.

Queen Xian felt that the mucous membranes in her mouth had stuck together, she reached for the bell rope by the bedside, trying to ask the servant to bring her something to drink.

At this time, she noticed that beside the bell rope, there happened to be a crystal bottle, which contained an unidentifiable liquid.The moonlight shone in through the window, casting a little silver light on the liquid in the bottle.

The first queen was like a thirsty traveler who saw a clear spring in the desert, grabbed the cup next to the glass bottle, poured himself a cup, and drank it down.

She tasted that the liquid in the bottle was orange juice, but it seemed to be a little bitterer than usual, but whatever the queen came in to drink, she felt bitter in her mouth, so she didn't care.She put the cup on the cabinet casually, waiting for the servant to come to collect it the next day.

After a while, the queen and queen felt the familiar feeling of dizziness returned, but the feeling was not as serious as before. In fact, every time these days, the dizziness was much easier than the previous one, just like after a tsunami The aftermath, while scary at times, can be seen by everyone that the worst is behind us.

She quickly fell asleep again, and when she awoke it was broad daylight, and she felt extraordinarily clear, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

Four days later, the queen's doctor finally announced that she did not need to stay in bed—she had basically recovered, and as the due date approached, the queen should also move around more, get some fresh air, and prepare for the upcoming delivery .

When the queen's sister, Mrs. Herbert, got the news that the late queen had basically recovered, the lady was in the conservatory, pruning a blooming white rose.Although it is still cold winter outside, in this greenhouse, the flowers have already bloomed according to the order of the palace master.

As soon as the servant who came to announce the good news finished speaking, Mrs. Herbert happily dropped the scissors in her hand.She lifted her skirt and ran out of the greenhouse, as if she was 20 years younger.

When Mrs. Herbert ran into the queen's bedroom panting, Dr. Robert Hoyt, the queen's doctor, was packing the medicine box and preparing to leave.

Mrs. Herbert panted, and curtseyed to the first queen, "Oh, my dear sister, is what they say true? You have recovered, am I right?"

The first queen stretched out a hand to her sister, and Mrs. Herbert immediately took it, as if holding a precious gem. "It's not completely recovered, but it's basically recovered. Am I right, doctor?" The first queen looked at her doctor with a smile.

The doctor, who briefly appeared in our story and played a brief but crucial role, bowed respectfully, "You are right, Your Majesty."

"Oh, thank you very much, doctor." The excitement in Mrs. Herbert's tone was obvious, "You saved us again, first of all, the conspiracy, if you hadn't informed us in time, Bishop Gardiner might have gotten what he wanted .”

There was an embarrassed smile on the doctor's face, the mustache on his face trembled slightly, and the expression on the face of the first queen also became a little stiff.

Mrs. Herbert didn't realize it, and still said to herself, "And this time, thanks to your superb medical skills, my sister was saved from danger. That shameless person is really insane. I really can't believe he would do it." When something like this happens..."

The queen interrupted Mrs. Herbert at the right time, "Okay, let's stop talking about those unpleasant things. Today is such a good day, we should have a drink to celebrate." She looked at the doctor, "Of course it's because the doctor didn't say against the premise."

"Ah, you're so right!" Mrs. Herbert smiled and clapped her hands, but suddenly she seemed to think of something, and turned to the doctor again, "Doctor, may Madam drink alcohol now?"

"It's okay to have a drink. In fact, drinking a little wine in moderation can help Madam's blood circulation. I completely agree." Dr. Hoyt nodded with a smile.

"Ah, that would be very nice." Mrs. Herbert rang the bell, and a servant entered the room in response. "Go and fetch the bottle of Malmsey, which the Doge of Venice sent as a present, and take Three cups."

"Thank you for your kindness, ma'am." The doctor hastily declined, "but I really can't drink Malmsey."

"Are you sure? This is 25 years old." Mrs. Herbert said with a smile.

"Ten years ago I would have accepted your invitation with ecstasy." The doctor sighed, "but I have given up drinking now."

"Quiet drinking? That's a strange thing."

"As a doctor, drinking can always go wrong."

"Then what do you usually drink?"

"Water and lemonade, ma'am, and sometimes a little fruit juice."

"Oh, my God," exclaimed Mrs. Herbert, "you are no different from those ascetic monks in the monastery. You have lost a lot of fun by doing this, my dear doctor."

The doctor had already packed the medicine box, and he bowed, "I am already an old man, and it is always easier for old people to overcome these physical temptations. I wish you both good health."

As he spoke, he turned and walked out the door, just in time for a servant to bring wine.

The servant who took the wine put the tray on the table, and there was a bottle of wine just opened and three crystal glasses on the tray.

Mrs. Herbert waved the servants away, and excitedly took up the bottle, and poured some wine into two of the glasses.

She took the smaller cup and handed it to the first queen, and she picked up the larger cup herself.

"I wish you good health, my dear sister." She raised her neck and drank the wine in the glass.

The first queen also raised her glass and drank the wine in the glass.

"This wine tastes a bit bitter." Queen Xian frowned, "But now everything I drink tastes the same."

"You think so too?" said Mrs. Herbert, laughing in a brisk tone. She looked like a happy squirrel on a branch, and she had crossed the line between merriment and frivolity in the eyes of outsiders. I also feel that the aftertaste is a bit bitter, and they still call this thing rum!"

The first queen was a little surprised by her sister's performance. She looked up at Mrs. Herbert's face becoming more and more red, and the blood was using that pale cheek.

"What's the matter with you?" Queen Xian asked suspiciously.

Mrs. Herbert covered her eyes with her hands, "Oh, my God, I feel dazzled... The sun is really dazzling."

"But there's no sun in the house?" Queen Xian pointed to the window, the weather outside was gloomy, and she looked unusually dull.

"Oh, this is really strange." Mrs. Herbert waved her hand and said indifferently.She reached for an armchair and sat down on it.

The first queen put her hand on Mrs. Herbert's arm, "What's wrong with you? Are you sick?" She raised the hand on Mrs. Herbert's arm and placed it on her forehead superior.

Mrs. Herbert's brow was hot, and beads of sweat were visibly breaking out of the pores of her skin.

"What's going on here?" Queen Xian cried out in surprise. She put both hands on the handle of the armchair and struggled to stand up to ring the bell.

Mrs. Herbert quickly jumped up like a spring to support the first queen, "What are you doing standing up?" She said reproachfully, "Please sit down, please sit down." Panting, as if the messenger who ran back from the marathon had just arrived in Athens.

"But you have a fever...you should ask a doctor to take a look." The first queen was a little anxious.

"It's not necessary, ma'am. It's just that the temperature in the room is too hot. The fireplace is burning too hot. I have to go and tell the housekeeper." She clenched her hands tightly, a little anxiously He waved his fist a few times.

"And your breathing, what's that about? You're out of breath."

"I was too excited just now, to be honest, that's all, ma'am." Mrs. Herbert burst into a burst of manic laughter as she spoke, the queen stared at her in horror, her laughter gradually became hysterical , "Look, I'm so happy I've lost control of myself! This is so stupid."

The veins on Mrs. Herbert's neck stood out, and the blush on her face faded as quickly as the sunset after the sun had set.The muscles in her face convulsed first, then spread all over her body, and she began to tremble like those who suffer from malaria.

"Oh, what's wrong with me?" The stiff smile on Mrs. Herbert's face was gradually replaced by panic, "My head is so dizzy, God, I can't see anything..." She twitched nervously, as if An oak tree swaying from side to side in a storm.

She reached out, trying to grab something to keep herself from falling.

Queen Xian quickly reached out to support her.

Mrs. Herbert's face has been deformed, like a wax mask melting under the high temperature.Her eyeballs protruded from their sockets, as if someone had strangled her neck.

"God, I can't breathe!" Her hands frantically waved in the air, like those drowning people struggling desperately in the water.

Mrs. Herbert's stiff body was like a stone, and she fell straight to the ground. The first queen and the queen were also thrown to the ground by her.

"Help, help!" Mrs. Herbert yelled in fear. The hoarse voice came out of her throat with difficulty. Her neck was becoming swollen, as if a sponge full of water was constantly expanding.

Like a fish washed ashore by the tide, Mrs. Herbert lay struggling on the floor, her fingernails caught on the floor, the long nails broke off, and the rest of the nails scratched the floor in bloody lines. scratches.She moaned, her pale face gradually turning sallow, looking as if she had been drained of blood.

Queen Xian looked at this terrible scene in horror, she felt her hair stand on end, and she was completely stunned by fear.

After a while, Queen Xian finally came to her senses. She supported the floor with both hands, stood up with difficulty, walked to the head of the bed, and desperately pulled the bell rope, almost breaking the rope.

After relentlessly pulling the bell a dozen times, she staggered to the door of the room and pushed open the heavy carved wooden door.

"Doctor, doctor, come on!" she yelled hysterically into the empty hallway.