monarch

Edward stood in front of the altar of the church a little speechless. Everything here was almost the same as it was six months ago. In just half a year, the king held two weddings. To hold a wedding on the day Cromwell was executed can only be described as crazy.

There were only a few dozen guests in the church, and the entire ceremony was kept secret from the public and would not be announced until two weeks later. It is said that the king has ordered a French jeweler to build a pearl-encrusted wedding bed for the official celebration after the announcement of the marriage. .And Miss Catherine received an expensive gift from the king every day, and even her maids had a copy. This lady was favored almost as much as Anne Boleyn in her heyday.

Miss Catherine arrived at the church in her pale blue wedding gown with the expensive rose brooch given to her by the King.When she entered the church, she looked around curiously, and she saw H&C (Henry and Catherine) embroidered with gold thread on the ribbon hanging from the ceiling. It was like a dream!Now that she is the queen, even her uncle and her grandmother have to curtsey to her. Thinking of this, she couldn't help raising her head.The queen is the queen, she is no longer the female officer following the nobleman, today she is the protagonist.

Ms. Mary looked coldly at the little queen who was a little smug. She had long since given up hope for the king, but married a little girl who was younger than her own daughter... She had already made up her mind to return to Hess as soon as possible. Go on, she absolutely couldn't bear to call a girl younger than herself stepmother, especially when she was the niece of the Duke of Norfolk.She turned her head to look at the arrogant look of the Duke of Norfolk, and remembered the scene when he drove his mother out of the court under the king's order. The silk was torn to pieces.

The Earl of Hertford took a few steps forward and came to the side of the Duke of Suffolk. "Your Excellency, today is a good day for the Duke of Norfolk." There was a mocking smile on his lips.

"A happy day for you too, my dear Lord Keeper." The Duke of Suffolk cast a sidelong glance at him. "I haven't had a chance to congratulate you before."

"Thank you, Your Excellency the Speaker." The Earl said humbly, "I should also congratulate you. Not only have you been promoted, but you have also got rid of your enemies once and for all." All good news.

The Duke shrugged his shoulders indifferently, "Thank you for your kindness, although I don't think this is worthy of my celebration, it's just killing a bedbug." He looked at the door of the church, and there was no sign of the king coming. "It's a pity that His Majesty wants the wedding to be today, otherwise I would really like to visit the Tower of London."

"I am the same," said the earl. "Unfortunately, His Majesty allowed Cromwell to be beheaded in an aristocratic manner. It is really cheap for him. Such a lowly guy should be hanged on the gallows."

The Duke of Suffolk smiled, "Do you think I will let him die so easily, Your Excellency?" He stretched out his left hand and flicked a bit of dust on his right sleeve, "Before he was insulted like that in the Privy Council Hall After me?" He turned around, his snake-like eyes fixed on the earl, although it was already summer, the earl of Hertford was still chilled by the gaze.

……

Mr. Cromwell was taken out of his cell. Others might have expected a last-minute pardon from the king, but the former minister, who knew his master well, knew it was over.During this period of time in the Tower of London, he wrote several letters to the king, the tone of which was low and the pleading was touching, which is probably rare in history, and all these petition letters fell into the sea like mud cows, and there was no more news. There is no doubt that the king has completely detested him.

A wooden guillotine has been set up on the hill under the green tower, and the surrounding area is full of spectators.A high-born dame like Lady Salisbury could enjoy an execution without the spectators of the common people, but Cromwell, the son of an innkeeper, although he had been knighted by the king, could not.The edge of the guillotine seemed to be crowded with people like a weekend market in the countryside. Many people brought their families to watch the fun, and there were even hawkers who sold things among them, as if they were watching the performance of a traveling theater troupe rather than a A real death penalty execution.

Such was the scene Mr. Cromwell saw when he came out of the Tower Green, where countless people had gathered, waiting to see his head slashed off with an ax and dropped into a wicker basket.Mr. Cromwell doesn't like hunting. In fact, he doesn't like all occasions where blood may be seen. He really can't understand the motives of these people to watch his execution, but this does not prevent him from feeling a great humiliation.

Noisy shouts erupted from the crowd, some roared at Cromwell, some seemed to be laughing, a middle-aged man yelled something, and everyone around him laughed.Mr. Cromwell, however, could hear nothing, for the multitude of voices gathered together, and all that reached his ears was a great humming, like a beehive falling at his feet.

Mr. Cromwell stepped up the steps of the guillotine step by step. When he finally reached the platform, he straightened himself and shouted to the crowd below: "I, by the order of your majesty, die here." .I have always been loyal to His Majesty. Maybe some of my actions have caused His Majesty's dissatisfaction. I hereby ask for forgiveness from Your Majesty and God. I wish Your Majesty's kingdom long peace and stability..." The noise of the crowd suppressed his voice, and countless Angry people shook their fists at him in the audience. Mr. Cromwell originally planned to say "please pray for me too". Seeing the scene below, he decided that he didn't need to bring shame on himself.He turned around and said to the captain of the guard next to him, "What do I need to do, sir?"

"Please wait a moment, the executioner hasn't come yet." The captain's face also showed a little anxious look. He waved his hand, and a soldier next to him ran over. The captain whispered something in his ear, and the soldier immediately left.He turned back to Cromwell again: "I'm sure it won't be long."

……

At last the king appeared in the church, and he looked very well.In fact the King seems to be 20 years younger these days, a young man in love.On the eve of his wedding, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep, which only happened when he married the first Queen Catherine.As soon as he entered the church, the king stared straight at Miss Catherine, and Miss Catherine's face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head shyly.

Bishop Beaune, who presided over the wedding, walked up to the altar holding the Bible and the cross. He bowed deeply to the king and his fiancée: "Your Majesty, Miss Catherine, please stand in front of the altar." The wedding ceremony began.

On the side of the church, the Earl of Hertford was aroused by the Duke of Suffolk's words: "Do you have any arrangements?" He was curious about what the Duke would do to Mr. Cromwell.

"Ah, I was just inspired by Mrs. Salisbury." The Duke said suicidally, "Beheading is not necessarily a pleasure for people sometimes." His voice became smaller and smaller, and finally he could hardly hear it at all. Clear.

……

The executioner finally arrives, and something doesn't look quite right for him.His footsteps were flimsy, and when he climbed onto the guillotine, he almost stumbled and rolled down the steps, which caused a burst of laughter from the crowd below.Mr. Cromwell felt a sense of foreboding, something seemed wrong.When the executioner at last ascended the eight short steps, Mr. Cromwell noticed that his eyes were red and empty, and that he smelt strongly of wine.

The captain of the guard glanced at Mr. Cromwell uneasily, and he took a few steps forward to meet the drunken executioner: "What did you do?"

The executioner's head was still a mass of paste.Last night he went to the pub he used to go to drink a glass of ale as usual, but today he met several wool traders from Wales, one of whom was an old acquaintance when he was serving in the army.The old acquaintance had apparently made a fortune, and he offered the executioner a taste of expensive Bordeaux wine.The executioner was a greedy person, so it was natural that he was not grateful. The two sides drank nearly ten bottles of Bordeaux wine in a row, and the executioner completely lost consciousness in the end.

When he woke up, he found that the sun was shining directly on his face, and he couldn't help closing his eyes and moaning.When he finally adjusted to the light and opened his eyes, he found a guard from the Tower of London standing in front of him and shaking him vigorously.

"What's wrong? What happened?" The executioner completely lost the ability to think.

"Have you lost your mind? Cromwell is to be executed today! You should have been at the Tower an hour ago."

The executioner finally remembered that he had work to do today. "Then... let's go, don't make Mr. Cromwell... wait in a hurry." He was about to stand up, but his body softened and he was about to fall to the ground, and the guards beside him hurriedly supported him.The executioner stood firm, and immediately pushed the guard away: "I'm... fine, you... don't... help me." As he said that, he was about to walk out the door, and the soldier followed him closely, afraid What's wrong with him.

When the executioner walked out of the tavern, on the second floor of a shop opposite, his old acquaintance was watching him motionlessly through the gap in the window.

……

"If anyone disagrees with this marriage, please speak out immediately, otherwise, please never mention it again." The bishop said, there was a silence, Edward glanced at Ms. Mary sideways, and found that she was trying her best to restrain herself. The urge to speak for yourself.

"Then I declare you man and wife."

There was a burst of applause, and the king picked up his little wife and kissed her. Ms. Mary turned her head in disgust, not wanting to look at the two of them again.

"The Duke of Norfolk is really proud now." The Earl of Hertford said coldly, he looked at the Duke of Norfolk, and the malice in his eyes could hardly be concealed.It was originally his thing, his sister's queen seat, but now it fell into the hands of his political opponents, and the count had every reason to feel jealous.

The Duke of Suffolk glanced at his old opponent opposite. The opponent still looked humble, but he couldn't hide the smug look on his face.He nodded noncommittally and ignored Earl of Hertford.

……

Mr. Cromwell looked uneasily at the executioner, who was clearly out of his mind, as he knelt and said his last prayers. "May God have mercy on me." He raised his head and glanced at the executioner, whose eyes were still blank.Mr. Cromwell sighed in despair, laid his head on the log, and closed his eyes.

The hangman raised his axe, and as he approached Mr. Cromwell he almost fell again, and the laughter grew louder.The captain of the guard looked at the executioner with dissatisfaction, this idiot, if he lost his chain on an occasion like today, if something goes wrong, everyone will have to go around. Now I only hope that this idiot can still swing his ax well.

The executioner finally stood on his seat. He collected himself and tried to control his body, but it seemed to be in vain. His body was still not under his own control.He raised the ax high and swung it down, only to hear Mr. Cromwell scream, the ax fell on his back, and his flesh was bloody.

There was a gasp of horror from the audience below, and some women even fainted, and there were bursts of exclamations of dissatisfaction.

The executioner was also a little panicked. He raised the ax again and slammed it down with another scream.He collected himself, and the surrounding scenery and people seemed to be much clearer.He swung the ax again, and this time Mr. Cromwell gave only a muffled wail, and he was already breathing more air than he was exhaling.The captain of the guard on the side watched all this worriedly, he had already expected the end of his dismissal from office.

The executioner once again raised the ax in his hand, but he finally couldn't control it, and fell to the ground when his feet were soft, and the ax fell from his hand.The soldiers next to him quickly went up and tried to help him up, but as soon as he stood up, he suddenly bent down and began to vomit. Immediately, there was a stench on the guillotine, and even the nearby audience frowned in disgust. Backing away, there were bursts of dissatisfied voices from the crowd.

The captain of the guard, who was already in despair, finally stepped forward. He picked up the ax that fell on the ground, walked up to Mr. Cromwell, and drew a cross in the air with his hand, "God bless me." He murmured.Then he raised the ax and swung it, and the dying Mr. Cromwell saw nothing but a white light.

Then there was silence.