The Second Chance of Anne

Prologue

England, 19th of May 1536

Queen Anne Boleyn is walking to the place where her execution will take place. A lot of things keep playing in her head as she walked by.  It gets colder as she's nearing on the platform.

'Why did my husband betray me?'

'What if I give him the son he strongly desire?'

'Did Henry truly love me?'

'What will happen to my Elizabeth?'

Her daughter, Elizabeth, was branded bastard because of her. She only wants the very best for her daughter and it shatters her that she won't be able to see her grow beautifully, get married to a fine gentlemen and to be with her in all her daughter's firsts.

Anne knows in her heart that her daughter may distance herself and get angry with her father because of what he will do to her. She prayed to God to give Elizabeth a courage to withstand all the hardships she will face in the future without her guidance and to forgive her mother for being hopeless and her father for beheading her mother.

'Maybe this is the price for wanting someone who's not yours to begin with.' She thought.

It hurts that Henry did not even see her since she was arrested, never bother to hear her side. Hell! She didn't even know why she was arrested and prisoned. But she still hoped that maybe in last minute of her life, she will be able to see Henry for the last time, the man she loves with all her heart. Her heart was shattered with the news of King Henry VIII seeing Lady Jane Seymour.

Her biggest fear is to be forgotten by Elizabeth and Henry. Her daughter will forget her and will never know how much she loves her. And Henry will forget her and extract all the traces of her in his life and in the palace.

Anne stood in the platform of her execution place with no fear. She looked at the people of England with confidence, letting them know that she is innocent of all the accusations. 

"Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, according to law, for by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I come here only to die, and thus to yield myself humbly to the will of the King, my lord. And if in my life, I did ever offend the King’s Grace, surely with my death I do now atone." Anne paused.

"I come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of what whereof I am accused, as I know full well that aught I say in my defense doth not appertain to you. I pray and beseech you all, good friends, to pray for the life of the King, my sovereign lord and yours, who is one of the best princes on the face of the earth, who has always treated me so well that better could not be, wherefore I submit to death with good will, humbly asking pardon of all the world. If any person will meddle with my cause, I require them to judge the best." Anne took a deep breathe as this will be her last breath on earth.

She continued, "And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul." Queen Anne said with conviction.

After that, Anne was blindfolded and she knelt in the block, she repeated several times:

''To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesus receive my soul."

The moment her head was cut off with the sword. The longing in her heart keeps flowing and thinking, maybe if she is given a chance to live again.  Would she still chose to be with Henry? or maybe she'll married a simple man that will make her happy away from the palace, from greed, and betrayal.

"Mother, come faster! Father is preparing a small feast for us because it is the day of your birth!" the 3 year old Elizabeth exclaimed to her mother as she run towards the small bungalow house with a beautiful garden with variety of flowers surrounding it. Roses, daises, tulips and daffodils.

She smiled looking at the excited and happy face of her daughter.

She went inside the house and see Henry preparing their meal and his back is facing her. She can't help but to weep as she saw her handsome husband appearance far away from the extravagant Henry she remembered.

'I prefer this.'

She wanted to run and hug Henry but she's so afraid to move even a little, thinking it disappear in thin air if she touched Henry.

Henry sensed her wife and saw her tears. He immediately went to her, cupped her face with his two warm hands.

"What's wrong love? Have I done something wrong?" Henry asked, staring at her intently with worries in his brows.

She couldn't speak and her tears continue to flow. She couldn't believe that she's in Henry's arms once again.

"Stop crying, love. '' Henry wiped her tears while kissing her both cheeks, then kissed her lips slowly and embraced her tightly. ''C'mon, love. I think Elizabeth and Edward are already hungry. I'll call them.''

'Who's Edward?' She asked in the air because Henry went to the room where probably Elizabeth and Edward is.

After a minute, Henry went to their small dining room with two kids. The 1 year old boy jumped from Henry arms the moment he saw her.

"Mother! Mother! I miss you! Please don't ever leave us again!'' little Edward said while tugging her mother's dress and hug her thighs, afraid that his mother will leave again.

Anne couldn't help but to weep while embracing her son, a son that will never be born.

This scene keeps playing in Anne's head until her last breathe.

Maybe. Just maybe.