Tudor Rose

ix. the girl in the dream

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A deafening scream escaped my lips, and I jerked myself upright. Instinctively, my hands went straight towards my stomach. It was just a dream. It had to have been just a dream. I promised Henry a son, and I was not one to break promises.

A guard burst into the room, along with two of my ladies. I had no idea why they were up or how they arrived at my bedchamber so quickly, but I didn't care to ask. The guard sighed, happy that I wasn't hurt. The ladies rushed over to me.

"Do you feel alright, miss? Is it the baby?" asked one, placing a gentle hand on my sweaty forehead. 

I recognized the silhouettes once they were close enough- Mary and Sarah. Even in the darkest hours of night, their red hair was unmistakable.

"I'm alright, it was just a bad dream."

"Should we fetch His Majesty?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. Please do," I said.

Sarah walked off, and Mary stayed with me. We stayed awfully silent, and it made me think back to the girl. Was she really my daughter? Did I have other children? And what in the world did I do to Henry to hurt him that much?

Almost as if on cue, Henry burst into the room, practically running to me. His eyes met mine, the electric blue haunting me. I'd never look at his eyes the same way now. I couldn't think of anything to say at first, but I didn't have to, because Henry bombarded me with questions. There were so many that it made it impossible to understand. I dismissed everyone in the room, leaving us alone.

"Henry, I'm alright," I said, interrupting him.

"Are you sure?"

 "Yes," I said, placing my hand on top of his. "I need you to promise me something, though."

"Anything. What is it?"

"Even if, for any reason, I am gone, I need you to promise to think of our children and care for them. No matter how much it might pain you to do it. Even if it's a daughter and not a son."

His eyebrows furrowed, confused. Without the context of my dream, it must've seemed like a bizarre question. 

"But why-" he started, fishing for an explanation.

"Do you promise?"

He hesitated, and my heart broke.

"Yes, of course," he said, "Whatever happened in your dream, was just a dream. For the sake of the baby, sleep."

I nodded, but as he started for the door, I held my hand out. "Wait!" I blurted, "Will you stay with me? Just for tonight?"

He turned around to face me, smiling. "Of course."

I slept soundly for the remainder of the night, but the dream lingered in my mind.

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December 18, 1511

When I woke up, Henry was gone. It was like he was never there to begin with. My mind unconsciously wandered off to the dream. The girl's face was ingrained in my mind, but her name had slipped away. I faintly remembered the rest of it, but her face and her phrase lingered. I hurt her.

"Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from Lady Elizabeth."

I turned around, removed from my daze. Almost as soon as the wedding was over, my family retreated home, away from the chaos of court. What could Elizabeth possibly have needed? Delicately, I took the letter and opened it, reading through her words thoroughly to find any hidden messages there could've been.