26 June 2008

Catherine

Historical Series part 2 | Part 1

Catherine cried.

"I can't believe he's gone, not like that.

He's dead. . . my brother. . . he's dead.

He was doing so well, I mean, it was just months ago that he was conferred as Earl. An Earl!!! Do you know what this could have meant for this family had he not crossed...?"

Her husband Morgan comforted her. "Don't you worry, we'll be fine."

"But the way it all happened, it all happened so fast! It was only eight years ago that we were common folk. Everything was just as it was, we are simple folk. Sure your father enjoyed his closeness with the royals, he married the cousin of the king. We are but simple brewers, pulling pints in our pub. We live a quiet staid life, we could not imagine all this excitement in our lives all over again", Catherine said as she sobbed over her words.

Morgan pulled her in close to reassure her. "We are fine, he finds much favour in our son, we have nothing to be disappointed about." Mistakenly Morgan utters these words in misunderstanding, thinking only of themselves.

"But he's my brother! His head was fucking cut off, can't you see that? He did not deserve such hell!"

Morgan retreated a bit. "All I'm saying is when you're close that to anyone in a position of power - and Henry, if I can be frank here, is the most powerful man I've ever seen in action in my lifetime - you better not get on their bad side and unfortunately that's what he did."

"I don't know", said Catherine sullenly as she settled down. "I suppose he did. But still, 8 years of service to the king and it ends like this? He was a simple clerk, an office boy for Wolsey, and then It began. He just had to have Anne, didn't he?"

"Men have needs, and an insatiable appetite such as a king's cannot be quenched. You know this of men, I need not remind you of this. You know the story, the old bat Aragon was not doing it for him. She was his brother's wife and much older, as you recall. God bless her soul," Morgan reflected.

"But that whore, Anne" -

Morgan interrupted - "Anne helped get us to where we are today, like it or not. His influence has helped this whole family. Our Richard was granted the old nunnery up in Huntingdon two years ago and our nephew Gregory was allowed to marry the one true queen's sister Elizabeth Seymour, things are still looking up," Morgan waxed nostalgic.

"Yes, I suppose," Catherine replied. "But how horrible, put in the tower for treason and heresy. If only had he not pushed for His Majesty to remarry so soon, and to that ugly German, what did He call her, the Flanders Mare? Then to have his head cutoff, boiled and impaled on a spear and placed on London Bridge facing Southwark? That damned Norfolk, he's to blame for this. May he get what's coming to him and his niece Catherine Howard, whom His Majesty just married," she said angrily.

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Thomas Cromwell was executed on July 28, 1540.

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**Poetic liberties were taken in this post, it is unknown the dates of death of Morgan Williams and Catherine Cromwell Williams. They would have been in their late 60s-early 70s if this were to be true. -SJD

8 comments:

Ishat's Fire and Ice said...

Cool.

Having seen the Tutors. The characters did resemble the cast. Poetic licence has to be taken to make names and dates seem more real.

Redbeard76 said...

Hey Ishat, here's a link to the review I did on Season 1 of the Tudors. Season 2 just finished up, which takes us up to the beheading of Anne Boleyn in 1536. I can't wait until season 3, which should be all about Jane Seymour.

However, in season 2, Thomas Howard - Duke of Norfolk isn't mentioned at all although he was in just about every episode of season 1. Depending on how many years they cover in season 3 remains to be seen if Norfolk rears his ugly head again.

Ted D said...

I gotta get out more. I've never seen The Tudors, but this was well written, man. Makes me want to catch it one day.

Redbeard76 said...

Thanks, Ted! Although it just finished up on Showtime, their on demand probably still has episodes ready to view. Season 1 should be on dvd through netflix or wherever.

Are you, in fact, a history buff, Ted?

*not so secretly wishing the overzealous historian trot's hat would make her way over here*

Sparkle Plenty said...

WAY cool, Redbeard! Can't wait to read more.

(Loved your "victrola wisecrack today.)

Hope the Deli Family has a great weekend!

Ted D said...

Redbeard, I actually minored in History in college, so you could say yes.

More Civil War era, though.

The Silver Fox said...

Nice work, indeed!

Thanks to PBS' Masterpiece Theatre broadcasting "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and following up with "Elizabeth R" when I was in high school, I fell in love with the whole Tudor era of British history. I can honestly say I've forgotten more about Henry, his wives, and his various relatives than my high school peers ever learned.

So this project of yours has been quite enjoyable.

Redbeard76 said...

Thanks David. I'm not sure if Morgan had the awareness - public records being what they were in those days - that he was Henry VIII's cousin (3rd or 4th?), if you read back in part 1. Definitely a lot of gravity to the potential situation.

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