Discussion: 'The Flight of the Secretary'

"Cromwell's mind was racing. What was this? Wyatt, his true friend through everything....and, his sweet wife, Elizabeth? This was mad. They would kill Wyatt for this. He could not let it happen.

He thought back to his time as Wolsey's 'man'. He'd loved his mentor, and to see his fall was heart breaking...and yet, he seized the moment to further his cause...thinking, as he always did, that the sacrifice of one man was worth it if he could advance The Reformation. But, Wolsey had been like a father to him...and now ...Wyatt, like a brother to him...was giving his life for...what? HIM??
He could not believe it. Nor, could he allow it.

"Elizabeth", he whispered. "This can not be...this can not happn".

"No...my love", she said, as she tenderly touched his face. "It must happen.. It is Thomas' wiah."

"But...why?" asked a perplexed and guilt ridden Cromwell. "I killed the only woman he ever loved"

"Oh, but no,,,my Lord...that was the King, was it not?"

"Elizabeth, i pray you...stop!" beseeched Cromwell.

"Nay,,,we must not stop", begged the exasperated Elizabeth. "this was all his idea...I could not persuade him like wise. Perhaps he wishes to join his beloved Queen Anne...or perhaps he loved you more than you think he should. But, it is his decision...and we must not tary. There is much to be done, and it can not be done if you be dead, my husband".

"You love me too much,", said a defeated Cromwell. "He doth love me too much. I pray that the Almighty doth forgive me for taking this opportuity at the price of my one true friend's life".

Cromwell followed his dutiful and loving wife to a waiting barge. But, he hated himself for it. What of Wyatt? What of his young son Gregory? "

""Oh, Mr Wyatt" Kingston suddenly called out just as Elizabeth and Thomas were preparing to leave the chilling corridor.
"I came by something some four years ago, during the time of the Lady Anne's captivity" continued Kingston as Elizabeth and Thomas kept their backs turned.
"It's a letter, it appears to have been written to you" and Elizabeth turned slowly on her heels, smiling through gritted teeth.
"I shall take it, Mr Wyatt is quite incomposed at this time, as you know, he and my husbands were close friends, his sentence causes him as much grief as it does me" continued Elizabeth walking back toward Kingston, and taking the letter from him, trying to keep her senses. Thomas remained standing exactly where he was behind her, frozen in position, head bowed to the extent that it was starting to cause him pain.
"My deepest sympathies Lady Elizabeth, and Master Wyatt" Kingston nodded his head and continued down the corridor, Elizabeth didn't walk this time, she practically strode down the remainder of the passageway, pulling her husband along beside her, they had to get to the barge before anyone else's suspicions were arisen!"

"(since Gregory has not been yet shown in the series, and only referenced...we don't know how old he is in the series. The way things look so far, it is my guess that when they do show Gregory at the execution, he will most likely be a teenager, as opposed to the grown and married man he really was at that time. So, I'm going with a 15 year old Gregory)
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Elizabeth desperately led her dazed husband forward. "He must snap out of this", she thought...."or we're doomed"

"Thomas..Thomas"...she hissed. "this is not the time for sentiment and regret...hurry along...NOW".

She stared into his unblinking eyes. He was some where else...She grabbed his chin and forced him to see her. He blinked.....she and the world around him slowly came back into focus.

"um yes..." He was barely able to speak...as he followed her.

Some how they made it past the guards and onto the awaiting barge.

Cromwell sat silently never looking back at the Tower as it slowly disappeared from view. He just sat there, slightly trembling as he gazed down at the letter. He could just make out the late Queens handwriting in the moonlight. The ink was smudged with....what? "Tears", he thought out loud. "So many tears". And before he could help himself, the once all powerful Master Cromwell--Chancellor, Lord Privy Seal-- was crying uncontrolably..

"Ah...Jesu! What have I done? Oh..Jesus...JESUS!"

Gregory, rushed to his father...not used to seeing such a raw display of emotion from him. "It alright now, Father. We're going to be safe....we're going to go far away from here"...

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Not much this morning....brain's still sleepy :)"

"I am mad! I just wrote a pretty damn decent part of the story and I deleted it. Damn! I can't even get into the mood now... so if someone else can write, then I can continue from there.... Ahhh I am so sad..... =`("