Loosely edited!

Anna

"So the pies, crumpets, and biscuits go here. The round fruits over there" Catherine points to end of the long dining table where the banquet would be held. Catherine had been promoted to head of kitchen production. She was in charge of the dishes, the seating, the menu, and plating.
It was a coveted position, risky but still rewarding.
One wrong move and it could be her head.

"What is this banquet for anyways." I ask, picking at a small pile of crusted tarts. Thomas sat nearby, sketching away in his notebook as I picked at the crust.

"The king is announcing his engagement" Catherine hesitated once she saw my pout, understanding my blindness to the news.

"Engagement?"  I ask, making sure I heard her right.
Catherine looks at me then frowns. "I am sorry Anna. I thought he would have told you. Now that I say it aloud..I see how foolish it was that he would. " she blushed red. What a faithful friend she was.

"It seems the king has neglected to tell you something so important" Thomas quipped, smiling behind his book.

I close the cover of his book on his hand then turn back to Catherine. It was strange that he hadn't told me but I knew it was purposely done. The reason why?
My anger.
It was lethal and Henry knew it.

"Do not fret Anna. Maybe he did it for your protection. Alas, we are doing dinner service tonight so everything must be perfect from the tasters to the helpers."

I nod.
Catherine was in charge of prepping it. I had double duty, tasting the king's food and serving it.

I bid Catherine my goodbye so I could bathe and get dressed for the banquet. Henry had insisted I wear the dark purple dress he had tailored for me.
I didn't understand why he wanted me to be the center of attention for his fiancé engagement. He hadn't even clued me in.

As I am taking a secret path to check on my garden I see Thomas Cromwell and Jane whispering in the shadows.
What were those two up to?
Thayne warned me of their earlier conversation but a second meeting between the two of them was downright suspicious. My feet race down the legnth of the hallway to listen in.

"You paid the servant off?" Jane asks in a hushed tone.

"Yes. He said he would do it for a mere 7 shillings" They both laugh carelessly.

"The posion is going in her plate. She will eat it and die before the king can even sample it."

"Perfect" Jane smiles. They make haste to break away, quickly going their separate ways.

So this is what they were planning?
The blood from my face rushes to my stomach as the realization comes to my psyche.
Poison! In my food?!
So that wretched hag was trying to kill me? Before I had the chance to eliminate her?
I was offended!
Enraged.

Their conversation was timed inconveniently. The banquet would start soon which meant I wouldn't have time to tell Henry.

I needed a plan to save my life and avert the poison onto someone else, but who?
I had to be quick!

Think Anna.
Think.

——-

The banquet begins in high spirits. Songs of Yuletide play as pitchers of mead and wine fill the space of the room. I couldn't help but notice Thayne as he watches me from the end of the long table, his eyes cement onto mine.

Although his gaze was inconspicuous to others, Henry's was not. His gaze followed me as I poured wine into the people's cups and as I served the plates of food. Even as the band started playing, and he danced with his beloved Jane, his eyes were on me.
I was surprised I still had his attention. I thought Jane would have surely occupied it tonight.
It wasn't long before Lady Seymour took notice.
Her blue eyes were hazed with jealousy, her skin flushed with embarrassment. How dare her beloved watch a woman who was not her rival in title and influence.

The night continues on and the band plays another tune that signals the dance of Estampie. It was a playful dance where the men and women of the party lined up and courtesy before finding the piece of red ribbon that matched their pair.

I watched from the sidelines in annoyance. Everyone looked as if it was the best time of their lives, giggling and screaming with glee.
What a shame! Tragedy would soon strike all because of Lady's Seymour's jealousy.

Jane made sure to line up adjacent to the king. Everyone knew The king would have the red ribbon and Lady Seymour the other. Thayne was dancing with some busty brunette. Cromwell with a blonde.

I rest my head against the brick wall, watching them in annoyance, impatiently waiting to tempt them. I wanted to see which one of them would break social cues to dance with me and pass me a ribbon.

Thayne spins the busty brunette away, inching closer and closer to me so I could join the party but not before long, Henry intercepted his actions, pushing me into the crowd of party goers.

I blend in as the next stanza plays and before long I had a small red ribbon in my hand. Of course the king had slipped it to me. He did not care for the anger his beloved would express by the realization or the dance we would share.
He was a man on a mission who was driven by lust.

Line by line, the court jester checked for the color of each women's ribbon. Blue, purple, and green were a few of the colors on display. Each girl was dismissed until it was only Lady Seymour and I left.

We both held our closed fists, waiting for the jester to reveal our hand.

"TWO WOMEN ARE LEFT MY KING! It is you who must reveal the lady of the night"

Henry stepped to the middle of the dance floor, facing us both. He tapped Jane's fist and reluctantly she opened it.

Yellow.

I didn't care to hide the smile on my face. 

Henry steps over to where I stood, gently tapping my closed fist. I open it and smile, showing off the bright red ribbon to the crowd.

"The winner!" The court jester announces to the cheers of the people. They cheer, relishing in the game.

The jester took the two ribbons and ties them together before wrapping them around both our wrists.

"And now! A dance with the king!" The jester announces before skipping off the floor.

Now, it was only Henry and I. We were the last two standing, my prize? A dance with the king.

The music starts and I courtesy. Henry smirks, pulling my palm against his lips and placing a soft kiss against it.

The strings of the wooden larpe signal our dance. Henry's hands were invasive, greedy to feel the curves beneath my dress. His hand dropped to my waist and he pulls me in with a single breath.

The dress he has picked was surely working overtime. My breasts were invasively distracting.
He eyed my every move. Every dance step he led, I followed.

As I felt myself falling, he held me up, making sure our ribbon never untied.

What was this feeling?
So sudden and strange?
This feeling of happiness and solace all wrapped into one.
I felt an indescribable fleeting glimpse of power and prestige. An heir of importance; as if this was my dance floor and dancing with the king was my right.
As if it was my duty.

I hated this feeling because it was a fleeting one.
One I knew that would end soon and it enraged me.

"If only you had a crown to match your pretty little face thorn" Henry whispers. I lift my eyes to him, watching him with hatred in my heart.

How dare he take what I cherished and dangle it above my head.

"It seems as if Lady Seymour is the woman you choose to bestow it upon"

"There is only one crown" he reminded.

"You made the Pope call to his knees in reverence. You have the power to place the crown upon my head instead of hers" I whisper.

"I do?" He asks through a frown. Now he was torturing me.
The band finished playing their melodies before I could offer my retort. Their instruments blasted through the hall until their ballad finished.

Applause rang through the hall, snapping me from my tranquil thoughts and back to my dismal reality.

"Henry! Henry!" Lady Seymour pushed through the people, eager to be the center of attention once more.

I courtesy once more and pull away, returning to the kitchen with Catherine.
I was no longer the woman dancing with the king. I was Anna, the king's personal taster.