Anne of the Thousand Days Page #6

would be hard for any man to rule him.

- He ought to leave Hever.

- Let sleeping kings lie, Thomas,

and we'll see to the government

of the country.

Nan, it's a cruel thing to be

near a woman day after day,

to touch her when you wanted to,

to have her company when you asked it

and to have no response.

To burn with love as I do for you

and be denied any pleasure

in your cool company.

It is a cruel thing, Nan,

to be denied love.

The same cruel thing has happened to me.

I've fallen in love.

- Nan!

- But not with you.

My God. I got it right in the face

that time. Percy, is it?

You know.

You had Wolsey send him away.

- That blundering...

- I mean to marry him.

- Never!

- But not as my sister is married.

He won't be a complacent husband

and I shall not be accessible to you.

All wives are accessible.

Any husband can be placated.

Then you have nothing to fear.

Let me marry him.

No! I want you all to myself!

Nan. Nan.

If you give yourself to me

this whole kingdom will turn around you.

Whatever you wanted for anyone.

knighthoods, revenues,

you shall dispose of them

exactly as you please.

And be thrown out in the end? What great

revenues does my sister dispose of?

Well, Mary asked for nothing.

I won't bargain. Ask for what you want.

My freedom. To marry whom I love.

Never.

I've heard what your courtiers say

and I've seen what you are.

You're spoiled and vengeful

and bloody.

Your poetry is sour

and your music is worse.

You make love as you eat, with

a good deal of noise and no subtlety.

This is not safe.

Yes, I've been told it's not safe

for any of us to say no to our King.

That put on, kindly,

hail-fellow-well-met of yours.

My father's house will be pulled down,

and Northumberland's too, they tell me.

Well, pull them down, Your Majesty,

you are what I said.

There is no better way to make an end

than to raise anger in me.

I thank you for that. You made

a fool of me! And I'm well out of it!

Your Grace!

- You will not harm Harry Percy?

- I'll try not.

Vengeful and bloody as I am,

I'll try not!

[grunts]

- Where are you from?

- Northumberland.

- I've a message for the Lady Anne.

- You better rest. Give me the letter.

- Give it to no one but the Lady Anne.

- All right.

Harry Percy is married.

"Anne, my love, forgive me."

- The King did this.

- Not the King, Wolsey.

See here.

"I would have held out. But for your

safety, dearest Anne, I had to marry."

That would be Wolsey's threat, that you

would suffer if Percy remained defiant.

God, I can't believe it.

The pain is so great, I want to die.

Pain goes, my child.

Few of us marry where our hearts lie.

[shouting, cheering]

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