Pastime With Good Company

A.1 - Word spreads throughout the kingdom and the world that with the death of Henry VII, his son, Henry VIII, has now ascended to the throne with Katherine of Aragon at his side. What hopes or fears do you now have for the future of England?

"Heavenly Father," I had prayed, "I beseech you to give me the strength and the wisdom as befits a good and true King of England."

( A boy's prayer )

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Henry Tudor
'The Tudors' (AU)

27.D.2 - Write an ode, an epic poem, or at least a haiku, to your penis.

Pretty women take
Pride in touching my Scepter.
It's good to be king.

2009.19.E - Control is a huge issue in sexuality. Write a fic about having complete sexual control over another person, and the ways you maintained that control.

OOC: OMG, did Henry write this prompt for himself?

For a moment, when Henry closed his eyes, he could imagine that the sound of crowds cheering and shouting praises for their King and Queen were not for the Queen Anne's birthday but for the events going on in the royal chambers high above the crowded courtyard.

( Anticipation )

As the monarch of one of the most powerful empires in the world, Henry VIII was used to having nearly any of his desires fulfilled, from the greatest delicacies on his plate to the most impressive clothes on his form to the most beautiful and agreeable women in his bed. With enough money and power to make Solomon blush, Henry rarely found challenges that were outside the political or sporting arenas. So when one presented itself and was subsequently overcome, King Henry felt himself well justified in celebrating.

In years past, it had been sufficient to be able to seduce and bed nearly any woman at court, particularly amongst the Queen's retinue of Ladies in Waiting. But that had been before the advent of Anne Boleyn, now Queen Anne of England. Not only had she transformed his heart and his understanding of his own passions, Anne had embraced even his need for other companionship. The idea of the harem had been developed between them both, pursued by them both. And now, it had come to fruition.

Anne's role had been as promised-- the group of women were chosen specifically by her for their beauty and their amenable natures toward this unique and unusual arrangement. The Queen's supremacy over them, over any and all aspects of their lives, was made clear and understood, as was the only voice which could command them all, the King's.

For Henry's end of the preparations, he had informed his advisors that due to recent health issues (including the sweating sickness outbreak that had claimed the previous Queen and nearly killed Anne) and with a newfound dedication to the establishment of a household, he would be expanding and renovating the royal suite at Whitehall Palace. The area was now all but forbidden to the majority of the Court, except under certain requirements. Henry supposed that tongues would wag, but they would no matter what he did.

The Royal Household retired early on the night the renovations were complete. A few minutes after the doors were shut and locked and some of the King's most discreet guard posted outside, Henry and Anne stood in the spacious and luxurious chamber that was the living space for the Queen's Ladies in Waiting, who were now King Henry's harem, as well. This room connected to the Queen's rooms, which were now joined directly to the Royal Suite. The women, currently numbering six in all, stood in the comely uniform gowns Anne had selected.

Henry nodded at Anne, deferring for the moment and further establishing this room and these women as her domain.

As completed by UTR!Henry, totally meta.

Do you like it rough or sensual? My mood changes, though I'd probably prefer "vigorous" to "rough".

( Read more... )

12.A.15 - "The Pride of the peacock is the glory of God. The lust of the goat is the bounty of God. The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God. The nakedness of woman is the work of God." - William Blake

Divine right. A monarch, I have always been taught, ruled a land by the grace and favour of God almighty. Even though my father Henry VII had ascended to the throne of England by overthrowing Richard III, I was told that the supplanting had only been made possible because it was my father who had been meant to rule as King.

God had made me into the man I am. God made me a King-- King Henry VIII of England, Lord of Ireland and ruler of the entire British Isles. And any man who might have the opportunity to follow me throughout my day would no doubt understand how I could not be anything but.

( The Lion Hungers )

OOC: Follows THIS THREAD.

Surely, Henry thought to himself, there were some men in the world who had the freedom even during their weddings to find a quiet, secluded moment with their new brides to begin the wedding night early. Those men, however, were not the King of England and those weddings were not feasts attended by three hundred nobles, courtiers and attendants.

The great hall of the palace had reverberated with the sounds of revelry from the moment he and Anne-- the soon-to-be Queen Anne-- had returned to Whitehall from Westminster Abbey. Preparations had begun the week before, and the royal household staff had never rested, all working to fulfill Henry's insistence that the celebration of his wedding was an occasion of the most joyous sort. He had told them that their King and country needed for their people to be happy, that they were marking a new era.

Sitting at the great table, the King and his wife had received their well-wishers and Court. Henry had given his new bride many smiles and words of praise and encouragement, as loudly and clearly as he could. From the reactions and the words of those around him, it seemed Anne was being well-received as intended.

As happy as the circumstances were, the night seemed interminable. After many dances, after poetry written in his and Anne's honour, after a line of reception that must have been nine miles long, the King was becoming clearly frustrated. At long last, though, there were no more people to receive, no more music and he and Anne were free to retire.

Henry and Anne were escorted back to the royal chambers. The King glanced at the guards stationed outside the door, who gave him curt nods. They had been firmly and repeatedly instructed that the couple were not to be disturbed except for the greatest of emergencies, and only then by either Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Thomas More or Mr. Cromwell.

The heavy oaken doors closed behind Henry, and he heaved a great sigh of relief. All fatigue faded and his tired expression broke into a wide, hungry grin as he regarded Anne.

"My lady wife...?"

2009.9.B.2 - "Just because we're married doesn't mean we have to actually have sex."

((A letter sent to both Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Thomas More.))

My dearest friends and most trusted advisors,

On this, the eve of my wedding to the Lady Anne Boleyn, I find myself desiring a kind of confession. I wish for there to be no misconceptions and misapprehensions regarding my impending marriage and my former one to the late Queen Katherine.

It of course should be quite understood that this missive is meant for your eyes and your eyes only, gentlemen, and should not see the light of day before any others.

( Worry not )

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This'll be the UTR version, rather than the crack!au.

01.) Full name? Henry Tudor
02.) Best friend? Charles Brandon
03.) Sexuality? Super-straight. Maybe $uuml;ber-straight.
04.) Favorite color? Gold. No seriously, his costumes on the show seemed to favor it.
05.) Relationship status? Dating Gabriella Montez. Unfortunately, that's subject to his idea of exclusivity-- he figures he's okay to sleep around because the only one he actually loves is her.
06.) Ideal mate? Someone who can stand up to him in spirit, keep up with him in bed and challenge him to be a better person-- someone somewhere between Anne Boleyn & Jane Seymour, more or less.
07.) Turn-ons? Beautiful women. And the freedom to enjoy life without limits. But mostly beautiful women.
08.) Last sexual experience? He and Gabby finally slept together!
09.) Favorite food? Before, something like venison or roast swan. Now, the more exotic the better-- Thai, Indian, Mexican (hey, exotic to him)
10.) Crushes? He loves (in his way) Gabby, and is really fond of the women in his life, particularly his "wives". Of them, he'd sleep with all but Anne of Cleves in a heartbeat, but that's because he's not attracted to her and considers her a friend.
11.) Favorite music? Anything he writes.
12.) Biggest fear? Dying forgotten.
13.) Biggest fantasy? Being married to Gabriella and having all the other women he wants, too. Silly man.
14.) Quirks in bed? He really likes putting his hand around women's throats.
15.) Bad habits? That would be the sleeping around. And the acting like he can still order his friends and family around.
16.) Biggest regret? None, right now. He actually thinks he and Gabby are just fine.
17.) Best kept secrets? That'd be the underage groupie he keeps for booty calls.
18.) Last thought? "Finally! Now things are settled."
19.) Worst sexual experience? None, given when he was taken. I'm assuming that any of his experiences taking place or finishing off-screen were good, though.
20.) Biggest insecurity? He wonders sometimes if Gabriella wouldn't be better off without him.

Your To-Do List

Wedding/Coronation Itinerary

*Saturday afternoon: Verify that all appropriate preparations have been made for the wedding ceremony and celebration.
*Saturday night: Have Lady Anne and one of her ladies prepare a restorative late-night repast.
*Sunday morning: Wed the Lady Anne at Westminster Abbey.
*Sunday evening: Wedding celebration feast, dancing and merriment at Whitehall Palace.
*Sunday night through at minimum, Tuesday afternoon: Sequestered in chambers with my Lady wife, assisting her preparations for coronation.
*Tuesday evening through Saturday afternoon: Attend to normal royal business, provide whatever aid my Lady wife requests in her further preparations.
*Saturday night: Spend night in quiet contemplation and prayer.
*Sunday morning: Crown Lady Anne as Queen Anne of England.
*Sunday afternoon: Celebratory procession from Westminster Abbey to Whitehall.
*Sunday evening: Receive congratulations and tribute from subjects. Celebration feast, dancing and merriment.
*Sunday night through Monday morning: Sequestered in chambers.
*Monday afternoon: Review and approve Queen Anne's selections for her staff and advisors.
*Monday night: Review and approve Queen Anne's selections for her ladies-in-waiting.

Henry Tudor/Henry VIII
'The Tudors'
OOC Note: The Anne Boleyn referred to is belongstohim

2009.6.A.2 - Photo Prompt

Ever since the Crusades, we good Christians of England have long been told strange and sometimes shocking tales of the Muslim world. For many of my subjects, the East is so far away and so removed from the realities of their own lives that the Holy Lands might as well be the stuff of fairy stories. But as a Prince of this realm, I know well where the fine silks and stones that so many of my Court are enamoured of might originate, and I have been taught the history of whence the black powder that fires our ships' cannons came.

So many of these Saracens' behaviours are, in the very least, so alien as to be off-putting to one raised in the civilised culture of the West. But I have come to understand that in certain southern parts of Spain, where only very narrow straits separate Europe from Africa, that a kind of coexistence has been reached between Spaniards and their Muslim... well, neighbours would be the most appropriate term, as unthinkable as that might be.

Many of the stories that were brought back by our valiant knights who ventured to those lands seem the stuff of campfire tales, meant to frighten children. But one idea has ever been a source of mild fascination, particularly since becoming King.

I speak of the "harem".

( Inspiration )

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Muse: Henry Tudor
Fandom: The Tudors (AU)

Ten Resolutions You've Broken

1. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
2. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
3. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
4. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
5. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
6. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
7. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
8. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
9. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.
10. Vow of fidelity to Katherine of Aragon.

My Dearest Anne,

I know that it was by my word and at my insistence that we spend these weeks near, and yet apart, that I intended to display a great and proper amount of mourning for Catherine and that our contact be limited to only what is proscribed for a monarch and the lady-in-waiting of his late Queen. But I confess to you that never have I experienced days which pass so slowly and so without joy or humour. The nights, of course, are even longer and much, much colder without you to warm my body and my heart.

( Absence makes the heart... )

http://www.whothetudorareyou.com/

UTR!Henry: I'm an actor.

Regular!Henry: Appropriately, I'm a King.

"Sin With a Grin" lyrics, Shinedown

Thank you for reminding me to sin with a grin.

When I was still attending the seminary, preparing to enter the priesthood, my fellow students and I were often led to wrestle with the question of whether human beings are, by nature, inclined towards good or evil. The doctrine of Original Sin, of course, would indicate that we are, at the least, working uphill from the very beginning. I, like most of my fellows, wanted to believe that men are innately good and moral.

Years later, now that I have ascended to the throne which I then had no ambition to sit upon, I find I have learned a great deal about the subject, insofar as my own self is concerned.

( Heart of Darkness )

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OOC: And with this, the AU takes a huge left turn from history.

They knew it simply as the "Sweating Sickness". It was arguably one of the most deadly and devastating plagues known to their time, and certainly the most mysterious. The most learned men of Europe knew almost nothing about its source, its transmission and little of how to treat or prevent it. It struck an area without warning, starting with a single isolated victim, and spread without remorse through a population, sparing perhaps half. And then, it would be over as quickly as it came.

Henry's dear friend, Sir William Compton, had been among the first to perish. From the country, the sickness flew straight for London, leaving death in its wake. As soon as the first signs began to appear and the first citizens began to gather outside Whitehall Palace, shouting for help, Henry had ordered the Court to be sequestered. Days passed, and soon the sickness had penetrated the walls of the Palace.

Fortifying himself with potions he had come to learn, Henry decreed that the uninfected members of the Court be sent immediately to secluded locations, so as to wait out the plague. Among these were Queen Katherine and his beloved Anne Boleyn and her family. The King himself haunted the nearly-empty palace for nearly a week, drinking his draughts and exercising vigorously to create natural sweats that he hoped would ward off the sickness.

When the Royal Surgeon pronounced the epidemic ended, and after the bodies had been burned and the palace scrubbed from top to bottom, Henry ordered the Court to return to Whitehall. He gathered a small retinue to accompany him on two personal visits to deliver the good news. The second of these was to the manor home of the Boleyn family.

When he arrived, Henry was clad in black from cap to toe and spoke gravely. Lord Boleyn showed him to the room where Anne was completing her recovery from a successful battle against the sickness.

"My love," said Henry softly, gazing at Anne.

I believe I am in a unique position to comment on this, given my situation.

( The King's Bounty )

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To-Do List

1. Discuss my Great Matter with Cardinal Wolsey
2. Discuss my Great Matter with Sir Thomas More
3. Seek an alliance with the King of France
4. If not, seek an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor
5. Commission several heavy tapestries to be hung in my private chambers
6. Try not to fall asleep or kill someone during my audiences
7. Greet Her Majesty's newest Ladies-in-Waiting
8. Discreetly secure a quantity of silk scarves, candles and reeds
9. Attend Parliamentary session, try not to alienate them all
10. Summon Lady Anne Boleyn to play chess this evening

OOC Note: Based on RP with belongstohim

"Lady Anne... Lady Jane. Please, come inside where we may converse privately," said Henry, his tone formal and by all seeming, a man about to discipline a member of his household staff with grave seriousness. Once the ladies were inside his study, Henry took a step out of the door to speak with his guards. He instructed them in no uncertain terms to make sure that the door remained closed, that no one was to disturb him and that they were to be completely deaf, blind and mute in regards to what lay inside the door until ordered otherwise.

With a heavy sound, Henry closed the door behind him, locking himself in with the two ladies. Henry took long, slow strides, walking a tight circle around Jane Parker and inspecting her with a practised and thorough eye. Finally, he sat in the large, plush chair and regarded the blonde woman. Jane, for her part, held an expression that mixed as much apprehension as it did excitement. That was good.

"Lady Jane, do you know why I have summoned you? It has come to my attention that Her Majesty, the Queen, is dissatisfied with your service as a lady-in-waiting. I am told you are willful and prideful, and very nearly disobedient. This cannot stand. As Her Majesty is ill, the responsibility for your discipline falls to me. If you are prepared to accept your punishment and tutelage, then we will begin." Henry rose and pointed at the heavy desk. "Place your hands on the desk. Lady Anne, you will show Lady Jane what her King means when instructed to 'assume the position'."

Henry was the King of England, monarch by the divine right bestowed upon his bloodline, and as King, the implication was that his will and pleasure were the absolute law anywhere within his Kingdom. So how, Henry wondered that afternoon, was the rest of the Kingdom so perfectly willing and able to interfere with his will and pleasure and keep him away from that which he wanted so badly that day?

( Full tilt )

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