Of Pride and Power - 24. Chapter 24: “Do not go past the mark you aimed for. In victory, know when to stop.”

Before the final mile of the road to the Tower complex, I made one last speech to the gathered crowds that had followed us from Fleet Street and St. Mary Aldermary Church. I urged them to leave my side and await word of our victory. I did not want any innocent civilians to be accidentally harmed by this engagement. While presenting my military forces' power openly was useful for establishing my authority, I needed good public order to maintain the civil infrastructure of London. By doing this, I aimed for a bloodless and overmatched fight between me and Mary.

At the gates, a line of soldiers armed with body armor, carbine rifles, and a heavy machine gun with wooden wheels greeted my forces. Upon seeing them, I used my ability to displace their weapons and clothes. Then, before they could react to their bare appearances, Robert created restraints, chains, and collars for the line of troops. My elite soldiers, who were used to our abilities due to several training exercises at Seahawk base, snickered and made lewd remarks about taking some good-looking POWs home as pets.

Frances, as the commander of this unit, glared at her rowdy troops, knowing they should not be making such lewd remarks. I knew none of my elite soldiers would do that to the royal guards, but Frances’ strict manner was a necessity to maintain military discipline. Even after 4 years of preparation, creating a professional military, let alone an elite fighting force would take even more time. I did understand that amoral behaviors were normal for soldiers in any era. If we were in the 16th century of my timeline, then these troops would be raping and pillaging small English villages as there would be little holding them back. In consideration of discipline and recreation, I never put any prohibitions on my forces when it came to enjoying gambling, alcohol, or consensual sexual intercourse after engagements, but the officers were supposed to maintain strict discipline during engagements.

After the reproach, Mary’s ensnared guards were sent out of the Tower complex. Frances ordered her troops to stand guard over them on a three-prisoner-to-one-guard ratio. The same thing happened throughout our path through the deeper parts of the Tower, usually reserved for members of the royal family, where I was briefly housed. Due to the need to maintain a guard ratio of 3:1 for both the troops captured in the city and at the Tower, the final force that came with me to apprehend Mary numbered less than ten from an initial force of one thousand.

When we reached Mary’s location, we were greeted by Mary, Reginald Pole, and several members of her inner circle, including Lady Jane Dudley and Levina Teerlinc. There were no weapons or explosives around them, and the poison in Levina Teerlinc’s possession had been removed by me. The windows were too small to fit a human body if they even dared to attempt the 30 ft jump. It was the end of the line for her.

Mary stared at me with intense animosity, but I was unmoved and stated the reality of her situation, “Mary, the time has come to end this strife. Your reign has cost too many lives. Surrender now and avoid further bloodshed."

Mary defiantly responded, “Foul demon, I will not yield to an abomination like you. My cause is just, and I stand by my rule. You are a bastard child of a whore, who cannot bear children, while I have an heir within my wombs thanks to glorious blessings of the Lord,” she turned to my elite soldiers, “You foolish men of England, this creature has no real claim to the throne. Why would you follow such a master?”

A few broad smiles arose among my troops, then a muffled chuckle began that became a roar, only to be quelled by the lifting of Frances’ hand, then she replied in a condescending tone, “My sovereign is neither man nor woman, but can produce heirs with both means, Lady Mary. The only reason why such a trait has not manifested is due to my sovereign’s interest and preventative measures;”

Shocked at the revelation on top of everything else, “You…You are attempting to fool me. No, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe that this creature can have a true heir. The only heir that will arise will be my son, who is nearing his time of birth. You just want the child for yourselves, to mold into your puppet, but no child will ever come out of your womb,” she snarled at Frances, “You wretch, how dare you speak to me with such disrespect? I was your master and your liege before this creature. Without my intervention, you would be a lame whore on the streets.”

“You did that as a favor to my father as he held sway over the army and many noblemen, but then you elevated a bastard child not of his blood to his Ducal position when he died. You never treated me well, while I was in your service, nor did you care about my care except if I had news of my Lord’s activities. My lord has treated me like a favored ally and comrade in the arms, elevating me to the commander of his elite marines. To my sovereign Elias Tudor, I owe everything and to you, the pretender Queen Mary, I owe nothing except contempt.”

While this back and forth was going on, I analyzed Mary’s womb and expertly displaced the unborn child’s umbilical cord, brain stem, and several fetal organs for three minutes. These actions would offer a less traumatic termination and reduce the shock to Mary’s body, creating the conditions for fetal resorption. While killing Mary might have been easier, I wanted to preserve her life to maintain the continuity of the monarchy, at least in theory. Regicide was one of the charges that I had leveled against Mary in my propaganda, despite Edward living under an assumed name in Somerset. By keeping her alive and in public view, I wanted to demonstrate that I was a better ruler than her. Sadly, the ability to produce heirs was also a measure of a ruler’s worth, especially in this period of English history. I knew getting pregnant from Robert would be quite simple as we had been ready for the next step for a few years, but I hated to think our first child would be used as a tool for retaining the throne.

While the loss of a second child would likely raise suspicions, there was no proof of intervention. Mary never truly understood the full scope of time travel or futuristic knowledge that her subordinates used based on her religious descriptions of complex materials and lack of response during our various encounters. Those things fell on Reginald Pole as a Cardinal of the corrupted Papacy and current King Consort.

Reginald Pole interrupted Mary and Frances, then directed the conversation back to me, “May I ask you something, Eli, or should I call you Jack Hume, if you prefer?”

I turned to Robert with a frown, while he stared at me with a quizzical expression. While we don’t know what exactly happened in the future of our original timeline, we had already guessed that he did something that sent us back in time. With Reginald Pole’s words, we had a contemporary who confirmed our theory. Since Reginald Pole assumed I was Jack, I played along with the association.

I cleared my throat and attempted to imitate Jack, at least the Jack I knew, “I am sorry to say, but I do not recognize you due to the new body. Who am I speaking to?”

Robert rolled his eyes at me for the imitation of his old speech patterns, but Reginald seemed fooled, “You wouldn’t know who I was, and I am under no obligation to tell you. All you need to know I represent Pope Peter II, a senior member of the Corporate Consortium that you co-founded,” he waves his hands around all my troops and associates, “I’ve heard of your predilections and discoveries in the uses of the cores and their temporal experiments. Like others in our time, I knew your research into the cores ranged from energy production to genetic resequencing. Some had speculated that you were attempting to create a new subspecies in the past with your two-hundred-thirty-three cores and volunteer transgender test subjects, who reported improved sexual capabilities compared to traditional transition methods. However, we searched for information after your disappearance, but most national security analysts chalked such tales to wishful thinking by degenerates who believed in one line of your research. Your discovery of the cores and their technological applications were revolutionary, so fantastic speculations were made by many. Based on your appearance, I see that endeavor was not a fantasy.”

I had guessed that Jack had done a lot to achieve my revival, so human experimentation was a given. I’m not naïve enough to believe my partner would have done less to get these results. In his place, I probably would have spent most of my life for the same purpose, if I couldn’t find someone who understood me to the level he did. Jack’s zeal for purpose was something I loved about him. Some morally uptight people may call him a monster for using human test subjects for unproven technology, but that type of argument never worked on me in my past life and honestly, shouldn’t be holding our descendants back from that line of research. I could not imagine Jack being Dr. Mengele, the infamous German eugenics physician who used concentration camp prisoners as test subjects. His test subjects were willing volunteers of our community, who had a right to pursue their desired identity.

I smiled at Reginald Pole and emulated Jack’s detached analytical demeanor, “These cores are the greatest instruments ever encountered by humanity. Based on what your group has done, I was not the only one testing their applications. The destruction of Dresden had to be at least equivalent to 20 kilotons of TNT.”

Reginald Pole nodded, “You are as astute as your biographers have noted. However, sadly, Pope Peter and New Rome’s forces cannot claim sole responsibility for the Sky Fortress. The Western Charter provided much of our materials and the cores…” he stared at me for a response to the revelation, but I offered him nothing as I had not heard of this faction yet, “…Surely, you haven’t betrayed the Consortium for the Russians, Indians, or Chinese? The cores in your possession cannot sustain you against our assaults, especially since the Western Charter and Pope Peter already possess nine of the twelve charging stations.”

Responding to him, I answered as I imagined Jack would have, “I have no allegiance to those factions, nor have I betrayed the Corporate Consortium. However, I am curious as to why Pope Peter has allowed Consortium property to be counted among assets of the Western Charter. Would it not be more accurate for me to ask if you and Pope Peter have betrayed the Consortium? Where is the Consortium’s charging station?”

It was a calculated question, but since Reginald asked if I was an agent of the Consortium two years ago, I imagined that their actions were also not sanctioned by the group, despite being part of it. If Jack was one of the co-founders as he stated, then it would be reasonable to establish that betrayal had occurred by them.

Reginald realized he made a mistake in revealing too much in his speech, “Damn you are good, but even if you have some of the consortium’s cores, you can’t do anything to sustain yourself without charging the cores. We will have dozens of Sky Fortresses in the air in a few years, each possessing weapons like the one that destroyed Dresden. You do not appear to have an air force and even if you have developed industrial capacity, you cannot match our firepower.”

Breaking character, I retorted, “What if I found another way to use the cores to generate equal firepower to yours? What if I could also charge my cores as well without a charging station?”

This intelligence was quite useful, but Reginald stopped sharing any more information due to my response. While roleplaying with Jack, along with his current incarnation as Robert, has granted me some experience with acting and emoting, sometimes as Jack used to say, I can’t help myself due to my pride. I know it’s my flaw to want to show off and be extra about what I can do or what I know versus other people. If you were me, an intersex person who grew up being told they were always less than a “normal person”, you would understand why I have that kind of personality tick. My partner understood my flaw and he loved me despite it. Too bad, in terms of being an interrogator, it was a nasty flaw to have at that moment.

Reginald’s expression shifted from conciliatory to shock and fear, when he heard I had figured out a way to recharge the cores without a charging station. Then, he charged at me from his place beside Mary. Before Reginald Pole could reach me, Frances and my soldiers shot him dead. I would have wanted to question Reginald Pole more as he knew far more than anyone else, I’ve met. If only Titania with her lie detection ability had been there, we’d have gotten all the answers.

I had no illusion that Reginald Pole would have tried to kill me if he could have reached me, so I did not blame Frances for her actions. It did make me glance at Robert for a moment, trying to figure out why Reginald Pole would fear him so much as to attempt the impossible task of assassinating me, while I was impersonating him. I knew that the two leaders of the relevant factions: Pope Peter and Charles V were not benign with their actions in German lands, including the use of weapons of mass destruction. How bad must Jack have been after I died? What kind of knowledge of the cores did he have that would be shocking if he could recharge them? Robert held no outward reaction to the scene, but a slight crease on his face, representing disappointment that only I knew from decades of being around him. He knew something or might have felt something about the passing of Reginald Pole, but it was not the time or place to ask him questions.

In contrast to Robert’s mostly stoic reaction, Mary screamed hysterically at us, “You have killed King Reginald, no one in England will forgive you for killing their king,” she pointed to her court and servants, “You all bear witness to this usurpation. Even if we should all die here today with the king, England will know who the culprit was.”

As voices in the room began to break into frantic discussion, there was a major threat that Mary’s court would not submit. I had no interest in killing her entire court, just like the historical Elizabeth I did not purge Mary’s ministers or appointed nobles. Mary needed to die at some point in time with various charges pressed against her for the stability of my reign, but she must be put on trial in public along with her court, who could be granted royal clemency. It was better to show magnanimity to your defeated foes, to reduce internal strife after their leader was removed. Technically, it was not difficult to take over England at this point through superior military force, but it would defeat the entire propaganda narrative that was set up to contrast myself and Mary. That contrast brought me goodwill with a lot of commoners, along with various segments of the nobility.

As the rancor reached its zenith, Frances startled the room with her laughter at Mary’s dramatic reaction, breaking the intense situation, “Lady Mary, be honest with the truth, he was a blood descendant of the Yorkist line of kings, who gained their throne through usurpation just as you did. He was an untrustworthy man. He was also a former Catholic Cardinal, who has forsaken God for earthly pleasures to be with you. He was an unfaithful man. Reginald Pole was no better than a Jezebel of the false church. I was merely defending my lord and delivering divine retribution against such an untrustworthy and unfaithful man, no matter what other title he may have procured,” she pointed her gun at Mary’s court and her soldiers followed suit, “As for your lot, you can die with the false king and malign prophet Reginald Pole or live to serve the true lord, Elias Tudor. My master will not kill those who are faithful. I will give you a count of 5 to decide. 1, 2, 3, 4…”

Mary’s court bowed before me; even Levina Teerlinc knelt on one leg in submission. Despite being an assassin probably trained in modern techniques and mental conditioning, she folded with just a few words from the commander of my marine forces. In contrast to her former demure appearance as a lady-in-waiting and servant to Mary, the current Frances Howard was significantly more expressive and willing to take actions that she believed needed to be done. Frances can be a frightening person when she is set on a certain course. It was an endearing quality.

Choosing my next moves, I cleared my voice, “I shall grant clemency to everyone here, including my tragic sister, who was deceived by the sinister Reginald Pole and his allies. However, henceforth, if those I have granted clemency should betray me, there shall be no reprieve from the justice that you deserve,” turning to my troops, “Please escort Lady Mary to some private quarters, and these noblemen and noblewomen away from the palace. As for the body of the treacherous serpent, Reginald Pole, have it stored in the cellar until an official announcement is made by heralds.”

Mary was carried out of the room, continuing her rants and declaration that she was the only true Queen of England. The other nobles and members of the court were led out of the palace after each of them signed a prepared document declaring their loyalty to me, under penalty of death. Even though I knew some of these nobles would be problems in the future, both logically such as the scions of Percy's family from Northumberland and Levina Teerlinc, it was a necessary evil to keep them alive to demonstrate mercy. While killing Reginald Pole was unplanned, it would be easier to scapegoat someone like him if I allowed my other opponents to live.

Within an hour of the confrontation with Mary and the death of Reginald Pole, William Cecil, and William Paulet gathered nearly seventy-nine members of Parliament and Privy Council members to the audience chambers. According to Frances, more nobles wanted to enter, but unlike Whitehall Palace, the Tower Palace complex built in the 11th century could not accommodate so many nobles in the audience chamber. It was a troublesome issue, but I had William Cecil arrange a series of five heralds to relay the information coming out of the audience chamber to the nobles gathered outside. In addition, I also had William Cecil spread rumors of Queen Mary having been driven into madness due to another failed pregnancy with Reginald Pole.

As a result, the royal court was in disarray as rumors of Queen Mary's deteriorating mental state spread like wildfire. The once-stately chambers now echoed with whispers of uncertainty and anxiety. Mary I, plagued by her inner demons, had proven unfit to rule, and the various nobles of England were faced with a dilemma.

Amidst the turmoil, the doors to the throne room creaked open. My regal figure, which I considered gaudy with the amount of Jewels and gold I wore, entered the audience chamber. My poised demeanor stood in stark contrast to the chaos that had befallen the court. Behind me, Mary was followed in a disheveled state, ranting and screaming for my death. The nobles in attendance exchanged wary glances, uncertain of what to expect from me.

I was aware of the gravity of the situation, so approached the throne with measured steps. My gaze was steady, and my voice carried a calm authority as I addressed the assembly.

"My countrymen, I stand before you in a time of unprecedented challenge for our beloved kingdom. The affliction that has befallen my sister, our queen, grieves my heart. This affliction was brought on by the false prophet Reginald Pole, who cursed the Queen's womb for his true unholy lord. It is with a heavy heart that I acknowledge the duty that now rests upon my shoulders."

Mary cried out, “You fiend, you dare claim my womb is cursed and besmirch King Reginald Pole with your vile words,” she looked upon the gathered nobles, “Rise and fight this pretender, Elias Tudor is not a true scion of my father Henry. This creature is an unholy bastard, who wishes to pervert our nation. Crush the demon now and I can promise the wealth beyond your wildest dreams.”

I paused, allowing her words to hang in the air, the weight of dueling responsibility settling over the room. My troop scattered around the room and began to fire into the air three times, emphasizing the power difference between Mary and me.

William Cecil by my side asked, “Will you good men of England listen to the madness of a cursed Queen or the sanguine words of Duke Elias Tudor?”

The chamber and the crowds outside after them rang out in cheers, “Duke Elias, Duke Elias, Duke Eli…”

After a moment of cheers rang out from the chamber and outside, I raised my hand to silence the audience, "In the natural order of succession, the crown passes from one ruler to the next. Yet, in this solemn moment, we must recognize the duality of my position. I am not only Elias Tudor, neither man nor woman before you but also the embodiment of your true sovereign in the body politic, bound by duty and responsibility to the realm and its people."

The concept of the "Two Bodies" sovereign was palpable in my words, drawing attention to the symbolic separation of myself and my role as their future monarch. In many cultures, the various concepts of separating individual identities within a person became well-known in the 20th century, when the science of sociology grew. However, most people assumed such concepts existed only in non-European societies like the native American “Two-spirit” or Japanese “Wakashu” identities, but the same seeds of non-binary concepts existed as well with rulers like Elizabeth I. The political theology was also used by Elizabeth I in her accession to the throne of England, to contrast her reign with Mary, who assumed the subservient role for females in more traditional Christianity, where the power was held by the male in a marriage. It was an irony that outside Papal Rome and the German Reich having male rulers, the rulers of England, France, and Scotland were all nominally female with planted male consorts. The contradiction in Christian belief and realist politics was an opening that my opponents couldn’t alter with technology or brute force. It was a major flaw in Christian-dominated political philosophy during the 16th and 17th centuries, but no one dared to exploit it until me. My gender fluidity made promoting the concept a perfect bridge to legitimize my rule and offer a progressive idea, it might even help make open acceptance of LGBTQ people easier within the realm as a result. The nobles listened intently, sensing the gravity of the transition unfolding before them.

"As your sovereign, I vow to serve with unwavering dedication, guided by the principles that govern both the natural and political aspects of my being. The well-being of this realm is my paramount concern, and I humbly accept the responsibilities that come with the crown."

As she saw the tide turn against her, Mary broke into an unexpected soliloquy that was worthy of a great poet.

“Oh, cursed fate, that strips me of my rightful crown,

A usurper's ascent, my authority tore down.

The whispers of betrayal, the nobles' deceit,

A venomous plot, my reign faced with defeat.

They speak of the "Two Bodies," a doctrine so cold,

A guise for ambition, a story oft told.

Elias, the schemer, with polished veneer,

Claims my sovereignty, but the truth is unclear.

Two bodies, they say, in sovereign's attire,

But what of my womb, with the unborn's fire?

A child, my heir, the true bloodline to reign,

Yet they turn a deaf ear, blind to my pain.

Shadows dance, and whispers abound,

Noble conspirators, with treachery crowned.

Their allegiance shifts, like the wind's fickle song,

But I, Mary, shall not linger in the throng.

I, too, wear a crown, though it sits heavy on my brow,

A symbol of power, they challenge it now.

Elias, the interloper, with ambition so sly,

But mark my words, vengeance will draw nigh.

To the traitorous nobles who cast me as the false queen,

Your betrayal stings, a wound yet unseen.

In the shadows, I'll gather the strength to reclaim,

My vengeance shall burn, and you'll remember my name.

The unborn shall inherit, my revenge be sweet,

A symphony of chaos, a dance to the beat.

Elias may revel in the ill-gotten throne,

But mark my words, the retribution is sown.”

With Mary’s words, she left an impression on everyone in the chamber. While I had won the war for the throne, I could not kill her even with a public trial as I had planned. Yes, I think I had proven that Mary was dangerous and possibly mentally unbalanced with her appearance, along with that soliloquy. However, her warning of revenge and an unborn child in her womb did cause everyone to pause. I had underestimated her oratory ability as the historical Queen Mary was not someone especially remembered for that skill. Despite defeating her military forces, thousands of Englishmen were loyal to her regime and had bought into her rhetoric. I had to leave her alive and make sure she remained in public view, so her claims of being pregnant with an heir could be disproven in a few months. Even after that, I needed to have an heir to the throne, since that was a major contention, she had against my reign versus her own. It was my folly to display her like a caged beast.