28th April 1603

[no_sin_but]

The streets are full of people who had come to pay their last respects to the only monarch most of them had ever known. Watching from windows, doorways, the streets and gutters and it's crowded.

(the queen is dead)

Marlowe keeps his hand tight around Mary Anne's, so tight that the wedding ring on his finger digs in, but it's that kind of crowd. Let go, and let go forever.

(and the bells are tolling)

He leads her over to a wall, the wall of an inn and helps her up onto the barrels before joining her. One hand holding into the sign to the left of him for balance, the other hook around her waist and keeping her close.

(the queen is dead)

"'Right?" He asks her, voice loud in her ear but it's the only way to hear over the press of people and the church bells.

Comments

[song_tra_bong]

Mary Anne has never been to a funeral.

You didn't bury people in Vietnam.

Tagging and bagging your best friend is not a funeral.

There is something rising here--like a tide, like a wave--the anticipation for when this procession of the living peters out and it becomes a procession of the dead. Everyone is waiting to see her. Everyone is waiting to say goodbye.

Mary Anne's fingers tighten on Kit's arm and she hangs on.

[no-sin-but.livejournal.com]

The coffin is covered in purple velvet, and drawn by four horses in black. The effigy of the late Queen is dressed in the robes of state complete with crown and sceptre and it's all a theatre.

That's all royalty really is.

It doesn't mean that it isn't damn effective, though, and it doesn't mean that Marlowe's arm doesn't tighten around Mary Anne even as not a shred of emotion passes over his too pale face.

[song_tra_bong]

Mary Anne remains statue-still beside him

(there will never be anything like this for you by the time you're dead the universe will probably be collapsing and there will be no one left to mourn you will only get to watch watch watch them go so get used to it)

and tries not to think.