I took the inspiration for this piece from the story of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry the eighth.
I had always thought her story to be a romantic one, although she was beheaded by the man she loved she refused to show anything other than affection for him up until the moment she died. It has always been hinted at that Anne Boleyn was Henry's one true love, and that his promise to his father (to have a son) drove him to kill the only woman he had ever truly loved. Henry ordered the most highly skilled swordsman to behead her to cause her as little pain as possible. It is said that Henry wept on the morning of Anne's execution and that just before he died he whispered her name.