Her execution was the following morning and as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She'd been sitting there for nearly an hour now and she could still not face the fact that in a few hours she would be dead. No longer would she able to hug sweet young Charles in her arms, no longer would she look out the window and see France stretched out before her. There would be no more leisurely walks in the garden, no more loving smiles from her children. No way to protect Francis from his certain doom, he children would be ripped from their birthright and left as orphans. Tears threatened to flow down her cheeks and she took a long shaky breath. On top of it all Henry wanted to make a spectacle of her death, to have the whole kingdom relish in her blood even her own children. It was one thing if she was to be executed in the dungeons in private but in front of everyone?! Wasn't that a little extreme. She sighed again and looked up at herself in the mirror again.
She couldn't even manage to kill Bash or Mary before her own demise. She would've been at peace knowing that the threat had been extinguished even if it cost her life. Yet the Scottish Queen and castle ghost seemed to outsmart her every time. There as only one other way to die, by her own hand. She'd tried it slit her wrist or hang herself for a clean escape but she'd been thwarted time and time again. One more option remained however, she'd saved this option for last knowing it would be her undoing. There it was, the poison sitting on her vanity.
This was her last resort there was nothing else to be done, reaching out a ringed hand she opened the small bejeweled container. A tiny pinch of periwinkle poison stared up at her, she took it between her fingers and looked up for a moment. Her red dress flowed around her like a bloody waterfall and her copper hair was curling around her shoulders. She murmured a prayer for her children under her breath before popping the poison into her mouth and swallowing. Instantly her vision began to blur and her breathes became challenging, clutching her chest she stumbled sideways and collapsed to the floor. Her eyes fluttered and she vaguely heard the door swing open behind her, hardly even heard the horrified scream.
Henry had been thinking about her for hours on end, he couldn't shake her out of his mind. As much as he hated her for her betrayal and trying to ruin his chances for England he couldn't bear the thought of living without her. She was the light at the end of the tunnel...even if she usually blinded him. Despite all her mistakes and treachery he didn't know how he'd be able to watch her beheading the next morning. At that moment a servant was ushered into his ch,ambers looking horrified. "I'm sorry your Majesty but I didn't know who else to come to." She panicked.
"What is it?!" He hissed already frustrated at himself for dwelling on Catherine.
"The Queen your Majesty...she's...she's...dead."
"WHAT?!" He shouted.
"I walked in to tell her that her bath was ready and I found her...dead." She looked ready to burst into tears.
"Leave me." He demanded.
She nodded and scuttled away and Henry practically flew to Catherine's chambers. He threw the door open and his eyes darted around the room until he saw her. The servant hadn't been lying, there lay his beautiful Catherine, face down on the carpeted floor. Agony shot through his body as he fell to his knees beside her, he carefully turned her around and lifted her into his arms. Still sitting on the ground he stroked her pale cheek, "Oh Catherine." It was a tiny whisper.
Her lips were dry and slightly parted and her eyes were closed, copper hair wispy around her face. Her cheeks were pale and a dainty and freckled hand rest on her stomach the other brushing his knee. He felt tears stinging the corners of his eyes for the first time in years. Her head as cradled in his arm and her top half rest in his lap, "Catherine...I'm so sorry." Slowly he leaned down and pressed his lips to her own, they were cold and just as he pulled away she coughed.
Her coughs subsided and her eyes fluttered open, "What the bloody hell?" She croaked, her throat hoarse.
"Catherine!" He explained in surprise, "Catherine oh god you're alright."
"Yeah I've noticed." She hissed, "why?"
"That's the same question I should be asking you!" He snapped back.
"You know very much why I did this." She said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"No I don't!"
"Oh wow you really are dim." She spat, "I did it because you were going to make a show of my demise, you still are since I don't seem to die whenever it would best suit me." She tried to adjust herself and remove herself from his lap but an alarming pain in her head made her fall limp and slightly gasping for breath.
He made ready to retort but suddenly she looked sickly and he stopped, "Catherine are you alright?"
"Oh like you care!" She moaned.
"I do care! I'm sorry okay but are you okay?!"
"I'm fine." She replied simply.
"You don't look fine." He pressed.
"I'm fine, now let me get up."
"I'm not holding you back."
She tried again but her vision started to blur and her breaths became painfully strained. Her eyes were shut in pain and her hand tightened on the fabric of his pants in an attempt to steady herself.
"You're not okay."
"No! I'm not okay! I'm going to be beheaded in the morning in front of the whole French Court! I will be remembered as "that one Queen who displeased the King of France." My children will be orphaned because their father is too much of an idiot to take care of them. They will be forced to witness my death, as the rest of French Court swims in my blood they'll realize that they are now targets. They've been ripped from their birthright by that bastard and your mistress Diane who could always outdo me in anything. No matter how damn hard I tried I was never enough! God Henry you've hurt me, over and over again I've fallen for your lies. I slit my wrist and tried to bleed to death but alas Mary was too much of a hero to let me die. I tried to hang myself but the great Nostradamus came to my rescue. My last attempt at a unnoticed death was poison but oh look my faithful husband has saved me!" She cried out and at this point her voice was cracked, "Let me die please."
He sat there staring at her in shock, "Catherine..." He didn't know what to say.
"Don't!" She said holding a hand to her head.
"Catherine I didn't...I didn't I just..."
"Stop yelling." She muttered, her eyes still closed.
"Im not yelling." He said lowering his voice non the less.
"Please be quiet, I've got a killer headache. I don't suppose I'll have to put up with it much longer considering my heads coming off tomorrow." She growled.
"Catherine I'm not going to kill you." He said, noticing that she was three shades paler then usual.
"Oh had my broken hearted speech changed your mind?"
"No...Yes...No...I wasn't going to kill you in the first place, I mean I was but..."
"Stop, stop." She said holding her hand up for him to stop, he noticed that it was trembling slightly.
"What kind of poison was that?" He inquired.
"One that failed in bringing me to my grave." Even if she was ill her spunk was uneffected.
"Seriously Catherine you're acting off, what's up with you."
"Oh I don't know, I poisoned myself! Maybe that's why I'm acting off."
"How are you feeling?" He said trying to pick up any sign from her facial expression.
"Like I've been poisoned." She said.
"Open your eyes." He ordered.
She obliged but as she did she was squinting, he noted that her hazel eyes were bloodshot and unfocused.
"You're not okay."
"Oh really? Haven't noticed." She grumbled closing her eyes again.
"Keep your eyes open." He told her.
"No...unless you blow out some of the candles."
"Does it hurt to have this much light?" He asked suspiciously.
"No I was afraid I looked too disheveled for you and wanted to dim the lights in attempt to hide my misfortune." He opened his mouth to say something but she cut across him, "Yes you dumbo it's because it's too bright!"
He probably deserved that last comment so he stayed quiet, but he did try and get up but her moan of discomfort stopped him. "Catherine I'm giving you one last chance to tell me what the poisons side effects are."
"Or what?" He challenged.
"Or I'll tickle you." He threatened.
She stayed quiet for a few moment before speaking, she really hated to be tickled, "Well it was supposed to cause my death but as it has failed I'm very ill."
"Well that's not a good explanation, what do you mean very ill?"
"Headache, throat burn, runny nose, body pains, dizziness, slow spiral to death. You know the usual." She hissed.
"I'm not going to let this poison kill you."
"Right, because I wouldn't want to take away all tomorrow's fun." She muttered, her voice was starting to die off.
"For that last time Catherine I'm not going to kill you!"
She grimaced at his raised tone, "Stop yelling." It sounded more feeble then she would have liked.
"I'm...I'm sorry."
"For what?" She murmured.
"Yelling, everything I've put you through these last few months...everything I've out you through our whole lives together. I'm sorry for Diane and Kenna and all those promises I never kept, and being a complete butt head." She snorted at this, "I'm sorry for driving Francis away and ignoring you and mistreating you and judging Nostradamus and..."
"This isn't the time for apologies Henry." She said, her voice was softer then it had been and a still shaking hand squeezed his wrist.
"I just..."
"I know..."
"I promise not going to let you die."
"I believe that is one promise you'll keep, or at least you'll try." She said softly.
"Please just hold on to me..."
"I've never let go." She whispered and her breathing was becoming slower.
"No! No you can't die, please!"
"Sheesh Henry I'm not dying." She said with a breath of laughter, "I'm just tired."
"Oh..." He said slightly embarrassed.
"I can't promise anything." She added.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't promise that I'll live, I can't promise that I'll forgive you, I can't promise that I won't continue my attacks on Mary and Bash. I can't promise anything."
"Just promise me you'll try."
"I'll try." She breathed out.
"I love you." It came out of no where, but he knew that if she died if anything happened he would never forgive himself for not telling her.
"I love ...you too...Henry." Sleep was closing in she knew.
"Try." He said one more time.
"I'll try." She murmured, taking hold of his hand before drifting off to sleep.
He knew she couldn't promise him anything, he knew he'd have to face the whole French Court if she died or if she survived. He knew he would have to change his whole life if she survived, he would have to put every effort into saving their marriage. He knew that this was probably his last chance to love her like a proper husband. He had to try, if she tried he would try. All they could do was try.
A/N I know I know fairy tales ? literally "the kiss awakens her." Okay I guess I'm a sucker for happy endings so please review and like✌? ﾸﾏ