Katherine entered the great hall, her blue eyes blazing as her husband the King and the court celebrated the birth of his bastard son. She was dressed finely as befitted her station in a gown of silver with rich pearls embedded along the bodice of her gown. Her hair was swept up and hidden by a silver veil with a lacing along its edges. She could hear the echoes of the fireworks outside the palace that boomed over London in celebration of the King's bastard son.

"Her majesty the Queen!" The herald announced, drawing the attention of the crowd and the King as she walked into the great hall. Katherine stopped and looked at her husband before dipping into a graceful curtsey and holding her hand out. A servant gave her a goblet filled with mulberry wine and she held it up in toast to her husband.

Henry met her gaze and held his goblet up to her, and she drunk from her goblet before handing it over to a servant. She turned around and walked out. She was done here.

Her ladies followed, but she sent them away so she could weep. How dare he? The humiliation! She tried to keep her composure, but she could not hold her tears at bay. A sob escaped her throat and she covered her mouth. She caught sight of herself in the looking glass and felt a wave of repulsion. Her body was nothing more than a wreck, after six pregnancies and only two of them brought living into the world, though God had called away her precious son. She had just lost another child towards the end of the previous year and now this?

She took an embroidered piece of cloth and dabbed at her face. She had sacrificed so much and gained so little, and though she knew a woman was fit to rule, her husband clearly did not. And now this? He dared to celebrate the birth of his bastard as if he was the legitimate issue of their union? And with that Blount woman of all people. Elizabeth Blount who had listened as Katherine had poured her heart out to her, all the while she had been with her husband at the same time. Katherine would not endure this. She would withdraw from the court and nurse her sore wounds that her husband, the man she had loved, had inflicted upon her.

Katherine was set to leave the palace and was accompanied by her ladies, when she heard a distinct "My lady." She stopped and turned to see Elizabeth Blount in a slight curtsey. One might argue that the woman had just given birth, but Katherine knew disrespect when she saw it. This woman…no, she was beneath her. She turned away and kept walking forward. Her husband's mistress did not deserve to take residence in her thoughts any further.

Katherine spent most of her days weeping and praying, asking why God did not grant her a son? She had never felt so low in her life, and yet here she was. That particular day, Katherine did not even bother to raise herself from her bedchamber, and was thus surprised when her oldest and dearest friend, María de Salinas, now Lady Willoughby had appeared.

"María? What are you doing here? You have just given birth!" The Queen protested, rising into a sitting position. She didn't bother wiping her tear strained eyes. What was the use in that?

"I could ask the same of you Catalina, this is not like you," Maria said, her face soft, but her eyes alit with fire.

"Then you have heard of my newest humiliation?" The Queen choked out bitterly. She felt like crying once again, but held herself together, if only because her friend was here.

"The birth of the Fitzroy bastard? Indeed," María retorted, sitting next to her. "And I wonder, why has this low born bastard, driven away the Queen of England, and the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs?" Katherine felt the reproach in her words, but knew them to be true even if they stung her. Could she not have comfort?

"You love your husband too much, and this is where your fault lies," María said, grasping her hand and clenching it. Katherine stared at her in confusion. What did she mean? For was it not the duty of every good Christian woman to love her husband? And Katherine did resolve to be a good Christian woman.

"It's not equal Katherine, the love you bear for him is greater than the love he bears for you. And that is why you hurt so much." María paused, a frown on her face. "Or perhaps I should say, you are more invested in him than needs be. Perhaps you should love your husband, but know that he is not the end of all things."

Katherine recoiled at her words, shocked etched across her face. Was it true? Had she been that way with Henry? Katherine had vowed to never be like her sister Juana, who had been obsessed beyond reason with her husband, the scoundrel Philip the Handsome. But perhaps even though Katherine had not been obsessive, it was as María claimed: she loved Henry more than he loved her and why was that acceptable?

She looked at her friend, who gave a bitter smile.

"Invest in yourself Catalina. Your worth is priceless and you exist outside of that man. You have a country that loves you, a daughter to tend to, and friends whom love you. Love yourself enough, so that even though it will never please you that the man you love violates his marriage vows continuously, you can endure it as many queens and women have done before you," Maria continued, and Katherine allowed her words to seep in. Her mother had loved her father yet hated his infidelities and had to endure them. She thought again of her sister, Juana and shuddered. Lord forbid, that she should ever be reduced to such a state!

She rose to her feet shakily and stopped in front of her looking glass and felt a wave of repulsion. She had grown fat and heavy and at her short height, it was not a good look. But then when had that mattered when she was trying to bear a son for her husband and kingdom? Katherine had once taken pride in her appearance, where had it gone? She let out a long shaky sigh and turned back to María who looked at her expectedly.

"You are right María," Katherine admitted, though it pained her to face these truths. She could not wallow in lies and deception. She had to see her reality and deal with it.

She was the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, and Infanta of Castile, Aragon, and León. She was a descendent of Katherine of Lancaster and she deserved better. Henry had long clouded her thoughts, but clearly it was not the same for him. She loved him and this is how he responded to her love? She looked at her reflection once more. What she had gained, she could surely lose could she not? And why should she not enjoy herself as her husband did? She would never break her marriage vows, and love him she still did, but why should life's pleasure be denied to her? She was the Queen of England, a mother and a wife, but surely there should be time for herself.

While she was away, Katherine had discovered to her surprise that she was pregnant with another child and due to give birth within several months. She had been surprised at the news and had sent word to her husband, so that he should know. Katherine remained away from court in the care of her ladies, and following Maria's advice, she began to focus on herself until December 23, 1519, God granted her and the kingdom of England their long awaited desire, that of a healthy wailing boy who was named Edward, after the King's famous grandfather, Edward IV of England.

AN: Hello Everyone! I originally posted this on AO3 and decided to bring it over to fanfiction as well. I had started this story and scrapped it, because I didn't like the direction of it. This story should make more sense if Katherine is secure at least in the fact that she has borne her husband a son, even if she is annoyed and angry with Henry and focusing more on herself. She will be portrayed by Lotte Verbeek and I have moved her year of birth from 1485 to 1489.