Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just abuse and then fix their relationship. WARNING THIS CHAPTER IS M WHEN THEY ARE IN HER BEDROOM AT THE END! I SUGGEST SOLITUDE AND PLEASE DON'T OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY WHILE READING AND THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT BE READ AT WORK! THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES EXPLAINING TO HIM MORE IN DEPTH GOES OUT TO UNNAMED VISITOR! I LOVE YOU DARLING AND HOPE I SATISFY YOU IN THIS CHAPTER! SORRY I WENT A-WALL THE LAST FEW DAYS! I HAD REAL LIFE STUFF SUCH AS FAMILY REUNIONS AND NOW MY CEILING IN MY BASEMENT HAS FALLEN IN SO I'M NOT SURE HOW FAST I'll BE ABLE TO UPDATE BUT I WILL TRY SOON AND NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE VOW RENEWAL!
Catherine hurried along the corridors towards the dining room, Henry at her side. She was never late for dinner and wasn't going to start now.
"Catherine, we could have finished." Henry said, irritated.
"Henry, our son and the soldiers are waiting in the banquet hall for us to join them and show our support of their bravery at taking Calais. I have never been late and I am not going to start now." Catherine said, huffily.
"I was just trying to," Henry started before Catherine stopped him with a wave of her wrist, and quite irritated now, Catherine interrupted him. "I know what you were just trying to do, Henry. We have been doing that every chance we get for the past two weeks and there will be time for it later, as there will always be. We mustn't neglect our duties as we are the ruling bodies of Fra," All of a sudden he grabbed her and pulled her up against a wall, pinning her between him and the wall, and kissed her on the lips.
"Henry, what in the name of all that's holy do you think you are doing? Someone will see us!" Catherine said, alarmed as his hands started to roam over her body and he started kissing along her jawline.
"Good, they'll all know you belong to me, and me alone." Henry whispered seductively in her ear, as one of his hands took her clothed breast in his hand.
Trying to keep the moan that had formed in her throat from escaping as Henry's lips brushed against her ear, she bit her bottom lip and feebly mumbled, "We will be late."
"Umhmm," Henry moaned, as he started sucking on her ear, her earring tickling her neck, as his hands grasped her waist and pulled her flush against him. Resting her hands on his chest, she moved her head to the side giving him more access to her neck she sighed as he started blowing a hot trail down her neck and started kissing back up to her lips, his tongue begging for entrance, which she granted. So lost in the kiss, they failed to hear the footsteps of Francis, Mary, Bash, Kenna and Greer coming towards them. Clearing his throat to get his parents attention, Francis interrupted them. Catherine cheeks were pink with embarrassment as Henry pulled back and turned to their very shocked intruders.
"Father. Mother." Francis greeted awkwardly as Catherine smoothed her dress down and plastered a regal, hopefully indifferent look on her face and nodded at everyone acknowledging their presence as Mary, Kenna, and Greer curtsied ungracefully and Bash awkwardly bowed.
"Ahh, Francis, your mother and I were just," Henry started to explain.
"On our way to dinner to celebrate the great victory of Calais." Catherine said interrupting Henry's explanation, unsure of what he was going to say of their activities.
"Yes, well, can I speak to you both for a moment." Francis asked, turning to his little group accompanying him. "Alone."
"Yes, of course," Henry answered as everyone except he, Catherine and Francis were left alone to their discussions.
"Look, I understand you are both grownups and married but parading your affairs in the halls like you can't control yourselves is unacceptable behavior for a King and Queen." Francis said, enraged at their behavior, "Mary and I don't flaunt ourselves out in the open where the whole castle can see and I'm really surprised that with everything that has happened between you two, Mother, that you would act in such a fashion. I just can't believe that,"
Cutting him off and offended, Henry said, "You forget who you speak to. We are your parents and your rulers and deserve the utmost respect. I already informed you earlier that our affairs are none of your business! If it wasn't for your mother, I'd," Henry said threateningly, before Catherine cut him off warning them both. "Henry, Francis, this is not the time nor the place for this conversation. After dinner tonight, perhaps we can,"
"No, I will not wait until after dinner, you need to explain this to me right now!" Francis said facing his mother, his voice rising to a crescendo with each word.
"Francis," Catherine said scolding him, "You need to stop getting so hysterical and you know to never use that tone of voice with me."
More respectful this time, Francis replied "I am just worried for you, Mother. You never acted this way before and I don't want you being a conquest of father's."
"Francis, my sweet, sweet boy," Catherine said, taking his face in her hands, "I love it that you are trying to take care of your mother in this manner, but I assure you that it isn't your father's intention to hurt me this time. I am happier than I have been for years in my marriage and I need all my children to be happy for us. I love your father and this is our second chance at happiness. There are many things in my past that you don't know about that have caused me to distrust everyone I love. When I was a child, I was taken hostage by the rebels in Florence and held in a convent for several years. My life was under continual threat and I was in constant fear of death and things that are far worse and last much longer for its victims. I was finally rescued by my uncle, Pope Clement, but not for reasons of love. I have been no more than a chess piece for my family from the day I was born, so a little over a month later I was sent to France to wed your father. I never thought once of trusting him with the events of Florence and my capture. I hadn't a clue how to trust anyone and still battle it every day but at least now I am trying. We are trying together to overcome our fears."
Stepping over to Catherine to put an arm around her waist, drawing her to his side, Henry said, "Your mother and I both had a lot that happened in our childhood to cause our trust issues. Early in our marriage we were happy for a time, but we never shared our individual burdens with each other as we should have. When I was a young boy, my father was captured and held as a prisoner in Spain. To secure his release, he used my brother and I as pawns. He traded us for his own life and we were in that hell hole for three damn years. While I was held there, I promised myself that I would never trust someone I loved ever again. When I married your mother, I fell in love with her and wanted to trust her, but I found out something that she had hidden from me and when I asked her about it she lied, and I purposed to never trust her again. When I was faced with the true possibility of actually losing her forever, without anger to cloud my judgment, I hated myself and still do for all the wasted time and my many indiscretions, and I gave my heart and trust finally to her." Grateful for his support, Catherine had relaxed into Henry's touch and was rubbing small circles of comfort into the hand on her waist.
"You see, Francis," Catherine said in a soothing tone, "We have quite a lot that we are working through at the moment, and yes, our behavior might be a bit erratic but we are still learning as we go along and we are enjoying our time together. I'm sorry if your parents showing affection in public embarrasses you, but it will just have to be something you'll have to get used to." Looking up at Henry she continued, "Granted that much affection will be limited to more private places from now on. Won't it, Henry?" she chided.
"Your mother will make me suffer for this later, Francis. She is quite the disciplinarian, always having to keep me in line." Henry said smirking at her.
"Well, someone has to." Catherine said, cheekily, "Now, Francis I do hope this is enough explanation for right now, as you two have made me unfashionably late for dinner and our guests." She said as she turned towards the dining hall, Henry and Francis following along behind her.
"I am sorry for my reaction and how I spoke to you both. I was very disrespectful and I am happy if you both are happy. It will be nice having you two as allies instead of enemies." Francis said as they reached the dining room.
Their presence was announced and before they were seated Henry and Catherine both congratulated the men on their victory and proposed toasts in their honour. Dinner was long and boring with so many noblemen gathered in one room and Henry was already irritated by the ramblings of Lord Cheapskate talking about his dowry for his daughter that he shouldn't have to pay. To pass his long torturous ordeal, he had drank quite a lot of wine that night and was going to have a headache of mass proportions the next morning. He chanced a glance at Catherine to see how she was holding out with Duke Pretty Boy who had been getting too close since she had sat down. To make matters worse, Catherine was laughing at his stupid jokes like he was the life of the party. Why was she looking at him that way? The man was a pompous ass with surely no good agenda in mind. In fact, as a man, Henry knew exactly what the man's thoughts were as his eyes roamed over Catherine's face and spanned down her body to her heaving bosoms and beyond.
Henry tried averting his eyes, chugged the rest of his drink, and tried to listen to the man seated next to him but his attention was drawn back to Catherine as she exclaimed rather loudly at one of the Duke's jokes. Calling for another drink, Henry watched the man and imagined slow, painful ways to kill him as he lowered his voice so she would have to move closer and he could see her cleavage better. The nerve of the bastard, being here in his Court, at his mercy, and he was flirting with his wife right in front of him! Finally receiving his full tumbler of wine, he drank more slowly as he watched the Duke and the evil thoughts that were now written on his face, as he leaned more towards Catherine and placed a sneaky hand underneath the table. What happened next drove Henry insane with jealousy and caused the wine to ignite his anger. Catherine, facial expression unchanged from the Duke's lode act, placed her hand also under the table. Unable to think that Catherine was removing his hand from her clothed knee, his mind too clouded by the mirth, Henry stood to his feet, quite ungracefully, and threw his half-full glass at the Duke's head, splattering the Duke and Catherine with the liquid, and missing them both hitting the wall behind them. At the rising of the King, everyone had come to attention and quieted, and had all seen the King's catapulting of the glass against the wall, interrupting the merriment in the room. Catherine, wine running down her face onto her dress, stood to her feet and grasped for her napkin.
Pulling her towards him, he ignored Catherine's low warning to not make the matter any worse, and Henry addressed the room. "Everyone, I would like to announce that my wife and I are supposed to be having a renewal of our love for each other in two weeks. However, with her flirting of this baboon on her right tonight, I doubt her sincerity to this cause. I, however, will not be made a fool of again by you, Catherine. Guards, detain the Duke in the dungeon until further notice. You will not visit your lover under those conditions, I bet." Henry exclaimed, as he trudged out of the dining hall into the corridors, whilst the guards removed the Duke from his chair and dragged him off to the dungeon.
As regally and unbothered as she could look after such a humiliating circumstance, Catherine said to the wide eyed stares of the people in front of her, "I must apologize for my husband's behavior, tonight. He has consumed more than he should in his merriment and isn't thinking clearly. Do continue your celebrations." She said, and excused herself to go and clean up her appearance.
Walking toward her room, Catherine's fury towards Henry's public humiliation of her again, made her barely able to keep up the civil gait that she always carried. She just wanted to strangle him! How dare he accuse her after all of his betrayals. She could understand he was drunk. She could understand his anger towards the Duke for being so blatant in his flirting, but she could not understand him thinking she was going to cheat on him after everything they had shared and accomplished in the past couple of weeks. Henry's stupid, jealous ego was still very much in play. Catherine sighed as she turned down the corridor that led to her rooms when she saw Henry there waiting for her.
"Well, if it isn't my adulterous little wife." Henry said a cold distance apparent as he spoke.
"Not now, Henry. I haven't the patience to deal with your stupidity at the moment." Catherine said icily, trying to move past him as Henry had now blocked her path.
"Catherine, I need an explanation for your actions tonight." He said, as he moved with her to block her path of escape to her room.
"You need an explanation of "MY" actions tonight?" Catherine said scoffing at his insinuation that it was her fault for the scene in the dining room. "I acted as an appropriate Queen does when her King makes an outrageous scene because he is too drunk to recognize his actions."
"I am talking about you flirting with that snake beside of you, Catherine. I thought we were working on our marriage, not encouraging the affections of others." Henry said, grabbing her wrist to still her attempts at trying to move around him.
"I haven't the slightest idea what you are referring to, Henry. I was not encouraging him in any way. How dare you accuse me of that!" Catherine said, pulling her wrist free from his now loose grip on her.
Henry laughed, mirth and resentment present as he said, "I think I know when my wife is encouraging someone."
"I was trying to discourage him and still be diplomatic. You shouldn't have reacted that way, Henry. The man has a lot of influence and you have probably made many enemies by the stunt you pulled tonight.
"Oh, and you two unable to keep your hands off of each other in front of your husband is acceptable behavior?" Henry exclaimed, yelling now.
Catherine, struck him in her rage and screamed, "He touched me, Henry! I was removing his hand from my knee without making a fuss because I knew you were watching and didn't want you to make a scene which I obviously miscalculated. I didn't want him touching me, you fool! I didn't want to touch him. My skin was crawling from the moment I saw who I was seated beside of. I know of his reputation and was afraid something like this would happen, but I had faith in our newfound trust in one another that everything would be alright. I was dreadfully wrong though and this conversation is useless as I now see. You are intoxicated, so when you have come to your senses, I will be in my room. Don't speak to me until you have let Duke Salmon'e out of the dungeon, and are ready to apologize to me for your behavior. You can forget about renewing our vows. I now wish we had never married in the first place!"
In his dazed state, Catherine was finally able to get past Henry and into her quarters, locking the door behind her. Sliding down the door to the floor, Catherine sat with her back up against the door and cried softly to herself. She was exhausted from the whole ordeal, and didn't have the strength to haul herself to the bed. Her world was shattered again. This time it was worse than all the times before though because her heart had been fully open to the hope that things would be different and she had tasted of heaven.
She fell into a weary driven sleep when she was startled by the vibrations on the door from someone knocking. She had a strong inclination it was Henry. Who else would it be? No one else would dare disturb her after the events of the last few hours. She kept quiet, hoping he would just go away for the night. Her hope was shattered though when he spoke.
"Catherine, I know you are in there. Let me in, we need to talk." Henry said, not unkindly through the door.
"Henry, go away. I told you not to speak to me until you had released the Duke and was ready to apologize. I am not going to have a midnight conversation with you in your inebriated state." Catherine said, in a soft tired voice, head in hands.
"Please let me in. I don't want to do this in the hallway through your door." Henry said, quietly.
"Do what, Henry? If you came to accuse me of more indiscretions I haven't committed, you can stand out there and do it." She replied.
"I didn't come to yell at you. I came to say, I'm sorry." He said lowly, causing Catherine to barely hear what he said.
She wasn't ready to relent just yet though and chided him. "You'll have to speak up, Henry. I didn't understand you without you yelling in my face."
"I said I'm sorry, Catherine. Won't you let me apologize properly?" Henry said louder this time, but keeping his voice gentle. Henry held his breathe waiting to see if she would grant his request. Slowly, Catherine pulled herself up from the floor and opened the door. She was sure she was unfit to be seen at this time by anyone, with sticky wine still all over her and her makeup that had run from her tears that she had shed and from sleeping against the door for a few hours, but she didn't care at this moment. She was tired of hiding her emotions away. Let Henry see her turmoil and the pain he had caused her. The sight that greeted Henry broke his heart. He felt like the complete ass that he was. His beautiful Angel looked like a beach after a hurricane. She bore the effects of his jealousy on her beautiful face. Catherine couldn't stand to look at him in that moment so she walked over to her mirror and started removing her tiara and jewelry, waiting for him to speak.
"I let the Duke out of the dungeon with my apologies for my drunken behavior. I've fixed the problem so you needn't worry now." Henry said, stepping into the room and locking the door. He walked over to Catherine, standing behind her as she continued taking down her hair.
"I am sorry for my behavior tonight. We can still renew our vows." He said as he tried placing his hands on her hips but Catherine knocked them away.
"No, Henry." Catherine said, as she sat her pins and crown down and pulled out her brush to comb her hair, sitting down.
"Why not, Catherine? I have just apologized three times and I took care of the problem of the Duke. You couldn't still be mad." Henry said questioningly, as he stood watching her brush her long, beautiful locks.
Catherine, now infuriated, slammed the brush down on the desk and stood to face him. "You accuse me of adultery in front of everyone and you think I'll give in so easily to your demands. You really think I want to proclaim our renewed love and trust to the world when this is the second scene you have made over another man, publicly humiliating me in front of all of French Court! I never created such a fuss when you paraded every whore you wished in front of everyone, and in case you haven't noticed, I know how to handle a man's affections that aren't my husband's. You still don't trust me, Henry. You don't see me following your every move and monitoring every conversation you have with other women. I am trying to trust you! When I stand with you to proclaim our union once more, this time I have to know it's for forever. I have to know you trust me! Otherwise, it won't be worth anything and we'll be right back where we started." She said sadly.
"I just get so jealous, and my behavior tonight against you was uncalled for, yes, but I just can't stand the thought of anyone else touching you, Catherine. I need you and I need to always be with you. No one else can ever take you away from me. I won't let them." Henry said forcefully, lust gathering in his gaze as his eyes roamed over her.
Catherine sighed, exasperated by his male ego. "Henry, I love you! Don't you understand that? I don't want anyone else! You've ruined me for other men. Who else would put up with me?"
"To have you in their bed, a man would put up with a great many things, Catherine." Henry said smirking at her, thinking of how he would claim her right now if she would let him.
"Oh, so I am just a burden, or a prize to be claimed? Henry, get out! You still don't understand what I am trying to say so just leave!" Catherine yelled, offended beyond words, trying to hit him with her hairbrush.
Grabbing her arms, blocking her attack, he said loudly trying to reason with her, "Catherine, you are not a burden, you are my wife and I love you! You know how my stupid ego is. You've dealt with me for years! I am a dimwitted cretin and although I am a King there is one thing I fear. Don't leave me! I trust you! It is myself I don't trust and yes that makes me a hypocritical jackass. I am an imbecile, but please marry me again and make me the happiest man in France." Henry said and pulled her to him, kissing her roughly. Catherine fought against his kiss at first, but softened as her heart betrayed her mind and she gave into his tongue forcing its way into her mouth. Damn that man and his effect on her body. Henry's grip on her softened then and as he let go of her arms, she pulled away from his lips and brought her hand up to slap him across his face.
"What the hell, Catherine." Henry said, shocked at her assault of him.
"I will not be manhandled, Henry. A few pretty words and forceful kisses solves nothing." Catherine said with vigor, before grabbing him and kissing him again. She couldn't help herself; she needed him and all his insecurities. Henry was utterly confused, but he wasn't going to complain. Henry moaned as Catherine brought her arms up to grasp his shoulders as her tongue swirled in and out of his mouth. When he brought his hands up to grasp her breasts, Catherine took his bottom lip into her mouth gently at first but when his movements on her stilled, she bit down, earning a small yelp of surprise from him, before retracting from him.
"Take my dress off, Henry. Now!" Catherine ordered, as she turned around so he could obey her command.
Henry asked, "Catherine, are we going to,"
"I don't know yet, and your insolence will weigh into my decision." Catherine said, forcefully interrupting him, impatient for him to continue. He started taking off her dress, his hands flicking over her body seductively, as his lips started kissing the skin revealed at the back of her neck, teasing and romancing her body. Catherine was enjoying his affections, but she did her best to still her movements against his touches, wanting more before she gave into him. Tonight he would work to please her, and it would not be an easy task. As his tongue flicked over the nape of her neck up to her earlobe and took it into his mouth, moaning while he sucked, she was hardly able to repress the shiver that ran up her spine. She was sure she had, but Henry had felt her body's reaction, so as he undid her last button, he let the dress gather at her waist and ran his fingers tenderly down her left side and back up to cup her breast through her undergarments and then did the same with his other hand to her right breast. He pulled her back fully against his chest to view her rounded nipples through her shift and squeezed her breasts in his palms and started massaging her peaked nipples, earning him a small sigh from Catherine as she rested her head back against his chest, giving him more access to her neck. He took full advantage of his opportunity and started kissing from her cheek down to her neck while his nimble fingers worked their magic on her now engorged breasts.
"Mmm, Henry," Catherine moaned, caught up in the bliss of his hands and mouth on her, but needing more.
"Yes, Darling?"Henry softly whispered into her ear, as he ran his thumb slowly and lightly down her abdomen towards her belly button.
"Finish with my clothing. I wish to go to, ahh," Catherine gasped and forgot what she was saying as his hand reached down the front of her dress and gripped her between her thighs through her shift.
"Where do you wish to go, dear?" Henry seductively asked, as he started grinding his member against her backside, and moved his hand rhythmically in tune against her center. Catherine's left hand wound itself up to grasp Henry's neck whilst her right when to urge his hand between her legs on in his efforts.
"Harder," Catherine commanded, as his hand pressed her on. Henry stilled his movements with his hand long enough to grip her hand and bring it to her clit.
"Show me." He instructed her, as he pressed his fingers over hers, urging her to continue as he pulled her shift down to meet her dress and pushed her garment down over her hips to puddle at her feet. Catherine momentarily stopped her movements as he had removed her clothes, and free from her clothing she walked over to her bed and pulled the covers down and laid down on her back, in Henry's line of sight so he could see her swirling of her hand in and out of herself. As much as he wanted to join her, he was rooted to the spot as he watched her toying with herself. What a goddess she was!
Her moans of ecstasy brought him out of his trance, and he started pulling all his clothes off. Finally blessedly naked, he strutted over to the bed and knelt before her, pulling her hips towards his mouth opening her to him fully. As she put pressure on herself, he dipped two fingers in her juices and smeared them across her backside, before dipping his tongue into her hot cave and running his drenched fingers to her back cavern, testing her and giving her time to adjust, inserting first one, then two fingers into her, and then started pumping in and out of her, as his other hand squeezed one of her plump breasts. Catherine screamed in pleasure and jerked at his fingers entering her, as one hand fisted the sheets and the other pushed herself tighter into Henry's mouth.
"Mmhmm, my sweet, yes, come for me," Henry urged, his voice muffled as his mouth and fingers worked her harder, sending jolts of electricity coursing through her body, as finally the volcano inside of her spewed forth her hot lava and soaked Henry's tongue in her goodness. Without giving Catherine time to completely come down from her high, Henry stood fast and pulled her to the edge of the bed and placed her legs on either side of his shoulders and pushed into her, hard, causing her to scream and clench around him harder than before, doubling her pleasure and sending her back over the edge of her abyss. Clenching her breasts in his hands, he pumped into her hard and fast, giving her no time to adjust, riding her harder than he ever had. Catherine grabbed his arms scratching him as she clawed his arm in her enjoyment.
Henry suddenly withdrew and changed his position from standing on the floor to kneeling on the bed over her, driving into her harder than before, while applying pressure on her shoulders driving himself deeper into her. Catherine took the full impact of his punishing thrusts, digging her nails across his back, surely leaving scratches and drawing blood. Henry, uncaring, continued on until he finally felt her start to clench around him again, and with one final hard thrust, finally let the heat that had built in his belly spill blessedly into her, filling her to completion. Rolling to the side, taking Catherine with him and still inside of her, unable to move, they fell into oblivion together.
SO I HOPE THIS MADE UP FOR ME LEAVING YOU GUYS HANGING! SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! I LOVE YOU GUYS AND DO IT FOR Y'ALL