Disclaimer: I own nothing of Reign, BUT THANK GOD THEY'RE STARTING FILMING ON SEASON TWO TODAY! HUZZAH!

AN: …Let's just jump in. Enjoy the read.

Little Henry had ended up being the stickiest of the four as usual, but Catherine didn't mind. Her family had been together for once, and that was enough for her. Tucking in Elizabeth with a kiss and a loving smile, Catherine blew out the candles and walked out of her daughter's rooms. The unexpected footsteps behind her made her turn. Henry was there like a shadow, walking up right behind her with that sure stride of his. His shirt was stained in so many places, the smears across his chest looked like some sort of child's painting. The smile he gave her was an easy, untroubled smile. Would he still smile at her like that in a few weeks' time? She hoped so. Turning away with a distant nod, Catherine made her way towards her rooms, doing her best to separate her feelings out. Henry… He would say things, do things that made her forget everything. He could make her smile and laugh and dream of a happier life with him. He was the only one who had ever made her feel like she was more than what the world told her she was. An orphan. A captive. A foreign girl meant to wed the dauphin of France. He made her feel everything whole and good. Then the pain would come and she'd be left alone. That smile, she'd seen it given to so many women. So many others—Diane, for one. In her younger years, she'd thought she was special, that she was the only one who he'd ever smile for. She had thought she alone received that focused gaze of his, the one that made you feel like he would fetch a star for you. Her skies shone with stars, would he pull down a twinkling jewel for her once more?

Waving off the servants in her distracted state, she pulled out her earrings and dropped them into their box along with her rings and necklace. Tossing aside her crown as she sat at her vanity, she schooled a gasp at Henry's reflection in the glass. With a hand on the back of the couch, he balanced himself as he kicked off his boots. She'd forgotten he had been walking with her…and now she had to take off her gown and change for bed. Marvelous. Toeing off her own heels beneath the vanity, Catherine worked quickly to unpin her hair. She really didn't want to think about how she'd get out of her dress herself tonight. Unless…no. No. Definitely not. That certainly wasn't going to happen…oh. Henry stood behind her with his chest bare brushing his fingers through her loose hair. He twirled a silken lock between his fingers and she turned her head slightly, trying not to take satisfaction in the act. As the curl fell from his fingers, he took up another—brushing his fingers against her sensitive neck. She hid her shiver by standing abruptly and he followed. Catherine could feel the heat radiating off of his chest as he brushed her hair over her shoulder. Did he really intend… She held her breath as her husband's fingers began to undo the lacing on her gown.

Henry was ever so slow in taking her apart. With a gown, a corset and a chemise to go through, Catherine wondered how far he would go. How far would she let him go? Her gown was fully open and he was tugging it down, his breath hot on her neck and shoulders. The dress fell at their feet as he raised his hands to begin the same process on her corset. It was hard for her to think now as it always was when Henry did this to her. He always detested servant work, but this particular task he had come to love. Her king tossed aside the corset and she was left in only her shift. Made from the highest quality of silk and lace, her chemise whispered across her skin in luxurious style. Tonight, tonight it was a flame against her skin when her husband settled his hands at her waist. She was burning, but frozen. Catherine wanted to melt into his touch, mold herself against him to feel his solid frame against her curves. She also wanted to run far, far away from this man who had caused her such heartache, who had betrayed her countless times. Could one outweigh the other? A step forward or a step backward? Henry's hands snaked their way around to her front, one reaching up and the other reaching down and then—he let go of her. Catherine raised her head and turned in confusion at the lack of her man's touch. She watched him pace, pour out some wine, drink it and fall onto the couch.

Unsure of what to say, she began cautiously, "Henry, dear, is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Catherine." He sighed and shifted on the couch.

"…Will you not come to bed?"

A sad little chuckle. "You won't want me in your bed tonight, darling."

"What do you mean?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "If I climb in bed with you, I'll climb on top of you and ravish you until the sun comes back to kiss your hazel eyes to sleep. You'll lose your voice and wake the castle, not to mention the children. You'll be sore for days and walk with trouble. Ever color you've ever seen will pale in comparison to those when I bring you to the brink. I'll make you say my name in the Italian way when you forget yourself and lose control. You'll give this castle an education in Italian love and what it means to be my wife. I want to love you in all ways, with my heart and soul and mind and body, but I don't think that I should start by taking you to bed. I do want to get to know you again and love you as wholly as I did, but that doesn't mean that I don't desire you right now. I don't want to be the man that I was, only taking pleasures of the body. You're clever and witty and your sassy comments about our lords always make me smile.

He continued with a sigh. "I want you, but I want you to want me in every way as well. I don't want you to have the merest shadow in your mind that I don't love you, that I won't be faithful to you this time. I want you to be free when you make the choice to be with me again. This choice really is your own, Catherine. I want you to know that. I will not pressure you, but I will be thinking of you as I always do. Your smile when you hug the children, that eye roll when some servant displeases you, the little twitch at the corner of your mouth when Francis does something rather kingly." His voice dropped, that husky, lustful tone seeping in. "The way you raise your skirts slightly to slip on your shoes. How your eyelashes flutter just that bit more when I've pleased you. The way you toss your head when you're about to scream and the way your toes curl and the little hitch in your breath before you let go…"

"Henry." He opened his eyes to see her standing beside the couch. Motioning for him to sit up, she slid a pillow in behind him. "Henry, I want all that as well. Love has never been the problem for me. It's always been trust. I want to think that you're a changed man—and before you say anything, let me finish. You can say anything you want, but it's what you do that matters to me. Tonight with the children, I was happy, Henry. Ridiculously happy. You made that happen by coming to dinner, by smiling and laughing with your children. I don't need grand gestures to show how much you care, I just need you to be my loving husband. I just need you to be my Henry again. The one who'd sit with me and laugh with me and dance with me and hold me. I need the man who I could give my heart to without hesitation. I love you so deeply, Henry. I would do anything for you," She took a breath and took his hand into her lap, cradling it between her own. "You're the love of my life, everything I could have ever wanted in a husband. I—it's taking a lot for me to say this, but…I just want you. The real you. Your kindness, your charm, your warmth. I remember laying at night, beside you thinking how lucky I was. Me, just some Italian girl who happened to marry and fall in love with a prince, one that seemed to come out of fairy tales. Handsome, strong, chivalrous…romantic.

"In those years when we were apart from each other, I would think back on how foolish I was to think that a prince such as you could love someone like me and how more foolish I was to keep on loving you. I had to seal myself away to try and protect what was left of my heart. I buried the shreds of my heart deep down until you would come back, and here you are again. Back for another round. I want to trust you, Henry. I want to believe that you could love me as much as I love you, but I don't think that would be possible. I love you more than the sea loves the shore and the sky loves the sun. You are a part of me that I can't hide. I…you're my everything. You're all I've ever wanted and all I've ever needed, but my heart and my head are in a constant war over you. My heart says to let you have me, right here and right now in whatever way you want me. On this couch, on the floor, on the bed—if my heart was the only thing that ruled over me, I'd be screaming that—education you were talking about." A tired little shrug. "Then my head tells me I should leave. That you're wrong for me, that you'll hurt me and that I'm a fool for thinking this could ever work between us. My head says, all of my sense says, that I should just give up on you. Prove me wrong, Henry and you'll have my heart once more."

AN: And that's a wrap. I am so sorry my darlings, for having you wait for such a long time. Among other things, I lost my game, BUT IT'S BACK NOW! Unless this was rubbish, then please do tell me so. This is the third version of this chapter, I tried to do too many things with it, but I THINK I got it right. AGAIN, PLEASE TELL ME IF I AM DELUSIONAL. I wanted another Catherine and Henry talk, but one less…tense than the first when they first addressed the matters at hand. I wanted to show Henry and Catherine opening up a little more to each other and yes... Um, hopefully it all worked out? Please do let me know what you thought. This chapter goes out to nainachica and Guest who helped me get my shit together and actually pull off another chapter. SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU BOTH. Once more, apologies for the wait everyone.

To demedicigirl: I really do love this kind of Henry, the fatherly type. I think he's utterly adorable.

To Maya: How'd you feel about this one? Not as heavy as the last confrontation, but I think it was a little bit more…on the hopeful side? Let me know.

To Catherine Woods: And here is the chapter I was teasing you with on Twitter, let me know ASAP what you thought!

To Beawild: For this chapter, I totally took the whole "sexual prowess of a lion" line and thought long and hard on it. As I was complaining about on my Twitterfeed, I HAAAAATE chivalrous Henry, but I love chivalrous Henry. There's going to be…something that happens eventually concerning Henry and his urges. Diane will soon be addressed, I just didn't want her in this chapter because, well, I hate her hahhaa. I'm so glad you enjoyed the food fight!

To smacked lover 22: Oh, thank goodness you thought so. This wasn't on the fluff train today, but tell me what you thought! We will be seeing more of Elizabeth, but in keeping with my weird world, it'll only be Francis, Charles, little Henry and Elizabeth as the princes and princess of the castle.

To nainachicha: THANK YOU, YOU BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL PERSON FOR HELPING ME PUT TOGETHER THIS CHAPTER. For real, I totally didn't know what the hell I was going to do for this chapter, but your little prompt helped so much! There were three different versions of this chapter, but I liked this one best. How did you feel about it?

To Guest: Hello, darling. Cmere so I can just hug you real quick *hug* Thanks for helping me get back into writing. I was suffering hard, but after the little nudges you gave me on this story and the other story really helped me unblock the block. I just want to thank you. This is going to sound odd, but would you mind naming yourself? I just want to give credit where credit is due and to thank you for everything.

Also my loves, just wanted to let you know I am now officially a beta! So if there's something you want betaread, just hit me up. I got your back ;) I think I'll be updating Assurance next today, so look out for that soon.