Disclaimer: I neither own Reign, nor profit from this story.

Coming to consciousness slowly Catherine gave her body a chance to awaken before, opening her eyes. When she finally did, taking in the morning dawn and…Henry.

He was propped up on one elbow, staring at her.

Blinking a few times to fully clear her eyes and give herself a moment to collect her thoughts, Catherine focused on her husband to try and discern what he was thinking.

She didn't have to wait long as he leaned forward and planted a kiss full on her lips.

Ahhhh, so he planned on holding her to the promise that she had yet again broken last night. Well she she supposed she had put this off long enough. He had indeed not been nearly as uncaring as when this bout of interest had begun and had over the past several weeks taken a bit more care in paying her…them some attention, as short a time as she was certain it would ultimately last.

Conceding to his unspoken request she had just started to respond when he pulled back and said plainly, "Good morning Catherine."

This time blinking in surprise, Catherine answered in kind.

Henry chuckled gently at the rare appearance of confusion on his wife's face.

"I was sincere in my concern and in my assurances that first night. Though I look forward to reuniting with you in every way, I have no intention of forcing you into something when you are emotionally compromised."

Once hand coming up to cup her cheek and run his thumb along the smooth skin he continued, "I never forced you to to fulfill your duty to me in this way Catherine even on our wedding night, and I have no intention of starting now. I have always loved you, I guess I just…"

But his speech was interrupted by her finger on his lips. "Henry you need to make me no promises, nor flatter me with platitudes or pleasantries."

Sighing as she gazed into his eyes and tried to convince him of her position without hurting him further. "This has been a marriage of convenience for so long, Henry you don't need to put all this effort in on my behalf. You are the King, and I your Queen, and that is enough."

Sighing as she moved her hand along his cheek to mirror his own. Leaning up and drawing him downward she slowly left a peck on his lips before sliding out of the bed.

He watched her walk away and flopped back onto her mattress for just a moment longer.

He could already smell the salts she used for her bath and earlier noticed several of her ladies coming in and out, presumably preparing her morning necessities so that she could put on her long perfected facade as Queen.

It was something that she gradually donned in their early year but he never noticed until she was so well practiced that she even began using it on him, and more and more frequently at that.

Catherine's nickname as Madame La Serpente was something that she had truly earned, but not without good reason or the cost that went with it.

She was hated by many, in her country of birth and here. Considered a foreigner, a commoner who reached far beyond her station, a usurper, but it was not any of these things that were the cause of the hatred. It was the fact that she was so formidable, so powerful, especially as a woman. Rarely openly, and never with the blunt force that he wielded except in the odd time or two they had been a united front, but powerful all the same.

Returning from her bath dressed only in a robe and with her hair hair pinned up haphazardly Henry decided that if he could he would love to just freeze this moment and remain here forever.

Catherine looked so young, so relaxed and almost carefree as she walked over to her wardrobe to decide on her attire for the day.

He knew that with no upcoming events to host and no other pressing problems that Catherine likely had time yet before she needed to be anywhere. Rising at this hour was a practice borne out of preference and not necessity so that she could take her time in preparing for the day.

She had explained that once not long after they had been married and were still spending the night together.

One morning she had awoken before him and managed to escape his grasp without him even stirring from his slumber. Already halfway through her routine before he even awoke he sleepily whined about her rising so early.

As the commoner wife of the second son in the line of succession there literally was nothing she was required to do except to produce heirs, which she was quite clearly not planning on doing that morning.

Saying as much from his place in her bed she explained to him how the layers that she was required to put on in preparing for the day could be stifling and so by taking time to prepare herself for them and then applying them carefully the burden became just a little less.

Having apparently decided on what she would wear Catherine called one of her ladies over to assemble the ensemble for the day while she moved over to her vanity to continue her morning ritual. Just a little more awake than before, Henry smiled as his wife's true and natural colors began to shine through.

Suddenly reminded of another ritual they had developed when they were young he smiled and tossed the covers off, donning his dressing gown and walking over to where his wife now sat. It was not unlike what he had done for her just a few weeks ago, except that the focus this time was less on freeing her hair form the pins that held it in place and more on attending to her in caring an intimate way.

Seeing his movement in the mirror Catherine looked up at him with one eyebrow quirked, but otherwise remained silent.

Walking up behind her he began to remove the few pins that remained so that he would have free access to her amber curls, laying them neatly on her vanity as he went.

Narrowing her eyes at him Catherine still made no moves of protest but did inquire in a particular suspicious voice. "Henry what are you doing? If you're not careful it will take three times as long for me to actually get ready for the day as I will have to go and wash my hair because you will have pulled it all apart and made a mess of it."

Had it truly been that long?

He used to love doing this for her, and she seemed to enjoy it herself, at least most of the time.

"Don't worry Catherine I will be careful. I may be out of practice at removing your pins and caring for you in this way, but it has not been so long that I have forgotten everything."

"But if you aren't careful…"

"You can always pull it into one of those full buns that I love so much, or out it up in braids. Those always took care of any carelessness on my part."

Still pouting and trying to protest despite what Henry was doing to her, Catherine gave up and began to rearrange her vanity instead. She so badly wanted to pick her cuticles, but knew that Henry would recognize the habit and scold her for it.

She just didn't understand.

Why was he taking such care with her? She had already excused him from any such necessities regarding this deal they had, though in the end it had more to do with protecting her own heart than in alleviating him of a burden.

After all it was society's opinion that it was the wife that was beholden to a husband and not the other way around.

Just this, remembering how he used to care for her, attending to her in such a way that made her hope, even if only in such a small way. It would only lead to her falling apart all the more when he eventually abandoned her again.

Oh, but this did feel good.

Closing her eyes for just a moment she allowed herself to relax just a little farther into what he was doing, and accept his offering.

She would just have to work harder to reinforce her walls later.

-/-/-/-

She knew that the lord's overall did not appreciate what they so often called her 'meddling' but this was far too much, even for one of them.

Based on what her ladies were able to uncover, it was that one last tiresome lord that would not leave her alone around the time when Charles fell that seemed to be responsible for the notes and the suggested threats of plague. All false of course, but that was beside the point.

As it happens he hadn't properly silenced the servants he had paid to carry out his plans and it was put together so hastily that several other key details in covering his methods remained unattended to. That in addition to the speed in which he had to put such a plot together thanks to her son's misadventure made the plan rather simple to uncover. Marching briskly towards the throne room where Henry was hosting several of the lords she planned to call him out on it and present the proof that she had.

An injustice like this could be easily enough looked over if Henry or the other lords were in an inopportune mood so at the very least she planned to embarrass him as a way of making a point.

Striding confidently through the doors she was about to announce her evidence to all that were near enough to hear it when she was stopped dead in her tracks.

To her utter surprise, kneeling down in the middle of the throne room with guards on either side was the Noble she was intent of confronting.

"Ahhhh, Catherine…I'm glad you have joined us. I have a present for you."

Apparently Henry had other plans.

Blinking and taking in the scene before her for just a moment longer Catherine found herself at a loss for words.

How had he…what did he…

"I noticed earlier that your ladies seemed to be on some sort of mission and inquired. They informed me of their task and I asked that they report whatever conclusion they came to to me first. Now I am certain that such a valuable and honored subject of the kingdom did not intend to cause such distress for his Queen and my wife and so he has been given the option to apologize now and be allowed free, with your blessing of course my Queen.

Catherine could barely contain the smile that threatened to blossom on her face so instead she turned it into a one sided smirk and turned ever so carefully to face the accused.

Some days her husband never ceased to surprise her.

After meeting her gaze unyieldingly for just a moment he mumbled his apology decidedly not meeting her gaze. Henry was clearly not satisfied with this as he indicated for one of the guards to remind him of his place and very precarious position.

A swift kick to the abdomen communicated his message perfectly and when the Noble was again able to rise into there vertical he grudgingly but far more convincingly apologized for his actions. Walking over to him slowly Catherine continued to eye him before looking away and flicking her hand toward the guards.

"Majesty?" inquired the other guard as her motion was distinctive but not quite clear.

"Remove his hat and his ornaments. The gems are to be divided among my ladies who discovered his ill will towards me and he is to be banned from court business for a week's time. If he for some reason finds that he needs to enter these hallowed halls he should make the request to me personally."

Continuing in her way toward the throne, she walked up the steps with such poise that one might never have guessed that anything untoward had even happened. Turning abruptly and flicking her chin at an angle that suggested that any additional petitioners should think twice about approaching, she decided that she would discuss this with Henry later.

What she would discuss was still in question, she did not like being beholden to him, even for something as simple as this, although in all other ways it was sweet.

Why did this have to be so complicated?