A/N: Since there is a new queen, here's a look at how everyone is aging. Katherine Howard, as mentioned, is 17. Henry is 49. Charles is 55/56. Mary is 24. Amelia is 23. Elizabeth is 7. Edward is 3. John is 6. Owen is 4. Eleanor is almost 3. Jane is 1.

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20 August 1540

Amelia had not been present when Katherine had been announced as Queen. Charles had told her all about how the teenage girl danced gaily and stolen the hearts of all of the people at court. No matter what she was told, Amelia was still a little bitter. She was too young, too inexperienced. In truth, she did not want to support such a young girl as Queen. So she simply told her father that she was feeling unwell, and that she did not think that she could make the journey.

Mary, in the mean time, was still elated over the prospect of marriage to Philip. He was going to convert to the Church of England when he arrived in England to marry her. Although this was not Catholicism, Mary had determined that the religion her father had created was much closer to Catholicism than Lutheranism was. There were some delays that were preventing the marriage from taking place, but the King had assured his eldest daughter that her marriage would take place soon.

Unfortunately, Amelia couldn't avoid the King's request for her to meet Katherine for very long, and she found herself making the journey to London with Mary by her side. And, also luckily for her, the King wished that all of Amelia's children, save for Elizabeth and Edward, make the journey as well.

Lady Rochford was the one who greeted them, and Amelia quickly filled her in on the happenings of her life since they had last met. She escorted both women, as well as the children and ladies-in-waiting to Mary, into the Queen's chambers, announcing them as they entered.

"Lady Mary, Lady Amelia," Katherine greeted as they curtsied. Both women were slightly annoyed that the girl did not use their proper titles, for Mary was a Princess and Amelia was a Duchess.

"Madam," both women replied simultaneously.

Katherine stepped forward. "It gives me such pleasure to meet you," she said. A wide smile filled her face as she practically bounced over to the table by the windows and sat down. When Mary and Amelia's expression did not change and they continued to stand, Katherine's smile faltered, and she stood once again. "The King talks about you two often, no, all the time, with such affection." Once again, the two women remained stoic. "It is my dearest wish that you and I may be kind and loving and warm to each other. After all, Lady Mary and Lady Amelia, you are now my stepdaughters," she finished.

It was clear that Katherine had been expecting Amelia and Mary to welcome her into the family with warmth and open arms, despite the fact that Amelia and Mary were six and seven years older than her respectively. Amelia felt a sort of pity for her, for believing that the two older women would like her simply because she was now their step mother. She shuddered at the thought of calling a child "mother."

"We shall attend upon Your Majesty whenever Your Majesty chooses to invite us, pending the approval of our respective spouses," Mary answered for them. Amelia nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you," Katherine replied, her mood seeming much more upbeat. "Will you stay a while? My maids have made some cakes."

"No, thank you," Mary replied. "I bid you good day, madam," she said with a curtsey before turning to leave.

"I shall stay, madam," Amelia replied, a small feeling of guilty and pity weighing on her heart. "I am sure that my children would love some cakes before we return to Suffolk."

The shocked expression that had crossed Katherine's face following Mary's exit was replaced with one of joy and delight. "Of course!" the young Queen cried. "When the King told me that your children would be coming, I had my maids make special cakes for them. Come, come!"

Jane spoke up as Amelia herded her children towards the maids, who were cooing with delight over them. "Your old friend is here, Miss Joan Bulmer?" Jane said, almost smugly.

Katherine's expression turned grim as a woman walked into the room. "Perhaps we shall send cakes home with you and eat them together another time," she said, looking at the woman who had just entered.

Amelia nodded and curtsied to the Queen before leading her children out, grateful for the stranger's appearance.

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23 August 1540

Mary and Amelia found that, instead of returning home to Westhorpe, like they had originally planned to, the King had decided to call for Edward, Elizabeth, and Clemence to join them in London. He intended to introduce Edward and Elizabeth to the Queen before they left on their trip.

Amelia made sure to remind the pair to watch their manners when they met the new Queen, and to be kind and courteous towards her.

They were, and Amelia felt like a proud mother, even if they were not her children.

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10 September 1540

At long last, Mary and Philip were married. Amelia watched the ceremony with great affection and joy for the couple. Her sister's dream of being married was finally coming true. She had been able to talk to Philip before the marriage, and found him to be a man of good standing and virtue, someone that Amelia knew would love and cherish Mary for everything that she was.

They were given an establishment of their own, in London. The crowds marveled at the new husband of the Princess, who had been created Duke of Clarence and Warwick to give him peerages in England that would make him a worthy husband of a Princess.

The children were all very excited of the prospect of having cousins.

Amelia knew that their marriage would be good, because rain fell that evening for the first time in months.

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13 November 1540

It was not the first time that she had brought a child into the world without Charles. He was still away with the King and the council. This time, there was only Clemence and the midwife.

She had another son, a third boy. He was another tiny, squalling babe, but Amelia and all the children quickly fell in love.

As soon as she could, she wrote to Charles, her father, and her sister.

That evening, with her new baby, whom she had named Nicholas, Amelia began to reflect. Everything had changed so much since she had first arrived in England. Back then, her father was married to a woman who was fiercely intelligent, but never seemed to watch what she said around others. Charles seemed much younger and much fuller of life. Her sister was always stiff and stoic.

Now, her father was married to his fifth wife, a woman who was much too young and wild to be Queen of England. Charles was older, his true age starting to show through. Mary herself was happily married, and was much more willing to smile and be happy.

What would their future be like? It scared her to think that there was still big changes to come. Charles would eventually be called to heaven, as would her father, leaving her an orphan and and widow. What would become of her then? Would she remarry? Amelia was already a mother of five, which, granted, was not as many as some women that she had met. Her heart still truly belonged to Charles, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to pass it on to another man if she needed to.

That was the future, however. She wanted to focus on the present, on the tiny baby that she held in her arms and the smiles of the six children who dearly loved the newest addition to their family.

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20 November 1540

Henry was glad for his daughter. He truly was. She now had given Charles three sons, three boys that could inherit his title and land. Nicholas was a strong name for the boy.

But he couldn't help but feel the jealous that bubbled up from the pit of his stomach. He only had one legitimate son, and the woman who had given it to him had been lost to childbed fever. His illegitimate son had passed away, and his mother was now married to some other man.

He had been married to Katherine for four months now, and she had been his mistress for some time before that. Yet, she was still not with child. Henry still wanted another son. His father before him had lost his oldest son, Arthur, giving Henry the crown. It was never a bad idea to have a back-up plan, as Henry knew.

"Your Majesty?" a soft, seductive voice called from the other room. Henry smiled to himself and folded his daughter's letter neatly. Perhaps he and Katherine would have a son still.