Henry stood up, taking his wife with him, who was struggling. He slammed her violently against the bed, using the belt to tie her hands on the headboard. Catherine was certainly not a rag doll: she violently tried to break away from her husband's grasp, even daring to kick him. All this, however, only amused the king. When the woman understood that the belt was tightened so much and well that to move would have been the condemnation of her hands, she quieted down, looking at Henry with hatred. The latter, taking advantage of his wife's momentary calm, went to retrieve his elegant jacket and took out a richly adorned rectangular box. Catherine, though on the alert, became curious and the king noticed it. With a grin he opened it and leaned into his wife's vanity, his back to her. After a few minutes he turned around: in his hand was a small brown paper roll filled with a black powder. The queen swallowed, immediately realizing what it was; the mere fact that Henry had it in his possession disgusted her. The king held the roll up to a candle and lit it. A strong smell of tobacco filled the room. Catherine turned her head to the opposite side to breathe some fresh air, but Henry lay down next to her, resting on his side.

- Did you know, darling, he said, that this tobacco is a powerful aphrodisiac?

- I see that you are very well informed- retorted the sharp queen, continuing to keep her head turned to the other side.

The husband chuckled.

- The only side effect," he continued, "is that it intoxicates your mind so much that if someone asks you something, you can't help but answer.

He mischievously brought the cane close to his wife's nose and she tried to move away even more.

- It might help you to tell me more about you and Richard- whispered the king.

- Don't you dare bring that thing near me again- threatened Catherine.

Henry licked his lips and then took a big puff of his tobacco, blowing out a dark cloud. As he did so, he began to suck on his wife's earlobe, which had begun to twitch again. The man then straddled her, crushing her with his weight.

- Come on, mon chéri - he said chuckling - one mouthful -

The queen looked at him with hatred, trying to move him from above her. The king grabbed her chin with one hand, pinning her down, and shoved the cane into her mouth. Catherine began to cough badly, but the smoke had gone in. Henry pushed his pelvis against the woman's, making her moan. He took another puff of tobacco, then extinguished the joint and placed it on a nearby table, letting it continue to expand its smoke. He kissed his wife roughly. The strong smell of tobacco and its effects, mixed with the king's perfume, stunned the queen.

- Where was it that you first kissed Richard? The man whispered against the skin of her neck.

The woman tried to remain lucid but the smoke clouded her mind and slowly the image of the great library of the old castle in the countryside, a place that had been frequented by her compatriot Leonard Da Vinci, became clear to her. Richard was so close to her. "You don't deserve to suffer like this Catherine," he said, "If you were my wife...but what I say, it's useless to fantasize about it. But you are so intelligent and beautiful..."

- Clos Lucé- she murmured ecstatically- the library-.

- Bravo, keep it up- Henry told her while continuing to kiss her neck - And the first time you made love? -

The still sane part of the queen's mind screamed "Enough" in a loud voice, but the tobacco was having its effects well.

- Hm- grumbled Catherine.

- Let's go honey- her husband encouraged her.

- The birthday...- exhaled the woman - ... of your sister Magdalene.

Henry inhaled sharply. Now that he thought about it, he seemed to remember his wife leaving the room, followed twenty minutes later by his best friend. But he was too busy with Diane to pay particular attention.

- Here...- Catherine concluded.

- And when...? - her husband began to ask again but his voice did not reach the queen. Her body, not used to tobacco, was getting numb, making her slip into a deep sleep.

The last thing she seemed to hear was the fabric of her robe slipping away.