Power is power.
You are born with the divine right to rule. It is of little consequence if those far below their station think they can simply break the wheel.
The wheel that has continued to turn in the same space for an eternity and for which it will an eternity more.
To think otherwise is foolhardy and idiotic.
Born to the house of Bernadotte, the sole daughter of the current head, Gregoire. Katherina was promised greatness.
The Bernadotte's are a house of great power and prestige. Dating back to the time of France's inception back when war pillaged the land and powerful families fought on in endless bloodshed for the right to rule it.
House Bernadotte stands as the high house of the Northern Territory of France. Ruling over Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardy, Normandy and the various small lords that preside over those lands. They are known as the fourth most powerful family of France, just below House Dampierre and above House Maiziere.
From a young age Katherina was promised greatness and riches. No simple match would be befitting for a lady of her station. Or so her father had stated on more than one occasion.
Not the heir to House Dampierre, Claude. Nor the first daughter of House Evreux, Suzette, the second most powerful family. No. For her there could only be one match that would be worthy.
The heir to House Delacour, Fleur. House Delacour had once been the ruling house of France before they'd opted to step down from their throne in exchange for a democracy for the people of France. Their power and influence however had not weigned to this day.
Like most noble ladies Katherina's father had been determined to match her with the Delacour Heir since infancy. Which in it of itself was no simple feat as the top two powerful families tended to stay in close acquaintanceship of each other for the most part. Never quite straying from their own company.
Or at least that had been the pre-expected status quo until the inclusion of the Dampierre Heir Claude. Between the three, Delacour, Evreux and Dampierre they cut an impressive image of power, wealth and prestige.
It showed a united front like never before, the dawning of a new era. And perhaps the possibility for a betrothal?
It was after all not unheard of for a Delacour to take a Bernadotte to wife. It had occurred from time to time in the past and surely a match would not be considered unheard of.
Power was power afterall.
And so Gregoire schemed. He made sure that his daughter was educated well on the history of House Delacour, their words, their monikers, their crest, the lands they govern, the lords beholden to them. All in preparation for the day that she would become the lady of House Delacour, wife to Fleur and mother to the future Delacour Heir.
It was a tedious thing to endeavour into or so his son and heir, Jacques, would state on more than one occasion.
Their family had not attempted to marry into the Delacour family for a few decades, the most they'd been able to accomplish was to an Evreux just shy of a decade prior. The way the structure stood at the current moment there was no hope. So why bother all together?
This had earned him his father's ire as the Head of House Bernadotte had glowered at his heir and chastised him for not being supportive of his house's ambitions.
His sister had been just as angered. For she had been promised no more finer a match than Fleur.
Jacques had simply shaken his head and kept his comments to himself as the years progressed. Why try to move an immovable force when it refused to see reason.
It seemed however that his words held truth to them, as much as his father and sister had plotted it would seem that the Delacour Heir was not interested in a daughter of House Bernadotte.
And for the first few years of their schooling at Beauxbatons that seemed to be the case. For it seemed no one could catch Fleur's special attentions. Not to mention how hard it seemed to get her alone altogether, for she seemed in the constant company of her two friends Claude Dampierre and Suzette Evreux.
Try as she might Katherine could not seem to breath the "watch dogs" Fleur had seemed to surround herself with. Or so she spoke about in harsh frustration to her friends in between classes.
Claude Dampierre, the heir to House Dampierre was a friendly young man. Easily approachable enough with a calming deposition but with exceptional sharp witt. He was not easily fooled by the intentions of others and had been polite when attempting to subvert Katherina's attempts at flirtation with Fleur.
Suzette Evreux, the only daughter of House Evreux in contrast was a spit fire of a young woman who very obviously showed her displeasure and had managed to "accidentally" set fire to Katherina's robes on more than one occasion.
"A right tart" or so Katherina had growled out as one of her friends helped her in the ladies rooms with fixing the scorched sleeve.
While incredibly grating, it had actually lead to an interesting development.
It was during one of these altercations as Katherina rushed to the ladies rooms to fix her singed sleeve that she was surprised to find that Fleur had followed her.
To say she had been surprised would be an understatement, for once of her Fleur's nasty friends had actually seemed to have inadvertently helped her.
The Delacour Heir had come to offer her apologies for her friend's overzealous display of fire magic. To which Katherina had had bite down the remark she'd wanted to truly make. Yes. She would play her cards right and not let such an opportune moment slip past her. In due time she would make sure Fleur no longer associated with Suzette Evreux or Claude Dampierre. Much less anyone who had dared stand in her way.
Yes. When she was Lady of House Delacour all would pay. But for now she'd simply play the injured party and the docile doe eyed young woman eager for a dashing knight to comfort her.
And play the docile doe eyed young woman she had. So well in fact that the following week she found herself once more in the company of Fleur.
For it would seem the Delacour Heir had taken a liking to her and had invited her to the small village not too far aways from the Palace.
The date had been fruitful with Katherina playing the ever doting damsel and Fleur becoming enamoured by the doe-eyed young lady, much to her friend's consternation.
One date turned to two, three, four and before long Katherina and Fleur had been dating for just shy on two years. They were each other's firsts and Gregoire was pleased at the turn of fate.
Yes the sun seemed to have shined on House Bernadotte.
Katherina held command, power and respect wherever she went. She was Fleur's girlfriend and in proper time she'd be Fleur's wife.
Everything was as it should be as her father had promised her it would be.
Until it wasn't.
Alexei Brassard.
The raven haired, green eyed son of a minor house. House Foix.
His house held little to no power and was of no importance in the grand scheme of things.
He had been meant to have been a fling.
A way for Katherina to sow her oats before she'd eventually bind herself to Fleur in matrimony.
The rush of their affair had been meant to be just that. A rush.
And as she'd felt his erection slip into her in reckless abandon one evening she'd given little thought to the possibilities of consequence that their tryst might produce.
Had given little thought for Fleur's feelings on the matter all together as she'd taken him within her folds and allowed him to erupt within her.
Had even cried out in the throes of passion as he'd taken her to bed time and time again.
In time the affair had progressed from a simple few one offs to several secret encounters and had resulted in the on and off relationship between herself and Fleur.
Fleur it would seem had sensed her distance as the affair continued and would request for space or a break to think on their respective feelings.
Much to Katherina's frustrations for she desired to be Fleur's wife more than anything. To be the Lady of House Delacour. The role for which she'd been born too.
And so it went. Fleur would ask for space and Katherina would give it to her for a time as she indulged in Alexei.
And while Alexei wanted more and had made it known on more than one occasion, Katherina had been adamant that under no circumstance would their relationship change. She was destined to become the Lady Delacour and would not settle for a minor lordling of a small house much too small to be of any repute or importance.
It would all come to a head however when Katherina found herself late for her monthlies. At first she had deemed it the cause of stress brought upon by the on and off again relationship she and Fleur had.
But soon relief brought forth dread. As one month gave way to two months. And soon Katherina found herself owling her father of her potential pregnancy.
At first her father had been overjoyed at the news. A pregnancy meant that Fleur would have to marry her to save her modesty and the reputation of her House.
But no sooner had Katherina been summoned back to her family's castle than his happy disposition had turned sour. For Katherina had been forced to tell her father the truth. The babe, if she truly was pregnant, was not Fleur's. For they had not lain together in many a moon's turn. Long enough to where any attempt at passing the child off as Fleur's would be ill-advised.
No. The child belonged to Alexei Brassard.
"BRASSARD!?" Gregoire had raged for the Brassard's of House Foix where a very minor house of no note or repute. Too lowly to even excuse a match.
"I DID NOT RAISE MY DAUGHTER! MY PRIZED FLOWER! FOR HER TO THROW HERSELF INTO THE DIRT!"
The words would ring in Katherina's mind from that moment and for the years that would come after.
Their personal healer had been called in to verify a pregnancy and when it had been determined that she was in fact in the family way. Had her father raged. He raged for many a night before her brother had seen to try to salvage the situation and her reputation.
There would be no marriage to Fleur. She would not be the Lady of House Delacour. Not in this lifetime.
No her brother had been very clear on the matter, much to her anger as Katherina had found herself lashing out at him, "You are no Bernadotte! You give up too easily!"
Her brother had simply looked on at her in pity and scoffed, "And you are a whore that has sullied herself and her House's reputation,"
She had been angered at his words but had found herself silent as her father looked murderous, for her brother's words rang true.
This had only occurred because of her own doing.
And so it was with much reluctance that Gregoire found himself calling upon the Head of House Foix, Antoine Brassard. The man wore no finery. A simple tunic and coat with what looked to be the finest pair of breeches he could muster. The man's house was not worthy of a daughter of House Bernadotte but what little else could be done.
Gregoire had spun of tale of an "over-reaching boy" seducing and sullying his innocent daughter's virtue. The Head of House Foix had been extremely apologetic and had thrown himself at Gregoire's feet in apologies. He'd promised that his Alexei would do right by Katherina and so a marriage bond had occurred. It included no people of importance. No fan-fare. No shouts of joy, no dawning of a new age as Katherina was pulled out of school to hide her shame and her new husband.
However it would seem no amount of secrecy would be able to hide the shame. For it soon got out that she'd fallen pregnant and had been married to Alexei Brassard.
Her shame spread amongst the high lords and houses of import in no time.
Her downfall.
How low could she fall.
For one who had been destined for greatness.
Power is power.
And she'd let it slip from her hands.
No sooner had she come to this realization than the news that Fleur had found her "mate" had started to spread.
A witch of no repute. Not from a family of import, a muggleborn!
One who's face Katherina would soon come to know as the years passed and the war across the channel came to a dramatic end.
Hermione Granger, the bushy haired muggle born best friend to Harry Potter. The Golden Girl.
She and Fleur had met during the Tri-Wizard Tournament and had been inseparable since.
Hermione Granger was not worthy of Fleur.
Much less the Ladyship of House Delacour.
And yet she would hold it regardless.
For the two would go on to have five children; Victoire, Dominique, Louis, Margaery and Loras.
All "Fine Heirs for House Delacour" Jacques would state much to Katherina's chagrin.
Her father had long since passed in a riding accident and her brother now ruled as Lord Bernadotte.
Her hopes to ever hold power of any sort were at an end.
Or so Katherina thought as she looked on at a photograph in the paper. The smiling faces of Fleur and her family staring back for they'd made a recent trip to France and the french paper Le Pain Quotidien had seen fit to snap a picture of the future of House Delacour.
Fleur's two youngest; Margaery and Loras took after their other mother and so it was with that that Katherina had began to scheme.
If they could be Fleur's children why not her Andre!
The timeline was murky enough to where she could pass him off as Fleur's.
If she made it believable enough and played her cards right then she might just be able to pass Andre off as Fleur's and install him as the future Heir to House Delacour.
And in due time she'd find a way to convince Fleur to dissolve her marriage to the muggleborn upstart and disregard her children by that union.
Yes. With enough time she'd convince Fleur to take her to wife and help her remember that it had always been meant to be the two of them.
Alexei be damned.
She would convince her husband that they'd plot to place their son in a position of power in order to help House Brassard of Foix's station. House Foix would move up in the hierarchy. Or so Katherina would spin.
She held little to no regard for the betterment of House Foix, but she would spin whatever tale she'd have to in order to get her husband on side.
And wait.
Yes. She would just have to wait and all would fall into place.
In due time.
All would be as it should.