Our schemes had always proved to be complicated, mostly due to the level of deceit involved. Even so, we had almost always pulled them off without a hitch because we worked together instinctively, two minds working as one. We'd always been completely in sync.

Something that was clearly no longer going to work for us, if her latest schemes were anything to go by. At first I blamed myself no longer trusting my own instincts, ignoring the fact that she was being short with me, regularly losing her temper and snapping. But, taking a leaf from Henry's book, she seemed to have reverted to her old ways and was back to involving me using my skills as a seductress.

'Catherine, please tell me you're joking!' I'd asked, somewhat stunned by her orders.

'Tell me, Charity, when have you ever known me to joke when it comes to my schemes? Every move, every step is meticulously calculated, thought-out long before they even reach your ears.'

'Yes, but-'

'Do NOT defy me, Charity!' she'd lashed out, stunning me to a shocked silence.

'Yes, Your Majesty.'

I'd mustered as much resentment into my words as I'd been capable of, but I'd been incredibly hurt and offended with these instructions. I'd grown weary with them and, while it was bad enough coming from Henry, coming from Catherine they were like a slap in the face. Indeed the only reason I'd even agreed to it was because I'd refused to actually sleep with the gentleman involved. Well, that and the fact that I'd finally understood why she was doing this. She was trying to protect me, valuing my safety over her own feelings. But, in doing so, she was pushing me further away than we had ever been. Her words covered-up the pain she was causing her own heart, not just mine.

I knew this and I had to remind myself of it, as she issued these new instructions once again. But it had still stung having them come from her.

For that reason, after snagging a hitch in our latest plan, I decided to go for a stroll in the grounds while debating my next move. It was distinctly more appealing than my usual step of racing off to bring her up to speed on the situation. Typically of those days, however, she became impatient waiting for my report and took it upon herself to come looking for me.

'So what exactly was it that went wrong with this one? she demanded. I felt she was being rather cavalier, all things considered.

'Seducing him became rather problematic when the servant arrived with the wine, let alone drugging him.' I explained. 'He suddenly became far more interested in watching the two of us become intimate than participating himself.'

She paused.

'So what's the problem?'

'The problem, Your Grace,' I spoke through gritted teeth 'was that I was hardly going to drag the poor unsuspecting girl into our scheme.'

'He could still have drunk the wine whilst watching you. All you needed to do was have him fall unconscious.' She snapped.

She was losing her temper, but so was I and I wasn't about to back down without matching it. I drew myself up to face her.

'She had no part in it and you know I don't involve others without prior consent! Aside from the fact I didn't want her getting the wrong idea, it's not the way I conduct myself with seductions. It never has been and I refuse to change that now just because you seem to have joined Henry's insanity with your own game!'

'Had you already slept with her?' She asked in anger. 'Is that what this is about?'

I couldn't believe her.

'Are you serious? It's about the fact that you are pushing me to perform the very tasks that tore us apart in the first place.'

'We were torn apart by the fact that we chose to believe we were above Henry's mind games. Because we were careless.'

'So you're okay with me seducing various nobles into bed now, so long as you're the one ordering it, are you?'

'Your carnal relations are of no interest to me, Charity.'

'Oh, Catherine, come on, who are you trying to fool? Each time you assign me a seduction, you're incensed because you hate when I perform them. They cause you to feel extreme jealousy and anger, which you then use as excuses to keep me away, all because you think that's easier than just admitting what's in your heart. That you still have feelings for me. That you still want to be with me!'

Perhaps it was risky for me to be quite so blunt, but we couldn't keep going on this way.

'Is it really worth living like this, rather than just admitting it?'

'You know it's not that simple, Charity. I don't have the luxury of following my heart.'

'You hate this as much as I do, stop trying to deny that. So why keep doing it? Why insist on pushing me into the arms of others, when we both know the pain it causes you? I know you're just trying to protect me and clearly you think it's the best way of doing so, but none of this is doing us any good. What do you have to gain here, Catherine? Is it just some kind of test for me? Because if it is, just tell me what to do and I'll do it. Anything to bring this ordeal to an end.'

I was frustrated. So incredibly frustrated. It wasn't even about trying to win her back anymore, I just desperately needed us to be done with this stage of whatever it was she was going through.

'I'll ask again: did you sleep with her?'

I sighed, trying to keep my voice calm.

'Yes, once. But it was a long time ago. Long before Robert, even.'

Catherine remained quiet then, pensive. She turned away from me.

'It can't bother you to hear this, surely? Not after everything you've been putting me through of late.'

'It shouldn't, I know this.'

'Catherine, they-' I stopped, turning her to face me. 'None of them meant anything to me. They were just flings, time spent to dull the pain of not being with the one my heart truly wanted. How is it possible you don't understand that?'

'I thought it would make things easier. But you're right, all it does is spurs a jealousy in me I find hard to control. And I hate it, fair or not, because I know it's my own doing.'

I had to smile in spite of it all.

'I will admit, it's nice to hear you own up to being jealous. Makes me feel a little less like this has all been in my head. It shows you're almost capable of losing some control.'

Catherine reached her hand up to my cheek, stroking it gently.

'I've honestly never felt less in control of myself in my life.'

She ran her thumb along my bottom lip, causing me to tremble. I couldn't help it, I found myself reaching up for her hand, pressing it against the caress of my lips. I'd missed our intimacy so much. She moved her hand behind my neck, leaning in as she did so.

'Oh, god.' she whispered and kissed me deeply, with a fervour I'd not anticipated but could easily match.

I pulled her close to me. It had been so long since I'd felt her touch, her lips against mine, it was hard not to crave more. I could easily lose myself in her kisses but I knew she wouldn't throw caution to the wind just yet. I forced myself to break the kiss, pulling back to look around for a more secluded spot. I took her hand, leading us away out of sight.

Reaching a more secluded spot, I pulled her round behind a tree and pushed her back up against it, taking shelter in its foliage. I reached for her neck and pulled her lips back to mine. Finally we could stop thinking and just react to the needs we'd been forcing our bodies to suppress.

She wrapped her arms around me, gripping me tightly with her fingers. Our lips eventually parted as they moved to explore from mouths to necks…oh, how I'd missed that glorious neck of hers, the soft moans kissing it produced from her. My hands had a mine of their own, untying her dress strings and burying their way through the fabric. Even Catherine was getting lost in the moment, as she kissed a trail from my lips down to my breasts. Her hot breath on my skin caused every inch of me to tingle, making me lose sense of everything.

We should have been more wary of our surroundings, but neither of us were capable of slowing down at this moment. I released her breasts from their prison, pulling my lips from hers to explore them further. Kissing them, tasting them, enjoying the feel of them hardening under my touch. She was breathless, sighing with pleasure. I desperately wanted her to let go of her inhibitions, to open herself up to her passions again.

She reached for me, bringing me back to meet her lips. I ran my hand down the length of her body, lifting her skirt to slide beneath it. Feeling my way between her legs, my hand searched to feel her. She was wet. Not as much as I wanted her to be, but enough to play.

She tried speaking against the moans rising in her throat. Not a single part of me wanted to stop, I wanted to send her to that moment of ecstasy. But I needed to allow her to voice her words. Her hands gripped me tightly, one reaching down for that of mine responsible for her pleasure.

'Stop.' She whispered, trying to catch her breath between kisses. 'I want to, I do. But we can't. Not here.'

'We can,' I told her. 'We're safe. There isn't a soul around.'

I resumed my movements as she moaned in pleasure. She didn't resist as I slipped my fingers inside her, causing her moans to deepen, becoming stronger as her pleasure intensified,

I nuzzled her neck, teasing her with my lips. She was so close to breaking point, I returned to her lips in an effort to contain the volume of her pleasure. I desperately wanted to use my tongue on her, but decided that could have pushed her too far in these surroundings. It also became quite unnecessary. She moaned deeply as her pleasure reached its peak and she finally came undone in my hand, moaning my name in pleasure. As her orgasm passed I held her tight, our foreheads resting together, waiting while she recovered.

When we returned to the castle, she was summoned away. I returned to my chambers, a desperate need to calm myself. I wanted her, badly. It had taken every last bit of self-control I possessed to stay away from her, but I'd known I had no choice. Dragging her to my chambers would have been ideal, but it wasn't possible on this occasion. Luckily, nor was it entirely necessary. I was fairly adept at pleasuring myself after being in her company. It wasn't my preference, but it would do the trick.

And anyway, I reminded myself, the purpose of our encounter had not been about my pleasure, but hers. And lowering her defences down enough to admit she still wanted it. She'd allowed herself to do this after suppressing it for so long and she'd be concerned about how to control it. So I gave her space.

I had to remain in control of myself, be the strong one to balance out her insecurity. I had to and I would. I'd already lost her once before, I wasn't about to risk it again.