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Whitehall Palace

While Duke Ethan was embarking on a courtship with the princess Mary, Duke Anthony had still not managed to put Lady Catherine Howard out of his mind. After Anne of Cleves had forfeited the title of Queen, most of her ladies in waiting had been sent to Hever Castle. However, the Lady Catherine Howard had been asked to stay at court, drawing suspicion from those in the court who thought that this would mean the accession of a Howard Queen as it would make no sense otherwise for Catherine to remain at court.

As the days passed, Henry eventually made his move and asked Catherine to be his wife and Queen. They were promptly engaged and everything was set in motion for the fifth wedding of Henry VIII. While all of the English court was buzzing with excitement at the prospect of a new and this time, English Queen, One man who was not happy for the new couple was Anthony Barker himself. The crush that he had on Catherine had not gone away as the brothers had hoped; instead, it seemed to only grow. Anthony and Catherine were becoming good friends and it didn't help that miss Howard seemed to be flirting with every decent looking man who came near; the elder Barker brother included.

Eventually, Anthony decided that he couldn't just stand back and let history take its course. Lives were at stake and he had to do something. Especially since he knew that it was these flirtations both before and during her marriage to Henry, that had led to her downfall and that under no circumstances could he allow himself to be one of the reasons she fell. Both because of the genuine threat that he could be executed and the care that he held for Catherine refused to let him watch her continue down this path.

Two days after King Henry announced his engagement to the Lady Catherine, Anthony was finally able to get an audience with the Queen to be. "His Grace, the Duke of Springfield," one of the ladies announced as he was let into Lady Catherine's chambers. Catherine's dimples were easily seen as the lady left her alone with the Illinoisan nobleman.

"I am most glad to see you, your Grace," she replied as Anthony bowed his head.

"And I you, milady," he spoke as the two locked eyes. "I have heard that his majesty intends to make you his wife and his Queen."

"He does," Catherine nodded. "I trust that you have come to express your happiness for us."

"If you wish me to, I shall," Anthony replied as he gingerly took Catherine Howard's hand. "But may I be completely honest with you at the risk of offense."

"You may," Catherine said tenderly as Anthony took her left hand in his.

"If you wish to marry Henry, that is your choice..." he clarified. "Believe me, I am in no position to tell someone how to live. I just...I'm worried about you."

"Your concern is appreciated, but not needed." Catherine insisted as she squeezed Anthony's hand.

"I'm not sure," Duke Anthony said nervously. "I know what happened to the four women that preceded you."

"That doesn't matter," Catherine insisted. "I will not be like them. Henry does not have a need for an heir now, only a spare, so the pressure upon me will be less and if I stay out of politics and leave it to my uncle then I will avoid his wrath. So, like I said: that doesn't matter."

"It matters a great deal!" Anthony insisted desperately. "You are a good person and I don't want to see you get hurt by Henry. When the day comes that his desires do not align with yours, what choice do you think he will make?"

"How do you know that day will come for me?"

"Because it came for Katherine of Aragon, it came for Anne Boleyn, it came for Anne of Cleves, and if Jane Seymour hadn't died giving birth to Prince Edward, that day probably would have come for her too." Catherine turned away from her friend. She could see the truth in his words, but she did not want to face it. The idea that Henry would discard her like a common whore once he had mounted and had his way with her was far too unpleasant for her to think about.

"What would you have me do?" She asked in a distressed tone of voice. "He is the King; if he desires my body, he will have it so. There is no will but his."

"I would not see you fall victim to such a man as the King," Anthony said feverishly as he took Catherine's hands in his. "You are a kind and beautiful woman and deserve far better than to be the King's submissive wife and creator of his Duke of York – and you know that even if the pressure isn't as great as that of bearing a Prince of Wales it will still be suffocating!" Lady Catherine looked at Duke Anthony and saw the pity in his eyes. No man had ever pitied her or cared about how a decision made might affect her. She looked at him for a moment before their lips met. Anthony was surprised for a moment before he returned the kiss. Lady Howard raised her hand and caressed Barker's cheek as they kissed. Eventually, the moment came to an end and the two parted.

"Shit..." Anthony muttered as his worried eyes met Catherine's which looked equally distressed.

"Your Grace...I didn't mean..." Catherine stuttered as Anthony kissed her once again. She returned his kiss for a few seconds before she broke away once again.

"Catherine, it's OK." Anthony said as he cupped her face in his hands. "I care about you."

"I know that, but this cannot happen between us," Catherine insisted as she slumped down in a chair. "I am betrothed to the King; I will be his!"

"You shouldn't have to be!" Anthony exclaimed. "He only cares for what you can give him."

"And I must give him what he wants!" Lady Catherine exclaimed in return.

"Very well, I should be going," Anthony said solemnly as he stood up and made his way out of Catherine Howard's chambers, despite her protests. He didn't know how he was supposed to watch a woman that he cared about throw her life away.

Catherine, meanwhile, sat alone in her chambers as she was once again enveloped in a flurry of maids and ladies who had been assigned to her by the King to tend to her needs before she assumed her role as head of the Queen's household. But for all their to and fro, Catherine could not help but think about the danger this romance could put her in. There was no doubt that she cared for Anthony, much more than she did for the old and ailing King Henry who could discard her at a moments notice. He also seemed to care about her in a way that Mannox and Dereham never had. It seemed almost as if he genuinely cared for her and not for what she could give him and that terrified her. Terrified her because she knew that if she followed her heart in this matter she may very well end up as the King's former wives' had.

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