Katherine of Aragon sat in front of the mirror, her ladies gathered around her, preparing for dinner with the king that evening. They flitted about, fixing her hair, trying different pieces of jewelry, chatting amongst themselves. Behind them, men laid a table with a sumptuous meal and settings for two.
"Your majesty, would you prefer the rubies or the pearls?"
"Did you see the mistress Anne at the ball the other night? Oh, her rubies were dazzling. They glowed in the candlelight, illuminating her whole face, looking like small pieces of fire," whispered one of the ladies standing by the wardrobe, fetching both pieces of jewelry.
Overhearing the girl's comments, Katherine took a moment before replying to the posed question, eventually saying "I will wear the pearls. They were a gift from his majesty, and it is only right to wear them when he is sure to be present."
Only moments after fixing the pearls around her throat and the matching set in her ears, the door was flung open. Her majesty's ladies flew back against the wall, watching the king stride confidently into the room. He stood momentarily in the doorway, taking a moment to take in a sweeping look around the room. His eyes landed upon the queen, who slowly rose from her seat in front of the mirror, turning to face him. He had steeled himself for this moment ever since being unnerved by the smell of her. He held her gaze for a moment, before turning and walking to his seat at the table, his back now to the queen.
Katherine sighed softly to herself before dismissing her ladies and joining her husband at the table.
"It pleases me greatly to see your majesty looking so well, and I am glad that you were able to join me this evening," she ventured, unsure of how to act around this cold, hateful version of her husband.
"I am well. Why should I not be?"
"When you missed mass, I merely thought-"
"Madam, I am king, and if I would prefer hunting in the morning to attending a church service, then I am damned well allowed to do that!"
"Of course my lord. Was it a good hunt?" responded Katherine, taken aback by his stinging tone.
"Very. The venison before you comes from a stag that I brought down this very morning. All who joined me had a grand time. The falcon belonging to the lady Boleyn caught a magpie" Immediately, he regretted mentioning Anne Boleyn to Katherine. Ever the picture of composure, the hurt flashed only briefly in her eyes before she recovered. But it flashed long enough for Henry to see it, and for his guilt to bubble up.
Switching to a kinder tone, he asked, "And how was your day?"
"It was good my lord. I received a letter from our daughter today."
Glad to be able to discuss the one thing they still had in common, Henry eagerly asked "And how is our Mary?"
The light returned to Katherine's eyes as she related the stories that Mary told her. "She says that she is well, and tells me that she is now able to play all of Pastime with Good Company on her harpsichord. She writes entirely in flawless Latin, and asks if she may join us at court for the visit of the French representatives."
Henry did not miss the change in Katherine as she discussed their daughter. A small part of him wanted to keep that light in her eyes, no matter what it cost him.
"I'm sure that it can be arranged for her to be present during that visit. Although the dignitaries arrive next week, I believe that Mary can be summoned by then."
Elated, Katherine's entire face lit up with joy.
"Oh Henry, this is wonderful. It has been far too long since our daughter has been with us here at court. I shall send a messenger immediately to inform her. She'll be so excited to be able to come and to see both of us."
"I too look forward to seeing my pearl. Court is always a happier place when she is present. And it will present a certain unity to the French, don't you think?" asked Henry, trying to figure out how to say what he next wanted to.
Confused by her husband's sudden desire to appear united with her, Katherine cautiously responded, "Yes, of course my lord."
"This is especially important, especially in the face of the French, those rotten Valois. In fact, it has been suggested to me that it would be effective to present a fully united front. For the duration of this visit, you will appear at my side, as my wife and queen. I have been told that it would be a good idea for us to dine together, and for you and I to retire to the same rooms at night."
"If your majesty believes that it is the best course of action," demurred Katherine, intent upon not showing her surprise or elation that her husband would agree to such an action.
Something in Henry snapped. He could not let Katherine think that this changed anything, for it would hurt so much more at the end of the visit when he returned to ignoring her and hunting with Anne.
"No Katherine, I do not think that it is the best course of action. The best course of action would be for you to accept the inevitable, retire to a nunnery and let me get on with my life! But since you are too damned stubborn to do so, I am reduced to this. Lying to the bloody French so that I don't appear weak! And mark my words woman, at the end of their visit, all will return to normal." Suddenly, all his annoyance came streaming out, unleashing itself upon Katherine, taking this happy moment away from her.
Katherine spoke quietly, the dynamic doing nothing to hide the steel behind her words, "That, Henry, is something I cannot do. I cannot accept these demands. To do so would render our beautiful daughter a bastard, would force me to sin, would allow your soul to be eternally damned. And that, Henry, I cannot live with."
Frustrated, he threw up his hands and stalked to the door, knocking his chair over in the process. As he was about to leave, he paused and turned to face her, "Well woman, whether you can live with it or not, you will never again live with me as husband and wife. You WILL appear by my side while the French are here, but the moment they leave, you will remove yourself to the farthest reaches of the palace. I will not abide by your stubbornness any longer," he spat out, turning on his heel and leaving the queen alone in her rooms. But not before he saw her, kneeling in a curtsy that showed only devotion.
Katherine maintained her position, head downcast, until she heard her outer chamber doors slam. Knowing that her ladies would be back in a matter of moments, she staggered to her feet and went over to her prie dieu.
And there her ladies found her, kneeling at the small altar, eyes firmly closed, lips moving in silent and constant prayer, the fingers of one hand ghosting over the beads of her rosary, the other firmly placed on her midsection. Praying for a miracle.
Woo, the writing is flowing. Don't know how long this pace can be kept up but still ... Hope you enjoy. Please review :)