AN: It killed me to write Catherine in so much emotional pain! Thank you for hanging in there, despite our poor Queen's sufferings! And I do SO dislike Diane, even though she's a part of Catherine's story. Apologies in advance!

Chapter 24

"Catherine. You're back." Henry had a swagger in his walk as he crossed the cobbled courtyard. His wife ignored him, acknowledging his presence at her arrival with a raise of one eyebrow and nothing more.

"Did you miss me?" he asked her, with a hint of sarcasm, as Catherine made her way into the castle followed by her ladies and servants carrying her luggage. She walked with brisk elegance, and she took Richard's breath away with her flawless beauty. She strode down the corridor with her chin raised, her beautiful hair piled up in swirls of strawberry blonde on the back of her head, loose wisps of curls floating back in the breeze that she made as she swept along. Nobody would know she had just given birth and lost her child. Richard was in awe of her strength.

Richard watched them approach from the corridor along with a good number of other onlookers, and stayed back out of the way. His heart was so glad that she was back where she belonged, and that he would be able to see her and be available to her whenever it was needed by either of them. He hadn't realised just how much tension he had been carrying over her being away, until he felt it lift off him upon her return.

Increasing the pace of his strides, Henry caught up to Catherine and continued talking. "So, how's the family? Still just as cold-hearted as the last time, hmm?"

"Why is he enjoying this so much?" thought Richard to himself.

Catherine stopped, gave a little huff of a laugh, and swivelled regally on her heel to face her husband, her head held high as she looked up at him.

"How kind of you to welcome me back so attentively, Henry!" Leaning slightly to one side, to look over Henry's shoulder, seeing Diane slinking up behind her husband, she added sarcastically, "And Diane! What an honour!"

Slipping her arm through Henry's, Diane smiled without feeling. "You look pale, Catherine. Was it really such a trying visit with the Medicis?"

Catherine faltered only slightly, her eyes flicking from Diane's to Henry's, and then away for a second, before she regained her façade and answered smoothly, "It was a long and tiring journey home. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to retire to my chambers to unpack and freshen up."

She turned from them and strode down the corridor with her ladies following, passing Richard with just the briefest exchange of a glance.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Richard leaned back into his pillows, lazily stroking Catherine's freckled shoulders as he held her in his arms. He felt so complete with her there, and he had almost forgotten the anguish of the time that she had been away, even only two days into having her back again. His door was locked, and the afternoon sun shone in long shafts across his chambers. Catherine had been resting in her chambers, as far as anybody else was to know, but had come to Richard through the secret passageways instead. Being close to her, with her skin against his, seemed like the perfect way to spend an afternoon. There was nothing sexual about it – Catherine was still healing from the birth in any case – but simply intimacy and connection for comfort. He loved her so much.

He kissed her shoulder, and then her jawline, and the curve of her ear.

"You seem thoughtful?" he noticed. She had been quiet for some time.

"Henry came to me last night."

"Oh." Richard hadn't expected that to come up yet.

"Mmm." Catherine nodded a little against his chest, thoughtful and serious. "He wanted to stay with me."

"So soon?"

She watched her fingers brush the hair on his chest absently. "I had to turn him away, of course." She gave a sigh. "I told him I was having my monthly bleeding. I suppose it was the closest thing to the truth."

"What did he say?" Richard wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"He seemed a little frustrated, but he didn't say much about it. Just left my chambers." She sat up, turning to look at him. "Richard, now that I know I can conceive a child…" she broke off, looking at her hands in her lap, turning them and tracing the curve of her fingernails. "I wonder why I haven't yet with Henry?"

Richard smiled at her encouragingly, wanting to keep her from worrying again about providing Henry with a child. "Perhaps now you will."

"But… what if the problem was never me, but Henry? I can't ever offer my proof that I am able to bear a child, and nobody will ever consider that it is the future King who can't impregnate his wife. I may yet be in danger, even having carried your child in my womb."

Richard pulled her back down into his embrace. "Don't think about it for now, love. You are still recovering. Give your body a chance to heal, and then who knows? It may yet surprise you!" He kissed her temple and, when she turned her face to him, her lips. She smiled, and settled her head into the curve of his neck.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Richard had wanted to see Catherine all day, though there hadn't been any opportunity to do so. With one thing or another, preparing for the Duke's wedding the next day, and needing to be disassociated with Catherine, there was no time at all. He hoped that she would not be asleep too early, and that he would be able to go and see her late that night. Something pulled at him that evening, as though she needed him, and although he knew it was ridiculous, and likely just an association from the time she was away, he could not shake it off.

At last, as the castle occupants were retiring to sleep for the night, Richard saw Henry heading for his chambers. His stride was heavy and his expression was thunderous, and Richard was glad that he wasn't heading for Catherine's chambers in such a state! If he could have mustered any such feeling for her, he would have rather pitied Diane this night! He made quickly for Catherine's chambers, seizing the chance to visit her before bed.

The hallway was deserted outside her doors, and he knocked boldly. She did not answer, but when he knocked again, she called out, "Who is it?"

"Richard. May I enter?"

"Yes, come in."

He went in, closing the door behind him. He was horrified to see Catherine curled on her chaise, crying her eyes out. She didn't attempt to hold back her tears from him, and he was glad of that at least. He went to her side quickly, and knelt beside her, smoothing her hair back from her wet cheeks, and kissing her softly.

"Catherine, what is it?!"

"Henry came again to see me this evening. I had to refuse him, and tell him that I am still bleeding. He - " she broke off with a sob, and then took a calming breath before continuing, "He accused me of lying to him to avoid having to sleep with him." She sniffled. "Of course he would expect that my monthly bleeding would have stopped by now, so I suppose that's the conclusion he came to."

"Don't make excuses for him, Catherine." Richard seethed at his friend, hating him for what he was putting Catherine through, ignorant or not.

Her eyes flicked to his, holding his gaze sharply, though they were still wet with tears.

"He was frustrated, I suppose. He lectured me about duty, and about the hypocrisy of not doing mine when I had pushed him so hard to do his duty towards conceiving an heir all these years."

She sighed, and a fresh wave of tears came over her. Richard leaned the top of her body up off the chaise so that he could sit where she had been lying, and then helped her lay back down, her head in his lap, cradling her lovingly, and stroking her hair. "Go on," he encouraged her in a gentle voice.

"Richard, I don't know how – When Henry left, he was so angry, and then he turned back and told me, "You might as well know, Diane is pregnant. Perhaps now you can stop making me perform with all these ridiculous medicines, and focus on fixing yourself." I will never forget his words, or how they hurt me to hear them."

Richard was utterly torn between wanting to clench his fists with rage at his former friend, and softening himself to comfort his broken treasure with gentleness. He felt so incensed at Henry's words towards Catherine that he actually trembled with anger over it. Looking down at Catherine though, her head in his lap, tears slanting down her nose and over her cheek onto his legs, her eyes full of hurt and sorrow, he composed himself instantly, and gave his anger over to comforting her. "I suppose love is the greater emotion," he mused as he held her and soothed her pain.