I, Katherine Howard, am now officially a courtier and am serving as a lady-in-waiting to my noble cousin Queen Anne of England. I have never met with cousin Nan before, for I was only a child when her star ascended and she captured the King's eye, but I have been told many stories about her. Some say she is a great beauty, others that she could almost be considered plain accept for her striking eyes that can literally stop a man in their tracks. I have been told she is very charitable and is often seen aiding the poor by giving out alms and offering them her protection. Yet I have also heard that she is a she devil who enchanted the King with witchcraft and subsequently murdered all her enemies by means of poison, including Cardinal Wolsey, the Dowager Princess Catherine and the King's mistress, Jane Seymour. It appears she is a Saint and Devil all at once!

I cannot wait to meet her. Anyhow, I shall tell you how my being made a lady came about.

I was in the dormitory chatting away to Joan Bulmer about all the handsome men currently in service in the household of my lady, the Dowager Duchess, who is my grandmother through marriage and currently my legal guardian, when suddenly said grandmother burst through the door and demanded that I come downstairs at once. Curiously I followed after her and was led into the dinning hall and there I saw the figure of an imposing man with silver hair and very bright blue eyes, The Duchess introduced him to me as my Uncle, the Duke of Norfolk and so I showed him my respect with a neat little curtsey.

We stood in a silence for a moment or two and I could feel those blue eyes of his penetrating through my very soul as he examined me thoroughly. If he was inspecting me for my beauty he must have been very pleased with what he saw for he gave a little smile and nodded approvingly at the Duchess. I am not being boastful but I do consider myself one of the prettiest girls in the Duchess' household. I may be small but I have long, flowing golden brown hair and big honey coloured eyes. All us Howard girls are very beautiful. It is in our blood. My cousins Nan and managed to ensnare the King with their beauty, so it is said.

The Duke stepped forward and took me by the hand as he led me towards a table and bid me to sit down as he took the chair opposite me.

"My dear Katherine, I have a proposition for you" he announced and my eyes lit up eagerly.

"A proposition?" I queried, totally naive to his intentions and eager to find out what proposition he had in store for me.

"How would you like to come to court and serve your cousin, the Queen?" was his simple question. I could scarcely believe my ears.

"I would wish for nothing else" I almost gushed. I had the great urge to jump up from my seat and embrace him with hugs and kisses but I doubted that the Duke would be best pleased with such a display.

It was like music to my ears. I, the daughter of an impoverished gentleman,was to go to court. And not only that, but the Duke said he would pay for me to have a new wardrobe so that I would not put my family to shame. When I told my dear friend, Joan Bulmer, she was green with envy and would not talk to me until I left, accusing me of abandoning her for a better fate despite our friendship. But I could not be doing with such jealousy. I cannot help being so pretty.

On my first day of court I wore a gown of burgundy velvet, I felt like a Duchess in my own right. My Uncle the Duke escorted me to the Great Hall where the King and Queen sat talking to men from all parts of the country as well as some countries I have never even heard of before. I remained by my Uncle's side all day because he said he could not let me go wandering off on my own and get up to mischief. I must have a mischievous look about me! He spent the whole time talking to other old men who were as grey as he was and I was bored out of my mind. Old men really do talk about the most tedious things. I spent most of my time spying the room for handsome young gentleman who I might dance with later on as the King is holding a ball this evening.

Then my Uncle told me to prepare myself for I was about to meet my cousin the Queen. I was excited beyond words and held myself proudly as he led me forward towards her. As I curtseyed for her, I could not help but glance to take a premature glimpse at her.

I was not very impressed with what I saw. Her hair was very dark, in fact I would go so far as to compare it to the night sky, but there were a few streaks of premature grey strands in it that clearly stood out against such a dark background. And all reports about her eyes were true. They were big and black, and seemed to sparkle on their accord. They certainly captivated all those who looked into them and for a moment I could not tear my eyes away from hers. Yet I felt they had a slight demonic element about them. But beneath these pretty eyes were the tell tale lines of time. Age line and wrinkles were working their magic on a woman fast approaching her fortieth year. She also looked quite gaunt and her dull complexion had an almost yellow tinge to it.

Once my uncle had straightened himself up from his bow, I rose back up to my feet and looked eagerly at my cousin as the Duke gave his greetings and then introduced me as his niece and her cousin. The Queen let her black eyes linger over me for a moment before she turned her attention back to my Uncle. She did not look at me again for the rest of the conversation, which vexed me greatly. After all, I was not some peasant girl brought in off a country lane, I was her kinswoman. The blood that runs through her veins also runs through mine. I must admit, I think she was very conceited and arrogant, but that's just my opinion.

The Queen and my Uncle spoke in hushed tones for a good deal of time and once again I was left standing there on my own like a gooseberry. I sighed loudly a couple of times to show my disapproval of such behaviour, but it seems they did not hear me. Then all of a sudden, I heard my Uncle practically growl something to the Queen in a low grumble, although what he said was inaudible to my ears. It was more than obvious however that he was not very happy with whatever the Queen had said previously, and with that he stormed off, grabbing me by my elbow and pulling me away back to his private chambers.

I never did find out what had vexed him so much, but he was in a terribly foul mood for the rest of the afternoon.

For the ball itself I wore a pretty gown of pale pink that Uncle had purchased specially for me. I felt like I was in a dream. The dress itself became me very well and Uncle told me that it brought out my eyes beautifully. He also loaned me some of his estranged wife's jewels, as he hates her with a passion and probably took them out of spite. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I barely recognised myself. I felt like a queen with all these jewels. Diamond pear drops hung from my ears, a diamond and ruby choker decorated my fair little neck and a glistening ruby adorn my right middle finger.

We went down to the hall and I had barely been in the room ten minutes when I found myself being flocked by dozens and dozens of men, asking me who I was and if I would like to dance with them. Most of the time though I had to decline and was obliged to dance with my Uncle and his sons all evening in order to protect my reputation. It seems that my Uncle does not realise that I already have quite the reputation in Lambeth, although I would never tell him that to his face. The King and Queen were there as well, although I could not see them too clearly. I only noted that cousin Nan was adorn in a scarlet gown that looked a little garish if you ask my humble opinion.

It was not until half way though the dancing that the greatest moment of my life happened. I had just finished dancing with cousin Thomas when he took me back to my Uncle, only before we could return safely to him we were stopped by none other than King Henry who had been patrolling the dance floor in order to converse with his guests. I could not curtsey low enough to him, and I was so frightened and yet so thrilled that I could barely give him eye contact. But he was a gentleman and greeted cousin Thomas first before addressing me in the softest of voices.

"Pray tell, gentle lady, what is your name?" he inquired and in a quivering voice I replied,

"Katherine Howard, your Majesty."

I could not conceal the smile on my face and it grew in width the more he stared at me.

"Howard? Another Howard. They seem to be multiplying by the minute" he observed, and I could not help but let out a little giggle as the King looked back between myself and my cousin, who was still sat upon her throne watching the couples dancing and talking to a dark haired gentleman. My giggle seemed to delight the King all the more for he roared with hearty laughter and took hold of my hand.

"You dance very prettily, Mistress Howard. May I have the honour of the next dance?" he asked, "with the express permission of your cousin of course" he added, and Thomas instantly nodded his head in agreement, not daring to challenge the King.

I could not believe my luck. I was to dance with the King of England! I know that I am pretty but there are many pretty women at court. What had attracted him to me?

"The honour is all mine, Majesty" I curtseyed to him once more and placed my hand within his. He led me softly to the middle of the hall and the dancing couples moved to make way for us.

"So, you are cousin to the Queen?" he asked me as he took hold of my waist and spun me rather vigorously. You would not think he was an elderly gentleman from the spirit in which he danced. I was pleasantly surprised.

"Yes your Majesty. Her mother is my father's sister" I explained.

"So we are family" he observed as we circled around each other in time to the music.

"I suppose we are, your Majesty" I smiled, delighted at the thought that I could say I was kin the King of England. I could just imagine Joan's face when I inform her that not only did I dance with the King but he acknowledged me as his family.

"And how old are you, Mistress Howard?" he continued, studying my face as though I was some great master piece, although I noticed that his eyes eventually strayed down towards the opening of my bodice. I pretended not to notice.

"Call me Kitty, your Majesty. Every body else does" I replied with an air of familiarity. If my dearest of friends may call me Kitty, it was certainly good enough for the King to call it me too.

"If I may call you Kitty, you must call me Henry" he compromised and I thought it was the best compromise we could make.

"Very well then...Henry" I giggled. Very few people had the pleasure of calling the King by his Christian name and I felt honoured that he thought so highly of me already. I wonder if cousin Nan had managed to get on first name terms with the King so early in their relationship?

"You have yet to answer my question, my dearest Kitty" he continued to press me as I began to leap in the air and he did a little jig.

"I am seventeen" and with this revelation his mouth fell open as he studied me even closer now.

"So young" he sighed enviously as he took hold of my waist and span me around again.

"Not so young, your Majesty. I mean Henry" I corrected myself quickly as the King lifted me high into the air and brought me back down again as though I weighed nothing more than a feather in his arms. "Surely not that much younger than you." I had been told on many occasions that the King was extremely vain and a sincere compliment would raise you highly in his esteem. It seemed to work and I successfully managed to flatter his ego. He gave me another smile, although this time it was less mischeivous and more sincere.

"And how old do you think I am?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. I pretended to think for a moment as I bit my lip.

"You are surely no more than thirty. I would guess you are twenty and five" I lied so convincingly that I almost believed it myself.

"By God, I feel it even if it is not true" he announced in a tone that conveyed both joy and sorrow.

"You are as young as you feel" I insisted as the dance came to a climax and he bowed whilst I curtseyed. He took me by the hand again as he led me back to the safety of cousin Thomas.

"Until we meet again, my pretty Kitty" he declared as he took my hand and pressed it against his lips. My cheeks must have been glowing by now but I did not let myself get too carried away. I merely cast my eyes down for a quick moment and then looked back up at him coyly, fluttering my long lashes at him. In my experience, old men prefer coy, virginal girls and I could play the part to a tee.

And then he was gone, having gone back to sit with his wife and I couldn't help but wonder what cousin Anne thought of my dancing with the King? I have heard she herself was meant to be an excellent dancer herself as a young woman, but she wasn't a young woman any more, was she? I felt as though I was floating on air as cousin Thomas walked me across the dance floor, my head still in the clouds. I had never been so star struck before.

"Niece, it seems that you have enchanted the King" a voice announced and I was surprised to see that we were now in the company of Uncle Norfolk once more. Considering that my Uncle Norfolk is meant to be intelligent I thought it was a rather silly thing to proclaim. Yet before I could say anything back to him, he had taken a step forward and whispered in my ear that, "If you play your cards right you could end up in the King's bed"

I was a little alarmed at this.

The King's bed? Well, I might be pretty enough for it, but I did not think that the King was that interested in me that he would want me for a mistress.

"But what about cousin Nan? I do not think she will be very happy that the King favours me so highly" I revealed. After all, there were those rumours that she poisoned her enemies. I did not wish to get on the wrong side of her and face her wrath, that was for sure. But Uncle Norfolk did not seem concerned by that, brushing her away with a motion of his hand.

"Leave her to me. It is for the good of the family" was his simple reply, as though he had it all figured out.

And it was this comment that made me wonder, had Uncle Norfolk intentionally planned for me to catch the attention of the King?