Sorry for the wait, this is the seventh draft of this chapter, it didn't want to come out right. Hopefully you'll like it and I welcome any suggestions. We're getting very close to the end for this story now!

December fifth 1524

There was a truth universally acknowledged that court will always be full of gossip and rumours, most of them false. However the rumours about the Kings latest mood ran rampant across court and had only been magnified when the King hade made his beloved Mary Boleyn a Duchess, the Duchess of Derby. As the new Duchess did not seem to be pregnant the reason of this latest nobility and rank confused the courtiers and they were all nervous unsure of which leg to stand on as they jumped between different plots and schemes.

All of it was becoming clearer however to a select few. In late November the King had received a reply to his letter to the Pope and apparently it had left him in a benevolent mood as he gave out honours and planned sumptuous Christmastide festivities. The cardinal Wolsey seemed a bit hesitant and disgruntled. As neither the Queen nor the Duchess of Derby held the cardinal in high esteem, since his mistresses and indulgences were hardly hidden something not expected of a man of god, no one knew what that meant. However soon Mary and the Queen found out about the Kings great plan, the plan that had consumed his time so much these past years. He wanted to make Mary his Queen and her son the heirs to the throne.

Mary had nearly fainted on the news and protested vehemently nearly causing a row between the lovers.

"You cannot Henry! I am not the Queen; the Queen is your wife!"

"Yes and I've found a way around that! You should be honoured…"

"What honour is there in breaking up a marriage? Being a mistress is hardly honourable but being the reason of dissolution of a marriage, a sacrament! I cannot and will not do this!"

"If you would calm down and listen!"

"How can you do this to the Queen and the Princess Mary? The Queen has done everything required of her and bore our situation with dignity and grace. She has been not only forgiving but also offered me friendship! How could I betray her by taking her place and cast aside both her and the Princess!" No matter Henry's anger at her reaction, as he had thought she would be grateful, he had however been touched by her love for the Queen and the Princess and calmed down enough to tell her the solution more rationally.

"The marriage will not be annulled instead it is the Pope and mine's hope that she shall retire, as a number of Queens has done before her, to a nunnery. This will preserve Princess Mary's status. After all everybody knows that she is very pious and she is after all the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella. She is a model of a Christian woman." The King arguments were solid for if the Pope had accepted this who could argue against him? The Kings saw Mary's hesitation and continued.

"England has never, and I am sure, never will be governed by a Queen. Surely everyone can see this was the best solutions. After all the betrothal between Princess Mary and the emperor was still in place and English subject would never allow him to become the facto King of England. Even the Emperor had granted that it would most likely be troublesome."

Mary was troubled. No matter her friendship with the Queen, her titles and her honoured position she was still a mistress, the King's concubine. Surely she could not become Queen. However the King persisted. Mary then turned around. She raised her eyes to the King.

"I will only take up this place with the express permission from the Pope and the Queen. I would never do this to her, the woman who has treated me with so much kindness in anything but respect. She deserves all the respect we can give her and the people would never allow for any less. Bur Henry, do you honestly think that the public would accept me as a Queen? The need for a male heir I can understand and most likely the public as well, but me in a position as Queen? I found it doubtful would be considered proper." The King stepped towards her grasped her shoulders and kissed her.

"Mary you will make a wonderful Queen. No worries I will talk the Catherine and I am sure everything will be alright. Do not worry so much, the people will love you!" With that he swept out of the room leaving a worried Mary behind who sank down in a chair, thankful that they had been completely alone for this conversation. She was not as certain as Henry about the people's love, especially not since it would cost them Queen Katherine. Mary called for her companion; she knew what she had to do. She sat down with a sigh and started a letter.

The Queen's reactions were not as violent but her shock was as great. She grabbed the book she was holding and slowly sunk down into a chair.

"Am I to understand that the Pope has agreed to this plan?" the Queen felt relieved that her voice did not break. Out of all the emotions running through her, disbelief was the strongest.

"Yes, the Pope has agreed and the only thing left is your signature and choice of convent. I will of course arrange for Mary to see you as often as you wish." The Queen nodded and slowly rose from her chair. She walked to the window and took deep calming breaths. She ha known for a while that Henry would never leave their daughter as Queen, but this she had never dared to imagine. She could not argue with the Popes decision. She knew Mary had not lobbied for it. She knew Henry did this out of some form of concern for his country. She could not be angry or rave without going against not only her husband, but also the Pope. She was trapped.

"I cannot persuade you to change your mind?" Henry walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Katherine, you are a wonderful woman, a model for others to try to embody. I love you and Mary so much. You have been my Queen admirably for many years and been my companion. However I need a male heir. I would never divorce you, my dear, so this is the obvious choice. I will leave you to consider your options for the convents. Should you need any help I will send for it." He left and Katherine was sorely tempted to rip the papers to pieces and throw to ink bottle after him. Those actions however, were not how she behaved and she would behave with all the dignity she had. If only the Pope had not agreed. All those years of marriage, all of her sacrifices! If the pope had not already given his approval, Katherine would have fought this tooth and nails. Now she had lost before she even knew that the battle had begun. She could not argue with the pope. Her only conciliation was that she knew the future king of England and knew that he was a good boy. She also knew his mother and Mary would take care of Katherine's daughter. Mary would not be cruel and she would not neglect little Princess Mary, both of which could have become reality should Henry have married some foreign princess. Katherine sunk down into the chair again and allowed herself to weep.

The news did not travel for some days until suddenly it was announced that the people's beloved Queen would retire to a convent near her daughter's new household at Hatfield. The convent was an open order, were the former Queen would still be able to receive visits primarily from her daughter the Princess Mary. The confusion as to why this happened was succeeded by the speculations and rumours about the King taking a new wife. The Kings' mistress had left court for a trip to her sisters several days before the announcements were made and were not expected to return for weeks.

So what do you think about this? The reason that Katherine doesn't fight this is because of the Pope's agreement. She's very religious and I can't see her fight like she did in reality if Henry had gotten the Pope's approval. Please leave a review (if you want to)!