Hey guys, just a little short chapter today because I've been doing stuff I shouldn't be (ie writing an entirely different story when I still have this and another on the go haha) either way I hope you enjoy it
It was not common knowledge around the court and Kingdom that Henry was planning to divorce Catherine but the Queen had been informed by him that he considered their marriage over. The news almost broke the Queen but she had little opportunity to mourn the loss of her husband and carried on retaining her composure as (in the words of Thomas More) 'a way truly befitting the Queen of England'. Catharine's situation was not made any easier by the fact that Anne was still one of her ladies maids. Having to see the face of the woman who was trying to take her husband away every single day was difficult for Her Majesty.
One evening in the Queen's bed chamber Catherine called Anne out on her constant pursuing of the King. Isabella had been standing just behind the door and could not help but listen to the exchange between the current Queen and the potential Queen (well if Henry had his way anyway). Isabella had often wondered which of the women in Henry's heart would win the exchange, but when His Majesty started presenting Anne with expensive gives that became abundantly clear.
"An expensive whore." Catherine commented, gazing with disdain at the necklace Anne was wearing and reverting to her native Spanish tongue so as to converse to herself.
"Your Majesty I am not whore." Anne replied, moving her head slightly so that the necklace the King had given her fell out of Catharine's grasp. Isabella laughed softly to herself; yes, Anne may have kept her maidenhead and refused to give it to His Majesty until they were married but she was flaunting her relationship with the King throughout the court, so whether she was a whore or not was greatly debatable.
"You may be some new passing fancy for His Majesty but he will realise, in time, that I am his true wife." Catherine stated. "Let him give you expensive gifts, let him play with you for a while but do not think that you can take him away from me."
"I love His Majesty..." Anne began.
"He will tire of you soon enough and when that day comes he will return to me." Catherine stated, proudly and with every conviction that she believed this to be true.
"His Majesty loves me and he..." Anne began but Catherine cut her off once again.
"Did I say you could speak!" she almost shouted. "You are a servant and you should know your place. Now get out!" Anne stood up and curtseyed slightly.
"Your Majesty." she muttered and stalked out of the room. Isabella stood in her position behind the door for a few moments until she heard the soft sounds of Catherine crying slightly. She walked into Her Majesty's view and curtseyed slightly.
"Your Majesty." she stated as if she had only just entered the room. Catherine looked up to see Isabella standing in front of her. She smiled slightly at her despite her uncomfortable and unfortunate situation.
"Miss Isabella." the Queen replied in greeting as if to keep up the charade but as soon as she saw the look of concern on Isabella's face the smile she had put on faded. "How much did you hear?" she asked. Isabella hung her head slightly.
"Every word, Your Majesty." she confessed. Catherine sighed.
"Come, sit." she stated, signalling to the space on the floor where Anne had just been only moments before. Isabella sat beside her, keeping her eyes averted from where they should not look and down at the floor. "You know a great deal about His Majesty's affairs do you not?"
"I know what I am told by rumours..." she began. Catherine laughed softly but not unkindly.
"Isabella I know that you were His Majesty's mistress." she stated. "It did not bother me because the King has taken mistresses before but this infatuation with the Lady Anne…it worries me."
"Why should it?" Isabella asked naively. Catherine gave her a knowing look.
"I think we both know the answer to that Miss Isabella." she replied. Isabella bit her lip in thought, not knowing what to say to make the situation any better.
"Though it is not my place to pass comment, Your Majesty, I believe that you are correct. This is just a passing fancy on His Majesty's part – eventually he will tire of her as he has tired of all his previous mistresses. Nothing will come of it so I would not let it trouble Your Majesty too much, eventually he will realise that she is not worth the trouble." Isabella said comfortingly. Catherine gently stroked her cheek.
"Oh how I wish I could believe you," she replied. "but His Majesty had already begun to try and divorce me."
"I would not worry, You Majesty," Isabella said, leaning her head against Catharine's hand. "the divorce will surely not be granted; there is little ground for it and the church will never allow it." Catherine smiled softly and thoughtfully at her.
"I hope that you are correct." she said sadly. "I certainly hope that you are correct."