England is broke and on the verge of war yet again. With growing fear inside the walls of the Westminster Palace leads King Henry VII to make a decision. After his eldest son and heir Arthur, Prince of Wales is married to the Spanish Princess Cathe...
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It was now morning when Catherine awoke. Even though she was able to eventually drift off to sleep, her dreams only plagued her more than before she closed her eyes. Catherine felt she was in Hell, didn't he love her? how could he not tell her about this beforehand, did he not owe her that at the very least? After a few minutes of pacing around her bed chamber from one end to the other, over thinking everything that had transpired last evening until there was a knock at the door.
"Infanta.... Are you alright it's almost noon" after hearing Lina knock Catherine quickly pulled herself together and made her way over to the door to open it for her ladies.
She opened the door for them and let them in. Once inside, they quickly got Catherine dressed and ready for her day.
"Infanta, how would you like us to do your hair for today?" Lina said, hoping to cheer up her Infanta. However, all Catherine did was shake her head and said,
"No thank you Lina, I think I'm going to wear it down today"
"But, you never wear your hair down Infanta? You always said that to look like a daughter of Spain and the future Queen of England you must always look regal from head to toe." Rosa said nervously
"Don't worry Rosa, perhaps it's time to show Harry a new side of myself." Rosa just nodded her head afraid of retribution.
"Well alright then, you are ready. You look beautiful Infanta." Lina told Catherine hoping that after this Catherine would focus less on her feelings for Harry and more so on her marriage with Arthur. Perhaps all her Infanta truly needed was closure and perhaps today she would get it.
"I'll be off now, you're both free until later this evening." With that Lina and Rosa curtsied and had left Catherine once again in that room all by herself.
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Catherine had made her way to a desolate area, and she was aware Harry would always stop by on his way back to the palace from training. She knew that this was her chance to talk to him and get this whole matter settled with. As she waited she sat on a comfortable enough stone bench. Sitting with a book sprawled open against her lap. With her fiery red locks truss long down her back.
After waiting about ten to fifteen minutes Harry eventually showed up. Needless to say he was taken aback seeing Catherine just sitting there on the stone bench. Her hair down, framing her face and looking relaxed and tense all at the same moment. Noticing his presence Catherine raised her head from her book and turned her head to now be looking at him.
"Hello Harry" she said
"Princess Catherine, what is it doing here? I don't recall you being fond of this particular spot on the palace grounds."
"Oh I was just reading a story in this book that Arthur gave me. The Tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is what it's apparently called. It's quite fascinating actually." The conversation continued this way, Catherine stalling and hiding what she truly wanted to say. Unfortunately for Catherine, Harry wasn't a fool. As she went on and on about nothing, Harry began to drift off into his own thoughts to find some sort of escape from this dull conversation. Then he finally had enough, he irritatedly shook his head then decided it was time to ask her what she actually wanted to tell him instead of taking his ear off any longer than necessary.
"Catherine, what is it that you want? You see I'm no fool and I know that what you've been saying for the last however many minutes isn't the truth. So, Catherine please, what do you want?" Catherine was surprised that Harry didn't fall for her tricks, she really must be out of practice being married and all to Arthur. She rose from the bench, leaving the book sitting on it, deciding to walk right in front of him.
"Why are you marrying her?" She said solemnly. Harry looked at her with no emotion and responded
" It is my duty to marry for my family, as it is for the rest of my siblings."
" Yes, I know that but why her! And why so soon ? I was only just married to Arthur." She said, He looked her dead in her face and started to laugh. She couldn't believe it. He was laughing about this. He was laughing that they couldn't be together. Did he even love her at all? Catherine didn't know, but she knew she needed answers, and she knew in her heart that she loved him.
" so you don't know" he said
" know what are you talking about?"
" I'm talking about the fact that your dowry hasn't arrived yet, and she's a Medici. We need the money, Spain hasn't given it to us so let's see if the Italians will." She looked at him of the puzzle expression on her face and took a step back putting her hand to her head, looking back at him and saying
" So this is all about money then huh? you'll marry a girl just for a sack of gold not if you actually love her don't you love me? like you said in our letters."
" I told you this is all for my family. Our kind do this all the time. It's part of the job. And by mirroring her I'm gonna open up so many doors for my family and my country that Arthur can't. I also did it to support my brother and this marriage will strengthen the country for you and him when the two of you become king and queen. Catherine, open up your eyes! She's the niece of the Pope! Do I need to explain it anymore because I thought it was pretty obvious everyone in Europe wants to get into graces with the Medicis, and will be having one in our family." She looked at him one final time and said.
" So your eagerness to accept this marriage, and this whole situation has nothing to do with the fact that she is supposedly beautiful and referred to as the most beautiful woman in the world?" At the mention of Magdalena, and the title that has been bestowed upon her by the people and those who cursed upon her beauty, Harry just chuckled once more.
" I can promise you that her beauty, whether it is true or not. It's not the only reason why I accepted the match, but if it is true, it's definitely an added bonus." Catherine's face reeked of disgust. She couldn't believe the things that she was hearing, that the man she loved was saying these horrible things that he wouldn't fight for their love that he was willing to marry another woman like that with no objections.
" How can you say such horrible things to me, don't you love me! Don't you?!"
" life is painful, difficult and bloody. We all must tread our own course making sure we don't fall down. What I did was in the name of family, and in my own best interest I would expect you of all people would understand that you're married to my brother, for God sakes." And with that Harry walked away, leaving Catherine alone by the stone bench that still had her book sitting on it.
When she arrived back at her room her ladies were already there, waiting for her along with Lady Margaret Beaufort, the King's mother.
" Hello there, Princess Catherine, I'm here to give you a message. Personally, and if you want something for the voyage, speak up now so the servants can get everything together because we are leaving it by the end of the week." And with that being said Lady Margaret was gone, leaving the hurt and confused Catherine alone with her ladies.
******************************************* Interesting huh? Next chapter We'll finally be meeting Madalena
