Festina Lente

Chapter Six: Queen Katherine's Ire

19th of May 1530 - London, England

"Make way for Her Majesty, the Queen," the herald announced causing people to quickly move out of the way and bow down to their Queen as she and her ladies passed; she was dressed all in black and barely glanced at the courtiers around her. 

Her ladies trailed behind her as she walked through the halls of the palace as she held her head high; she cared not what anyone thought of her nor the fact that her marriage was hanging by a thread. 

That morning she had received another letter from her nephew, the Emperor, his promise of support during this trying time was the only good news that she seemed to receive. 

The Pope had said no more on the matter and her husband still continued to flaunt his relationship with his whore; nothing seemed to sway his attention from her or his desire to leave his marriage. 

Katherine was his true wife and nothing that Henry could say would change that, she still held hope that he would tire of his whore and return to her when the time was right. 

Walking down the halls towards the chapel, Katherine couldn't help but allow her mind to think back to how things had been for her since Henry had announced his desire to end their marriage. 

He barely saw her anymore and she had not seen her beloved daughter in so long, she missed Mary and she wanted nothing more than for her to be allowed to visit the court. 

Henry had sent Mary off to Ludlow after he had ennobled his bastard son, a direct threat to her own daughter's succession to the throne and Katherine knew that even as the Princess of Wales that Mary was not safe. 

For all her talk of Mary being the next Queen of England, Katherine knew that her daughter was going to have a lot of struggles taking the throne; she would face them with the grace granted to her as the granddaughter of the great Isabella of Castile. 

Reaching the chapel, Katherine came to a halt as her eyes caught on the gathering of ladies that were in attendance; a frown forming on her face as she swept over the ladies that offered her a curtsy. 

They were in the attendance of their lady and Katherine couldn't stop from wondering just what the Duchess of Nemours hoped to gain from being here; it disgusted her that the woman had befriend the whore.

"Your Majesty," Clarice greeted with a curtsy, she had not expected her prayers to be interrupted and she was most surprised to have such a run in with the Queen; she had not expected to see her especially since she had befriended Anne. 

There was no denying that Katherine was an imposing force, she was the daughter of a Great Queen and she had served England well during her time as Queen. 

However, Clarice did wonder just how far the woman was willing to go to keep her throne despite the fact that it was clear that the King was determined to be rid of her at whatever the cost. 

The divorce had dragged on for years, neither closer to getting what they desired and Clarice knew that sooner or later things would come to a head; she could not imagine that Katherine would go quietly. 

"Your Grace." Katherine replied with a stiff nod, she eyed the woman that had come to her court with no doubts that the Pope would have sent her; what better way to see what was truly going on in the English Court. 

So far things had been decided in her favour, there would be no way for Henry to be rid of her while the Pope sided with her; the dispensation that she had been granted to marry Henry was still in effect. 

Moving to her feet, Clarice made her way out of the chapel seeing that Katherine had not moved to say her own prayers; she glanced away from the Queen who seemed to stare right through her.