BLOODLINES | THE SPANISH PRINCESS

38

Hearing Kathy's words, Charlie couldn't help but smile in amusement. "How did you do it?" He asked her curiously, "Stafford and Marie thought you would do it with a pillow."

"Not quite. Though it did happen in bed," Kathy replied, smirking as she ran her hand up and down his chest while Charlie gave her a curious look, "I tired him out in bed. I had sex with him until he croaked."

"You're entirely serious?" He asked her and Kathy nodded her head in response.

"Yes, I'll probably go to hell, but it was entirely worth it," She admitted and Charlie began to smile.

"Well, if you do, it can't be worse than this tastes," Charlie confessed as he took a sip of the cup of wine he held in his hand.

"Chartreuse," She replied as she took the cup from his grasp and drank it herself in one gulp, "The only thing that got me through that hell of a marriage. I didn't much like the idea of being queen yet having no true power. All I did was sit there and look pretty all the time."

"Well, you are quite good at that," Charlie commented as he placed a hand on the side of her face, "You don't look as though you are struggling. You look radiant. More than you usually do, if that's even possible."

"Well, in my experience, death does wonders for the complexion," She admitted, causing Charlie to chuckle in response.

"Kathy, I don't know what I missed more. Your bluntness or your humor," He replied, causing them both to smile. He moved toward her, smiling as he cupped her face in his hands, "I've missed you. More than you could ever know."

"And I, you. More than you could ever know," She confessed, smiling softly as she stared up at him, "Now, what have I missed at court?"

"Once again, Marie is pregnant with Henry's child and this time, Catherine learned about it. Usually, Marie keeps it to herself and passes it off as Stafford's, but now it has been revealed to the whole court. You would think it to be Catherine's fault, but she didn't know any better. She doesn't know that Marie's other sons are also Henry's," Charlie explained, causing Kathy to frown in confusion.

"I thought Marie was done with Henry," Kathy complained, a puzzled look on her face.

"She is," Charlie replied, causing Kathy to furrow her eyebrows in confusion.

"Then why does she keep going to his bed?" She asked and Charlie's face immediately fell, "What am I missing?"

"It's nothing you need to know," Charlie replied as he shook his head in response.

Kathy grabbed him by the arm, a stern look on her face. "Charlie, what aren't you telling me?"

Charlie stared down at Kathy and sighed, knowing there was no point in lying. "Marie doesn't want to go to Henry's bed. Ever. He forces her to," He informed her, causing Kathy's eyes to widen in horror, "He makes her feel as though she has no choice. It has been like this ever since you married Louis. She feels obligated to bed him just so he won't torment her any longer."

Kathy remained silent, trying to contain her anger. "My brother..." She trailed off and scoffed, "I barely recognize him anymore. Now, you are to take me home and back to court, where I must deal with his stupidity once more. Tell me, Charlie, what does my brother say my fate should be?"

"I haven't asked," Charlie confessed as he shook his head, "I didn't care to know. I don't think I want to know."

"Why not?" Kathy asked as she stared up at Charlie curiously.

"Don't make me say it when you already know," Charlie complained and Kathy smiled as she watched him walk past her. "I feel I don't know Henry as I used to."