A few days had passed since the incident and both Henry and Anne had recovered with help from each other. Anne had recovered mentally but the red marks on her body had not- thankfully the Court accepted these as a result of an over passionate bedroom experience. Henry had recovered with a new determination to marry Anne, partly as an apology, wholly for love.
Henry and Anne were sitting side by side listening to the music played for them by Jane Seymour when Henry turned to Anne and whispers "I have something to attend too. I will return soon." before getting up and leaving. Anne knew he would return and wasn't worried, she didn't know however of his sudden idea.
Henry stormed into a room where Katherine and her ladies were sitting doing delicate embroidery. Katherine was sat in the middle of the room and was talking to her ladies as she sewed- she was taken aback by the sudden entry of her husband.
Henry pointed at Katherine and yelled "This woman is accused of paying someone to harm another. She was jealous of my love for my mistress-Anne- and paid someone to harm her. Arrest her at once!"
Katherine was even more shocked by this sudden action then the arrival of Henry. The guards entered the room and looked at one another with a confused expression, had the King really just ordered the arrest of his wife.
"Well don't just stand there. Arrest her!" bellowed Henry with a finger pointing at his wife.
Katherine was approached by the guards and was ordered to follow them to the tower of London. She yelled for her innocence but remained graceful and with dignity as she walked past her betraying husband
"Do I not please you?" she called in her harsh Spanish accent "I have done nothing to Mistress Boleyn."
Henry was proud of his ingenious idea but hadn't decided what the next part of it would be. He didn't want Katherine executed as she was innocent of the crime he had framed her for. The King hadn't expected it to go so well but felt slightly guilty to be arresting his innocent wife. He left Katherine's ladies in shock as he left the room. Henry wanted to think of a plan to remove Katherine without her being executed, he had made a suitable start but needed to plan his scheme in more depth. There was a route he could take that lead back from the queens rooms to the throne room, it was perfect for deciding on a plan and offered beautiful scenery whist he walked along through the gardens.
The route took around 10 minutes and Henry had formed a plan. But when he arrived back to the throne room, the music wasn't playing and the floor was covered with servants. However, the change that worried Henry most was the absence of Anne.
Henry walked up to where the servants were gathering of the ground
"Where is Mistress Boleyn?" he ordered.
A young servant of about 15 years rose from the floor and curtseyed to the King. She was wearing the castle servants uniform of a brown dress with an apron and held a stained rag in her hand.
"Your majesty" she began "Mistress Boleyn had a dizzy spell and suddenly got very hot, she was sick on the floor and her dress before running out of the room."
"Sick?" the King questioned.
"Indeed your majesty, and she was so awfully embarrassed by it" replied the servant before being thanked for the information by the King. She returned to scrubbing the floor as the King ran out of the quiet room.
Henry ran straight to Anne's chambers, he knocked on the door.
"Come in" came a timid and weak voice.
Henry entered the room and caught sight of Anne, she was sitting on the floor by her bed crying. A chamber pot sat full of yet more sick and her dress was ruined. Anne looked a state with her pale skin and puffy eyes but was pleased to see Henry.
"Your Grace" she called with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
"Anne" replied Henry running to her side "Whatever is the matter?"
Anne sniffed "I feel awful. My head hurts and I keep being sick. I am so unsteady on my feet and now I've made a show of myself."
Henry didn't know how to respond so just said "Climb into bed for now, I will get a servant to bring you some food and will send for my best physician to examine you."
"You are too kind your Grace." muttered Anne as she stepped out of her ruined gown and into her bed.
Henry kissed Anne on the cheek before leaving "Anything for my future queen." he whispered before leaving.
A few days later, Henry's physician had arrived. Anne was in the same state and had retired to bed after feeling light headed on a series of occasions when she tried to go about Court duty. Henry was becoming worried as instructed that Anne must be examined and treated in any way necessary, no expense must be spared for her.
When the physician was attending Anne, Henry decided to visit Katherine and put the next part of his plan into order. He climbed the steps of the tower of London and arrived at Katherine's room. It was simple and small but supporters of Katherine had provided her with good food and fabrics to make her room more comfortable. The queen herself was sat at her small desk writing.
"Why did you hurt Anne?" Henry bellowed, startling Katherine.
"I have done nothing to Mistress Anne." she replied in a stern and Spanish voice,
Henry used his power to full advantage "I had evidence Katherine that you harmed Anne. If you confess to it then I will let you off trial with a simple divorce, If you chose to continue denial then you will be tried and found guilty. Your punishment will be death."
Katherine was distraught "You ask me to confess to a crime I have not committed. That is disrespect to the Lord."
Henry smiled a very callous grin "Then you will be tried and found guilty?"
"No" yelled Katherine as Henry turned to leave "I will confess to you but not to the Lord. As for divorce, then I would suffer eternal damnation in Hell."
Henry's patience was being tested, yet he had a very cruel plan, involving tricking his wife. He thrust out of his cloak a scroll written entirely in Italian, he handed it to his wife and demanded: "Your name must be displayed on this scroll for you to face no further trials or ordeals."
Katherine was not so easily fooled "I will not sign a scroll I cannot read. Why must it be in a tongue that is of neither of our nations?"
Henry thought quickly "It needs to be sent to the Pope for verification. Italian is the most common of the languages used in the Vatican. It is in fact the native language of the Pope and his Camarlengo."
"Then I shall sign, but shall write to his Holiness personally to ask why the language of Latin wasn't used"-Katherine had a plan herself. She took the contract and signed her name in beautiful cursive. Henry took the scroll back from her and returned it to his cloak. He had done it- The scroll wasn't a pardon, it was papers for a divorce. The Italian language had outwitted Katherine and she had signed away her own life, even if she did write to the Pope, Henry could simply intersect her letters.
Once Henry had returned from visiting Katherine, his physician had left Anne and the results of the examination had been explained to her. Despite wishing to boast his victory to Anne, when he came to her chambers he asked "How are you?".
Anne was happier then before and had a smile she was trying to conceal "I heard you went to see Katherine. Any further advancements on your devious plan?" Anne seductively said whist drawing nearer Henry.
The King couldn't resist this chance to boast so explained "I took divorce papers written in Italian and claimed they were from the pope. Katherine signed them but said she would write to the pope to check their legitimacy. All we have to do is intersect the letters, then we can be married."
"How wonderful" exclaimed Anne with genuine happiness
Henry remembered that his physician had been and asked Anne for the results.
Anne's smile returned "I am with child" she announced proudly.
Henry couldn't believe it, he had outwitted his wife and found out about another chance for a son in 1 day. He embraced Anne and kissed her. There was utter happiness between them for a few minutes, and then Anne asked
"May we announce it?"
Henry looked stern "We mustn't announce it for a child born out of wedlock can only be seen as illegitimate. We must conceal this until we are married."
Anne was worried "But the sickness, the soon to appear bump. How can we conceal these?"
"We will manage my dear. But our wedding can't come soon enough." Replied Henry with a hopeful grin that Anne acknowledged.