Cromwell heard the shuffling of men around him as they carried about their daily duties. As for himself he was working at his desk completing the tasks set about him by the King. Cromwell paused for a moment as he mused on his situation. As a low born man, he had found it hard to move up in the world despite his intelligence but had been fortunate enough to encounter Wolsey, a low born man himself who had risen to impossible heights and had been able to join his household of workers.

When Wolsey had been in power all had been great for Cromwell but now things were certainly better now that the old man had fell from power. Whilst Cromwell did have some respect for him he had to admit that while Wolsey had been in power he had been keen to keep all of the King's attention to himself to ensure his enemies didn't topple him. Attention that Cromwell felt he was partly owed. Now that Wolsey was gone he had been able to rise up although he had to admit that his relationship with the King would never be what Wolsey had. Henry VIII had viewed that man as a father figure of sorts whereas Cromwell would be nothing more than a business associate which meant Henry would be nowhere near as forgiving for Cromwell's mistakes.

To that extent what he needed was good allies who were up and coming in the world and fortunately for him he had such allies. The Boleyn's. Much of Cromwell's rise could be attributed to their influence and as such Cromwell was eager to engross himself further in their friendship, however there were things he needed to do before such a relationship could be truly profitable for him.

The current standing of the Queen in the affections of the King was of a grave concern to Cromwell and he hoped that this was a temporary state of disfavour created by the King's disappointment of a female child. Even so, it would be best if Cromwell could find a way to get her back into favour instead of waiting for the King to cool from his latest temper tantrum. How else was he supposed to gain influence if those who he had attached themselves to were unable to get a good word in for him with the King?

"Master Secretary? I have something that you may be interested in." The voice broke Cromwell out of his thoughts as he looked up to examine the speaker. The boy in front of him was one of the men Cromwell had had paid to act as the messenger for the Imperial Ambassador. Given how disgruntled the Spanish likely were at the lost opportunity to turn the Lady Mary into their puppet Queen of England it was imperative that all their movements be closely watched.

"Do you now? Well then hand it over to me," Cromwell said as he reached his hand over the desk to grasp the letter the boy was offering to him. Pulling it towards him Cromwell opened the letter that had clearly had its seal pried open before, probably from the boy as it was he who deemed it worthy of reporting to him and read the contents of the letter.

Your Highness,

I write to you from court and must inform you with a heavy heart that your mother, Queen Katherine, has submitted herself fully before the King and the Lady Anne and declared that the marriage between your parents was no true one and that you, Princess, are illegitimate.

Though I have no doubt that she was forced into such an action, I understand how such news can be distressing for Your Highness to hear and I hope that this letter reaches you before the King sends a member of the Lady's family, or one of her few supporters, to tell you of this sad news. Unfortunately, I cannot do much for the Queen but instead now the attention has now been focused on you Princess. You must take comfort in the fact that you have many allies here and abroad who will continue to work for your cause.

Also, take comfort in the knowledge that the Lady Anne is out of the King's favour. Perhaps His Majesty has now started to realise the error of rushing into a false marriage, for surely if this were a true one it would have been a son and not a girl the Lady recently birthed? God is clearly showing his displeasure and I will work to capitalise off this development and diminish her standing even more.

Furthermore, you must refuse to concede to any command of the King regarding this matter of your conscience. It is imperative that you do so in order to show to all true believers that you still proclaim yourself with the rightful title of Princess of Wales.

Chapuys, Ambassador to Emperor Charles V.

To say he was shocked at wat he saw was an understatement. Not the fact that Chapuys had written such a letter, that was obvious that he would do such a thing. No, the shocking thing was that he had been so careless. That he should trust a regular messenger to deliver such a missive not thinking for a moment that such a person could be employed by unfriendly ears, a true testament either how idiotic the man was or how desperate. Perhaps both.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will see to it that you are adequately rewarded for this," Cromwell said as he noted the glimmer in the boy's eye. Even though the men Cromwell picked out to be in his employ were all devoted to the reformers cause he knew that such a payment for good findings would go further than any sentiments of gratitude. After all, this boy most likely had a family that could do with the extra money. In any case Cromwell certainly saw no harm in the minor loss of some money if it yielded results.

"I would do anything to keep England from the clutches of Rome sir," the young boy said devotedly.

"I have no doubt of your sentiments. Now run along and put your skills to good use elsewhere," Cromwell sighed as he looked down at his own work. He had been so interested in it moments ago but knew that he wouldn't be able to focus on his work until the King had been notified of this development.

Smiling to himself Cromwell thought about how he would be able to use this to his advantage. The King was a volatile man who was prone to frequent outbursts accompanied by his everchanging mind. Being close to that man was like being a moth drawn to a flame but whereas Wolsey before him had been burned Cromwell intended to stay just far enough to survive but still reap all the rewards. If he were lucky this could provide the solution to the Queen's problem.

If the King could be convinced that Katherine was a threat, that she was actively plotting against his will then he could eject her from court and have her suitably sent packing to a far-off nunnery or some of manor where she could be kept quiet. It would not be a difficult task as the Dowager Princess of Wales had only recently started to regain the King's favour and even that was shaky at best right now.

As well as that, Katherine's history with hiding behind Charles V would make implicating the Spanish almost too easy for Cromwell. Especially considering that Chapuys had the dim-witted idea to sign the letter, not only with his own name, but with the Emperor's name. Truly it was a marvel that such a gift fell into Cromwell's lap. By directly mentioning his position with the Emperor Chapuys made it seem like he was involved somehow even if it was most likely the man had no clue what his ambassador was up to in England behind his back. Although Cromwell was sad that this would diminish any hope currently for an Imperial alliance it was more important to him that his remaining Catholic enemies be dealt with and Katherine and Mary were first on that list. If he could remove them first then later he could focus on an Imperial alliance. Hopefully at a time when the Emperor no longer cared about those two women who were naught but an annoyance to Cromwell.

For now, the only important thing that mattered to Cromwell was seeing that this letter was put in the hands of the King as soon as possible and, if he were lucky, it would result in the Queen's restoration of favour which could only be good news for him. Perhaps the King would even see the talent that Cromwell clearly possessed and help move him up in the world. Of course, doing so could be just as dangerous as it could be rewarding but that was a risk that Cromwell was willing to take.

Tidying his papers up into a neat formation Cromwell stepped out of his office with the letter in hand and made his way to the Main Hall where he would hopefully be able to obtain a private audience with the King.

Anne sat in the nursery at court set up for her daughter. When Elizabeth had been born and before Anne was churched she had been in a cradle placed inside her mother's room where Anne could hold her precious baby whenever she pleased. However, after she had been churched her darling daughter had been swiftly taken away from her and had her own rooms established with a household of women set up to care for every needs even though she was just a babe.

'Henry clearly had not spared any expenses or denied our child any royal privilege when creating this nursery that he intended for our son,' Looking around the room Anne could see the extravagance highlighted in every ornate piece of furniture and in all the luxurious tapestries that hung from the wall – they were all there for one specific purpose, to show to anyone coming into these apartments that the occupant of them was royal. 'However, they are not occupied by a prince but instead it is the home of our daughter Elizabeth.'

To say to Anne that the birth of a daughter and not a son as Henry so desperately craved was a disappointment to her husband was an understatement. Henry had become so convinced that she was carrying a boy that he never entertained the idea that it might not get what he wanted, 'Like a child who is so certain of his facts that he cannot possibly be convinced that they are wrong and when he is proven to be wrong he throws a childish tantrum and blames everyone else.' Anne thought to herself.

Now it seemed she was getting to know her husband for who he truly was. When they had been courting each other, Henry had seemed like the idyllic man to Anne. He had appeared to her to be thoughtful, kind and caring to her and had allowed her free reign over her thoughts and opinions in his presence. But now Anne could see all that charm for what it really was. A mask. A mask that people often put on when they were courting each other only to drop when they were locked into a marriage.

A part of Anne believed that Henry still had those better qualities within him but that he only used them when he had something to gain. Charming her had made Henry feel young again, that he was still capable of being attracted to women and the promise of a son had made her more attractive to him. For just as much as Henry wanted a son to secure England's future he also wanted one to show that he was capable of siring a healthy male child. Anne knew that it was his pride that was the main motive though. After all, had it been security Henry wanted surely he could not have married Mary off now or in the future and secure a grandson through her? Or perhaps vest the succession in the rights of any male descendants from his sister Mary's line? No, for Henry it was a matter of pride.

In turn, Henry's disappointment, and the fear of what might happen to her if she did not please him had caused Anne to be disappointed as well when she was told of her daughter's birth. Rather than be joyful that her first child had been born healthy she was scared about the implications that this would have on Anne. Although, Henry had yet to come back to her Anne's own shame in regard to Elizabeth's sex soon vanished as maternal instinct overrode those feelings. This was her child and Anne swore that nothing bad would come against her so long as she lived.

Looking down at Elizabeth, Anne could clearly see the good health she was in. Elizabeth laid in an expensive cradle that provided the already active child with plenty of room to move around in, Elizabeth herself was wearing a gown that Anne had sowed herself when she had been pregnant and had a cap of silk adorning her small head. Anne placed her hand near Elizabeth's and was slightly shocked at the strength of the child's grip on one of Anne's fingers.

Sitting there and spending time with her baby was pure bliss to Anne as it took her mind away from the poisonous world outside of the nursey. Eleanor Luke, for example, had become Henry's mistress and though he made no mention of it, it was an open secret to all those at court. 'I should not be shocked by such behaviour. Does he not believe his affairs to be his right as King? That he, as man, was able to flaunt such women around without so much as a care and yet I constantly have to guard myself from the mere hint of scandal.'

It would not be long until this Mistress Luke girl was gone anyway. She had neither the wits nor the charm to keep Henry interest, not like Anne who had once kept Henry's attention for years without even letting him into her bed. Unlike Mistress Luke who was likely to only have a short stint as her husband's mistress before she was back to being regarded as a nobody and Anne was able to do what she wanted with the girl. She was sure she could find a way to easily dispose of her. Perhaps she could ask George to create some sort of commotion that would result in her dismissal from court, never to be seen again?

'Stop! It is of no use thinking about that stupid girl, she will be gone soon and therefore is of no concern to you.' The rational side of Anne could not help but argue that point. It reminded her of her father and of his views. Thomas Boleyn had always been of the idea that Anne should do nothing that displeased her royal husband – an approach Anne had rejected in favour of allowing her tongue free reign to voice her opinions. Now, however, she was beginning to see the point of her father's words – the idea of keeping silent on matters that were important to her hurt Anne but she was also aware of her precarious position. Perhaps when she was pregnant again and Henry was more inclined to listen to her she would resume her political influence over him.

Taking another glance at her daughter Anne sighed. She may not have been what Henry wanted and Anne needed but she was here and that was reason enough for Anne to protect her from all those who would seek to harm her – even her husband.

"Be of good cheer Elizabeth, for I swear that nothing bad shall pass against you while I am alive. You will be loved for and cared more than any other Princess in Europe. I swear it," Anne whispered to the baby who did little more than giggle at her mother's declaration.

Unfortunately, Anne's peace could not last forever as the doors to the nursery opened to reveal Henry who had a rather agitated look on his face. A look that did not bode well to Anne. Sparing one more glance at her child Anne smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt and rose to bow before her husband as custom dictated she showed reverence to her sovereign lord at all times, "Your Majesty! Here to see our beloved daughter?"

"No, I have come here for you." Henry stated without so much as an acknowledgement of his daughter, as if the very sight of a female child disappointed him.

"Me? How can I be of service to Your Majesty?" Anne spoke formally making sure to always refer to him by his titles. Henry was a vain man and Anne knew that she could soften the blow of any anger he might direct towards her by appealing to his enormous pride.

"This! Look at what I have been given!" Henry said before forcefully thrusting the document he held in his hands to Anne. Quickly scanning it Anne soon realised that it was a letter. One that was written by the Imperial Ambassador, Eustace Chapuys, to the Lady Mary imploring her to refuse all attempts at reconciliation with her father in favour of proclaiming her false status of Princess of Wales. Fortunately, the letter had been intercepted and therefore had never reached the stubborn girl. God only knows what would have happened if such a thing were to occur. The last thing she needed was more encouragement.

"I have given that ungrateful girl more patience than she deserves and this is how she repays me! By running around behind my back with the Spanish Ambassador plotting to act against my will! Doesn't that brat know that my will is God's will – who is she to question my decisions!" Henry blared from the top of his lungs. The thunderous sounds erupting from the enraged Monarch climbing to such a pitch that Elizabeth, who had been laying in her crib contently started to stir. Henry ignored the wails of his child as he began pacing the room – too consumed in his rage to pay note to his youngest child – meanwhile Anne signalled to one of Elizabeth's maids that the child should be removed from the room.

"Has she received any more of these treasonous letter's," Anne questioned. Listening to what Henry had said she felt the fear climb inside her. Mary had been considered a legitimate princess and potential heir for so long that many still fought for her rights even though it had been shown that marriage between her parent's had been no true one. The only way that Mary could be silenced once and for all is if she followed in her mother's steps and signed the Oath, then no one could fight for a girl who wasn't even fighting for herself. Having Mary set up as a direct threat to her Elizabeth, whose legitimacy so many denied, was dangerous and Anne began to feel the maternal instincts within her swell.

"No, Cromwell tells me that this is the first of such letters. But still, the nerve of that man and of her! What possible reason could they have to rebel against me?" Henry questioned completely ignoring the fact that any child would protest if they had suddenly been demoted to a mere bastard and forced not to have contact with her beloved mother. Mary may not have been helping herself with her stubbornness but it could hardly be claimed that Henry had no involvement in her sufferings.

"Cromwell? I was not aware that he was the one who uncovered such letters." Anne said surprised. She has thought it likely that her uncle or perhaps her father had been the ones who had found it. After all, there were still trying to return to her husband's good graces after Anne had given Henry a girl and not a boy. In fact, her uncle had not spoken a word to her in public and her father was still giving her the cold shoulder. It mattered not the Anne. Not having to deal with their constant nagging would be good for her.

"Yes Cromwell, one of Wolsey's old men. I swear that man was the best thing that happened to this kingdom, such a shame he could not deliver on my Great Matter he had more wits than my council combined," Henry's rage had temporally quelled itself at the memory of a man who had been like a father figure to him.

Anne remembered that Cromwell had been a man who her family had helped promote at court. Henry was right, Cromwell was as efficient has Wolsey and had the skill to go far despite his base birth like his master but there was one key difference. Cromwell was for the reformed faith. Part of Anne thought that one of the reasons Wolsey had failed in the King's Great Matter was that he was determined to keep England at Rome's feet. Was he not a Cardinal, the very epitome of corruption that characterised the Catholic Church? That man had been second only to Henry in terms of wealth and yet was meant to represent an institution bound to poverty. It was men like Wolsey that had made Anne turn from the Catholic teaching in the first place.

"But it matters not who found it –" Henry cut back it, "- what matters is what I am going to do with that girl. She shall not be able to defy me any longer Anne! Don't you see the threat she poses, how is England meant to know peace when she is determined to dispute the lawful succession I have created! I think I shall have her packed up from Ludlow and sent to The More – it worked with Katherine after all," Henry's face darkened at the thought of his first wife.

"Trust me Henry, I am more than aware of the threat that Lady Mary poses and I wholeheartedly agree that she be removed from Ludlow but shouldn't we wait until the Dowager Princess of Wales has sent a letter to her telling her to submit?" Anne tried to calm Henry as she knew first-hand how dangerous her husband's temper could be if left unchecked. That wasn't to say that Anne was on Mary's side. If she wanted to be Mary could create serious problems for her daughter and that was a threat Anne would not tolerate, however she also knew how valuable it would be to have both Mary and Katherine submit so Anne would offer peace to them both but if they refused Anne would not hold back. There could be no threats to Elizabeth's safety.

"Why should I? For all I know she has played me false. There shall be no communication between her and Mary, clearly she has shown herself to be uncapable of holding my trust." Henry said growing more annoyed at Anne's insistence. Why did she always have to fight against his views?

"Henry, no! Surely the best way to get that foolish child to see the truth is through Katherine, she is the person most able to get Mary to listen." Anne knew that a ban on communication between the two women could yield disastrous results.

"And I am not? My God Anne you go too far! I am her father, better yet I am her sovereign lord! Why should she value the opinion of a women who lied about her marriage to my brother to become Queen falsely over the opinion of her King?" Henry raged. He thought that of all people Anne would understand and sympathise with him. She needed the threat of Mary gone as much as anyone else and it was the duty of a wife to support her husband and yet here she was defending the girl and speaking against him.

"I am only thinking of how best to handle the situation. If you allow the official line of communication to remain, even if it is thoroughly checked as it should be, Katherine will see no need in setting up an alternative line of communication that we cannot monitor. It will prevent any rebellion she may make against Your Majesty," Anne suggested logically.

"If Mary does rebel it will be through you and no fault of mine!" Henry blared ignoring Anne's reasoning in favour of shifting the blame away from himself.

"My fault? How, pray tell, would I ever consider encouraging Mary to rebel," Anne stated shocked at her husband's accusation. Surely any successful rebellion on Mary's part would result in her demise.

"Because, madam, you have not given me the son I so needed. If I had a son everyone would know that our marriage was true and none would even glance at Mary's direction, but that is not the case. You have failed me Anne, do you think this is a game? I need a son; England needs a son!"

"We will have a son! I promise. Besides should our daughter show the marriage is true? We have only been we less than a year and already have a healthy child, that is far more than what you gained in your false marriage to Katherine," Anne felt like weeping. How had her life turned to this so quickly? It seemed but a dream until they were wed, until Henry had shown his true nature to her.

"We better! I refuse to wait much longer Anne, you of all people should know that," Henry threatened. Looking at Anne now, who was still sitting whilst her stood towering over her, she looked helpless. Good. Let her feel the fear he felt every day at not having a son and know that he would not be as patient this time. He wasted twenty years with Katherine and was not prepared to do the same for Anne.

"I am fully aware, Your Majesty," Anne said quietly keeping her head down. She knew that this was the best course of action, to act demure and not become angry like him but it was eating Anne up inside. How was she supposed to sit back and not put up a fight?

'It will be hard to control my temper at him but it is for the best. He does not like it when I directly advise him. Perhaps I shall have to learn to do what Suffolk and the rest of those spineless courtiers do and advise him without him knowing. Let him think the ideas are his. God he is vain!' Anne thought to herself. She knew it was what her father wanted and in all honesty Thomas Boleyn, for as cruel as Anne knew he could be – especially towards his children – at times, did know how to play the political game. How she would loath telling him of her new strategy and smug grin Anne could imagine as he told her that he had been right all along.

"And to that extent Elizabeth shall be relocated to Hatfield immediately, it is further away from London and therefore the air will be healthier," Henry stated coldly. After all, Elizabeth was his primary heir until Anne bore him a son.

"As you wish Your Majesty," Anne said as she could feel her heart breaking at the thought of her darling daughter being removed from her care, "But I trust we shall visit her often?"

"If you wish, as long as it doesn't distract you from getting pregnant with my boy." Henry said. It seemed that every choice he made about Anne was only made with the aim of having a male child. "I bid you good day madam."

"Your Majesty," Anne said as she dipped her head in respect she did not feel and watched him leave the room. Turning swiftly around Anne rose from her sitting position and made her way to one of the adjacent rooms of the nursey to find her daughter. She had wanted to fight to keep her beloved child with her but Anne did not wish to inflame her husband's temper further and therefore she would have to say goodbye to her Elizabeth but not before spending as much time as she could with her.

'Would he have done such a thing if he hadn't been angry?' Anne thought to herself. But no, it would do her no use Henry was a paranoid man and it was royal custom that children be taken from their mother's side. Anne wondered how Katherine could have borne to send Mary all the way to Ludlow.

Thinking of Katherine gave Anne mixed feelings. On one hand, Anne hated having her at court and had voiced that opinion to Henry before she had arrived as having one of her biggest enemies at court was dangerous for Anne. But on the other she could empathise with her. If it came down to it Anne would wholeheartedly not be Queen if it meant she could keep her daughter and she suspected that had been the only reason she had submitted. It certainly was not due to her pride failing as the Spanish were known for their insufferable pride. Perhaps when Henry's temper had cooled she would try to convince him to allow Katherine to send a letter to Mary.

Walking down the corridor from the royal nursey Henry made his way towards Katherine's rooms in a rage. Out of all the people he expected to be just as outraged at this blatant treason he would have thought it would be Anne.

'Was it not her who had pushed me to remove Katherine from court and begone with her in the first place. If anything she was the hostile one in this situation, constantly aggravating Katherine who also fought back against her' Henry thought completely ignoring the fact that he had been wanting Katherine gone for some time and it was only luck that Anne had happened to catch his attention at that time. Not to mention the fact that he directly promote Anne's outrage against Katherine and, if he had wanted, could have stopped it at whatever time he so chose due to his status as sovereign.

Turning towards one of the more remote wings of the palace Henry continued his journey. He had made sure to have Katherine placed far away from him, he could not bear the sight of her at the moment. Seeing her yesterday at the feast, acting as if nothing had been wrong in her life, had infuriated Henry. 'So much for caring out me then! She only wanted the crown, now that she cannot have it she has settled for second best and no longer seeks to be my wife – it is her loss!'

Whilst having Katherine fight over her position as Queen had tested Henry who so desperately neededa son that old barren woman couldn't provide during their cursed marriage it did give Henry a boost to his pride knowing she wanted to remain at his side. Truly he was the best prince in Christendom, why else would she fight for him? But now he could see that cursed woman for who she truly was.

Arriving Katherine's door Henry banged loudly on it, no doubt giving whatever poor girl who was stood next to it a panic. Swiftly the door was opened to reveal a young girl looking at him before quickly darting her eyes toward the floor.

"Your Majesty! What a pleasure, we were not expecting you. Shall I fetch my Mistress?" Stated Catherine Howard as she looked at the man in front of her. This was the first time she had properly seen the King. Sure, she had snagged a glance at him during the feast but she had never gotten as close to him as she was now. Looking at him Catherine could see why women where so clearly attracted to him, he was taller than the average man with an athletic build that suggested frequent exercise. However, the look on his face turned what would else be a handsome man into somebody to be feared.

Meanwhile Henry looked at the young girl in front of him with interest. She was younger than the other ladies who populated Katherine's household – save for that Willoughby girl Charles had been showing interest in. She was pretty though and perhaps Henry would take up the opportunity to get to know her better once Mistress Luke began to bore him.

"No need I will meet her inside. What is your name Mistress," Henry said as he pushed past her into the room.

"Catherine. Catherine Howard, Your Majesty. I am niece to His Grace the Duke of Norfolk and cousin to Her Majesty the Queen!" Catherine stated proudly. Being a Howard was an honour but being related to the Queen was so much more than that. Catherine hoped that one day she would be able to get closer to her royal cousin, perhaps they would have much in common.

'Ah a spy then. One of Norfolk's many ways of keeping tabs on all that happens in my court,' Henry thought bitterly although judging from how young she looked and the pure excitement on her face she probably was not aware that was her use. Most likely she thought the probable questions from her uncle of how life in Katherine's household was were just the signs of a caring family member and not an overly ambitious man seeking to turn anything to his advantage.

"Very well then Mistress Howard," Henry said having lost all interest in her as he remembered the task at hand, "Katherine! We need to talk, now!"

Emerging from behind the curtain that separated the bedchamber from the rest of the room Katherine swept into a deep curtsey at the sight of her former husband.

"Your Majesty! It gives me joy to see you here, whatever can I do for you!" Katherine said with as much resect she could muster for the man who had taken everything from her. At least she would soon be able to contact her daughter once she got approval for her letter to be sent off.

"We must talk it is urgent," Henry coldly stated in a way that made the blood from Katherine's face drain. 'Has something happened or is he having another of his mood swings? Dear God let this be nothing.'

Looking straight at her former husband Katherine motioned to dismiss her ladies but Henry stopped her from doing so. "No, they must all know about how their Mistress has played me, and by extension the country, false."

A gasp emerged from the room as all of the ladies took in the information. No doubt that when this conversation was over news of this would spread rapidly throughout court. Walking over to join Catherine Willoughby and Elizabeth Seymour, Catherine Howard kept her head down. Both out of shock of the King's declaration and out of embarrassment of their brief conversation – although she was sure that no one took note of it Catherine's cheeks still burned at the thought that she had found him attractive, what he thought the same about her?

Looking towards the former Queen, Catherine could see the colour practically drain out of her face. After all, how many times had her uncle and countless others ranted to her about who dangerous accusations could be whether they were false or not? She had only known her Mistress for a short while and therefore couldn't make a fully accurate judgement of whatever motives she may have but Catherine thought that if anyone knew the importance of the King's favour a woman who had been by his side for more than twenty years would.

"I have never played you false Henry, why do you make such an accusation!" Katherine pleaded as she fell back into a submissive bow. Out of all the things she needed this was not it! Hadn't she signed that dreadful oath, denouncing everything she stood for, to get back into his favour – and protect Elizabeth – and this is what she got in return?

"Do not call me that woman! You have no right to address your sovereign in such an informal manner when you have conspired against me and my lawful succession behind my back. An act, need I remind you, that will soon be counted as treason in my new succession act." The mention of the dreaded word 'treason' sent another flurry of gasps across the room. This was to be no normal argument it seemed with such heavy threats being made.

"I have never conspired to undermine the lawful succession, Your Majesty! In fact, I have shown myself to support it and soon I shall convince Mary to as well! You are God's representative on Earth, why would any seek to undermine your authority?" Katherine did her best to appeal to Henry's pride. After spending so many years with him Katherine knew best how to handle these little outbursts he was so prone to having.

'Even though I could never explain my reasons to him I would never try to undermine the current succession' Katherine thought to herself as Elizabeth entered her mind. Of course, should Anne bear a son all that would change however in her visions Elizabeth had appeared young meaning that either Anne would never have one or a terrible fate awaited them. Either way, Katherine did not know how she would feel about either of those prospects.

"Lies! If you truly cared about my will you would not authorise your friend, the Imperial Ambassador, to send such letters to our daughter," Henry practically spat the words out at Katherine, so enraged at her false pretence of innocence. Why else would he have done such a vile thing if not for seeing Katherine and their bastard daughter restored and used as vessels for promoting Spanish interest within England?

"I have done no such thing!" Katherine pleaded. The mention of the Imperial Ambassador shocked Katherine. Why would he do such a thing? Katherine had made it clear to him during their brief conversations that she had no intention of further pursuing her remaining Queen, despite what she truly believed even though she knew it was for the best, and that she had made it clear that Mary would soon follow her. Katherine was sure too that her nephew had grown tired of fighting what was clearly a losing battle given the lack of enthusiasm he had shown her cause recently. Why then would Chapuys go against both her and his masters own views?

"How can I believe that when you have spent so long plotting with him to remain as my false Queen! In addition to that you are both Spanish so it is only natural the two of you would plot together for Spanish interests. Well I hate to break it you madam but never again shall I be ruled by lesser people like you and the Bishop of Rome!" Henry yelled, seething with rage.

"When I came to England I renounced my Spanish identity and became an English Princess as I was told to. I will admit to having a fondness for my home and that it has influenced me but I truly believe that what I have done has always been or the betterment of England."

"It is not your job to decide what is good for England it is mine! Your job, like everyone else's is to shut your mouth and obey your King," Henry continued to rage as he forcefully shoved the letter to Katherine, waiting impatiently for her to read it.

"This is false," Katherine strongly declared as she finished reading the letter, "I did not authorise him to write such a treasonous letter Your Majesty. In fact, I have finished writing a letter of my own that I had intended to send to Mary, with your approval of course." Katherine tried to keep her voice as calm as possible as she quickly fetched her own letter and held it out for Henry to take.

Quickly scanning the document Henry threw it to the ground in a dramatic fashion. "I care not about this letter, there shall be no communication between you and Mary regardless of what you or Anne thinks."

"I was unaware that the Queen was involved in this matter," Katherine said stiffly. Her gut instinct told her that Anne would be up to no good, that she would be actively encouraging Henry to separate her from her daughter but from the way Henry described her involvement that appeared not to be the case.

"Yes, it appears that everyone is against me today. The Queen pleaded for mercy that I did not grant, after all you do not deserve the luxury of communication without daughter after this although you should still be grateful that the Queen – even if it was misguided – spoke in your favour." Even though he was still mad at Anne for her interference that the chance to put Katherine in the position of being grateful to Anne was too good for him to pass up.

Meanwhile Katherine was momentarily frozen with shock. Anne spoke up for her? Wanted to keep communication between herself and Mary? There had to be some motive for this Katherine was sure the Anne she knew was jealous and spiteful. Perhaps she had started to reign those negative attributes in to become more reasonable. Regardless, Katherine hated to admit it, if she were in Anne's position she was not sure she would advocate for communication between two of her greatest opponents even if they were mother and daughter.

"Then I am grateful that the Queen would be so kind as to advocate my case," Katherine evenly said. Even though it was of the utmost importance to show herself loyal to the King and Queen a part of her recoiled at the notion of being grateful to Anne, however given the situation Katherine would rather be confused by Anne's support that not receive it at all – or worse having her work against Katherine given the fact it would not be long until Anne was once again the most powerful woman in England.

"Not that you deserve such assistance madam, besides, I have not changed my mind. There will be no communication between you and Mary, as well as that I want you to remain within your chambers until I have forgiven you for this transgression and allow yourself no visitors – not that you had many. Be grateful that I have not made the choice to eject you from court!" Henry declared.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Katherine mutely stated as she watched Henry walk out the room having finished his torment of Katherine. Looking down at the floor she bent down to pick up the letter she had been hoping to send to Mary.

Tears began to prick her eyes as she thought about how excited she had been to finally to have communication with her daughter, even if it was a letter telling her to submit to the King's will it would have hopefully lead to more regular contact and eventually an in-person meeting. Coming face to face with the prospect of potentially not seeing her daughter for a long time yet Katherine fully broke down and began sobbing openly in front of her ladies. The last time Katherine had broken away from her usual dignity was when Henry had informed her of his decision to remove her as his wife. Once again he had ripped everything away from her.

Watching from the sides of the room Katherine's ladies all looked at each other. Some were genuinely upset at seeing their mistress cry, some were impassive and others looked to be very much uncomfortable to witness such a scene. As for Elizabeth Seymour she was one of the few who seemed to be moved by such a scene.

Personally, Elizabeth did not know whether the Dowager Princess had been in contact with the Imperial Ambassador but judging from her mistress' reaction she would say she didn't know. If that was the case then Elizabeth felt sympathy for Katherine knowing that this must be incredibly hard for her, but a small part of her knew that if it was true, or even if it wasn't it really didn't matter at this point if the King believed it, then banning communication between the two and Katherine's access to court would benefit their cause as it would mean they could not attempt any attack on the reformist faction at court. Still Elizabeth felt slightly disgusted at the fact that some of the ladies, namely that Catherine Willoughby who prided herself on her loyalty to the Dowager Princess, were standing back and allowing their Mistress to cry on her own even though she knew court etiquette meant that one could not approach royalty without their express permission.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth walked from where she was standing to approach the devastated woman and carefully placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. Katherine jumped at the sudden intrusion of her melancholy and looked up to see Mistress Seymour staring back at her with kind eyes.

"Your Highness, would you like my handkerchief?" Elizabeth said as she gently pulled the soft object into her hands. Seeing Katherine nod, she handed it to the other woman who used it to wipe away the tears from her eyes before looking back at Elizabeth.

"It's not fair! I have done everything that man has asked of me and more. I have renounced my place at his side and recognised his new marriage and I have pledged to make my Mary do so as well and for what? For a man who has all but said he has abandoned me because I am no longer a key political ally to go behind my back and try to send a treasonous letter? Now I am left without contact with my daughter!"

"We must all submit ourselves to the will of the King, Highness. Although I imagine it has been harder for some of us than others," Elizabeth whispered as she kneeled down next to Katherine. The ladies around her looked on with astonishment at the audacity of such an act with some looking on with jealous eyes.

"Indeed, we must, but that is hardly a consolation at the thought of being separated from my daughter when I was so close to achieving a connection with her. Sometimes it feels like I will never stop suffering at the hand of that man, but if he thinks I have done what I have done out of loyalty to him then he has another thing coming to him."

Elizabeth assumed that statement referred to Katherine's daughter Mary which would make the most logical sense given that much of the fight between the former spouses had been over the status of Mary. Elizabeth, however, could never have guessed that was only half of the truth. That the other reason for submitting lay in the hands of the strange but definitive visions Katherine had been receiving about the true heir to the throne.

"Perhaps His Majesty will have a change of heart and will allow you to send your letter when he has cooled down?" Elizabeth suggested.

"I hope so. Although my many years with Henry have shown me that he is the most unpredictable man in Europe."

Author's Note: Hello! I hope everyone reading this chapter has been doing well. It is important to keep ourselves positive in these troubling times!

Today we see the consequences of the last chapter, Chapuys was quicker in getting his letter written but it was intercepted by Cromwell who is rising quickly in court and has profound repercussions for many people. Henry has shown his temper today at both Katherine and Anne in regard to this letter. Anne for not agreeing with him, she is trying to choose the logical path while Henry is reacting emotionally to this, and Katherine for being 'false'. Katherine is in a difficult position as even though she has submitted many will still think of her as rightful Queen and will instead shift their ambitions on to Mary who is more easily manipulated by those around her. Anne has been punished by being separated from her daughter and is currently trying to teach herself to calm her emotions – soon we shall see her family make an appearance and their reaction to Anne's new strategy. Elizabeth Seymour has provided comfort to Katherine when no one else would, perhaps this will become a friendship? Would it impact her views or Katherine's views?

Finally, I would like to give an enormous shoutout to fellow author Anthenais Penelope Clemence who has done so much for me by giving me much support with my story and I highly recommend you read their story 'Chained by War and Love' which is an epic where Anne is able to find true love with someone other than Henry. Also, they have started a new story on A03 called 'Entwined by a Golden Alliance' which you should also read and leave a review on to show your support.

Countess of Sherwood is also a highly talented author who has provided me with much support and has written amazing stories such as 'An Enchanting Dance in Calais' and 'Touching the Arts' which I also recommend you should read and leave a review on. Also, thank you to Sea Goodess Amphitrite for the writing tip. I have tried to implement it here but forgive me if a ramble in some places.

Remember to be kind to each other and to please leave a reivew!