"My mind is in loose threads, Wolsey." The king commented as his old advisor took a seat in front of the king's desk.

"I am doing the best that I can to relieve His Majesty of this ill that falls upon him."

Henry snorted. "And what have you done so far? As far as I'm concerned Katherine is still here, that is not the plan is it now?"

Wolsey's glossy eyes closed and the old man fought to suppress a sigh. The king was running out of patience and frankly so was he. So the woman was still here, and what of it? They could not displace her so quickly unless they wanted to wage war against her nephew. They had to be smart to replace a queen as cunning as Katherine.

Had the king forgotten of who had defeated the Scots while he was away? Oh Katherine was a crafty woman; the king had to tread lightly. Still, Wolsey would admit of feeling sorry for the queen's case.

"Your Majesty must have patience, there is still the matter of the papal orders."

"I'm running low on any form of patience," the king spat with a growl. "And what of the pope? Am I not the king of England, and by Our Lady's teeth, can I not do what I please in my country?!"

Henry's face had reddened to a deep shade of crimson. His blood was nearly boiling in his veins. This whole ordeal could drag on for years all because of some stupid pope. He wanted out of his marriage to that barren woman as soon as possible. She had given nothing but a measly daughter, and what good would she be as queen? No matter how much he loved Mary, and no matter how intelligent she proved to be, she wasn't enough. He wouldn't risk another civil war for his country.

Wolsey remained calm. He was used to Henry's fits. Still the throbbing vein on the king's forehead told him to watch what he said now. Calmly he began, "Your Majesty is correct, it is his country, but a godly Prince you must remember that a divorce is against biblical standards."

"And what of the 'standard' that condemns the marrying of the brother's widow, hmm? What there?"

"Her Majesty will argue that a dispensation was made before you married, and the pope will back her every word."

Henry looked away and out the window. It was the only thing giving light to the room and the only thing Henry seemed to be able to focus his attention on. 'That god dammed woman,' he thought, 'if she thinks she can challenge me! Me, her lord and husband!'

"Leave me," the king ordered. "Immediately. I don't wish to see the face of anyone right now unless they bring me good news of any sort."

Wolsey bowed his head and stood. He was spared short of the king's temperament, for now.

The queen sat in her parlor, taking hesitant bites of her bread. She wasn't a fool. She knew very well that the honey she was dipping her bread in could have been poisoned. She knew much more than she was supposed to. Her husband grew tired of her, she knew that.

That Boleyn harlot had him in his grasps and was influencing him, she knew that too. But she also knew that she did, as such, wield as much or even more power than her husband. Was she not the daughter of Isabel and Fernando? She could rally an army. She could have England at her feet. But she wasn't stupid. She would let Henry throw his stones before she shot her arrows.

"Lo voy a dejar que haga sus planes," she vowed in her native tongue. "Pero no sabe contra quién se opone."

Setting the piece of bread down back onto its platter, she snapped her fingers. A maid rushed in carrying her headpiece.

"Shall I ready you Your Majesty?" she asked. Katherine nodded. The blond woman rushed to quickly pin up the queen's hair while Katherine sat back and slightly relaxed her tense shoulders.

She needn't worry yet. There was nothing that was yet said to her, it was like she was in the 'dark' about it all. She would feign innocence of the whole subject and treat her husband as she always had. She wouldn't let him know a thing.

If there was one thing Katherine had always been good at it was being a politician, her father's daughter.

They ate dinner in silence. There was a thick cloud of tenseness in the air around them, though both tried not to let it show. The clinging of their spoons against the ornate plates was loud and the only thing to be heard.

Henry looked up at his queen as she ripped a piece of bread with her now much plumper fingers. Nimbly she dipped it in her soup and avoided his gaze. He wanted to say something to at least keep good animosity between them but he found it hard too. Had this really become the fruit of the love he had had for her, such immense resentment?

Katherine could hear his heavy breathing well. Her senses were trained to keep up with her husband's moods. What she could not hear she could see and what she could not see she could hear. He wanted to say something but he couldn't and it frustrated him. Willing to keep up her charade, she decided to speak first.

"I've received word from Mary's tutors," she began with an even tone, "they praise her aptness for learning and remark on her ability to play the virginals with ease despite her young age."

She met Henry's eyes. His lips ghosted a smile but it left quickly.

Katherine repressed a sigh. "I wish to see her Henry, it's been months."

Henry grunted. "You wish to disrupt her studies?"

"In no way would a visit to court disrupt her from anything," Katherine countered quickly, "Rather it would serve her well. She'll one day be queen and she needs to learn how to mingle in court rather than just around her maids and tutors."

Henry looked away and said nothing. Infuriating woman. He needed a king to come after him not a damned queen. He pushed his chair back loudly and turned to make an exit. Closing the door behind him with a hard slam he left Katherine behind.

Katherine set her goblet down with ease. She was used to his tempers. She called for the table to be cleaned as she gently rose from her chair. She left the room with a calm face and with her chin held high. Mary would be queen despite whatever her husband had planned.

She made a turn to go to the small chapel instead of her rooms. She would go pray this evening as usual. But this time, to safeguard her thoughts and her own plans in the holiest of places. However, she would also pray that her husband change his heart, because despite it all, she still loved him. She still had that slight chance of hope that not all had been ruined and that Henry might return to her once more.

But even as she said her prayers and as the silent tears began to flow from her eyes, she thought that maybe she wasn't as strong as she pretended or tried to be. She could rally and army, but would she? She could have Henry at her feet, but would she actually do it? She wasn't going to go down without a fight, but was she going to win? Maybe her arrows weren't as sharp as she hoped they were.

She sighed through a prayer. This was all for Mary, for her place as rightful heir, so Katherine had to fight.

But maybe she just wasn't all that much of Isabel's daughter when it came down to the gritted grain.

This is a short chapter, but it's something to flesh out Henry and Katherine and the situation they're in. Hope you all enjoyed!

With much love,

Mimi (owls-and-asters)

(*by Our Lady's teeth* - the phrase was a 'swear' of sorts in Tudor times and it was just much better suited to the time period than our own 'swear' words which mesh harshly with the story)
(*Katherine's translated Spanish - "I'll let him make his plans ... But he doesn't know who he is up against.")