Chapter Thirty-Five: The Fall from Grace

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28th of July 1532 - London, England

Trying to keep her hands from shaking while she waited for her mother to arrive, Mary let out a breath and glanced around the room where they were meeting in secret; she felt anxious about meeting here but this would be the last chance she got to see her mother. 

Today Katherine would leave to head back to Kimbolton and Mary didn't know when she would see her again especially with how things were likely to end here. 

Katherine would leave court with little fanfare, her departure was not one that people would take note of when she was no longer a person of importance to the court; she was a disgraced woman that had tricked her way onto the throne. 

The sound of the door opening snapped Mary from her thoughts and she got to her feet to greet her mother; she tried to hide the shaking of her hands when she came face to face with her. 

"Mary," Katherine greeted softly, she had been most surprised when she had heard that her daughter wished to see her before she left especially given the fact that Mary had ignored her requests. 

There was no doubt in her mind that Mary's new husband was responsible for such a thing but it mattered not especially now that her daughter stood before her. 

"Mother," Mary replied, her eyes sweeping over the woman that she had once admired so and wondered if there was any part of her that felt even slightly remorseful for what she had done. 

The danger that she was putting Mary in just by plotting could lead to her daughter being executed, surely, she knew what had happened during the cousin's war considering she hoped that Mary would take the throne as her own grandfather had done so. 

Moving further into the chamber, Katherine was relieved to see that they were alone and they could speak freely; it would not do for guarded words now when they would not have a chance to speak again. 

Henry had only invited Katherine back to court for Mary's wedding so that people could not accuse him of being unkind to her; Mary was their only child afterall and she did not fit into this court anymore. 

"I am pleased that we could speak, there is much to discuss," Katherine stated with a sigh wishing they had more time but she was expected to leave this day and Henry would not stand for a delay.

Her position was not what it had once been and Henry's kindness would only go so far and she could imagine what would happen when he died; her position would worsen and not even her nephew would be able to protect her. 

Kimbolton was her home but that could easily change and Katherine could imagine much worse residence for a woman in her position; she had not forgotten the days when her father abandoned her here after Arthur died and Henry VII had left her practically destitute. 

"My contacts assure me that our allies are growing in strength and will recognise your claim for the throne, the North will not support the prince when they have always looked so favourably on us," Katherine murmured, her voice soft in the chamber and her eyes searching Mary's face for any sign of doubt or anything that could give her a clue to what her daughter was thinking. 

Her reaction last time had been far from pleasing but Katherine was willing to believe that it was from the stress of having to marry that bastard; her actions on the day had caused great concern for Katherine. 

Fishing an item from her skirt, Katherine placed it into Mary's hands and gave them a squeeze knowing that this was the most important thing of all; she recalled her mother doing the same when she left for England to marry Arthur. 

"You must take this root daily, it will prevent pregnancy until the time is right and we can do away with the Medici bastard," Katherine insisted, she now understood why her mother had encouraged her to do the same. 

It had served her well until it had come back to bite her when her letters to her mother and the Emperor had somehow managed to find their way back into English hands and become her undoing. 

"We shall find you a better choice of husband, one that will be able to rule by your side as King of England and give you many princes and princesses," Katherine continued knowing that was most important of all.

Her grandchildren would marry into the finest royal houses and they would ensure that the heresy would be wiped from the world and Katherine knew that her mistake would be wiped from history when Mary became Queen in her own right. 

Staring at her mother, Mary tried to keep the horror of what her mother was suggesting from her face; she didn't even wish to consider what she might have planned for Ippolito. 

It didn't seem to matter that Mary was happy or that her husband was kind, it only mattered to Katherine that he was not a Spanish husband that she would have selected for her. 

"You said you had allies?" Mary murmured trying to get back on tract, she moved away from her mother to pour a drink before she did something that she might come to regret. 

If she wished to learn how far spread her mother's plotting was then she couldn't lose her temper, she could just shake the woman and ask if she had lost her mind when there was much at stake. 

"Yes, several of the Northern lords will back your claim for the throne when the time comes," Katherine continued not wishing to name her allies before it was time, they would be richly rewarded for their loyalty. 

It would not be safe to reveal who they were at this time and she was waiting to see if she would get a response from her nephew; he would surely write back and offer his support since they were his kin. 

"I pray that we will see each other again soon and that you will see that everything that I do is for you," Katherine stated taking Mary's hands, she searched Mary's eyes hoping to see some sign that her daughter understood. 

They could not allow the throne to pass to the Boleyn child, it was not God's will and Mary would bring about a Golden age; her children would go on to do great things and perhaps would even surpass Katherine's parents in their actions for the Catholic church. 

"You will be God's appointed Queen, you shall rule England when the King passes," Katherine promised her knowing that she would even hasten that should need be, she could not risk Anne having a second son to Henry that would need dealing with. 

The sound of the doors bursting open made the two women turn around and the guards charged into the room led by the Duke of Suffolk followed by the King and the Duke of Hertford.

Apprehending Katherine, the guards ensured that she could not escape and dragged her before the King while the Duke of Hertford made his way over to Mary to comfort her; he held her close while she buried her head into his chest. 

She was relieved that was over and that she had proven to her father that she was a loyal daughter and subject; she had feared that it would be hard to do considering how furious he had been when they had told him. 

"You shall be conducted to the Tower where you shall await trial for your act of treason," King Henry ordered staring down at her, he could not believe that she had thought to plot against him and plan to place Mary on the throne. 

Her actions could not be ignored this time, he had already sent the Duke of Wiltshire and his men to search Kimbolton for evidence of her allies while the Duke of Bedford had been tasked with interrogating Katherine's ladies. 

With a wave of his hand, King Henry dismissed his guards so that they could take Katherine away not wishing to hear her explanations of what she had been trying to do. 

The last thing that he had ever wanted was to bring about a war like the one that his grandfather on his mother's side had fought in; he was determined to leave England secure in the hands of his son when the time came for God to call him to heaven. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, Mary tried to block out her mother's calls for the guards to realise her and her reminders that she was an Infanta of Spain. 

Ippolito whispered soothingly in her ear, his Italian making her feel comforted and she was thankful for that now; her hands shook wondering if God would punish her for what she had done. 

Despite ensuring that her mother could not commit treason and do anything that might lead to the harm of her father or her brother; she had betrayed her mother even if it was for the right reasons. 

"Mary," King Henry called making his daughter turn to him, he would not have discovered Katherine's betrayal if she had not come forward and Anne had encouraged him to reward Mary for doing so. 

He signalled for his daughter to approach knowing that while Katherine would face his fury for what she had done; he would not have the same said for Mary who would benefit from her mother's fall from grace. 

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