BLOODLINES
— 2.

        As Henry and Kathy decided to greet Princess Catherine for themselves as she arrived at the Tower of London, they ended up bringing Charlie and Marie with them as they always did. The duo were always roped into whatever mischief the two siblings got themselves involved in.

  The group of four were joking around with each other on the second level, only to stop when they looked down to see Catherine arriving with her guards and ladies, led in by Lord Stafford.

    Moments later, Lord Stafford led Catherine and her ladies up onto the second level, where they ended up coming face to face with the group of four.

   Immediately after locking eyes on Harry and Kathy, who had Charlie and Marie standing behind them, Lord Stafford bowed to the prince and princess. He stepped off to the side, allowing Catherine a clear view of the troublemaking duo for herself.

   Charlie and Henry wasted no time bowing to Catherine while Kathy and Marie politely curtsied.

    At the sight of the Spanish girl, Kathy gradually began to smirk while Marie was unhappy to see her.

"Hello," Harry was the first to speak up and smile at Princess Catherine.

"May I introduce, Prince Henry, Duke of York?" Lord Stafford introduced Catherine to Harry, who smiled.

"Harry. People call me Harry," Harry corrected him, just before Lord Stafford spoke up.

"And Princess Katherine, Duchess of Bedford," Lord Stafford continued on and Marie tensed up, just like she did every time someone called Kathy the Duchess of Bedford.

   That had been Nora's title before her death. Yes, perhaps it did belong to the descendants of Thomas FitzRoy, which included Kathy, but it wasn't fair. It should have gone to George and then his son, not Lizbeth's son.

"People call me Kathy, actually," Kathy smiled kindly, but the entire group knew it was a fake one, "Pleasure to meet you, I'm sure."

"Have you completely forgotten about me?" Marie suddenly spoke up, causing Harry and Charlie to smile as they turned to her.

    Kathy, on the other hand, glared at Lord Stafford, who had completely disregarded her on purpose. "Forgive Lord Stafford. He believes he doesn't have to introduce Marie to you because she isn't a royal child like we are, only a ward," Kathy explained, smiling as she locked arms with Marie, "May I introduce, the lovely Marie of Burgundy, daughter of Maximilian, the Holy Roman Emperor?"

Catherine's eyes widened slightly, realizing her sister Joanna was married to Marie's brother Phillip.

"Do you like it here?" Harry asked, solely to taunt Catherine, "It's cozy, isn't it?"

"You and I both it's anything but cozy here," Marie retorted, causing Henry to turn to her and smile.

"But we don't want her knowing that now, do we?" He retorted playfully, earning a small smile from Marie.

"I'm Charlie Brandon, not yet married," Charlie suddenly spoke up as he smiled at Rosa and Lena, Catherine's ladies.

Kathy rolled her eyes at Charlie, elbowing him in the ribs while Harry spoke up.

"It, uh, me who'll be leading you up the aisle tomorrow," Harry informed Catherine, who smiled at him, "Lucky you, eh?"

"Thank you for your welcome, Prince Harry, Princess Kathy," Catherine told the duo, smiling at both of them.

   With that, Catherine walked away with her ladies and Lord Stafford, leaving the group of four alone.

   Kathy smiled, turning her head as she watched Catherine walk away. "She's quite pretty, eh?" She asked and both boys nodded.

   Harry slowly turned to Marie, who rolled her eyes and walked forward. He sighed in defeat, wasting no time following after her.

Charlie and Kathy exchanged a confused look before following after them. "Lover's quarrel, it seems," He commented, earning a small smile from Kathy.

"When are they ever not in one?" Kathy remarked, causing Harry to become annoyed as he walked in front of them.

"You do know I can hear you, right?" Harry complained, but it was obvious that Kathy did not care.

"You know I don't care, right?" Kathy retorted and while Harry began to glare at her, she smiled at her brother innocently.

     Several moments later, Harry and Marie walked into the room that Catherine was standing in with her ladies, Lord Stafford, and a few of her guards. They were followed by Kathy and Charlie, who knew Harry was up to no good and that Kathy was sure to join in like she always did.

"They only use this place for special occasions," Harry spoke up loudly, causing Catherine to turn to face him, "What are you wearing that veil for? Is it to stop my brother kissing you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Kathy added in, walking to stand beside her brother while Marie and Charlie exchanged an annoyed look with each other, "If I were her, I wouldn't want his lips anywhere near me. Clearly, the good looks we've inherited from our parents completely skipped him."

"My sister has a point there," Harry laughed, pointing his finger at Kathy as he looked over at Catherine, "If it is because of that, though, I've, um...I've got a little secret to let you in on, and..." He trailed off, smiling alongside Kathy, "Our brother is afraid of girls, so you're probably safe enough without it."

"I am not a girl, though," Catherine replied, looking up at Harry and Kathy.

"Is that so?" Kathy asked in amusement, turning her head briefly to see Charlie taking a seat on a chair with Marie standing next to him as she leaned against the arm of his chair.

Charlie was smiling while Marie's arms were closed as they both narrowed their eyes at Catherine's ladies.

She rolled her eyes and looked away, only to have her eyes light up at the sight of the crossbow Catherine's guard, Oviedo, held.

"Whoa," She gasped, beginning to walk toward the man, "Give that here. Let me see."

Oviedo looked hesitant as he turned to Harry, waiting to see what he would say about Kathy's decision.

"Don't look at me," Harry complained as he lifted his hands in mock surrender, "You heard my sister. Give it to her."

"My lady, this is, um..." Oviedo trailed off as he placed the crossbow in her hand, "es muy peligroso."

"If anything's dangerous, it's Kathy here if she doesn't get her way," Marie spoke up, causing the group to turn to her since she had understood what he had said, "What? I have a lot of time on my hands to learn other languages."

"Muy perfecto," Kathy smiled down at the crossbow before looking up at Oviedo, "Give me a bolt."

"A bolt!" Harry jokingly exclaimed as Kathy lifted up the unloaded crossbow and pointed it up at a painting hanging up on the wall.

"Yes, yes, try her out," Charlie encouraged Kathy while Marie walked over to Harry to stand next to him.

"Well, this is going to be fun to watch," She muttered under her breath as she lightly elbowed Harry, who smiled.

Kathy turned to Oviedo, holding the crossbow out to him as she waited for him to load it.

Catherine and her ladies watched uneasily, as did Lord Stafford as Oviedo was forced to load the weapon for Kathy.

The only ones in the room who didn't seem to be nervous was Charlie, Harry, and Marie, who knew Kathy well enough to know that she knew how to use weapons without hurting herself.

"Why thank you," Kathy told Oviedo as she was handed the loaded crossbow.

"Careful now. Wouldn't want you to get hurt," Charlie spoke up, causing Kathy to roll her eyes at him since she knew he was taunting her.

"Oh, buzz off," She snapped at him in an annoyed tone.

"Be careful, Your Grace," Lord Stafford warned Kathy, seeing as though he knew there was no way he would actually succeed in stopping the stubborn girl.

"Cuidado. Ten Cuidado, my lady," Oviedo told Kathy to be careful in Spanish, "Against the body. El hombro!"

Kathy wasted no time releasing the crossbow bolt, causing Catherine, Rosa, and Lena to yelp and jump in fright.

Kathy laughed happily, looking ahead to see that the crossbow bolt had found its way into an old painting that had been stored at the Tower because their mother didn't want it at the Palace.

   Marie tensed up, tears beginning to form in her eyes as she found herself to be the only one in the room besides Lord Stafford to recognize the painting to be of Nora.

  Harry clapped his hands toward once, laughing alongside Charlie while Marie was quick to hide her uneasiness. Harry turned to Marie and she forced herself to smile.

"I like it!" Harry spoke up loudly as he took the crossbow from his sister's grasp. He examined it for a long moment, admiring it before finally handing it to Oviedo. "And you will teach my sister and I how to use it."

"Princess Catherine, the queen has asked to see you at the palace of Westminster," Lord Stafford informed Catherine in a calm tone.

Catherine nodded, beginning to walk toward the exit when Harry suddenly cut her off and stepped in front of her. "My sister and I are going to need better targets. Perhaps...the seals on love letters," He whispered to her tauntingly, causing Catherine to stare up at him in shock.

Catherine tried to walk away, only to have Harry stop her once more as he bowed deeply, making it so that his face was close to hers. "I'm glad you want to kiss my neck," He continued to taunt her, causing Catherine to quietly gasp as Harry walked away from her.

Kathy began to smirk at Harry, knowing what he was doing. She turned to Marie, only to have her smirk fade when she saw the hurt look on the girl's face.

____

     At Westminster Palace, Maggie knocked before entering Arthur's room, where servants were helping him get fitted for the outfit he was going to be wearing the following day at his wedding. "You'll make a very handsome groom," She told him with a smile on her face.

   Arthur, on the other hand, seemed anything but happy. "Go," He told the servants sternly, "All of you."

The servants bowed, just before leaving the room. The moment they left, Arthur sighed in defeat and made his way over to the fireplace. He turned to face it, his back facing Maggie as she walked closer to him.

"He sent her letters. He bloody wrote to her," Arthur complained in an aggravated tone, "With Kathy's help, I might add. She has a way with words and the words in these letters are hers, not his."

Maggie frowned in confusion, which Arthur was quick to notice as he turned to look at the woman. "Harry," he informed her in a calm tone, causing Maggie to give him a sympathetic look. "I tried to write to her a year ago. I-I wanted to be friends before she came here. But I couldn't find the words. I tried too hard. It sounded scholarly or else too soft. And then Harry and Kathy found them and made fun of me so I didn't try again."

"But they did," Maggie realized and Arthur nodded.

"And she wrote back to them," Arthur complained, but Maggie was struggling to understand what Arthur was so worried about.

"But she thought she was writing back to you," Maggie reminded Arthur as she walked closer to him.

"It doesn't matter!" Arthur exclaimed, giving Maggie a look of disbelief, "Harry's...." He trailed off, letting out a large sigh, "Harry's made love to her. So has Kathy. In words, at least. They ruined her. She isn't mine."

"Harry's jealous of you, Arthur, because you'll be king, and Kathy, well..." She trailed off, giving the boy a knowing look, "She's just Kathy. She wishes she could live as a man does and she cannot. You can do what they cannot, Arthur. You can have a marriage that will bring peace to England, because your marriage makes you powerful, hmm?"

Arthur sighed in defeat, slowly nodding his head in agreement.

_____

  It was nighttime in London. Kathy walked through the dark halls, searching for something. Hearing someone call her name out in a whisper, she whipped herself around, smiling when she saw it was Charlie.

"Where are you off to in the dark?" He asked her in a hushed tone as his hand intertwined with hers.

"Looking for you," Kathy replied, a mischievous look on her face, "Now, that I've found you...Come with me."

Kathy quietly giggled, continuing to hold onto his hand as they rushed to find someplace to steal kisses with each other in secret as they always did without Harry finding out.

Marie had been walking down the hallway with a small candle, searching for someone as well when she heard the distant whispers and giggling.

She sighed, rolling her eyes when she felt as though she already knew who was behind it. She continued to walk, stopping when she came across Maggie, who was standing at the balcony that used to be Nora's favorite place in the castle.

"Maggie Pole," She called out, causing Maggie to jump slightly.

However, she sighed in relief when she saw that it was just Marie. She smiled softly and walked over to the girl. She hugged her tightly, Marie being the only one in the castle besides Arthur that she'd ever be happy to see.

"It's been a while, Marie," Maggie admitted, pulling away from the girl as she smiled at her, "How are they treating you here?"

"Quite well, actually. Prince Harry is quite fond of me and Kathy trusts me more than you could ever know, which comes as a surprise because she doesn't trust anyone," Marie informed the woman calmly as she smiled softly.

"I wasn't talking about them," Maggie pointed out and Marie sighed, knowing she meant Lizbeth.

"She avoids me whenever she can and when she does have to see me, she refuses to talk to me. She won't even look me in the eye. It's like she can't bear it," Marie explained to Maggie, causing the woman to nod in understanding.

"That sounds like Lizbeth. You're a reminder of the greatest sin she's ever committed. Killing her own brother and mother and ripping an innocent child from her family," Maggie reminded Marie, who sighed at the thought.

"I can't bear it sometimes," Marie confessed, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "I'm treated like a hostage. I'm not allowed to leave the castle unless it's with someone of the royal family. Everything I do, I'm always being watched. And Lizbeth's children, even Harry and Kathy, have been raised to see Nora as someone who was mad and evil. I had to endure watching Kathy shoot a crossbow right through a painting of Nora and they didn't even know it was a portrait of their own grandmother."

"I'm not surprised," Maggie whispered softly, a saddened look on her face as she turned her head to see Marie on the verge of crying.

Maggie sighed, grabbing ahold of Marie's hand. She squeezed it in comfort and gave the girl an assuring look. "You must stay strong, Marie. I know you miss her. She was like a mother to you."

"She was my mother," Marie cried out, "My real mother died when I was barely even two. My father left me and traveled to Austria. He never came back for me, even when I was taken hostage by the Tudors. Nora raised me. She raised me like I was her own daughter. She might not have been mine by blood, but she was my mother. The only mother I ever had and the Tudors took her away from me."

"I know," Maggie sighed softly, a saddened look on her face, "But you can't let them know you have this hatred toward them. It will never end well."

"You don't think I know that, Maggie?" Marie complained as she turned to look at the elder woman, "I've been bottling this up for eight years now, I think I know what I'm doing. I know Lizbeth is suspicious of me, too, but she has nothing against me. Even My Lady the King's Mother is fond of me. She thinks I'm some obedient and timid girl she can control," She paused, a smirk forming on her lips, "She should know better."

Maggie quietly chuckled, smiling sadly at Marie. "You sound like her," She admitted softly, referring to Nora, "She would be proud of you, you know. Of how strong you've become."

   Marie smiled at the thought, trying to contain her sadness. Suddenly, she heard approaching footsteps, causing her to sigh in defeat. "I must go," She whispered softly and before Maggie could respond, Marie had walked off without another word said.

   Outside, in a dark part of the courtyard, Kathy was pressed up against the wall with Charlie's lips locked with hers as they passionately kissed.

   Charlie slowly pulled away from the kiss as they both took a moment to catch their breaths. He lifted his hand, affectionately stroking her cheek before he cupped her face in his hands. "I think I'm falling in love with you," He confessed in a whisper and Kathy froze.

Her eyes widened slightly, but she tried to hide her shock and uneasiness. She forced a smile upon her lips, nodding as she leaned forward and silenced him with a kiss. Well fuck.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Charles Brandon: I think I'm falling in love with you.

Kathy: *alarm bells* 😬

Also, you gotta be honest, it's fucked up that they really gave Kathy the title of Duchess of Bedford just like that.

Nora fought YEARS for that title and worked hard for it. She even broke up with Edward cuz he tried to take it away from her and now Lizbeth thinks she can give the title to Kathy like it's nothing. 😬 She might be Nora's granddaughter but she's a Tudor and she never even met Kathy. The girl was raised to see her as the enemy and now holds her title. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️