"From this day forward, from this hour, you are one in body and soul." Thomas read the vow from his bible."Now I pronounce you husband and wife.""May God preserve us." Catherine said softly, closing her eyes briefly. She waited for the king's response. She hoped he would agree with Thomas. She was certain that he would not object to having their marriage annulled immediately if he believed that Thomas would perform the ceremony properly."You may kiss your bride." Thomas announced once more, smiling slightly.Catherine opened her eyes and looked into the king's eyes as he leaned in to kiss her.Once they separated, Thomas cleared his throat. "Let it be known that the man that wears the crown now joins this holy bond that binds him to his queen, forevermore." he proclaimed, holding his arms open wide as he gazed upon them lovingly.Charles wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her close to him."With this symbol of our love, I hereby pledge my life and devotion to you and your s
"Catherine? May I come in?""Of course! Come in." Catherine responded, opening the door to allow the maidservant to enter the room.The maidservant smiled softly and approached the young girl and knelt in front of her."I brought you some fresh clothes. Your majesty sent these along with some other items. They're inside the closet."Catherine nodded in understanding and grabbed the basket that the maidservant handed her. She carried it over to her vanity and set it down on top of it. Once she was done, the maidservant thanked her and left the room with a bow."Thank you." Catherine muttered softly, looking at the basket that contained new clothes.The queen had told the maidservant that she wanted the young girl dressed in white to wear some nice dresses.Catherine knew that she needed to change her attire as soon as possible, however, she still had nothing appropriate for her situation.Catherine walked out of her room and towards the bathroom. Once she entered the bathroom, she clos
That night, the entire palace was filled with excitement due to the upcoming celebration. Many people were excited to share stories about how the kingdom treated them throughout the day while the rest of the guests were excited about the upcoming celebration."I can't believe that it has already been two weeks since you got married." Catherine heard a voice mutter beside her as she washed a dish.She looked over at the voice and found that it belonged to none other than the queen."How long have you been standing there, your majesty?" Catherine questioned."Long enough to notice that you weren't smiling during your meal. Are you upset about something?" the queen asked carefully.Catherine shrugged her shoulders before setting down the plate she was holding and turning around to look at the queen."You know, for someone who hates having to deal with me, you're awfully observant." Catherine remarked."Well, I can't help it if I am. You're my friend, and I'm not always going to forget w
The queen picked up a quill and scribbled something on a piece of parchment, which was placed on top of the wooden table next to Catherine."Here you are." the queen told Catherine as she slid the paper over to her."What is this?" Catherine asked curiously as she glanced down at the note."This is a list of things that I want you to pick up for me while you are out shopping for supplies." the queen explained happily.Catherine frowned slightly, looking back up at her queen."But why do I have to buy those things for you?" the servant asked uncertainly."Because I need some clothes for tomorrow." the queen insisted stubbornly. "You can bring the clothes back whenever you are finished and return them to me afterwards.""But that isn't necessary. It's not like I'm going to need new clothes for a very long time." Catherine pointed out."I know that, but if I wanted to keep up appearances while we're out, I suppose it' best for you to stay with me while I'm buying the materials for my ne
As Catherine approached the gates, she noticed that almost everyone was holding flowers or other gifts. Some girls were even crying, most likely because they were unable to obtain gifts for the queen as it was very rare for her to receive gifts from random strangers.Catherine quickly stepped forward and opened the gate once she reached it. Everyone stopped talking and turned to face Catherine. Her eyes darted around nervously as people were staring at her, trying their hardest to catch a glimpse of the dress that she was wearing.She tried her hardest to hide her anxiety as she slowly made her way inside the garden, trying her best to act normal. Unfortunately, there were many people present, making it harder for her to get close to the queen without being suspicious.A young couple stood in front of the queen, obviously having fallen deeply in love with each other. From what Catherine could tell, they were both incredibly shy, probably fearing rejection.Catherine could sense their
She turned towards the queen and knelt down in front of her. The queen smiled and gestured to Catherine to stand upright. "I think you've met my husband, haven't you?" the queen asked, pointing to the king.Catherine nodded hesitantly, unsure whether or not to continue standing."You are welcome to remain kneeling, Catherine. Please, stand." she explained. "It will give me a chance to show you something."After Catherine stood up straight again, the queen turned around and faced the king. She then took a deep breath, raised her arms upwards, and yelled "Your majesty! May I have permission to have Catherine kneel before you?"The king was startled by the loud voice that came from his wife. He raised his head, which was still resting on his hand, and looked questioningly at the queen. "Why?" he asked cautiously, his gaze fixated on Catherine.The queen looked at Catherine and spoke gently, "Because, Catherine has come up with a way for the entire kingdom to benefit from our marriage
There was a knock on the bedroom door. Catherine quickly wiped the tears from her face and straightened up her posture. She opened the door, hoping to look presentable enough for the queen to allow her to leave. Instead, she saw the queen standing there with a concerned expression etched upon her features."What's wrong, Catherine?" the queen questioned, stepping further into the room.Catherine averted her gaze. She didn't want to meet the queen's eyes. She had become so accustomed to the queen's kind face when she had first arrived at the palace. But now, her kindness had vanished. Instead, Catherine was gazing anxiously into the queen's eyes, searching desperately for answers."Please tell me what happened yesterday." the queen pleaded, placing her hands tenderly on Catherine's shoulders.Catherine looked back up at the queen and gave her a small smile. "Nothing happened, your majesty. It's perfectly fine, I promise.""Catherine, you don't have to lie to me. I can tell that you'
The queen stared silently at Catherine for several moments, clearly waiting for Catherine to continue.Catherine took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment, preparing herself for whatever questions the queen had going through her mind. Taking another deep breath, she began. "My father is dead."The queen's eyes widened as she listened. She slowly nodded her head, prompting Catherine to go on."He had just died yesterday evening. We buried him the day before yesterday." Catherine continued.When she received no reaction from the queen, she continued, "We were supposed to have gone to visit our aunt at Dexter kingdom this morning, but when we got there...we just discovered that they had already moved the funeral service to the palace, along with all the other funeral ceremonies."The queen frowned and remained silent."I don't really understand what happened, Your Majesty. It seems like every time my father goes anywhere, something bad always happens to him." Catherine e