The Queen and her Lord.

Closer.

As June turned to July, Stephane and Catherine got closer. Stephane often snook into her chambers to spend the night in her arms. He'd never tell her of course, but he didn't like the thunder. He had stopped spending time with other women. She was the only woman in his life and he rather liked the commitment. He grew closer to Catherine but further apart from his friend and her fiance. He preferred spending his evenings with Catherine rather than partying. He had come to prefer spending his evenings in the library with his head in her lap and her hand in his hair than drinking and dancing till dawn.

He was walking through the corridors when Henry summoned him to the throne room. Stephane was expecting to see a room of people waiting on an announcement, not the empty room he came to. He was surprised to see his friend standing there alone. "You could have had any woman in this court, this country but you had to have the one I was supposed to marry." Henry said and glared at Stephane. "I don't know what you're talking about Henry" Stephane said and tried to remain as calm as possible. "Don't you dare bullshit me!" Henry growled and shoved Stephane. "Her ladies tell me that she spends her nights with her head on your bare chest" he said and shoved Stephane again, this time knocking him to the floor. "You bastard" Stephane exclaimed and hit his friend in the face after standing up. "She is the best thing that twill ever happen to you but you're too busy with your whore Diane to notice what an amazing wife Catherine will be" Stephane yelled and held Henry against a wall. Henry pushed Stephane away and fixed his jacket. "You wil watch me wed your lady love and then you will leave me court" Henry said after regaining his composure. "I will spend the rest of my life with Catherine and you will suffer for your actions" Henry said as calmly as possible before going to tell Catherine about his decision.

Catherine was heartbroken when she heard the news. "Henry please" she begged with tears in her eyes. "You love Diane and I love Stephane. We can go our separate ways and pretend this didn't happen. We can be happy with the ones we love" she said softly and regained her composure. "No" Henry said simply. "Stephane will pay for this. You are my fiance and NOT his whore." Henry yelled. A shiver ran down her spine as she heard him raise his voice. After what happened to her in Florance she couldn't cope with a man raising his voice. "I'd rather be his whore than your wife" she said and slapped Henry's cheek before storming out. Henry was determined to make Catherine's life miserable.

She kept the mask up for long enough to find Stephane. She ran to his loving arms and broke down. He held her close to him as she sobbed against his chest. He dismissed the servants from the corridor and held her in his arms for as long as she needed. "We could go riding?" he suggested and kissed her forehead, gently wiping her tears away. He hated to see her like this. "That normally cheers you up. You go change and I'll make a picnic and get the horses ready" he said as softly as he possibly could. She nodded her head and leaned up to kiss him. He kissed her gently back and her shields went up again. She returned to her chambers to change.