Festina Lente

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Infanta of Spain

16th of October 1532 - London, England

Holding her head high as she was escorted from the Tower, Katherine tried her best to ignore the jeering crowd that had gathered to see her off as she left London for the last time and made her way to the nunnery that had been selected to house her. 

It was not how she had expected to leave London, her co-conspirators executed and their heads sat on spikes for her to see as she passed them though she paid them no mind now. 

They would be remembered in time as Martyrs for a greater cause, one that would see the rightful Queen of England take her place instead of her half-brother who would not sit on the throne for long should he take it. 

At the bottom of the steps waited the Dukes of Bedford and Suffolk waiting to lead her to her new place of residence far from court and suffer a fate that was only befitting her mad sister. 

"Your Highness," Charles Brandon greeted with a bow of his head, he had never thought that the woman that he had once dutifully supported as his Queen had committed such betrayals. 

Once he had felt pity for her as she had been cast aside in favour of Anne, he had even tried to dissuade Henry from marrying the woman in favour of sticking with Katherine. 

His beloved wife had been a dear friend to Katherine and who had had a strong dislike for Anne despite the fact that the latter had served her loyal during her time in France. 

Now that Katherine was a proven traitor and Anne had secured her position with the birth of a health prince; they had done what they could to continue to remain in favour with Henry and now Anne. 

It had been Mary Tudor's idea that he help escort Katherine to her new place of residence to prove that he was loyal to Henry and Anne with the help of Anne's brother. 

"My Lord Suffolk, how fairs your wife?" Katherine asked peering over his shoulder towards the carriage that would be used to carry her away, a slight frown on her face at the fact it was not a royal carriage. 

While she might have fallen from favour, even Henry could not take all her titles from her afterall she was an Infanta of Spain even if he had taken her title of Dowager Princess of Wales from her.

"She is well, she remains at Westhorpe Hall with our children," Charles replied stiffly, it would not do for people to remember that Mary and Katherine had once been close friends and his wife had once spoke out about Henry's intentions to marry Anne. 

There was no forgetting the incident where one of his kinsmen had been killed by the Duke of Norfolk's men for an opprobrious language uttered against Anne by his lovely Mary. 

With the birth of Alexander, it was time to put the past behind them and Mary had invited the King and Queen to come to Westhorpe Hall for a visit during the spring when they were on progress. 

Henry had decided that he wished to show the people his beloved Queen and he was determined to make sure that everyone would honour Anne as she should be as she was the mother of his son and his beloved. 

Sensing that Brandon would say no more, Katherine frowned realising that even he who had once been a loyal supporter had turned against her. 

"Madam, we must not delay if we wish to make it to the nunnery before nightfall," George interrupted, he had been given this task in lew of the fact that his father and uncle would likely take too much joy in such a task. 

It needed to be handled delicately and Henry wanted no mistakes made, they did not need Katherine getting any further ideas about how she could regain her former glory.