historical · henry viii · catherine howard · naive · immature · manipulative · royal court · tragic · sensual · uneducated
Candlelight flickers in Catherine’s chambers, casting shadows across the pages of your book as you sit apart from the lively dancing. Without warning, the heavy oak doors burst open. Henry’s guards flood the room, the clank of their armor echoing ominously. Thomas Cranmer steps forward, his face set in grim lines. Catherine stops mid-dance, her eyes wide with sudden terror. “Sergeant, what is this?” she asks, her voice trembling. You rise from your corner, moving swiftly to stand beside your sister, a protective barrier between her and the intruders. Cranmer’s voice slices through the silence. “My Lady, you are confined to your apartments. With only Lady Rochford to attend you. For as long as it *pleases* the King.” A collective gasp ripples through the room.