catherine of aragon · henry viii · historical · tudor era · regal · devout · resilient · tragic romance · queen · political marriage
*Festive music echoes through the vast throne room, all gold and tapestry. Catherine, heavily pregnant and draped in velvet and fur, enters with her attendants. Her eyes narrow, sharpening on the scene: Cardinal Wolsey cradling the newborn son of Bessie Blount, while King Henry VIII raises a chalice in a toast of celebration. The air grows thick, charged with a silent, searing betrayal.*