AN : Heyy 3 Here is an idea that just popped into my head ;) One shot :)

It's set in 1x09 For King and Country. You know when Henry confronts Catherine as to what scares her in seeing Francis married to the Scottish Queen. What if Henry was not satisfied with the answer his wife gave ? What if he decided to go and find her to confront her once more and to make her speak the truth ? Let us see what happens…

Disclaimer : I own nothing and no plagiarism is intended.

Also, in this story Richard never had an affair with Catherine.

Their Secret

The King was back in his chambers after the morning meeting with his advisors. The meeting during which his wife had made an appearance. The meeting in which he had decided to confront her… The problem was that he was in no way satisfied with the answer she gave him. As always, she was vague… if she was even telling the truth, he reminded himself.

Once again, their exchange turned into a spat, he had even told her that he wanted to be rid of her… that's the exact opposite to want he truly wanted. This woman had such a way of infuriating him… she always had, she knew exactly what to say or do to achieve that. His Catherine could calm the most violent storms but also cause the worst hurricanes. She has always had the power to do both… except that the storm inside of him had been ragging for far too long… he needed answers, he needed to know why.

That's when he decided to go and see her, he had to talk to her further about the subject they had discussed in the throne room, but this time, he wanted her to tell him the truth.

On the way towards her chambers, he remembered their words from earlier, and her dress…

How beautiful she was in that midnight blue gown… his Queen… his wife, she was always so regal and dignified a true Queen indeed.

/-/-/-/-/

The Queen was back from speaking to her son. When she entered her chambers, she sighed and asked to be left alone.

Once done, she removed her crown and sat heavily on the chair beside of the window, that's when she allowed herself to think about the conversation she had had with her husband.

He had asked her why she didn't want to see her son married to this girl, but she couldn't tell him… So she stayed evasive, as always around her husband, never going into the details but telling the truth nonetheless. And then, there were their last words to each other that echoed in her mind.

"This isn't your decision, – he had said to her – And if I find out her departure is your doing in anyway, – she remembered how she painfully closed her eyes without him noticing, before putting her walls up again. She couldn't afford to look weak in front of him – I'll have grounds to execute you – Therefore, she was ready when he delivered these words to her, ready to hide her pain, as always."

"I grew weary of your threats" She had managed to answer him. Her pain replaced by a mask of anger mixed with indifference.

"I grew weary of you a decade ago. – She had stopped dead in her tracks, how could he say that ? – All I need is cause to be rid of you, perhaps this time you've given it to me – she remembered and endured once again the excruciating pain she had felt in her chest when she had heard his final words, his final blow to her heart."

The sitting Queen breathed hard, tears of pain forming into her eyes, how it had hurt her to hear the man she still loved against all reason speak so bitterly of her. Where was the Henry that loved her beyond everything, where was the man that took her on strolls around the lake, that read to her until she fell asleep, that comforted her when she had nightmares… where was her husband, she wondered often when she was alone.

The moment she broke out was usually in the dead of night, alone in her immense and cold bed, a moment when no one would hear the Queen's heart wrenching sobs.

Nonetheless, it appeared that right now was the exception to the rule, she couldn't contain it anymore, with all the worry she had endured for her son and now this… she couldn't bear it anymore… for once, the Medici Queen allowed her tears to spill in the light of day… She placed her hand on her mouth to stifle her sobs and, for once, she allowed herself not to be strong…

/-/-/-/-/

Henry was now quickly approaching his wife's chambers, within seconds he would reach the doors of her room. He had wondered what he could possibly say for her to agree to speak the truth but nothing could have prepared him to what he saw when he entered her apartments : his wife, crying at the window.

For once, he didn't know what to say.

When she saw someone had entered her chambers, and that this someone was in fact her husband, she quickly turned away from him and faced the window, silently hoping that he had not noticed her tears.

In a voice as clear as she could muster, she addressed him : "What do you want Henry ?"

He hesitantly approached her until he was nothing but a step apart from her. "I… came to see you Catherine." He answered, unsure of what he should do… her tears bothered him more than he had realised… he had not seen her cry since the death of their twin daughters.

"Well, mission accomplished. You can leave now, Henry" she said coldly without turning towards him, her eyes still too red and her face still too marred by tears to be seen.

The King didn't know what to do, but he most certainly wouldn't leave her in this state.

He approached her even more and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, it surprised and pained him when she stiffened at the contact. "Catherine, you're crying…" He stated in a voice softer than his wife had heard from him in years.

At this, the Queen quickly went under her pillow to fetch the tissue she used nearly every night and dried her eyes.

The King was stunned to discover a tissue hidden underneath her silky pillow, was she crying often ? He frowned and wondered silently.

Once done dabbing her eyes, Catherine briefly looked at him before turning away again, she couldn't stand his stare.

The King approached once again, and this time, he turned her towards him softly, when he looked in her eyes, he saw a vulnerability in them he was not accustomed to. As if she was afraid of what he might do or say. It broke his heart. "Catherine, I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked down at her hands and fondled her now humid tissue, she couldn't stand the worry and softness in his eyes.

"Catherine" he added softly while lifting her head slowly with his fingers and caressing her cheek with the palm of his hand. When she felt his hand against her cheek combined with his words and his stare, her lower lip began to tremble and she lost control once more.

A river of silent tears flown down her cheeks.

"No, no, darling, please stop crying, please" Her husband tried to make her stop and to wipe her tears away. But it was no use, the stream continued incessantly, nothing could stop it… the Queen was breaking down in front of her husband, her worst nightmare had come to pass. She couldn't be weak before him and yet, here she was…

Silent tears still running from her eyes, he made her sit on her bed before sitting next to her.

"Catherine please, please, I can't bear to see you crying." He looked at his hands, not able to stand the sight of her tears any longer.

She didn't speak, what could she say ?

A few seconds later when Henry dared to look upward, he immediately regretted it, tears were still flowing for those golden eyes he loved so much. "Catherine, speak to me." He tried to take her out of her trance.

"I'm afraid…" She finally whispered looking straight into his eyes. He was taken aback, she was scared ? His Catherine was scared ? His invincible and unbreakable wife was scared ? He couldn't believe this, yet, a single look into her eyes was enough to convince him of that.

"Of what, darling ? What makes you so scared ?" He asked her softly.

At this question, Catherine averted her eyes from him and directed her stare to her hands, she hesitated to tell him but decided he needed to know, after all these years, he needed to know. "You" she whispered her voice still a bit hoarse from all her sobbing.

Henry was looking at her when she delivered her answer… the moment he heard that single little word, blood drained from his face, a wave of guilt surged in him and he inhaled sharply trying without success to keep his emotions under control. He had never felt as much pain as now, nothing could be compared to what he was feeling right now, it was worse than any battle wound he had ever endured, worse than the feelings he had known when he had lost his mother, worse than what he had felt when he was taken captive in Spain away from all family, it was worse than anything he had ever known…

Hearing nothing from her husband Catherine dared to look up but instantly wished she hadn't… she had never seen her beloved husband in such a state, his eyes shining with pain and guilt and a single tear running down his cheek.

When he met her gaze, all the emotions he had keep hidden since far too long came right back inside of him. The strength of his love for this woman hit him in full force and the guilt he felt was only made greater by it. That's when he too broke for the first time since at least fifteen years, his face in one of his hands he let the tears flow and sobs wracked his body.

Catherine couldn't believe what she was seeing, her brave and fearless King, shoulders shaking as waves of guilt and pain poured out of him.

"What have I done… oh… god forgive me…" he whispered to himself in a broken voice, his face still hidden in his hand.

That's only when he felt his wife's soft hand resting on his shoulder that he calmed enough to look at her.

"Henry I…" she started softly but was cut off by him.

"I… I understand Catherine, if you don't ever want to talk to me, or even see me… I'm unforgivable…" He said, his emotions still audible in his voice.

"After all I've put you through and after all I've said to you… I don't deserve any of it, I don't deserve anything…" He continued. Before her husband could completely dissolve into self-hatred, she interrupted him.

She gathered her courage, came closer to him, and said while whipping his tears away with gentle fingers "I… I don't think I've ever seen you cry Henry."

He didn't respond anything to that simply looked into her eyes, her beautiful, gentle eyes… how could he have broken her like that… his eyes were more uncertain than the Queen had ever seen and when she managed to give a small smile, his eyes widened with disbelief.

Had she just really smiled to him ? He returned it the best he could.

"Catherine, Catherine I'm so sorry." He said honestly. His Queen was visibly stunned to hear him apologizing, he never apologized for anything.

"I never meant for any of this to happen…" he continued, he didn't know what to say to her. He knew, however, that he couldn't lose her right now.

"I know…" She acquiesced, she saw he was speaking the truth in that moment.

The next moment, he knelt before her, took her hands in his and asked what he was sure he didn't deserve : "Catherine, please, I beg of you, please forgive me"

The Queen's eyes widened even more, now he was begging her ?

"I … I though Kings didn't beg." She answered without a hint of bitterness or reproach, just disbelief.

"Oh but they do, when they have so much to lose... I can't lose you right now, Catherine, I'll never forgive myself for subjecting you to such pain during all these years… I'll never forgive myself…" Now that he had seen the effect of his actions on his beautiful wife, he couldn't erase that picture from his mind and this thought from his head that he had broken his Italian bride beyond repair and forever… What would he do now without her ? He knew she would never forgive him for all he had done, he understood that… but he loved her still, she was the only woman he had ever loved… She knew that didn't she ? And now, he had lost her… It was all his fault…

While he thought his eyes never left his wife's. Catherine saw every thought pass through his mind and before she knew it, she said so softly that her husband nearly missed it :

"But… what if I forgave you ?"

Now it was the turn of her husband's eyes to widen, had he heard her correctly ? Upon seeing confusion and the silver of hope in his eyes, she took his hand in hers and invited him to sit back beside her. A small smile appeared on her lips, today was the day of truth it appeared so why hide it longer ? "I love you." She said while looking into his eyes.

Now, the King was afraid his eyes would leave his orbs : "You… You love me – she nodded shyly – During all these years ?"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean you have to love me back… I've wrapped my mind long ago around the fact that you don't love me." She admitted and explained.

"Catherine, you… you believe I don't love you ?" He asked, shocked that she could ever think that.

She didn't answer, her mouth opened but no words came out.

"You are the only one I've ever loved in my life Caterina. You are my one and only love. You've been since you came out of that Florentine boat. I thought you had stopped loving me, so I became distant – he answered while looking in her eyes – I… oh… what an excuse of a man I am…" He finished while looking to their hands. Her dainty one resting in his.

"Henry – she put her free hand against his cheek to make him look at her – not everything is your fault. But don't you think we are too far split apart to ever work together – she explained her fears."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, she was offering him an olive branch and he most certainly wasn't about to let it go. He smiled, kissed the hand against his cheek and brought it to rest with the other, one of her hands in each on his.

"No Catherine, my mind has never been closer to yours. In my way I've always loved you, Catherine." He finally admitted the truth about how deep his feelings had always ran for the woman he had married and made his Queen.

"You are the love of my life, Henry" She smiled, acknowledging the fact that in this moment, he couldn't lie to her… so she decided to tell the truth too about how deep her feelings had always ran for the man she had married and who had always been the King of her heart.

When they heard each other's words, they embraced themselves no longer supporting to be apart after their confession.

When they let go, their faces only a few centimetres away from the other's, the Queen asked "What did you want to ask me Henry ?" she questioned gently, still curious as to why he had come.

"It doesn't matter darling, it's nothing that cannot be discussed later." He smiled at her curiosity and she returned the favour with that bright and enchanting smile of hers.

Each unable to withstand the other's smile a second longer, they kissed, long and softly. This kiss was unlike any they had shared in the last decade, they were not just jumping on the other's bones. This kiss was full of love, and matured desire for the other.

In that moment they both realised that sometimes, you must put your pride and ego aside to see more clearly and embrace what you have missed. Sometimes, admitting a weakness allows you to be stronger than ever.

Maybe, just maybe, now they would be alright…everything would be alright…

AN : Wow… that was quite emotional haha ;) I hope you liked it ;)

*holding a tissue for you*

As always let me know what you think.

Laura D.