Things don't always end up the way we want them to, that's apparent. It's part of human experience to fall and get back up again. Sometimes stronger. To feel pain and loss. But Katherine didn't feel strong. She kept getting wrecked by situations far more flagrant than the previous ones that annihilated what was left of her. She felt broken, despondent and fragmented.

Her stomach was in knots, her mind consumed by the voices in her head. She wished there was someone around to discern the dismal and formidable fiend that was trying to take over her. She loathed this feeling that she had to depend on someone in order to save herself from whatever it was that she was feeling. Ever since a child, she remained adamant about doing things on her own. She wanted to be ambitious, goal-oriented and self-subsistent, to build a life of her own and not need a man to validate her very existence.

Amidst the misogyny and discrimination, she found Charlie, who accepted her for the woman she was, who didn't make her feel like he had dominance over her and that she was weak by reason of her mere gender. He knew that didn't matter. And he knew that she was much more than just a woman. Now that even he was gone she felt gloomy and alone.

There was an abrupt knock on the door and Katherine kept the letter back on the bed, she had lost count of the number of times she had read it, still not able to process what it stated. Lydia entered the room, followed by Amelia and Mary. Each wearing sophisticated and elegant dresses that made them appear more vibrant.

"The king is anxiously waiting to meet you, Your Highness," Mary said as she opened the curtains, allowing the warm yellow rays to waft through. "Katherine. Please call me Katherine," her being called anything but Katherine did not sound very appealing, all of this seemed overwhelming. She wanted to escape this bizarre new world, this massive bedroom, which she believed was thrice the size of the room she shared with Amanda, these unfamiliar titles, and all this foreign extravagance.

"The king?" She asked, confused. "Your brother, King Edward." It dawned on her that he had a brother. He was the king. The same king Katherine called ruthless and made speeches about. The man who she thought was the reason behind the bleak and miserable conditions of the people she was raised amongst. She recalled every word she had called him and everything she had blamed him for her in her heart. Would she be guilty of treason if he found out? Had word reached to him of that day? Would he call for her head as she remembered her mother mention? Was he as cruel and atrocious as Katherine envisioned him to be?

"There's word of a party being held in honour of your return Katherine," Amelia beamed, placing the exquisite burgundy dress on the bed. "Queen Eleanor picked this out for you. She wore this the day she found out she was with child and wanted you to wear it on a special occasion. It's beautiful and perfect for it."