"Mary shall remain Henry's heir until a son is borne to him. She shall retain her title as Princess of Wales until that time and if she is displaced, a separate title will be given to her. As negotiations were not brought to fruition with my nephew, another match will be made for her-but one that will be worthy of her title. I also refuse to join a convent. I will leave court as I am sure I will not be wanted, but Henry shall provide me with a house of my own in the country. One within a days ride of a new home he will present my daughter and one outfitted with a proper household. He will consult me on any issue pertaining to our child, though I will of course continue to obey him as my king. Mary will have a title bestowed upon her to solidify her place as the eldest, legitimate Princess of England-a title she shall retain until the end of her days, no matter her marriage. Parliament can decide on the specifics.." Anne looked uneasy and ready to object, but Katherine raised a hand to stop her. "I know you do not have a say in these policies, Lady Anne. I know all of this I will negotiate with my husband. I tell you this now only so that you will know and support my conditions with the king. But I have another price for you as well." Katherine steeled herself before fixing Anne with a glare full of determination.

"I will step aside so that you can take my place. I will support your ascension, not only with the English people, but with my nephew, with the whole of Spain, and with his Holiness, the Pope. It will be incredibly difficult, even with my help- but without, it would be impossible," she had to hammer home how much Anne and Henry needed her cooperation. "In return, I want you to privately and publicly support my daughter. You will never move to oppose her right to succeed her father should he not have a male heir. You will never whisper in Henry's ear that she should not be treated with all the respect and deference her birth demands. You will use your position as Henry's confidant to advance Mary's interests and you will not seek to undermine her neither at court, nor with any foreign negotiations." She watched Anne's face carefully as she delivered her trump card, but her rival's eyes were unreadable. For a moment, there was silence in the room. Katherine could feel sweat trickling down the back of her neck, heated not only by the roaring fire beside them, but by the flames of passion and desperation flickering inside of her. The moments ticked by, but she refused to break first. She must come out of this the victor.

"And what of my own daughters?" Anne finally asked quietly. "What is to keep me from having the princess removed from the succession after I have a child of my own who would be displaced?"

Katherine bit down equal waves of irritation that Anne would already seek to challenge her terms, and amusement that the woman before her was so confident in her own fertility. Hadn't Katherine herself thought she was untouchable before her marriage? That it was without question that she would do her duty to provide the throne of England with a full nursery? So naive she had been-just as Anne was now.

Katherine couldn't help the mocking half-smile that crept across her lips. "If you provide the king with a son, then we will not need to worry about who is next in line to the throne. And if you cannot..."she watched as the confidence drained in her rivals eyes. "Well if you cannot, then I would suggest you follow my example of removing yourself as an obstacle to the king's wishes. Regardless, my terms remain. Mary will stay as Princess of Wales until a son is born to His Majesty. And what is to keep you from removing her? Know in your heart that if you try to displace my daughter from her rightful place, I will do everything in my power to bring the wrath of Spain and the English people upon your head." It pleased Katherine to see the hint of fear in Anne's eyes at this threat. "I have been queen of this country for over 20 years, Lady Anne. Mary has been their beloved princess from the moment she was born. Do not think yourself so untouchable and so loved by the king that you will be accepted with the same fervor I have been. Do not think me powerless."

Another beat passed where there was silence besides the crackling of the fire. Katherine stared at Anne, silently willing her to concede. She could see the cogs working behind those lovely eyes and knew that Anne would see sense.

"This is my price, Lady Anne" she murmured softly. "Go now, and consider my terms. But do not take too long to decide. The king's patience is already thin."