#Catherine Howard lost her head because men abused her

[coochiequeens]

The Church of England was created because HenryVIII knew Mary wasn’t a son

#Church of England #define woman #Eve was a woman #Men trying to look progressive #HenryVIII #Mary the First was a woman #ann Boleyn lost her head because she was a woman who gave birth to a daughter #Jane Seymour died because she was a woman who gave birth #Catherine Howard lost her head because men abused her

[the-quiet-winds]

Tigers in Concrete

[this is for that very special anon from last night! :D]

[angst]

in which Catherine Parr has a thing for numbers.

The first time Catherine Parr and Katherine Howard had a conversation, they agreed that Catherine would only be referred to as ‘Parr’, to avoid any miscommunications.

The seventh time Parr and Katherine had a conversation, Parr accidentally called Katherine ‘kid’, a seemingly random term of endearment that made Katherine’s eyes blow so wide that Parr thought they could poetically fall from their sockets.

They didn’t, in fact, and Parr remained the only one allowed to use that particular nickname.

Parr had a bond with Katherine quite unlike the one with any of the other queens. Katherine was the only one allowed in her study, no matter the time of day. Katherine was the only one allowed to read any of Parr’s manuscripts. Parr, on the other hand, was the only one allowed to read Katherine’s literary analyses, which she did of everything from Shakespeare to Rowling to Lewis. She would annotate the books and write her own essays about them, relating themes in a series and commenting on the language. 

The study of which was taught to her, formally or informally, by Parr.

“Hey, kid,” Parr said one night, when, sometime in the witching hour, she had seen the light under Katherine’s door still on. “What are you working on so late?”

Katherine is so absorbed in her writing she doesn’t notice Parr enter until a gentle hand touches her shoulder and Katherine jumps so much she falls to the floor, breathing rapidly and nearly shaking.

Parr crouches in front of her. “Katherine, kid, it’s just me. It’s just Parr, yeah?” Her voice is soft, but her gaze is firm as she holds Katherine’s stare.

“Parr?” Katherine asks, words trembling. Parr nods. 

“It’s just me.” Parr had barely finished the statement when Katherine threw herself into her arms, hugging her tight and still shaking.

The events of that night stayed with Parr. She was never much of a touchy-feely woman, but Katherine held a very special space in her heart. Parr had never had the opportunity to be a mother, she had died before Mary was even a week old, leaving the poor girl to grow up in a world without a mother to look out for her.

Katherine had, in fact, also lost her mother at a young age. She was only a tender five when her mother passed on, and look what had happened to her: abused by the men in her life until it was cut unfairly short by an axe when she was just barely old enough to call herself an adult.

It gave Parr the shivers just thinking about it - was that what had happened to Mary?

She never knew for sure, but one thing was clear. History was not going to repeat itself. Parr would do anything to keep Katherine safe.

Katherine, meanwhile, picked up on Parr’s melancholy. And thus started their 248th conversation.

“Parr?” Katherine asked over breakfast.

“Yeah, kid?” 

Katherine frowned. Parr’s tone didn’t hold its natural warmth, the one that made Katherine think of steaming tea and fresh book pages and oversized sweaters.

“You’ve been down,” Katherine said gently, not trying to show how desperately worried she really was. “What’s up?”

Parr sipped her tea. “Just...reflecting, that’s all. Nothing to worry about, kid.”

“Please tell me,” Katherine said quietly, “I don’t like seeing you sad.”

As she crossed the kitchen to where Katherine was sitting, Parr’s lips tightened into a fine line, trying to keep tears at bay. “I just…” she faltered, “I miss my daughter, that’s all.”

Katherine gave a tiny, hopeful smile. “Tell me about her.”

“I don’t know all that much.” Parr sighed. “She was named after our stepdaughter, Aragon’s Mary. Most adorable baby girl.” Her expression changed from melancholy to a fond sort of longing. “It’s hard to find information about her, though.”

“Let’s go to the library!” Katherine said excitedly. “I want to get some new books and stuff, and we can look for information about Mary!”

Parr dared to look hopeful. “Are you sure?”

Katherine nodded enthusiastically. “It’ll be so fun!”

Parr couldn’t say no, not when Katherine’s face looked so excited and she had that sparkle like stardust in her eyes.

So they went to the library.

It was an unseasonably warm day, despite the overcast, so they told the other queens where they were headed and walked to the library, five blocks from the house.

Katherine started their 249th conversation with a simple, “It’s so nice out! Why isn’t it like this all the time?”

Parr laughed. “Because there’s these things called seasons, kid.”

“I know, Parr,” Katherine responded sarcastically. She bumped the toe of her shoe against the sidewalk idly as they waited for the signal to cross the street. “Oh!” Katherine suddenly exclaimed. “I had a question I’ve been meaning to ask you, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is, kid.” Parr pointed to the walk signal as a silent way to get Katherine walking again. “Ask away.”

“So about your daughter, I was wondering...would Jane technically be her aunt? Because if you married her brother-”

“Katherine look out!”

The next seven minutes were an absolute blur. Katherine remembered hearing Parr yell her name, two firm hands collide with her back and shove her forward, but after that, she remembered nothing until she woke up, lying flat on the pavement, crowds of people around her.

She shot upright, the panic she remembered hearing in Parr’s voice sending shivers down her spine. “Parr!” She shouted.

“Easy now,” a soft female voice said. “Don’t aggravate your head.” The paramedic looking at her had comforting blue eyes and soft blonde hair, but Katherine only had one train of thought - Parr.

“Where is she?!” Katherine nearly shrieked as she jumped to her feet. “Where is Parr?!”

The next sight she saw nearly sent her back into a state of unconsciousness. Only a few feet away, ten, maybe less, was Parr, laying on the ground, blood surrounding her body and a sheet covering her up to her chest.

Another twenty feet away, a car was stopped, a sizeable mark on its front hood and a large crack in its windshield. 

“Katherine,” Parr said weakly, extending a trembling and pale hand to the girl, who nearly trampled the paramedic to get to it. 

“Parr, I’m so sorry-”

“It’s not your fault,” Parr said, mustering up as much of that tea-with-honey tone as she could, but the pain and weakness in her body making it nearly impossible. “They weren’t paying attention.”

“Parr please,” Katherine pleaded. She brought Parr’s hand to rest against her cheek. “This isn’t how your story ends.”

With as much of her remaining strength as she could pull, Parr sat up to press a careful kiss to Katherine’s forehead. “I love you, ma petite ange.” 

After that, the last of Parr’s strength left her and she toppled back upon the concrete. Katherine threw herself on Parr’s body, sobbing into the white sheet over her chest until she had nothing left to give.

———————————————————————————————————–

tag list: @percabeth15 @kats-seymour @qualquercoisa945 @jane-fucking-seymour @a-slightly-cracked-egg @justqueentingz @annabanana2401 @wolfies-chew-toy @broad-way-13 @tvandmusicals @lailaliquorice @aimieallenatkinson @sweet-child-why03 @gaylinda-of-the-upper-uplands @funky-lesbians @thinkaboutitmaybe @hansholbeingoesaroundzeworld @anaamess @beeskneeshuh @prick-up-ur-ears @theartoflazy @justqueentwo @brother-orion @paleshadowofadragon @lafemmestars @beautifulashes17 @jarneiarichardnxel @idkimbadwithusernamesandstuff @sixcago @mixer1323 @boleynssixthfinger @aimieallen @elphiesdance @boleynthebunny @krystalhuntress @lupin-loves-chocolate@bellacardoza16 @bluify

#six the musical #six musical #catherine parr #katherine howard #julie writes #tigers in concrete #(finally talking about parr's kid again it's about time) #(and y'all who want to bitch about this being a stolen idea i wrote this a full three months ago i just never posted it)