Winter 1523 Summary

With Queen Katherine away spending the summer with her daughter, Mary Boleyn has spent the entire summer riding, hunting, dancing, and living with the king as his mistress.

In November, when they return to Greenwich, Mary tells Henry she is pregnant. King Henry gives her beautiful new rooms, a fur coat, and a new lady in waiting. People everywhere begin speculating and placing bets as to whether the baby will be a boy, and an heir. The ones who bet on a boy are rewarded with gold; the ones who bet against a boy are met with the king's pout of displeasure.

While pregnant, Mary is forced to sleep alone.

Queen Katherine finally tells Henry that she is barren. The king resents Katherine for it, and behaves as though she purposely refused him an heir. Mary knows how much Katherine wanted to give...