York's Hope.

Chapter Sixty One - Admit

-Hope-

-Dream-

I walk through the halls of my home, it is the dead of night and everything is quiet. I turn the corner and at the end is the blond haired boy sitting on the throne with the crown upon his head. I walked closer and the sight before me was horrible, the floor was stained with fresh blood the crept further and forth towards me until I was walking through it. I gasped behind him were four heads.

Arthur, Henry, Harry and Ned. I screamed dropping into the pool of blood as the heads of my most precious were on pikes.

-End-

I gasped waking up, I looked all around. I was back in my room, I pulled the sheets back and moved my legs to hang over the side. No blood.

"Hope?" Henry questions waking up from beside me "What is the matter?" I got out of bed but my legs were weak I collapsed to the floor.

"Hope!" I hear him get out and run round bringing me into his arms "Talk to me, my love."

"Just hold me, please." I croak and he brings me in closer.

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The next morning Henry was called away. I dressed myself and headed for the council chambers. Servants remained cleaning after the fire.

"Wait here." I told my ladies and took the final steps to the entrance.

"I told you. I told you over and over again that you must decide and you did not." I took a deep breath and nodded. The doors opened and I entered. "The fire is an attempt on your life and the lives of the Princes! The Spanish say that you must kill him. He must hang!" Lady Margaret insisted.

"Yes, mother. He must." Henry replied

"The Spanish?" I ask

"Their ambassador De Puebla is here." Henry informed me "They will not grant the marriage between Princess Catherine and Prince Arthur until the boy is dead."

"And the Earl of Warwick too." Morton added

"De Puebla said Queen Isabella already told you this?" Lady Margret inquired

"I don't remember." I say "All I remember is the letter saying she recommend uh.... she recommended...." I tried to remember

"She doesn't, she had a funny turn during our conversation with the Spanish royals and lost time. Come here, Hope." He held out his hand for me to take which I did

"Do you want your son married?" Lady Margaret questioned "You can deal with Warwick later but you must get rid of the pretender now. You have a charge. He set the fire." she insisted

"He did not set the fire." I told them "I did." I admitted rubbing my temples.

"What?" Henry asked  turning me to face him "Why?" I did not answer him but I think he saw it in my eyes.

"Leave us." he ordered The door opened and everyone but Lady Margaret left "I said leave us." 

"By all the saints. I wonder how you walk in a straight line, your wits are so dismally few." she insulted

"Lady Mother." Henry warned. She took her leave and the door closed.

"I hoped that he would take his chance and escape." I told him

"Escape."

"Yes." I answered

"Why? Why would you want him to escape, Hope?" He asked me and I covered my mouth trying to control my sobs

"Because... Henry, you must not kill him. Please." I stepped away shaking my head "We called down a curse on the murderers of the Princes. I spoke it with her, Henry. Both of us said the words with her, that the murderers of the Princes would never see their own sons grow to men, that their whole male line would die for part in taking a life. All of their sons, all of them dead in revenge for the Princes. You mustn't kill him. You mustn't." I confessed to him

"And you are saying that this curse would fall on me because he is your brother. He is Prince Richard." I shakily removed my necklace and opened the locket.

"I only ever opened this once before. It is my fathers. The night that I did, Richard saw me. He is the only one who ever knew and the other night, this is how he confirmed it." I closed it back up.

"Our sons, Henry. Our boys. Our precious, beautiful boys." I stressed the matter of the fact.

"He is your brother. After all this time, and now you tell me that it's true." he breathed I grabbed his arms

"You cannot kill him, you must find another way. We must find another way." I shake him in desperation.

"There is no other way."

"There has to be, there always is, we just need to think of it." He shrugged my hands off him and leaves "Henry!" I shout I see that his mother is still waiting outside. I wipe away my tears and handle my emotions before following him out.

"Bring me my sister!" I order