LOVE AND WAR | THE WHITE QUEEN

58

"You are strong," Nora argued in a stern tone, "You are the firstborn son of Edward IV and the King of England. You are the future of our house."

Arthur remained silent, looking down at the ground in shame.

She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Stand at the head of our armies, Arthur, where you belong. It has always been where your father wanted you to be. You must show these men who dare defy us what we York are made of and what we do to those who stand against us."

"But most of all, just come back to me, my son," Nora cried out, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "Live through this battle. Don't let Henry Tudor cost me you or your brother."

Arthur nodded, a solemn look on his face as he wasted no time hugging his mother.

_____

In one of the many tents, Arthur and Thomas stood side by side as their squires assisted them in putting their armor on.

Brackenbury panted as he entered the tent, wasting no time with pouring himself a mug of wine. He turned to his king and his prince, a smile on his face. "They're even more of a shambles in the dawn light," He commented and Thomas found himself smiling slightly in amusement.

"Any word from Stanley?" Lizbeth suddenly asked, causing the group to turn to see her entering alongside Richard, who was already in his armor.

"He says he's on his way--" Brackenbury began to say, only to stop when he heard Thomas loudly scoff.

"I doubt it," He commented, earning an amused look from Brackenbury since they both knew him to be accurate in his remark.

"In all honesty, we don't even need them," Richard added in, causing the whole group to smile in satisfaction, even Lizbeth, "We still vastly outnumber Tudor and his army."

Moments later, Lizbeth stood off to the side as she watched Arthur, Richard, Thomas, and Brackenbury climb onto their horses, causing her to feel uneasy.

Each man around him bowed as Arthur climbed onto his horse, but he paid no mind to it. His squire handed him his helmet, which had his crown placed on top of it.

Richard's eyes widened at the sight, thinking back to how Edward used to do the same exact thing.

"You're riding into battle with your crown?" Brackenbury questioned, feeling uneasy about the decision.

"I am my father's son, after all," Arthur boasted, forcing a smile upon his lips, "If Tudor wants to take me on, then he won't have to search for me."

Brackenbury nodded, exchanging a look with Richard and Thomas. With that, they followed their king as he rode in the direction of the battlefield.

Lizbeth watched on, a worried look on her face. She had prayed to God nearly the entire night for Him to let her brothers win but she feared what would happen if he did not.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lizbeth turned to walk back toward her tent. Lord Strange, who was still a hostage, ended up accidentally bumping into Lizbeth.

As their arms collided, Lord Strange winced in pain. Lizbeth turned to him, smiling in amusement. "My brother did a number on you, didn't he?" She taunted him in a joking manner.

He nervously laughed but didn't answer, which made Lizbeth feel uneasy. She knew something was up but instead of questioning him, she continued to walk on.

Once Lizbeth was out of sight, Lord Strange tightly clutched his arm, the pain there being unbearable ever since George, Lizbeth's brother, had stabbed him there several months before.