ROYAL BLOOD | THE WHITE PRINCESS

18

He could recognize those eyes from anywhere. Anyone could. Her eyes were a ocean blue, ones similar to the ones the majority of her sons used to have as well and her daughter Grace.

Maximilian looked up, immediately noticing what Jasper seemed to be looking at. "You have lost something, My Lord?" He asked, a curious look on his face.

Jasper sighed, slowly turning to look back at the group of three. "The Duchess doesn't join us?" He questioned, referring to Margaret instead of Nora.

"She doesn't wish to lay eyes on the man who beat her brother and her nephew to an early death on Bosworth Field," Cecily commented, referring to Richard and Thomas.

"With respect, Duchess, without those deaths, the battle wouldn't have ended," Lord Strange commented and it took everything within Cecily not to mention little George and Edmund.

"We are sorry for her loss," Jasper quickly spoke up, trying to ease the tension before Lord Strange made it worse, "And to you too, Duchess Cecily. It must have been hard to lose your grandson King Arthur. It is well known how much you favored him compared to your other grandchildren. We commend his soul to God."

"How good of you to say so after all this time," Cecily remarked in a venomous tone.

Maximilian placed a hand on Cecily's arm, trying to calm her down as she began to hatefully glared at Jasper.

"What of Nora of Lancaster?" Jasper suddenly spoke up, causing Maximilian to turn to him with a questioning look.

"What of her?" He questioned, sounding almost protective of the woman.

  "We shall like to speak to her about peace terms as well. We come to offer her peace and allow her to return back to England," Jasper explained, earning a loud scoff from Cecily.

"Allowed back to England?" Cecily questioned, raising a brow at Jasper with an amused look on her face, "I don't recall her ever being exiled."

"We would like to speak to her, Duchess," Jasper replied in a calm tone.

"Would you now? What makes you think she wants to speak to you?" Cecily snapped at Jasper, clearly protective over the woman as if she were her own daughter, "You're the reason she lost all four of her sons and a daughter."

"We have news of her other daughter. Queen Elizabeth. She has given birth to a son,"  Jasper explained and Cecily remained silent, beginning to feel uneasy.

"Let's move to business," Maximilian quickly spoke up, much to everyone's relief since it would mean the end of the conversation that was on the verge of becoming an argument, one that no one would have been able to turn back from.

"No," Jasper quickly responded in a calm tone, "We will respect both the Duchess and Nora and their grief. Our business may come later, when they're both ready. If you will grant us leave to stay until that time..."

As Jasper trailed off and Mary began to speak to her husband about allowing them to stay, Jasper had exchanged a brief glance with Margaret of York before she became hidden behind the curtain once more alongside Nora.

"Maximilian?" Mary called out to her husband, who turned to her and nodded.

With that, Mary stood up, ushering the children to come along with her.

Several moments later, Jasper walked out of the castle, into the yard alongside Lord Strange. "Wait here?" Lord Strange asked, a smile on his face, "I can think of worse things."

"Do you like to play, Lord Strange?" A voice called out, causing them to turn their heads to see that Mary had been the one to ask him with Katherine standing alongside her cousin with a smirk on her face.