ROYAL BLOOD | THE WHITE PRINCESS

20

"She's locked up in a dungeon," Henry informed Lizbeth calmly.

"What for? She's done nothing," Lizbeth responded with an attitude.

"My mother proved she was behind the Lovell plot to kill me. She wanted vengeance for killing her brother Arthur, who I'm told was also her lover," He explained before he began to walk away.

She glared at him angrily, only to watch as he suddenly stopped and turned to face her. "She wanted Teddy on the throne and for that reason, I cannot set him free," He explained as he walked back over to her once more, "My enemies require a figurehead. He would be snatched and made to be that symbol."

Henry began to walk away once more, only to have Lizbeth speak up. "You said that you would free him!" She complained, an angry look on her face, "You promised me you would."

"I did no such thing," He argued in a stern tone, "I said I would consider it and take a view. You must listen far more carefully to what people say if you wish to be a queen."

"I am a queen and it's the only reason you're even able to sit upon my brother's throne in the first place after you killed him and your mother killed my other brothers," Lizbeth snapped at him, her voice laced with venom, "And you will not leave my sister in a dungeon. I forbid it. If she is to be kept from me, then house her in an abbey. She is of noble birth. She is the daughter of a king and the sister of the Queen of England. It is not right for her to be treated in such a way. Let it be Bermondsey Abbey, at least there is a garden."

Henry stood in place. He stared at Nora closely for a long moment, just before turning his back to her. He began to walk away, only to hear Lizbeth shouting at him. "If you had any sense at all, Henry, you would realize this is your mother's doing," She growled at him, causing Henry to turn to face her, "She does not like the fact that we have grown to care for each other. She wants to get me back for that. First, she locked up my mother and when that did not work, she framed my sister, the last person I have that I can trust, and imprisoned for something she didn't even do."

Henry forced himself to ignore Lizbeth and walked away, disregarding the voice in the back of his head telling him that she had a point.

_____

Outside of the palace in Burgundy, lords and ladies watched as Katherine played a game against Lord Strange, which she was clearly winning.

He frowned as the people began to clap for Katherine, seeing though he thought he himself had won.

"No, that's...that's...This line here, that's out," He commented and Katherine was quick to correct him.

"No, it was not. I think I'd know," She argued with him as she walked toward where it would be considered out, "This, you idiot, is out or are you that blind? You lost the point, Lord Strange. Lose the sour look on your face and come to terms with the fact that you've been beaten by a fourteen-year-old girl yet again."

Mary clapped her hands together, she and Maximilian laughing at Katherine's comment while Lord Strange rolled his eyes.

At another part of the gardens, Jasper watched the scene occur with an amused look on his face.

He hadn't even noticed that Nora was walking up to him at that moment. "You should have told me that your friend is such a marvelous court jester."

"Oh, he is no friend of mine," Jasper responded, causing Nora to chuckle.

"Good. If he was, I would have had to scold you on your poor choice of company," She remarked, causing them both to smile as she walked to stand beside him.