ROYAL BLOOD | THE WHITE PRINCESS

38

Lizbeth gritted her teeth, beginning to breathe heavily as she tried to control her anger. Her chest heaved and it felt as though all she could see was red as returned to her room.

She didn't sleep at all that night. When morning came, her ladies dressed her and she made her way down the hallway. She knew she wasn't imagining it. Everyone's eyes were all on her. They were all whispering about her. They knew. They knew of what Henry had done.

Henry was the fool, though. The people who followed him out of love for Lizbeth would revolt against him once they heard that he shamed her.

Without a care in the world, Lizbeth had barged into the room where Henry was speaking with some of his most trusted advisors. "Stop avoiding like a coward. Have you had her?" She asked angrily, causing Henry to stop where he was to turn to look at her.

Henry remained silent, continuing to stare at her as he didn't say a word. "Damn you, Henry. Answer me!" Lizbeth growled at her, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Henry turned to his servants, on the verge of telling them to leave when Lizbeth spoke up once more. "Oh, they all may stay. The whole court already knows about what you've done."

Lord Stanley and Sir Richard exchanged an awkward look with each other, just before leaving the room with the rest of the advisors that had been in there.

The moment the door closed, Lizbeth turned to Henry, on the verge of crying. "Do you ever consider what I endure?" She asked, her voice cracking, "You disrespect me. You shame me before the court and everybody gossips."

"Your mother did the same to Elizabeth Woodville with your father. And then to Anne Neville as well when she involved herself with Richard," Henry answered in a calm tone.

"My mother loved them!" Lizbeth snapped at him coldly, "And if you haven't realized it by now, I am not her."

Lizbeth watched Henry closely, frowning when he didn't respond to what she had said. "Are you saying that you love her?"

"Do you love him?" Henry suddenly asked, causing Lizbeth to frown in confusion, "The boy. Do you love him?"

"Of course I don't, Henry! He is my..." She trailed off, watching as Henry turned to her with wide eyes, "He is my burden." She quickly corrected herself and sighed in defeat.

"Are you sure he is just that?" Henry suddenly asked, giving her an accusing look, "Everything I do to taunt him, his eyes wander to you. He always seems to worry about you. Not his own wife as I spend time with her."

"So you shame me just to taunt him because I am his weakness," Lizbeth realized, letting out a large scoff as she looked at Henry, "You're pathetic."

"The truth is, Cathy is married to the boy so who is the fool if I am bedding her?" He changed the subject and the moment she saw the look he was giving her, he was quick to correct himself, "If people think I am bedding her. The world will see that she is not with the boy but with me, and King James and all the men who would fight for him because of his marriage to Lady Catherine will no longer do so."

"So just to win your point with him you would dishonor me, your own wife?" She asked again, a look of disapproval on her face.

"To win a war against him, I will play whatever cards I must," He replied and Lizbeth frowned, her eyes widening when she found familiarity in her conversation she was having with Henry to the one she had with Arthur many years prior.

"You sound like him," She whispered, smiling sadly as tears formed in her eyes, "You sound just like Arthur and we know how he ended up. After all, you were the one to kill him."