ROYAL BLOOD | THE WHITE PRINCESS

44

With tears falling down her cheeks, Lizbeth stared at Henry closely, trying not to break down.

Henry sighed in defeat, realizing that telling her the truth of Thomas was the last thing he should have done at that moment. He felt the need to. He had lied to her and if he was going to die in this war, he needed for her to know the truth. The whole truth.

"And then, I put the thought from me because the crown was placed on my head," Henry explained, a guilty look on his face.

"I believe I had been given the right by God to rule, because my mother told me I had. In truth, I hadn't. I was never given the right," Henry explained, looking down at the ground in shame, "Three innocent boys and three men had to die for me to be given that right."

Lizbeth sighed in defeat. She wiped her tears, just before making her way over to him. "The peace we have had was hard-won and now we are heading towards another war."

"Did you go to the Tower?" Henry asked, a hopeless look on his face as he stared at his face.

Lizbeth sighed, nodding her head in confirmation. "He says..." She trailed off, pausing briefly before continuing on, "He says we will be safe."

"I trust him to honor his word," Henry admitted in a whisper.

"And the Tudor lords? And do you trust them?" Lizbeth asked, a deeply concerned look on her face, "They will fight tooth and nail till the whole country looks like this."

"I am trying to protect our sons—" He began to complain as he placed his hands on her hips and moved closer to her.

"The only way you can protect our sons is by telling the world you've killed the boy!" She complained loudly, referring to her idea of putting Noah Luff in George's place, "You are the King, Henry."

"In name only," Henry reminded her as Lizbeth grabbed ahold of his hands, "I wasn't given the right."

"The right is not given, Henry," Lizbeth argued and Henry sighed in frustration as he pulled away from Lizbeth, "It is taken."

Lizbeth moved closer to Henry, roughly grabbing him by the arms as she continued on. "It is taken by blood and by murder, where is God in that? The king's divinity is simply a tale men tell themselves but the right is taken. It is taken by force, and held by force. How do you think my father became king? His brothers held mad king Henry down as he and my mother poured poison down his throat. Just like them, Henry, you must take right, Henry. Take it. Kill the criminal I've given you and keep my brother in the Tower."

Henry stared at Lizbeth closely. He sighed, slowly nodding his head in agreement.

___

"Bring him out!" The peasants at Tyburn shouted out as they called for the execution of the man posing as George.

In the crowds, Margaret Beaufort and Lord Strange stood together, wearing hooded cloaks to hide their true identity. They watched as Noah Luff was dragged toward the noose, beaten bloody.

"Christ, how the mob stinks," Lord Strange complained, earning an eye roll from Margaret.

At another part of the crowd, Nora wore a hood as she walked with John de la Pole and Margaret of York.

"Your men are ready?" Margaret asked John as she glanced around to see many York loyalists within the crowds.

"They're ready," He replied, nodding his head in confirmation.