THE UNTOLD | THE COUSINS' WAR

3

She turned and smiled slightly when she locked eyes on Thomas, disregarding the stares she was getting from the rest of the men, including her own father. "Yes, my lord. I'm surprised you remember me."

"I could always remember a face like yours," Thomas replied, causing Edith to avoid eye contact as she blushed, "Come closer, my lady. The men and I are caught in quite the debate and I dare say you will be able to solve our problem."

"And what may that be?" Edith asked him, a smile forming on her lips.

"The Duke of York here claims he is the rightful King of England because of who his mother is descended from. Do you think that to be true, even when staking such a claim on the English throne would cause this country to fall into a war we'll never truly recover from and shed more English blood than ever before?" Thomas asked and before Edith could open her mouth to continue on, he cut her off, "And don't choose my side solely because your father has. Choose the side you agree with. Choose it because it is your choice, no one else's."

Thomas walked over to the rose bush, plucking a white rose and then a red. He turned to Edith, smiling as he walked toward her and held out the two roses. "Choose, my lady."

"She is but a woman. What does it matter what her opinion is?" The Earl of Warwick complained and Thomas turned to shoot him a glare.

"Women make up half this country, my lord. How is it fair that only us men are debating about something regarding everyone in England? Whether or not you agree, women deserve to voice their opinion on such matters as we do," Thomas explained to him in a stern tone before he turned to Edith, smiling, "Now, you must choose, my lady, and choose wisely. For your vote will be final."

Edith's lips parted. She stared down at the roses for a long moment. She took a deep breath, just before picking up the red rose. "I choose the red rose, for the House of Lancaster."

Richard Neville, Edith's own father, and the Duke of Somerset laughed in victory while Thomas smiled at Edith, who looked nervous.

He wrapped an arm around her, turning to face Richard of York and the two others who had chosen his side. "It would seem the red rose of House Lancaster blazes far brighter than that of House York."

"You need not speak it because we already know the truth, my lord Bedford," Richard spoke up with an attitude as he shook his head in disapproval, "The men and girl standing beside you are not with you to support King Henry. They do it because they support you. The alter Rex."

"I am not king, cousin, nor will I ever be," Thomas argued in a stern tone.

"King is what you are, just not in name. You are the power behind the throne and we all know it," The Earl of Warwick spoke up, earning an eye roll from Thomas.

"Say what you will, but it is not the truth nor will it ever be," Thomas responded in a calm tone, causing Richard to smile.

"A shame. If you were to have a son and I a daughter, they may be wed and unite these warring sides," Richard continued on, clearly trying to taunt Thomas, "A Lancaster and a York united in holy matrimony. Such a thing would be spoken of for centuries."

Edith glanced between the duo, feeling uneasy since she knew a fight was on the verge of occurring.

"There would be no warring houses if men like yourself never spoke of such matters as you have today, cousin," Thomas argued back in a cold tone, "And no child of mine shall ever marry one of yours. I promise you that."