LOVE AND WAR
4. Treason
Lord Warwick burst into his quarters at his castle in a fit of rage, searching for his wife. "Where's the Countess?" He impatiently asked one of the servants who bowed to him, "Bring her in here!"
Moments later, Lord Warwick stood in his chambers with his wife, who had heard the entire story he had to tell about what had just occurred. She now knew all about how Edward was so captivated by Nora FitzRoy that he was refusing to marry her off to their cousin, despite it being a necessary match to keep the Lancastrians contained.
With news of her claim to the throne spreading like wildfire, the Lancastrians would try everything within their power to get their hands on her. She needed to marry someone loyal to house York, someone who wasn't powerful enough for her to use to challenge Edward's claim.
If she were to marry Edward, she could easily use being queen to gain supporters to rip her own husband off the throne and become queen in her own right.
However, if they knew Nora in the slightest, they would know that being queen, even a consort, was the last thing she wanted for herself.
"But how!" Lady Anne Beauchamp asked in disbelief and her husband shrugged, "How could he refuse you? If she isn't married off, everything will be ruined."
"He's lost his mind. He is thinking with what is inside his breeches instead of with his head. But why am I shocked? It isn't the first time and it surely isn't the last," He explained in a venomous tone, "All for some Lancastrian whore who was willing to spread her legs for him the first chance she got!"
"He is young and she is as well. He is infatuated with her. This will pass. It must," His wife explained, an uneasy look on her face, "He'll get over her as he did with all the women he involved himself with. What makes this girl any different?"
Lord Warwick remained silent, hoping to himself that it was the truth.
____
It was morning time. Nora was walking alone through the castle, needing some time alone after spending nearly an hour with her mother, who ranted about her time with Cecily Neville.
Katherine herself didn't want to admit it, but Nora could tell. Her mother was happy to be in her family's good graces once more.
Her mother had to leave her entire family behind to marry Thomas FitzRoy, but now that he was dead, her mother was able to slowly ease her way back into her old life.
As much as Nora was happy for her mother, she herself felt lonely. She had no friends, no girls her age to gossip and spend time with as most unmarried women her age did.
All the friends she had growing up were fellow Lancastrians and now, the castle was filled with those loyal to the Yorks. And the majority of those loyal to House York that lived in the castle despised her for being born a Lancastrian. She'd never fit in, no matter how many times it was brought up that her mother was a Neville.
Feeling someone grab her by the arm, Nora jumped in fright. She gasped, unable to defend herself as the person grabbed her and lightly pushed her against the wall of another nearby hallway.
She was about to scream, only to recognize the hushed voice that was shushing her to belong to Edward.
"Relax, my lady. It's me," He assured her, causing Nora's eyes widened when she found herself pressed against the wall with Edward standing in front of her.
He held one of her hands in his own while the other was rested at the crook of her neck.
"Your Grace," She greeted him uneasily, not knowing what else to say.
All she could picture in her mind was what happened just two days before. She had been avoiding him since, feeling as though she had been stupid for being so willing to give herself to him in that way. He hadn't succeeded in taking her maidenhead, but they both knew if Lord Warwick hadn't interrupted them, Edward would have and Nora would have surely allowed him to.
She stared at him intently, studying his features. She tilted her head slightly, wondering if he was going to kiss her. In truth, she wanted him to, but she wasn't going to admit that to him.
She wasn't going to admit she could barely sleep the night after their first kiss because all she could think about was the lingering thought of feeling his lips against hers once more.
As if he had read her thoughts, Edward leaned forward, smashing his lips against hers. His hands raked up and down her body, just before they returned to their previous spots.
The grip his left hand had on her hip became tighter, as did the grip he had on the side of her neck.
He pressed one last kiss to her lips before trailing kisses along her jawline. "I'm mad for you, Lady Nora," He whispered into her ear seductively, "I've been thinking about you constantly these past two days. Warwick and George talked my ear off during the Privy Council meeting this morning, yet all I seemed to be thinking of was the need to be in your presence once more."
"Is that so?" She sarcastically asked, a smile forming on her lips.
He paused, pulling away from kissing her neck so that he could look her in the eyes. "It is." He confirmed, causing them both to quietly laugh.
After a moment, the laughter died down and Edward's smile disappeared. Nora watched as his expression instantly became consumed with desperation. "You must be my mistress, Nora."
"Your Grace..." She trailed off uneasily, still calling him by his title instead of 'Edward'.
"I beg you. Look favorable on the proposal," He practically pleaded, causing Nora to give him an odd look.
Edward did want to know her better before going any further with her. However, he also knew he'd never have the time to get to know her if she was married off by Lord Warwick. He would never be able to convince his advisors not to marry the girl off and they'd grow suspicious if he refused to agree to it. But he also knew if she wasn't a maid, she'd be able to stay with him.
It was selfish, but he also knew that despite not knowing Nora well, he knew she'd never want to marry someone like Arthur Neville.
Nora deserved someone who would treat her kindly and fair, not someone who would only use her as a means to produce heirs. She needed someone to treat her like the queen she was truly was and Edward wanted to do exactly that, even if he couldn't make her queen of England.
"Why?" She asked, wondering why he wanted her to become his mistress so badly.
"Because if you give me your heart, Lady Nora, I swear to you that I will take care of it. And I shall give you mine as well," Edward responded and she would have thought he was lying if she hadn't seen the genuine look on his face.
"You barely know me, Your Grace, and I, you. You shouldn't make such promises you can't keep. You may believe you could love me now, but who's to say you won't feel the same way about another soon enough? What, then?" Nora found herself asking Edward, a concerned look on her face, "You are the King of England. If Lord Warwick has his way, you'll marry Princess Bona of France and if the rumors are true, he plans to marry off to Arthur Neville."
"Aye, I'm king, which means I cannot marry you as a part of me wishes to. And you're right, I'll most likely have to marry Princess Bona. Though, it does not mean my heart will belong to her. It doesn't mean that I wouldn't love you with all that I am, Nora, and all that I will ever be. If you were my mistress, you wouldn't have to marry Arthur. Wouldn't you want that? Wouldn't you rather be with me than Arthur Neville?"
Nora remained silent, slowly nodding her head, despite fearing to admit his words to be true.
"I kindly ask of you, Nora, to be my true, loyal mistress and friend, to give yourself up to me, body and soul. If you do so, I promise I'll take you as my only mistress. I won't have a thought or affection for anyone else. If you promise to be my official mistress, I shall serve you and only you. You shall have anything you need, anything within my power I shall give to you. And as the King of England, that is more than you could ever imagine. Trust me on that."
"Why?" Nora desperately asked, a concerned look on her face, "Why do all of this for a girl you know nothing about? If you knew everything—"
"Perhaps you don't understand, my lady. But I cannot sleep. I can barely breathe as the thought of you remains on my mind, always," Edward confessed, clearly captivated by the girl standing before him, "You must know, Nora, I desire you with all my heart."
Nora felt butterflies in her stomach. The king of England was falling for her and hard. She felt for him, but clearly, what he felt for her outmatched what she felt.
He was in love while she was merely attracted. She knew she'd easily fall in love with him if she knew him better, but she feared if he knew her, he wouldn't be so captivated by her any longer.
"There's things you don't know about me, Your Grace," She admitted softly, an uneasy look on her face, "Things that put your claim to the throne at risk if people knew the truth."
"What, that your father was legitimized before his father's death?" Edward asked, causing Nora's eyes to widen in shock, "Given your reaction, I dare say you already knew that. Why am I just learning it, though?"
"King Henry knew, as did my father," Nora truthfully confessed, "My father never wanted to be king, though. Before he married Catherine of Valois, my grandfather feared he'd die during the war in France and leave England without an heir. He couldn't let that happen and Pope Gregory agreed. They had my father legitimized."
"Who was his mother?" Edward desperately asked, having the feeling that with his luck, it was a woman of house York.
If it were, it would make the claim Nora had to the throne stronger than anyone else's, despite being a woman.
It would mean Nora had Plantagenet blood running through her veins on both sides, more than even Edward himself did. It would mean she had Lancastrian and York blood from her father's side, and Beaufort and Neville blood from her mother's side.
"I don't know," Nora admitted, which happened to be the truth. However, a part of her thought the same way that Edward did and that scared her most of all, "I know what you're probably thinking and I swear to you, I don't want the throne. My father didn't and I don't either. I swear it. I don't want to be queen. I don't even want to be a duchess. I just want to be a simple girl with a simple life. Do you ever feel that way, Edward?"
Edward remained silent. He sighed, slowly nodding his head. He didn't like to admit it. He didn't enjoy admitting that apart of him had always wished to not be his father's heir.
When his father died, Edward had to take his place as Duke of York and the leader of the Yorkist army. He never thought he'd have to have such a large responsibility at such a young age, but with his luck, he did.
"I don't have an answer for you yet, regarding me becoming your mistress," Nora admitted softly, a playful smile forming on her lips as she spoke to him, "But I do know I would I like to know more about you, Your Grace."
"And I, you," Edward responded, smiling back at her.
He slowly leaned forward, beginning to whisper in her ear. "Meet me at the large oak tree just outside the castle walls tonight at dusk," He told her and as he pulled away, Nora gave him a puzzled look.
Before she could question him, Edward had walked off, leaving her puzzled.
Overcoming her shock, Nora decided to return to her chambers. She glanced around anxiously, silently praying that no one had seen her with Edward.
"What is it I hear about you and the king?" A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Nora to jump in fright as she turned to find herself face to face with her mother.
"Mother!" She gasped loudly, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart, "You scared me half to death."
"Tell me the truth of this, Nora," Katherine demanded, a stern look on her face as she took a step toward her daughter, "Are you involved with the king?"
"Who told you that?" Nora asked, letting out a small, nervous laugh, "That's absurd."
"Cecily Neville, who heard from Lord Warwick," Katherine informed Nora, who began to tense worriedly, "Lord Warwick claims that he caught you in the king's office. You were laid out on his desk with King Edward's head underneath your skirt."
Nora's smile faded, causing Katherine to sigh in frustration. She knew what it meant. The rumors were true.
"How will you amount to anything in life if you're branded the king's whore, Nora?" Katherine complained and despite sounding cruel, it was obvious that she had a point, "Do you think he cares for you, my love? He is a York. You are a Lancaster, one who happens to be King Henry's niece. You are a highborn Lancastrian girl, one who is unmarried and the Duchess of Bedford. You could marry anyone. Why throw all of that away to give yourself to the king once, someone who will discard you once he takes your maidenhead?"
"He is in love with me," Nora confessed, a small smile on her face.
Katherine, however, frowned, clearly unhappy about the revelation. "Love? Love is just a word men used to enchant women as a game. It is how they convince you to climb into their beds, to give yourself up to them like a common whore," She explained, causing Nora to tear up, "He doesn't love you, Nora. Even if he does, it won't last long. He's already bedded half the woman in this castle. A new woman warms his bed every night, even since he's met you, I've heard. You are just another innocent girl he wishes to add to the list of girls in England he's ruined."
"I'll speak no more of this," Nora complained, sighing in frustration as she attempted to walk away.
Before she could, however, Katherine had roughly grabbed her daughter by the arm, pulling her back toward her. "You let that York bastard take your maidenhead and you will be ruined, Nora. And soon enough, you will end up sending both of us to the chopping block."
"You're being dramatic, Mother," Nora hissed at her mother, attempting to get herself out of her mother's tight grip.
"You are the true heir to the Lancastrian throne," Katherine whispered to her in a venomous tone, "You have the blood of the Plantagenet blood running through your veins from both sides, more anyone else alive. My father was a Neville, my mother was a Beaufort. Your grandfather was King Henry V, your father's mother was a lady of House York. You have the strongest claim, one stronger than Edward's and King Henry's. You would throw it all away if you let that bastard king deflower you."
A small gasp escaped Nora's lips as she took a step away from her mother. She stared at Katherine in horror, realizing what was going on. "You're not actually loyal to the Yorks," She whispered softly, "You aren't happy to reconcile with your family. You remain here because you plan to put me on the throne. You know working from the inside is the easiest way to overthrow the Yorks."
"You could marry Edward of Lancaster, Nora. Margaret of Anjou agrees. You may rule together. Henry is a lost cause," She explained confidently, yet still in a hushed tone, "You could be queen of England, the mother of future kings."
"Stop it, Mother!" Nora practically shouted at her mother before becoming quieter, "This is treason you're speaking of and I will not be apart of this. Edward of York is king and it shall remain that way."
"He killed your father," Katherine argued and Nora was quick to snap back.
"He didn't."
"How would you know?" Katherine questioned, letting out a large scoff.
"Because he told me he did not and I believe him," Nora answered and it was obvious Katherine viewed her daughter to be a fool.
"You care for him as well," Katherine realized, letting out a sigh in annoyance, "He'll be the death of you."
"So be it," Nora replied without thinking, causing Katherine's eyes to widen in shock, "I'm starting to realize that you weren't relieved when I returned because I was alive. You were relieved because you could still use me to remain in power. You did it with Father and you want to do it with me," She paused, taking a step toward her mother, "You may have York blood running through your veins, Mother, but you truly are a Lancaster. You're just as poisonous as Margaret of Anjou herself. I won't let you corrupt me, Mother."
"You would dare defy your true house for the Yorks?" Katherine asked in disbelief, a betrayed look on her face.
"At first, I admit, I did it for my own survival, but now I realize that the Yorks truly do deserve the throne. King Henry and the lot of them would have ruined England if they remained in power, but King Edward can do what is necessary to rid this country of such poison."
Katherine tensed up, realizing that as the conversation went on, she was slowly losing her hold on her daughter.
"Nora—" Katherine began to say, reaching her hand out to her daughter.
However, Nora ended up pushing her mother's hand away before she began to walk toward her own chambers.
She couldn't believe it. When she thought her mother was the only one she could trust, it was revealed she only wanted her around for the power.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Edward really is falling head over heels for her. 😂😂
And her mother is only using her for power (sadly)