LOVE AND WAR
— 39. France
Nora was walking down the hallway alone when she suddenly spotted Margaret Beaufort, who was standing alone on the balcony.
She sighed in defeat, just before making her way over. "I heard what you did," She spoke up, causing Margaret to turn to look at her, "You brought the Queen's baby to life."
"It was God's will, not mine," Margaret answered in a calm tone, causing Nora to turn to her with a curious look.
"But isn't your will God's?" Nora questioned and Margaret decided to ignore her, believing Nora was just trying to tease her.
In truth, she wasn't. She was actually curious. She wasn't going to admit that out loud, though.
"He loves you," Margaret suddenly remarked, earning a confused look from Nora, "For years now, I wondered why he always pushed me away when I believed he returned those feelings that I had for him. I now realize it was because he cared for you, not me," She paused, noticing how Nora still looked confused, "Jasper, you fool."
"I do not care for Jasper in that way," Nora pointed out to Margaret, who scoffed loudly.
"No, you only let him kiss you on numerous occasions for no apparent reason," Margaret commented and Nora sighed in defeat, "You cared about him, but you just didn't want to admit it. You would rather be the king's whore."
Nora glared at Margaret but wasn't offended by her words. "Is that supposed to hurt me?" She retorted in a cold tone, "It doesn't."
"It should," Margaret argued in a stern tone, "What do you think will happen when the king dies? Do you think anyone will care for you, then? No. Your children are bastards and Queen Elizabeth's son will be king. She'll have a hold on him and rule through him as we all know she will. She'll have you banished from court and you'll live your life as another man's whore, just to survive."
Nora turned to face Margaret fully. She quietly laughed, taking a threatening step toward the Beaufort woman.
"Just because you're unhappy that Jasper does not love you, it doesn't mean you have to attempt to drag me down," Nora snapped at Margaret coldly, "Do you want to hear the truth, Margaret? Yes, I did, in fact, care for Jasper. I found an understanding with him that I found nowhere else. I let him kiss me because a part of me did want him to kiss me. However, what I feel for Edward is far stronger than what I feel for Jasper. It always will be. Jasper is the enemy. I will never return those feelings ever again. You may have him if you please, I do not care. Edward is the only one for me, no one else."
"How does it feel?" Margaret asked, much to Nora's confusion, "To give up your entire life to become the king's whore? If you remained on the side of House Lancaster, you could've been Queen. The first English Queen regnant. You could have made English prosper in ways the kings who ruled before you did not. Instead, you chose to become the king's mistress and throw all your potential away. The only titles you have now have been earned by spreading your legs for him and pleasing him. When he dies, you will be nothing. Nothing at all. All your titles will be taken and you'll be left on the streets. All because you refused to become Queen and allowed your children to be named bastards even though they are not."
"What do you have against me?" Nora whispered against Margaret softly, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "I've proved time and time again that I am not your enemy, yet you continue to try to treat me like I am. Are you that jealous that I get to keep my children while your son is banished to France to be raised by the man who you wished loved you but would much rather be fucking the king's whore?"
Just then, Margaret had smacked Nora across the face. Nora gasped in pain, clutching the side of her face as she turned to look at Margaret.
Despite having an aching cheek with tears spilling down them, Nora smiled at Margaret. "You are," She realized and since she couldn't help herself, she laughed in amusement, "You are now one of the richest women in England yet you still are jealous of me. You're jealous that no matter what you accomplish, you will always be stuck in my shadow. Your mother favored me. Jasper favors me. Even your own son favored me. He would have rathered lived with me, the king's mistress, than his own mother," She paused, taking a threatening step toward Margaret, "I'm done trying to be your friend, Margaret. I have been trying to make you forgive me for the past ten years, despite the fact that I've done nothing... nothing at all to wrong you. But now, I am done trying. You can try to blame all your mishappens and hardships on me, but none is at fault for it but yourself. Maybe instead of attempting to be the holy Margaret Regina, you should just be Margaret Beaufort because in truth, no matter what you say, you've committed just as many sins as I have in the eyes of God."
Nora glared at Margaret one last time, just before walking away with tears streaming down her face.
____
Outside the castle, Thomas, who was now nearly ten, stood outside in the courtyard of the castle when Edward walked to join him.
Thomas was practicing archery when his father had decided to join him, smiling in amusement since Thomas was having trouble making the target.
Nora had briefly walked over to Edward, whispering something to him before sending a small smile to her son. Thomas stopped what he was doing for a brief moment to watch her walk away, a frown forming on his lips.
"It's a shame Mother looked so sad," Thomas commented, causing Edward to turn to him in confusion, "I wonder what happened."
"What do you mean? Your mother was smiling ear to ear. She is anything but sad," Edward complained, earning an amused look from his eldest son.
"Did you not see that she had been crying?" Thomas argued in a frustrated tone.
"She was not," Edward crossed his arms over his chest, not believing what his son had been saying, "I would be able to tell if your mother was crying."
"This is why she is your mistress and Elizabeth is your wife. You have no sense when it comes to women, no matter how many end up in your bed," Thomas continued on and as Edward's mouth gaped open in shock, his son began to quietly laugh.
"Oh, shut up, would you?" Edward snapped at Thomas, who continued to laugh at how offended his father was, "One, what I do in my free time does not concern you, son. Two, a man does not concern himself in the affairs of women. You learn that now and you'll be set your life. Trust me."
"Clearly, you did not take your own advice," Thomas muttered under his breath, causing Edward to stare at his son in disbelief.
"You've been spending far too much time around my brother George," Edward grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, "If it isn't obvious."
"Uncle George likes me more than Uncle Richard does," Thomas admitted in a calm tone, "Arthur is always off with Richard, leaving Uncle George with me."
"I see that has affected you both already," Edward remarked as he moved closer to Thomas, "While your elder brother is honorable and obedient like Richard, you have become mischievous and overly-confident like George."
"I have reason to be confident," Thomas confidently replied with a smile on his face, "I am better than Arthur at everything."
"Really?" Edward jokingly asked, pointing toward the target, "Then, why haven't you gotten the bullseye? Arthur would have gotten it on the first try."
Thomas turned to his father, grumbling under his breath while Edward laughed in amusement.
"You're not nice, Father," Thomas complained, a pouting look on his face.
"Perhaps I'd be nicer if you quit degrading your elder brother and stopped acting like my brother George," Edward pointed out as he knelt next to Thomas.
He took the bow from Thomas' grasp and placed it on the ground. With that, he grabbed Thomas by shoulders and forced him to turn to face him. "Trust me, my son. Being like Uncle George is the last thing you want to be. He might be your godfather, but you do not want to be like him. Not in the slightest. Your mother might favor him, but he is not a good role model. Even I can see that and I love my brother dearly. He is greedy and kisses people's ass just to get what he wants. And if the queen were here, she'd even call him a turncoat."
"What's a turncoat?" Thomas asked, a confused look on his face.
Edward smiled, shaking his head. "You don't need to know," He replied, knowing that with his luck, Thomas would run back to George and blab to him about it.
Now, that would not end well in the slightest.
____
The following day, Nora stood alongside Edward, Richard, and George as they made their announcement about France.
"So send out commissions and muster your men. We will take France!" Edward announced loudly and all the men began to cheer while Elizabeth clearly looked unhappy.
"The three sons of York!" Nora added in and the men cheered even louder.
George smiled, exchanging a brief look with Nora before he found himself standing between Richard and Edward, a hand on both of their shoulders. "And none shall divide us," He continued, shooting a glare at Elizabeth.
With that, George and Richard walked away while Nora walked off the steps, still able to listen in to whatever Elizabeth was about to say to Edward.
"Edward? What are you doing?" Elizabeth complained as she took a seat on her throne, "Stirring up another war where you could die?"
Edward briefly turned his head, only to sigh when he saw Nora's back was facing him. He looked back at Elizabeth, trying not to seem annoyed. "I wish to mark my reign with glory. Richard could have honor, and George will take the Regency for me. He will continue to do so until Arthur turns eighteen. Then he shall do it for me."
Elizabeth slowly looked up at Edward, her eyes wide in alarm. "Arthur will not be eighteen for another six years. You cannot give George such power, especially for that long. He will surely turn it against you!"
"He is my brother, Elizabeth," Edward reminded Elizabeth in a stern tone, "And fighting for a common cause will unite us."
"It will tear you apart, as will she," Elizabeth retorted, referring to Nora in a venomous tone, "I assume already you will be taking her with you, claiming it to be so that she may be the army's healer."
"We will not speak of this, Elizabeth," Edward scolded Elizabeth, who sighed in frustration.
"Then let's talk about George," Elizabeth argued coldly, "If you make George French Regent, you will regret it."
Furious, Elizabeth stood up from her throne before storming off. Edward didn't even seem bothered when she walked away.
His attention immediately went to Nora, who slowly turned to face him. "What do you think?" Edward asked, clearly favoring her advice and opinion over Elizabeth's.
"My opinion is biased. I like George. She does not. She isn't blinded by her love and loyalty toward him as I am. She would probably see his ulterior motives before I would. However, she is also quick to assume the worst of him since he's partly the reason her father and brother died," Nora explained, slowly walking up the steps to meet Edward face to face, "But I do think you should be wary of him. The fact that he suggested such a thing so randomly is a bit suspicious."
"Perhaps I should make you Regent," Edward jokingly commented, a smile forming on his lips.
"I dare say Elizabeth would prefer that over George being Regent," Nora replied and Edward scoffed.
"That is only because she'd finally be rid of you," Edward pointed out and Nora sighed, realizing he had a point.
Nora turned her head, seeing that Thomas was getting into trouble with Lizbeth from afar. She sighed in defeat, quickly telling Edward she would see him later before she walked off.
____
That night, in his chambers, Edward was laying in bed with Nora's head rested on his chest. They laid in silence with Edward tracing his fingers along her bare back.
"Is it wise?" Nora asked, slowly tilting her head upwards to look Edward in the eyes, "For you to bring me with you?"
"I am the King of England. I may do as I please. You are not just my mistress, Nora, you are the person I trust most. I need you in France with me," he explained in a genuine tone as he held Nora close to his chest.
"What happens when you're not?" Nora suddenly asked, causing Edward to frown in concern, "What happens if you are dead before me?"
"I've already made precautions for that. I made them years ago," Edward admitted softly and Nora immediately lifted her head to look him in the eye.
"And you never told me?" She questioned, giving him a weird look.
"I don't believe my death is something I'd like to speak about. I dare say you feel the same way about your own," Edward responded, smiling softly as he cupped her face in his hands, "And you need not worry. It will be a long time before I die."
Nora smiled back at Edward, nodding her head. She leaned forward, kissing him softly before she laid her head back down on his chest.
____
Just like George and Richard, when they arrived in France and Edward suddenly decided to make peace instead of war, Nora wasn't the slightest bit happy.
"We didn't sail here to talk!" George yelled at Edward angrily, "We came here to overthrow Louis!"
"We came to win back England's honor and reclaim the lands that should be ours!" Richard added in, clearly feeling just as frustrated as George.
"All I'm saying is that we should listen to King Louis' terms for peace," Edward demanded in a stern tone, "He said he would offer land! So perhaps we could win without bloodshed."
"He cannot offer us dignity or glory!" Richard complained and Nora knew he had a point.
"And he won't make me regent, Edward. Which is what we agreed!" George growled, a furious look on his face.
"We agreed on nothing, brother," Edward replied in an aggravated tone, "I said that I would think about it. Yet you act as though you're entitled to it!"
George glanced between Richard and Nora, who remained silent, despite agreeing with him. He roughly slammed his fists against the table in front of him before storming out of the room.
Edward sighed in defeat, turning his attention to Richard and Nora. Richard turned away from Edward, avoiding eye contact with him while Nora shook her head in disapproval.
_____
Days had passed and it was clear to the two younger York brothers that Nora had forgiven Edward a lot quicker than they had, but that was expected.
King Louis had offered Edward terms of peace and Edward had taken them. The son of King Louis was to marry Princess Elizabeth, Edward's eldest daughter with Elizabeth. She was to be the next queen of France. Edward was receiving lots of gold as well.
It was clear to Nora that both Richard and George were greatly unhappy about the betrayal at the hands of their own brother. They were expecting a war, but instead, they were getting peace.
In a meeting place set by King Louis, the French King had bought the three York brothers and their men France's best whores. However, since Nora was there, Edward had paid no mind to the whores for once.
George stood across the room alongside Richard, trying to block out the sight that the thin curtain just a few feet in front of them could not hide from them.
Behind the curtain, Edward was sitting in a chair, his shirt half torn open as Nora straddled his waist, riding him. Nora had her back arched in pleasure while Edward's head was thrown back, both of them moaning loudly.
Edward opened his eyes briefly, his eyes locking on George, who glared at his elder brother since he knew he was committing such an act in public solely to piss him off.
Edward straightened his back up, grabbing the sides of Nora's face as he kissed her and bucked his hips forward. Nora's moans had become louder, much to Edward's satisfaction.
George quickly avoided eye contact with Edward, a furious look on his face. He walked back over to Richard, who had his arms crossed across his chest. "Our father would cry for shame if he could see us now."
"It's that whore Elizabeth's fault," George complained in an aggravated tone, "She's been writing to him since we left, telling him not to fight. She has England's high demand, not Edward. He'll let her do anything just to shut her up about Nora."
A cold look on his face, Richard stood up. He took a large sip of the bottle of wine he carried in his hand before storming off.
____
A little more than a week later, Edward, Richard, and the rest of the York army returned back to London with vast amounts of gold, yet no one but Edward seemed happy about it.
Nora had already climbed off her horse when Elizabeth walked down the steps, a smile on her face as she made her way toward her king and husband while holding the hand of two of her daughters.
She rolled her eyes, turning away from the duo with an annoyed look on her face.
"Stanley! Open a chest!" Edward shouted out as he rode toward the carriages of gold, "And for you, my Queen, Malmsey Wine. I told King Louis it was your favorite."
While Edward walked away with Elizabeth, hoping to speak to her about what happened in France, Nora made her way over to Richard with an annoyed look on her face.
"He'll do anything to calm her nerves about me, I'm starting to realize," Nora confessed, speaking in a venomous tone as he walked to join Anne and Richard, "I cannot believe him! We went there to take France and all we came back with was gold."
"He thinks he can buy back my honor, but he cannot," Richard confessed, looking to be just as disappointed as Nora, if not more.
"Burgundy would have supported us," Nora admitted, causing Richard to turn to her in shock, "Charles of Burgundy would have supported us. We could've succeeded, but instead, he chose to obey Elizabeth."
"Burgundy would have helped England take back France?" Anne asked Nora in disbelief.
"England and Burgundy are allies. We were planning to take over their greatest enemy. Burgundy was more than willing to help us, but Edward refused to allow them to help us. Now, I understand why," Nora explained, cursing under her breath, "People like to say I rule through Edward, but why is it that I couldn't even convince him to go through with his plan to take France?"
"Elizabeth," Richard sighed in defeat, "And I dare say the reason for not wanting him to take France wasn't because he had the chance of dying, but because he was planning to put George and then your son in charge of the Regency of France."
"Yes, she doesn't like the idea of neither I nor George having any sort of power that could threaten her newfound power when it comes to controlling Edward," Nora explained in a frustrated tone, "Whatever she asks him to do, he'll do it, just to keep her off his back about me."
"We can see that, Nora," Anne confessed, an uneasy look on her face, "While you were away, rumors about his plans to announce a secret marriage between you both began to spread uncontrollably. It all started with Lizbeth."
Nora sighed in defeat, feeling stupid about not warning her daughter beforehand about doing such a thing.