LOVE AND WAR
— 43. Lifeless
1483
It was morning time. Edward was laying in his chambers asleep when Nora entered. She snuck over to his bed before climbing in, a smile on her face.
She stared down at him lovingly, lightly tracing her fingertips along his stomach and chest. She lifted her hand to his cheek, affectionately stroking it as she hoped for him to finally wake up.
She playfully rolled her eyes, deciding to trail downwards instead. She trailed her hand down, below the sheets. And just as she gripped onto him, Edward had jolted awake. Seeing as though he didn't sleep in Nora's bed on that night as he usually did, he had no clue who it was in his bed at that moment.
He grabbed ahold of the person's neck, not knowing it was Nora. Nora smiled in amusement, not bothered by his grip on her. She had a grip on him as well, after all.
Edward relaxed when he saw that it was her. He loosened his grip on her neck but his hand remained there.
"Good morning to you, too, my love," She whispered to him softly, continuing to stroke him underneath the sheets.
Edward groaned in pleasure, but forced himself to keep quiet as she tilted Nora's head to the side, giving her access to the crook of her neck. He began to kiss her neck and then down her shoulder.
Nora titled her head back, her eyes closing as she moaned quietly at his touch.
Edward slowly pulled away, staring into her eyes with such love and admiration. Nora smiled at him, loving that even after twenty-one years of being with each other, Edward somehow still looked at her with the same loving look he did when they first met. Perhaps even more so.
For years now, many women had come into Edward's bed but only one remained at his side through it all. Nora. He loved her more than life itself and he would kill anyone who tried to harm her.
She was what mattered most to him. Perhaps even more than the crown.
Edward affectionately stroked her cheek before he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers.
An hour later, naked, Nora laid on her stomach in Edward's bed, reading the poem written on the piece of paper she held in her hand. Edward laid on his back, his head rested on Nora's lower back as he listened to her read it aloud.
"And you wrote this?" Edward questioned, lifting his head slightly to give her an impressed look.
"What with all these years of peace England has had, I've had no secret plans to make up. Because of that, I've taken up poetry. It isn't that hard, actually," She explained and Edward smiled in amusement.
"That is because you already have a way with words as it is, love," Edward confessed, continuing to smile at her, "It's a wonderful piece of work. And I'm not just saying that because I love you."
Nora quietly chuckled, finding amusement in what he had said.
Edward turned on his side, pressing a kiss to Nora's back. He rolled onto his stomach, leaning forward to kiss her on the lips.
Nora turned on her back, laughing as they kissed each other passionately once more.
___
In the courtyard, Arthur, who was now twenty-one, sparred with Thomas, who was now eighteen. Arthur swung at his younger brother numerous times and Thomas tried his best to dodge him, but it was clear Arthur was much better than him when it came to a sword. He always had been.
As their swords became deadlocked, Arthur lifted his foot and kicked Thomas in the stomach. Thomas fell backward, heading straight to the ground.
Lizbeth laughed as she watched, clapping her hands together. Thomas forced himself into a sitting position. He turned to look at Lizbeth, shooting her a glare.
"Well done, Arthur!" Edward praised his son as he walked over to him, clasping him on the shoulder.
Thomas rolled his eyes as he stood up, walking away to join their twelve-year-old brother George in practicing archery.
Edward smiled as he glanced around at all of his children. Grace, now sixteen, stood with the twins, who were now seven. He was proud of all of them, to say the least. Each of them was bound to make a difference in the world and he wasn't just saying that because they were his children. He knew it would happen.
Edward's smile became even wider as Nora walked over. He greeted her with a kiss before wrapping an arm around her. "My love," He greeted her and Nora smiled back at him.
"I heard about you giving Arthur's title as Earl of Richmond back to Henry Tudor and that you plan to allow him back to England," Nora informed Edward, but didn't seem angry with him, "Is this your way of saying he and our daughter may marry?"
Edward nodded, letting out a large sigh. "She's persistent, our daughter," He commented, causing them both to laugh, "A lot like her mother in that aspect."
Nora continued to smile, playfully rolling her eyes at his comment. It was true, though. There was a part of Nora and Edward in each of their children, which they were happy about. It would surely help them in the long run if their parents were to perish. If only they knew.
____
That night, instead of having dinner with his wife and his children with her, he had with Nora and their children. He had been doing it a lot lately and Nora felt as though she hadn't seen Edward spend one on one time with Elizabeth since their youngest daughter was born.
Edward sat at the foot of the table with Nora sitting to his right while Lizbeth sat to his left.
Arthur was telling some story of what happened during the time he spent in France with Thomas while Lizbeth was making snide remarks because she didn't get to go. Arthur had snapped back, claiming that she didn't get to go because they knew she'd flee to Brittany to go see Henry, whom she was still writing letters to.
The group began to laugh at the remark, all but Nora, who felt uneasy and Lizbeth, who rolled her eyes.
After a brief moment of waiting, the servants entered, carrying Edward's prized "catch", something he had killed while hunting that same day. His children smiled, clapping as a way to praise their father.
"Ah, my prized catch," Edward stated, a large grin on his face as the servants placed the large plate in the center of the table.
Thomas smiled in amusement, turning to look at his father. "From your boasts, Father, I expected a bigger catch," He commented, earning an annoyed look from Edward while George quietly chuckled, "Not this."
"Thomas will now only be given a small portion for that rude remark," Edward commented jokingly, causing Thomas to give him a look of disbelief while Nora tried her hardest to contain her amused grin.
"Perhaps I'll shall have yours, then, Father, since you've clearly had enough as of late," Thomas commented, giving his father a pointed look.
"I am merely eating like a king, Thomas," Edward pointed out, turning to Nora with a questioning look, "Shall we dine alone tonight, my love, and the little leeches to dine with the peasantry?"
"Perhaps we should," Nora played along with Edward's joking comment, both of them smiling.
Lizbeth loudly gasped, turning to face Arthur with an incredulous look. "Leeches?!" She exclaimed loudly, "Father called us leeches, Arthur!"
"Actually, Lizbeth, I think he was saying that to Thomas," Arthur pointed out to Lizbeth, who rolled her eyes.
"Yes, not everything's about you, Lizbeth," Katherine snapped at her eldest sister out of nowhere, earning a threatening look from Lizbeth, "Shocking, I know."
"Have as much you like, Father," Grace spoke up, smiling innocently at her father, "You've earned the right to enjoy yourself."
"More wine, father?" George questioned, smiling as well.
Lizbeth and Thomas exchanged a look, both of them rolling their eyes at Grace and George's innocence.
"Thank you, Grace, George..." Edward trailed off jokingly, "All my wonderful children. And Nora, the woman I love." He finished as he turned to Nora, grabbing her hands before he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, "May we have many years more filled with wonderful dinners like this one."
As Edward grabbed her hand and kissed it, Nora's smiled faded, feeling how warm his face was. "Are you alright, Edward?" She asked in concern, letting go of his hand to place the back of her own against his forehead, "You're quite warm."
"It's nothing," Edward lied, not wanting to worry her, but it was clear she was still hesitant to believe her, "Truly."
Edward grabbed her hands, holding them in his own as he kissed her on the lips.
___
That night, Edward and Nora had lain with each other, but Nora still felt as though something was wrong. Still, Edward assured her that everything was fine.
That following morning, however, Nora was in the middle of putting her clothes on when Edward jolted out of bed. He rushed over to his empty chamberpot, beginning to throw up.
Nora wasted no time rushing over to him, giving him a glass of water that had been set on the table. "Here, drink," She insisted and Edward wasted no time beginning to gulp it down, "My love, what pains you?"
Edward suddenly fell against the table, knocking over numerous chest pieces. Instead of gripping onto the table, he grabbed ahold of Nora, using her for support to stop himself from falling to the ground.
He laughed, trying to hide his pain as he stared up at her from his bent position. "My darling Nora..." He trailed off, a smile on his face, "Shall we return to bed?"
Nora smiled and playfully rolled her eyes at him. "I think you should save your strength. You're in too poor a condition to lay with me the morning," She responded and they both began to laugh as Nora led him toward the bed.
Just then, Edward suddenly groaned in pain and collapsed to the ground, nearly taking Nora with him.
"Edward!" She gasped in horror as she quickly knelt beside him on the ground. Edward tightly gripped onto her shift, continuing to groan in pain as he began to cough up blood.
Nora's eyes widened, immediately turning to scream for help, "Help! Help! The King! The King!"
Edward continued to groan as he coughed up blood. She lifted up his head, placing it in her lap as they waited for the guards.
"You're going to alright, Edward. You will be alright," Nora whispered to him softly, cupping his face in her hands as his head rested in her lap.
"I won't," Edward managed to get out as he continued to groan in pain.
"Don't talk like that, Edward," She demanded in a stern tone, "Of course, you will be alright. You are a born warrior. You're far too strong to be taken from this earth like this."
"You and I..." He trailed off, taking a moment to groan in agony once more before forcing a weak smile onto his face, "We...We were meant to be happy together. And we were. For twenty-one years. But now, my time is done. Yours is not."
"Edward..." Nora began to say, tears forming in her eyes.
However, before she could finish, the guards and the physician arrived, assisting their king in returning to bed while Nora was forced to stand to the side.
___
Just moments later, Nora sat at Edward's bedside, running a wet cloth over his forehead as she tried to bring down the fever while numerous others stood around his bed. "It's a fever, my love," Nora whispered to Edward in an assuring tone, "It will pass. I know it. They always do."
"Not always," Edward spoke up softly, watching as Nora nearly broke down at that moment.
She was trying to remain hopeful, but Edward wasn't helping in the slightest. She refused to believe that he was going to die, but Edward knew. He knew he was going to die.
"My brother Richard...you must send for him. I must speak with him. If he knows of my condition, he'll know what I need him to do," Edward demanded and Nora immediately gave him a concerned look, having the feeling she knew what he was planning to do, "Do as I ask, Nora. Please."
Nora solemnly nodded and stood up. She didn't want to leave Edward's side, but she knew she had to.
She turned, only to freeze when she saw her children watching from the doorway.
Arthur was the only one to enter the room and Nora immediately made her way over to him. "Mother, what is the cause of this?" He asked in a concerned tone. He glanced over at his father before back at his mother, who looked as though she was trying her hardest not to break down right then and there.
"Nobody knows. He has a fever, though. All we can do is wait for it to break," Nora explained to him softly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "You...You must send word to your Uncle Richard and the rest of the Privy Councilors."
"Shouldn't he have called for his wife, the queen, by now?" Arthur found himself asking, a deeply confused look on his face.
Nora felt anxious as she shook his head. "I have the feeling by the time Richard arrives, Elizabeth and her children will no longer be royalty," She informed Arthur, who tensed up since he realized what she was getting at at that moment.
He nodded and left the room, walking past Thomas, Lizbeth, and George, who stood in the doorway, blocking their younger siblings' view of their father.
Margaret and Lord Stanley were walking down the hallway as Arthur left the king's chambers. They spoke of the matter at hand and Margaret couldn't help but feel relieved.
"This is your divine act!" Lord Stanley snapped at Margaret in a hushed tone.
"I'm sure the Queen will fish out some potion to restore his..." Margaret suddenly trailed off as they stopped in front of Edward's chambers.
Their eyes widened when they saw Nora in there with her children, Elizabeth nowhere in sight.
Margaret tensed up, almost immediately realizing what was about to happen. "It seems we have a problem," She informed her husband, beginning to feel uneasy.
Inside the room, Lizbeth tried her hardest not to cry as she sat at her father's bedside, holding his hand. Thomas stood nearby with George, who was crying. Grace stood to her father's left, Katherine and Edmund standing in silence next to her.
Nora stood at the foot of Edward's bed, trying to keep herself contained.
Just then, Cecily walked in, using her cane to assist herself in climbing up the small step to Edward's bed to stand beside Nora.
Nora grabbed Cecily's arm, helping her remain standing as she stared down at Edward. She began to cry, her heartbreaking at the thought of losing another one of her sons.
Outside the room, Lord Stanley leaned closer to Margaret, who began to whisper. "If the king should die..."
"We should wait until we know which boy is to become king. Edward's son with Elizabeth or his son with Nora," Lord Stanley informed Margaret, who felt uneasy.
Down the hall, Arthur walked in with Richard, Anne, Buckingham, and Brackenbury. They stopped when they found Elizabeth looking disappointed. She looked unhappy, but Arthur and Richard already knew why.
They uneasily bowed to Elizabeth, who moved closer to them. She sent them a small glare before walking away with her son Richard.
"You saw the look she cut us. It could only mean one thing," Anne informed her husband in a hushed tone, "Edward has done it."
Richard remained silent, slowly nodding his head as Cecily walked over. Richard bowed to his mother, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
"Her fortunes and titles fade with the King. She's like a wounded beast defending her lair and you're a threat," She explained to her son before turning toward Arthur, placing a hand on the side of his face, "Especially you, my dear Arthur. You're the biggest threat of them all now. Be wary and careful. Always."
Arthur slowly nodded, exchanging an uneasy look with Richard as Cecily walked away.
____
In his chambers, Edward continued to lay in bed, coughing violently as the fever became worse.
Nora continued to sit at his bedside, tending to him, "It is the fate of kings, that we never get to see what kind of ruler our sons will be. I will never get to know what kind of king my wonderful son, my firstborn, will become," Edward explained, smiling sadly as he turned to look at Arthur, who stood beside Richard, "And my son Arthur shall be that king."
Nora tensed up while the privy councilors whispered amongst themselves, some of them shocked, some of them already expecting it.
"The rumors are true. Nora and I married on January 5th, 1462, two years before I married Lady Elizabeth Grey, making my marriage to the latter invalid and all our children bastards. The children I had with Nora of Lancaster, my legal and only true wife, are the rightful heirs to the throne. If there must be proof, I have the document from our secret marriage in the drawer of my desk over there."
He weakly pointed to his desk, causing Nora's eyes to widen in shock. "You kept it? Even after all these years?" She asked softly and Edward weakly nodded.
Edward smiled up at Nora. "Of course I did," He replied before glancing around at the rest of the people in the room, "I beg you, Nora, Richard...be as one now. Care for Prince Arthur. Keep him safe. I trust my wife and my brother Richard to shape him into a great king but they will still need help...to put my son on his rightful throne," He explained, turning to look toward Richard, "I ask of you, my brother, to join Nora to be my son's co-regents for the next two years. He may be of age, but there are still matters he must learn before becoming the sole ruler of this country," He paused once more, looking back at Edward, "Do you accept this, my love?"
Nora remained silent, trying to hold back her tears as she nodded her head in response.
"Now leave us," Edward ordered the other subjects in the room, "I want to say goodbye to my wife."
Edward exchanged a look with Richard, gesturing for him to convince the others to obey. "Look upon your king one last time and remember him in your prayers," Richard spoke up and with that, everyone left, leaving Edward with Nora, Richard, and Arthur.
Cecily loudly sobbed as she left, but Nora tried to block it out, knowing it made it even harder for her to maintain composure.
Richard walked to stand beside Edward, grabbing ahold of his hand. "I will honor your wish," He promised and Edward nodded, "I knew the day would come, where you would finally speak the truth and I am glad. I promise you, together, Nora and I will make your son a great king."
Richard pulled away, bowing to his brother before leaving. Edward slowly turned to Arthur, who was trying his hardest not to cry.
"Don't be sad, my son," Edward whispered to him softly as he grabbed ahold of his eldest son's hand, "You shall be king now and I already know that you'll be a good one. A better one that I was," He paused, letting out a small sigh, "You are my firstborn, Arthur. You had a place in my heart none of my children could have. I remember when you were a child, I used to bring you everywhere with me, no matter where it was. You'd sit on my lap during privy council meetings and during feasts. You are a man now and you must do what a man must. Protect your family. Protect your brothers and sister. Protect House York and defend it from our enemies. Promise me."
"I promise. I will do right by our name. No matter what," Arthur told his father softly and with that, he left the room, leaving Edward with Nora.
Once they were gone, Edward turned to Nora, whose back faced him. He knew she was upset about what he had done. The truth was though, she couldn't bear to face him because she knew it was their last moments together and that was what pained her most of all.
She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
"I know this does not please you," Edward spoke up softly and Nora slowly turned to face him, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"You told me you understood me when I said I didn't want my son to be king and yet, you did it anyway," Nora explained as she moved closer to Edward, an angry look on her face.
She would much rather feel angry at that moment than show her true emotions.
"I did it for peace, Nora. I did it because it was the right thing to do. The warring houses are now joined in perpetuity, which is what we've always wanted," Edward informed her in a calm tone.
"I know, Edward..." Nora trailed off in an uneasy tone.
"Then please don't make me waste my last words on arguing with you about our son becoming king," Edward weakly snapped at her and Nora nodded uneasily.
"Then we won't," Nora whispered, trying to contain her tears as she climbed into bed next to Edward.
She grabbed ahold of his hand, holding it in her own as she looked down at him. She kissed his forehead before pulling him closer to her.
"Please make sure our children are well cared for. Katherine and Edmund are still young. Make sure they always remember how much I loved them because I did. I loved them more than anything in the world, despite not spending as much time with them as I did with the others. And promise me you'll help put our son on the throne. He is the rightful king of England, no matter what they say. Arthur still has much to learn, despite being of age. For the next two years, I want him trained daily on how to be a proper king. Until then, I want you and Richard to rule as co-regents. Promise me."
"Please, Edward," Nora pleaded, not being able to think about her son being king because it would mean Edward was dead, "Don't leave me. Not like this. I beg of you."
"Please..." Edward trailed off, tears in his own eyes, "Nora, promise me."
"I will," Nora managed to get out as she solemnly nodded her head, "I promise."
"You made me realize there was more to life than being King of England. I thank you for that, for being at my side through it all. You've brought me such happiness. You've given me seven wonderful children as well, children who will prosper in life with their strong and determined mother at their side," Edward explained and Nora continued to try her hardest to hold back her tears.
"What will I do without you?" Nora asked in a soft tone as she stared down at him.
Edward weakly lifted his hand, placing it on the side of her face. She leaned forward, her forehead pressing against his. "Live a while longer," He whispered to her softly, using all the strength he had to smile at her, "Live a while longer, Nora. Try to be happy without me."
"I can't. I won't," Nora argued, tears finally beginning to spill down her pale cheeks, "Life will never be the same without you by my side, Edward. You are not just the man I love, you are my best friend, my home, my everything."
"As you are mine. I know to the whole of England you weren't, but you were my queen. You are the love of my life, Nora. You always have been," Edward explained and Nora began to cry, placing her head on Edward's chest.
"You are mine," She replied, trying not to break down in front of him.
"Thank you, my dearest Nora, for being at my side through it all, for allowing me to trust you and rely on you no matter what. Never once did you let me down and I thank you for that. I couldn't have imagined being King of England without you by my side. We went through hell together, but no matter what, we remained at each other's side. We always found our way back to each other. Thank you for never turning your back on me as so many others did. I love you more than anything in the world. I always have. And if there is a life after this, I shall love you then as well. You must know that."
"I do. I do know that and I will always love you, too, no matter what," Nora promised Edward, grabbing ahold of his hand before kissing it, "I thought my life was over after my father died. I thought the whole of England would be ruined under York rule, but then I met you and I knew everything would be fine. I fell in love with you almost instantly, even if I didn't show it at first. And since then, I found myself loving you more and more as each day passed. Growing up, I thought I'd live an unhappy life with a husband that didn't love me, but you did the exact opposite of that, Edward. You gave me everything I could have imagined and more. You are the father of my children and as the years pass where I'm forced to be parted from you, at least I'll get to see you in them every day. You are the only one for me and you will always be the only one for me. I shall never love again. You are the love of my life and I thank you for all you have given me. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to spend my life with."
Nora began to frown when she didn't get an answer, only to find that as her head was rested on his chest, she no longer felt in beating. "Edward?" She called out, only to get no answer. She lifted her head, immediately seeing that his eyes were now closed and he was no longer moving.
"Edward, please," Nora cried out, shaking her head frantically, "Not like this. Not like this. Twenty years is not enough. We deserve more. Edward, please..." She trailed off, cupping his lifeless face in her hands, "I can't lose you. I need you. Please don't leave me alone in this world. I cannot face it without you. Please," She pleaded, her voice cracking, "Not like this, Edward, no..."
Nora began to sob even louder as she stared down at his lifeless body, beginning to come to terms with the fact that he was gone, the man she loved more than anything in the world was now taken from her.
Nora's hands trembled as she continued to cup his face in her hands. She leaned her head against his, holding him close and she found herself let out a loud, pain-filled scream, one that could be heard all throughout the castle and when they heard it, their hearts broke as well.
Nora didn't just lose her lover, she lost apart of herself. A part of herself that died that night along with Edward.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I've been dreading this moment where I had to write this chapter 😭😭
Don't worry, we'll probably have flashbacks here and there of them together cuz they're endgame no matter what. Edward is clearly the only one TRULY for Nora, no one else.
I still have to write for the last two episodes of the white queen and then there will a second book for the white princess!