LOVE AND WAR
— 58. Treason
Just before first light, Nora woke up, knowing she'd have to leave since Richard and the rest of the men would be due to leave for battle.
She turned around to face Richard as she laid next to him. She smiled softly, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek before she sat up from the bed.
She was quick to get dressed while Richard remained asleep.
As she was placing her shoes on, Nora began to hear Richard stir in her sleep. She turned, watching as his eyes slowly opened.
His eyes immediately locked on Nora and he smiled. "Leaving so soon?" He jokingly asked and Nora smiled back at him.
"As I recall, you have a battle to fight in," She replied in a joking tone before she let out a sigh, "I have to return to Katherine and Elizabeth's girls anyway. And I must see my sons before I go."
Richard sat up, nodding his head in understanding. Nora moved closer to Richard and took a seat beside him. She sighed, an uneasy look on her face.
"You've spent most of your life fighting in battles and you've survived each of them. Don't let this one cost me you, Richard," She whispered softly and Richard nodded, "I can't bear to lose anyone else."
Richard smiled, cupping her face in his hands. "You won't lose me," He assured her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
"I pray that you are right," She admitted in a whisper, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
She stood up, taking one last look at Richard. She smiled at him sadly, just before walking out of the tent.
She found herself traveling to Thomas' tent, seeing as though Arthur wouldn't want to see her. However, as if on cue, Nora froze, her eyes locking on Arthur.
Arthur's eyes widened, shocked to see Nora. "Mother!" He exclaimed and Nora wasted no time walking toward him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion, only to have his eyes wander to his uncle's tent, "Oh..."
"I came for you and your brother, too, you know," Nora assured him as she grabbed his hand and smiled softly, "I couldn't bear leaving without saying goodbye."
"I was fine the entire day, but now that it is here, I'm worried," Arthur confessed, an uneasy look on his face, "I wonder if I'm strong enough to win because winning means I must kill Henry Tudor and I don't know if I have the guts to do such a thing to a man who was once like family to me."
"Listen to me, you must stay strong," Nora whispered to her son, placing her hands on his shoulders, "You have to stay strong."
"I can't say strong," Arthur admitted as he shook his head, a hopeless look on his face, "I never was strong."
"You are strong," Nora argued in a stern tone, "You are the firstborn son of Edward IV and the King of England. You are the future of our house."
Arthur remained silent, looking down at the ground in shame.
She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Stand at the head of our armies, Arthur, where you belong. It has always been where your father wanted you to be. You must show these men who dare defy us what we York are made of and what we do to those who stand against us."
"But most of all, just come back to me, my son," Nora cried out, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, "Live through this battle. Don't let Henry Tudor cost me you or your brother."
Arthur nodded, a solemn look on his face as he wasted no time hugging his mother.
_____
In one of the many tents, Arthur and Thomas stood side by side as their squires assisted them in putting their armor on.
Brackenbury panted as he entered the tent, wasting no time with pouring himself a mug of wine. He turned to his king and his prince, a smile on his face. "They're even more of a shambles in the dawn light," He commented and Thomas found himself smiling slightly in amusement.
"Any word from Stanley?" Lizbeth suddenly asked, causing the group to turn to see her entering alongside Richard, who was already in his armor.
"He says he's on his way--" Brackenbury began to say, only to stop when he heard Thomas loudly scoff.
"I doubt it," He commented, earning an amused look from Brackenbury since they both knew him to be accurate in his remark.
"In all honesty, we don't even need them," Richard added in, causing the whole group to smile in satisfaction, even Lizbeth, "We still vastly outnumber Tudor and his army."
Moments later, Lizbeth stood off to the side as she watched Arthur, Richard, Thomas, and Brackenbury climb onto their horses, causing her to feel uneasy.
Each man around him bowed as Arthur climbed onto his horse, but he paid no mind to it. His squire handed him his helmet, which had his crown placed on top of it.
Richard's eyes widened at the sight, thinking back to how Edward used to do the same exact thing.
"You're riding into battle with your crown?" Brackenbury questioned, feeling uneasy about the decision.
"I am my father's son, after all," Arthur boasted, forcing a smile upon his lips, "If Tudor wants to take me on, then he won't have to search for me."
Brackenbury nodded, exchanging a look with Richard and Thomas. With that, they followed their king as he rode in the direction of the battlefield.
Lizbeth watched on, a worried look on her face. She had prayed to God nearly the entire night for Him to let her brothers win but she feared what would happen if he did not.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lizbeth turned to walk back toward her tent. Lord Strange, who was still a hostage, ended up accidentally bumping into Lizbeth.
As their arms collided, Lord Strange winced in pain. Lizbeth turned to him, smiling in amusement. "My brother did a number on you, didn't he?" She taunted him in a joking manner.
He nervously laughed but didn't answer, which made Lizbeth feel uneasy. She knew something was up but instead of questioning him, she continued to walk on.
Once Lizbeth was out of sight, Lord Strange tightly clutched his arm, the pain there being unbearable ever since George, Lizbeth's brother, had stabbed him there several months before.
____
Arthur rode on his horse, leading his men toward the battle, where the mist made it easier not to be seen.
He came to a stop, finding himself side by side with Thomas. They turned to each other, exchanging a nod.
The two sons of York.
"Give the word," Arthur demanded in a stern tone and Brackenbury nodded.
He raised his left arm, wasting no time balling his hand into a tight fist.
"To arms!" A man from the Tudor side shouted from a distance and Arthur could've sworn the man sounded like Jasper Tudor. It most likely was.
"Charge!" They then heard the Lancastrian men shout and together, Thomas and Arthur rode side by side into the battle, their swords raised.
Brackenbury and Richard followed close behind them, the rest of the cavalry behind them as well.
Reaching the men, both York brothers wasted no time swinging their swords, knocking men down left and right.
Just as he stabbed his sixth man, one of the men grabbed Thomas from behind, pulling him off his horse.
However, Thomas ended up gaining the upper hand and dragged that same man along with him as he fell to the ground.
Thomas raised his sword, stabbing the man in the chest before he began to slash at any other man that came his way.
At the battle camps, Lizbeth stood with the guards that remained with her and Lord Strange.
"You do know my father will decide this battle," Lord Strange spoke to the men near him in a calm tone, "If you let--"
Before he could finish bribing the man, Lord Strange stopped, feeling the tip of a knife pressing into his back.
He turned his head slightly, finding it to be Lizbeth doing such a thing to him.
"Your charm won't work here, Lord Strange. But if you dare try it again, I will have your tongue cut out," She threatened him in a stern tone, "Just remember, if your father does pick Tudor's side and my brothers die, I am still here to carry out your execution. Do you understand?"
Lord Strange felt uneasy. He immediately nodded his head and nervously gulped.
The guards around him chuckled, quietly laughing in amusement due to how afraid Lord Strange seemed of Lizbeth.
She was like her father in that aspect. She could be nice and kind to many people, but when someone proved themselves to be foes, she showed no mercy toward them.
On the battlefield, Thomas hovered over a man, punching him repeatedly in the face with blood spilling from his mouth.
A few feet away from him, Arthur found himself surrounded by men trying to rip him off his horse. Thomas, Richard, and Brackenbury had all been knocked off their horses by then, leaving him as one of the last men on horseback left. He killed most of the men trying to pull him off, but there was still the men he couldn't reach that was behind him.
After finally killing the next man who came toward him, Thomas stood back up. He removed his helmet, using it to knock yet another man out.
Thomas continued to slash men with his sword, killing dozens of men while Arthur struggled to remain on his horse.
He had to stay on his horse. If he was knocked off, the men would take it as a sign of weakness and the Yorks would have a great chance of losing, despite the Lancastrians being outnumbered.
It only took one mistake from either side to convince Lord Stanley which side he would choose to fight on in the battle.
Arthur needed it to be House York.
Just then, Arthur was snapped out of his thoughts as his sword slipped from his hand when a man tugged on it.
The other men began to grab ahold of the horse until they finally knocked the creature down, Arthur along with it.
Arthur groaned, but was quick to stand back up. However, before he could do so, men were quick to take notice of what had happened to him, much to his dismay.
"The King is down! The King is down!" Men began to shout, which made him feel uneasy.
He quickly grabbed ahold of his sword and whipped himself around. He slashed the man who was coming toward him across the back.
Soon enough, he found himself fighting others, only to feel uneasy when he heard Stanley's cavalry riding toward the battle.
And he had the feeling they weren't planning to fight for him.
"York!" He roared out loudly and both Richard and Thomas were quick to join in, "York, to me!"
"For England!" Thomas shouted loudly as well, he and Richard quick to make their way over to their king.
Arthur bent down, quickly picking his helmet up off the ground. He placed it back on his head, the crown still intact.
Arthur, Richard, and Thomas raised their swords, blood covering them as they were quick to defend themselves and the Royal House of York.
Richard ended up knocking a man to the ground and began to punch him repeatedly in the face, his hands becoming covered in blood.
Arthur's swords clashed with another's and as their blades deadlocked, he lifted his foot and kicked the man in the stomach. The man fell backward and Arthur lifted his sword, stabbing him in the chest as he fell into a kneel. He yelled out as he did so, a vicious look appearing on his face when he spotted Stanley's cavalry approaching.
"For Tudor! For Tudor!" Stanley shouted, much to Arthur's fury.
Arthur and Thomas turned to each other, exchanging an uneasy look.
"Treason!" Richard bellowed, a furious look on his face.
"For Tudor!" The other Lancastrian men shouted out, including Jasper Tudor.
"Get the king a horse!" Richard yelled in a loud tone, "Now!"
Arthur found himself surrounded by five men, but he wasted no time defending himself. The men were stunned by how well he did so, despite being greatly outnumbered.
Thomas found his way through the men, rushing to make it to his brother, who was visibly struggling.
He reached them and from the back, he stabbed two of them, making it easier for his elder brother to stab the other two that he hadn't already.
Thomas turned his head, his eyes widening when he noticed his uncle Richard struggling with fighting off the men attacking him. He did well, though, but before he could react, a man had stabbed him from the back.
"No!" Arthur screamed out, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he and Arthur witnessed the sight.
It was the same way they were told by their mother that her father had been killed.
They watched their uncle fall the ground, dying. They turned to each other, vengeful looks on their faces. They nodded at one another, finding themselves standing back to back as they fought off any man who dared to come against the two sons of York.
As he took his last breath, the last thing Richard saw was the two brothers standing back to back, wearing fearless looks as they fought the men off, despite being greatly outnumbered.
All he could think was, their father would be proud.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
One chapter left and I'll probably post it today 🤷🏻♀️