ROYAL BLOOD
— 21. Loyalty
It was morning time. At Bermondsey Abbey, Lizzie spent the only hour she was allowed to outside. Near the orchard, an apple was suddenly thrown down, causing her to frown.
She looked up, only to see a young boy sitting in a tree, throwing apples.
He gestured for her to take the apple he just threw down and Lizzie was hesitant at first, just before she finally obeyed.
She picked up the apple. She looked down at it, seeing that the middle of the apple had been carved out, yet placed back in. She brought the apple to her lips. She used her teeth to grab ahold of the stem before she yanked it.
She removed the middle part of the apple, finding there to be a small rolled up message inside. She glanced around, making sure the monks weren't watching before she took the message out of the apple and began to read it.
My dear Lizzie,
I have heard of what they've done to you and you needn't worry. My daughter might have turned her back on you, but I will not. I ask you to come join me in Burgundy if that is what you please.
Your sisters might have given up on vengeance, but I know you have not. I know you want to make them pay for they did to Arthur and I promise you, if you join me, we shall make them pay together. What they have done to wrong our family will not go unpunished. I shall send you another letter soon of the plan I have to get you out of there.
Sincerely
Nora
Lizzie smiled with satisfaction as she read over the letter, happy that she wasn't being abandoned as she once thought.
____
In the throne room, Lizbeth stood alone, holding her sleeping son in her arms. She looked down, smiling at the sight of him.
Once she heard footsteps, however, Lizbeth turned her heard, seeing that Margaret had entered. She had a smile on her face as she walked around Lizbeth until she finally stopped in front of her.
"There's very little York about him," Margaret commented as she looked down at little Arthur.
"I beg to differ," Lizbeth retorted, causing Margaret's satisfied smile to fade, "He has my mother's eyes and my father's wide feet."
Margaret looked directly at Lizbeth, trying to contain her disdain. "I'm glad we can be friends at last."
Lizbeth let out a loud laugh, raising her head to look Margaret in the eyes. "You must be mad if you think I would ever be friends with you after you framed my sister, my only friend, the same way you did my mother after killing my brothers and my sister."
"Now that you have Arthur, you are joined with us, Lizbeth. I hope you understand that. Any threat against Henry is a threat against our boy as well," Margaret reminded Lizbeth, who tensed up in fear since she knew the woman, for once, had a point, "And I can see how much you care for him. And beginning tomorrow, you will have your first outing as Queen of England."
Lizbeth stared at Margaret, trying to hide her uneasiness while Margaret smiled with satisfaction.
_____
The next day, Lizbeth felt uneasy as she sat upon her throne for the first time, Henry sitting on the throne beside her.
"You are officially the Queen of England now," He spoke up, smiling as he turned to gaze at her, "How does it feel?"
"I feel awful," Lizbeth confessed in a whisper, "Like I've aged a thousand years."
"I feel that as well, in all honesty," Henry commented, causing them both to laugh.
The crown felt heavy upon her head and for her, it didn't feel right. However, she knew she'd have to deal it, despite how many people had to die for her to be Henry's queen and for him to be king.
The duo turned their heads, beginning to smile as their son was brought over to them by the midwife.
"I wonder if he'll feel the same," Henry commented as baby Arthur was placed in his mother's arms, "if he does, indeed, succeed me to the throne. My enemies may see to it that he does not."
"Don't say it. Don't you ever say it," Lizbeth demanded in a stern tone, "Please, Henry."
Henry stared at Lizbeth closely, becoming concerned when he saw the tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Have I offended you?" He asked in concern as he placed a hand on her arm.
"I'm fine. It's nothing," She admitted softly as she shook her head.
Henry watched her closely a part of him feeling concerned.
_____
In Burgundy, Lord Strange found himself consumed with annoyance as he lost for what felt like the thousandth time against Katherine.
"Aw, you poor thing," Katherine mocked the man as she walked toward him and clasped her hands together, "Are you okay? You look quite sad? Would you like a tissue? You must feel like crying after losing yet another game against a young girl like myself."
"I am your guest. Of course I'd let you win," Lord Strange retorted and Katherine smirked evilly.
"So you're telling me you lost twenty different games on purpose, Lord Strange?" Katherine taunted the man, "I dare say you're only saying that to hide your shame."
"Then perhaps we should play a game that I could win," Lord Strange suggested as he walked toward the arrogant girl, "A race on horseback."
"Hmm. Perhaps you will finally win at something," Katherine remarked, continuing to smirk at him.
"And why is that? Perhaps you've exhausted yourself far too by all the winning," Lord Strange retorted and just as he expected, Katherine was quick to take the challenge.
"You're just afraid of losing, Lord Strange," She argued, pointing at one of the trees, "I can ride one race. I'm sure of it. We shall go to the far tree and come back. Is that good for you?"
Lord Strange smiled, turning to face the girl as he nodded his head.
"Perfect. Let's go," She insisted, just before beginning to walk in the direction of the horses.
"I assume she is an expert rider," Jasper commented as she stood with Nora, drinking the wine they had just been served.
"Never beaten. Just like her brother Thomas. She admired him greatly. He gave her her first sword before leaving for battle. She takes it everywhere now," Nora explained, a proud smile on her face, "Come, let's leave them to their petty rivalry. We already know my daughter will be the victor. She never loses. Shall we walk again?"
Jasper smiled, wasting no time nodding her head. The two of them exchanged a look, just before beginning to walk through the fields together.
"Tell me, Jasper, what would you have done with all those dreadful years if you hadn't been at war or forced to be in exile?" She asked, a large smile on her face.
"Who knows? It's another life," He confessed, letting out a small sigh in defeat.
"From the look on your face, it is obvious that you have regrets," She realized as she looked up at him, "A part of me says you would have liked to marry."
"Hmm. Perhaps," He responded, his lips curling upwards, "But the woman I loved had been spoken for by another. The king of England, actually."
Nora playfully rolled her eyes and smiled at Jasper, knowing he was talking about her.
"But if it isn't obvious, it didn't seem to be God's plan for me," Jasper commented and Nora smiled.
"Of course there are whore-houses, but what you should have had was a true companion, someone you could have trusted and grown with," She explained, saying it all on purpose.
As she continued to walk forward, Jasper had stopped and Nora knew exactly why, but she decided to play dumb again.
"There is someone I loved..." he trailed off, causing Nora to slowly turn to face him with a smile on her face, "But it wasn't meant to be."
Nora continued to smile. She took a deep breath as she stared at him, beginning to walk toward the Tudor man. "You surprise me, Jasper. It seems you haven't changed as I believed you had."
______
At the Abbey she was forced to stay at, Lizzie was lighting the candles in the room, trying to control the anger and hatred she felt toward the Tudors, Henry and Margaret most of all.
For taking her brothers.
For taking her poor Arthur.
For taking Lizbeth.
For taking everything from her.
She looked up, her eyes widening when the candles she had just lit all blew out and it was her doing.
______
In Burgundy, Katherine rode as fast as she could through the field. She smiled widely, seeing as though it was already obvious that she was going to win against Lord Strange, who was still far behind her.
She laughed loudly, feeling victorious while Lord Strange looked beyond angered.
Where Nora stood with Jasper, she smiled up at him, continuing to work her manipulation on him. "There's still time, you know, to find that companion," she commented and Jasper smiled slightly, knowing what she was getting at, "You are a handsome man. You always have been. There is still life ahead. With our union, it would seem marriages between a York and a Tudor might grow to be a common occurrence."
She stopped when she was standing in front of him, a smile on her face. "You and me, Jasper, just like old times," She whispered to him almost seductively as she began to lean forward to kiss him.
In the fields, Katherine continued to ride as fast as she could, paying no mind to the fact that Lord Strange was beginning to catch up to her.
At the Abbey in London, Lizzie continued to become consumed with rage and hatred, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Damn them..." She trailed off as she looked upwards, "They have Cecily, they've killed my brothers, they took my Arthur from me, and now they take my sister Lizzie too?" She asked, beginning to cry, "Is this your doing? Is this your work?"
"I will not have it," Lizzie demanded in a stern tone, "I refuse."
Lizzie grabbed onto the side of the pillar holding the statue of Virgin Mary carrying baby Jesus. She lightly rocked it, beginning to curse the Tudors as her mother taught her to.
"Damn them...Damn them..." She trailed off, her voice sounding like a low growl, "Damn them all to hell—!"
Lizzie gasped loudly, her eyes widening in horror as watched the statue collapse to the ground and shatter.
In Burgundy, Katherine's horse suddenly tripped, causing her to fall from her horse, groaning in agony as her body hit the ground.
Nora watched the scene occur, her eyes widening in horror. A loud cry escaped her lips and she wasted no time running forward. "Katherine!" She screamed out, Mary, Margaret, Maximilian, Jasper, and the rest of the Burgundian subjects running alongside her and toward the injured princess.
"The Princess!"
Lizzie gasped loudly as she looked down at the fallen statue, noticing the baby part of the statue had been completely split from its mother.
"No..." She trailed off, placing a hand over her mouth as she began to cry, "Oh, Katherine. What did I do?" She cried out, realizing it was all her fault.
She sat in the corner, staring down at the broken statue as she sobbed. "Oh, what have I done?" She asked herself softly, consumed with guilt, "What have I done?"
_____
Maximilian, Mary, and Nora had been the first to arrive at Katherine's injured body, Jasper and Margaret arriving soon after.
"Katherine!" Nora called out worriedly, seeing how her youngest daughter seemed to be unable to move, "Can you move, my love?"
Nora placed a hand on her daughter's back, beginning to cry when she didn't get a response. Her daughter was alive, but she was unable to speak nor move.
"Oh, not you too," She whispered softly, sobbing.
Margaret and Mary knelt beside Nora, beginning to sob as well at the sight of the young girl.
"Help me to carry her inside," Maximilian insisted, looking up at Jasper.
As Jasper helped lift the young girl, he turned his head, noticing Lord Strange from afar. He sat upon his horse, looking unbothered and almost satisfied by what had happened to Katherine.
Later on that night, Nora was standing a few feet in front of her daughter's body, where Margaret, Mary, and Maximilian knelt beside her.
Nora continued to cry and Cecily walked over to her, tears in her own eyes. "They say..." Cecily trailed off, choking back a sob, "They say her back is broken."
Nora choked her tears, looking up at Cecily with a pleading look. "Will she live?" She asked hopefully.
Cecily remained silent and shook her head, unable to form the words. She reached her hand out toward Nora to comfort her, only to have her slap it away.
"What? No," Nora cried out as she stared up at Cecily, looking as though she was about to lose her mind as she was on the verge of losing yet another child, "No, no. It can't be. Not like my Kathy too. She is just a child, Cecily. A child."
Nora began to sob as she rushed to her daughter side, looking down to see the way her daughter stared blankly forward, unable to move or speak.
She grabbed onto her daughter's hand, using her other hand to stroke Katherine's hair. "It's alright, my child. It's alright," She whispered softly, despite knowing it wasn't the truth.
She looked down, watching as Katherine's eyes gradually closed, her chest dropping as she stopped breathing.
"No..." Nora trailed off, her voice cracking at the sight. She had lost five of her children before this, but none of them died in front of her. This was the first and she couldn't bear it. She couldn't bear to let go of Katherine. She was her youngest. Her baby girl. And now, she was gone. She had nothing to do with anything that was going on and now, she was gone.
"Enough. She's gone," Cecily spoke softly as she placed a hand on Nora's shoulder in comfort while Margaret and Mary began to cry.
Nora leaned forward, grabbing ahold of her youngest daughter as she sobbed loudly.
Cecily finally began to cry as well, her heartbreaking as she was forced to not only hear but watch as Nora's heart was shattered into a million pieces.
Cecily had been there when Nora endured Edward's death but that was nothing compared to what was happening now.
Nora was losing her child. Her child. Another child.
Margaret slowly turned her head as she hugged Mary, both of them crying over the girl's death. She locked eyes on Jasper, whose expression was consumed with guilt as he witnessed grieve yet another.
He felt consumed with guilt. He now saw firsthand how Nora felt each time lost a child and two of which were lost because of a battle he took part in.
Henry was right. Nora changed each time she lost a child and in all honest, Katherine was her last child, what with losing Lizbeth to Henry. And she had.
As Nora grieved her youngest daughter, her eldest daughter was choosing Henry. She was choosing him over her mother.
____
At Westminster palace, Henry laid in bed, unable to sleep as he thought of Lizbeth. He contemplated going to visit her, but a part of him believed she wouldn't be happy about that.
Just then, the door closed and he turned his head, watching as Lizbeth placed Arthur in his cradle made of wicker before making her way over to Henry.
Their eyes locked on each other and Lizbeth smiled, a large smile on her face. "I'm ready, Henry," She whispered softly as she took a seat on the bed, "I choose you. No one else. Not my mother, not Lizzie, no one. No one but you. I love you. And I want to be with you in every way. In heart. In soul. In everything. Will you have me?"
Henry smiled as he sat up as well. He nodded, slowly lifting his hand to undo the ties of her nightgown as they both smiled.
He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers as he slipped the nightgown down her body.
Henry slowly laid back down on the ground once Lizbeth was bare, allowing her to climb onto him to straddle him. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist.
He went to lean forward to kiss her, only to stop for a moment to say. "I love you, too."
Lizbeth smiled at his response, just before they kissed once more.
____
In the chapel, Katherine's corpse laid upon the altar as she prepared to have her burial in Burgundy instead of her homeland. She laid lifelessly, her hands grasping her sword, the one given to her brothers just days before his own death.
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead, just before stepping away.
She turned her head, only to lock eyes on Jasper. She started to walk toward him, her eyes red and puffy after crying for so long.
Cecily stood a few feet behind Nora alongside Margaret, the two of them glaring at Jasper hatefully.
Jasper let out a shaky breath, beginning to reach his hand out toward her, "Nora, I am so sorry—"
"You promised me no one else would die, Jasper," She admitted softly as she tried to hold back her tears.
"I am not at fault for this, Nora. I was with you the entire time," He reminded her, a genuine look on her face.
"Lord Strange wasn't. He was the one riding against her. Why do you think he challenged her? You and I both saw the way he looked at us all after she fell. He did it on purpose. She is a young girl, someone who could be used in a marriage alliance to gain men to fight against your king. He killed her twin brother when he was only nine. How can you be surprised he would kill her so easily as well?" She explained, finally beginning to cry again as her chest heaved, "I never planned on marrying her off, Jasper. She is my daughter. She was just a girl. She wasn't supposed to be involved in any of this. That is why I took her with me, so that she wouldn't be another victim to this war like her sisters were. Yet still, it happened."
"If there is anything I can do—" He began to say, a saddened look on her face.
Nora stared at Jasper closely, on the verge of breaking down. "Get out," She demanded, causing Jasper to give her a concerned look, "I don't want you in my sight ever again and if you are, I shall kill you myself."
Jasper remained silent and his lips parted, trying to form the right words to say to her.
"I said, get out!" She roared out as she yelled out, beginning to shove him on his chest.
Jasper stumbled back and stared at Nora in disbelief. She glared at him, a look on her face that could kill.
He sighed in defeat, knowing he'd have no choice but to agree. He solemnly nodded his head, just before finally leaving the room.
As she watched him go, Nora began to sob once more, Cecily quick to comfort her. She walked over to Nora, who sobbed loudly as Cecily held her to her chest.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I'M SORRY 😭😭 I know how many of you loved Katherine but I've been planning this since the beginning and many of you caught on while others didn't.
Many of you fail to realize it was bound to happen.🤷🏻♀️
Elizabeth cursed Nora and her children. She said that none of the children would grow old enough to their OWN children grow up.
For Edmund, Grace, Katherine, it meant not being old enough to have any and for Arthur and Thomas, when they became adults they were forced to be in battle before they could actually attempt to have kids with someone.
And then there's George and Lizbeth...You'll see about that one😂 their fates are met differently. They live WAY longer and sort of a avoid that fate in a way you'll soon see.
Also, with Katherine's death, it might seem like it but it's not. It's not lizzie's death. She believes it is bc she thought she messed up with the cursing since she's not as skilled with her powers as her mother was but actually it was LORD STRANGE'S FAULT.
He did it on purpose and there was a little hint in chapter 19 on who carried out the order 👀
Poor Nora tho 😭 She does do a lot of things, but you gotta be honest, Margaret has had it out for her since the beginning of the first book and Nora hasn't even done something to her to truly deserve it.🤷🏻♀️😭
Margaret has no reason to be the way she is toward her. ESPECIALLY FOR HER TO GO AS FAR AS TO KILL NORA'S KIDS.