ROYAL BLOOD
— 26. Shameless
SEVEN YEARS LATER
In Burgundy, Nora sat outside at a table with Cecily, Margaret, and Lizzie, writing a letter to Lizzie's mother, Elizabeth.
George stood a few feet away from them, being fitted for his new outfit to show off his true York colors.
Little Marie, Mary of Burgundy's youngest daughter, sat on Margaret's lap. It had been two years since Mary's death, which left Maximilian deeply heartbroken. He was so caught up in his grief he was unable to take care of his two-year-old daughter, Marie, who was named after her mother. Sometimes, he couldn't even bear to look at her, given her who she was named after.
Margaret ended up taking the responsibility of taking care of the motherless girl while Maximilian returned to Austria for political reasons.
Nora smiled, glancing over at George before she looked back down at the letter she was writing.
Dear Elizabeth,
I write with news of our success, both here in Burgundy and all of Europe. After a bit of waiting, I've received word from the Doge of Venice, who will publicly declare his support for my son, Prince George.
All over Christendom, the people sing ballads of his return. Of a handsome York prince with golden hair and eyes as blue as the sea.
Our friends in Europe are many, thanks to the support we have from Maximilian and Edward's sister Margaret.
For seven years, people all over Europe have written to tell me of their love for George.
As each day passes, my son's cause grows stronger. I shall continue to write to you of news.
"Another letter for Dowager Queen Elizabeth?" Cecily asked mockingly, clearly having disdain toward Elizabeth, even after all these years.
"Who knew the two of you would be such good friends," Lizzie added in, she and her grandmother sharing an amused smirk.
"I almost forgot to invite my daughter and the king," Nora spoke up suddenly, holding out a folded letter toward one of her servants.
Margaret smiled in satisfaction while Cecily and Lizzie looked concerned by the sudden revelation.
Cecily frowned in concern, on the verge of taking the letter but the servant had already walked away with it.
Nora smiled in satisfaction when she saw the woman's reaction and stood up.
With that, she walked away and Cecily immediately turned to her daughter and her granddaughter. "That woman has no shame."
"She is her mother's daughter, as Father used to say," Lizzie admitted, despite never meeting the woman that was Nora's mother, "Of course she doesn't have shame, though. She learned to be that way long ago after spending years being called, 'The King's Whore'."
"And we all know she is far more than that, she always has been," Margaret spoke up, a proud look on her face.
"I hear she summoned an English girl here a few days ago," Lizzie admitted uneasily, "The servants say she left with a vial of poison. Who do you think it's for?"
"It's Nora we're talking about. It could be anyone," Cecily reminded the group.
"The king?" Lizzie questioned, a concerned look on her face.
"God, no!" Margaret exclaimed, letting out a large scoff, "She isn't that foolish. She knew she'd immediately be blamed and we aren't ready for war. Not just yet."
Lizzie and Cecily turned to each other and exchanged a look.
Not just yet.
______
At Westminster Palace in London, Lizbeth walked down the hallway of the castle, holding the hand of her daughter Margaret, whom they called Meg.
Arthur, who was now seven, stood beside his mother alongside his brother Harry and his sister Katherine, whom they called Kathy. She had been born not even two years after Arthur and Lizbeth could tell, just like she had been, Kathy was her father's favorite.
She was a trouble-maker, though. Just like Harry. While Arthur was responsible and Meg was quiet, Harry and Kathy were loud and sometimes even arrogant. She was favored by their grandmother, too. Just as Harry was.
Wanting to mess with his brother, Harry slapped his brother on the back at the same time that Kathy did from the other side.
Arthur smiled, turning to Harry. He playfully slapped him on the chest before doing the same to Kathy. The three of them began to slap each other, laughing as they did so.
Arthur ran forward, laughing as Harry and Kathy chased after him. They continued to run through the halls and Lizbeth smiled, playfully rolling her eyes at the trouble-making trio. Well, it was usually Harry and Kathy starting the trouble, but Arthur was almost always roped into it.
She looked down at Meg, an amused look on her face. "You would not like to join them?" She asked Meg, who smiled innocently and shook her head.
Lizbeth sighed, but continued to smile, knowing her youngest daughter was nothing like her when she was younger. She didn't like to get dirty with her elder brother and her younger brother as her mother used to with her own brothers. She was much more lady-like and Lizbeth was fine with that. She wouldn't get into trouble growing up as she did.
Kathy, on the other hand, was so much like her mother when it came to doing such things. She had a close bond with Harry, but Arthur was protective of her. It was just like how Lizbeth had been with her brothers Thomas and Arthur.
She supposed that was one of the reasons Henry favored Kathy. She was just like Lizbeth in ways.
Later on, Henry and Arthur stood outside in the courtyard, sparring against each other while Kathy watched on, encouraging Harry to win.
Henry stood near them, watching while Lizbeth sat nearby with Meg in her lap.
Arthur smiled and bowed as he won while Harry threw his wooden down on the ground in defeat while Kathy giggled.
Henry and Lizbeth turned to each other, exchanging a look. Lizbeth smiled, watching as her husband knelt beside Harry after handing him back his sparring sword. He instructed him on how to properly use it and despite smiling at the sight, Lizbeth felt unincluded.
She wished she herself could be apart of such things as she used to when she was younger, but she was not. It was frowned upon for a queen to do such things and that was what she hated most about being queen, even after all these years.
As the two boys began to spar once more, Henry made his way over to Lizbeth. He smiled happily at his wife, bending down to kiss her.
_____
In the main rooms of the castle, Lizbeth and Henry were sitting in their chairs when a messenger walked over. He handed Henry to the invitation from Nora before he walked away.
Henry was hesitant for a long moment, just before he finally opened up the piece of paper closed together with a wax seal.
Lizbeth turned to Henry, watching as he sighed in defeat. "What is it?" She asked, a concerned look on her face.
"Nora of Lancaster writes on behalf of so-called 'Prince George'. Inviting the Queen and I to her guests at court."
"She is more shameless than ever," Margaret complained, a horrified look on her face.
"You must refuse," Jasper insisted in an almost pleading tone.
"Must I?" Henry raised a brow at his uncle, an amused look on his face, "And here I was thinking what a pleasant trip it would be."
"Prince George?" Margaret asked, an uneasy look on her face, "The whole world knows he died in the Tower years ago."
Margaret turned to look at Lizbeth, remembering what she had told her years ago. Lizbeth tried to hide her own uneasiness, just as Margaret did. "Nora is either mad or a fool." She continued on.
"She's neither. It's Nora we speak of," Henry argued with his mother, "Of course she knows the boy is an imposter. Like the last. What does it matter if she is able to convince people otherwise?"
"The people of England support you, my love," Lizbeth quickly spoke up as she squeezed Henry's arm in comfort, "Do not doubt that."
Henry grabbed her hand, holding it in his own as Lord Stanley cleared his throat.
"There are rumors, Your Grace, of..." He trailed off, causing the duo to turn to look at the man, "Nobles in the southern countries planning to flee to Burgundy."
"We shall close the ports," Margaret quickly spoke up and Lizbeth rolled her eyes, knowing such a plan would never work.
"And stop all trade and legitimate travel because of a mere rumor?" Lizbeth asked, letting out a scoff, "They'll view us to be scared and weak."
"Her Grace is right," Sir William Stanley spoke up, agreeing with Lizbeth, "England would be up in arms in no time."
"I agree as well," Henry added in, much to Margaret's dismay, "It is too drastic. The world would think Lizbeth and I acted out of fear."
"How will you respond?" Jasper asked, a concerned look on his face.
The group of nobles watched as Henry and Lizbeth turned to each other, beginning to whisper amongst themselves.
Margaret watched on, trying to contain her anger.
They acted more and more like Edward and Nora as each day passed. Henry was beginning to act like Edward when it came to valuing the woman he loves' advice above everyone else's, despite their enemy being the woman's family.
Margaret despised it above all else. She hated that Henry truly viewed Lizbeth to be his co-ruler. She was a queen consort. Well, in her eyes. The majority of England didn't see it that way.
Henry pulled away from Lizbeth and nodded. They exchanged another look with each other, just before standing up and walking away together.
Henry walked ahead of Lizbeth as they made their way down the hallway, much to Lizbeth's dismay.
"Are you alright?" She called out, causing Henry to stop walking, "Are you angry with me?"
"Angry?" Henry immediately asked, turning to face her with a concerned look on his face.
He walked toward her until he was standing in front of her. He smiled softly, cupping her face in his face. "Why would I be angry with you?" He whispered softly and Lizbeth sighed in defeat.
"We had seven years of peace. Seven. And now my mother is planning yet another war," Lizbeth explained, a worried look on her face.
"We'll be alright, Lizbeth," He assured her in a confident tone, "Just like the last imposter, we will defeat this boy, and England will return to peace. Once we defeat this one, the world will understand that Nora has been defeated and is not someone worth following anymore."
Lizbeth forced a smile on her face and nodded. She continued to smile, leaning forward to kiss her husband.
Henry smiled at Lizbeth, wasting no time with kissing her back.
______
A day later, after being summoned, Maggie Pole, Lizbeth's cousin, arrived with her husband, Richard Pole.
"Nora of Lancaster and the Duchess of Burgundy has invited us to be a guest at her court," Henry informed the duo in a calm tone, "The Queen and I have decided that we shall send you in my stead."
"Of course, Your Grace," Richard Pole answered in a calm tone, "I would be honored to do—"
"No. I meant your wife, My Lady Pole," Henry corrected the man, who was shocked by the news.
"Me, Your Grace?" Maggie asked, a deeply confused look on her face.
"The two of you together," Henry confirmed, nodding his head.
"But, Your Grace, I haven't seen my cousin George since I was a little girl. He was already placed in the Tower by the time my Aunt Nora became my guardian," Maggie explained in an uneasy tone.
"Surely, you would recognize your own kin, would you not?" Henry questioned, raising a skeptical brow at Maggie.
"Who better to expose this boy as a pretender than his own cousin?" Jasper added in, much to Maggie's dismay.
"How do you respond, my lady?" Henry suddenly asked, causing Maggie to feel even more uneasy.
Maggie remained silent for a long moment. She felt hesitant, but she knew she'd have to agree. She had no other choice.
Later on that day, Maggie and Lizbeth found themselves outside with their children. It didn't take long before Arthur, Henry, Meg, and Katherine ran off with their younger cousin.
"The princes and princesses have missed their cousin," Maggie confessed, a large smile on her face.
"And I have missed mine," Lizbeth smiled back at Maggie as she locked arms with her, "Is everything well in Wales? Is your husband kind?"
"He is," Maggie replied, smiling happily as she nodded her head, "And I love it. I love being away from court. It's so peaceful."
"It seems as though a Tudor husband is not so bad after all," Lizbeth jokingly commented and Maggie was quick to argue.
"I don't think of us as York or Tudor," Maggie confessed in a calm tone, "We are a family. A happy one. Or would be, if my brother could be with us."
Lizbeth remained silent, not responding to Maggie's statement.
The younger girl turned to look at her queen, a curious look on her face. "And you? Here? With the King? Are you happy?"
"Every day, he puts a fresh red rose and a white one in the Queen's rooms for me," Lizbeth informed Maggie, a happy smile on her face, "Just as my father used to do for my mother. Much has changed between him and I. All is well and I love him dearly. And he loves me, just as he always has."
When they stopped walking, Maggie stared up at Lizbeth, a nervous look on her face. "I'm scared, Lizbeth. To see your mother after seven years. She used to love us all dearly. She was like a mother to me and now, they say she is nothing like the woman she used to be. They say she's mad."
"Please don't be nervous, dear Maggie," Lizbeth assured her cousin, grabbing the girl's hand, "My mother may be persuasive to some, but she has proved she will stop at nothing to bring an imposter against my husband."
"I am pleased the King has so much faith in me," Maggie admitted, a small smile on her face.
"If you have any doubts, Maggie, you must raise them to me and to me alone," Lizbeth demanded in a stern tone.
"Doubts?" Maggie asked as she uneasily stared up at Lizbeth, "Do you think it could be him? Your brother George?"
Lizbeth sighed, a nervous look on her face. "It's impossible. My mother and Lizzie have clearly told the Duchess of my brother's escape and they all plan to take advantage of that with this imposter by having him pose as George. Make no mistake, my mother is the architect of all of this, as is Lizzie. It is just another peasant they have plucked from the street and dressed up as a prince."
Maggie remained silent and Lizbeth stared back at her cousin, realizing a part of Maggie was starting to think it could, in fact, be George.
"George was my brother, Maggie. I grew up alongside him. And I miss him every day. But this boy posing as him is not him," Lizbeth explained, a saddened look on her face, "It can't be. It's impossible. And for all of our sakes, Henry must never know of his escape."
Maggie nodded in understanding. "I will do my duty to the King. And to you, cousin."
"Good," Lizbeth told her quietly and nodded her head. She reached her hand out and grabbed Maggie's. They locked arms and with that, they walked through the gardens together.
Where they were playing their games, Arthur and Meg watched as their brother and sister and their cousin played a game where they tried to toss the ring around the small pole.
While their cousin ended up getting it on, Harry and Kathy failed miserably. The duo turned to each other, exchanging an aggravated look.
Upset by her failure, Kathy walked forward and kicked the platform of the small pole, causing it to tip over and fall.
Harry began to laugh while the rest of the children looked annoyed, especially Arthur.
"Was that necessary?" Arthur complained and Kathy turned to her brother, a smirk on her face.
"No, but it was fun," She responded, laughing with Harry as they ran off.
Arthur sighed in frustration, just before chasing after them with Meg and their cousin.
_____
When it was time for Maggie to leave with her husband, the group stood in the courtyard. Lizbeth stood near them, her arm wrapped around Arthur and Meg as they watched Maggie say goodbye to her son.
She knelt in front of her son, trying not to cry at the sight of how saddened he looked by his mother and father's departure.
"We will be back before you know," Maggie assured her son as she held his hands in her own, "You will be safe here at the palace."
Little Henry walked over to his Aunt Lizbeth, who immediately grabbed his hand.
"He will be safe with me. You needn't worry about that," Lizbeth assured her cousin as she smiled at her kindly.
Maggie simply nodded and turned away from Lizbeth, making her way over to her horse.
"Take your cousin and sister to find Harry and Kathy," Lizbeth instructed her eldest son with an uneasy look on her face, "God knows what they're up to right now."
Arthur smiled, nodding his head at his mother before he walked away with his cousin.
Lizbeth watched them for a moment, just before turning to watch Maggie leave the castle with her husband on horseback.
"Are you sure you can trust Lady Pole?" Margaret asked as she walked over to where Henry stood with Sir William Stanley, "These women are Yorks, Henry. Never forget that. They can be just as lethal and dangerous as Nora's been. They were raised by her. They have surely picked up some of her tricks."
"Her son is here at Westminster," Henry reminded his mother in a frustrated tone, "And her brother in the Tower. We can trust her."
With that, Henry walked away and Sir William Stanley smiled at Margaret in amusement.
"The King has spoken," Sir William Stanley spoke in a taunting tone, "It seems after all these years, you no longer have the power over him as you used to. The Queen has that power now. As she should."
Margaret turned to her brother-in-law in disbelief. She felt furious as she watched him walk away, a satisfied look on his face.
_____
At their evening meal, Margaret sat at a table with her husband in her chambers. "Your brother was rude to me," She complained, but her husband was barely listening as he ate his food, "You hear me? I don't appreciate his tone."
"Don't be so sensitive, Margaret," Stanley retorted, much to Margaret's annoyance.
"I will not have him jibe at me," Margaret argued in an aggravated tone, "Take him in hand."
"I will not lecture the man whose army secured the Battle of Bosworth for Henry, on decorum," Lord Stanley commented, causing Margaret to look amused.
"You would have me believe that that was an act of selflessness?" She asked, clearly not taking him seriously, "It would be the Stanleys' first and last."
"I suppose we should look to you as our model for that particular virtue?" Lord Stanley responded, earning an offended look from his wife.
"I am selfless. My only interest is the will of God," Margaret complained, much to her husband's amusement.
"How fortunate His will is so often in tune with yours," He remarked, causing Margaret to feel offended, despite trying to hide it.
"What do you mean?" She asked Lord Stanley defensively.
"His will to place you here as mother of the King knows no bounds. He ordered the murder of four small boys in your cause, did he not?" He explained, causing Margaret to avoid contact with him as he casually leaned back in his seat, "And two girls, if I'm correct. One of which's death is the reason for this war in the first place because you sent my own son off to do the deed for you. How do you think Henry would feel if he knew that?"
Not being able to take it anymore, Margaret stood up and stormed out of the room.
Lord Stanley continued to eat, not caring that he had upset it. It was true, after all.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Ngl, I might have hated Lord Stanley in the both TWQ and TWP but whenever he was an asshole and throwing shade at Margaret, it made my day cuz she really deserved it 😂 And he's the only one who ever really succeeded in doing it.
Also, if you haven't noticed, there's two new characters introduced in this chapter that weren't in the actual show!
1. Marie, Mary of Burgundy's youngest daughter
2. Kathy, Lizbeth and Henry's eldest daughter
They will both be in the third book in this book series that will occur in The Spanish Princess.
We don't know much about Marie yet because she didn't have any lines but it's obvious already that Kathy's a total bitch even at such a young age and has a strong bond with Harry and is Henry's favorite child 😂 (she's the one Lizbeth was pregnant with at the end of the previous chapter)
Harry and Kathy are each other's best friend and they will continue to be so in the Spanish princess. Get ready for them to cause A LOT of trouble together.