ROYAL BLOOD
— 27. Ennobling
England, 1482
As a celebration occurred in the throne room of the castle, Nora stood in her room, still dressing for the occasion. Lizbeth and Arthur had been allowed to attend the celebration while the rest of the children, including George and Thomas were not, which the duo was unhappy about.
The door opened and Nora jumped, only to see that it was just Edward. She sighed in relief, a smile forming on her lips at the sight of him.
"You are not going to believe what I just caught Thomas and George doing," He informed Nora, who playfully rolled her eyes as she turned to see him smiling, "Stealing wine from the feast."
"You're joking," Nora groaned, turning to him with a disappointed look, "Did you at least take it from them?"
"No," Edward scoffed as he walked over to Nora, an amused look on her face, "I let them pass and told them not to let anyone else see."
"Of course you did," Nora muttered under her breath, a disapproving look on her face.
She turned her back to him, continuing to apply the color to her lips.
Edward smirked, beginning to walk toward the woman he loved with a smirk on his face. He bent down slightly, beginning to lift the skirt of her dress. "Edward, what are you doing?" She asked, smiling slightly as she playfully rolled her eyes on him, "You're drunk, aren't you?"
"I am," He confirmed, causing Nora to laugh as she bent forward. She quickly pressed the palms of her hands on the vanity as Edward leaned against her, pressing a kiss to the crook of her neck while slowly lifting up the skirt of her dress.
"Edward, you are the King, people are surely looking for you right now at the feast," Nora laughed, slowly turning to face him.
"I do not care about them. I want to be with you right now, not them," Edward complained as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
"Edward," Nora sighed, shooting him a disapproving look.
Despite that, she still kissed him as he led them toward the bed. She soon dropped onto the bed, laughing as Edward hovered over her and began to untie her dress.
"My love, there are things that if I take them off now I won't be able to put back on," Nora complained, an amused look on her face.
"That's good. Keep them off," Edward responded and Nora laughed, wrapping her legs around his waist as they continued to kiss.
PRESENT
1494
After a meeting was called, Lizbeth stood with Henry, Bishop Morton, and countless others in the Privy Council room.
"We intercepted these at Greenwich," Bishop informed the group as he threw a pile of letters down on the table, "Signed and sealed by English Lords, addressed to Nora of Lancaster, pledging their support for the so-called 'York boy'."
Sir William reached forward, picking up the letters before he began to read over it.
"Well?" Henry asked, causing Sir William to turn to look at him.
"My men will make arrests," Sir William answered in a calm tone.
"We should have acted sooner," Margaret complained and Jasper lifted his hand to tell her to stop where she was.
"Uh, A handful of traitors does not make a rebellion," He reminded the woman and the rest of the group.
"Not yet," Henry pointed out to the group, feeling uneasy about the whole ordeal as he stared down at the table, "The letters. How do they name me?" He asked and Sir William remained silent, knowing the King wouldn't like the answer, "Go on."
"Your Grace—" He began to say, but was cut off.
"Go on," Henry demanded in a stern tone, knowing it must have bad if even Sir William didn't want to tell him.
"Henry the Pretender, Your Grace," Sir William answered as he avoided eye contact with the King.
"And him?" Henry questioned, a concerned look on his face.
"Prince George, Duke of York," Sir William informed the group, who was disappointed by the revelation.
Henry turned his back to the group, walking closer to the fireplace to take in the news.
Lizbeth's eyes widened at the revelation about the title of Duke of York being given to the Pretender posing as her brother.
"Our son, Prince Harry, is the Duke of York," Lizbeth complained, a look of disbelief on her face, "Ennoble him, Henry. Give people their rightful Duke once and for all. Let us celebrate our strength and show these traitors that my mother has no power over us."
"The Queen is right," Margaret suddenly spoke up, causing Lizbeth to turn to her with a shocked look, "We will make Prince Harry a Duke, and when Lady Pole returns from Burgundy, she will denounce the boy publicly."
"Very well," Henry answered softly, slowly turning to face the group, "Make plans. Do not arrest the traitors yet, I have..." He trailed off, an uneasy look on his face, "A different thought of how to deal with it."
"Henry—" Lizbeth began to speak up, only to be cut off as Henry left the room without another word said.
_____
Once they were informed of Maggie and her husband's arrival, Lizzie, Margaret, Cecily, and Nora wasted no time making their way outside.
Nora could see that Maggie visibly felt uneasy to be there and she didn't blame her.
When the married couple stopped in front of them, Nora was the first to step forward, a smile on her face.
"Lady Nora. Duchess," Richard and Maggie bowed to Nora and Margaret politely.
"Aunt Nora. Aunt Margaret," Maggie smiled at the two women politely before turning to Cecily and Margaret, "Lady Grandmother. Cousin Lizzie."
A smug smile on her face, Margaret held out her hand and Richard was forced to press a kiss to her knuckles, despite not wanting to.
"What a pity it is to see that the King and Queen could not join us," Nora spoke up in a taunting tone, a sly smile on her face, "But it is a pleasure to welcome my niece and her husband to court."
"We thank you and the Duchess for your hospitality, my lady," Richard responded and Nora kept her eyes locked on Maggie as she smiled.
"Prince George is very much looking forward to seeing his cousin again," Nora suddenly spoke up, causing Maggie to feel uneasy, "It's been a while since he's had the chance to be around family his own age, given the fact the Tudors killed most of them."
"Lady Stepmother," Lizzie warned Nora, but continued to smile.
"Apologies," Nora sarcastically told her niece and her husband, "I tend to get carried away."
"You think?" Cecily muttered under her breath, earning an annoyed look from Nora.
"It's a shame you'll have to miss my son's ennobling, though," Nora spoke up once more, continuing to taunt the duo standing before her, despite what Cecily had said, "Such a strange event, given that the title is already taken by someone it doesn't rightfully even belong to. Prince Harry isn't a York."
"He is a York from his mother's side," Richard Pole pointed out, earning an amused look from Nora.
"Aye, but he's named a Tudor," Nora responded in a calm tone, "My mother was a Neville, yet was I ever considered a Neville? No, I was not, and Prince Harry is not considered a York."
"Forgive her," Margaret smiled, locking arms with Nora, "She is merely teasing."
"It's been a long journey," Cecily spoke up, knowing if she didn't speak up, Margaret would surely join in on the taunting and that was the last thing they needed, "Let's allow our guests to settle into their rooms."
"Of course," Margaret replied, smiling widely, "And later, you will meet the Prince."
"Lady Grandmother, perhaps you'd show me the grounds first?" Maggie asked, turning to her grandmother with a smile on her face.
Cecily smiled and nodded, she and Maggie wasting no time with walking away together.
"It is a pleasure to have you here, Maggie," Cecily told her granddaughter as they walked together, "I did not think to see you in Burgundy."
"No, nor would I be, but the King requested it," Maggie pointed out, a polite smile on her face.
There was a moment of silence between them, just before Cecily spoke up once more. "Tell me about your own family. Your son?"
"Little Henry," Maggie informed Cecily, a bright smile on her face, "He is five!"
"Oh!" Cecily exclaimed, delighted by the news, "A precious age. Hold him close."
"I so love for you to meet him, Lady Grandmother," Maggie confessed, staring up at her grandmother with a smile on her face.
"Well, I will not return to England. Not while Henry Tudor's on the throne," Cecily explained, causing Maggie to sigh in defeat, despite expecting it, "But, if your aunts have their way, we will all be restored by George."
Cecily stopped walking. She turned to face Maggie, who was giving her a curious look. "You are convinced it is him, then?" Maggie asked, an uneasy look on her face.
Cecily smiled, nodding her head as she looked down at her granddaughter. "And you are here to prove he is another imposter, of course?" She asked and Maggie avoided eye contact, knowing her grandmother was right, "Another peasant picked from the fields? Hmm?"
"Cathy!" A voice suddenly called out, causing the two women to turn to their heads to see Lizzie greeting a young woman with raven hair.
Cathy and Lizzie smiled, wasting no time hugging each other. "You have no idea how much joy it brings me to see you in these gardens every day," Lizzie laughed, locking arms with the girl who was a bit younger than her.
"It brings me joy to see you as well, Lizzie," Cathy replied, smiling as well while Maggie watched on in confusion.
"Who's that?" Maggie asked, turning to look at her grandmother with a questioning look.
"Lady Cathy Gordon. Cousin to King James of Scotland. A few years younger than the prince. But, as I said, your Aunt Nora is never at a loss for schemes to occupy her. There's even word your cousin Lizzie will marry the King."
Maggie turned to her grandmother, an uneasy look on her face as they continued to walk together.
_____
The bells rang in London as Harry prepared for his ennobling. He rode down the aisle of the throne room on his horseback and Lizbeth watched on, smiling proudly as her youngest son.
Once he reached the end of the aisle, he was assisted off of his horse. He walked forward, making his way toward where his father and mother sat upon their thrones.
He looked calm, which impressed Lizbeth. If any of her siblings were to have been in his position as children, they would have been terrified. Well, perhaps not Thomas, but that was a whole other story. Lizbeth could already see the similarities between her son Harry and her brother Thomas.
She watched as Harry knelt before them on the pillow.
Henry rose from his throne and picked up the sword placed out on the red velvet pillow Jasper was holding before he walked over to Harry.
"Prince Henry of England, I name you..." He trailed off, using placing his sword on Henry's right shoulder and then his left, "Duke of York."
Lizbeth watching on, smiling proudly at her youngest son.
______
In Burgundy, the people of the court, celebrated. Musicians played their ballads, people who conversed, and children ran around, laughing and playing.
Nora smiled as she walked around, taking in the happy sight. She was handed a glass of wine, which she grabbed ahold of before she continued to walk around. She spotted Margaret from afar, standing with little Marie. She turned her head again, smiling at the sight of Lady Cathy Gordon, spending time with Lizzie.
She turned her head, smiling happily at the sight of George making his way over to the people of Burgundy. He was twenty-two now and it felt as though he was still growing.
"Ah! Here he comes!" She announced loudly, immediately making her way over to her son.
"Lady Mother," George greeted his mother, politely bowing his head to her.
Nora smiled, locking arms with her son before turning to address the crowd. "May I introduce to you..." She trailed off, speaking louder, "Prince George, Duke of York!"
The people of the court bowed, all but Richard Pole and Maggie.
Nora smiled, turning to glance at the duo. "Today we welcome guests from England," She informed her son, the two of them making their way over to Maggie and her husband, "Sir Richard Pole and—"
"And Maggie," George finished, causing Nora to turn to her son with a shocked look, "I'd recognize that face anywhere. I see a bit of Uncle George in you. And your mother, Isabel," He paused, smiling politely as he bowed to his cousin, "Welcome, cousin. Sir Richard. It is a pleasure to meet you."
George smiled kindly at the duo. Despite that, Maggie remained silent and felt uneasy while Richard stared at George almost coldly.
Nora turned to Maggie, knowing the only reason Maggie wasn't talking to George was because of her husband.
Sir Richard continued to stare at George, taking in the sight of him. If he was an imposter, Nora sure did do a good job picking him.
George had always been known for being a split image of his mother, yet he still had some York in him.
He had his mother's bright blue eyes and her light golden hair. He had Edward's smile, though, and his way of talking. However, he had his mother's politeness when it came to meeting someone new. He was the perfect mixture of them both and he had only met the boy a minute before.
"Come, Maggie," Nora encouraged her niece as she grabbed her by the arm, "Come and sit next to your cousin so you can speak freely."
"If that is what she wants, I can think of nothing I would want more," George confessed, a large smile on her face, "It's good to see more family, especially after all these years."
Maggie smiled politely and nodded, she and George wasting no time beginning to walk together.
_____
At the Feast celebrating Harry's ennobling, Lizbeth sat at the head table with her sons and Henry. Kathy sat at the table, too, on the other side of Henry. She was the oldest girl and just like Edward did when he was King, he allowed his eldest daughter to be included in such feasts while his other daughter did not, given she was still so young.
"Today, Prince Henry was ennobled," Henry announced to his royal subjects in a calm tone, "Our road to this moment has been not an easy one. But we gather today secure. We have two sons and our line is strong. A toast."
The people at the feast immediately stood up, raising their glasses. "To my son. The Duke of York."
"The Duke of York," Lizbeth smiled as she spoke with the rest of the people in the room.
"I would also like to propose a toast to the Duke of York," A familiar voice suddenly spoke up, causing Lizbeth's eyes to widen in horror at the sight of the woman she hadn't seen in more than ten years.
Elizabeth Woodville.
What was she doing there? How did she even get there? She was in hiding.
"My stepson and rightful heir to the throne, Prince George, who is alive and well in Burgundy," Elizbaeth began to announce loudly and Lizbeth glanced around, realizing people were actually listening.
"Remove her," Henry demanded in a stern tone, an annoyed look on his face when he realized who it was.
"And any noble here who fears God should follow him instead of this pretender, Henry Tudor. To Prince George, the Duke of York and rightful King of England!" Elizabeth continued on and with a fearless look on her face, she extended her arms out to be taken away.
Just then, a loud laugh escaped Lizbeth's parted lips, causing everyone to turn to look at her. "My mother must be truly desperate if she has the audacity to send you, the witch my father decided to make his queen instead of her to do her dirty work," She explained with an amused look on her face, "She really has gone mad."
Lizbeth was wrong, though. It was quite the opposite and the people in the room realized that.
It was a known fact that Elizabeth hated Nora the entire time she was married to Edward. She was enraged when Edward set her aside to make his children with Nora legitimate and heirs to the throne.
If Elizabeth was there, acknowledging George as being alive and the rightful King of England, people knew it must have been true and knew that she was right. If they feared God, they should follow George.
Tears threatened to spill Lizbeth's eyes as they watched Elizbeth being taken away. How many betrayals was she going to experience before it was finally over?
Everyone she loved was choosing her mother over her. And worst of all, even Elizabeth had.
It made her wonder, was her mother's side the right side to be on the entire time?
As Elizabeth Woodville was being escorted out, Margaret was quick to intercept them, wanting to speak to Elizabeth herself.
The guards stopped and Elizabeth immediately smiled as she found herself standing before Margaret.
"All you have achieved today is the removal of any doubt that Nora is mad," Margaret informed Elizabeth in a calm tone, "All of England is now sure of it."
"The only madness is that your son remains on the throne. The true king will prevail and that King is Prince George," Elizabeth explained and Margaret looked amused.
"A pretender," Margaret argued and Elizabeth smirked in satisfaction.
"He is not," Elizabeth answered in a calm tone, "You knew he escaped the Tower. You just figured he died on the way out, but he did not. You might have taken my boys, but you failed to kill one of Nora's. George. I made sure of it myself. It was my own son Thomas who helped bring him to safety. You had doubts and that's why you had all those boys killed at Bedford Castle, but once again, I had him saved. He was unable to flee to Burgundy, given the stop of all ships sailing to Burgundy, but during that time, I protected him. I protected him and raised him for nearly two years. Nora knew that. She knew the entire time. She waged war with that Pretender boy Lambert not to win against Henry, but to be used as a signal. A signal for me to send George to Burgundy. And I did. That boy you claim is a pretender is not a pretender at all and you know that."
Elizabeth paused, smiling at the sight of Margaret and how afraid she looked. "Who would have thought? Nora and I united in not the grief of Edward as everyone expected, but our need to claim vengeance on those who cost us everything," She explained, satisfied by Margaret's reaction, "You're afraid, Lady Margaret. And you should be. The day will come where God punishes you for what you've done and for all our sakes, I pray it is soon."
"Guards," Margaret spoke up in a low tone, clenching her jaw in anger, "Take her to the dungeons. She'll be executed in the morning."
Elizabeths simply smiled, unbothered as she was dragged away by the guards. Her life was gone. The last person she had left was Lizzie and Lizzie was protected by Nora. That was all that mattered to her.