ROYAL BLOOD
— 30. Until The Day I Die
1461
Nora was walking down the hallway alone, searching for Edward. Just then, someone unbeknownst to her grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around the corner.
Nora smiled, however, when she saw that it was Edward. She did nothing but laugh as he pushed her against the wall.
Edward smiled back at her, wasting no time kissing her as Nora placed her hands on his clothed chest.
Edward grabbed the skirt of her dress with one hand, the other roaming over the rest of her body.
"Be still, for God's sake," Nora lightly slapped Edward on the chest, causing Edward to pull away from the kiss and playfully roll his eyes, "They could see us."
"And?" Edward asked, pressing a kiss to her jaw, "There's nothing wrong about what we're doing. Everyone at court already knows."
"Aye, but it's daytime," Nora pointed out as Edward continued to kiss to down her cheek, "Can't you wait until tonight to spend time with me? You are a king, with kingly duties to perform instead of being with me."
"Fuck my kingly duties, I need you by my side now. Not my privy council. Only you," Edward complained, like the young York king that he was and not the somewhat responsible man he became in the coming years with Nora at his side.
Edward smiled, wrapping his arms around Nora's waist while she placed his hands on both sides of his face. He leaned forward and wasted no time kissing her.
PRESENT
1496
Three months had passed since Jasper's death. Lizbeth stood on the second level courtyard of the Tower of London alongside Henry and their four children.
They watched as Sir William was led onto the platform where he was to be executed. He looked up at them, a calm expression on his face. He turned his head, his eyes locking on Lord Stanley, his brother, and Lord Strange, his nephew.
"Before I die..." He trailed off, turning to look back at Henry, who intertwined hands with Lizbeth as he tried to maintain composure, "You are not a king, nor fit to be one. England rots beneath you. Men weep. So, kill me if you must. And you will kill many others after me. Men who will line up to say, 'Long live the true, able King George."
Henry remained silent. He nodded at the guards, who wasted no time forcing Sir William down on the chopping block.
As Sir William was beheaded, Meg clutched onto her mother, who held her close since her daughter refused the watch the scene occur. Arthur flinched and immediately looked away. Harry and Kathy, on the other hand, watched on with no problem, as if it didn't even bother them.
Henry turned to exchange a look with Lord Stanley. He sighed, letting go of Lizbeth's hand. He began to walk away, only to stop when he was standing in front of his eldest son. "Arthur," He called out and both Harry and Kathy smiled, knowing their elder brother was about to be scolded, "You will never wear the crown if you can't watch a traitor die."
Henry stormed off and Lizbeth sighed in defeat as she watched him leave.
"Father's right," Kathy spoke up, smiling tauntingly at her elder brother, "You'll be a weak king if you can't watch someone who betrayed our family die. Perhaps Harry will be king instead."
"Enough, Kathy," Lizbeth snapped at her daughter in a stern tone, causing Kathy's smile to fade, "Don't you think you and Harry taunt your brother enough?"
With that, Lizbeth began to walk away, her arm wrapped around Arthur and Meg while Harry and Kathy remained in place for a long moment. They exchanged a look, just before following after their mother.
____
Just as they did every midday meal for the past eight years, Lizbeth and Henry sat in their usual spot outside in the gardens. Instead of eating, however, they spoke of what was happening to them involving the traitors.
"If the man who won the field at Bosworth for me could betray me, then—" Henry began to say, only to be cut off by Lizbeth.
"The rest are loyal, my love," Lizbeth assured her husband, grabbing onto his hand.
Henry sighed, turning to look at Lizbeth with a curious look on his face. "Are they, Lizbeth?" He asked softly, clearly not believing it, "Are you?"
"Of course I am," Lizbeth answered without hesitation, "I will be loyal to you and you alone until I die."
Henry sighed, turning to look at Lizbeth and then down at the ground.
"What?" She asked, a concerned look on her face.
"I saw your face. The day of Harry's ennobling banquet. When Elizabeth said your brother George lives. You couldn't look at me," He confessed, a saddened look on his face as he turned to see Lizbeth avoiding eye contact with him, "As you can't now."
"Henry, I—" Lizbeth began to say, tears in her eyes, "I wanted to tell you."
"Oh, God," Henry groaned, realizing what she was getting at, "Please. He's alive?"
Henry stood up, causing Lizbeth's tears to fall. "What Elizabeth says, there was some truth in it!" Lizbeth explained to Henry, whose back was facing her, "Men tried to kill my brothers in the Tower. Elizabeth's boys and my mother's. George was the only one who got away. Elizabeth saved him and took him to safety. When you sent soldiers to bring to Bedford Castle to bring me to Westminster as your wife, my brother was with us. My mother hid him when your men arrived."
"You have lied to me for years!" He shouted at her angrily, a betrayed look on his face.
"No," Lizbeth argued, standing up before she began to walk toward him, "None of us have heard anything from him since. My mother wrote letters to people all over Europe, searching for him. Anywhere he could have gone, she begged for word, and nobody knew anything. He'd vanished. Then we learned that soldiers tore our castle apart. Slaughtered every boy within a mile of there that they laid eyes upon. At that moment, we understood the silence. That is why I know the boy in Burgundy is just another pretender. My brother is dead. All of my brothers are dead."
"Dead?" Henry asked softly, a saddened look on his face because he knew he was at fault for all their deaths.
"Dead," Lizbeth confirmed and nodded her head.
"Yet you never thought it would be the right time to tell me of this?" Henry scoffed loudly, still feeling betrayed.
"When we were first wed, a part of me still hated you for what you did. I was full of malice," She explained to him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she grabbed ahold of his hands, "After that, my reasons for not telling you changed. I fell in love with you and I thought I was protecting you by not telling you."
"From what, Lizbeth?" He asked, a puzzled look on his face.
"Fear. And guilt," Lizbeth managed to get out, on the verge of crying.
Henry sighed, slowly nodding his head in understanding. "So the boy is not George."
"No," Lizbeth replied, shaking her head in response.
Henry lifted Lizbeth's hands, pressing a kiss to them as he looked down at the ground in shame. "Then who is he, Lizbeth?" He asked, slowly lifting his head to look her in the eye once more, "Because his marriage to the Scottish girl is underway. And when the wedding feast is done, whoever he may be, he wants my kingdom."
"We will defeat this pretender, Henry. We shall do it together," Lizbeth assured Henry, cupping his face in her hands, "No matter what it takes."
Henry looked uneasy, but nodded his head. He leaned forward, kissing Lizbeth gently.
____
In Burgundy, George and Cathy knelt before the priest in the chapel during their wedding.
Nora stood off to the side, a smile on her face as Cecily, Lizzie, and Margaret stood near her.
"Not just King James of Scotland. There are faces from every royal house in Europe here," Nora whispered to the group, a satisfied look on her face.
"Apart from Spain," Cecily pointed out, exchanging a look with Lizzie.
"They're busy with their newfound worlds and wealth," Margaret retorted, quick to be on Nora's side, "They would not trouble themselves with our small lives."
"Perhaps they're more inclined to Tudor's side?" Lizzie questioned, causing Nora to sigh in defeat.
"What does Tudor have that they could possibly offer Spain?" Nora asked, an amused look on her face.
After the vows were finished, George and Cathy rose from their kneeling positions and turned to face each other.
George smiled, grabbing Cathy's hands before he slipped the ring onto her finger.
Cathy smiled back at George, staring at him lovingly.
George made his way over to King James, kneeling before him before pressing a kiss to the man's ring to show his loyalty to him.
He stood back up, making his way around the chapel to give thanks to everyone who had attended as Cathy watched on, a smile on her face.
Cathy turned her head, exchanging a look with Lizzie as they both smiled.
That night, in his rooms, George stood off to the side, wearing only his pants and his undershirt. He turned his head, watching silently as Cathy's ladies removed her dress until his wife was left in only her shift.
They placed the dress to the side and left the room without another word said.
George smiled, slowly walking toward his wife and Cathy walked toward him as well. He stopped when he was standing in front of her and looked down at her, grabbing ahold of her hand. "You are very beautiful. Have I told you that?" He asked in a whisper and Cathy smiled up at George.
"Only every day since we first met," Cathy admitted, causing them both to quietly laugh.
"Then I intend to continue doing so until the day I die. Because you are," He confessed, smiling softly as he cupped her face in his hands, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Cathy. I cannot wait for the day that you become my Queen and sit on the throne beside me in England."
"Have you ever done this before?" Cathy asked nervously, her lips brushing against George's as he gently slipped her nightgown down her body and allowed it to pool at her feet.
George remained silent, slowly nodding his head in confirmation. "I will be a dutiful husband to you, though, Cathy. You shall be the only one for me from this day until my last day," He promised her, a sincere look on his face, "I admired my father greatly, I still do, but I will not be like him in the way he shamed both his wife and my mother by parading around them with other women. I will never take a mistress. I shall have you, my wife and the woman I love. And that is all. That is all I will ever need."
"I am very lucky," Cathy confessed, a large smile forming on her lips as George leaned forward, kissing her passionately.
____
The following morning, Nora was walking through the gardens of the castle alone, enjoying the morning sun and fresh air. As she walked through the gardens, she found herself thinking of the walks she used to take through the gardens at Westminster. She also thought about how she used to watch as Edward used to walk through them as well with their daughter Grace.
Oh, how she missed her poor, innocent Grace.
The daughter who was a victim of Margaret's poorly made up plan that was supposed to kill Lizbeth, not Grace.
"It was hard to leave her," A voice suddenly spoke up, causing her to turn to see George walking over to her with a happy look on his face.
For a split moment, he had a look on his face that reminded her of his father, causing her to smile back at him as she tried to hide her uneasiness.
"She looked beautiful sleeping in bed beside me. So peaceful," He confessed, a shy smile on his face, "I suppose that is why Father was always known for running late to privy council meetings."
Nora chuckled, knowing George was referring to the fact that nearly every night while they were together, Edward had spent his nights asleep with Nora beside him, no one else.
"Her beauty will look even better on the throne of England, my son," Nora reminded him as she affectionately squeezed his arm, "And peace comes after war."
"Has King James of Scotland said he will support me?" George asked, a curious look on her face.
Nora remained silent, letting out a small sigh in defeat. "We don't know for certain yet," She replied, causing George to look disappointed, "Your cause is your own affair and waging war on England may seem to him too high a cost in gold and men," She stopped walking, turning to face her son, "But for now, you must rejoin the celebrations. Work hard on him and the other heads of state."
George frowned, giving him mother a confused look. "But we must have Scotland or we'll fail before we start."
"I have funds, you know," She reminded him in a sincere tone, "And your Aunt Margaret shall furnish you with ecus from her own gold stores. She's already told me she will."
Nora sighed, taking a step toward her sons. She grabbed his hands, giving him an assuring look. "You needn't worry, my love. It is a start."
George smiled, nodding his head in understanding.
"Now, how do you like your new wife?" She asked, causing George to playfully roll her eyes, "I have noticed the way you look at her long before she became your wife, or even your betrothed, for that matter."
"I love her," George confessed and Nora gradually began to smile.
"I am glad. It will allow you to live a happily married like with her in the future," Nora replied, letting out a small sigh, "We'll talk more later. For now, you must go join the festivities."
George smiled, nodding his head in understanding before he ran off to join the others.
Nora watched him walk off, a smile on her face. She felt uneasy, though. George was twenty-four now. The same age that Arthur had been when he died. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. Not after nearly losing him twice before. She refused to lose another one of her children. She would rather die than let that happen.
And especially not George. Not her George. Not after nearly losing him twice already.
_____
At Westminster, Henry waltzed into Lizbeth's chambers, holding up a letter. "Aha!" He exclaimed, looking down at where Lizbeth solemnly sat near the window in silence, "My men in Burgundy have unmasked him. The boy is the son of a boatman from Tournai and his name is Perkin Warbeck."
Henry tossed the paper down on the table and began to pace while Lizbeth shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
After hearing the news, Lizbeth found herself thinking back to the time her mother thought of sending George to a man by the name of Jehan Warbeck in Tournai when they were thinking of ways to get him to safety after the Battle at Bosworth.
"Writing my letter to Scotland will be a joy. Let's see how it please King James to learn that he has shamed his cousin by marrying her to Sir No One from Nowhere. Scotland will throw him back to where he came from and Europe will deny they ever met with him," Henry explained as he continued to pace around.
He suddenly stopped, frowning when Lizbeth didn't say a word. He immediately turned to face her and knelt before his wife to meet her at eye view. He sighed, cupping her face in his hands.
"What is it, my love?" Henry asked, a deeply concerned look on his face, "What bothers you? You're never this quiet."
"It is nothing," She assured him as she forced a smile, but it was clear that he didn't believe her, "I am fine, Henry. I swear it."
Henry nodded his head, but a part of him still didn't believe her. He knew solely by the look on her face that she was keeping something from him.
_____
Outside in the gardens, Lizbeth stood near the table where Harry, Arthur, and Kathy sat together, being taught the Spanish language by a tutor.
She herself could speak the language, along with Latin, Spanish, French, Flemish, Scottish Gaelic, German, and Welsh, all thanks to her mother. Her mother had taught her children all the languages she had learned and Lizbeth intended to do the same, just not with as many languages. She intended to make sure they at least learned Latin, French, and Spanish.
"Lizbeth?" A voice called out, causing Lizbeth to turn her head to see Maggie walking over to her with her husband.
She sighed, already knowing about how Maggie had been receiving letters from her mother. Something Nora was clearly doing on purpose just to piss off Lizbeth.
Sir Richard bowed to Lizbeth, just before walking in the opposite direction while Maggie made her way toward Lizbeth. She curtsied to her cousin before she stood back up. With a smile on her face, she made her way closer to her cousin.
"We have not had a chance to speak in private since my trip to Burgundy," Maggie informed Lizbeth, a polite smile on her face.
"What would we speak of, dear cousin?" Lizbeth asked, playing dumb, "Traitors to my husband's reign? Or perhaps the nightmares my poor Arthur has been having since he was forced to witness the beheading of a man he loved?" She paused, giving Maggie an almost threatening look, "Or perhaps the letters you have been receiving from my mother. Letters you haven't told the King about."
"She wishes to address these letters to you, Lizbeth, but she knows you hate her. She misses you and is not angry with you for choosing her husband's side over hers," Maggie informed Lizbeth, who for a split second looked saddened.
However, she was quick to force her saddened expression to disappear and forced a threatening one onto her face instead.
"There is something in the letter I have recently received that I must tell you of, Lizbeth," Maggie responded in a calm tone, "Everyone in Europe has accepted him. They claim him to be a perfect combination of Edward and Nora, that something like that cannot be faked. They all came to the wedding," She paused, letting out a small laugh, "Well, apart from Spain. Your mother writes that 'Queen Isabella is so lofty with her newfound wealth and self-importance that she is too ignorant—"
"Spain did not attend?" Lizbeth interrupted Maggie, a concerned look on her face, "You are certain of it?"
Maggie smiled slightly, nodding her head. "It was in the letter, Lizbeth. I don't know of any reason your mother would lie about something like that."
Lizbeth didn't another word to Maggie. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked back toward the castle, her ladies following soon after her.
When she made it inside, Lizbeth wasted no time heading to the Privy Council room, paying no mind to the fact that Henry was having a meeting without her.
Each man in the room rose when Lizbeth entered, their eyes remaining on her as she made her way over to Henry.
"We must settle Arthur's betrothal," She suddenly announced, causing Henry to sigh as he looked up as her while all the men in the room took their seats.
"Must we speak of this now?" Henry asked, continuing to write whatever he was writing on the piece of paper in front of him.
"Trust me," She argued, taking the quill from his hand with a knowing look on her face, "It is important, Henry. It will help us with our problem. We shall marry Arthur to the Princess Catherine of Aragon. Every ruler in Europe went to meet the boy posing as my brother. All but Spain. They refused to meet him. It could be that they have interest, what with their newfound lands and riches but..."
"You've always said that Arthur is too young, that he shall choose his wife for love," Henry pointed out to Lizbeth, who was quick to argue.
"And how did that work for my father? It started a war. We are royals. Arthur is the heir to the throne and shall marry a girl who will bring in help for England's newfound problems. Princess Catherine of Aragon is that girl," Lizbeth explained in a calm tone, "Arthur is old enough for a betrothal and the Princess is said to be quite beautiful. It will give our son something to dwell on and ally us with the strongest force in Europe."
"If Europe backed the boy, they would've matched him with a far more powerful wife than third cousin-to-the-left of the poorest land in Christendom," Lord Stanley spoke up, causing Henry and Lizbeth to turn to look at him, "There simply isn't a threat."
"The boy is backed by Nora of Lancaster, daughter of the famous Thomas Fitzroy," Henry argued in a stern tone, glancing around at the men, "You all know of him. The leader of the Lancastrian armies. Son of King Henry V. The only one who nearly killed King Edward IV. In ways, she is her father's daughter and that is something we should be wary of. She isn't stupid. She allied this boy to Scotland for a reason we do not know of yet. We shall not wait and do nothing while she enacts whatever plan she has made with Scotland."
Henry sighed, turning to look back at Lizbeth. "The Queen is right. If we can come to terms with Isabella of Castile, then none would dare to wake that sleeping giants, now, or in the future. Not even Nora. It would be the best deterrent," He explained and Bishop Morton was quick to agree.
"And the dowry would be significant," He spoke up, causing Lizbeth to smile slightly in satisfaction.
"We will not leave it to a letter. We will go there in person," Henry decided in a calm tone, turning to exchange a look with Lizbeth.
They smiled at each other and Henry grabbed her hand, holding with his.
_____
Nora was sitting outside in the gardens of Margaret's castle, smiling at the sight of George and Cathy walking together, hand in hand. It had been a few months since they had married and they seemed quite happy together. Nora was happy for them, in truth. Happier than she was about Lizbeth finding love with Henry, despite already expecting it.
"I have news," A voice spoke up, causing Nora to smile as she turned to look at Lizzie, "Maggie recieved the letter."
"Which means Lizbeth knows about Spain," Nora realized, a satisfied look on her face, "It means she and Henry will be traveling to Spain to ask for an alliance."
"Isn't that a bad thing?" Lizzie asked, a concerned look on her face.
"The only way Isabella would agree to an alliance is if George, Teddy, and I were dead," Nora informed Lizzie in a calm tone, "Lizbeth might be willing to kill George since she doesn't know him to be her brother, but there's no way she'd be able to kill his unborn child, myself, and poor Teddy."
Lizzie's eyes widened, turning to look at her stepmother with a shocked expression on her face. "Cathy's pregnant?" She asked and Nora smiled, nodding her head in confirmation.
"Let us hope it's a boy," Nora whispered softly to Lizzie before she walked away.
Lizzie watched Nora leave for a moment, just before turning her head. She locked eyes on little Marie, who was playing in the gardens alone, seeing as though there were no longer children her own age to play with.
She didn't seem bothered, though, due to being used to it. Lizzie smiled, making her way over to the girl.
"Would you like for me to play with you?" Lizzie asked, causing Marie to turn to face the woman.
"No," Marie bluntly stated without a care in the world.
Lizzie's eyes widened, watching as the girl walked away with another word said. As she overcame her shock, Lizzie gradually began to smile, amused by Marie's actions.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Henry's advisors not realizing Nora married her son to Cathy Gordon just to prove a point to them that he doesn't need a powerful wife to win against them 🤡🤡🤡