Everyone seemed to know my destiny before I did. I am their Hope, I am His Hope. Hope is what I was names and Hope is what I shall bring. To my father, to my family, to my King.
I stood in the throne room cradling my little Arthur, I heard someone enter and when I looked up Lady Margaret was there. She came round to face me and looked over her grandson.
"There is very little York about him." she commented
"I think he has my fathers eyes, like I was told to have done when I was a babe." I reply swaying.
"I'm glad we can be friends at last." she stated
"Lady Margaret, they day I am friends with you is they day you should have something to fear. For now you should settle myself not ripping your eyes out." I chirp. She scowls slightly.
"Now that you have Arthur, you are joined with us. And any threat against Henry is a threat against our boy as well. I can see how much you care for him. And tomorrow, you will be Queen of England."
---------
The next day was the day of my Coronation. A bath was prepared for me when Lizzie came in.
"Hope, the message came to Ned from our mother." she informed me the helped me de robe "It was recited." The other ladies returned so I could not heard the message them. I washed and dressed then on my way there Lizzie relayed what she had been told as she and Maggie walked either side of me.
"She says that you should go to her. That she will bribe a monk to let you slip into the abbey." Lizzie began
"On my Coronation Day?" I wonder.
"She says you must write to Burgundy and say they must bring war." Lizzie continued
"But Hope..." Maggie trailed off
"How will that help Teddy?" I questioned not quite understanding
"Or baby Arthur." my sister added. We were joined by Cecily and Lady Margaret. We made the final walk into Westminster abbey. I walked down not as a bride this time with a marriage at the end but a almost Queen with a crown. The same crown my mother had wore.
Queen Hope of England
"God save the Queen!"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
-------------------------------------
Henry and I sat on our respective thrones after my coronation. It felt weird to have the crown finally sat upon my head and sat on the same throne my mother had done when I was a child.
"You are Queen now. How do you feel?" Henry wondered
"I feel as though I have aged a thousand years. Is it normal to feel like that?" he chuckled, the doors opened and Arthur was brought in.
"I wonder if he'll feel the same." I sat forward as I was handed my son "If he does succeed me to the throne. My enemies may see to it that he does not."
"Don't say it. Never say that, Henry. Not ever again." I told him. A while later I returned to my chambers where Maggie and Lizzie were waiting for me. Arthur was with his wet-nurse and Henry was tending to some business.
"What have you decided? Will you see our mother?" Lizzie asked
"She has paid a monk to let me in." I sighed still not believing what she had told me.
"But if you make him angry, if he catches you..." Maggie trails off
"He will not let poor Teddy out in any case." I reply
"But he has to, maybe if he learns to trust you? Now that you are Queen maybe he will want to make you happy." Maggie suggested not wanting to get into anymore trouble or Teddy for that matter.
"How can I know what to do, now that I have Arthur? If my mother brings an army, how could I choose between my mother and my son?" I say like there was a choice. Now that I had Arthur it had changed everything. Lady margaret was right in that respect.
"Hope, I don't think you should go." Lizzie admits "I love her as much as you do but we have lives here a future here we cannot risk. She would risk it for her own ambition, you know that as well as I."
"But if I don't I may never see her again." The ladies came back
"Your grace." the curtsied I handed over my crown as the helped change me.
That evening I could not bring myself to sneak out and see my mother. The very though of me doing as she asked risking my own new little family prevented me from doing so because it hurt to bad. I decided to take to my bed, wish I could sleep it away. Yet sleep seemed to evade me. I had laid in this bed for months and seemed to always sleep well. Yet now it felt cold and alone. It felt like that till I could take no more.
I raised out of my bed and left my room, I retrieved Arthur and made my way through the halls from my room to his, to Henry's, guards opened his door allowing me to enter then close behind me. I had a servant bring a basket for Arthur and I laid him in it before pulling back the sheets and climbing in beside my husband. I never said anything not that I need to. I slipped my arm over and around his was it finally finding warmth and comfort. I closed my eyes and as I did he woke and turned around wrapping me in his embrace.
