Henry, myself, Meg, Arthur, Harry and Ned stood separately from other members viewing the execution of Sir William Stanley. He was led forward and up to the chopping block after he was tried and found guilty of treason. I took Henry's hand in mine and he squeezed it.
"Before I die." Stanley began "You are not a King, nor fit to be one. England rots beneath you. Men weep, so kill me. And you will kill many others after me. Men who will live to say 'Long Live the true and able King Richard!" He was forced down and Meg his her face in my waist. That axe was raised and dropped killing the traitor. I hugged my daughter, as Henry passed
"Arthur, you will never be King if you cannot watch a traitor die." He walked away, Lizzie offered to take the children while I went to find Henry. I agreed and found him sitting in the Gardens of the palace. I sat down next to him and we were in silence until he was ready.
"If the man who won me the field at Bosworth for me could betray me then..." he trails off
"The rest are loyal." I assure him
"Are they? Are you?" he questioned turning his head to me.
"Of course I am." I replied and glanced away
"I saw your face. The day of Harry and Ned's ennobling banquet, when your mother said your brother Richard lives. You couldn't look at me and you look like you would murder her right then." I looked away. "As you can't now."
"Henry, we..we... I... I wanted to tell you." I broke my silence
"Oh my God. He breathed "Please." he stood up moving himself away from me.
"What my mother says has some truth to it." I admitted "When my Uncle requested that my brothers be together in the tower. We put a peasant boy in my brother Richard's place then we sent him off to safety. When you sent soldiers to bring me here as your future wife, he was with us and we hid him just before the men arrived."
"Then you have lied to me for years."
"No" i denied joining him "There has been nothing but silence since. He had a destination but he never arrived, then my mother wrote endlessly to most of Europe searching for him. Anywhere he might have gone she begged for word, yet nobody knew anything. He'd disappeared. When I found out I was with Arthur, my mother learned that the soldiers tore our house apart, slaughtered any boy the came across and then the answer was there, we understood. This is how I know the boy in Burgundy is just another imposter. My brother is dead."
"Dead." he repeated
"Dead." I confirmed
"Yet, you never told me any of this before?" he questioned
"When we first wed I was full of hate and resentment. Then as I grew to love you my reason changed, I told myself that I was protecting you." I reasoned as I had done so many times over the years.
"From what?"
"Fear. Unwarving, never-ending fear. I didn't want to loose you to it, or at all so I kept quiet. Look at me Henry." I held his face and he looked me in the eyes "I can't loose you, not ever do you hear me?" he nodded
"So the boy is not Richard?"
"No."
"Then who is he? Because his marriage to the Scottish Girl is underway, and when the Wedding feast is done whoever he may be, he wants my Kingdom."
"Then we will take him down. Together." I tell him
YOU ARE READING
York's Hope.
FanfictionEveryone 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.
