The King's Artist

Ch 80: The Battle of Bosworth Field

Adelaide stood beside her horse casually brushing his mane while she waited. She had finished adorning her armor a while ago and had found herself in a trance as she fought to forget the heaviness on her chest. She wasn't sure if it was a result of the breastplate's weight or the sword at her hip or just the general anxiety of the approaching conflict. 

Their never did receive confirmation from the Stanleys as to which side they would take during the battle. Henry had met with his stepfather a few nights ago in secret, but the Baron had given nothing away as to whether he would pick the Yorkist or the Tudors. Henry hadn't seemed upset by the ambiguity, though. Rather, if Adelaide had to guess, Henry respected Thomas Stanley for waiting and considering the consequences of his decision. However, it didn't change the fact that they were outnumbered. Richard's forces were nearly twelve thousand strong. Without Stanley's six thousand, the battle would be long, difficult one for the Tudors.  

Adelaide's body went still as Henry suddenly appeared next to her. He didn't say anything and neither did she as she grabbed the reins of her horse and followed him towards the front of the army. Kayden and Jasper trailed behind them, also quiet and lost in their thoughts. 

Their group stopped just out of sight of the soldiers. Eight thousand men moved into their positions, most double checking their weapons, calming their horses, praying and whispering goodbyes and words of comfort to one another. A gloom hung over the people, but there was also a notable trace of excitement mingling with the fear.

Adelaide's hands shook as she abruptly reached out to Henry and grabbed his hand. They were hidden completely by her horse, so no one could see the terror shaking either of them as they made eye-contact. She could feel it like a palpable squeezing of her throat. Whether they won or lost this battle, everything would change after today. 

Henry took a steadying breath, squeezed her hand once, and let go. Adelaide watched from the side as he moved towards the front of the soldiers with Jasper at his side. Any murmurs of the crowd disappeared instantly as he came into view. 

"If ever God gave victory to men fighting in a just quarrel," Henry began, his voice carrying loudly over the fields. He stood tall and regal, a king in every sense of the word. Adelaide noted the admiration and trust in the eyes of the men. It was true that Henry was young and inexperienced, but he was intelligent, handsome, and carried himself in a way that demanded respect from those around him. He was also England's last hope. If Henry lost this war, if the Tudors lost this war, then Richard would remain in power, his oppression and corruption ruling the people unforgivingly for years on end. 

Henry continued spouting encouragement to his people, telling them of the justness of their fight, reminding them of why they were going to war against the King of England. His words sparked something in the soldiers. Adelaide saw the light flicker in their eyes before it shinned. They shouted in response, rallying and adjusting in anticipating. The cheers rang loudly, the clouds dispersing, as fear was replaced by anger, anger towards an unjust king.

"For surely this rule is infallible," Henry shouted with such emotion that Adelaide blinked in surprise. She had never seen him declare so vehemently, so openly, his disdain for Richard. It was a sharp reminder as to why Henry had picked this fight. He may have been initially dragged into this role when he had been barely a boy, but it was a role that he had come to accept with maturity. These men were Henry's people. This cause was his fight. "That as ill men daily covert to destroy the good, so God [appoints] the good to confound the ill, and of all worldly goods the greatest is to suppress tyrants and relieve innocents, [where] one is ever as much hated as the other is beloved."

The soldiers cried to the sky as Henry finished. The ground shook, startling the horses, and Adelaide had to fight to hold the reins of her own horse firm. Her eyes burned, though, and she smiled so broadly that it threatened to split her face in two. When she glanced at Kayden, she could see he mirrored the expression.