ROYAL BLOOD
— 14. The Grand Plan

   That same day, Lizbeth stood in her room, waiting for Bishop Morton to arrive with her mother.  Soon enough, the door opened and Nora ran in, a large smile on her face.

"Oh, Lizbeth!" Nora exclaimed happily as she rushed to engulf her daughter in a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She pulled away, a large smile on her face as she grabbed ahold of Lizbeth's hands. "There is sickness, then," She commented and Lizbeth frowned, wondering how her mother could smile while saying such a thing, "It will play in our favor."

Lizbeth didn't answer. Instead, she looked ahead, seeing that Cecily was standing in the doorway, listening to their conversation.

Nora noticed as well and turned to Cecily. She began to heavily breathe, staggering as she made her way toward her step-daughter. "Cecily..." She trailed off, acting as though she was sick, "I think I have caught the sweat."

Cecily and Bishop Morton exchanged a look with each other before Cecily wasted no time closing the door.

Watching the door close, Nora gradually began to smirk in satisfaction. She turned to face Lizbeth, who was giving her a disapproving look. "What?" She asked her daughter in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"'Favor'?" Lizbeth asked her mother, shaking her head in disapproval, "People dying? You think that that is good?"

"Of course it is," Nora replied, causing Lizbeth to stare at her in horror, "They'll blame Henry for bringing it to England. They view it to be God's curse for claiming what was never his in the first place. And when enough of them have died, the rest will rise up in their grief and overthrow him."

Lizbeth felt horrified, feeling as though her mother was practically unrecognizable at that moment. Her mother never thought like that before, what had changed?

"I sent out food and money. Physicians to attend the sick," Lizbeth informed her mother, causing Nora to give her a weird look.

"You did what?" Nora asked her daughter in disbelief.

"I thought you'd be happy!" She complained and it was true. The person her mother was three years ago before her father died would have been happy and proud of her. Yet, the woman who stood before Lizbeth at that moment was nothing like that woman, "We are not monsters! You cannot just let people die."

"We have no control over who dies, Lizbeth! We cannot play God, if you haven't realized," Nora complained in frustration, "You must admit, though, this does work to our advantage. Surely you can see that. Can't you?"

"Did you write to Francis Lovell? Order him to kill the king?" Lizbeth asked, an angered look on her face.

"Of course I did. I..." She trailed off, her eyes lighting up while playing the role of the 'madwoman' as everyone was beginning to view her to be when in truth, it was all an act, "Is he dead?"

"No, he is not dead. He is alive," Lizbeth stared at her mother in disbelief while Nora tried not to smile, knowing everything was going according to plan, "How dare you do that? Write to him without my knowledge, and in my name I assume," She paused, letting out a large sigh, "And by the look on your face, I know you knew it would fail. So why? Why do it if you knew it would fail?"

Nora remained silent for a long moment, refusing to answer Lizbeth's question. "We said that we would come against him, what else did you think that meant?"

"That we would contact loyal Yorks who would muster men and mount..." Lizbeth trailed off, an uneasy look on her face.

"A what?" Nora couldn't but laugh, "A war?"

"Yes! A battle to depose him," Lizbeth complained loudly, "Not an assassin in the night!"

  Nora scoffed loudly and nodded her head in understanding. "Oh, I see. You would rather that Henry died in battle, where thousands more may lose their lives beside him, just so you can feel better about it."

"No, of course not!" Lizbeth shouted at her mother as she frowned at her mother.

"What, then?" She questioned Lizbeth, an amused look on her face.

"He does not have to die at all!" Lizbeth blurted out, causing Nora's smile to fade.

"What are you talking about?" Nora asked, realizing that she had been right.

Lizbeth was falling in love with Henry Tudor, despite all that their family had lost for him to become king. Henry killed her elder brother, yet she still loved him.

At that moment, Nora realized once and for all. Lizbeth was no longer on her side.

"We can remove him from the throne and send him back to where he has come from," Lizbeth suggested, not admitting to her mother that if Henry were to leave, a part of her believed she would go with him.

  "Send him back?" Nora asked, letting out a large scoff, "Do you truly believe he would just obey and go? Find a plump peasant wife to have his children in Flanders, realize that's what he wanted all along and live a happy, normal life after having a taste of how it feels to be sitting on the throne England?"

"That is not what I meant," Lizbeth argued defensively as she shook her head.

"What, then? What did you mean, Lizbeth?" Nora questioned as she began to walk toward her daughter, "He and his mother killed your sister and three of your brothers so he may become king. He will not give up the crown while he is still breathing. And even if he wants to, it's not like Margaret would let that happen," She paused, giving her daughter a disappointed look, "You have changed, Lizbeth. I thought you wanted them dead as much as I do. But I was wrong."

"I did!" She exclaimed, only to have her face fall when she realized her mistake, which Nora noticed as well, "I still do. But would you kill a man so easily?"

"A murderer," Nora pointed out, but Lizbeth was quick to argue back.

"Doesn't that make you a murderer as well?" She pointed out, thinking it would make her mother feel shameful. Instead, however, it revealed something to Lizbeth that would change her way of viewing her mother forever.

"What do you think, Lizbeth? I killed my own uncle to keep your father and the rest of his family in power. You think I won't kill this man and his bitch mother who cost me four, perhaps even five of my children if they got ahold of your brother?  I'm starting to think they have cost me you as well now," Nora explained in a growl and the confession about her mother's uncle left her shocked, "I would do things you couldn't imagine to keep our family safe and in power. I didn't want your brother as King, but I couldn't stop it. I promised your father I would help keep our family in power, that I would not let him down and I intend to keep that promise until my dying breath."

"Your moves are far too obvious," Lizbeth confessed, tears welled in her eyes, "He knows already that it was you who sent Lovell in with a knife. You will have us all thrown under lock and key, and how will that help House York achieve victory?"

Nora found herself feeling amused, seeing as though even Lizbeth thought her mother 'moves' were actually her moves when they were, in truth, just a distraction.

"You love him. You really do love him," Nora stated as she stared at her daughter, feeling almost betrayed.

  "I do not," Lizbeth argued, an offended look on her face, "Forgive me if I'm unhappy that you put me on the throne with Henry and now expect me to just willing to pull myself off of it. You made me a Tudor queen and now you want to take that away from me when you don't even have a boy to put on the throne instead of me."

"I never made you a Tudor Queen. I made you a York Queen," Nora snapped at Lizbeth coldly, a look of disbelief on her face, "And what makes you think I don't have a boy to put on?" She asked, letting out a large scoff, "Your brother is out there. I know it. I know it in my gut."

Lizbeth stared at her mother in disbelief. She was truly willing to unseat her as queen, even while all her bothers were dead.

  "I always knew it. I always knew you preferred my brothers over me. I had not truly seen it until now," She realized and Nora stared at her as though she were crazy.

That anything but the truth. Even she could admit that.

"How could you say such a thing? I have always loved you with all my heart, Lizbeth. Ever since the moment you were born. You were always my girl, my first girl. Your father tried to have you married off many times, but I fought against it. I couldn't bear to lose you. I always fought for you, even if you do not want to admit it. While I had to worry about your brothers being taken from me and sent off to battle, you were always mine and mine alone. You could never say that I didn't love you as I loved them. Because even if I never wanted to admit it, a part of me always loved you most. You were always so much like me. You and I were never at odds because of it. I have always been on your side and I always will be. No matter what. You must know that."

Nora walked toward Lizbeth, tears in her eyes. Lizbeth began to cry as well, on the verge of hugging her mother when the door opened and Cecily entered.

  "Lady Step-Mother," She called out, causing the duo to turn to her and scoff, "You must return now to your rooms. Bishop Morton says so."

"How lovely," Nora sarcastically commented as she walked over to the window, "It seems I am to be held there until the King can decide what to do with me. He feels I am a threat to Tudor rule."

How right he is, Nora thought to herself as her lips curled upwards.

She looked down, her eyes locking on her necklace and Katherine's ring. She smiled, picking them both up before turning to Lizbeth. "Mine," She remarked as she lifted them both up and chuckled, "Perhaps I'll need it."

With that, Lizbeth watched hesitantly as her mother was escorted out.

____

  While Maggie, Lizzie, and Teddy were giving out food and gold to the poor in London, Lizbeth sat in her rooms, writing a letter to Henry.

Cecily sat near the fireplace, watching her like a hawk. Lizbeth, on the other hand, was sitting at her desk, writing a letter to Henry.

Dear husband,

I appreciate your honesty in the matters regarding how you feel, but you are anything but right. That I must admit.

I have nothing to do with what has been done to you. I swear it. I had no knowledge of it until you told me.

   You know me well enough to know I am not the type to send an assassin to murder you. You knew if I wanted you dead, you have been dead the moment we first shared a bed on our wedding night. But you weren't.

   No matter what happens in the future regarding England and our rule, know that I am on your side from this day until the end of my days. You needn't worry about that. I am carrying your child. Because of that, I shall always be on your side. No matter what.

     And now that I know my mother is imprisoned, I know that she had nothing to do with it, either. You may think she is capable of such things, but she is not.

She is merely a forty-five-year-old woman whose voice and trouble-causing is of no consequence to you. 

    If England is truly coming against you, as you say, Henry, you have no one to blame but yourself. Those are my words of wisdom for you.

Until next time.

Your Wife in London
Lizbeth

  At York, Henry was standing alone in the Abbey when a messenger walked over to him and handed him a letter.

As he finished reading it, he looked up, seeing that Jasper and Lord Stanley had finally arrived back with their men.

They walked over to Henry, the rest of the people in the Abbey soon joining them. "Lovell has fled," Jasper informed the group in a calm tone, "We tailed him as far as Middleham, but he, uh...We lost him. We should make haste to London."

"Why?" Henry asked, a concerned look on his face.

"We cannot continue the Progress. Unrest is breaking out," Jasper explained before Sir William Stanley decided to speak up.

"Some of your soldiers are changing sides, joining with the rebels," Sir William informed Henry, who stared at him in confusion.

"Changing sides to who though?" Henry questioned, a deeply puzzled look on his face, "There's no reason to unseat me if they have no other king to take my place!"

"They're calling for the Earl of Warwick, Teddy," Lord Stanley informed his king, who was shocked by the revelation.

"That fool boy over Henry?!" Margaret exclaimed, a look of disbelief on her face.

Henry sighed, walking over to his little desk to write a letter to London while the rest of them continued to talk. As he did so, Jasper made his way over to Margaret and began to speak to him in private. "They say Henry is cursed by God. His reign will fail. He brought the Sweat, and England will die under him. It gives York hope."

"This cannot be allowed. It cannot," Margaret demanded in a stern tone.

After writing his letter, Henry looked up at the messenger. "Here. Take this," He insisted as he handed him the letter, despite feeling uneasy about how Lizbeth would react to what the letter contained.

_____

"Lizbeth, they've taken Teddy!" Maggie cried out as she entered Lizbeth's room, gaining the attention of both Lizzie and Lizbeth, "You have to help him!"

"What?" Lizzie asked, both she and Lizbeth shocked by the news.

"He's in the Tower," Maggie continued to cry, fearing for her brother's life, "You...You have to tell them that you told us to give all the food and the money—"

"That isn't why they've taken him, you idiot," Cecily snapped at Maggie, causing Lizbeth to turn to her with an angry look.

"Do not speak to her like that, Cecily!" Lizbeth shouted at her sister angrily before she rushed to comfort Maggie.

"What? Use your head. He is a York boy, Maggie," Cecily informed Maggie in a calm tone, "He is a threat to Henry because people might prefer him on the throne."

"You knew this?" Lizzie asked Cecily in disbelief as she turned to look at her.

"My Lady the King's Mother writes to me with news," Cecily responded confidently as she shrugged her shoulders, "She told me it would be for Henry's safety."

"Cecily, he is our cousin," Lizbeth growled as she began to walk toward Cecily with a furious look on her face.

"And Henry is my brother-in-law and King. So if I must choose within my family, I would rather choose the side that I am afraid of," She explained, causing Lizbeth to find herself consumed would anger.

Before she could react, she had slapped Cecily across the face. Cecily gasped in pain. She clutched the side of her face as she stumbled back.

"Get out," Lizbeth shouted at Cecily, consumed with her rage, "Your mother would be ashamed of you. As would Father."

Once snapping at Cecily, Lizbeth walked back over to her cousin, cupping the girl's face in her hands. "Lizzie and I will make sure they let him out, Maggie. I promise," She assured Maggie, who continued to sob.

"You can't," Cecily spoke up, seeing as though she had refused to leave, "They will lock you up if you three try and leave the palace. All three of you."

"Lizbeth," Maggie sobbed as she looked at her cousin. Lizbeth shot a glare at Cecily, just before turning all of her attention to Maggie, "You know what they do to York boys in the tower. Please don't let them kill him like they did your brothers."

"They only killed three brothers in the Tower," Cecily suddenly spoke up as she walked over to the group, "George escaped, but now we don't know where he is."

"Was that supposed to help?" Lizzie snapped at Cecily, who merely glared at her before leaving the room.

As Cecily left, Maggie began to sob loudly. Lizbeth sighed, cupping her cousin's face in her hands. "Maggie, hey. Maggie," She called out, forcing the girl to look her in the eyes, "You must not speak of it. You mustn't speak of what Cecily just said."

"We have to help him," Maggie pleaded as she stared up at Lizbeth and Lizzie, "Please."

Lizbeth sighed. She nodded her head, pulling Maggie close to her chest as she exchanged an uneasy look with Lizzie.

____

It was nighttime and Nora sat on her bed with Katherine, both of them knowing about what was yet to occur.

The door suddenly opened and three guards entered, bowing to Nora. "Your Grace," They greeted her, causing Nora's smile to curl upwards.

She grabbed ahold of Katherine's hand, just before walking forward. "I thank you for your loyalty. Your good deeds will not be forgotten," She told them, a thankful look on her face.

One of the men lifted his hand, revealing a large bag of gold. She took it from his grasp before she and Katherine walked out of the room.

"There is something you must know before you leave, Your Grace," One of them suddenly spoke up, causing Nora to turn to face him with a concerned frown, "The Earl of Warwick has been imprisoned."

"What?" Nora gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief.

  Despite the men insisting that Nora leave and not take such a risk, Nora traveled to the Tower of London to visit Teddy before fleeing England.

The guards, as she expected, allowed her through. She entered the boy's room in the Tower. Once she walked in, Teddy jumped out of bed and ran toward his aunt.

"Aunt Nora?!" He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her.

He ran into her arms and Nora hugged him tightly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

She knelt in front of him, cupping his face in her arms. "I am so sorry, my love," She whispered to him softly, "This is all my fault."

"Aunt Nora, what's happening? Why have they locked me in here?" Teddy asked worriedly.

Nora smiled sadly, trying to contain her tears. "You'll be alright, Teddy. I promise. I must go, but I will come back for you. I will come back with an army to take back England from those who have stolen it from us," She explained, choking back a sob, "There's no need to be afraid, my love. Alright? You're going to be okay. I will come back and save you, my dear Teddy."

Nora hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "This is all my fault." She admitted softly, finding herself consumed with guilt.

"You'll return?" Teddy asked, filled with joy at the revelation.

"I will," Nora nodded, smiling up at Teddy, "But I must go. I will come back for you, Teddy, I promise. And I shall bring you and Maggie away from here, where you both can live a happy life once and for all. Would you like that?"

Teddy smiled and nodded his head. At the look on his face, Nora began to cry. She hugged him tightly once more, trying to maintain composure. "I love you, sweetheart. You must know that. I will come back for you, I promise."

Nora stood up, trying not to cry as she hugged the boy one last time. She gave him a parting look, just before leaving the room, despite it being the hardest thing for her to do.

Last time she left a York boy in the Tower, three of them ended up dead and only one came out alive, thanks to the dagger she had given him.

She prayed to God Teddy didn't meet the same fate.