ROYAL BLOOD
— 17. Formidable

At the Palace of Mechelen in Burgundy, Margaret of York stood on one of the high levels of the large yard, smiling as she watched her subjects dance and enjoy themselves at her court.

Two of her step-grandchildren sat behind her, smiling as well. However, just then, her smile faded when she turned her head to see a messenger walking over to her.

He bowed to her, holding out a rolled-up letter that laid upon a platter. "Duchess," He greeted her politely, "From England."

To my aunt and step-mother in Burgundy,

I need your help to get to freedom. My sister Lizzie has given birth to a son and while she may find herself switching to Tudor sides after the birth of Prince Arthur, I have not.

They are beginning to realize that and I've heard whisperings that Lady Margaret plans to frame me for the assassination attempt on the king at the hands of Francis Lovell.

I do not wish to be executed for something I had no part in and I believe you would feel the same way.

You both know of the Tudor curse and we know Lady Margaret is the cause of all my brothers' and my sister's deaths. The curse will rain down upon them and Lizbeth's son will surely not survive long.

I've reminded her of that, but she refuses to believe it. I would know, though. I said the words with my mother and Tudor's male line will not survive. I promise you that.

Henry is the reason my poor Arthur and your brother Richard are dead, Aunt Margaret. She is the reason for Thomas' death as well.

I cannot forgive and forget that as Lizbeth has. I do not share her love for these usurpers and I never will.

He's locked up my cousin Teddy as well and no matter how many times she says it, I do not believe Lizbeth will be able to convince Henry to free him, not with his mother controlling everything he does.

If you are still willing to do what it takes to bring House York back to its rightful place on the throne of England, rise up against him and wage war.

Your niece,
Lizzie

Margaret smiled as she read the letter to herself. Nora had been right. Unlike her sister Cecily, Lizzie was on their side.

"Now I have two," Margaret informed her grandchildren as she turned to face them both with a large smile on her face.

She held both letters in her hands as she walked over to her granddaughter, Margaret, a smile on her face. "What does it say, Grand-mere?" the girl asked curiously.

Margaret continued to read the letter as she sat down in her seat. Her granddaughter walked over, taking a seat on Margaret's lap. "Alors, my Rettie."

"This one..." She trailed off, holding up the one from Lizzie, "Is from the Queen of England's sister, Lizzie. She is Aunt Nora's eldest step-daughter and she says I must make war," She explained, pointing across the yard where Nora stood with Mary and Maximilian, the three of them laughing as Katherine sparred with one of the children at court.

"And this one..." She trailed off, holding up the second letter, "Is from the new king, Henry Tudor, who bids me peace."

Margaret smiled, blowing a raspberry on the girl's forehead. "Now, go play with Katherine, before she accidentally kills one of our guards with that sword of hers," She encouraged the two children, who giggled as they ran off to join their cousin.

Margaret continued to smile as she continued to read over the letters.

Several moments later, inside the palace, Margaret walked with her mother, Duchess Cecily, who was shocked by the news that her daughter was telling her of.

"Jasper Tudor and Lord Strange?" She asked, sounding disgusted at the revelation of the duo traveling there, "I take it that you refused them?"

"I did not reply," Margaret replied in a calm tone, much to her mother's confusion, "But my spies tell me they're sailing anyway."

"The very man who led the Tudor army," Francis Lovell spoke up as he joined the group with an uneasy look on his face, "You must stand with Nora and Lizzie and fight them. You cannot sit back any longer, Duchess."

A taunting look on her face, Margaret turned to face Francis. "Cannot, Francis?" She asked him threateningly, causing him to feel uneasy as she walked toward him, "So you would tell me what to do now, just as England seeks to? Just because you failed to kill the King while you were standing right beside him? Nora herself could've done better than you have."

Margaret smiled mischievously, turning her back to Francis once more while Cecily read over the letter from Henry and the one from her granddaughter. "My choice...is to do what my darling sister-in-law has done already. Remain a thorn in Henry Tudor's side. As the two of us have been doing so many happy months already. Which is why I grant you safety at my court. If they come, I will refuse to see them and then they will go."

Margaret gasped, smiling happily when she turned her head to see Katherine, little Margaret, and Phillip walking over with Mary and Nora.

She smiled, hugging the three children before she walked away with them. As she did so, Mary and Nora remained, turning to face Cecily and Francis Lovell.

Mary smiled, shaking her head as she walked over to them alongside Nora.

"My step-mother has not mourned her brother Richard and her nephews and her niece," Mary explained to them in a calm tone, "She will not even speak of Arthur and the children. She thinks she can hide here, and the world will stay outside."

"Well, she is wrong," Cecily answered in a calm tone as she began to rip the letter from Henry. "The time has come to be a York and take a stand."

"What shall we do?" Mary suddenly spoke up, turning to look at Nora for guidance.

The woman smiled, glancing between Mary, Francis, and Cecily. "We allow them into court, distract Lord Strange while I work my charm on Jasper," She explained in a calm tone, "And while doing so, I shall send my spies to England to fetch my step-daughter Lizzie. I lost Lizbeth to the Tudors, I will not lose her as well. Believe it or not, I've grown to care for her like a daughter since my Edward's death. I promised her mother I would take care of her and I will. She does not want to be there anymore and I will make sure to save her from their torment before it is too late."

_____

In England, at Westminster Palace, after a few hours, Lizzie had finally arrived back at her sister's room to find Lizbeth sitting in bed with her son in her arms.

She smiled down at her son, her eyes only going elsewhere when her sister had entered. "I tried to come to you..." Lizzie trailed off, an uneasy look on her face, "but I was a bit...held up."

Lizbeth chuckled at Lizzie. "I won't even ask," She replied as she shook her head.

"Good choice," Lizzie replied, making her way over to her sister.

She glanced over at Cecily, who stood near the window. She sighed in defeat, just before taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

"I still cannot believe he's a boy," Lizbeth confessed softly as she smiled down at her son, "It seems God is on my side."

"Or on Lady Margaret's," Lizzie commented, causing Lizbeth to turn to her with a weird look, "God's ways are strange indeed, but it seems He answers Lady Margaret's prayer."

"He answers mine, Lizzie," She argued, sounding almost offended, "He is my little prince. My very own dear boy and he is more perfect than I could have ever imagined."

Lizzie tried to hide her uneasiness as she forced a smile upon her lips.

Lizbeth lifted her son up, placing him in Lizzie's arms.

Lizzie stared down at the small boy, a sad smile on her face. It made her think of the baby's namesake.

"I still cannot believe how loudly she screamed," Cecily chuckled as she walked over to join her two elder sisters, "I thought she would split open."

Lizzie smiled up at Cecily before it gradually faded. "Cecily, would you fetch us some wine?" She asked her younger sister, causing Cecily's smile to fade, "Lizbeth's voice sounds rather hoarse. We wouldn't want the Queen of England to lose her voice now, would we?"

Cecily gave Lizzie a weird look, but nodded anyway. She sighed in defeat before walking away.

Lizzie watched Cecily leave, just before looking back at her elder sister. "I'm sorry, sister, but this child is not your own. He belongs to the throne. He always will. Just like his namesake, our brother, did," She explained in a low, hushed tone, "No matter what, you cannot forget what the red in that rose stands for. Our family's blood. Our brothers' blood. Our sister's blood. Arthur's blood."

"Arthur is gone now, Lizzie," Lizbeth argued in a stern tone, frowning as she realized just how much Lizzie was starting to sound like Nora, her mother, not Lizzie's, "When are you going to come to terms with that? All that there is now is this Arthur. My Arthur," She paused, smiling softly as she looked down at her son, "My precious boy."

"Yes. Arthur. Named after the brother that your husband killed," Lizzie argued in a stern tone, "How can you just forget about that? Henry killed Arthur."

"Lizzie, enough," Lizbeth ordered sternly as she shook her head in disapproval, "We must not speak of this. Not now, not ever."

"What about your mother? Will you speak of that?" Lizzie questioned in a sarcastic tone, "I doubt it."

"There is nothing to speak of. She left us, Lizzie. She left us to fend for ourselves," Lizbeth explained and Lizzie tried to contain her anger.

She didn't leave them. She believed they had chosen House Tudor. Cecily had and Lizbeth did as well. Lizzie did not, though. She never would. Not after what they did to Arthur. Not after what happened to her brothers and her sister. Not after they locked up poor Teddy.

Lizbeth disregarded the look Lizzie was giving her and smiled down at her son. "But that doesn't matter now. I have my son. That's all that matters."

Not being able to take it anymore, Lizzie stood up. She gave Lizbeth one last parting look and headed for the door.

She walked out of her sister's room and just as she turned the corner, she found Margaret standing off to the side. She knew for a fact at that moment that Margaret had been listening to the conversation she had been having with her sister and all honesty, she didn't care. Her life was gone in any case.

"Perhaps now we have the boy will bring back peace to England," She told Margaret as she turned to face her, a smile on her face, "Half York, half Tudor."

"He is only Tudor," Margaret responded, earning an eye roll from Lizzie.

"The blood that baby boy carries says otherwise, My Lady the King's Mother," Lizzie retorted and Margaret began to glare at her.

She finally realized at that moment that Lizzie was nothing like Cecily. No matter how much she was bribed and treated kindly, she would never stop being for House York, not after everything.

"He is not just a baby boy," Margaret continued on, doing what she always did to Lizbeth when she didn't like what she was saying. Continue on and act like she hadn't heard what she said.

"He is my son's heir and heir to the throne of England. Of that there is no doubt," Margaret explained to Lizzie in a cold tone.

"Oh, there is always doubt, My Lady The King's Mother," She spoke up as Margaret was about to walk away, causing the elder woman to stop where she was and turn to face Lizzie, "For I once had two brothers who destined there themselves. And then Arthur became king and his three brothers were then destined for it as well. Yet, somehow, in the end, your son was the one who became king. Nothing is ever certain. Or can you read the future? As God's supposed 'Chosen one', was it His will to give you that as well? Because I see something and that is far from what will happen in the future."

Margaret glared at Lizzie hatefully, just before she walked away with her ladies.

Lizzie watched her walk away, a smile forming on her lips.

______

At the castle in Burgundy, Mary stood on the balcony with Cecily and Katherine, watching as Jasper Tudor and Lord Strange arrived on horseback.

"Here comes the English fools. Hoping to make peace," Mary explained, causing both herself and Katherine to laugh in amusement.

"Like that will happen," She muttered under her breath and Mary laughed.

"They look so tired and miserable," Mary commented, earning an amused smile from Cecily.

"Wouldn't you be, Mary, coming from a Tudor court?" She asked, a large smile on her face.

"And still no satisfaction when they get here," Mary responded as she turned to look at her cousin and Cecily, "Perhaps we will make use of them for sport," She asked as she placed her hands on Katherine's shoulders, "No?"

"Oh, you know she will," Cecily commented as she wrapped an arm around Katherine, "I believe Nora will have her hands full with Jasper Tudor, leaving this one to get away with treating Lord Strange any way she pleases without getting in trouble. Will you make this one cry, Kathy?"

"Oh, I hope so," Katherine boasted, causing Cecily and Mary to chuckle, "Back in England, I was told that he was the one behind killing Edmund and George. For that, I shall make him pay in any way I can."

"You, my love, are your mother's daughter," Cecily boasted, only to turn her head to see Nora standing in one of the windows, watching Jasper and Lord Strange, "No doubt, your mother is already concocting a plan for Jasper Tudor."

From her window, Nora continued to look downwards, only to move out of sight when Jasper looked up, nearly locking eyes on her.

   Later on, once they were invited into the palace, Jasper and Lord Strange stood off to the side, watching Margaret walked through the yard, straight toward where Nora stood, conversing in French to a group of both men and women.

"Don't be fooled by her," He spoke up, referring to Margaret, "She's formidable and quite the politician, just like Nora."

"She?"  Lord Strange questioned, a deeply puzzled look on his face as he looked over to where Mary stood the children and Katherine. Maximilian walked over, laughing as Katherine playfully pointed her sword at him. "Isn't Maximilian in charge?"

   "It's his wife Mary who has the lineage, daughter to the late Charles the Bold, but as you would expect when there's a York around, it's the stepmother who really holds the power," Jasper explained in a calm tone, "Most say she ruled the Duchy long before her husband passed away."

Lord Strange smiled, glancing around to see how lively Burgundy was compared to England. "I wonder what he died of."

Jasper sighed in frustration and decided to ignore Lord Strange. They both turned their head, watching as Margaret walked over to her. Margaret smiled, greeting Nora with a kiss to both cheeks.

"What of Nora?" Lord Strange spoke up as he turned to give Jasper a questioning look, "What are we to do to her?"

"We are to do nothing. Henry gave clear orders. You are to stay as far away from her as possible. I am the one to deal with you, not you," Jasper explained in a calm tone, causing Lord Strange to smile in amusement.

   "Are we truly to be that scared of a woman left with no power?" Lord Strange asked, clearly not taking Nora's 'power' seriously.

  "You are just like your father and Margaret, it seems," Jasper commented, a deeply annoyed look on his face, "When we went to fetch the Earl of Warwick from his grandmother and the De La Pools in Suffolk, do you remember what Duchess Cecily said?"

  "It isn't lands and titles that give Nora power," Lord Strange recited her comment, remembering it as if it were yesterday.

     "And even if no one else at court wants to admit it, she is right. Nora has gained the love and respect of England for more than thirty years. That is how she escaped being locked in a tower that was guarded by more than a dozen men. People from both Houses love her," Jasper explained in a calm tone, "At first, it was because of who her father was, but that soon changed. They began to love her for all the good she did in England. We kill her, she'll become a martyr. She knows that. She is her father's daughter. She was raised to be like a solider, to not fear death when it comes. If she dies at the hands of Henry or anyone loyal to him, the love the people have for her will cause them to rise up against us."

   "And I'm told they are not the only ones who love her," Lord Strange remarked, smiling slightly as he gave Jasper a knowing look, "You speak as though you admire her."

"Just keep away from her," Jasper changed the subject as he grew aggravated with Lord Strange, "I shall handle her. We must be wary of anything that comes out of her mouth. She has a way with words that could trick any man into doing anything she wishes them to."

"If you say so," Jasper chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders, "While you do that, I shall enjoy what Burgundy has to offer," He commented, eying the women of the court with a smirk on his face.