ROYAL BLOOD
— 44. Capture

The next morning, Lizbeth traveled to the King's Wardrobe, which had been burnt down by her several months before.

She found Henry there, causing her to feel uneasy.

"Scorched brick and burning wood," Henry informed her in a calm tone, "It smells of war."

"I know the smell," Lizbeth whispered, flashes of the aftermath of the Battle at Bosworth running through her mind.

She had run through the aftermath of the battle when she fled the war camp while trying to outrun Henry's men. She still dreamt of it. The smell, the sight of the bodies, the blood, the dismembered body parts. It was something she knew she'd never forget. It was scarring.

"If I close my eyes, it's as if I'm back at Bosworth, and no time at all has passed," He explained and Lizbeth tried to hide her uneasiness.

"Bosworth is a long time passed," She reminded him, despite neither her nor Henry believing it.

"You never knew the whole truth of how your brother Thomas died," Henry informed Lizbeth, who was quick to argue.

"He was beaten to death. You told me yourself," She replied, only to frown when she saw the look on Henry's face.

"I lied," He admitted in a whisper, causing Lizbeth to look concerned, "He was beaten, but not to death. He was beaten and beaten, but he wouldn't die. Arthur took his last breath, thinking Thomas was dead, too, but he wasn't. Not yet."

Henry sighed, beginning to walk around the room while Lizbeth tried to contain her sadness at the thought.

"One eye stamped from his head and the other still rolled and blinked," He explained, tears beginning to form in his own eyes at the thought, "He was still breathing, blood bubbling on his lips. The men violated his body again and again and I did nothing. I didn't stop them. I could have, but I didn't. I stood there and did nothing as they did everything you could imagine to Thomas. Like animals, they tore at him."

"Please, stop, Henry, I beg of you," Lizbeth pleaded, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I must tell you. Please, let me tell you," Henry insisted and Lizbeth sighed, saying nothing as he continued on, "We rolled him into a pit and threw earth on him and he was still alive when it hit his face. And I thought..." He trailed off, his breath becoming shaky, "Is this what happens to someone of royal blood?"

Lizbeth stared up at Henry, trying to maintain composure as she held back the tears that so desperately wanted to spill from her eyes.

"He rises in the morning and he is above all men, third only to the King and God himself, and by nightfall, he is an obscenity of flesh and splintered bone, choking on the mud that stuffs his mouth," He explained, tears spilling down his face, "Is this what happens to someone of royal blood?"

With tears falling down her cheeks, Lizbeth stared at Henry closely, trying not to break down.

Henry sighed in defeat, realizing that telling her the truth of Thomas was the last thing he should have done at that moment. He felt the need to. He had lied to her and if he was going to die in this war, he needed for her to know the truth. The whole truth.

"And then, I put the thought from me because the crown was placed on my head," Henry explained, a guilty look on his face.

"I believe I had been given the right by God to rule, because my mother told me I had. In truth, I hadn't. I was never given the right," Henry explained, looking down at the ground in shame, "Three innocent boys and three men had to die for me to be given that right."

Lizbeth sighed in defeat. She wiped her tears, just before making her way over to him. "The peace we have had was hard-won and now we are heading towards another war."

"Did you go to the Tower?" Henry asked, a hopeless look on his face as he stared at his face.

Lizbeth sighed, nodding her head in confirmation. "He says..." She trailed off, pausing briefly before continuing on, "He says we will be safe."

"I trust him to honor his word," Henry admitted in a whisper.

"And the Tudor lords? And do you trust them?" Lizbeth asked, a deeply concerned look on her face, "They will fight tooth and nail till the whole country looks like this."

"I am trying to protect our sons—" He began to complain as he placed his hands on her hips and moved closer to her.

"The only way you can protect our sons is by telling the world you've killed the boy!" She complained loudly, referring to her idea of putting Noah Luff in George's place, "You are the King, Henry."

"In name only," Henry reminded her as Lizbeth grabbed ahold of his hands, "I wasn't given the right."

"The right is not given, Henry," Lizbeth argued and Henry sighed in frustration as he pulled away from Lizbeth, "It is taken."

Lizbeth moved closer to Henry, roughly grabbing him by the arms as she continued on. "It is taken by blood and by murder, where is God in that? The king's divinity is simply a tale men tell themselves but the right is taken. It is taken by force, and held by force. How do you think my father became king? His brothers held mad king Henry down as he and my mother poured poison down his throat. Just like them, Henry, you must take right, Henry. Take it. Kill the criminal I've given you and keep my brother in the Tower."

Henry stared at Lizbeth closely. He sighed, slowly nodding his head in agreement.

___

"Bring him out!" The peasants at Tyburn shouted out as they called for the execution of the man posing as George.

In the crowds, Margaret Beaufort and Lord Strange stood together, wearing hooded cloaks to hide their true identity. They watched as Noah Luff was dragged toward the noose, beaten bloody.

"Christ, how the mob stinks," Lord Strange complained, earning an eye roll from Margaret.

At another part of the crowd, Nora wore a hood as she walked with John de la Pole and Margaret of York.

"Your men are ready?" Margaret asked John as she glanced around to see many York loyalists within the crowds.

"They're ready," He replied, nodding his head in confirmation.

"I do not want a single hair on my son's head harmed, do you understand me?" Nora ordered in a low, stern tone.

"I, Perkin Warbeck, the humble son of a boatman from Tournai, confess to a plot to kill the king and the royal family," He announced loudly and once getting a good look at the young man, Nora's eyes widened in horror.

It wasn't him.

"It's not him," Nora whispered to John as she turned her back to the man posing as her son, "Have your men fall back. Now. It's not him."

Nora sighed in frustration, wasting no time walking out of the crowd.

As the man was hanged, the crowds cheered while Nora didn't even look in their direction.

____

    At dinner, Lizbeth and Henry sat upon their thrones, not in the mood for celebration like everyone else in the room seemed to be.

They turned their heads, their eyes locking on Señor de Puebla, who nodded at them.

"They believe it," Henry whispered to Lizbeth as he grabbed ahold of her hand and squeezed it tightly.

She nodded and forced a smile on her face, despite feeling uneasy.

____

"You're certain it wasn't him?" Maggie asked as she stood to Nora's left, watching as the elder woman wrote a letter to someone unknown to her.

Once finishing the letter and stamping her seal on it, Nora lifted it up and handed it to Maggie. "Find a way to get this to the Spanish Ambassador."

Maggie obediently nodded, taking the letter from her aunt's grasp before she left the room.

Nora sighed, turning her head as she exchanged a look with Marie, who was watching her closely. She sent her a small nod, just before beginning to write yet another letter.

____

     At Westminster, Henry smiled as Harry sat on Lizbeth's throne while Kathy sat on her father's lap. The people of the court danced, Arthur and Lizbeth along with them.

Lizbeth smiled as she danced with her eldest son. Henry ended up turning to Harry, whispering something to both him and Kathy that made the duo laugh.

After the dance was done, Lizbeth and Arthur parted ways. She was on the verge of making her way over to Henry when she stopped, seeing that Wolsey had returned and stood in the hallway.

He nodded at her, gesturing for her to come speak with him.

She sighed, uneasily glancing around before she finally walked out of the room when no one was looking.

After hearing the news of her mother, Lizbeth found herself shocked. "My mother is in London?" She asked, a look of disbelief on her face, "With my aunt? She was at Tyburn?"

"They have had help," Wolsey informed her calmly, "Your mother, the Duchess, and the York lords had help from inside the palace."

"From who?" Lizbeth asked, a worried look on her face.

"Your Grace," Señor de Puebla called out, causing her to sigh as she turned her attention to him instead.

"You tire of the dancing?" Lizbeth asked the man as she smiled politely at him.

"You tell us the pretender is dead, but he isn't, is he?" He asked coldly, causing Lizbeth's smile to fade.

"Of course he is," Lizbeth quickly replied, trying to hide her uneasiness.

"Allow me to put it in the most simple of terms," He snapped at Lizbeth in a venomous tone, "You want Prince Arthur to marry our treasure, Princess Catalina? Why should Spain yoke its pearl to this rotting beast that is England? You are supposed to be the peace. Be the peace," He paused, bowing to her once more, "I give you this one night to consider what I have said."

With that, Señor de Puebla turned on his heel and walked away. Lizbeth sighed in defeat. She turned, exchanging an uneasy look with Wolsey.

____

     That night, Lizbeth laid in bed with Henry, both of them looking hopeless. Henry felt uneasy while Lizbeth found herself consumed with guilt, knowing what was happening outside the castle while she was laying in bed with her husband.

"We have enemies, Henry," She spoke up in a soft tone, "And when they come, we will be outnumbered. You, Arthur, and Harry will die. It doesn't matter what George promises. He will not be able to stop his men from killing you three."

"No," Henry argued in a stern tone, "He made promises, he said he would honor you and the boys."

"Henry, I am pregnant again. Do you think that promise will stand if I give birth to a third son?" Lizbeth suddenly asked, causing Henry's eyes to widen as he stared at her in shock, "It won't. Years ago, my father's most trusted advisor rallied men against my father and he was able to do so because my mother had given birth to her second son by my father while Elizabeth Woodville, his queen, had only given him girls. People who once promised fealty to him turned their backs on him because of it. George's son is gone. He has no heir. You do. You have two and might even have a third son soon enough. Men may want to be loyal to him now but what happens in a few years if George still doesn't have an heir while you do? They'll surely turn to our sons and our sons will die. That promise that George has made will not be kept."

"Promises are always made. And they are always broken. Always. If my mother has taught me anything, it's that," Lizbeth explained, letting out a small sigh.

"We have to let him live, Lizbeth," Henry demanded in a pleading tone, "Or we will sacrifice both our sons to the curse. And if you have a boy, he will die too."

"My sister once told me that perhaps her craft was just luck, good timing that she and her mother called magic. But what is certain is that men with swords are coming and they will not stop. My mother will not stop. She is like a York when it comes to her stubbornness. She will not stop until there is a York on the throne. There must be no Yorks left with a claim. That is the only way to stop them."

"Teddy is simple," Henry reminded Lizbeth, a concerned look on her face, "He's an innocent. You and I both know that."

"To them, he is power. A figurehead to be used to rally men," Lizbeth pointed out, tears in her eyes at the thought, "And we must take that power away from them."

What she was doing was wrong, but it had to be done. It needed to be done to ensure the safety of her own children.

She gave George the chance of being free, away from all of this, and he didn't take it.

____

At their place in London, Nora was sitting with some of her loyal men, all of them writing letters to other supports. John de la Pole, Margaret, and Cathy were among those sitting with her, as was little Marie who sat on her lap.

"I bring news of Lady Gordon's child," A man suddenly spoke up as he knocked on the door, causing Nora's eyes to widen in alarm while Cathy's eyes lit up.

She laughed happily and quickly stood up, rushing to the door before Nora could stop her.

"Don't open the door," Nora ordered in a stern tone and Marie felt concerned, knowing something wasn't right.

Cathy didn't listen and Tudor men barged in, causing the men around Nora to be quick to stand up. They were outnumbered and while everyone fought against the Tudor men, Nora sighed in frustration and closed her eyes. She remained seated, holding Marie close to her.

"No matter what happens, you must stay strong, Marie. Remember all that I have taught you and remain strong. You are smart and clever. You know a lot more than they may think. Keep it that way. Let them think you're some clueless, innocent girl, but remember that you are not. You are stronger than they could ever be," She whispered into Marie's ear and Marie teared up as she nodded her head in understanding.

A calm expression on her face, Nora leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Marie's cheek before they both stood up.

She lifted her arms slightly, doing nothing as the guards grabbed ahold of her. "It only took you eleven years to catch me, but you did. You finally did it," She spoke up, an amused look on her face, "Wonderful job, boys."

As they grabbed ahold of Marie, the young girl screamed out, which caused Nora's smile to fade since she noticed how roughly they were handing her. "Don't touch her!" She found herself shouting angrily, attempting to get out of their grip to help her.

Despite her fighting, however, Nora and Marie were unable to defend themselves as they were dragged out of the inn, kicking and screaming.

____

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" Nora screamed as the two guards dragged her in the direction of the cell she would be staying in.

Once they opened the door and shoved her into the cell, Nora fell straight to the ground. She slowly lifted her head, turning to look at the two men who had brought her in.

"Where is she?" Nora asked the men worriedly, "Where is Marie? She is innocent. She is just a girl. You cannot harm her. What have you done with her?"

"We do not have to answer to you. You're a traitor to the crown," One of the men answered, much to Nora's fury.

"Look at my face," Nora hissed, a threatening look on her face as she stared up at them coldly, "It shall be the last thing you see before you die. I swear it."

The Tudor men glared at her, taking a step back before they closed the door to the cell with her locked inside.

She sighed as she glanced around the cell. She had to admit, she was bound to end up there sooner or later, especially after all that she had done. She had escaped the chopping block more times than she could count. It was bound to happen eventually, especially after Edward's death.

Tears threatening to spill from them, Nora closed her eyes, the memories of Edward's death plaguing her mind as she sat alone in the cold, dark cell.

It had been after she let out the loud, heartbroken scream that the entire castle swore they could hear.

She had looked down at Edward's lifeless body, holding his hand in hers. Tears spilled down her pale cheeks as her lip quivered and her chest heaved.

She had looked down at Edward, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "One day I shall lie with you again, my love. I promise. On that day, we shall sleep together for eternity," She whispered to him softly, beginning to sob once more as she looked down at him, "I shall try to live without you but I can't say I will be the same without you. You were apart of me. And without you, a part of me will be missing. I'll stay strong, though, just as you'd want me too. I will always love you."

Nora choked back a sob as she took one last look at Edward. She smiled sadly, just before standing up and forcing herself to leave the room.

   Nora opened her eyes, sighing in defeat as she glanced around once more.

This was it.

She was going to die.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Only one more chapter!! :(