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LOVE AND WAR
— 30. Betrayal

 Betrayal

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At Warwick Castle, Edward walked around, aggravated that his own cousin was keeping me captive. "'Advise me', Warwick? Not lock me up or take away my throne, but no, you would 'advise me'?!" He exclaimed, glaring at Warwick from across the room.

"Edward, the council feels—" He began to say, only to have Edward cut him off.

"No, it doesn't," Edward argued as he stood up straight instead of leaning his hands against the desk in front of him, "The council feels nothing but what you tell it, and you will turn them against me."

Edward slowly walked closer to his cousin, who remained calm during the argument, "Edward, all we ask if that you take back your old advisors and dismiss the Rivers family."

"Which you know I will never do!" Edward shouted at Warwick in frustration, "So the game is that you make demands on me you know I cannot agree to, and use that as an excuse to keep me here while George rules in my place. But really, you rule through him!"

"Edward!" Warwick tried to plea with Edward, placing an innocent look on his face, "The loyalty that we had to—"

"No. No," Edward argued, shaking his head in disapproval, "I am 'Your Grace' to you, cousin. The Lord's anointed King and ruler of this kingdom."

"And 'Your Grace' needs to understand that this is a betrayal and that the 'Queen's' family—" Warwick began to speak to Edward in a calm tone, only to end up being cut off.

"Are loyal to me!" Edward stated sternly, slamming his hands down on the desk, "Which is more than can be said for you and George."

"What about Nora?" Warwick suddenly asked, causing Edward's face to fall.

"What about her?" Edward responded with an attitude to try to hide the uneasiness felt at that moment.

"You have kept her too close for far too long. She must be dealt with. Giving her too much power is exactly what we wanted to avoid when she came to your court and now you've given her everything," Warwick explained to Edward, who seemed to not be taking anything he said to heart.

"And how does that involve you, cousin?" Edward raised a brow at Warwick, who was quick to respond.

"You will lose your crown because of her—" Warwick began to point out to Edward.

"No, I shall lose my crown because of you," Edward snapped at Warwick in a low, threatening tone.

"Anything she says, you do it. A woman, especially not a mistress, should have that type of power over you," Warwick continued on, much to Edward's dismay.

"At least what she tells me to do benefits my reign," Edward pointed out to Warwick, who was quick to disagree.

"The people of England, even fellow Yorkists, are beginning to call her God's anointed and chosen ruler," Warwick reminded Edward in a low tone, "She will be the death of House York and that is why she must be dealt with."

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