In Nora of Lancaster is dead, but her legacy lives on through Marie of Burgundy, the Tudor's ward, and Princess Katherine Tudor, the eldest daughter of Lizbeth of York and Henry Tudor.
THE SPANISH PRINCESS
BOOK THREE IN THE COUSIN'S WAR SERIES
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was nighttime and in the hallway of Westminster, Kathy walked up to where little Mary stood, staring blankly at the door in front of her. The door that led into Henry's chambers.
"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked her niece in a concerned tone, only to have her question answered when she heard glass shatter.
"No! I will not hear this! You stand before me and you tell me another son of mine is dead!" Henry had shouted as glasses continued to shatter, "What demon are you? How shall I bear this?"
The argument continued and just as Kathy was about to lead Mary away, the doors opened and Henry appeared before them.
Henry froze in place as he was on the verge of storming off. He was silent for a long moment, glancing down at his daughter.
He inhaled sharply and with that, he looked away. "Bring me my son Henry Fitzroy to me. And Edward, George, and Edmund Stafford as well," He ordered in a stern tone before he began to walk away, "I will have my sons here at the palace."
Just then, Catherine walked out of the room, on the verge of tears as she had a hopeless look on her face.
Kathy sighed in defeat as she stared down at Mary, who looked frightened. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, the two of them watching as Catherine walked closer to them.
"How can you bear him, Catherine?" Kathy complained as she stared at Catherine in disbelief, "He flays you, wounds your innocent daughter, now brings Marie and her innocent sons into this, and takes the lives of loyal men—"
"Do not malign the king," Catherine argued in a stern tone.
"Excuse me?" Kathy scoffed loudly as Catherine began to walk away, "He is a monster!"
"I will not allow my daughter to hear your poisonous words," Catherine complained as she held her hand out to her daughter, "Mary, come."
Catherine looked directly at her daughter, who remained in place. "Mary, come."
Mary remained silent. She glanced between two women before she finally walked over to Kathy. She wrapped her arms around Kathy, who smiled and hugged the girl back while Catherine's smile faded.
____
At Pembroke Castle, Marie walked into Pembroke Castle with her daughters and her sons. Margaret and Henry laughed as they ran to find themselves a room alongside Edmund and George. They didn't laugh as their younger brother and sister did, however. They hadn't laughed or smiled since the moment they learned of their father's execution. A man who was, in truth, not their father at all.
Nora glanced around the castle, scoffing before she followed after her younger brothers and sister.
Edward, on the other hand, stood beside his mother, a smile on his face as he stared upwards. It was his now. The castle was his. He was an earl in his own right and he was only thirteen.
