Like Fire and Powder (Violent Delights Book 18)

Chapter 7: the engagement according to Elizabeth York and Henry Tudor

York

"It's a walk through the Royal stables, mother, how badly could it go?" I ask, as the ladies in waiting help fix my dress. Henry's coronation is in a couple of days. We've been here nearly a fortnight and I haven't so much as dined with him. That's all well and good, especially considering I've been given full access to Cecily and our mother is housed with us again. So we're living in relative comfort, if modest.
"I just don't see why I wasn't invited as well," my mother says, tugging at my hair. It's all combed back nicely but hanging loose, as it should I'm still unmarried. "It makes no sense I shouldn't go."
I asked that they not have her go. It's been really a rather long couple of weeks. It's been long. I need a break. Even if it's with my monster of a future husband.
"I have no idea that's odd," I say.
"Watch his mother be there."
"Yes, I shall," I say, pleasantly. Oh please let this go well. It wouldn't necessarily hurt to talk with him a little. And I miss my horse, I've not been riding since I came here and some of the horses I've not seen since I was sent away from court back when Richard was king. It could be a pleasant afternoon. Hopefully my husband will be equally civil about it.

Tudor

"We should call the whole thing off, it's ridiculous, I'm frightfully busy. I'm really very busy," I say, as Roland tugs my arm to get me to follow my mother.
"Henry, it's an hour's walk, you haven't examined your own stables, it would do you both good to get out," my mother says, a bit sternly, "It's been on your calendar for over a week."
"Yes, well things have come up but fine I suppose I'll do it it'll have to be quick—what again?" I groan, as my uncle comes down the hall. He's dressed identically to me in our good blue tunics.
"Do —do the two of you only have three different outfits? Which happen to match?" My mother asks, looking between us.
"Very observant of you, mother," I growl.
"I'll change, it's fine, I'll go change," my uncle says, holding up his hands.
"The tailors are coming tomorrow," David says, "That new cloak for you is done."
"Mother, we had travel clothes, which are not appropriate for court, and the things, on our backs, not appropriate for court, yes I sent a man out for urgent clothes for all of us which is yes three outfits—which yes match nobody saw the flaw in that till we kept picking the same color on the same day," I say, putting a hand to my face.
"That color suits you. You look fine," she says, she's trying to help I know and I'm being cross with her. I'm used to snapping if I like with my uncle who doesn't care if I'm being temperamental. But she withers. I remind her of my father. I know. And I hate it.
"The clothes for your coronation are almost done," Roland offers.
"Lovely, all right let's go look at some horses, and my wife I suppose," I sigh.
"Should we not wait for your uncle?" My mother asks.
"He's entirely fine he will find me, he knows where we're going also he'd just find me, like he has some thread bound to my ankle or something, very much like the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, but that's a legend and he's somehow achieved it once he—never mind just take my word for it," I say, actually stopping myself from referencing the time in Brittany where we escaped using the sewers. Except we didn't know the other had gotten out and somehow he found me in the sewers. He claimed it was by the sound of me struggling to breath and would not elaborate but there must be something else. I don't struggle to breath that loudly I can't I don't have air.
"Right," my mother says.
"You don't have to come, horses aren't—well are horses your thing?" I ask, realizing I really don't know.
"Yes, I mean I like riding," she says, a bit stiffly, "Is —did you ride much?"
"Yes um, a bit I'm fond of it," I say. Of course neither of us knew. This is so painful. And she looks ready to cry. I can't finish the sentence that usually I'm riding away, or on stolen horses, or the like. That I've hunted rarely for pleasure and ridden even more rarely I don't have leisure. That would sound cruel but it's true. One more person I have to play the part of the noble with. Not because she can't know, but because every answer I think of sounds hurtful no matter how I phrase it. No mother I don't have pastimes I don't have a penny to my name or have I since I was five years old. I'm borrowing money for clothes.
Forget it. This is going to go incredibly badly and there Elizabeth is with a few of her ladies and her sister, looking absolutely beautiful. She looks beautiful. Tall, slim neck, rosebud lips and red cheeks flushed from cold. She's entirely lovely. And her smile fades at the sight of me.
I give up.