Son of Hope

Chapter Thirteen - Edge of New Dawn

-1509-

-3rd Person-

The winds of England were changing and quickly. The morning after Maggie Pole, and her family Ursula, Henry and her cousins were captured as traitors and taken to the tower. King Henry the Seventh breathed his last while taking a bath. His mother who was talking to him mere feet away eventually noticed and instead of notifying those who must be about the declaration. She kept it quiet until she could fix the game of chess that had began so long ago. She wrote a letter for Eleanor, Edward's betrothed to come with haste and fix her son from bath to bed. But during her escapades and enlisting two men to follow her orders. Oviedo was given a bucket of bathwater that contained a bloody cloth and he put the pieces together. He waited outside the tower till Catherine and Lina exited and marched over to them.

"Lina, Highness. I come to tell you I...I think the King is dead." he told them

"Dead?" Catherine questioned

"There was much blood, and Lady Margaret, she is like a lion in a cage. She sends word for Edward and Harry to come to Westminster now. But Highness, the guards, they have been told to throw you from the palace. It is not safe for you to return." he warned them and Catherine glanced at her lady before back to Oviedo.

"Then I will ride to the brothers and intercept them on the road." Catherine nodded more to herself "There is only one road to the city from the north."

"Then I come with you." Oviedo spoke in Spanish. "There are robbers on the road and everyone is starving. Your safety before all other things." Catherine agreed and left to retrieve their horses. Meanwhile at the palace Lady Margaret called for Lord Dudley and both he and Thomas Boleyn turned up at the Kings chambers so both were reeled into Lady Margaret madness into theft.

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Oviedo, Lina and Catherine rode out to meet the brothers. Catherine waited and silence as Lina and Oviedo made up with one another. A couple of hours later Catherine heard galloping and her breath hitched and she walked out to the road. It wasn't clear that it was them at first but it was soon confirmed when they came to a stop. Edward rode ahead of the party with his brother behind him.

"Catherine?" he questioned and then dismounted. Harry moved forward "What is the meaning of this?" The three of them knelt before Edward

"God save the King." Catherine declared. Edward looked back to Harry and then to Catherine.

"What did you just say?" Edward stepped further forward

"Your father passed into God's mercy, Your Grace. God Save King Edward." Edward's jaw slackened One by one the party that rode with the new King bent the knee, including his brother.

"God Save the King." Harry glanced at Catherine whose eyes never left Edward. His thought swirled around in his head, their father dead, his twin brother King and the fact he wouldn't have to marry his lovers niece instead.

"Harry." his thoughts were brought back by his brother "Wheres the ale, you have." Harry stood and removed the flask from his hip and handed it to his brother who took a large swig from it before handing it to his brother and walking further into the wood. They all rose back to their feet.

"Catherine." Harry spoke but she gave him a soft smile yet followed the new King who sought a moment of peace before he entered the storm. Edward felt her come up behind him.

"For the majority of my life, I was so sure I would never be King. That I would be a solider, the general of the English Army winning battles in the name of Tudor. Then everything changed, everything keeps on changing and I lose myself in the noise and politics." he told her as she came to stand beside him

-Edward-

"But the strangest thing has happened these past years." I added turning to her "Amidst the noise, the politics, the fear of a war with my brother. Its like there is this thread connecting me to the crown, not not a thread a...a...ugh I'm no poet like Harry."

"You don't need to be Harry, you are you. And you will be a great King, Edward." she insisted

"I wish I had your faith in me." I chuckled looking down "I had a dream last night. i saw my mother again. Funny nothing she talked about made sense till now. According to her I am actually the oldest." I laugh a little

"But she kept it secret because she could sense that my brother would be the...difficult one. Not wanting us to fight, and her eldest would assume the throne she didn't see the harm. I don't know why that sprung to mind now of all the times." my head shook not knowing why that decided to come out.

"Now that you know you are the eldest and that you are King am I right to assume that my niece will become your Queen?" before i could answer and man and his boy walked past us "Good day." Catherine greeted them

"Good day mistress, my lord." he brought the boy closer in a protective stance. They went to turn away.

"Wait." they stopped and I tossed them a coin "Take this. Buy ale and raise a glass to the King of England and save his soul." the man nodded and went on their way.

"No matter which ass is on the throne nothing has changed." I huff and walk off

"So are you for or against Eleanor?" she inquired

"Why do you care?" I stressed "Why are you here, Catherine? Why did you travel from the city to come to the road all so call me King? If it was Harry then I would understand but, what? you hope to speak to me and grant you your marriage to my brother before I'm forced not to? What is it that you want!"

"I....I..." she stuttered and something in my mind clicked

"The night we last saw each other I asked if you had any doubt. You lied didn't you? You have doubts about marrying Harry." she didn't say anything "Do I raise those doubts? Is that why you are here?"

"Of course not."

"Don't lie to me Catherine." I shake my head "Do you have doubts? Is that why you seemed to be so concerned with my marriage to your niece?" she sighs

"Damn it, Catherine. Just be honest."

"I do." she admitted "I do have doubts. I began to have doubts since we spoke after Joanna's arrival. When we were engaged I had to yield because I knew my words had backfired on me. But then something changed."

"Everything changed. it changed the moment I started helping Harry write you those letters." I declared "We read them and we wanted you, you this perfect loving, exiting Princess. But I quickly resided to the fact we..I could not have you. Even more so when i saw that you had fallen for Harry more than Arthur." I took her hands

"I will not marry Eleanor." she breathed a sigh a relief "But I will not declare myself for you."

"Because I cannot give you the Habsburg Empire, nor the sanction of your grandmother." I shook my head

"No, because you need to decide between my brother and I." I tell her "The three sons of Tudor like the three sons of York in a way. You have loved and been loved in return, by all of us. Yet now is the time you must decide where your heart lies and whoever it is with you must be sure. Harry and I do not care for titles, we care for you. We already know our choice, now it must be yours." I kissed her head and made my way back to the road where everyone was waiting for him.

"Harry, talk to her. We will wait." he nodded apprehensively and left the same way I returned "Wine, Charlie." he handed me his flask and and took some more for the nerves. It was about the same amount of time that I had been gone, before my brother and Catherine returned. Harry looked like he had been kicked in the gut by a horse. While Catherine looked guilty. Both mounted their horses and Harry pulled up beside me.

"Let me the first to congratulate you on your future marriage, brother." he glance to Catherine who was with Lina.

"Harry." he shook his head

"Don't, I needed to hear it, in fact I think I held on to tightly and should have let go the moment I felt she knew the truth of your visions. But I swear to you now brother, we will never repeat history of our ancestors." I nodded to him and clicked my tongue as we rose back to Westminster.