The Yorkist Rose
Eighteen
“Mother I have to have a boy.”
“Elizabeth, that decision is out of your control.”
“I must, or they will kill me.”
“Edward would not allow it.”
“You say so as if he could stop it.”
“He is King od England Elizabeth, he can stop all he wants. No death warrant can be signed without his blessing.”
“God I hope you are right and that he still loves me for me.”
“He loves you as ever Elizabeth.”
“You are sure?”
“I am.”
“I hope you are right,.”
“Do not doubt your mother Elizabeth.”
The women turned and curtsied as the king entered, a weary look on his face, he was troubled and tired and stepped close to his wife taking her hands. “You need not curtsy Elizabeth, you must sit for our son, he must be strong, you must be strong and save your energy.” He sat down, sitting her on his lap gently, playing with her hair, his eyes resting comfortably at her breast. “Is he strong so far.”
“As strong as he could be my lord.”
“You know already?”
“Women know.”
“Of course you know.”
“Enough about me husband, I see your troubled, what is wrong?” Edward waited until Jacquetta had left before he spoke, quietly, hushed.
“I don’t mean to alarm you my love, Warwick has fled, his family have gone, as has my brother George, he knew I disapproved of his decision to marry that girl, but he did it, he knew I knew he was behind my imprisonment, and now he has fled with a traitor.”
“Will you stick their heads on the gates of York?” She stifled her excited smile, she could not hide the excited tone.
“Of course I won’t they are my kinsmen.”
“Edward-“
“No, I am shamed you’d ask such.” She saw his eyes look away, they showed hurt, pain and she sighed.
“I am sorry my lord, forgive me.”
To that he waved his hand, as though it were already done.
***
“You have not found him?”
“No your grace.” Hasting was on his knee’s at Edward’s feet, he looked truly sorry for himself, apologetic to the King and sympathetic to Elizabeth, who looked away with easy ignorance as she glanced out of the window and looked over the gardens, longing o take the walk her husband had forbidden her to take without him, wishing she was off the throne and in fresh air.
“You better find him, have you even been looking?” His voice was louder than normal, easily filling the huge room.
“Of course your grace.”
“Then take an army, search-“ The king was interrupted as a man, holding a letter walked into the hall without announcement, Edward’s eyes could have burned hole in the man’s temples, he stopped dead. Hastings fetched the letter from the messengers hands as the young man fled. “What does it say?”
“The earl of Warwick has fled my Lord, he heads to France.”
“He cannot be allowed to make it.” It was Elizabeth, she had perked up for the first time in the conversation.
“I know that my love. Hastings, that army I was talking about, ready it, and contact Calais, close the gates to them.”
"But Isabelle, your brothers baby, they are aboard the ship."
"Do I seem to care to you Hastings? They have brought it upon themselves."
"She is due your grace."
"Then he should have thought before he took the stupid girl upon that ship."
"She could-" He did not finish his sentence for Edward clearly knew, clearly did not care, he would not show reason nor mercy, they were not to enter Calais, it was Warwick's head or Hastings, he fancied keeping the main feature of his bosy sat upon his shoulders. Even if it meant a young girl losing her first child, a child Edward had not approved. All he could hope was that when the child died, Edward would show them mercy.
“Elizabeth, that decision is out of your control.”
“I must, or they will kill me.”
“Edward would not allow it.”
“You say so as if he could stop it.”
“He is King od England Elizabeth, he can stop all he wants. No death warrant can be signed without his blessing.”
“God I hope you are right and that he still loves me for me.”
“He loves you as ever Elizabeth.”
“You are sure?”
“I am.”
“I hope you are right,.”
“Do not doubt your mother Elizabeth.”
The women turned and curtsied as the king entered, a weary look on his face, he was troubled and tired and stepped close to his wife taking her hands. “You need not curtsy Elizabeth, you must sit for our son, he must be strong, you must be strong and save your energy.” He sat down, sitting her on his lap gently, playing with her hair, his eyes resting comfortably at her breast. “Is he strong so far.”
“As strong as he could be my lord.”
“You know already?”
“Women know.”
“Of course you know.”
“Enough about me husband, I see your troubled, what is wrong?” Edward waited until Jacquetta had left before he spoke, quietly, hushed.
“I don’t mean to alarm you my love, Warwick has fled, his family have gone, as has my brother George, he knew I disapproved of his decision to marry that girl, but he did it, he knew I knew he was behind my imprisonment, and now he has fled with a traitor.”
“Will you stick their heads on the gates of York?” She stifled her excited smile, she could not hide the excited tone.
“Of course I won’t they are my kinsmen.”
“Edward-“
“No, I am shamed you’d ask such.” She saw his eyes look away, they showed hurt, pain and she sighed.
“I am sorry my lord, forgive me.”
To that he waved his hand, as though it were already done.
***
“You have not found him?”
“No your grace.” Hasting was on his knee’s at Edward’s feet, he looked truly sorry for himself, apologetic to the King and sympathetic to Elizabeth, who looked away with easy ignorance as she glanced out of the window and looked over the gardens, longing o take the walk her husband had forbidden her to take without him, wishing she was off the throne and in fresh air.
“You better find him, have you even been looking?” His voice was louder than normal, easily filling the huge room.
“Of course your grace.”
“Then take an army, search-“ The king was interrupted as a man, holding a letter walked into the hall without announcement, Edward’s eyes could have burned hole in the man’s temples, he stopped dead. Hastings fetched the letter from the messengers hands as the young man fled. “What does it say?”
“The earl of Warwick has fled my Lord, he heads to France.”
“He cannot be allowed to make it.” It was Elizabeth, she had perked up for the first time in the conversation.
“I know that my love. Hastings, that army I was talking about, ready it, and contact Calais, close the gates to them.”
"But Isabelle, your brothers baby, they are aboard the ship."
"Do I seem to care to you Hastings? They have brought it upon themselves."
"She is due your grace."
"Then he should have thought before he took the stupid girl upon that ship."
"She could-" He did not finish his sentence for Edward clearly knew, clearly did not care, he would not show reason nor mercy, they were not to enter Calais, it was Warwick's head or Hastings, he fancied keeping the main feature of his bosy sat upon his shoulders. Even if it meant a young girl losing her first child, a child Edward had not approved. All he could hope was that when the child died, Edward would show them mercy.