I smoothed my Tudor green gown and lifted my head. The weight of my headdress was bearing down on my forehead, making it ache. I looked to my right and my 5 sisters were smoothing their gowns as well. I glanced to my left and there was my mother, still as a statue, not a hair out of place. One last glance down at the hem of my dress, embroidered red roses, fabric chosen by the usurper's mother. My mother's former lady in waiting. How my mother is so composed and calm, I'll never know. She was up all night stitching white into the middle of the red rose of Lancaster. Red of Lancaster. Red of a pretender. Red of a usurper. A pretender who won his crown through blood. An animal who thinks he can wear my father's crown. My lover's crown. A pretender who will marry me or one of my sisters to legitimize his stealing of the crown.
Suddenly everyone in the room looked towards the window. We could hear the horses coming. The pretender would be here soon. To appraise us like like a set of horses, deciding which one would suit his needs best. The law declaring my siblings and myself bastards has been reversed so the wedding would be immediate. The coronation would come after one of us was carrying the king's child. If I won the crown, became queen of England as my mother wants, I would have to work to keep the York affinity loyal to a Lancastrian King. There are 2 strong York claims to the throne. If a Lord from the North sponsors either of them, England will turn out for them, not my pretender of a husband. I'm confident that he will choose me, I'm the eldest sister and have the York looks and charm. He will probably overlook my brief affair with King Richard because he knows I will be a queen of the people. The people of London love me and my family. I can't go out in the street without a constant barrage of blessings and tokens of love and loyalty. I love the people too. I hope to win the love of the people of the country too, not just London. I'm going to be the emotional tie to the throne that will keep people loyal. I hope he comes and chooses soon, my headpiece is crushing my head.
"Smile, girls. Here he comes. He is the King of England, he won the battle and no matter what our hearts feel, our faces show nothing but love and loyalty."
The Herald announced the "King Henry!". My whole life I've had a Herald announce my presence as a Princess of York so this was completely unimpressive. If he thinks a Herald will legitimize his rule he's sadly mistaken.
Here he comes. My future will be decided in these next few minutes. Henry and his mother (I'm sorry Her Lady The King's Mother, an ignorant overreaching title) walked into the room like they owned it. This was my mother's favorite castle, when the King's Mother was nobody but her lady in waiting. We all swept low in a curtsy to a King. My mother's curtsy was not nearly as low as ours since she was a dowager Queen. I looked up from my curtsy straight into his eyes. He had stopped right in front of me. My heart seemed to stop and my breath caught in my throat. He was gorgeous. Nothing like they described him. He was slight but not the wisp people always called him. He looked like a battle hardened scholar. Neither of us could look away. The enemy of my family, the man we have feared and fought for the last ten years made me lose my breath.
"My Lord, Your Grace, let me welcome you to Lambeth Castle. We do so appreciate your generosity in allowing us to stay here."
"Yes, well we had to house you somewhere and there are so many of you." My Lady the King's Mother sneered. The king started at his mother's rudeness and our gaze was broken. I took a deep breath. My mother had 2 princes and 5 princesses while My Lady the King's Mother could only have one King. This would be her first of many insults about my mother's natural fertility. He was the enemy of my childhood.
"You are welcome in any of our homes. Anytime. I remember that you loved this castle and we had a Christmas feast here that compared to no other." Henry said graciously.
"Yes, my husband, King Edward always kept a merry court to mirror the contentment that England felt while he was king and there was no war." Ahhh, my mother having her say back at My Lady the King's Mother.
"I hope to bring that contentment back to England. We will build a new England, a golden age of prosperity and peace, your daughter Elizabeth and I."