Chapter 29:
"How does the Prince do?"
"I am afraid your Grace... there has been no improvement in his highness' condition." The doctor shock in fear.
"How far off is the King Hartford?"
"Less than a day your Grace." Richmond stared at Seymour in disbelief. They had only sent the message of Edward's sickness the previous morning.
"I pray you doctor to do all that you may for our young Prince, or I fear that we may pray that King shall be merciful." The group of physicians scrambled off back to Edwards bed chambers. Seymour stood still staring at the Duke. Henry stoppered into a near by chair.
"What shall we tell his Majesty your Grace?" Richmond looked up to see the Earl's face. For the first time Fitzroy saw a hint of true emotion in Edward Seymour's face, fear.
"I do not know my Lord. We may begin with the fact that you failed to inform myself of the Prince's illness let alone telling his Majesty of it." Richmond then noticed that Hartford began to shake, it was only slight and almost invisible to the naked eye but none the less it was there. "Other than that my Lord we can only tell the King that the physicians are doing all that they may and we have told the bishops to give prays for the deliverance of his beloved son. Then all we may do is wait for God give his judgement, the Prince's ... and ours." Fitzroy thought that this word frightened Seymour more than any other, "ours". This was probably because Henry was also the King's son and that Seymour would most likely come off the worse because of that fact.
"Your Grace, I did not mean to exclude you from this. I only did not want to trouble you if it was nothing to worry about."
"Except it was something to worry about. I pray my Lord I cannot speak of this any longer." Hartford took a seat on the other side of the room and the pair sat in complete silence. For hours physicians would come and go and the pair were becoming more and more nervous with each hour that past. The room remained silent until the door flew open, the King ran into the following chamber without even acknowledging the pair who both quickly followed him into the Prince's bed chamber. The King immediately knelt at Edward's side, caressing his forehead. He then looked behind him and saw the two appointed guardians.
"How did this happen?"
"The Prince caught a fever while playing outside your Majesty." This was the first time Richmond had heard Hartford explain why Edward was ill. He felt shocked that this was never said to him. The Prince was a young boy and he was doing what young boys do and now he was ill. There was nothing really anyone could do to stop that. The only problem Fitzroy really had was that Seymour tried to hide his illness from them.
"Leave!" Both Seymour and Richmond turned to leave the Prince's chamber. "Not you Henry." The Duke stopped in his steps terrified of his fathers reaction. "How could this happen?"
"As my Lord Hartford said father. Edward was playing and he caught a fever from a chill. The Prince is a boy and boys catch chills from playing outside."
"Then he will not play outside!"
"Father..." The King swung his entire body to face his eldest son. "Edward is a boy and he must learn to be a boy he shut up here with women enough." The following hours were of huge tension between the father and son, unknowing of the others mind both were thinking of the worst. Richmond prayed for his brothers recovery not only for his brotherly love but also, for the fear of the kings reaction and his own life. Henry watched his father lying across Edwards bed as he had fallen asleep caressing the princes forehead. Not long after Richmond had fallen asleep slouched upon his chair. After some time he was awoken by his father is amazement at the Princes recovery. Within minutes bells were ringing and the council were recalled from the North.
"My Lords I am pleased to say that the Prince Edward has fully recovered from his illness. However it has come to my attention that we must plan for such occurrences again. The Prince is very precious to me and we must protect him from any future ills. He is to be given his own physician and a member of his household must be present with the Prince at all times." Most of the council bowed their heads in agreement but none dared to look at Seymour or Fitzroy. The king had barely spoken to is eldest son since the Princes illness and Henry feared that the King blamed him for it. As Fitzroy left the council meeting that morning the Earl of Hartford ran after him with some speed.
"Your Grace, please your Grace, I pray you please stop I must speak with you."
"I am in no mood to speak to the cause of my missed fortune my Lord." Henry said this sneering at Seymour.
"Please your Grace I must speak to you the Princes ills are not the only reason for the Kings anger there are rumours at court."
"There are always rumours at court Hartford, now get to the point."
"These rumours concerning the Queen your Grace. They say that the King suspects her of some misdeed but no one knows what."
"And we have these rumours come from my Lord. From some kitchen hand or some other servant who's very nature it is to gossip."
"I do not know where they come from your Grace, but as we know when these rumours start the King begins to notice and it does not take long for him tire of his entertainment."
"You never cease to amaze me Seymour. Catherine Howard has never been more than a pawn in one of your games and now that you are threatened you have called out your ace. Are these rumours even true or are they just your making?"
"I did not make the rules of the game and your Grace but I will play it to the best of my ability."
"I do not doubt it my Lord Hertford but the trouble with game is that someone must always win and someone must always lose." Seymour proceeded to steal away and Richmond watched him until he lost sight of him. At that moment Fitzroy's younger brother Robert approached him.
"What does he want brother?"
"To stir the plot to take the eyes of himself of course. That's what weasels like him do best Robert best to see them for what they are before they dope you. Come will go to my chambers and dine before we're forced into conversation with dull men with nothing to say and plots to wield." They both made a quick exit from the great Hall avoiding those who tried to attract their attention. Even Robert who was quickly becoming an important go-between among minor court members and the Duke.
