A/N: Seriously, Showtime owns the Tudors, history owns the historical facts, and I just own Elisabeth, her kids and my plot. I also don't own the light ASOIAF mention, unfortunately.

Edmund

Edmund sometimes thought he was a coward.

Some people would claim he compared himself to too high a pedestal, but he was her son. On the one hand, there was Elisabeth Tudor, who went straight to a battlefield to deliver a speech to her soldiers at eleven – eleven – and on the other hand, there was Ed, who was fearful of dogs, of all animals! Granted, that the only dogs he had ever seen were his mother's guard dogs/bloodhounds, but still.

It was not to say that he was meek, of course not, but compared to his eldest brother, whose courage – if one looked at it from that perspective – was quite apparent (Mother usually called it hotheadedness, as did Tori, but otherwise, it was perceived as courage and bravery), Ed didn't think he could really match.

Lizzie would just hit him over the head and tell him to "stop brooding already". Seemingly, his twin sister thought that he had this awful habit of brooding over things that mattered, or mattered not. Ed didn't really disagree.

Of course, Ned would say that he was all fine, and no horse was coming to eat him. He never really understood why the horse part was a running jape between the eldest three until Mother took pity on his confusion and enlightened him.

"When you were younger," she began with a smile, "We were going on a progress to Kent."

"I was informed of that, but how does the horse fit in at all?"

"Let me explain," she chided, exasperated. "So, where was I? Ah, yes, the progress to Kent. Anyway, you shied away from the horses." Why on earth-? "When asked why by Sir William, you mumbled that "what if the horses eat me?" I do not think you're siblings are going to let that go anytime soon, despite the fact that you were far too young to comprehend that horses do not eat humans." Mother seemed to be in her thoughts for a minute, "By all means, though, you gave a bit of a laugh for the rest of that dour journey...I swear, I would've torn my hair out if I had to hear Lady Mary Talbot, sorry, Mary Howard, complain on how her dress was getting wet with all the rain while thinking no one could hear her one more time."

Ed couldn't disagree that the Lady Mary was whiny, how Lord Henry Percy was ever be able to stand her, he had no idea. But he did manage to break off that particular betrothal for the Marquess of Pembroke, Lady Anne Boleyn. But, as a prince, it wasn't proper to voice such thoughts in public, especially concerning the future Duchess of Norfolk – he was supposed to maintain faith with the nobility as part of the royal family, no matter how annoying, boring or vexing it was at times.

Absently, he wondered what Kate might be doing at the moment – their shared annoyance at having to be cordial to those snakes was a wonderful bonding point.

"Your Majesty, your presence is required at the throne room." A page came up to her.

"Of course, inform them I shall be there at once." The boy nodded, and then his mother turned to him.

"Kate is in the library and so is Mary, Ned and Harry are in the training yard, and Tori is practicing embroidery with my mother." With that tidbit of information, Mother swept out of the room, two of the Queensguard trailing dutifully behind her.

Of course Mother would know what was going on in his mind.

Edmund was twelve when he met Beth Percy for the first time – of course, they'd met in public events and other such things, as her parents were nobility, and his mother was Beth's godmother, but they hadn't exactly met in a private ceremony or something of the sort.

It was actually a small dinner, consisting of his siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, grandmother, Lord and Lady Northumberland, their two children, and Ed himself. Though he'd heard some stories about her, talking to her in person was quite a fantastic experience, and it seemed their parents noticed it well.

Honestly, there weren't many matching Lady Beth's intelligence and wittiness.

Within about eleven months, there was a betrothal contract written, that Edmund knew was his duty. After all, he did like the Lady Beth Percy, and this would "keep the more...difficult Northerners at bay", in his mother's words – even he knew the North was a bit less obedient than the other parts of England, for some reason.

He'd understand one day, he was sure of it.

Most people would say getting a Howard match would be better, Mother said that "Norfolk always aimed for higher than he could reach", so there was that. Besides, Beth was the great-niece of the Duke of Norfolk, being the maternal granddaughter of Elizabeth Boleyn née Howard, sister to the Duke.

It should satisfy him enough, and if it didn't, Mother would make him fine with the arrangement. She'd always been a most capable ruler that way.

That was not to say she had others take up her opinion and her opinion only, of course, but she could make sure all the nobles were in line, and not aiming for too much. Ed had always admired her in that; he never really thought he'd be a very capable king. Mother had lessons in ruling set up for all her children, and encouraged admitting one's faults as well, and thus, they knew how and how not they'd be a just and good monarch.

Ed knew he'd be more than a little cowardly, and shy, which – when compared to the braveness of every 'great' English king or queen – was not something that would help England be stable or, at least, he thought so. And, it was important to have one's subjects' respect and liking. But, more than once, Mother had assured him he'd make a great king.

On the 12th of April, 1558, which also – through some cruel twist of fate – happened to be his mother's 44th birthday, she left.

Or, more clearly, she died.

And all he had were memories and a shawl to remember her buy for him...well, that, and a crown: the crown that would be sitting atop his eldest brother's head. But to him, the memories were the most important, those memories, and the life lessons she taught him.

"You are brave. Remember that, Edmund... after all, not many young men can handle the burden of royal duty, goodness knows I nearly couldn't."

A/N: *ducks from an attacking pomegranates* sorry for being so late in updating! I'd come across a mini-writer's block. Anyway, the next few chapters will be short, probably because I can't get a lot of content these days, but I'll still try to fit in as much as I can. And just for you to know, here are the next chapters in order, until the last:
Chapter 14: Elizabeth
Chapter 15: Lionel
Chapter 16: Isabella
Chapter 17: Jacquetta
Chapter 18: Bedfordshire Plot
Chapter 19: Notes (not sure about this one).

Also, I was thinking of writing down chapters 14-18 before updating, and then updating them on a schedule. What do you think about that? Or should I just stick to updating right after I finish the chapter?

And thank you, thank you, thank you, for your continued support in me!