Giles Beaufort
from the House of Lancaster
is commanded by Henry VII
to marry a woman from the House of York.
I stood in the courtyard among the men, absently watching them prepare for weaponry practice. A horseman, a man of Langley, rode out of the gates toward the main road.
“Where is he bound?”
Murdo replied with his usual insightful wisdom. “Your lady has friends in high places. ‘Tis wise for a solitary woman to counsel with those she trusts.”
He snapped his fingers at one of our men who instantly ran to his side. "Follow yon fellow and do your utmost to seek his purpose."
He lowered his voice as our man ran to the stables. “Don’t sleep with your back to any woman until you know her mind.”
His hand slapped my shoulder hard as he bellowed with laughter. “You should see the look on your face, Sir Giles.”
I returned his laugh but secretly wondered if there wasn’t a grain of truth in his jest. My cousins had warred with one another for a generation and no one truly believed it had ended. Henry’s throne, far from secure, lay open to many pretenders and, mayhap, even he did not sleep with his back to Elizabeth of York.
A Rose for Lancaster on Amazon
