The Tudor Rose over Brittania

[Yi Sun Sin]

Surrey met with Lord Montagu and Sir Henry Long at Oxford Castle, along with John de Vere, Earl of Oxford. After much pressure from his commanders, King Henry finally consented to sending five hundred men from France under the command of John Dudley, the son and heir of Edmund Dudley. Also showing up was Nicholas Vaux, who despite his old age was still kicking as a soldier.

Surrey only met John Dudley once, and that was when he passed through Calais Castle. The son of one of Henry VII’s chief councilors and an architect of the unpopular financial policies, King Henry had to retire him from the Privy Council upon his accession to the throne. But since Edmund Dudley rendered good service to the crown, Henry rewarded Edmund with a few estates and a lifetime pension, which ended five years ago with his death. And now as a young man, John was becoming very renowned as a tourney champion, excelling in wrestling, archery, and jousting. However, to Surrey, John had mean origins and his only claim to nobility was through his Grey mother, which did not count for much anyway since Charles Brandon was married to Lady Lisle and had impregnated her. To Surrey, John Dudley was just another upstart who just had the fortune of impressing his royal cousin.

“Be seated, my lords.” Surrey sat down with them. “Prince Edmund is currently seeking reinforcements from London and Lincolnshire, but he shall join us before the end of this week. He has authorized me to act in his stead for the time being.” He turned to Lord Montagu. “My Lord Montagu, any reports on the de La Pole army’s advance?”

“They are currently turning eastwards from Taunton Castle towards the ancient Roman road leading to Reading. It is possible that they realized that with many of their troops dead and captured, they are going for a more direct route to London.”

“How many men does de La Pole have under his command?”

“Fifteen thousand, mostly German mercenaries and a small score of Frenchmen, Scots, and Irish rebels. They have nine guns and two thousand cavalry.”

Surrey nodded. “All right. How many men have we mustered so far?”

“Thirteen thousand, Lord Surrey. But you must understand. These are hardened fighters led by an experienced commander, while almost all of our best troops are in France. And whatever able men that we have left had to defend against the Scots.”

Surrey turned to Lord Oxford. “How long do you estimate before de La Pole will reach Reading?”

“At his current pace, ten days.”

“If I may, Lord Surrey,” John Dudley joined in. “Would it not be more prudent to attack de La Pole before he reaches Reading?”

“How would that be prudent, with the men that we have now?”

“If they managed to get to Reading, it will not be long before they reach the walls of London. We have to strike now.”

“Master Dudley, we will be torn to pieces by the French cannon if we act prematurely,” Sir Henry Long pointed out. “We must approach with caution.”

“I just came from battle with the French at the Somme. If there is anyone willing to fight Frenchman on our own home soil, it is me.”

“You are not in France, Master Dudley,” Surrey reminded him. “If we make one mistake, we might end up in another war over the throne. Over thirty years of the Tudor dynasty will be undone and we will watch more men die over the throne, something that we and our fathers have worked very hard against. Not that I expect you to understand.”

“What is that supposed to mean, Lord Surrey?” Dudley quickly took offense.

“Good sirs, please.” Lord Montagu knew where this was going. “Let us focus on the coming battle.”

Surrey scoffed, but he stopped. “All right. Let us send out mounted parties, and harass de La Pole. We obviously need time, so we have to buy it.”

John Dudley stared at Surrey with deadly eyes, clearly not able to take slights very well. It made Surrey confused, considering that Dudley supposedly had a good demeanor. However, Surrey paid him no mind, as he turned his attention to Lord Montagu.

“So, you have been busy, Lord Montagu.”

“As much as I can be.”

“How is your lady mother?”

“She is well, my lord. She is managing the estates.”

Surrey pulled a letter with Edmund’s seal, which also had Queen Eleanor’s and King Henry’s. “I was in discussions with Lord Somerset, the King, and Queen. You have been most loyal so far and after this battle, you will enter the Order of the Garter as Knight.”

Lord Montagu took the letter and opened it. “My lord.” His eyes widened after he finished reading it.

“You fight with us well, the king himself will return the Warwick earldom to your family. Unfortunately, you will not get many of the lands associated with the title.”

The Warwick title was a prestigious one in England and that made Lord Montagu all the more determined to fight well. “I shall do my best, my lord.”

“I hope so, for your sake.”

 

[HortenseMancini]

Hmm...Dudley isn’t going to like this, I feel.

 

[Yi Sun Sin]

Edmund watched as the forces of Richard de La Pole arrived in the fields near Donnington Castle, just outside of Newbury, Berkshire. Having just managed to scrape together reinforcements, he linked up with Lords Surrey, Oxford, Montagu alongside Sir Henry Long, William Paulet, and John Dudley. Togethery, they had fourteen thousand men, with ten artillery pieces.

Upon gathering his army on the fields just outside of Donnington Castle, Edmund drew up his men in two divisions to match the disposition of the enemy, with the usual distribution of infantry in the center and archers on the wings. He also took the precaution of posting a strong reserve of the two thousand archers to the rear to guard his army’s baggage train, tying the horses together to prevent flight and another reserve of cavalry under his personal direction. Edmund commanded the division facing Richard de La Pole’s center as they approached closer to their forces, while Surrey and Oxford split command of the other division.

From the banners, Edmund could make out the disposition of their enemies’ force. The combined armies of de La Pole’s Frenchmen, Scots, and Irish rebels deployed a mile south of Donnington Castle on the open plain near the road leading towards Reading. The division containing the highest concentration of French banners was situated on the left of the road, supported by wings of their own cavalry with their shield and lances glistening in the afternoon sun. The Scots and Irish rebels were on the right supported by a similar wing of mounted knights from various Scottish and Irish exile families, which included the Stewarts of Aubigny and the arms of the Earl of Desmond.

Edmund had hoped that there would be a parley between the commanders, but that was not to be, for his messenger told him that Richard de La Pole wanted to fight. He prepared himself, for this battle either ended the last of the Yorkist claimants or plunged the country into civil war once more.

But just as the opposing armies assumed their positions, Edmund heard trumpets sound. In the light of the afternoon sun, as if by some pre-arranged signal, Edmund saw that the French and German mercenary cavalry started to charge at his bowmen.

“Dudley! Begin the deployment!” Edmund commanded. He put John Dudley in charge of the longbowmen.

“Yes, Your Highness,” John Dudley complied as he shouted his own commands.

As the battle began, Edmund could see that John Dudley had taken his troops within range of their arrows, from which the longbowmen ordered a halt and they started to drive their stakes into the ground, a simple but effective device for snaring cavalry that proved its use from as recent as Agincourt. Edmund knew that the ground had been baked hard by the sun, and the stakes could be forced in only with difficulty. But it will be secured into the ground, he thought.

Edmund knew that he needed to draw the enemy in, making them guess on what he will do. Desperation clouded judgment and the enemy will be in a hurry to defeat the enemy before they saw Edmund respond with his reserve cavalry. Not yet. Not yet, he reminded himself.

The enemy obviously saw an opportunity, as the French and German mercenary cavalry began an immediate charge out of synchronization with the division of Scots and Irish rebels. The archers on Edmund's extreme right were caught off balance, as the armor worn by the French knights was too tough and allowed them momentum. This allowed the French mounted knights to break through their ranks. They continued their charge away towards the baggage train further north.

However, Edmund could see that the infantry in his own division began a spirited attack on the German mercenary infantry to their front. With their cavalry occupied and his fellow Englishmen defending their homes, they charged straight into the enemy.

“Now!” Edmund shouted. As he and the reserve cavalry charged ahead, Edmund saw that the French and German mercenary infantry were close to panicking, as they began to falter upon seeing the English horsemen gallop closer to them. He screamed in fury, as did the others, as they lowered their lances.

Sharp steel heads collided into the enemy mass, as scores of French and German foot screamed in pain from being cut down. This allowed Edmund’s remaining division to charge through the disorganized ranks and make quick work.

Coming around, Edmund could see that the rest of de La Pole’s division, unable to withstand the onslaught, began to retreat. Deciding to really crush their spirits, Edmund had the cavalrymen press on.

Having disposed of the French, Edmund signaled for his division to halt their pursuit and turn around to lend assistance to the other one. Looking closely, Edmund could see that the division led by Montagu and Surrey was closely engaged with the Scots and French turncoats. However, they were now standing alone, the Frenchmen and German mercenaries being easily slaughtered in an open field. The contingent of remaining enemy knights must have become anxious that their French counterparts were poised to take all the spoils from the baggage train, which must have made them charge around left flank of Edmund’s forces towards the baggage. Greed… now in a battle?

But while the remaining enemy knights arrived to take their share of the spoils too early, Edmund saw John Dudley bring the reserve of archers. Protected by the stakes and with the enemy’s momentum gone, they had no trouble finding their marks and burying them in arrows. Many fell off of their horses while others were crushed when their mounts and riders panicked, not expecting so much resistance from an army they outnumbered earlier.

Having tasted blood, the rest of the reserve under Edmund’s command decided on their own initiative to enter the main battle, charging on the unsupported right wing of the enemy.

Edmund unsheathed his sword and had his division wheel from the south to take the remainder of the enemy on the right flank.

“Move! Move!” he commanded while John Dudley came up in support with the archers, who had by now dropped their bows and picked up pikes, swords, and axes.

With the combined pressure, they were able to almost completely surround the enemy. Although such situations called for mercy and ransom, Edmund was not going to show them mercy this time, as he felt that a message needed to be sent.

Nodding at Surrey, Montagu, John Dudley, and others, Edmund yelled, “Crush them! No prisoners!”

Edmund through many other enemy infantry before he came across a man in full plate armor. With his sword drawn, the knight then attempted to thrust at Edmund before he slid to the right and used his own sword’s pommel to strike him in the head, stunning him. Edmund then spun around and buried his knife in the exposed part of the back of his neck.

He then saw Richard de La Pole himself, who had worn his coat of arms alongside the White Rose of House York in a sash over his shoulder. He might have been past his prime, but Edmund saw a fury behind his eyes as the Yorkist claimant made visible his teeth. He gripped his sword tightly as he readied himself.

"You!" de La Pole bellowed. "Your family took everything from me!"

Edmund shook his head. “It is over, Richard. You must see that.”

"No matter. My brothers shall be avenged.” Richard charged through the mass of men fighting each other and struck at Edmund, who just managed to avoid his thrust.

Edmund parried Richard’s sword as he swung downwards. However, Richard proved his warrior reputation true by bringing his helm to Edmund's face, stunning him and making him step backwards. He then thrusted again, this time stabbing him through the opening in his armor over his waist.

Yelling in pain, Edmund grasped his waist as he saw blood coming out of it.

"It hurts, does it not, you Welsh runt?" Richard taunted. "That is what you are, a runt from a Welsh line descended from a servant.”

"And yet, here we are.” Edmund challenged.

"Soon, I shall put your head in a spike atop London Bridge.” Richard charged once more.

Edmund brought his sword up, but as Richard closed the distance, he feigned striking from above and instead ducked as he avoided Richard’s sword's swing before push-kicking him on his breastplate and throwing him off-balance. Edmund then swung his sword downward and struck him in the leg. His armor protected him, but Richard screamed in pain from the force of the strike.

However, Richard was not done. He still had powerful swings, but he couldn't move as much with his right foot destroyed. Seeing his chance, Edmund parried another of his swings before bringing his pommel up to his face, stunning the Yorkist pretender again and breaking his nose before threw a final punch at his cheek, knocking him to the ground and making him collapse into the dirt.

Knowing that he promised no quarter to the remainder of the enemy, Edmund put his knee on Richard’s breastplate, took out his knife, and stabbed Richard into his chin and through his bottom jaw. The light soon left de La Pole’s eyes, but not before giving Edmund a last look of defiance.

After a while, the battle subsided as the last of the enemy was cut down. Surrey, Montagu, Sir Henry Long, Oxford, and John Dudley made their way through their troops and saw Richard de La Pole’s corpse. Seeing Edmund stand over it confirmed what they were thinking.

“What do you want to do with the body?” Surrey asked Edmund.

“Put it on a cart and strip him of his armor. We will take back to London. As for the enemy that managed to escape, send horsemen to… hunt them down.” Edmund began to feel weak.

“Ned, are you all right?” Surrey was quick to grab him before he collapsed. He then saw blood coming from the waist, where Richard had cut him. “The prince is wounded! Get help!” He turned back to his cousin. “Stay with me, Ned! Hold on!”

Those were the last words he heard before he slipped into the blackness.

*Battle is based on Verneuil, the major victory overseen by John, Duke of Bedford in France

 

[King of Danes]

Oh dear... Hopefully Edmund is alright!

 

[Yi Sun Sin]

Margaret prayed in the chapel, on her knees as she begged the Lord God to save her brother. Also with her was her youngest son Alexander, Duke of Ross and her only daughter Christina, both of whom were also praying for their uncle while her eldest child James was currently at Stirling Castle. She felt as if the Lord was acting cruel to her by making her close to her brother again, only to make him come within an inch of his death. Please, let it not be so.

Word reached the Scottish court of the English victory at Donnington Castle in Berkshire, in which Richard de La Pole was killed alongside scores of Frenchmen and Germans alongside the token number of Scots and Irishmen. It was a battle fought on a scale not seen since her grandfather Edward IV emerged triumphant after Towton, and Edmund himself ordered that no quarter be shown. However, Edmund was severely wounded after engaging in personal combat with Richard de La Pole and he had to be taken to Donnington Castle to be attended to.

While she and her children were praying, Margaret heard footsteps come towards her before she felt the familiar presence of her king husband. After making the sign of the cross, James knelt down besides her.

“I knew I would find you here,” James said to her.

“You know why,” Margaret answered.

“I too hope that God delivers Edmund from the waiting arms of death, for I have grown to become fond of him.”

“Thank you.” Margaret kept her eyes closed.

“But not to sound heartless, but Edmund’s current condition might be a great opportunity for us.”

Margaret turned her head to her husband. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well…” Margaret could see James choosing his words carefully, for she was close to screaming at him for even suggesting that her brother being close to death presented opportunity. “With my brother-in-law so badly hurt and the last of the Yorkist claimants dead, your countrymen will focus their attention on us. So far, our troops did not make good progress in their advance through northern England, with only a few minor castles taken to show for that. Who do you think is responsible for pulling Scotland into a pointless war?”

Margaret quickly knew the answer. “Albany.”

“Exactly. I could say that Albany has engaged in treasonous behavior for forcing his sovereign lord into a war that he did not consent to, with his treason only matched by his maliciousness for being willing to harm his own brother-in-law.”

Margaret raised her eyebrow. “That is stretching the truth.”

“Everyone stretches the truth, but it will be for our purposes. Alexander has prepared the papers to formally charge Albany with treason, along with Lennox, Arran, Lord MacDonald, and others who joined Albany south. And he also has the blessing of all of the other archbishops and even Rome to formally excommunicate Albany for trying to kill his brother-in-law.”

Margaret had to admit that she was continually impressed with how devious her husband was. Despite being boisterous and promoting culture, he was not stupid and knew how to keep his throne when the Scottish lords were all too willing to dethrone those who displeased them.

“With Albany attainted and excommunicated, it will not make a difference if he comes back to France,” Margaret stated.

“Exactly. Even the French king, despite the conflicts between France and Rome, cannot do anything if one of his lords is excommunicated by the Pope himself. And I hear from the French ambassador that Albany was been a great annoyance to King Francis, so he is glad to be rid of him for the time being.”

“But with charges of treason, is death not the natural way for Albany to depart from this world?”

James shook his head. “The most I can do is to take away his titles and lands in Scotland, but the French king will not revoke his French titles.”

“So, you can do all of that but not kill him?”

“Margaret, there will be heads that will roll for this war, but I cannot just kill everyone that displeases me. The one thing that I can do is to make them afraid, so afraid that they will think twice before trying to subvert me again. I will take a page from your father’s rule, in that I will impose heavy fines on them. The money that I can get will be good for you also, since you can keep the court lively.”

Margaret might not have liked her husband’s solution completely, but she also knew to trust him in that he knew what he was doing. “If that is your plan, then I shall support it.”

James smiled before kissing her cheek. “Worry not. Whoever dared to harm Lord Somerset will get their just recompense.”

---

Henry read the letter sent by special courier, and written in the hand of his mother herself. The commanders’ happy moods from managing to capture Dieppe and their comrades in the west triumphing at Avranches were made merrier after they heard of the final defeat of the Yorkist claimant and Donnington. However, all of their feelings were tempered when word was sent of Edmund’s condition, which was reported to be severe.

Henry’s personal moods were further dampened upon reading the letter from his mother.

Harry,

I must inform you that I shall retire from court and live at Ned’s manor in Somerset as soon as he recovers. It might not have the splendor of Richmond, Hampton Court, or Greenwich, but it will be enough to satisfy me as I near my inevitable death.

Although your reasons for sending Edmund away from France were understandable, the fact that you ignored the requests for reinforcements from even your own wife showed to me that you are unable to forgive easily. Your father understood that and your grandfather also, and they only killed those who abused their leniency, which unfortunately led to the death of my uncle Clarence. I do not know what you said to Edmund, but it made him all the more determined to make you proud of him and to show that he was not as incompetent or coddled as you might think.

And now, my son has almost died because of your vindictiveness. What happened to the one who comforted his brother during the final days of your father’s life? I do not care if a crown rests on your head. You are just as responsible for your brother nearly being killed.

As long as I have anger towards you, I will not be in court nor will I attend the birth of my next grandchild born from Eleanor, while Madeleine will continue to enjoy my affections.

I hope that God forgives you for this.

Your mother.

Henry sighed as he set the letter down. Although no one dared to say it to his face, he knew that the commanders blamed him for putting his brother in harm’s way, as they believed that his refusal to send reinforcements forced Edmund to fight alongside his men and put himself in harm’s way. What made it harder for him to digest was that his mother was leaving court out of anger, only staying as long as it took for Edmund to recover. While he would not admit it, he valued his mother’s opinion dearly and her words acted as if a dagger stabbed him in the heart.

Henry knew that Edmund was loyal and that he wanted to make his king proud, but Henry did not know any other way for him to learn how to behave as men in his position would. He was not going to apologize to anyone for what he did, as he acted as any king would. At the same time, he could not ignore the fact that Edmund was harmed while fighting for him.

Still, he killed Richard de La Pole in personal combat, so he benefited one way or another.

“Your Majesty.” Sir Anthony Browne approached him, whom Henry made as his private secretary while in France. “We have news from Italy. The emperor has taken Milan.”

Henry smiled. “Very good, Sir Anthony. With the French suffering a setback there, it will be easier to advance on Paris. Do you know if the emperor will send reinforcements to us?”

“The emperor’s priorities are currently still in Italy and along the advance in the Pyrenees, Your Majesty, but he has assured that he will send an additional thirty thousand men to support our advance?”

“Who has he appointed to command this force?”

“A German by the name of Georg von Frundsberg, Your Majesty.”

“Who is he?”

“From what I know of him, Your Majesty, he is a leader of landschneckts and fought admirably for the previous emperor in Italy. He is a soldier through and through, preferring to fight from the front.”

“So, you mean to tell me that the emperor is sending his German mercenaries to us, similar to the sorts that landed with Richard in England?”

Sir Anthony hesitated. “At this point, Your Majesty, his messenger has told me that all of his Spanish troops are engaged in the Pyrenees and in Italy. The Germans are all he could send.”

Henry did not doubt the fighting ability of the German landschneckts, but other Germans fought alongside Richard de La Pole. “Do they have cannon?”

“They do, Your Majesty. Enough to rival the French ones.”

“We shall see. We march on Rouen and then along the Seine towards Paris, unless the King of France is willing to discuss terms.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Before you leave, Sir Anthony, I must hear you speak plainly.” Henry stopped before he left the tent.

“Your Majesty?”

“Do you blame me, for putting your friend in harm’s way?”

Sir Anthony knew who he referred to. “You are the king, Your Majesty. However you use us is your right as my sovereign lord.”

“I asked you to speak plainly, Sir Anthony,” Henry reminded him.

Sir Anthony swallowed. “If that is what you ask of me… then I say that you are responsible for Edmund receiving his wounds.”

“Elaborate, Sir Anthony.”

Sir Anthony straightened himself. “Your brother is loyal to you, and nothing would please him more than gaining your approval. You should know that he is a man of action, not of words. And whatever promises he makes, he will keep.”

Henry nodded. “I acknowledge that.”

“But he does beyond what is required of him, so that no one would doubt his capabilities, even though it can be seen as unnecessary at times. He did his duty by marrying the Frenchwoman, he followed your commands without question, and he helped save England. As his friend, I am not sure what more you need from him to be assured that his loyalties lie with you.”

Henry crossed his arms. “Indeed, you are a good friend to him. But I must have reassurances continually, because I wear the crown on my head while you will never understand my position.”

“Your Majesty?”

“You think that a king is above killing their family if required? No. I know Edmund is loyal to me, but in a court where everyone is trying to gain my favor, I cannot allow Edmund to abuse his position to gain favors for his friends, such as yourself.” Sir Anthony gulped. “Now, I will admit that I have a role in how Edmund got hurt, but there is nothing more than I can do now. I shall pray that he recovers soon and I shall continue to love him since he is the father of my nephew and the only brother that I have left, but I will not go soft on him. And that is for his own good as well, for he shall know to be careful around me and to avoid the fates of the other royal brothers who came before him and grown complacent. Do you understand me, Sir Anthony?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Now, go. We shall discuss more urgent matters later.”

 

[Hoyahoo9]

You do an admirable job of getting inside Henry's head and laying out his thought process. It has a pure, cold logic to it that makes sense from the lofty point of view of a monarch. On the other hand, it simultaneously repels me for its lack of heart and empathy. But then, I'm not a king.

I'm enjoying this very much, especially the care you are taking to develop depth in your characters.

 

[Jonathan1997]

You do an admirable job of getting inside Henry's head and laying out his thought process. It has a pure, cold logic to it that makes sense from the lofty point of view of a monarch. On the other hand, it simultaneously repels me for its lack of heart and empathy. But then, I'm not a king.

I'm enjoying this very much, especially the care you are taking to develop depth in your characters.

Princes can have friends but kings cannot kings only have followers and foes. You could say the closest thing Henry VIII had to a friend would be Francis the first of France.

 

[Yi Sun Sin]

You do an admirable job of getting inside Henry's head and laying out his thought process. It has a pure, cold logic to it that makes sense from the lofty point of view of a monarch. On the other hand, it simultaneously repels me for its lack of heart and empathy. But then, I'm not a king.

I'm enjoying this very much, especially the care you are taking to develop depth in your characters.

Thank you very much!

Princes can have friends but kings cannot kings only have followers and foes. You could say the closest thing Henry VIII had to a friend would be Francis the first of France.

Those two were similar in personality, so that was a given

 

[HortenseMancini]

Princes can have friends but kings cannot kings only have followers and foes. You could say the closest thing Henry VIII had to a friend would be Francis the first of France.

I'd argue that henry did have friends, or at least a couple, namely charles brandon and thomas cranmer.

 

[Jonathan1997]

I'd argue that henry did have friends, or at least a couple, namely charles brandon and thomas cranmer.

Yes but know one can say you are wrong Henry I believe the only person is his mother and that is because he would look soft and cruel if he killed his mother. Also Henry had a habit where he destroy his strongest advisors which were Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. He also bullied people and had a vicious and predictive streak but when Cromwell never showed any fear this is what made Henry like and he was his Fix-It man.

 

[Yi Sun Sin]

I'd argue that henry did have friends, or at least a couple, namely charles brandon and thomas cranmer.

Yes but know one can say you are wrong Henry I believe the only person is his mother and that is because he would look soft and cruel if he killed his mother. Also Henry had a habit where he destroy his strongest advisors which were Thomas Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. He also bullied people and had a vicious and predictive streak but when Cromwell never showed any fear this is what made Henry like and he was his Fix-It man.

All of this is true. Even though the circumstances of this thread has allowed Henry to avoid going on his murderous rampage with his separation from Rome, I would argue that the traits that made Henry who he became notorious for were always there (just needed the right situation to bring that out).

 

[Yi Sun Sin]

Madeleine stayed by Edmund’s bedside as his eyes remained closed, him resting and recovering his strength, while she kept her hands wrapped around his tightly. The physicians had just managed to prevent him from bleeding out and sown up the cut along his waist. Once they deemed him well enough to be moved, he was escorted back to London in a carriage while Eleanor had him recuperate in his apartments at court.

Although he was intended to lead the counterattack against the Scots led by Albany, his condition made it impossible for him to command. Surrey was appointed in his place by Henry’s word, with Lord Montagu and John Dudley as his subordinates while John Russell was charged with hunting down the French fleet that had managed to land Richard de La Pole’s army in England. After assembling at St. Albans, fifteen thousand men left northwards to reinforce their northern brethren against the Scots.

Only a few Frenchmen and Scots had managed to survive the slaughter at Donnington Castle, with those who escaped being tracked down and captured by English cavalry before being led to London. Among the prisoners was Robert Stewart, Lord of Aubigny. Madeleine had only heard of him, his Darnley family well-connected in Scotland, and he was found trying to leave in disguise on a boat departing from Bristol. Like Louis de Lorraine, he was housed at court until his ransom was paid.

Despite the bounties placed on the attainted Earl of Desmond and Cormac MacDermot, they had disappeared, which was smart of them since they would face traitor’s deaths if captured. That was a fate that their Irish brethren who were captured would face, with Eleanor already signing their death warrants and a few already hung at Tyburn. But most importantly, Richard de La Pole’s corpse was posthumously quartered and his head put on a spike on London Bridge to show to all that the last of the Yorks had been extinguished. Now, no one should ever again rise up to take the crown from the Tudor dynasty.

Her mother-in-law Elizabeth also sat by her, as she would only remain at court until Edmund fully recovered. Once he did, she would move in to their home in Somerset until her anger against Henry cooled off. Madeleine had more reason to be enraged with Henry, as her husband almost died fighting for his brother. If this is not proof of his loyalty, what is?

“At least God was not cruel in taking my youngest child away from me like he did with Arthur and my daughter Elizabeth,” her mother-in-law said while keeping her eyes on Edmund’s sleeping face. “He must live a long life and die a natural death, something that eluded many in family, including Richard de La Pole.”

“And he will. I intend to be with him for all of those years.” Madeleine smiled at her in assurance.

“I am sorry that I will not be here for the birth of your next child, but I promised to Henry that I would not attend the birth of his next one by Eleanor. But after it is born, I would like to see the both of you and my grandson Alfred in Somerset.”

“Of course. By that time, I hope there will be peace and Edmund can no longer be occupied by his soldierly duties.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “You know, that was the intention of his father, to be the great warrior England should have.”

“Is that so?” Madeleine was interested.

Elizabeth bobbed her head. “In all royal generations, you always have a king. If the king should have brothers, they were to be trained to support their oldest brother however they can. Harry was the Duke of York and while we did consider him embarking on a church career, he was to be the opposite of Arthur’s seriousness and singular focus on kingship.”

Madeleine stifled her laughter, for she could not for the life of her imagine Henry in clerical clothes. He as a churchman flew against everything that she had seen of him, for good churchmen were too dull.

“As for Edmund, my husband decided that he should be a soldier. My husband envisioned Edmund to be like Edmund Crouchback, Thomas of Clarence, John of Bedford, or even William Longespée. That was why he invested heavily in his combat training, hiring only the best swordsmen, archers, and wrestlers to train him while he was to be familiar with every weapon utilized in the continent. He even had his chancellor take him on his first hunt before he had seen ten years, which went as well as you would expect.”

Madeleine scoffed, agreeing with the sentiment. “But Edmund is more than just a warrior,” she pointed out.

“Of course. He received all of the education that a prince should have, but being a warrior was my husband’s true intention for him. While I am not happy with Henry forcing Edmund to join the fray, I am satisfied that my late husband prepared him well. Given that he himself was not much of a warrior despite winning at Bosworth, I can be happy in knowing that my family is secure.”

Madeleine knew that Edmund was more than the purpose her late father-in-law had chosen for him, but even she had to admit that his actions in Berkshire should show to all that her husband should be seen as incapable or spoiled. And she also knew that sons looked up to their fathers, so little Alfred should have no trouble following Edmund’s example.

That was why, while she rubbed her belly and kissed Edmund’s hand, she hoped for a girl, for she wanted to see her husband’s rough edges be smoothened out. She thanked the Lord God for not having her husband die, but she prayed that he would recover quickly, for she needed him. How long must I go without his touch, without his kiss, without his warmth?

---

Buckingham marched with the army as they advanced from Avranches towards Caen, their intentions being to capture the town and thus cut off Cherbourg. Once Caen was taken, they would be able to launch a two-pronged assault on Cherbourg from land and sea. They did not need to worry about their southern approach, since the Spanish were keeping the French occupied in the Pyrenees. The temptation to try to advance south and move on Aquitaine was strong, but it had been over seventy years since Englishmen ruled there and there was no chance that the lords there would accept the king of England coming back to rule them. That left the whole of northern France to be attacked and the capture of Cherbourg would force the king of France in a precarious position.

His cousin Lord Dorset led the advance party towards Caen, while Buckingham was stuck with the Duke of Suffolk. The only dukes in England had royal blood, descended from the Plantagenets one way or another, while Charles Brandon had no such blood in his veins. But he could not do anything about King Henry gifting his friend a dukedom and the lands that came with Lady Lisle. Most important of all, the death of Richard de La Pole signaled to everyone in England and elsewhere that there was no one left but the Tudors to sit on the English throne. It only confirmed to Buckingham that he had made the right choice going to Brittany, for that allowed him to see that the key to his and family’s happiness was to be loyal to King Henry, and not throwing verbal insults to Charles Brandon, Thomas Wolsey, or anyone else in the king’s favor was a sure way to assuage the Tudor king.

“We should conduct a burning campaign through the lands all the way up to Caen,” Suffolk suggested. “If we cannot hold these lands, we have to make sure that the French will not use them again against us for a long time. That was the strategy employed by the Black Prince before Poitiers.”

“Agreed, Lord Suffolk. Take all of the harvests and all of the valuables and burn anything else that we cannot take with us,” Buckingham nodded. “But we should also exercise restraint among our troops. That means that we should not allow our troops in engage in unnecessary acts of violence, especially against the women.”

“Lord Buckingham, when passions run high, we cannot control every soldier’s actions.”

Buckingham shook his head. “We are already deep in enemy territory and the French population will resist us anyway. But King Francis will not be able to condemn us as rapists if conduct this war like gentlemen.”

“War is ugly, Lord Buckingham. There is not much we can control when our troops are turned loose like our dogs of war.”

Buckingham sighed. “Lord Suffolk, I must dispute you on that. We are here to fight other men and there is no honor in willfully harming women and children. We do not need our enemies to have another reason to fight us, since emotions are powerful factors in war.”

“We already killed Frenchmen along the way, Lord Buckingham. Fathers, brothers, even sons. Do you not think that they already hate us?”

“The same can be said about the Spanish and Germans who are fighting alongside us elsewhere. Even in war, we should behave within acceptable boundaries.”

Suffolk clicked his tongue. “I see your point, Lord Buckingham. But as I said just now, when the arrows fly and blood spills, remember that we cannot control what our men do afterwards.”

Buckingham wanted to control the troops’ behavior for more practical reasons. As his youngest son was the Duke of Brittany, his lands would always be the target of French intrigues, the French rightfully seeing an independent Brittany along with Calais as daggers against the heart of France. Any sort of wanton violence on part of the Breton and English soldiers under his command would be used as an excuse for the French crown to move on Brittany with force and there was no guarantee that the Bretons would hold them off as well as before, given the evolving nature of warfare. While the English alliance was critical to Brittany’s continued independence, Buckingham had to work towards the long-term survival as well.

On another note, everyone in the army cheered when Richard de La Pole was finally dead and with it the Yorkist cause. Now, there was no one left to challenge the Tudors and England could look forward to a dynasty that would remain on the throne for long term. And not only did King Henry have two sons to carry on the name, he had a brother and a nephew. For the first time since the reign of Henry V over a century ago, England no rival bloodlines that could challenge the ruling one.

Even Buckingham had to admit that he was impressed that Edmund Tudor was willing to fight in battle and his wounds essentially silenced all doubts. Like Edmund Crouchback during the reign of Edward I, the Duke of Somerset demonstrated his capabilities as a warrior prince, the likes of which England had not seen in decades. But Buckingham was also concerned, for rival lines in the same dynasty was bound to fight each other, as was the case with the weak Edward II and Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, both of them first cousins. He can only pray that King Henry’s successor would give his Somerset cousins no reason to challenge him, for that is all it took for a fight over the throne to happen.

But that was a worry to deal with in the future. Now, Buckingham had to secure his family’s place in the annals of history, for he had to ensure that Brittany remained in the good graces of England and that both Breton and Englishman remained united.

 

[Jonathan1997]

I sometimes wonder if think my have happened differently Elizabeth of York and Henry Vii where made co monarchs. As for wars between cadet branches of families that usually happens due to extraordinary circumstances. Like Richard II and Charles Vi of France

 

[pjmidd]

I sometimes wonder if think my have happened differently Elizabeth of York and Henry Vii where made co monarchs. As for wars between cadet branches of families that usually happens due to extraordinary circumstances. Like Richard II and Charles Vi of France

No chance of the Nobility accepting co-monarchs, the Anarchy poisoned the well on female rulers. The first that actually got crowned was actually Mary 1 and that was due to lack of any other option.

 

[isabella]

No chance of the Nobility accepting co-monarchs, the Anarchy poisoned the well on female rulers. The first that actually got crowned was actually Mary 1 and that was due to lack of any other option.

Absolutely false. And the real problem for Maud in England was not who she was female but who she was married to Geoffrey who was hated and would become the real ruler of England in name of his wife

 

[pjmidd]

Absolutely false. And the real problem for Maud in England was not who she was female but who she was married to Geoffrey who was hated and would become the real ruler of England in name of his wife

Was Maud crowned? Claimed the throne yes, but just like Lady Jane Grey she is not on the official list of rulers as she was never coronated. First Queen is Mary 1 and first official co-monarch is her husband ( limited by Act of Parliament to be so only during his wife's life )

 

[isabella]

Was Maud crowned? Claimed the throne yes, but just like Lady Jane Grey she is not on the official list of rulers as she was never coronated. First Queen is Mary 1 and first official co-monarch is her husband ( limited by Act of Parliament to be so only during his wife's life )

Maud was NOT crowned, true, but still her son got the Crown and she was sworn as heiress and if she had NOT married Geoffrey but someone who the English barons liked she would have her crown

 

[Jonathan1997]

Henry become queen due to the will of King Henry VIII and the will of Edward VI of England was overturned.

 

[FalconHonour]

Was Maud crowned? Claimed the throne yes, but just like Lady Jane Grey she is not on the official list of rulers as she was never coronated. First Queen is Mary 1 and first official co-monarch is her husband ( limited by Act of Parliament to be so only during his wife's life )

Yes, and I have always resented that. Both Matilda and Jane Grey should be treated as Queens in my eyes. After all, Edward V was never crowned, nor was Edward VIII, and we consider them both Kings, so why not Matilda and Jane?

 

[Jonathan1997]

Yes, and I have always resented that. Both Matilda and Jane Grey should be treated as Queens in my eyes. After all, Edward V was never crowned, nor was Edward VIII, and we consider them both Kings, so why not Matilda and Jane?

Kings of England are Kings by acclamation not by coronation it took Edward the First of England 2 years to be coronated but he is still classed as king from the death of Henry iii in 1272.