~Prince of Lancaster~

June 1460, Haddon Hall, one year later....

"My Lady! Really my Lady!" Agnes called as her little Lady flitted through the winding bushes and flowerbeds that filled Haddon Hall's garden.

Catherine had made them her own during the year she had lived in the great Manor House, creating her own little herb garden where she and Agnes grew lavender and such to put in pillowcases when they were washed each week! Red roses wound up the trunks of sturdy oak trees, beautiful when in bloom (as they were that summer) and yet painful to touch if one dared to venture into their thorny hands.

Married life was not a chore to her, in fact, it quickly became apparent that marriage gave her more freedom than she had ever thought she could have! Apart from the requirement to attend dinners with various Lords and Ladies, she was free to do as she pleased! As long as she did not leave the Bergavenny lands. But she did not want to leave them, not truly, they were in Georgie's care, just like her, and therefore they were safe.

Catherine thought little of her home high in Northumberland, she found, as the seasons turned like the wheel of fortune from summer, to winter, to spring, to summer again. It was more than a year since she'd been taken from her home, since she had seen her family and, as it was with young minds, her memory slowly began to fail her. She could still remember their voices, the joy they would bring when they saw her but their faces....their faces were a beautiful blur, like smudged paint on a once perfect canvas.

In a way, it was a mercy. To remember only brought pain, to forget brought peace and allowed her a chance to adjust to her new life. It was not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination, she had comfort and protection, a vast expanse of books and fine furnishings, silken thread for her to sew with through the months of winter!

She was not void of friends either, she had Agnes, her constant companion and confidant. The old woman may have had aching limbs and a slow pace of walking but her wit was sharper than a needle and her heart pierced with the arrow of unfailing loyalty. She protected the little girl as if she were a daughter of her own and Catherine adored her for it.

She found she adored her husband too, a strange notion at first but one she came to view as normal and was an adoration that was shared! George adored Catherine as his little sister whom he spoiled each chance that came his way, showering gowns and jewels upon her!

He was away from Haddon often, taking up duties for his family that had only heightened since that past October. Her husband told her little to nothing of politics, thinking she would not understand, and so she knew nothing but what she had known before. Each night she prayed for King Marguerite and King Henry, at mass too! Sometimes she would go to Haddon's chapel just to assure God of her loyalty to Lancaster.

York would not win, she was still sure of that, Warwick would not win! Georgie was for York, Catherine had known that since the beginning of their marriage but they did not discuss it, not once. His loyalties mattered little to her, for he provided her with comfort and protection, the affection of an elder brother she had missed from Hal. Besides, she was sure he would not be harmed when Lancastrian victory came! If Queen Marguerite still favoured her then she would beg for his life, annul their marriage, yes, but she would see he was not hurt!

He would be forgiven but she decided she needn't worry about that while the warm sun shone down upon her and she ran through her garden, the train of her gown floating behind her. It was of soft blue silk, the chemise underneath as soft as down and the polished pearls around her neck glimmering. She adored the gowns she wore, the kirtles and cloaks she need only ask for before they were delivered to her by a pageboy!

Her daily life was one of quiet relaxation and slow movements that kept her satisfied. She would often go riding, taking a guard or two with her to see her safely through her husband's lands or visit the stables, petting and feeding the horses there.

Almost half were hers, wedding gifts from Georgie to make her smile, which they did each time she saw the beautiful creatures! They danced to her command, listening to her voice as her hawks and falcons did and it thrilled her to have control over such elegance, watching the birds flit and fly above her head.

It was something she took joy in, just as she took joy in the beauty of her garden while Agnes' calls to halt became distant orders destined to go ignored. The wall surrounding her perfect world was high, towering above her; a protective gate from the harsh reality of England. Bushes of roses scaled the stone, their red petals shining bright under the sun almost like fresh blood.

Only once had Catherine seen and felt such a horror and she shivered at the memory, instead focusing on the beautiful flowers that held her hope for her house. One day she would show Prince Edward this garden and he would be pleased! Perhaps he would still make her his Queen even though it had never been a certainty. It was a dream but one she still clung to and was determined to have....one way or another.

"Catherine! Cat where are you?"
That was Agnes, once more calling for her young mistress but Catherine was already taken by the dreams of her imagination which had once been all she had. The woman would not find her, she never could!

"Catherine!" A voice called from above "Lady Catherine!" She shook her head....that was not Agnes, that was no woman nor man....that was a boy. A familiar boy.

Glancing upwards to where the high wall ended against the soft blue of the bright sky, Catherine felt her breath being knocked from her lungs. Blue eyes widened with shock and her fingers curled around the skirt of her gown as her legs gave way, sending her hurtling towards the earth. Her small body landed with a thud on the grass, causing her to groan in pain while she tried to make sense of the sight that had met her.

Sitting atop her garden wall was a boy with brown curls and a pale complexion, dressed in the black and crimson of Lancaster with a red rose pinned to his chest. He had grinned at her, a boyish grin she remembered form last January, when she had been at court and all had been perfect....Prince Edward. But it could not be! He was surely at Westminster or whichever royal residence the King and Queen hosted the court in.

He would not be, could not be here, sitting atop Haddon's garden wall as bold as brass! And yet, when she fell, the thud of feet upon earth followed. A boy ran towards her, kneeling down beside her shocked body and lifting it tenderly into his arms. The boy cradled her gently, smoothing back the locks of hair that had fallen over her face with tenderness and hands not yet roughened by swords.

"Catherine" He whispered "Catherine its me! It's Edward!"

"Prince Edward" She murmured, opening her eyes to see a pair of deep prone staring down at her. It truly was her Edward "Edward...." she repeated and Edward smiled, slowly helping her to sit up in his arms. He wore the same rings he had at Christmas and his body was still as soft as she remembered, not hardened with muscle as knight's were "Your grace...."

"Just Edward" He told her with his boyish grin and Catherine smiled back, a feeling of safety washing over her "I am here to see you!" At that, she giggled and sat up to look at her Prince with excited eyes, still not truly believing he was here, sitting in her garden!
"Well I can see that Edward! But why?"

"I wanted to see that you were safe!" He replied, placing a gentle hand to her cheek while his expression sobered somewhat "I heard you were married, that those bastard Nevilles took you and now" He grimaced "now you are married to one of them! When you're not meant to be married to a Neville, you're.... you're supposed to be married to me!"

Catherine gawked at his words, coaxing him to laugh while he nodded, taking her hands in his "We are children Catherine, you seven and I only six but I know, I'm sure I know! My Mother is fond of you and she is hardly fond of anybody! You are meant to be my Queen, Catherine! You are certainly beautiful enough to be Queen!" A rosy blush coloured her cheeks at that, making Edward puff out his chest with pride.

Did he really think her right to be his Queen just as she had dreamed? Would she really one day be married to this Prince before her and process down the isle of Westminster Abbey where she would be crowned alongside him?

"Truly? Truly, Edward?"
The boy nodded determinedly, twiddling the rings on his fingers while he did so and pulling one off, holding it out to her.

"This is my pledge to you. My pledge to you that I shall make you my Queen, Catherine!" He told her, pulling the golden chain she wore from her bodice when he saw it and smiling at his Mother's ring "You still wear it?"

"Of course!" Catherine exclaimed, clasping the ruby ring he held out to her chest before exclaiming in surprise "Oh! I must give you something!" Reaching up, she released the string of pearls from around her neck and pressed the shining spheres into his hand, willing him to take them. He did, tucking them into his doublet while she placed his ring in her bodice, next to his Mother's where it would be safe until she could transfer it to the chest upon her dressing table.

She paused for a moment when a question sprung to mind, peering up at her Prince from beneath sandy lashes "How did you get here? This is Neville land and the Nevilles are Yorkists, I am sure!"

"That they are" Edward confessed before lowering his voice in excitement, glancing around with gleaming eyes "But the Nevilles and Yorks are in retreat! The devil, the Duke of York has retreated to Ireland with one of his sons while Warwick, his Father and Brother and another of York's bastards have fled to Calais! I had my men bring me here!" Catherine laughed in pure shock, a wave of innocent happiness overcoming her while Edward squeezed her hands "We are victorious!" He told her "And I can make you my Princess then my Queen!"

Her breath caught in her throat and her smile was marred by the ghost of a frown.
"But I am married" She murmured "If I am married I cannot marry you!" Edward grinned, waving a hand as if to sweep away her words of doubt.
"My Father shall annul the marriage! It has not been consummated so it is not true! You shall be my wife, Catherine! Of that I am sure!"

Encouraged by his determined words, she could do nothing but nod her belief. The King would annul her marriage and she would be Princess Catherine of Wales before Queen Catherine of England! If this was not a dream then she knew not what was!

"Catherine! Catherine!" Agnes yelled, her voice closer than before and fuelled with joy "George is home, my dear! He's home!"
"Georgie!" Catherine breathed, instinctively making to rise but Edward pulled her back down beside him, in an almost desperate manner.
"Come with me!" He urged "My Mother said we have won! We can be wed!"

"Catherine!" Agnes called and the girl looked towards the blossoming expanse of the gardens once more, her heart suddenly aching at the thought of abandoning the old woman without a word goodbye....that was too cruel.

"I cannot go, Edward!" She told him, saddened by the way his handsome face fell in disappointment "Come back for me! Please, tell your glorious Mother to come back for me!"
Despite his downfallen expression, he nodded.

"I will!" He promised, bestowing a kiss to her hand before he scrambled to his feet and ran to the garden wall, beginning to ascend surprisingly nimbly "I will, dearest, Catherine!" He called again and she nodded, assuring him of her faith with a small wave that ended when Agnes called her name again, forcing her to scramble to her feet "Adieu, mon Catherine!" Her Prince shouted after her and she giggled, yelling a matching reply over the hedges.

It was less than a minute before Agnes found her and what a state she was in! The old woman was flushed with unfamiliar colour and a wide smile was on her face, displayed her teeth, crooked with age.

"He's here!" She crowed happily, taking her Lady's hand in a flurry of excitement "He's returned to us!" Catherine could not help but grin at her enthusiasm, letting herself be pulled (albeit rather weakly) back through the gardens towards the stone walls of Haddon where a commotion could be heard.

Hooves on cobble clattered and men on horseback shouted to grooms as they trailed behind their Lord who sat proudly on his steed. Catherine's lips split into a wide beam and as soon as she and her friend stepped into the courtyard and she let go of Agnes' frail hand, rushing forth.

Georgie let out a laugh when he saw her, jumping down from his horse just in time to swing her into his arms. Up she flew, like a little bird in his embrace until she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Cat!" He exclaimed happily "My little wife how I have missed you!"
"And I you, husband!" She giggled, their marital titles a source of amusement for them both.

"What have you done today then, Cat? Running our Aggie ragged I see?" George looked over her shoulder to where Agnes stood, a wrinkled hand to her chest as it heaved. Still, she managed a smile for her Lord.
"The little minx never does anything else!" She replied "One day I shall faint!"

"And on that day I shall be there to help you stand again" Catherine quipped before George carried her inside, asking about the adventures she had, Agnes close behind.

꧁꧂

Sitting opposite one another at the table which was placed upon the high dais in the great hall, Catherine eyed Georgie over her soup, watching him closely. He held a book he had brought back from his duties in one hand and would smile at a passage every so often.

She did not wish to disturb him, that she would never do on purpose but in this moment, it was needed for the questions she had to be answered. Questions Prince Edward had planted within her curious mind of her deadliest enemies. The Nevilles had fled, he had told her, Warwick and his Father, the Yorks and his brood. Of course she was glad of it but why had they fled? When?

Biting her lip a little, she found the courage to raise her head, laying down her spoon with a small clink that caught her husband's attention.
"Are you not hungry, Cat?" He asked, closing his book and she shook her head wordlessly, fisting her hands in her skirt with the knowledge that she was to wade into dangerous waters.

"When...." She began and George raised his dark eyebrows expectantly at her.
"When...?"
"When did the Nevilles and Yorks flee England?"

A small gasp went around the room from the servants that lined the walls, waiting to take an order from their Lord or Lady. The former glanced quickly to the side, waving them curtly away before he beckoned to her, sighing slightly as the hall door shut. Catherine moved hesitantly from her seat, flinching as the wooden legs scraped on the stone floor before walking to her husband, seating herself beside him.

When he placed his open hand onto the table, she slid her small one into it, intertwining their fingers in a gesture she had come to know meant comfort and safety. It set her at ease, to know she was bound with another and George knew that.

"Where did you hear the news?" He asked and it was not difficult for her to conjure an excuse.
"The servants....they were wondering when they would come back"
"Ah" George murmured, his tone not entirely believing but he decided not to press the matter. Catherine was an intelligent girl and simply because he had not told her such important news did not mean that she would not find out "You still pray for Lancaster do you not?"

She nodded. She never denied her loyalties, even to him.
"But I am with you, Georgie" She quickly added, giving his hand a slight squeeze "I would not betray you"

A wry smile crossed his lips.
"I know....my kin fled from Ludlow in October of last year after Queen Marguerite confronted them with an army she raised and I have had no word from them since. They have all been attainted" He grimaced at the word that was every noble family's worse nightmare. "And even I wonder if they shall return to English shores. There is a rumour York intends to make himself King of Ireland instead of England"

"Well that would be much better for my King and Queen" Catherine admitted, thinking it would be better for herself too as she remembered the ring within her bodice and the promise it held, spoken from young lips. George simply smiled at her words, spoken with such devotion. 'If the red rose was ever a person, it would be her' He mused, gazing at the little girl that fidgeted in her seat, her heart taken not by a husband but a royal House. The House of Lancaster.

"Go to bed, sœur" He ordered gently and was not surprised to see she obeyed, hopping daintily from her seat to give him her customary kiss on the cheek.
"You should shave" She told him when the dark stubble that had grown over many weeks of travel, scratched her lips "I won't have you growing a beard, Georgie!" With a grin, he nodded and kissed her hand before watching her skip down the length of the hall, her leather shoes patting quietly on the stone beneath them.

It was when he watched her at such childlike movements such as that that he was reminded she was a child. A naive, innocent child he needed to protect and educate in a way, teach her things her tutors could not. She had been trained to hate Lancaster, to despise his family and the Yorks they fought for. It was not her fault she supported the enemy but it would be his fault if he did not at the very least attempt to train her the other way.....

"Cat?" The little girl turned "If a dog is trained to kill a mouse, it will kill a mouse when it sees one, yes?" She frowned a little but nodded all the same "but in fact the mouse is not a threat to the dog and if the dog had not been trained to attack the mouse it would not, would it?" Again she nodded, frown deepening "It is not a threat, do you see?"

"Perhaps not a threat" She replied evenly "but for the dog the mouse would make a tasty meal"

And with that, she turned on her pretty heels and left.