White Boar and the Red Dragon, The (38 page)

‘Will you have Rivers done away with then, my lord?’

‘Not yet. All must be kept as well-ordered as possible. This will be a bloodless coup. We must not terrify the young king. That is the last thing I wish to do. I will send an escort of armed soldiers now to surround Rivers’s inn and have him locked in his quarters. In the morning, we will set out for Stoney Stratford while he remains in custody here with an armed guard. Later, we can decide what to do with him, also Grey and Vaughan. Richard Grey in particular will not escape me, as I have an old and bitter score to settle with him!’

‘It is a clever plan, my lord, but will it work, do you think?’

‘It has to. My life, your life, in fact the lives of anyone who is not a Woodville supporter, will be worth nothing if we fail. I am certain of that! While I will carry out my dead brother’s wishes to the best of my ability, I must not forget that this Woodville family is very devious—and dangerous. Once they get into power, with the boy king as their figurehead, our lives would be forfeit!’

Richard, Stoney Stratford, Early morning, 30 April 1483

I must admit Anthony Rivers was very convincing in his feigned bewilderment at his arrest and committal into my custody earlier at Northampton.

‘My Lord of Gloucester, I confess myself at a loss to understand your actions. Do you imagine that I take the young king into danger? He has been in my care practically all his life. Naturally, I was requested to bring him to London by the queen, my sister. Where is the harm?’

‘By the queen! By the mother who has hardly set eyes on him or shown much interest in his welfare since his birth! Why the undue haste now to bring him into her care?’

‘To prepare him for his coronation, my lord, on 4 May!’

‘So soon? Is not all this somewhat precipitate, Lord Rivers?’

‘It has been thought best—’

‘By the Woodvilles no doubt, acting on the queen’s instructions? Well, I am officially young Edward’s Protector and guardian now, at the late king’s express wish—made on his deathbed! So I will make the decisions concerning his welfare, along with my chosen council, when we reach the capital. As I plan to reinstate most of the men who were my brother’s trusted councillors, we shall manage very well. You are therefore relieved of your custody of the child forthwith!’

He continued to protest, but I had him taken away and put under secure lock and key, where he will be completely impotent to thwart my will. He will be confined indefinitely at Stoney Stratford, then at Pontefract Castle, one of my most secure strongholds, until I have decided what shall be done with him.

The young king was, perhaps, much less pleasant towards me as I approached him here a short while ago. We had ridden fast at dawn, Harry Buckingham and I, from Northampton.

Edward was ready to move out on the road to London and was already mounted, surrounded by his ranked escort of armed soldiers. He did not take kindly to my news that I was his new Protector and that I had confined Lord Anthony Rivers. I assured him I would explain my actions simply, when he haughtily enquired where Lord Rivers was, for he is but a child, after all, and complicated political reasons were not appropriate, though it is known he is a highly intelligent boy and mature for his age.

I saw him looking hopefully along the ranks of my men, hoping to see him there, no doubt. When he failed to do so, I saw him blanch a little, but he remained completely in control of himself, nevertheless. His two other companions, Lord Richard Grey, the queen’s son, and Thomas Vaughan, his old retainer, looked puzzled also.

I knew I must offer a complete explanation to them as well as I could. It was only fair on the boy.

‘Please to re-enter the inn, Your Majesty, and also your chief attendants!’

I nodded at Grey and Vaughan, who at once dismounted, as the boy king reluctantly did so too.

The Duke of Buckingham and I ushered the three of them into the hostelry, and when we were alone, I tried honestly to explain my actions.

‘Firstly, I offer my deepest condolences at the loss of your father, the king, who could not have been more dear to me in life. Now that he is gone, sadly, I am determined to carry out his last wishes, made on his deathbed, to the letter. This is for your safety and the future safety of your realm!’

‘My safety? Surely I was quite safe with my dear guardian, Lord Rivers? He has cared for me and instructed me since I was but two years old. He is like a second father to me!’

‘Circumstances have changed drastically, Your Majesty! And there are many things you know nothing about, which you have never been told. You have been brought up quietly and led a most sheltered existence, away from the hub of events, so could not understand what has been going on. You have only ever been instructed in one side of things—that of your mother’s family, the Woodvilles!’

‘And what, my lord Uncle, has been going on that I am in ignorance of? Kindly explain!’

‘I will do my utmost to. And to make my purpose with regard to you clear. Certain ministers about the late king have helped to ruin his health by encouraging him in his excesses! Indulging in too much drink, food, and women, he was abusing his body dangerously, which therefore became weak and unable to withstand a serious illness when it attacked him. These men must be removed from power, forthwith, in order that they might not play the same game with you, his son, as with your father.’

“I suppose you include my brother, the Marquess of Dorset and myself in this incrimination my lord?” interposed Richard Grey indignantly. ‘The king needed no urging to indulge himself easily, you know! You cannot blame my brother or I!’

‘Be silent and hear out the Lord Protector!’ shouted Harry Buckingham. And Grey, purple in the face with suppressed anger, shut his mouth reluctantly. Never a brave one, as I had noticed on the battlefield, he had no desire to risk Buckingham’s considerable ire further.

‘And now, these very men have openly conspired, not only to deprive me of my lawful Protectorship, but have laid a trap for my life. I narrowly escaped assassination last night in Northampton when going but a short distance from my inn to talk to some of my soldiers. If it had not been for the presence of mind of my bodyguard, I would be dead now!

And I know who was behind it! Earl Rivers, the Marquess of Dorset, and Lord Richard Grey here—whom you say you trust so implicitly! There are dark forces commanding them, Sire! They were obeying instructions!’

‘Who instructed them?’

‘I know they carried out the wishes of the queen, who has been my implacable enemy always! For my own safety—and ultimately for yours—I was forced to arrest Earl Rivers at Northampton. He is now in my custody and will be charged with attempted murder shortly! Then I will decide what shall be done with him. He will be punished, never doubt it!’

‘Please, do not harm him! He has been my good friend and kind mentor always.’

‘You may be king now, Edward, but you are still a child in years. You must accept that, whatever I do, will be done for the best!’

The young king’s head drooped visibly at that, but he did not let his emotions overwhelm him, showing resolve and control well beyond his age, for which I could not help but admire him.

‘I have always trusted the earl, the marquess, and Lord Grey. I have had no reason not to. They are my friends. I would not lose them! Surely, as the new king, I can command that they be not harmed? They have shown no ill will to me ever! And as for the governing of my realm, I am certain that my mother, the queen, and my chief nobles—’

‘No longer the queen, lad! And the ruling of the land is for men, not women. Your mother has no rightful authority in law, though she dares to assume it!’ Buckingham roared angrily. ‘The Duke is correct, Your Majesty! I agree. You have been deceived; the truth hidden from you! Now listen, and he will try to explain in detail what you should now know.’

‘Everything has happened so fast, my Uncle of Gloucester, that I can hardly take it in! But I must admit, I have been deceived in one thing—I was never informed by my guardian when news of my father, the king’s death came to Ludlow, that you had been given Protectorship of my realm and person. I should have been told!’

‘Indeed you should, Your Highness, indeed you should. What your father, the king, did as he lay dying in appointing me—the one he trusted most in the world—was the best he could do in the circumstances, for the good of his kingdom and his heir! He knew himself to be surrounded by those who, though making promises to work together after his death for the good of the country and yourself, would soon forget those deathbed promises after he had gone! The Woodvilles and the nobles are at loggerheads. They always have been and probably always will be! Your father may not have seen you very often, but I assure you, he loved you well!’

‘Then why was I sent away to Ludlow as an infant? Why did he not keep me by his side at court?’

‘He wished he could, but he also wished to protect you from the many evil influences there. It has been a place of depravity. I have always avoided it as much as possible, even though I often missed my brother too and longed to be with him! He often talked about you to me. He kept you well away from court in Ludlow so that you might avoid the bad things there, which he himself had often fallen prey to! He wanted your mind kept clear and unsullied. If you do not understand this now, you perhaps will when you are older. Your father was in a web, mainly of the Woodvilles’ making, and could do little to extricate himself, especially as his health worsened. I saw it all, and feared for him. I also hated it and prayed he could be delivered from their influences. But it was not to be. But you, he wished to keep safe! Now I will undertake that task, most heartily!

For many years, since I was not much older than you, I served your father faithfully in council and in battle. He trusted me utterly, more than anyone else, as his most loyal brother, because I kept to my motto ‘Loyalty binds me’, where he was concerned, as I loved him dearly and admired him greatly. I tried never to let him down.

Now, because of my experience, my good reputation, and my nearness in blood to your father as his favourite brother, indeed, his only brother now, he chose to appoint me as Protector of the Realm and of his heir—you, Edward.

Will Your Highness accept me now as your new guardian? And will you be content with your father’s decision? I understand it will be hard for you to accept all these changes in your life, but it is necessary, and right, for you to do so.’

‘It seems I have little choice. And as I respected my father, though I hardly knew him, I will be content with the government he arranged for me. But I cannot help feeling the loss of my friends.’

‘That is understandable, especially in one so young, but you will make many new ones, I am sure.’

Edward nodded miserably. I could not help being somewhat sorry for him. He had spoken falteringly, with no enthusiasm, in accepting his new lot, but with a quiet dignity.

After all, in a moment, his whole world had collapsed around him in effect, and though he had a glittering future, his mind must have been a turmoil of confusion and resentment. It was inevitable. I understood that. I tried to speak kindly to the boy.

‘Your Highness, it is necessary, for safety’s sake, to return to Northampton until word comes to me from London concerning the effect my actions have had upon affairs there. If all is well, then it will be safe to take you there soon. Lord Hastings, your late father’s dearest friend and Lord Chancellor, will contact me as soon as he can. He is loyal to you also, Sire, as he was to your father for many years. Together, we will make sure that no harm can befall you.’

The young king nodded mutely again and allowed himself to be escorted back to his chamber in the inn. He seemed to have accepted the situation. In truth, what else could he do, though surrounded by a large armed guard? He would be looked after well and guarded securely until I could take him to London safely.

He broke down a little at last and cried eventually, as children will, even older ones, when faced with situations they cannot understand, still less control. This was when he was informed that his personal attendants, most of whom had been with him all his life, were to be replaced with men of my choosing. I saw him shoot a glance of pure hatred at me through his tears at that point, possibly because he had given in to his feelings in front of me, the instigator of all his misery that day, as much as for the loss of his trusted servants. But it was necessary, like all else I have carried out. Who knows but that the old body servants may have tried to get him away at his pleading in the night and take him to the queen? They are, after all, loyal to him, not me. They had to go.

That seemed to be the last straw for the boy after an eventful and traumatic day.

I grieved to disturb him so, but I had no choice in the situation. Perhaps he will understand later on, when he sees it is all for his own good. I hope so.

As soon as he was safely lodged, I had Richard Grey and Vaughan promptly arrested. They had made no attempt to ride off when they saw what was happening. They would not have got far. They would be imprisoned in one of my northern castles, possibly Sheriff Hutton, or even Middleham, until they could be brought for trial.

Then I told the young king’s servants and considerable armed guard that they were no longer needed in the circumstances, as the late king’s wishes had now been carried out, and the boy king was delivered safely into the hands of my Protectorship.

I half-expected some dissension, or resistance, but they did not demur, accepting the situation and my authority unquestioningly. After all, their leaders had been arrested, and they were only too happy to drift away to their various homes in small groups, muttering quietly.

Then, I felt little anxiety, as all seemed to have been achieved quite painlessly, with no blood-letting or loss of life, as I wished, thank goodness.

After all, I had done no more than to assume the office of Protector, as my poor dear brother wished.

Fast messengers had been dispatched to Hastings and others, informing them of the last two days’ events and the successful outcome. I awaited the answers quite calmly. I had done what Edward wanted; what he expected of me, as always.