Nicholas’ heart pumped wildly in his chest. He looked out over the side. Where was Lizzie?
Without another thought, he pushed off the wall and sprinted to the outer gate. He tried not to allow terrifying thoughts to creep into his head. He would find out everything soon enough.
Bursting through the outer gate on foot, his eyes searched the golden landscape for the group. When they saw him, the king broke forth and raced his mount to his commander.
“Is she here? Did she come back?” Richard called out.
“Do you speak of Lizzie?”
“Aye,” the king said, reaching him. “The bitch. She tried to have me delivered to Henry Tudor.”
Nicholas almost laughed it was so preposterous. Lizzie cared for Richard. She would never—would she? “Sire, where is she?”
“I had hoped she would be here. I want her found.”
“You will tell me what happened over some warm mead in my solar. And then we must speak of the accusations against my wife.”
“Aye. I am aware that she has been accused of being a witch.”
“Who is her accuser?”
“I will not tell you that and make you guilty of murder.”
Nicholas would find out. “Of course, I will kill the bastard who would try to have my wife burned at the stake. The claim is ridiculous.”
“I would think so.” Richard kicked his horse and the beast galloped up the long, walled pathway to the castle. Nicholas and his men followed behind.
“She told me that her mother was meeting Henry Tudor in a tavern in Huntington, outside the north wall of York.”
“So you went alone?” Nicholas asked the king while he stoked the fire in the hearth. The morning was cool with fog rolling in from the north.
“I didn’t bring any men because that bitch told me it might alert the Tudors.”
“What did you think to do to him?”
“Kill him. What else?”
“And what happened?”
“We were attacked on the road. I was nearly killed,” Richard told him, sipping his mead. “Do you not have anything stronger?”
Nicholas asked one of the servants to bring some wine to the solar, and then set his attention on Richard once again. “And Lizzie? What became of her?”
“She ran off. At first, I did not know what was going on. I was struck and dragged off the road. But then I saw her, standing a few feet away with her mother. She was watching me as stoic as her mother was gleeful. Henry was there watching as well. ’Twas his uncle, that bastard, Jasper who struck me. Henry warned me to come to Bosworth. He said he would be waiting. He did not want to kill me without a battle.”
For a moment, Nicholas felt pity for Richard, but he’d been a fool to leave the castle without his guard. He was the damned king. Men…and little boys had been killed for the title.
“So, Henry wants to ridicule you,” Nicholas pointed out.
“You will not let him.”
Nicholas shook his head. “And then what happened?”
“I do not know. I was struck again and left for dead. I woke up when the men came upon me. Thank the Lord you sent them to find me.”
“Aye. What about my wife?”
“Ah, your wife. Send for her.”