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farthingale rustling as she walked, the princess greeted him with an outstretched hand in welcome. Her usually tight lips were drawn in a half-smile.
    “How glad I am to see you, though I fear that I cannot prolong the visit. Edward is sick and has sent for me. Perhaps my brother and I can finally lay to rest the bitterness between us and heal old wounds.”
    Richard quickly bent his knee to kneel before her, only to hear her voice pleading with him to rise. His eyes gazed upon her and he was filled with pity for this poor woman who had suffered so much because of the follies and vanities of her father. Had she ever tasted of happiness? He doubted it. She was barely two when her father took to mistresses and neglected his grieving wife, eight when he had asked for an annulment of his marriage to marry the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, fifteen when forced to go into exile, and still a young girl when declared a bastard and shorn of her title of princess so that the king could declare the child of his union with Anne Boleyn his heir. Was it any wonder that she resented her half-sister the Princess Elizabeth?
    “I have some sad news for you,” he whispered.
    Her pale face seemed to grow even paler. “Tell me quickly.”
    “Edward is dead. He died last night. Northumberland plans a trap.” He hated to bring her more grief, but she had to be told quickly.
    “Dead!” she touched her throat as if afraid that she could not breathe. The lines around her eyes and mouth seemed to grow deeper, and though she was but thirty-seven she looked to be a much older woman. She fought back her tears and held her head up proudly with the regal bearing of her rank.
    Richard again bowed before her. “Your Majesty.” He could hear her ragged breathing as she fought for control, and he feared for a moment that she would faint. But she was a strong woman despite her thin and frail body. “We must leave here at once. Northumberland and his men are close behind me, no doubt hoping to intercept you upon the road to London.”
    “Northumberland!”
    “I overheard him talking. Edward’s death has been kept secret until he can see to his plans. We cannot tarry. We must go. Now.”
    Her eyes looked upon him, eyes filled with trust. She did not doubt for a moment the truth of his words. “Let us go then.”
    Gathering up what personal belongings she might need, Richard helped her prepare for the journey she must make, all the while shouting his orders to her staff and servants. Only when they had left the great hall, were safely hidden in the shadows of the trees, did he speak to her again.
    “You will be safe at Kenninghall Palace in Norfolk, my queen.”
    “Yes, I will be safe there, at least for a time. By then I will know exactly what Northumberland has planned, or will with your help.” Her eyes looked into his and he remembered the young woman she had once been before the cruelty of others and illness had stolen the bloom of her gentle beauty.
    “I will do whatever you command me,” he answered, wishing that he could ease her pain.
    “My brother always trusted you, despite the fact that you did not hold the same religious views. I will do the same, for I remember well how you pleaded with him on my behalf to allow me to continue with my Mass.” Forgetting for a moment her demeanor as queen, she reached for his hand, holding it only briefly before she let it go. “Go back to London,” she whispered.
    “Back to London? But I must see you safely to Norfolk.”
    She shook her head. “I will be quite safe with my men-at-arms to protect me. I need someone I trust to keep an eye on Northumberland for me. I know that you will be in great danger, but nonetheless I ask this of you.”
    Richard hesitated, feeling a strong sense of protectiveness toward the woman standing before him. So much was at stake, least of all his safety.
    Sensing his feelings, Mary said, “I will send you a message from Kenninghall Palace. Ere two nights have passed I