“Edmund says our father is summoning more men to support his petition for the king to recognize his rank as royal duke and to acknowledge his loyalty,” she explained to her younger brothers. “He says Father does not want to fight, but he has to protect his rightful claim to the throne. ’Tis complicated, in truth.”

Dickon was staring out at the Welsh hills and idly fingering a tiny dagger at his waist given to him by Ned. He did not understand all this talk of petitions and rightful claims; he just wanted this wonderful time with his family to go on forever. He had told his mother all about Traveller, whom he sorely missed. He had not noticed her secret smile when he owned up to trying to smuggle him out of Fotheringhay; she delighted in his boyish attempt at guile and his honesty in owning it. Dickon had not, however, revealed George’s betrayal, which lay buried and festering somewhere inside.

“So, he did not tell you that George informed on him?” York asked Cecily later when she regaled her husband with the story. “Aye, Roger Ree told me the whole tale. Not betraying George—that’s the part I will remember, Cis, not the act of rebellion. Our son learns quickly, and he learns well. He has promise.”

The tension in the castle was mounting daily as messengers cantered in from the town and out again with alarming regularity. The children were forbidden to leave the castle’s inner yard, the women were discouraged from riding out to hawk, and lookouts were stationed night and day on the ramparts. Cartloads of armor and armaments trundled over the Teme and up the cobbled streets of Ludlow Town along with mounted soldiers and yeomen on foot carrying pikes, halberds and makeshift weapons. That York was mustering a force must surely have reached the king, who was heard to be advancing from Coventry, with his queen’s army north at Chester.

When George was not tied to the schoolroom with Dickon, he escaped to join his older brothers at the butts, supervising the forging of their new suits of armor, or exercising their horses in the yard.