Edward had dismissed Harry as a “vain and officious buffoon,” but in February 1478 the king had given the buffoon the temporary title of Lord High Steward. Thus it was from Harry’s mouth and not Edward’s that the pronouncement of death for George of Clarence had been made. “He griped about that, too, saying it would be the only thing history would remember him for,” Edward had said. “Ungrateful ass. Elizabeth warned me not to treat with him—said he was cruel to Catherine, and in truth, I think I would have wrung his neck if he hadn’t disappeared back to Wales for long spells.”

Richard thought of that conversation now as he re-read Harry’s friendly letter.

Richard, duke of Gloucester and cousin, I greet you well. First, my sincere condolences on the death of your brother and my cousin, the king. It has been a shock for us all, but we must not allow our grief to cloud our judgement on how to proceed from here. I was glad to know that you are named protector, cousin, for you possess an exemplary character to counsel a king. I hereby give you my promise of support. I have no doubt you will be in need of friends with those wily Woodvilles ever ready to seize power, and, if I may be so bold, I am offering my help. It is time for my royal blood to be recognized and to take my rightful place by your side. I can muster a small force to meet with you along your route if you tell me where to make our rendezvous. Let us keep this discourse between ourselves. We do not need to give our enemies any cause to evade us, for I believe their thirst for power is a dangerous threat to you, and they will want to hold young Edward close.

Written this seventeenth day of April at Brecknock by your humble and loyal cousin, Henry Buckingham.

Richard let out a low whistle and handed the missive to John Kendall. “Write to my cousin Buckingham and ask him to meet me with his men at Northampton in ten days’ time. Tell him no more than three hundred men will be necessary, and I will bring the same. Oh, and thank him graciously for his advice.”

Enemies? He had always hated the word. Of course Richard had had to deal with enemies since he was a boy. He had grown up learning that King Henry was an enemy, but Richard could never bring himself to call the saintly, gentle man a foe. Whenever Richard went into battle, and even though he had been on the other side of the field from Warwick and George, he had never believed they were fighting to kill him personally but rather fighting for a cause, as was he. But now Cousin Harry was intimating that Richard himself could be at risk from the Woodville faction. He had felt trepidation then, and an even greater foreboding overtook him when yet another missive from Hastings warned him to come quickly. The queen and her adherents were ignoring Richard’s role as protector and arranging the coronation for the young king on the fourth of May with or without Richard’s presence.