Free Owen by Tony Riches

sounds on the brink of tears.
    ‘I don’t see what the duke can do if you choose to marry without his consent?’
    Queen Catherine looks at me wide eyed. ‘Any man who marries me without consent will forfeit his lands and title.’
    I understand. The duke has found a way to deter even Edmund Beaufort. Bishop Beaufort has been out-manipulated. Although I doubt the politically astute bishop will let the matter rest, it seems Duke Humphrey has shown he can still rally the support of parliament.
    The young king knocks his soldiers to the floor again and runs over to Catherine. ‘Can I go outside, Mother?’
    Queen Catherine stares out of the window. ‘You must come in if it starts to rain, Harry.’ She turns to me. ‘Please will you escort the king to Dame Alice?   I am tired and need to think.’
    I take the young king by the hand and with a bow to the queen lead him from the room. I have never seen her cry before and have mixed feelings. Perhaps Juliette had been right and it is time for the queen to start living her life again. Edmund Beaufort might not have been the ideal suitor but he made her happy.
    I look down at Harry walking at my side and realise the queen’s happiness is not Duke Humphrey’s concern. The duke is keen to protect his place in the line of succession and at the same time, deliver a blow to the power and ambitions of his rivals, the Beauforts. This is something Duke Humphrey would have been planning for some time, yet my letter probably strengthened the duke’s resolve.

    * * *

    As I feared, the arrival of Sir Richard Beauchamp in Windsor changes everything. The earl is tall and assertive and well used to having his own way. Even though he is approaching fifty and his beard is silvery grey, he looks younger. He had been master of the Horse for King Henry V and was once the leading tournament jouster in England.
    It was Sir Richard who led the English forces against Owain Glyndur ’s army and forced the Welsh to run for the hills. It was said he captured the Welsh banner when he routed the Welsh forces and displayed it as a trophy in the hall of his castle in Warwick. Owain Glyndur barely escaped with his life, although he has never been seen since.
    The earl had a distinguished career fighting the French, so it is easy to see why he has been chosen to make a man of the young king. As soon as he arrives, Sir Richard calls the household staff to assemble in the Great Hall and announces that, forthwith, Windsor Castle will be the king’s main household, of which he will be the master. The queen’s household is to prepare to move to Wallingford Castle, which will be the queen’s main residence.
    I feel their eyes on me and bite my lip, trying to appear confident as Sir Richard’s clerk reads out the names of those who will remain in the reduced household of the queen. My name is first on the earl’s list. I thank God and silently promise to serve the queen, for as long as she needs me, wherever she decides to live out her days.
    Juliette’s name is not on the list. She puts her hand to her mouth as the clerk announces she will continue in the household of the king, as an assistant to Dame Alice. I assumed that, as the queen’s personal handmaiden, Juliette will remain in her household. She stands with the other women of the household and looks across to where I stand with the men, her face a shocked expression of disbelief.
    I am not paying attention as the earl’s clerk reads out the rest of the names on his list, as a question occurs to me. The queen must have agreed the list with Sir Richard, so is it her way of ensuring she has a trusted person close to her son or is there another reason? Queen Catherine might be holding Juliette responsible for revealing her night-time liaisons with Edmund Beaufort. I see Juliette looking across at me and wonder if she has reached the same conclusion.
    She seeks me out after the meeting is over and the household servants begin to return to their