Hunger for power
As soon as she learned of the drastic death of the Duchess, Isabelle immediately had every crow in the English royal house killed and even forbade to deliver and send letters by earthly means.
The princess was scared, terrified, this whole situation was making her nervous.
The doctors shouldn't have injected that extra dose.
Thus, together with the majestic ravens of the royal house, all the doctors who had followed the young woman at that time had been sentenced to death and executed by hanging.
Abigail's death, seriously she had not foreseen it, she could not have foreseen it, on the other hand, she needed her as her hostage.
Having reached everyone's ears, Abigail's death would immediately throw anger and thirst for revenge against the crown and this the princess could not afford.
She already knew it would bring great anger from the Dustins and Dallas on the Irish side, both South and North and she knew Scotland would immediately, under her cousin's control, react to such an attack.
Isabelle couldn't allow herself to be attacked from all sides and surrounded by enemies.
Russia should have protected her, held them back but by now, they too had lost the war against Hungary, Ukraine and Romania, they have been devastated.
However, she was not completely doomed, not from all points of view.
The Dustin twins whom she had always considered useless, would have served her on that occasion.
She knew the Dallas would be devastated by the loss of their daughter, but on the other hand William and Dickon were their nephews and could not risk losing them too, just as the Dustins would never have dared risk their sons' lives.
From the point of view of Scotland Isabelle was ruined by now, but Ireland, she still held them in her hand.
It would have been difficult to keep the Northern army at bay at the border but it was better if only Scotland had been her opponent rather than the whole of Ireland.
But while in England fear undermined the power of the regent princess, in France Prince Henry and his fiancé, Kara, were having the happiest time of their lives.
Five months had passed by and Kara's belly was also starting to take on a more swollen and round shape, due to the baby growing inside her.
And they knew well at all peril that once Kara's pregnancy became evident they would immediately have to ask for the king's blessing to get married.
Henry knew his grandfather well enough now from the time he had spent in France and knew that he had always been honest with him.
The sovereign could not afford to lose his grandson, he reminded him too much of his daughter, he would never go against him.
But against Kara, against the child that hers was carrying, Henry didn't know at all how his grandfather could react.
On the other hand, the birth of an illegitimate child at the French court was not a trivial matter...
The illegitimate son of a prince would have been a topic that would have remained on the lips of the French for years.
He did not know if the crown of France had been able to withstand such an embarrassment or alternatively, the birth of the child and their relationship should have remained secret and hidden.
But Henry didn't want all that, he wished he could communicate it to everyone with great joy.
When they told the king the news with trepidation, none of the three present in the huge room had the courage to look into the other's eyes.
The prince was waiting for an answer of any kind, even a reproach and a lesson on how important it was to keep the family's blood noble would have been fine.
No, Henry didn't want to hear any of that, but at least one word, something to break all that tense silence.
Why did it always have to be so difficult when you were part of the royal family? How come he couldn't marry the one he loved?
-Henry...- came out after some time from the chapped lips of his grandfather, almost as a whisper -you know all this, marriage, the child, is all very risky, right?-.
The prince looked away from him, he was right, everything had a price but he didn't understand, he simply wasn't able to understand it.
In any case, although France had welcomed him with open arms, he felt that England was his homeland, where he was born, where his lands were by right.
He would have liked to return there more than anything else in the world, to be able to ensure a stable future for Kara and their child, the direct ascension to the throne.
He simply wanted to be independent from his grandfather, he had no time and no desire to wait to ascend the French throne when he could do it directly in England.
Now that young Thomas Cross, his father's illegitimate son was also dead, only he would remain as the only male heir, but to ascend the throne he had to overthrow his sister first.
-I will not stay in France much longer- admitted the prince trying to explain his plan -I wish to regain the English lands, to return there and to reign but for all this a war will be necessary...-.
-No!- the sovereign's voice broke out loud and majestic, echoing the huge and precious walls of the palace -no war will be needed, and you, Henry, will remain in France until I give you permission-.
Henry couldn't believe the man's words.
Why did he want to avoid a war at all costs? Why did he want to keep him there at court without making him go away and start a new life?
On the other hand if he had not been disinherited after the birth of his sister, those lands, the whole of England would have belonged to him by right.
Why then did he have to give up all this?
-Say then, why should I stay here at court for life and unjustly wait while my lands are usurped by another person?- the prince could not understand.
He was already twenty-five years old, on the other hand, he was already old enough to decide what was best for himself.
-A war is too dangerous for you, people die there- his grandfather began to speak more calmly as it was clear that his mind was now invaded by painful memories.
-You know Henry, when your father killed my daughter, your mother, I promised myself that I would never let anything happen to you...so now that you are here I will not let you leave so easily, especially when it comes to wars...-.
He understood his grandfather's motives, he understood it very well.
He too had always missed his mother and she knew that the old man would do anything to prevent blood from spilling again.
But the prince absolutely had to reconquer his lands, his homeland, the English crown which he deserved as a direct descendant of his father.
On the other hand Henry was the eldest son of his father and the only one left alive, if only he had not been disinherited from ancestry to the throne his dominion would have been his at that moment.
-Really, I intend to regain my lands- Henry begged, hoping for the sovereign's understanding -for my family to take power-.
-The power...- the man whispered taken by the words of his grandson -it is not easy to manage the power, it made your father crazy, Henry, and I can't even risk history repeating itself with you ...-.
The prince was struck by what his grandfather said, he knew him, he knew well that he was not like his father, why did he fear the same would happen to him then?
He would never ever hurt Kara and their baby.
-You know, my father's madness had nothing to do with power, nor with me- Henry protested making it clear that he was not joking at all -I want those lands for real-.
The sovereign shook his head several times, it was impossible for him to understand his grandson's naivety, how could he think that a war would solve everything?
-If you really want to marry a commoner go ahead, if you want to raise an half blood, this is your choice Henry and I can't and don't want to influence it- the old man admitted this time fully confident meeting the grey eyes of his grandson -but I can say to you that a war will not solve anything, it will only get everyone in trouble, nation after nation...-.
The prince shook his head and with it his golden blond hair inherited from the paternal part of his family.
He wanted England, it belonged to him and he demanded it, now more than ever with heart and soul.
- So what should I do? Staying in a cage for the rest of my life?- Henry asked with a note of high-pitched sarcasm in his voice.
The sovereign shook his head, apparently, however intelligent his grandson he might be, he had not yet understood his intentions.
-If you seriously want to reconquer your land you should act on your head and not on instinct...- said the old man with the wisdom of his advanced age -as a prince they have taught you from an early age to war, but I assure you that seriously it's not as easy as it seems...-.
Henry stopped his thoughts for a few minutes, his anger, his grandfather might not understand it, but he was right.
A war would have been too bloody and would have involved other nations too much, he had to act with shrewdness and for this he needed a plan and allies.
And immediately it occurred to the prince, like a flash, that his allies were much closer than he thought.
His cousin Juniper, on the other hand, had resumed ruling the barony of Scotland, and he was sure the Baron too had sufficient reasons to hate Isabelle.