A Dangerous Destiny: The Pure One Book I

Chapter Twenty-Two

So I have been editing and re-odering some chapters and...I have one to post! This chapter is a new edition to this draft and will hopefully give you some new insight into Henry's thoughts and his motivation for acting as he did in meeting Fiona. Hope you enjoy:-)

Henry

Henry's estate in Chestershire was not much to boast of, as he had been well aware when his father gifted it to him upon his return from battle. A small parcel of farmland and a modest castle, barely fit for the lowest rankings of noblemen. Still, in his time at war Henry had become accustom to far more base quarters, and as paltry as Fredrick's gift may have been, it had served his purpose admirably, granting him the peace and quite he'd craved for so long, along with the freedom to pursue his own interests unimpeded in a way that was impossible under the scrutiny of his father's court. 

Sitting in his modest tower study Henry reveled in the complete silence that surrounded him with only the occasional twitter of a bird to interrupt his concentration. A pleasant breeze rustled the edges of the papers he had stacked upon his desk, blowing through the room's one small opened window which, in spite of his cloistered studies, allowed Henry to enjoy the increasingly lovely weather that had settled across the Empire with summer's approach.

The small castle was nearly empty, save a skeleton crew of serving men and woman to provide the most basic services in maintaining the estate and catering to his needs. But this more humble lifestyle had actually proved a pleasant respite from the tedium of large banquets of excess he was expected to attend at Salam Palace. Even his isolation acted as a great relief from the elaborate meetings of his father's Council where he was expected to listen, but not voice his own opinions on any matters of note. Of course, all that would change soon enough.

In the nearly three years since his return from battle Henry had been patient, waiting for the chance to seize his rightful crown when the opportunity might present itself. It had finally come in the form of an unfortunate illness that swept the Capitol in the early spring. In spite of his father's prayers and supplication to the God above it was not one month after the outbreak that King Fredrick had begun to show signs of infection. It was the perfect opportunity for Henry's retreat. After all, none would wish their Prince to be overcome with the same illness that now seemed to ravage their King.

Nobles left the Capitol in swarms, hoping to protect their families and, after ensuring he had hired extremely loyal physicians to care for his father, Henry left as well. In Chestershire he could sit in comfortable vigil for news from the Capitol that his father's health had taken and inevitable and fortuitous turn for the worst. Henry knew his time was coming, and he intended to be fully prepared to take up the position his Fredric had so wantonly squandered. He would once again restore honor to the Bastario throne and take for himself all of the power he had been denied in his life thus far.

The day was growing late already, the warm sun slowly sipping father west, and Henry's focus was waning, having spent the entire morning pouring over books of policy and a collection ledgers of the royal estate he had been able to bribe copies of from his father's officials. But of course, that was why he'd save more pleasurable reading for the latter half of the day. Henry smiled as he turned to the small stack of brown journals he'd reserved as a reward for his more tedious studies.

As he prepared to take his rightful place on the throne, he had again reached to Philip's journals for advice and was pleasantly surprised to find that the entry he discovered referencing Nita Astar Tansy upon return to Auresir, had not been singular in nature. Though Henry had never heard mention of the Nita in any texts of history, outside of the condemnatory passages of Senmin's Great Book, it seemed the woman might have been quite close to the last of the Hapsben monarchs given the number of times her presence was referenced in Philip's writings. It was that fact which had inspired him to reach out to Fiona Amoral in the first place. As he read more and more mentions of Nita Tansy and how much interest his great-grandfather seemed to hold in her, Henry had not been able to suppress his own rising curiosity in the woman who now held Tansy's title.