Read Online The Plantagenet Vendetta by John Paul Davis - Free Book Online
Authors: John Paul Davis
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member.”
“Monmouth,” Thomas said, recognising the facsimile of a famous portrait. The man was James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. Illegitimate son of Charles II. As a history graduate, Thomas knew the man had been the chief instigator of the failed Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 against James II.
“Again, your knowledge serves you well. If the writer of the work is to be believed, he had access to rare sources, including those once owned by Monmouth himself. Sadly we are unsure which.”
“Th-they c-could be forgeries.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. From what your father tells me, the originals might have been destroyed in the 1800s. No official reason given. However, according to this second book, apparently one of the Pitts personally saw a copy and found the revelations ‘compromising’.”
The King paused. “A few days ago we received another message.” He picked up a second document from the desk. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the rhyme.”
The King cleared his throat.
“Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye,
“Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,
“When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing,
“Wasn’t that a dangerous dish to set before a king?”
“Dangerous?” the prince interrupted, noticing the obvious change.
“It goes on.” The King passed him the sheet.
Thomas read the content quickly.
The King was in his counting house, counting out his money,
The queens were in the parlour, eating bread and honey,
The princess was in the garden, nattering on her phone,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose.
They sent for the duke’s doctor,
Who sewed it on again;
He sewed it on so neatly,
The seam was never seen.
“The ending is new.”
“No,” the King corrected. “Just less common.”
“The duke’s doctor.”
“Right. That has changed.”
The prince read it again. “Here. The maid was in the garden.”
“Yes. That has also changed.”
Thomas read it through several times. Suddenly it struck him.
“Queens,” he said. “Not one queen. Two.”
The King took a deep breath. “I think it’s referring to my wife and mother.”
Thomas was speechless. The king’s wife had died three years ago, within a year of the king’s mother.
“Eating bread and honey?”
The King closed his eyes, an extended pause. “Mother was found in the pantry. Matilda in the lounge. The official diagnosis for both was food poisoning.”
Thomas nodded, trying his best to remain calm. As a royal, he remembered the deaths of his aunt and grandmother well. The official verdict on their deaths was illness, but he knew the true cause remained unsolved.
“Which king?” Thomas asked.
“What?”
“The king in the c-counting house. Which k-king?”
“In the original rhyme I believe it might have been Henry VII. Famed administrator.”
The King looked again at his desk. “Which reminds me. According to your father, the two books have one thing in common. Apparently both make reference to the same source.”
The King opened the second book and showed Thomas the line of relevance. “According to the book, the source in question was something called the Ravensfield Chronicle. Does this mean anything to you?”
Thomas read the page in its entirety before responding. “No. But I have heard of this.” He pointed to another part of the page. “The Croyland Chronicle. Written in 1486. B-banned by order of Henry VII.”
The King let out a rare smile. “Once again, you never cease to amaze me with your knowledge.”
“You ask of me only to be a historian?”
The King delayed his response. “If only it were that simple.”
He picked out two more papers of relevance from the pile on his desk and immediately set about organising them.
“Since the 1700s, many people have been intrigued, apparently, with the legend of the Sons of York. In recent years it has apparently become something of an obsession for the revisionist historian.”
The King
“Monmouth,” Thomas said, recognising the facsimile of a famous portrait. The man was James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. Illegitimate son of Charles II. As a history graduate, Thomas knew the man had been the chief instigator of the failed Monmouth Rebellion in 1685 against James II.
“Again, your knowledge serves you well. If the writer of the work is to be believed, he had access to rare sources, including those once owned by Monmouth himself. Sadly we are unsure which.”
“Th-they c-could be forgeries.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. From what your father tells me, the originals might have been destroyed in the 1800s. No official reason given. However, according to this second book, apparently one of the Pitts personally saw a copy and found the revelations ‘compromising’.”
The King paused. “A few days ago we received another message.” He picked up a second document from the desk. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the rhyme.”
The King cleared his throat.
“Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye,
“Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,
“When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing,
“Wasn’t that a dangerous dish to set before a king?”
“Dangerous?” the prince interrupted, noticing the obvious change.
“It goes on.” The King passed him the sheet.
Thomas read the content quickly.
The King was in his counting house, counting out his money,
The queens were in the parlour, eating bread and honey,
The princess was in the garden, nattering on her phone,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose.
They sent for the duke’s doctor,
Who sewed it on again;
He sewed it on so neatly,
The seam was never seen.
“The ending is new.”
“No,” the King corrected. “Just less common.”
“The duke’s doctor.”
“Right. That has changed.”
The prince read it again. “Here. The maid was in the garden.”
“Yes. That has also changed.”
Thomas read it through several times. Suddenly it struck him.
“Queens,” he said. “Not one queen. Two.”
The King took a deep breath. “I think it’s referring to my wife and mother.”
Thomas was speechless. The king’s wife had died three years ago, within a year of the king’s mother.
“Eating bread and honey?”
The King closed his eyes, an extended pause. “Mother was found in the pantry. Matilda in the lounge. The official diagnosis for both was food poisoning.”
Thomas nodded, trying his best to remain calm. As a royal, he remembered the deaths of his aunt and grandmother well. The official verdict on their deaths was illness, but he knew the true cause remained unsolved.
“Which king?” Thomas asked.
“What?”
“The king in the c-counting house. Which k-king?”
“In the original rhyme I believe it might have been Henry VII. Famed administrator.”
The King looked again at his desk. “Which reminds me. According to your father, the two books have one thing in common. Apparently both make reference to the same source.”
The King opened the second book and showed Thomas the line of relevance. “According to the book, the source in question was something called the Ravensfield Chronicle. Does this mean anything to you?”
Thomas read the page in its entirety before responding. “No. But I have heard of this.” He pointed to another part of the page. “The Croyland Chronicle. Written in 1486. B-banned by order of Henry VII.”
The King let out a rare smile. “Once again, you never cease to amaze me with your knowledge.”
“You ask of me only to be a historian?”
The King delayed his response. “If only it were that simple.”
He picked out two more papers of relevance from the pile on his desk and immediately set about organising them.
“Since the 1700s, many people have been intrigued, apparently, with the legend of the Sons of York. In recent years it has apparently become something of an obsession for the revisionist historian.”
The King
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