I thought that I would try something. I thought that I would do this story, as this story gives me a chance to be very anti-Richard III, and, to do a very violent death scene. I'm going to enjoy this story!

August 1485: Westminster Palace, England

Fourteen year old, Edward Plantagenet, known as King Edward V of England sighed. He had been saved from the tower two years ago by Henry Tudor - who he had married to his one of his younger sisters, Anne - and allowed him a place at court. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and the supposed "Lord Protector" was due to be executed - after trying to kill Edward, for a second time, while Edward was out of the tower - and after his brief stint as King, had been confined to the tower.

Since becoming King, he had not seen anything of his brother, Richard, who had been forced to remain in the tower. Now, this twelve year old boy, in front of him, was claiming to be his brother.

"What is your name?" Thomas Howard asked, as he walked around the boy. "Richard," The boy replied, looking firmly to Edward. "Well. If we're speaking truths, which we are, then my name is Richard Plantagenet of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Norfolk and Earl Marshal, through my wife, Anne of Mowbray. Nice woman,"

"When did your wife die?" Thomas Howard asked, leaning down to the boy and breathing in his face until Edward coughed and he moved away.

"I can't remember," the boy admitted, frowning slightly.

"You don't remember when your wife died?" Thomas Howard asked, smirking a little, thinking that he had caught out the imposter. "1482, I think," the boy admitted "But, I was only nine. I wasn't paying attention," Edward gave a small smile. He was beginning to believe the boy. "And these?" Thomas Howard asked, pulling back the cover of the box nearby "It must have cost a King's fortune, for no-one, except the King, wears cloth of gold,"

"Well," The boy replied, keeping his voice level "I should hope not... or else anyone could claim to be the King. I bought those before I came back, as a gift, to Edward,"

"You know too much," Thomas Howard commented, annoyed "It's like you've rehearsed it. You're a puppet and an imposter. Take him away!" the guards moved forward, the boy looked scared and a voice spoke "Wait!" It was not the boy who had spoken, but King Edward. "If he really is my brother, then, on his back, there will be a birthmark,"

The boy smiled, turned and lifted off his shirt. He was slim, with slight shoulders and a round face. There, on his back, was a birthmark, in the same place that it had been ever since he was born. Thomas Howard gulped, and, Edward smiled. "Put your shirt on," The boy put his shirt on, and, turned, to Edward, to await judgement. Edward, looking firm, smiled, as he and the boy locked eyes. "Come here,"

The boy moved forward and Edward placed a hand onto his shoulder "Look at me," The boy looked up, to Edward and he gasped. The saphire blue eyes of his brother loked eyes with his slighly darker blue ones. "Edward?" the boy spoke "It's me. It's Richard. Please..."

Edward pushed the boy backwards slightly. "When you couldn't sleep," he began "who used to sing you to sleep?" he looked to Thomas Howard and then, to the boy , who smiled "Our sister, Elizabeth," the boy replied, confidently "But, when Elizabeth fell ill, you sang to me one night and I was asleep in an instant,"

Edward smiled, moving forward and opening his arms. The boy ran forward and held Edward tightly. "It is you!" Edward exclaimed "Richard... Oh, god, I've missed you," he felt tears dripping down his cheeks as he held Richard close to him. He sniffed and buried his head into Richard's blonde hair. "Can you forgive me for imprisoning you?" he asked, holding Richard closer than ever "We had to be careful, in case you were an imposter who was trying to kill me, or pretend to be you to get close to me,"

"It's ok," Richard replied, sniffing a little as he and Edward embraced each other, tightly "I'm just happy to be home," Edward smiled, moved backwards and placed a hand on Richard's shoulder "It's good to have you back. Where did you go?" Richard smiled "I was taken, by one of the gaurds, to Turkey. The guard was killed by Uncle Richard when he found out what he had done. I changed my name, to Perkin Warbeck, to save my life,"

Edward smiled, pulling Richard close again. Richard rested his head against Edward's chest and smiled "I'm home,"

"Yes," Edward replied, kissing Richard on the forehead "You are,"

"…Yes, I'm sure Sir Anthony will do an exemplary job as Governor of my household." Edward nodded in approval as he responded to the news he had just been given, but even so, the servant standing before the young King sensed that His Majesty's attention was somewhere else; that he wasn't really focusing on what he was being told, or what he was saying.

And indeed he wasn't. The moment footfalls sounded outside, Edward waved the servant away and sprang up.

For a moment, as he forgot his rank, Edward looked less like a Prince born to inherit his newly assumed Kingship and more like an ordinary fourteen year old boy.

The door opened and a liveried herald announced "His Highness Prince Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York!" before ushering inside the younger of the York Princes, twelve year old Richard.

"Richard!" Edward sprang forward and caught hold of his younger brother before the former could even begin to start his bow. "Never mind that! I can't tell you how good it is to have you here at Court with me!"

"Our sister Lady Cecily said you'd missed me."

"Of course I have! John and Lionel and Henry and the others, they're all right; but they're nothing compared to you, Richard. They're not my brother. They're not the one who will become my right hand man."

"Do you mean that?" Richard glowed at the thought. Yet again, he forgot to show his new King the required courtesy, but Edward was too young and impetuous to care.

"Of course I do. You're a York Prince as much as I am, aren't you?"

Edward slung an arm around Richard's shoulders as he spoke.

"Now, come and see your apartments. I've put you between myself and Cecily. I know she's your favourite of our sisters."

Edward led his younger brother through a hidden door out into the passageway and then round a sharp corner.

As they rounded it, he nodded to a pair of guards to throw open the nearest door. Richard walked in and gasped. Even having grown up as a Prince of England hadn't prepared him for the kind of luxury he was seeing now. Every piece of furniture was of the very best quality and luxurious wall hangings, tapestries, books; anything anyone could ever want, was there in abundance.

As was the White Rose of York. Their family emblem was everywhere anyone might care to look.

To Richard, however, that only added to the beauty of the room. He could hardly tear his eyes from it in order to turn and thank his brother properly.

"That's all right. As long as you're pleased." Edward shrugged his shoulders, trying to pretend he hadn't put hours of attention and love into helping to get these rooms arranged and how happy he'd made his brother by doing it. Then he laid a hand on Richard's shoulders and pointed across the room.

"Cecily's rooms are just through that door there."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Are you going? Now? Won't you stay and play cards or chess or something?" Richard pleaded, sad to see his older brother hurrying away from him already.

"I have to go." Edward replied, regretfully. "Uncle Anthony made me promise to go and visit him in his rooms today so that we could discuss a private matter, probably about his execution notice when Uncle Richard brielfy became King. Uncle Richard is now in the tower. But I will see you at dinner. You and Cecily and Mother and... Elizabeth too, if she makes it to Court in time. And will you fence with me tomorrow? You and me back to back against the others, as we used to?"

"As we used to." Richard grinned at his brother before the latter left to continue the duties of Kingship, and the smile stayed fixed in place as he started to explore his new rooms, thinking about everything Edward had said to him.

Edward was the best older brother in the world!

[To Be Continued]

Review please. Thanks. This is my first story in this time period. I am writing in the Tudor period in my other stories, now, I am jumping back a generation and sticking myself head first into the Plantagenet years! Once again, I have to thank Lady Eleanor Boleyn for her wonderful help.