2. A Traitor’s Fate
By 1464 Ned Elder believes the worst of his family’s feud is behind him, but the peace is fragile. Edward IV summons him north to confront renewed Lancastrian resistance, and Ned soon discovers that old enemies have found new opportunities inside the Yorkist cause. A dispute…
3. Kingdom of Rebels
England in 1468 is outwardly ruled by Edward IV but increasingly divided by the king’s quarrel with Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Ned Elder has been driven from England, leaving his family and retainers vulnerable on the Scottish border while Warwick’s influence reaches into every corner…
4. The Last Shroud
In the summer of 1469 rebellion erupts against Edward IV and the fragile peace of the Yorkist kingdom collapses. Ned Elder is forced back into military service as the political alliance that placed Edward on the throne begins to fracture, while divisions within the Elder family…
5. Scars from the Past
By 1481 England has enjoyed a decade without civil war, but the Elder family has not escaped the consequences of the earlier conflict. John Elder, heir to a legacy he does not want, abandons home and inheritance to serve as a mercenary in Flanders, leaving his…
6. The Blood of Princes
Edward IV dies suddenly in April 1483, leaving his twelve-year-old son to inherit the crown. John Elder, newly attached to the young Edward’s household, is charged with helping escort the boy towards London and his coronation. Instead, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, takes control of the government…
7. Echoes of Treason
In the autumn of 1483 Richard III is king, but rumours about the disappearance of his nephews have weakened his authority. Henry Tudor waits in Brittany while his mother, Margaret Beaufort, helps organise opposition in England. The scattered Elder family is pushed towards the rebellion even…
8. Shadow of Doubt
In the spring of 1485 John Elder is in exile with Henry Tudor while the rest of his family remains vulnerable in England. Richard III expects invasion and his councillor William Catesby is hunting suspected opponents, making every contact between Tudor’s supporters and potential allies a…
9. Crown of Fear
In August 1485 John Elder commits himself to Henry Tudor’s small invasion force as it marches towards a confrontation with Richard III. The king has assembled a far larger army, but the loyalties of powerful nobles such as Thomas Stanley and Henry Percy remain uncertain, making…