King Henry

Chapter 48 - An Unexpected Visitor

**** Eleanor's Point of View ****

Eleanor stayed behind with Joan and Richard while Henry left with Merlin, Father Lawrence and Lord Buxley to start putting everything they had planned into action. As they were leaving Eleanor overheard Henry say they were going to the canal first so Merlin could narrow it and put boulders across it.

Even though Henry was so tall and strong and such a good fighter, Eleanor couldn't help but worry about him. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her gut that something bad was going to happen. She didn't want to tell Joan or Richard about it because she didn't want to make them worry too.

She tried to dismiss her fear, telling herself that she only felt that way because she was in love for the first time in her life. Henry could take care of himself and she was sure she was being too overprotective and paranoid, just like she had been during the jousting tournament.

Joan stood up and started pacing back and forth. "I can't just sit around here waiting for them to get back," she said with an exhale, clasping her hands over her head.

"I hate it too, but Henry told us to stay here and protect Eleanor and that's what we should do," Richard told her.

The cathedral was completely empty now except for them because all the soldiers and knights had left to get ready for the battle that was about to take place.

The cathedral doors opened and Eleanor turned to see who it was. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened when she saw Thomas Fletcher walking up the aisle towards them. That was the last person she had expected to see.

Eleanor immediately tensed up, wondering what he wanted. She hadn't seen him since he had visited the castle after receiving her letter saying their engagement was called off. He threatened her and she remembered how angry he had been and how scared she felt.

Thomas hesitantly walked up to them, sitting a rolled up purple cloth down onto the pew beside him before giving Richard and Joan a nod of his head.

Then he looked over at Eleanor and asked, "Can I speak to you alone for a moment?"

Eleanor thought it over and said, "I don't know if that's such a good idea. The last time we spoke, you said some things that make me feel like I might not be safe alone with you."

He hung his head and let out an exhale, nodding.

"I'm sorry about that. I was really angry and embarrassed about you calling off our engagement and I said some things I probably shouldn't have said. That's one of the reasons I came here actually."

"What is?" she asked, scrunching her eyebrows at him.

He took off his hat and twisted it in his hands as he looked down.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you when we were together. I've been thinking about it and honestly, I can't blame you for wanting to marry someone else."

She was really surprised to hear this coming from his mouth, considering how angry he was about it before.

"I have no excuse for treating you that way," he continued, slowly raising his head. "You were nothing but kind to me and I was horrible to you. I was just under so much pressure from my parents to get married again so I would have someone to take care of my children, but when I chose you, they threatened to disown me. They said marrying someone of your rank would be an embarrassment and tarnish our family's reputation," he said, taking a deep breath in and letting it out.

"They thought I was too good for you and now here you are married to the King," he laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry that the stress I was under made me so grumpy and mean. None of that was your fault but I took it out on you and I wanted to say I'm sorry for that."