The Trial of Lord Percy

[Oznerol]

Anno domini 1484

A traitor had been found in the lap of York. The disgraced Percy sold the very blood of the king, illegitimate or not, to the villainous Edward of Lancaster. Not minding the outcome of the invasion organised by the heir of Bolingbroke, it was Lord Suffolk's duty to put Henry Percy in trial, for the charges of high treason, conspiration and sedition. The Duke, as Lord Chancellor, and his two fellow judges, Sir Roger Kyriell and Sir John Paston, preside the trial sitting under an elaborate dais, emblazoned with the royal arms. A herald, who had previously announced the arrival of the duke and his companions, also did the proper with Percy himself:

"Sir Henry Percy, formerly Earl of Northumberland"

The hall was quite crowded, not every day a peer of note was judged and it had arisen enough curiosity among prominent courtiers and Londoners to fill the benches in both sides of room. The murmur of the crowd increased when the accussed himself entered the hall, escorted by a pair of yeomen, and was left standing alone before a simple chair, in front of the three judges.

[Lucius Malfoy]

Henry Percy, the disgraced Lord of Northumberland and Cumberland, entered the court room, escorted by a pair of Yeoman. He had been housed within the Tower for a few months now, awaiting whatever fate came. Yet, just some days after the York victory achieved on the field, his answer came when he told of a trial coming up, which came the following morning. As a nobleman, he was allowed to still look his best though his features were slightly weathered from being in the Tower for Henry was very tired and wanted this all over with. For even if he was declared innocent, he would be looked upon with suspicion, just like his father.

He is set at a podium with the guards flanking him. Henry looks up at his judges, remaining silent as he awaited the trial to begin.

[Oznerol]

Suffolk looks at Percy from above:

"Sir Henry Percy, you stand accussed of the following charges"

He reads a parchment.

"First and foremost: high treason, in delivering the king's blood to his foe of Lancaster, with the intent of dethroning His Majesty and his brood, favoring the claims of his abhorrent enemy, Edward of Westminster"

It was a grave accusation.

"Secondly, sedition, for favoring the enemies of His Majesty and fueling discontent and rebellion"

Another serious crime.

"And last, but not least: conspiration, due harboring Lady Eleanor on you lands and ploting to set her in the throne, by Lancaster's side as his wife and would-be queen"

[Barry Goldwater]

"The royal proclamation attainting you and rewarding your lands and titles to Ralph Neville stated, quite specifically, that the Duke of Buckingham sent the Lady Elanor Fitzroy to your lands. And then, from there she went to Europe, where she married the pretender Edward of Lancaster." The Earl of Monmouth speaks next, grimacing slightly at the charges. Stafford and Percy's actions resulted in a stronger Lancaster, meaning more would die in England when he landed regardless of the outcome of his victory. "Once Buckingham sent the royal bastard to you, you had the opportunity to enact the crimes of which you are accused."

"But did you have the motives? Well, let us see. Though originally a Lancastrian, your father turned his coat for our King's father at Carlisle. And what did your family have show for it in the end, save the public disgrace of one of your scions losing the Queen's crown? He lost his dukedom, and neither he nor you gained much in the way of new lands. Perhaps you thought that sending Eleanor Fitzroy over the Channel would redeem you in Lancaster's eyes, and that she could restore your fortunes if she were to gain a Queen's crown alongside her new husband. Treason? Well, our King isn't significantly related to you and he is the son of the woman who cost your sister everything, and if you have reverted to your old Lancastrian allegiances it would be easy for you to justify your actions to yourself as aiding your 'true' king. Sedition and conspiracy? I do not believe the Lady Eleanor could have made it all the way to Lancaster's court without some assistance from her maternal relations...Bar is a long way away, she would have needed companions and direction to get there safely. Companions and direction which she could have been provided at Alnwick, in addition to a reminder on all the reasons the Percies might feel as though they have been wronged in the past under the House of York." Roger steepled his hands and looked hard down at Percy.

"Need I go on? Lord Suffolk has established your charges and the nature of each: high treason, sedition, and conspiracy. I believe I have spoken enough at length about your possible motives and opportunities to enact these crimes. What say you, Sir Henry Percy?"

[Lucius Malfoy]

Henry Percy looks up at the two judges who spoke, Suffolk and Kyriell.

I need not give her companions or anything of the sort, Your Honors. She with two persons, a maidservant and a retainer. Supplied by the Duke of Buckingham, from what I had gathered. Why she was sent away from London, by secret means, I do not know, but I could see fear in her eyes. At the time, I was detached from London and kept myself to the North, just as my father did. I only had heard rumors of the standoff here before this city's walls.

Percy had long been considering his words as there was not much else to do within the Tower.

When I sent her, telling her to simply go away from England for a time till things calmed down, I did not know she intended to marry the pretender across the Channel. For my family has no friends with the Lancastrians, for my father killed the lover of Margaret Anjou. They would certainly seek to skin me alive for what my father had done to prove his loyalty to the Yorkist regime.

Henry continues from there.

We may have been thrown down, but our family knows that we owe our gratitude to the generosity to the House of York. We kept our lands and titles, we stayed where we were and continued to watch the North. What my niece did does not reflect upon my family... for I know that I would still be on trial for simply talking to Lady Eleanor, even if I had returned her to London. My lands would have still been taken away for having a conversation with my niece. Why? Because I am on trial here for simply being a Percy.

Percy hated this game immensely.

Show the evidence that proves my guilt beyond just words and assumptions, Your Honors.

[Oznerol]

Suffolk arched an eyebrow.

"So, according to you, sir, your niece, shy of her sixteenth year, decided to marry her own father's and brother's worst and sworn enemy. On her own volution, she reached Edward of Lancaster and spoused him before God, without any kind of interference or support by your side"

John de la Pole's voice was soothing, but firm.

"Worse, you decided it was adequate to sent the said Lady Eleanor, your niece, across the Channel, to a destiny you do not know, to live from unknown resources and to remain there for an indeterminate amount of time. For no reason, at all, save a hint of fear and alleged mistreatment"

He frowns.

"That would be the greatest negligence I have ever heard about, ever since Eve took the apple of on her hands. You are even trying to share the blame of your own actions, of whom you are the sole culprit, with Lord Buckingham, who acted of good will and has received enough punishment for it, and your own flesh and blood"

His voice getting colder.

"Nothing new under the sun, your father did not move a single finger to save his daughter from disgrace and humilliation... And now you pretend that Lady Eleanor is simply a traitor on her own right, a young woman who single-handely placed herself into the lap of Lancaster, with only a rather insignificant, circumstancial support on your side, to achieve her own, and thus surely mischevous and treacherous, goals. My good Percy, are you sure about the arguments given? Do not show you in a good light, precisely"

[Lucius Malfoy]

If I had known she planned such an action, my Lord Suffolk, would I have let her go across the Channel? No, I would have not. I would have not sought to aid the enemy of my father nor this realm! And let it be known for the record that it was my sister who did not seek the aid of my father during the trial between herself and the Dowager Queen. That is why we curse the idiotic Archbishop O'Neill for his poor representation of my sister.

Henry Percy grimaces slightly.

My name was never in a good light, Your Honors. My family's name, despite the deeds it performed after the Battle of Towton, was always viewed with suspicion above all others. Even when we tried to amend ourselves and prove ourselves better than before, the gazes and the light shined my family was never a good one. That was the suspicion of treason was easy to throw upon myself in this case.

They were never a powerful family like his in-laws, the Hollands nor as prestigious as the Tudors.

As my father once told me, we owe our allegiance to the Crown. We owe everything to His Majesty for granting us a pardon and a chance to prove ourselves to the House of York. As my father protected the border under much of His Late Majesty's reign, so did I strive to do so for the reigning King.

Henry finishes his statement with these words.

As for my niece, she seemed adequately in good hands with the retainer and lady-in-waiting provided to her. I knew they would look after her until it was safe to return to England. She told me her fears of the Dowager Queen, of how she felt that her fate was destined to be that of her mother. I scorn those two, to the depths of my heart, that they would allow her to be seduced to aid the House of Lancaster, who are sworn enemies of my family for what my father did to the late Duke of Somerset.