Questions: Spoilers

[Susan]

Got a question that contains a plot spoiler? Please post it here.

[Tanzanite]

A couple of different times in the novel you have Harry having some pretty strong feelings for Richard - with Harry expressing that he "loves" Richard and it doesn't come across as being meant in a brotherly way. What was the reasoning or thought behind that?

[Susan]

A lot of novels depict Harry as manipulating or holding sway over Richard, but I formed a very different idea of their relationship from my research. Richard was an able, assertive person who seems to have been quite self-confident, and I found it very difficult to picture him as allowing himself to be dominated by Harry, a man three years younger than Richard and with none of Richard's military and administrative experience. It seemed more natural to me, then, that Harry would look up to Richard. That assumption formed the basis of my characterization of their relationship, and the feelings that Harry has for Richard pretty much evolved from that.

[Kendall]

Loved the book, especially since I'm an anti-Riccardian. ;)

I found the most disturbing scene in the book is where Harry, at the height of his support for Richard's usurptation, actually rapes Kate after a heated argument. Later, we learn Kate became pregnant from that rape, but she miscarried upon learning of his death. My questions are: are there any primary sources that indicate Kate was pregnant/miscarried at this time, and if not, why did you create this situation?

This isn't an attack, just a question I'm honestly curious about. Like I said, I love the book.

[Susan]

Good question, Kendall, and thanks! Actually, this is something I probably should have mentioned in my author's note.

The situation is entirely fictitious--there's no indication that Kate was pregnant or miscarried in 1483.

It's difficult to say why I created the scene. I don't write according to an outline (except within the framework of documented historical facts) or even in sequence from year A to year Z, and fictitious scenes, like the ones in question, sometimes just pop into my head out of nowhere as the characters develop. As I recall, I wrote this scene very early on, and when I started revising the novel, I actually had doubts as to whether to leave it in, since it was entirely fictitious. But it seemed to work within the context of the story, and served to illustrate just how badly Kate and Harry had been torn apart and how low Harry had sunk, so I kept it in.

[Jemidar]

Susan wrote: "Good question, Kendall, and thanks! Actually, this is something I probably should have mentioned in my author's note.

The situation is entirely fictitious--there's no indication that Kate was preg..."

I know we consider it rape, but since Harry and Kate were married, would anyone have back then?

[Susan]

Jemidar wrote: "I know we consider it rape, but since Harry and Kate were married, would anyone have back then?

Not as far as I know, no. The law would have been fully on Harry's side.

[Jemidar]

Susan wrote: "Jemidar wrote: "I know we consider it rape, but since Harry and Kate were married, would anyone have back then?

Not as far as I know, no. The law would have been fully on Harry's side."

Thanks Susan :-).

Jenny