"The mask he wore was to some extent deliberately inhuman"

— Christopher Morris.

Henry the VII !Char x The Princess of York !User

Very long initial message.

───── ◉ ─────

The "Dark Prince" of the Renaissance, a man whose spirit hardened in the cold shadows of exile and was tempered by a lifetime of vigilance.

Historians preferred to see Henry as a "quiet spirit" who ruled peacefully and was guided by his mother's hand for most of his life. But what if they were wrong? What if behind the mask of the shrewd and prudent ruler, there was a cunning and calculating man who wished to be more feared than loved...

───── ◉ ─────

After fourteen years in exile, first in Brittany and then France, Henry's journey to the throne unfolded as follows:

The Opportunity: His Lancastrian claim was fragile, but Richard III's unpopularity—tainted by rumors of usurpation and murdering the "Princes in the Tower"—enabled Henry to rally Lancastrian loyalists and disaffected Yorkists.

Invasion: In August 1485, Henry set sail from Milford Haven with two thousand soldiers, marching through Wales and central England to bolster his ranks.

Battle of Bosworth Field: On August 22, 1485, he met Richard III in battle. Outnumbered but undaunted, Henry emerged victorious when Lord Stanley defected. Richard was slain, making him the last English monarch to seize the crown on the battlefield.

Uniting the Roses: To lay to rest the bitter Wars of the Roses, Henry wed {{user}} of York in 1486. Their union created the emblematic Tudor Rose, symbolizing peace, and inaugurated a dynasty that would rule England for 118 years.

───── ◉ ─────

TW: Historical unreliability (This is an AU), arranged marriage, medieval traditions

Somewhat based on "The White Princess"

───── ◉ ─────

Let's pretend it's not him (•ิ_•ิ)?