Les heures fragiles

Virginie Grimaldi

Description

Treachery brews on foreign shores, and England stands on the brink of war.

With his enemies multiplying, King Henry VII faces a dangerous political crisis. Edmund de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, a Plantagenet claimant to the throne and known traitor, has fled to the Dutch Empire, seeking refuge under Emperor Maximilian's protection. Determined to secure Suffolk's extradition and eliminate the final threat to Tudor rule, Henry is willing to pay any price... even if it jeopardizes England's fragile alliance with Spain.

Complicating matters is the plight of Princess Catherine of Aragon, now a widow in mourning and left in limbo at Henry's court. Her dowry unpaid and her future uncertain, Catherine becomes a symbol of fractured diplomacy. In a desperate attempt to restore favor, Henry offers the Spanish embassy the use of Durham House, a grand castle on the Thames once graced by Queen Elizabeth of York, his beloved wife.

But danger stirs within the castle's storied walls. A string of thefts and mysterious visitors coincides with the arrival of the king's secretive comptroller, casting doubt on Henry's true intentions. Whispers of treason and hidden loyalties still surround Suffolk, and not everyone in the court has abandoned the Yorkist cause. As tensions rise, Catherine proposes a daring solution to repair the alliance, one the king may not accept.

When a young and ambitious Thomas More introduces a stranger into their midst, the shadows lengthen, and the halls of Durham House become a nest of secrets. Beneath the looming presence of the Tower of London, plots unfold that could alter the destiny of England once more.

A taut, atmospheric tale of espionage, shifting loyalties, and Tudor politics, this installment in The Tudor Throne series will captivate fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and richly woven historical suspense.

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