The date is February 4, 1495.

The place is London, in the royal apartments of the Tower, at the court of Henry VII, king of England these ten years since his defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

The event is the reception following the marriage of Lady Anne Plantagenet, the king’s young sister-in-law, to Thomas Howard, heir to the earl of Surrey and scion of one of the kingdom’s most powerful families, although the Howards currently are somewhat mistrusted for their strong support of the late King Richard.

Beneath all the celebration, however, festers the knowledge that on the Continent a young man, claiming to be Prince Richard Plantagenet, and therefore rightful heir to the English throne, has been making his way about the courts of Europe and by all reports impressing the rulers of Europe with the nobility of his bearing and the convincing nature of his tale. Could he truly be Prince Richard?

When King Edward IV died twelve years ago in 1483, having finally settled the Wars of the Roses and ruled to the acclaim of all, he left two young sons -- Edward and Richard -— neither old enough to rule. His younger brother, Richard duke of Gloucester, took over the office of regent, but soon thereafter usurped the throne, having himself crowned Richard III. The two young princes were sent to the Tower of London, some said for their own safety, others said for the security of Richard’s rule. They were last seen in the summer of 1483, and the rumor soon arose that they had been cruelly done to death, "because they were a kinges sonnes," as Thomas More later put it in his history. Henry Tudor, long in exile in France, assumed the leadership of those in England opposed to Richard’s rule and defeated him in battle in 1485 at Bosworth Field, claiming the crown for himself. To cement his claim to the throne, he married Edward IV’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth Plantagenet.

But what had become of the young princes, Edward and Richard? The most commonly believed story was that their uncle Richard III had done them in some time between the summer of 1483 and his defeat at Bosworth Field in 1485. But upon defeating Richard and taking his throne, Henry VII could produce neither their bodies nor any witnesses who could attest directly to their untimely demise. Instead, he found his still precarious reign plagued by the appearance of young men claiming to be one or the other of the two boys. Rebellions in Ireland and northern England already had been put down when, in 1491, as Francis Bacon later wrote, "the news thereof came blazing and thundering over into England that the Duke of York [young Richard] was sure alive."

The most influential nobles, most important foreign dignitaries, the wealthiest merchants, and the most trusted retainers of England’s great families are all in attendance to witness the marriage of Lady Anne Plantagenet and Lord Thomas Howard. How are they reacting to the current stories from the Continent? Do they believe young Prince Richard truly still lives and is gathering allies in Europe, or is this just another false pretender set up by King Henry's enemies? Will the claimant win the support of France or Spain -- and will other nations use the uncertainty to wring political concessions from England? Many people will want to get to the bottom of the matter, either to defend their current positions of power or to gain further advantage.

Yet even those with no interest in the matter will find much to occupy them here at the reception: marriages to arrange, offices to seek, fortunes to make, reconciliations to arrange... or backs to stab. Some may even have personal interest, for good or ill, in the union of Lord Thomas and Lady Anne, and in the rehabilitation of the Howard family. Opportunities for intrigue, alliance, and betrayal swirl around this wedding reception. How will the guests react?

Or, more accurately, how will you react as you play the part of a powerful noble, canny ambassador, wealthy merchant, or trusted(?) retainer during this wedding feast? Who will you be?