I truly have to beg your forgiveness, my life has turned upside-down with my grandma's health failing. With that being said I can't post every Monday with how hectic my life has become. The good news is that I've written up to chapter fourteen right now and plan to continue up until the beginning of White Princess. If this continues to get support I can follow into the story of White Princess. (I already have ideas for that)
Now, did anyone say wedding bells?
Chapter Seven~
April 1470, Palace of Westminster, City of Westminster
Not but two days after the battle with Edward and Richard safely home against we learn that Warwick and George, along with his family are fleeing to Calais, France.
"Then they will bring the English Garrison against us all!" I say as Mother holding Lizzie play, Elizabeth pacing the room with letter in her hand.
"Anthony has ridden out to try and stop them but he may not make it in time we must act Mother."
"Lizzy." I warn her only she turns sharply to look at me saying,
"They killed our Father and John and they have gone unpunished!"
"I will not partake in revenge Elizabeth, I told you before." I tell her looking to Mother who exchanges glances with me as she kisses Lizzie's head as Elizabeth opens the window allowing the winds to enter the room. Pouring water into a basin, she takes off her necklace and begins to spin it, whistling as Mother and little Lizzie joins in. I close my eyes and only moments after they begin their work I see behind my closed eyelids a bundle wrapped in cloth surrounded by water. When my eyes open, I make for the window and watch the wind pick up, the sky turning dark and covered in thick clouds. Rain begins to fall in sheets and lighting tears the sky into pieces. Behind me Elizabeth, Mother and little Lizzie appear, Lizzie having to hide in Mother's cloak when a blast of lightning breaks across the sky.
"This is too much Lizzy!" I cry looking at her as Mother tells her,
"She is right, once the magic is out it cannot be called back and it may turn round and drown us too!" as we turn to see Elizabeth return to the basin of water and I go with her. Taking her hand in mine, with our free hands on one side of the basin we hold onto it until the ripples she had cause smooth out into calm water. Only then do we hear the storm start to fade with the wind and rain begin to stop. Taking our hands off the basin and letting go of each other's hands, she moves to sit and I move to hold Lizzie in my lap until we are sure the storm has stopped. I watch as Elizabeth leaves the room so that it is just Mother, Lizzie and myself. Holding Lizzie close, I rock her back and forth as she plays with my necklace and asks me,
"Is your necklace special?"
"Why do you ask my dearest?" I wonder as she toys with the chain and shrugging she tells me,
"I have never seen you without it, and when you are worried or afraid you always play with it. Is it a charm?" Looking up at Mother seeing how smart our little Princess is, I look down at her and catching her gaze tell her gently,
"Sometimes there are things in this world that hold a great special meaning for people."
"Like the crown Mother and Father wear?" She wonders making me laugh aloud and tickling her sides I tell her,
"Or it could be a necklace such as mine, or a ring, or even a bracelet. Whatever it is, it can be important to the one who wears it." Nodding her head, she turns to Mother and hopping off my lap gives Mother a hug around her legs before running off down the hall so that Mother says to me,
"That was a gentle way of saying your necklace is blessed."
"She does not need to know that, or that she was a part of a curse." Sighing deeply, Mother walks over to me telling me,
"Magic is in our families blood, whether we like it or not."
"Lady Mother! King Edward has returned!" Mary comes running into the room and so looking at one another, we both run out to find Elizabeth and Edward outside with peaches and salted cod on a cart.
"What is all this then?" I called to him as he laughed telling me,
"A promise I made to my Queen!" He laughed tossing me a peach and said,
"A May Day promise that I would return with gifts!" Laughing at him, I looked as he had a hand on Elizabeth's stomach and could not help but look up at Elizabeth. Giving me a sly grin, we all return inside. That night there was a small celebration for the King's return and May Day, just his family and children. When I was able to speak to Richard alone I asked him about George.
"I knew he was dangerous but betraying us so by siding with Warwick in battle? Trying to slay Edward in battle just to make George king and take the throne from under him?" Shaking his head and fisting his hands, I put a hand on his arm and sat quietly with him. By the end of the night what with the conjuring storm and knowing Warwick and George had fled with the Warwick family, I had a hard time sleeping. The wolf from my nightmares returned, and I watched helplessly as the wolf chased a sinking ship into the sea and the bundle of cloth sink into the water before I awoke to the screams of a baby. Panting heavily, I tried in vain to catch my breath and found myself dizzy with the knowledge that my curse had come true. What I had said, about how I would see him suffer a loss of something he cannot get back. Something that would doom is future, and it being his fault had come true. While Elizabeth had caused the storm I had seen to it that Warwick loss his grandson, his chance at an heir to the throne. Standing on shaky legs and grabbing a dressing gown, I ran to Mother's chambers only to find her in Elizabeth's. Elizabeth looked pale while Mother ever calm turned to see me shaking.
"I did it, I caused it all." I told them causing Mother to tilt her head as I came into the room telling her,
"Do you remember when Elizabeth was cursing Warwick and George and I made my own? That I would see Warwick suffer some other loss, something he cannot get back. Something that would doom is future, and it would be his fault? The wolf from my dreams has been Warwick all along Mother. He chased the ship into the sea and the child was lost to it. I did that!" Ignoring Elizabeth's shock, Mother told us both,
"These things happen, terrible and tragic though it may be. The baby came too soon."
"And the storm could not have helped what little chance it he had!" Elizabeth told her as I added,
"Nor the curse I put down upon Warwick! I damned him and his chance at an heir long before we could have known Isabel was pregnant in the first place! And now he has nothing, he is desperate and destitute."
"Indeed he is." Mother agreed making Elizabeth add,
"He has never been more dangerous, we would be fools to think the worst is over." Moving to take her hand in mine, I looked at her and said,
"Then we shall prepare for the worst." Nodding her head, Elizabeth took both of my hands and we turned to look at Mother who merely nodded her head and exhaled deeply. The worst comes in the form of a letter from Mother's cousins from Burgundy a month later to which Elizabeth, Mother and I find Edward, Richard and Anthony talking.
"Warwick has stumbled from his shipwreck straight into the arms of Margaret of Anjou." Anthony tells us as Richard ads,
"They are planning to form an alliance." Yet Elizabeth shows Edward the letter we had received from our cousins.
"Anne Neville is to marry Edward of Lancaster." Mother says as Richard says hotly,
"How could he think to give his own daughter away to that monster?"
"After all that we have endured at this woman's hands!" Edward snarls as he paces while I say confused,
"George has absolutely nothing to gain from this, he must know this!"
"He must hate me so much, he is driven by his hatred for me!" Edward shouts yet Richard tells him simply,
"George is driven by his own ambition and greed."
"He would fight against me with the very woman who tore our Father apart?!" Edward snaps still pacing as I glance over at Elizabeth who has such a worried expression on her face. Shaking my head, I tell them all,
"Warwick will use Anne to bind them together then restore Henry to the throne. Poor Anne." Glancing over at Richard I could see the pain in his eyes, she was still only a child as Edward continued about how Warwick had betrayed him and now the very man was standing alongside the woman who they together had fought against.
"Warwick does not know loyalty and George will soon see that. Plus George cannot be pleased with his new set of circumstances." I tell them all before Edward looks down and sighs heavily. After a moment of silence he looks at Richard before saying,
"Richard had asked of me for a blessing. A blessing I felt was too soon and that I would wait upon. Yet it seems Warwick is forcing my hand and I highly doubt there will be any problems." At this everyone exchanged glances as Edward sat down in his seat and put his elbows on the desk.
"Lady Kathrine, my brother Richard had asked for his blessing to marry you." At this the air in my lung evaporated at I turned to Richard with a shocked expression as Edward continued,
"I first wanted him to court you as he should yet with Isabel having married George and now Anne marrying the son of my greatest enemy I cannot know that the favorite sister of my wife has not married someone I am fearful of their loyalty."
"I—I do not know what to say." I told them honestly before playing with my necklace causing me to think back to the river at home, my dream of the three sun's in the sky and the rose. Turning to look at Richard who had a spark of hope in his eyes, I realized I had no reason to stop myself from answering, and so said with a smile,
"Yes." Yet then looked at my sister, Mother and Anthony who were all simply smiling at me and it was Elizabeth who first was to embrace me with laughter. Next was Mother than Anthony before I was left standing before Richard who held me with my head tucked under his chin.
"Then it is settled, Elizabeth and her Mother shall see to the preparations while I finalize the paperwork." Glancing up at Richard who was smiling brightly, my hand was taken by Elizabeth who left the room with Mother so that once out in the hallway Elizabeth squeezed me tightly singing,
"You are to marry! My little sister is to marry!"
"Shush Lizzy!" I told her as she spun me around laughing causing even Mother to laugh at our joy as Elizabeth stopped me to say,
"Now you can stop giving each other puppy eyes, it was such an embarrassment!" Slapping her shoulder, Mother took both of our hands and told us,
"We still have work to do girls, come we have someone to see." With that despite our smiles the three of us went to find Duchess Cecily who once we entered we had to wait for her to be alone.
"You may speak freely in the presence of Lady Sutcliffe. We have no secrets." I stayed silent as she spoke to my sister, determined to try and speak down to her though Elizabeth would not and never be bullied.
"Are we to measure each our pain against each other? Are we to complete to see who has suffered more?" The Duchess asked in a hiss only I told her softly,
"We seek only to prevent further suffering taking place." Mother told her that none of us were lying and of how Warwick and George plan to put Henry on the throne. Of how Edward might have to execute his own brother. When Mother told her how Anne was to marry Edward of Lancaster the Duchess sat upright and turned to her friend looking pale. However she leaned forward when she realized that George might have a chance.
"Edward would welcome him back and that is the real tragedy, if only George knew." I told her honestly seeing the understanding in the woman's eyes. With a nod and glance at Lady Sutcliffe, the three of us left in order to plan a wedding. Once in Mother's chambers she spoke saying as she paced before the fireplace,
"It should be sooner rather than later, for we do not know when Warwick will attempt to return to England. And the sooner you are pregnant with a son the better." Looking over at Elizabeth who is standing by the window playing with her charm she says nothing as I ask Mother,
"And how 'soon' is 'soon' then?"
"As soon as Edward can agree upon. We do not even know when Anne will marry Henry of Lancaster. It could even be tomorrow for all we know." Elizabeth says shaking her head staring out over the waters as I say aloud,
"When was Richard planning on asking me any of this?"
"He probably had no time between battles and his brothers tearing themselves a part Kathrine. Besides to court you would have taken too long and you know this." Elizabeth says as I stand going over to her and say,
"Of course I know this, yet you act as if I am your backup plan!"
"You may be seen as a discouragement to George. Knowing that you have married Richard and become pregnant could give him concern to go against Edward again. Plus should you and Elizabeth both have sons before him, George might think twice before planning another coup against him. Especially when his own Mother asks him to return." Knowing Mother is right, I nod in agreement and take Elizabeth's hand for comfort as Mother begins to plan yet I hear none of what she says. It is as if I am drifting away from the conversation. I, Kathrine Woodville am to marry Richard the Duke of Gloucester and younger brother of King Edward. By the next midday Edward has signed the documents accepting the marriage and by the end of that week I was married in a private mass with only Edward and Elizabeth, my Mother and Duchess Cecily who actually had agreed to come to the wedding perhaps as a sign of good faith and a Bishop. I found myself kneeling next to Richard in a jeweled tone blue gown before the alter. Making the sign of the Cross in front of us, the Bishop preformed the ceremony and as we gave our vows I found myself unable to look away or stop smile at Richard. When we were exchanging our rings I looked down to see that my wedding ring had been carved from gold into the shape of a rose with a ruby in the center. With tears in my eyes, I looked up at him and gladly accepted his kiss. Rising from the alter, I turned to Elizabeth and Mother who smiled and congratulated me and even Duchess Cecily gave me a bow of her head. Edward on the other had clapped his brother on the shoulders as we were led out of the Church before I realized what was to happen next. The chambers we found ourselves in had a roaring fire, the four poster bed had white rose petals placed all over the crimson covers, certainly my sister and Mother's doing.
"Kathrine, are you happy?" Richard asked causing me to turn to him and smiling I asked him,
"Why would I not be?" Yet seeing the lingering fear in his eyes, I walked to stand before him and taking his face in my hands was finally able to kiss him. After a long slow moment, he pulled back placing his forehead against mine telling me,
"I promise here and now to be a true and loyal husband to you. That I never will abandon you for anything." Then looking deeply into my eyes he added,
"You have my word and my heart."
