Fredrika opened her eyes and looked at her alarm clock, it was almost 7 am and her mother just entered to her room to wake her up.
After the morning routines were done she kissed her mum goodbye and left to school.
Richard was waiting for her at the crossroads and he had his armor on.
- Isn't that thing heavy and hot to carry, she asked when he joined her.
- Indeed it is.
- Then why are you wearing it, isn't now time for peace?
- When I looked at you yesterday at class and at recess there was no peace around you. I saw how tense you were, you are always on your guard.
- I have my reason for that.
- Yes I know and I don't blame you.
- That's nice to hear.
When all the pupils sat behind of their desks the teacher gave back their notebooks and while he was doing it he told what were the most common mistakes they had done.
They still had plenty to learn in their grammar and so on.
When Fredrika opened her notebook and looked at the feedback page there was only one sentence:
"I want you to stay after the class."
What was this about, she thought.
Nevertheless the teacher had other duties to take of so he let Fredrika go early as the rest of the pupils.
After the day Fredrika decided to visit shortly at the public library to search some information.
Fat lady behind the counter glared at her suspiciously when she saw her walking towards the shelves of history books.
People rarely entered to that particular part of the library and many of the copies just gathered dust in the shelves.
- Ah, so much of books I must be in Heaven, Richard sighed.
Fredrika looked at the backs of the books and tried to guess which one would be the right one.
There were plenty of copies of the history of Egypt, North American civil war and 16th century Europe.
- Richard could you please show me the right one?
Richard also looked at the backs of the books and moved lightly his index finger on the covers.
Fredrika wasn't sure if he really touched the books or did his finger just go through of them.
Then suddenly an elder man with big glasses on his nose happened to appear behind of the shelves.
Fredrika jumped quickly away from his way but Richard didn't care to move.
The man walked strait through of him and it made him to shiver like he would have walked through a sudden cold spot.
After the man had vanished Richard seemed to find the right book.
- Fredrika, look at this.
- What is it?
- It says "Medieval II" I have a feeling that this is the right one.
Fredrika took the thick book and looked at the table of contents.
- War of the Roses 1455 to 1485. Yes this is the right one, thanks.
Fredrika took the book to the counter and after the fat lady's dirty look she was allowed to lend it.
When she got home she put her chores on hold while she studied the book first.
The pages smelled old and it seemed that no one had read it for quite of while.
"War of the Roses was a several decade long conflict between the royal houses of York and Lancaster. Most notable characters were Richard Plantagenet 3rd duke of York, King Henry VI, King Edward IV, Richard Neville earl of Warwick (also known as a kingmaker), Queen Margaret, Lady Margaret Beaufort, King Henry VII and King Richard III.
These both royal houses were descendants of King Edward III and they were equally balanced which caused the struggle between of them to continue on two generations. Most notable battles during this war were the battles of St. Albans (1455), Ludford Bridge (1459), Northampton (1460), Wakefield (1460), St. Albans (1461), Towton (1461), Barnet (1471), Tewksbury (1471) and Bosworth (1485).
When England was ruled by the Lancastrian King Henry VI whose mental health was very unstable at times his cousin prince Richard of York saw his opportunity to seize the throne. Originally the throne had indeed belonged to the Yorkist line but during the 1400's Lancastrian King Henry IV overturned King Richard II.
King Henry VI was weak and failed in war although his consort Queen Margaret tried to defend his and her son's claim to the throne. Prince Richard challenged King Henry but at the battle of Wakefield he lost his life but that didn't mean that the house of York would give up. Richard's oldest surviving son Edward carried on his father's quest for the England's throne and he succeeded. However the Lancastrians made two more attempts to take back the throne but they failed since King Edward IV was supported by both his younger brothers George duke of Clarence and Richard duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III).
And when the King Edward IV was blessed with the births of two boys the future of the house of York seemed to be secured. After some years of peace King Edward IV took seriously ill and died at the age of 40. His son and heir prince Edward was supposed to inherit his father's throne but it didn't happened since his uncle Richard duke of Gloucester stepped in and alleged that the prince was born out of wedlock which would make Gloucester to be the right heir to the throne. The prince and his younger brother were shut to the Tower of London and they were never seen again. It's not clear if they met their death at there but William Shakespeare wrote his famous play "Richard III" where he accuses the King for child murdering.
This famous play writer had painted us a picture of a truly satanic man whose body was as twisted as his mind. There's no other as bad King in England's history as King Richard III.
Nevertheless the dynasty of Tudors was about to dawn when Henry Tudor earl of Richmond landed at the coast of England and challenged King Richard. These two men met at Bosworth Field but at the critical moment King Richard's army refused to fight. When the situation became clear that he was about to lose his throne his servants brought him a horse and urged him to flee. King Richard refused to flee and he said that he wanted to die as a King instead of running away and soon after that he died. Although Tudor historians had much to say about King Richard's evil character there is however one thing which they never questioned about and that was his courage."
Fredrika was amazed when she had read the short chapter.
This couldn't possibly be true, had she made friends with a child murderer?!
She shut the book and looked at Richard.
- Is this true?
- Which part?
- The murder of those two little boys?
- Take a good look and tell me what do you see when you are looking at me through you heart.
She looked at Richard who was sitting in an armchair.
The look of his eyes was still tired and his entire being was full of silent sadness and invisible weight lay heavy on his shoulders.
- You know the correct answer when you look at me with your heart, he repeated.
Fredrika looked at his and listened her inner instinct which said that the ghost before her was indeed innocent.