-𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙-
It's the year 1466 and King Edward IV is on the throne of England. His wife and Queen ,Elizabeth Woodville, has just given birth to her first daughter ,Lizzie, but not all is w...
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Late May, 1483 Westminster...
"So now, Richard Grey has been arrested?" Marian asked as she walked with Harry through the palace gardens one evening, the setting sun painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange and gold.
"Yes" Harry replied "though Richard has been true to his word, has taken Anthony's advice and removed his soldiers from the abbey; has planned the King's coronation to be next month" "That is good news, the sooner he is crowned, the better" Marian commented and Harry nodded in agreement "you have sent for my children as I asked?" She continued.
Over the past couple of weeks tensions had been running high throughout the house of York, Elizabeth sent messages to Marian from sanctuary (which she kept from Richard for he did not come out well in any of them) telling her all that was going on, all that her informants from court were telling her.
Marian wished with all her heart that the Queen would emerge from the abbey but with each passing day it seemed less and less likely, for although, in almost all of her letters, Elizabeth reassured Marian that she still trusted her, it was clear as day that the Queen had created a steadfast grudge against Richard, there seemed not a chance in heaven that she would ever work with him, not even for Edward's sake.
Despite the countless reassurances, the Duchess found herself doubting her friend's words when it came to trust, especially when news came that Elizabeth had had Richard Grey order the English fleet to be readied. This had of course resulted in his arrest and also in Marian's first visit to sanctuary.
She had been welcomed by all with warm embraces and when she confronted Elizabeth about the fleet, the woman told her that the plan had been too dangerous to apply pen to paper, that there was risk of it being intercepted...but there was with all their letters...letters which the Queen now said it was best that they stopped conveying to each other...
Marian had then asked what need there had been for the fleet to be readied. This time she knew Elizabeth told the truth, she could see it in her eyes. Elizabeth told her that she had planned to use the fleet, if need be, to take her son from the Tower.
Marian had been surprised at this, shocked that her friend for even one moment had doubted the Lord Protector's intentions to put the new King securely on the throne. It was a blatant display of mistrust directed at Richard and, Marian thought, perhaps a little at her too if she read deeply enough into it.
After all they had been through together, could the ties between the Duchess and the Queen really be breaking this quickly? Could they really be severed so easily? With one foul swoop could all truly be lost between the friends? There was now a chance.
With everyone across the country siding either for or against the Queen, Marian and Richard had decided that it be best that their children be brought to court. They both hated the idea but was sure it was the best thing to be done, that way they could keep their children close, keep them from harm though the court was considered one of the most dangerous places in England.
