The year is 1464.
The War of the Roses rages on; a great showdown between Lancaster and York.
Yet, asleep in her bed, fiery-haired Melissa Woodville dreams of splintered shields, broken swords, and the resounding screams of wounded men in the Battle...
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FOLLOWING OLD KING Henry's final capture in the courtyard of Westminster, the courtiers convened in the palace's great hall for Anthony Rivers' wedding banquet. None, however, were talking about the wedding itself, rather the scene that had followed it. The instigator of the event, the Duke of Gloucester had made himself scarce for the first half of the feast, but he was now sitting in a high-backed chair toward the end of the hall, determinedly picking his way through the available foodstuffs while ignoring the stares people sent his way.
The Marchioness of Rockingham, his beloved sat close next to him, the only one he talked to or entertained, excepting his sisters who periodically dropped in to check on him. He was still visibly tense, but certainly much calmer than he had been that morning.
Lady Anne Neville, the Earl of Warwick's younger daughter and the marchioness' youngest lady, watched them from afar, feeling a pang of envy every time Richard smiled at his redheaded amour. She wondered what it was like to be so admired by him, so liked, and felt her thoughts cross uncharitable grounds — whether the duke would have loved her instead, if Melissa Woodville had not existed.
To be sure, as someone who served the marchioness, Anne thought her mistress was wonderful. Melissa was kind, beautiful, and no matter where she went, she always stood out. Anne did not think she even realized how many eyes followed her every time she entered a room, because she was always so preoccupied with something or the other — either her favorite siblings (her twin brother, the Lord Richard, or her youngest sister, the Lady Catherine), or the Duke of Gloucester and his siblings. Everyone seemed to like her (even George, who was usually so aloof, could not claim disapproval toward her, despite his disdain for the rest of her siblings!), and those who did not kept silent because of Duchess Cecily's obvious favor toward her.
Melissa, in Anne's mind, seemed to have everything. She was courted by a man who had clear affection toward her, could boast to have the queen as her sister (the queen, who was so beautiful, Anne might think her to be an angel!), and the king's favor as well, which — as was obvious by her new title — she had already reaped many benefits from. She had always been very kind to Anne, if a little stiffer than she was with her other ladies, but the Neville girl could not help but think that no one should have as much luck in life as the Marchioness of Rockingham apparently did.
