- 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒, 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙 -
It's the year 1485 and King Richard III has been slain at the battle of Bosworth along with his beloved wife and Queen, Marian of Lancaster. Their eldest daughter, Lisbet, is given little time to...
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October 1486, Lisbet is 12...
Waiting at the top of the courtyard stairs as she had done so many times when waiting for her parents, Lisbet watched as Jasper Tudor and Lord Strange returned from their trip to Burgundy. They had been sent by Henry as a peace envoy but from the look on their faces, they appeared to have achieved anything but that.
Despite not having spoken to him since May, Lisbet rushed to greet Jasper (eager to see if he knew anything about the York cause more than anything even though she could not ask) and placed a hand on his arm as he dismounted.
The man appeared startled at first but then his face relaxed at the sight of the 12 year old standing before him and smiled. "Well met, Lisbet" he greeted "Jasper" she replied, linking her arm with his as the walked inside, not missing the opportunity to glare at Lord Strange when she walked by and feeling satisfaction when he glared back "I suppose you will have heard of the birth of Arthur?"
"Yes yes I have and I also had word that you have been appointed as his nursemaid!" Lisbet laughed and grinned. "Well, only in name, the things I really do are comfort him when he cries and play games with him so he isn't lonely! But I must admit, I do take some pride in him"
"Some?" Jasper repeated, arching an eyebrow and Lisbet giggled as they rounded a corner and entered the great hall where a small crowd of nobles had gathered. "Well...maybe quite a lot then" she whispered before walking to join her cousin, John De La Pole.
"What is going on?" She whispered to him and John raised his eyebrows, bending down slightly so that his little cousin could hear him. "Our Aunt's stepdaughter Mary of Burgundy has died" "That's awful!" Lisbet exclaimed but her attention was taken elsewhere when Lord Strange began his fumbling explanation to Henry when he demanded why the peace trip had gone so wrong.
"It was an accident, yet they blamed us!" He stated indignantly "Why? If you are not to blame?" Lady Margaret asked icily and for once Lisbet agreed with her.
Lord Strange put his hands behind his back, swishing his scarlet cloak aside and sniffing haughtily. Jasper sighed, clearly irritated with his travelling companion and turned to Henry. "There was a competition which..." "It was the girls own fault!" Strange interrupted, turning a startling shade of red "she had to win at everything." His gaze shot to Jasper "and yours" he said accusingly "if you hadn't been so wrapped up in the Duchess then it might have been avoided.
A small gasp entered the air and Lisbet saw it came from Lady Margaret. Her face had now drained of all the little colour it had and her thin mouth was down turned.
"Wrapped up?" Henry asked, his eyes narrowing and Strange nodded, desperate to get back into Tudor's good graces. "He was 'attentive' to her" "We should maintain the course that we are on" Bishop Morton said "My Lady the King's mother is already making matches for the York girls with Tudor nobles!"
