- 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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March 1487, Westminster...
Lisbet tossed and turned in her bed again, a small whimper escaping her lips. "Mama...bring me my mama..." For three days now she had been consumed by fever and it was feared she may not survive. Her body was covered in a sheer layer of sweat that soaked her chemise and the covers she lay on.
Meg was at her side day and night, desperately mopping at her brow with a damp cloth, clutching at her sister's hand and praying with all her might to ask god to spare her sister, to spare her more grief.
Upon returning to the palace that cold and rainy February day, Lisbet had collapsed not long after supper, luckily being caught by Jasper and rushed to her chamber, followed by a weeping Lizzie who (like Meg) had not left her cousin's side during her ailment, unaware that Lisbet now hated her.
"What news of Burgundy?" Meg asked as she threw open the window, hoping the cool air might break her sister's fever. "Well it is certain they are readying an army, if they do not already have one already" Lizzie replied "And when do they invade?" "Around June it is thought. Summer is the best time for battle campaigns" "Or so my parents thought" Meg sighed "I still can't believe it's been a year...and the pain still hasn't lessened!"
Lizzie put an arm around her shoulders. "I miss them too, Meg, every single day." She headed over to her cousin's bedside table and picked up the necklace that had been found in Lisbet's hand, studying it carefully. She had had it polished the previous day and now it gleamed like the rays of the sun "tis strange" she observed.
"What is?" Meg asked, peering over her shoulder "I'll admit it's very pretty but not strange..." "No it's not that..." Lizzie said quickly, stroking the oval ruby with her thumb "I-I just feel as if I had seen it before...it's so familiar to me...it looks like something your mother would have worn..." "My mother?"
"Hmm" Lizzie held the pendant up the the light that flowed from the window and the rays of sun reflected through the red gem, onto the heavy bed covers.
"Mama...mama...please..." "Lisbet?" Meg cried, taking her sister's hand again as she began to mumble "Dearest sister, tell me what ails you!"
Lizzie jerked the necklace away from the light and rushed to her cousin's side, checking her forehead and crying out in joy! "Oh thank heavens!" She shouted, beaming and Meg looked at her as if she had gone mad "Thank heavens?!" She repeated "thank heavens?! Do you take pleasure in my sister's distress? She's calling out for mama again! I swear every time she does she takes a step closer to becoming an angel!"
"Oh she will not die, Meggie!" Lizzie laughed "her fever has broken! She is going to live!" The girl looked dumbstruck for a moment and then she almost swooned with happiness, noticing how her sister's jerking body had calmed and she was no longer sweating out a river.
"Thank heavens indeed" she whispered "thank you mama and papa!"
