- 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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May, 1487, Bermondsey Abbey...
"And that, my dearest darling, is how our mama and papa won the great battle of Barnet!"
Lisbet kissed Mary gently on the forehead as she finished yet another one of her tales about their parents. As she peered into the five year old's face, she yearned to see that Mary was picturing some happy memories, longed for her little sister to speak of her mother and father with remembrance...but the truth was...she had mostly forgotten.
Of course the little girl was not to blame. Being only three when he parents were killed, it was only to be expected that as she grew her memories of Marian and Richard would fade... but this didn't make it any easier for Lisbet to bear. Being forced to watch as Mary slowly became a stranger to her parents was like being slowly stabbed in the heart, the blade being twisted as it went.
In an effort to make sure Marian and Richard still had a place in Mary's heart, Lisbet told her stories of them, so that she would always have them, always remember them at least even if she couldn't remember the people that starred in the tales.
'Twas a miracle that little Cece still remembered! After all, she was extremely young too and her Aunt and sister always found themselves marvelling anew at how the little one could remember her parents clear as a summers day!
One afternoon in late may when Lisbet had been paying her weekly visit to Bermondsey, she had made Cecily promise to remind Mary of their parents every day and to this, the little girl had fervently agreed, instantly launching into a happy tale of the day the family had gone hunting and Marian had shot a stag. Lisbet smiled, for she remembered the day well.
She had told her father that she wished they could be at court more often and Richard had replied that the court was poison; telling her that one day she would understand. Now she was sure she most definitely did.
Lisbet lifted a wiggling Mary into her arms and kissed her forehead again, walking out into the sunny garden and sitting beside Elizabeth, Cece trailing after her.
"What news from Burgundy, Aunt?" "It is all going to plan!" Elizabeth replied as she looked up, a relaxed smile on her face "oh your Aunt is so very clever sometimes!" "Sometimes?" Lisbet exclaimed with a laugh "I do hope you are giving Aunt Margaret the credit she is due!"
"Of course of course! Now, Cece?" The little girl looked up expectantly "would you go and check upon Bridget for me for I fear her sisters may have left her again!" "Yes, Aunt" Cece replied and skipped indoors while Mary settled herself in Lisbet's lap, holding up a daisy and giggling, brown eyes shining innocently.
"I've found a flower, sissy!" She cried joyfully "it's o so pretty!" "Indeed" Lisbet giggled, kissing her little sister's hair "did you know the daisy was the emblem of our Lady Grandmother? Margaret of Anjou?" "Lady Grandmother? So she our mama's mama?Was she Queen like mama?" "Aye, sweeting" Lisbet exclaimed with a smile, delighted that Mary had made the connection without any prompting "she was the Queen before Aunt Elizabeth!"
