Crown of Blood | The White Princess

Maggie

June, 1496, Gravensteen...

"Ah, there you are, Lisbet" Margaret called as her niece joined the rest of the court in your gardens "I was beginning to think you weren't coming!"

"I will always answer your call, Aunt Meg" Lisbet laughed and sat down beside the older woman "now what news have you for me? A letter from England perhaps?"
Margaret arched an eyebrow and chuckled.
"Well it is from England! You have that much correct...tis from Tudor"

"Tudor?" Lisbet exclaimed, reaching for the letter that Margaret held in her hand "well let me see!"
"I will! I will! Here!" She passed the paper to her niece and nodded for her to begin.

'To her grace the Duchess of Burgundy' Lisbet read out loud.
It is with regret that I and my Queen, Elizabeth of York, must decline your offer to welcome us to your most admirable court. However, in our stead we shall send Sir Richard Pole and his wife, Lady Margaret Pole'

"Maggie!" She cried in disbelief, eyes shining "Maggie is coming to France? To Gravensteen?! Oh Aunt this must be a trick?"
"It's not!" Margaret chuckled, taking the letter back "your cousin is to arrive next month and I trust you and the others shall give her a warm welcome"
"Of course we will! I have yearned to see dearest Maggie since I left England almost 9 years ago!"

"What are you two talking of?" Marian asked as she walked over, a small smile on her face.
"Maggie is coming, mama!" Lisbet laughed and instantly her mother's expression brightened.
"Maggie?" She repeated and her daughter nodded "well well! I shall go and tell the others! Annie? Guess who you are going to meet?"

Her youngest daughter ran up to her and together they walked away, Lisbet and Margaret staring after them.
"Do you think that we should get her another wolfhound?" Margaret asked, tilting her head "she hasn't been the same since Gwen died last winter"

"Well I suppose it hurts her because papa gave her Gwen...she was a comfort"
"Aye...so you don't think it's a good idea then?"
"Nay, Aunt...I think leave it for now...give her time to grieve her loss and then move forward... Ah look over there"

Margaret looked to where her niece was pointing to see Edmund and Cathy come into view, arm in arm and smiling shyly at one another.
"He's falling for her" she murmured and Lisbet nodded in agreement, pleased that all had worked out in the end for Ed and Cathy.

For the first month or so after Magda's departure from court they had kept their distance but as time went on, the two genuinely seemed to warm to each other and now appeared to be slowly edging towards the brink of falling for one another which everyone was happy about.

"My brother looks the happiest he's been in a long time" Lisbet observed as her brother sat down on a blanket and pulled Cathy down beside him gently kissing her cheek while she blushed and wrapped a lock of his hair around her finger "he is relaxed around her and her around him"