Crown of Blood | The White Princess

Return of a Plantagenet

Later that day...

Looking around a little warily as her Grandmother lead her down the hallways to where her family was waiting, Mary anxiously bit her lip a little and Cecily smiled.

"I know that you do not remember" she told the girl gently "I know that you do not remember me, my dear...but know that I love you, we all do...and you will never be alone in this world ever again"

"Thank you...L-Lady Grandmother" Mary stammered before coming to the solar door and sucking in a little gasp as she felt the urge to run, to turn back and flee across the channel into the arms of her Aunt Elizabeth and her sister Cece at Bermondsey who now seemed a million worlds away from her.

For eleven years, the Abbey was all that she had known, the quiet chapel and tranquil orchard that she would pick apples in every summer, the small lute that one of the monks had given her on her tenth birthday that she had played everyday since, her Aunt singing to her at night and listening to Cece read during the day after Vespers...it was all she knew, yet every day since she could remember, Mary had yearned to be let out into the world, to be with her family again.

Now, she was not so sure. She was in a foreign country, with foreign people and a family, which she had forgotten entirely (apart from Lisbet of whom she always prayed for daily). 'Will they remember me?' She wondered to herself as the doors to Queen Marian's solar began to open, feeling the urge to turn on her heels and run again. But there was no going back now, the doors were fully open and Cecily have her a gentle push into the room before disappearing from sight, leaving Mary to the mercy of her greatest fears.

Sidling into the chamber she saw a woman at a desk with a small golden circlet on her head, her dark hair left loose, still without a trace of grey. When the woman looked up, she beamed, her dark eyes lighting up and suddenly Mary felt at ease, her rigid frame relaxing a little as the woman rose from her seat and tilted her head a little.

"Mary" she greeted softly and Mary's eyes widened as she suddenly recognised her mother.
"Mama" she whispered, stepping forward before letting out a small cry and, without an ounce of hesitation, rushed into Marian's waiting arms "mama! Oh, mama! I remember! I remember you! Your smile! Your eyes! Your voice! I remember! I remember!"

Marian laughed and gently led her daughter over to the window seat where they sat and clung to one another, beginning to cry tears of joy.

"There were some times where I feared I would never see you again" she wept and Mary nodded.
"I too, mama...oh I had forgotten! I had forgotten you! But I remember...or perhaps I never did forget!" The girl suddenly leapt from her seat and wiped the tears from her eyes "you are my Angel!" She cried as her mother looked at her with a rather confused expression "you are my Angel!" Mary repeated with a little squeal of glee and sat down once more "for years I have had nightmares" she explained "but an angel always came to protect me...with dark hair and eyes and a radiant smile...Twas you! I never realised it was you!"