Crown of Blood | The White Princess

Thomas Stanley

The next morning...

As Lisbet spied her mother next to a pack of war horses, she adjusted her sword belt and slowly strode over to her, her head bowed as she approached.

"Mama" she greeted softly and Marian looked up with reddened eyes. She was so pale she looked as if she were ill.
"Daughter" she whispered hoarsely "I would speak with you a moment"
"And I you" Lisbet replied as they linked arms and began to walk away from the camp that was being quickly packed away in preparation for a march. For the Tudors were at last coming.

The two York women walked out into the sunny fields and at last came to a stop at a patch of daisies, glancing at one another as they sat and remembered Mary.

"So" Marian began slowly, avoiding all eye contact with her daughter "you let Jasper Tudor go free?"
"Aye, mama, I did"
The Queen sighed and shook her head as if she still did not believe what she heard and was tempted to ask again.
"Why?" She enquired instead "why would you seek to spare the man that had a hand in your own father's death?"

Lisbet looked up into the sky and grasped her mother's hand.
"Because if he hadn't helped me when I was here last, I would probably be dead or have my spirit broken in the tower as Meg has had done to her"
At last Marian raised her head a little and locked eyes with the Duchess, silently willing her to go on "when Meg and I were about to flee Westminster, she distracted the soldiers that were chasing us and ran in the opposite direction, saving me...I then ran to the gardens and saw Ned...but Jasper got me first. Mama, he could have dragged me back to the Tudors, could have sounded the alarm and had Ned and I both arrested and sent to the tower with Meg!...but he didn't...he let me go...he is the reason I was reunited with you!"

"Truly?" Marian whispered, not wanting to believe there was any good in the heart of a man she hated. Still, Lisbet nodded.
"Yes, mama...truly...do you forgive me for letting him go in Burgundy?"

"I shall have to...I still hate him, Lisbet, you must understand that...but I forgive you, for York must be as one now...especially with the death of Cecily..." the Queen let out a shaky breath and stood, smoothing out her silk skirts before setting her crown straight and giving her daughter a small smile "come, ma chérie" she said "and let us go to war"

༒༒༒

"Are you sure you should be riding, sister?" Lisbet asked as she watched Cathy with a growing concern. The Princess of Wales merely grinned and nodded.
"Aye! I am fine! I canna feel no pain, Lisbet! I promise you, I shall get off if I feel anything go awry!" She laughed and Lisbet nodded, somewhat consoled for the time being.

Turning her attention to the front of the army's procession, the Duchess first spotted Anne on a white stallion, Henry clinging onto her waist behind, Ned and Edmund flanking them on either side, mounted on their great warhorses.