Crown of Blood | The White Princess

Letting Go

"Come with us" Marian pleaded with Cecily as she prepared to flee the city with her daughters but Cece shook her head, cling to her dead Aunt.

"I'm staying" she said hoarsely "I'm staying with my Aunt, mama...I shall come to you when York has won...but until then...I must stay here"

Marian sighed, they were running out of time, they had to get back to the camp soon and she wanted, she needed her daughter with her. But she could not force her to leave the abbey and she knew that; so sighed again and turned to Lizzie.

"You will not harm her?" She asked sharply and her niece shook her head.
"Never...Cecily shall not be harmed, I swear"
In the background, Lisbet scoffed, wiping away her tears but her mother quickly hushed her and turned back to her niece.
"If I hear anyone has touched a hair on her head, weather it is you or not...I swear your life shall end most swiftly and painfully, dear niece and your youngest son shall pay the price."
Lizzie gave her a clipped nod and then looked back to her mother and cousin with saddened eyes.

"Come Anne" Lisbet murmured quietly, taking her little sister's hand and then her mother's drawing them gently away from the scene while she tried to suppress her grief.

When he daughters were safely outside, Marian suddenly turned to look one last time at her niece. Reaching out, she put a gentle hand to one of Lizzie's reddened cheeks and stroked it with her thumb.

"What happened to the loving girl I knew?" She asked, her voice laced with heartbreak before she turned and walked out of the chamber.

Letting out a startled gasp as the hot sun hit her skin, Marian clutched onto the wooden stair railing as she felt her legs give way, refusing to support her any longer. Slowly, she sank down onto the stone and looked up into the sky, silently counting the people she had lost in her head, as she did most nights, adding Elizabeth to the long list of death.

"Are you well, mama?" Lisbet called from her horse but her mother did not look at her, simply kept her gaze on the sky.
"Shall I ever be?" She mumbled to herself.

༒༒༒

Lisbet watched her mother stumble into her tent, pulling the heavy material behind her, Anne trailing after her before she turned to her own tent and all but threw herself towards it, ignoring all the bows and curtsies that were sent in her direction.

Once inside, Lisbet cast her cloak aside and flopped down onto her bed, covering her face with her hands as she began to sob uncontrollably, the sleeves of her black gown becoming wet with tears as she tried in vain to wipe them away.

"Lillibet" a soothing voice said beside her as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her body "what is wrong, my love?"
"Oh, Francis" she wept, laying down on the bed and taking her husband with her "my Aunt...my Aunt Elizabeth...she's dead, Francis..."