Crown of Blood | The White Princess

One Last Stand

"What is to become of us all?" Lisbet whispered to Francis as they lay under their oak tree, their bodies pressed together in the dark despite the summer heat "Today's the first of September! And soon the weather shall turn upon us... if we intend to win we must strike now...or" her voice faltered a little.

"Or what?" Francis cooed softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb while he gazed down lovingly at her. She shook her head, pausing for a moment before she spoke.

"Or we retreat" she murmured before grimacing as if she had just uttered words of treason. She shook her head again and her braid managed to unravel, her hair falling over her shoulders as she sat up, hiding the flush of shame that crept onto her cheeks "I can't believe I just said that...sweet Lord if mama heard me she'd throw me across the channel...if she even had the strength to do so"

Francis frowned a little and drew her onto his lap, wrapping his cloak around the both of them while she settled her head on his shoulder, a feeling of despair creeping into her heart.
"And what do you mean by that, Lillibet?" Francis asked "is Marian well?"

"Of course she is not well" Lisbet snapped "she had lost her best friend and now her firstborn son! So no, she is not well" as quickly as it had arisen, the Duchess's anger dissipated and she sighed "forgive me, love...I am simply tired"

"As your mother is?" The Duke offered and his wife nodded.
"Aye...but it is more than that now...much much more...I fear for her very life"
"Why? Why do you fear for her? Was she injured that night? Or is it heartbreak that is her ailment?"

Lisbet looked up imploringly at her husband and took in the kind expression on his face, the way his eyes softened as he looked at her and a small smile curved his mouth. Taking a shallow breath, she slowly told him of Marian's thoughts at the stream, feeling that with every word she said she was betraying her mother...but she had to tell Francis, she knew she could not bare her mother's broken heart and soul alone.

He listened silently and gently tugged her a little closer once she had finished. Slowly he reached up a little and wiped away the tears that had managed to dampen Lisbet's cheeks and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Your mother is strong..." he murmured.
"But now she seems weak...she has lost too much, far too much" Lisbet replied quietly "I don't know what to do and I don't think she does either!" The duchess glanced up at the sky and shook her head "I hope my father is looking down upon her, protecting her somehow, though I feel myself doubting it a lot. I saw my father once after his death...it was when lady Margaret had beaten me. I have always thought that my vision of my father and dear Dickon was real but now I doubt it. Why could they not appear again? Why can they not help us now? Why has God abandoned us?"

"I do not know, my love" Francis replied in a hushed voice that betrayed his fear "truly, I do not know"

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