-𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙-
It's the year 1466 and King Edward IV is on the throne of England. His wife and Queen ,Elizabeth Woodville, has just given birth to her first daughter ,Lizzie, but not all is w...
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The frosty January air bit at the faces of the courtiers as they gathered in the courtyard, readying for the hunt that was to come. Marian sat on a stone bench with the Queen, her blue cloak wrapped tightly around her, Percy laying at her feet, as Elizabeth seemingly glared at the people that chattered happily before her. She was throwing daggers at one couple in particular: the King and Jane Shore. He appeared to be showing her how to shoot and Marian could tell it was making the older woman's blood boil.
Among the crowd, Marian spotted Richard talking to a man who she had come to know as Lord Stanley. God she detested the man! He was a smug little Lord, always strutting around Westminster as if he were the most powerful man there and Marian openly showed her distain for him, avoiding him as much as she could. Richard had gently chided her on this but she would not budge and so glared at the man as he spoke to her lover.
"I can see you dislike Lord Stanley as much as I do" Elizabeth commented as she saw the frown on Marian's face. "Dislike is an understatement if I may say so" this reply made the Queen laugh and the pair looked to the side of them where Anthony had appeared.
"You are leading the hunt, I believe?" He asked his sister with a grin as the two women rose "I can barely walk!" Elizabeth replied, laughing slightly and placing her hands on her stomach "Has the King relented over sending baby to Wales?" "No he has not and he will not" she replied quickly, a slight frown returning to her expression.
"Well" Anthony continued "he knows how you feel about George..." the siblings continued to talks as Marian heard a cough from behind her. Turning to see who it was she came face to face with Richard and smiled "Hello!" She greeted brightly, curtsying a little "Hello to you as well, my lady" he returned, bowing "it would be my honour and privilege if you would allow me to accompany you on the royal hunt" "I should be honoured, my lord Gloucester" Marian giggled "but I do not think your brother of Clarence would approve."
Both looked over to where George was standing, he was glaring at Marian with a burning hatred but as they made eye contact his frown turned into a smug, triumphant smile as if he had won some sort of competition between them. Marian turned back to Richard who also turned back to her.
As they were about to resume their conversation the trumpets beginning the hunt called out and Richard offered Marian his arm and they walked away together, one of the pageboys following behind them, carrying the bows and arrows that they would need with Percy trotting happily beside him.
The hunt commenced and went on for the best part of the daylight hours, earning many catches from the courtiers and their weapons. Marian and Richard both kept an eye out for Anne but as she had said in her note she was near the front and since they were at the back she was impossible to reach unnoticed.
