-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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Middleham, April 1483, 4 years later, Marian is 29...
Bow in hand, sitting firmly in the saddle, long hair and heavy velvet, fur-trimmed cape, flying behind her, husband at her side on a grey stallion, Marian galloped at breakneck speed through the Woods near Middleham, moving in for the kill.
"Come on, Richard!" She joked as she spurred her horse forward, grinning back at her husband as he began to fall behind. He grinned widely back and nudged his horse into a faster gallop, passing Marian with ease as they gained on the stag which was their prey. They looked at one another, Richard nodded, still grinning, a sign that the stag was now Marian's for the taking.
She looked up, focusing all of her attention on the animal racing in front of her, she spurred her chestnut stallion forward yet again and pulled an arrow from the quiver in her saddle, aligning it with the bow string. Marian could see the stag beginning to tire, it had slowed a little, was stumbling every so often: the chase was almost at an end, and with it, the stag's life. Pulling the arrow back, the Duchess felt the bow string stretch and she drew it back even further, her heart beginning to pound as she began to focus on the target in front of her again.
Taking a deep breath, she let the arrow fly, and the stag stumbled, let out a cry and fell to the floor, twitching for a moment before laying still; dead. She slowed her horse, dismounted, heart still racing as she bent down to see where her arrow had hit.
"Right through the eyes" Richard said as he also dismounted, walking to her side "I must admit, you have become a wonder at hunting these past few years" "Well, I learnt from the best" Marian replied, eyes shining as she looked up at the Duke; leaned it to give him a fleeting kiss before turning, calling out into the woods, her voice clear and sweet. "Edmund! Edmund, Lisbet!"
A few moments later, a white palfrey trotted into view and both adults smiled. Sitting atop the approaching horse was Edmund, now 9 years of age and almost identical to his father, back straight and mouth grinning, taking pride in how he so skilfully controlled the animal he was riding.
Behind him was a dark haired girl, her small hands clasped tightly around his waist, sky blue gown fluttering around her ankles, her brown eyes staring around the wood with a mix of intrigue and caution as thick locks of loose hair bounced about her face. She looked as much like her mother as her brother did her father. It was Lisbet.
"There you are mes chéris" Marian said happily as the palfrey stopped in front of them. Richard began to reach up to help his eldest son dismount, but Edmund politely waved his father's hands away, showing his parents that he could do it well enough himself, making them both grin.
Ed bowed and puffed out his chest but as soon as his parents nodded in approval, he grinned again, flinging himself into their arms, the attempted manly facade falling away. Lisbet stayed, sitting on the palfrey, waiting for Richard lift her to safety. As he did, the 8 year old girl kissed his cheek in greeting and smiled at him. He smiled back and gently touched the bejewelled crucifix that hung around her neck. She never took it off.
