Everyone seemed to know my destiny before I did. I am their Hope, I am His Hope. Hope is what I was names and Hope is what I shall bring. To my father, to my family, to my King.
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All of us were packing our belonging waiting for the time to leave sanctuary and head for Gafton. I was almost finished when someone knocked on the door. We looked at each other before Cecily dared to move and see who was there. She opened the door and ins formed Thomas and Sir John.
"Thomas...Sir John?" Mother wondered
"We failed." Thomas informed us "They boys were better guarded than we thought. The man who should have let us in was cut down."
"You didn't even get inside?" Mother whispered
"We tried to ram the door but guard came from the courtyard and we had to fight them." Sir John continued
"Doors slamming, shouting as the boys were taken further in. Once I knew there was no chance on getting to them I shouted that they must be brave and that we're coming for you. He did not answer." I pulled my sisters away from the conversation and hugged them tight. Then I let go and removed my cloak letting it drop to the floor
"We must call an all out uprising. We must hope for a quick defeat so the boys will not come to any harm." Sir John stated
"I will write to Lady Margaret, tell her to raise Buckingham." Mother replied
"You trust your new found friends, mother. Who suddenly flock to rescue the boys but don't quite succeed. All of them feast quite merrily at Uncle Richards table." I retort
"I cannot choose my allies, Hope. To save my boys I would make a deal with the devil himself." she retorted
"You already have." I walked away and my twin followed me away from our family.
"What now, sister?"
"Now we wait, it's all we can do for now." I told her and she nodded
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I laid on my bed as most of us did except mother who stared out of the window, it had be days we had heard anything, that was until we received a letter from Thomas.
"Thomas, sends word that no one has seen our brother or the changing since the raid." Lizzie informs us "Our letters return to us with the seals not even broken. And now Richard has now made his own son the Prince of Wales."
"That usurper will die for it."
"Haven't enough died for it mother?" I retorted
"It is his birth right, Hope. The throne of England." she replied finally turning around to acknowledge us.
"This is my life, and my sisters." I sneer
"Hope, don't." Cecily warned
"You coop us up in her like rats. While all you do all day is plot revenge and ruin our lives." I stood now really mad with her and her actions.
"Hope!" mother scolded
"You want the throne but do you even have a boy to put on it? No you don't, you stand here wasting away and drag us all here with you. Father would be proud, wouldn't he?" I storm away and go to sit by the river in silent contemplation.
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We were in the alley of the abbey the next day doing chores, I carried washed linen and was going to take it back.
"Queen Elizabeth! Your Grace!" I looked back to the locked door of the alleyway. Mother rushed down
"Thomas!" Lizzie and I slowly followed behind her.
"With love from Flanders" Mother was handed a note and she opened it. A broad smile appeared
"My Richard, he's safe" she breathed
---3rd Person---
Margaret and Elizabeth conspired the downfall of Richard and Anne, she mobilised her son Henry who was now betrothed to Princess Hope. Lord Stanley took this information to the King. Anne entered her husbands office.
"What's wrong, my love?" Anne questioned
"I thought that once the boys were disinherited we would be safe, but Henry Tudor is now betrothed to Princess Hope, our niece." Richard informed his wife
"How do you know?"
"Lord Stanley told me." Lord Stanley who stood by the fire turned around fully to face Queen Anne, he bowed to her.
"I must reprimand my wife, I thought she would respond to my authority.."
"The tudors and Elizabeth are in alliance?" Anne questioned
"They're planning a rebellion, if they succeed and Princess Hope shows favour to the Tudor boy, the people of this county will likely follow suit." Richard thought out loud.
"I must insist the Duke of Brittany hand over Henry Tudor before he can attack. Thank you for your loyalty Lord Stanley." he silently dismissed the other man
"Your Grace." He bowed to Richard "Your Grace" he bowed to Anne then left.
"Richard. Lord Stanley would let you lock up his own wife, how do you know you can trust him?" Anne questioned
"He says he's loyal to me. That's the thing with Lord Stanley, no one ever really know who's side he's on. But he is right about my niece. I have been blind not to see it."
"What do you mean?"
"For many years her and her sister Elizabeth have gone out amoungst the people, talked with them, listened to them, fed them. I have seen it, Hope connects with them and they adore her I would go so far as to say they adore her more than the Prince's. She is so ingrained on their hearts that a slight against her to them is a slight against God. We disinherited her and locked up her brothers Hurt her in many ways the people are furious. If we wish to be accepted and for peace to be once more she need to be on our side." he explained
"How can you, she is with the witch, who drops poison into her ear. You should at least arrest Margaret, she has betrayed you."
"Don't tell me what to do!" Richard retorted "I have enough enemies as it is. I cannot arrest a woman who is notorious for her piety, I'd create a dozen more." He moved to stand next to the fire.
"Richard you must not let this divide us, if we stand together we are strong." Anne pleaded walking over to her husband.
"I know, I'm sorry." he sighed "I will intercept her letters, I will set my spies on her, we will learn more that way."
"And if Brittany won't hand Tudor over?"
"He will invade and I must prepare for war." Richard answered rubbing Anne's arms and returning to sit at his desk.
