The Rose of Lancaster | The White Queen

Harry

She nodded and began to giggle as Richard blushed and she kissed him unabashedly on the lips, pressing her naked body to his.

"You have brightened up a little" he murmured and Marian nodded as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
"I have, thanks to you...but I am aware we have matters to attend to...such as our dear friend the traitor and so should probably get out of this tub..."
Richard nodded reluctantly and rose from the water, Marian in his arms and wrapped her thin body in a towel that he had warmed for her by the fire.

He was especially attentive to her during the hours before their departure, patting her hair dry with a second towel and brushing it through until it shone like the sun. He then helped her into her clothes and placed the golden crown on her head, kissing her brow and holding her close until she was smiling brightly back at him and was returned to her normal self.

By god she loved him.

༒༒༒

The victorious procession made its way through the gates of Ludlow, the household of servants that had been sent ahead to prepare the castle, dashed down the steps to greet their sovereigns, uniforms freshly starched and washed.

As Marian and Richard passed they nodded to the servants before making their way through the large castle doors and rushing to their rooms.

The King had been put in a unrelenting good mood as soon as her saw the castle, eager to show her where his brothers had grown to be men and she happily followed him, hanging onto his every word for if this was what made him happy in dismal times then she certainly was not going to be the one to discourage him!

"And this!" He announced loudly as he pushed open the doors to another bedchamber "was Edward's when I visited him!" They advanced into the chamber and Richard immediately began to stare around, taking in every inch of the room "it's hardly changed in all this time..." he whispered.

"You still remember it?" Marian asked, slightly surprised "you must have been young when you last saw it!"
"I was 8" Richard answered, taking her hand and leading her to the window.

Standing behind her he pointed to the market place "you see the market, right there? That, was where I first met your mother"
"What?!" Marian cried, spinning round "you first met my mother at Ludlow?!"

Richard nodded
"Yes, when she ordered the Lancastrian army to sack it."
"And what did you think of her? Did you know her to be 'The Bad Queen' by that stage?"
"Not at that time! Though I do remember being struck by her beauty when I first saw her...George was too"

Marian let out a cry of laughter.
"George thought my mother to be beautiful?!"
"Aye, he did! And to be truthful, she was."

The Queen thought for a moment, trying to remember a time when Margaret of Anjou still possessed her youthful beauty but no image would come to mind apart from the tired (but determined), sallow figure that she had seen when in France and in the Tower.

"My mother tried to persuade her to spare the innocent citizens" Richard continued "took her stand in the middle of the market square with George and I clinging helplessly to her skirts...but she was paid no heed and then the rest is all a blur...the most I can remember is the screams...the screams of the children...of the men...of the women..."
"Christ, Richard! Why are you telling me this?! Is something vexing you?" Marian exclaimed, now a little worried by the sudden switch from merry to sombre in the King's tone.