-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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"I trust you found what you were looking for?" Elizabeth asked upon her friend's return and Marian sighed. "A little, I suppose..."
Elizabeth nodded and gestured for the Queen to follow her to a small door where Lizzie was waiting with a lantern. "My sisters are all preoccupied with dinner" she said quietly, opening the door "it is time"
After slipping through the door, Lizzie and her mother lead Marian to an alleyway outside of the abbey that lead down to the river, looking from side to side, wary of any onlookers that may be lurking nearby. The fresh blanket of snow that had settled crunched beneath their feet, putting all three women on edge. Marian didn't really know what there was to be afraid of at that moment but she felt her stomach tie itself into knots with each step.
Passing the lantern to Elizabeth, Lizzie pulled open the heavy iron gate the separated them and the river before kneeling down at the waters edge and signalling for her mother and Marian to do the same.
"What do I do, mother?" She asked, looking to Elizabeth for guidance as she shivered slightly in the cold night air, "Read it aloud" Her mother replied, pulling a small piece of paper from her skirts and passing it to her daughter before looking at Marian "both of you. Melusina will take the curse and see that it is done" Lizzie nodded and unfolded the parchment, looking to her aunt who nodded before they began to speak.
"Our boys Edward and Richard were in the Tower, but they are gone and we think that they are murdered" Lizzie's voice faltered for a moment as she looked up to the river. Marian placed a hand on her arm, urging her to continue before looking up to Elizabeth who nodded at her. "We come to you, Lady Mother" the Queen and the dowager said before Lizzie joined them again, her voice stronger and more fierce than before "and we put into your depths this curse: whoever took our two sons you will take one of his sons from him and his grandsons too and his boys all down his line and we will know who the murderer is by the workings of our curse"
"Burn it" Elizabeth whispered, gesturing to the lantern and slowly, Lizzie held the paper over the flames until it caught fire and the young woman then tossed it into the water, watching it burn with tear filled eyes.
The three women made their way back inside and Marian gathered up her cloak, drew it tightly around her shoulders. "I'm afraid I must return to Westminster..." she said quietly and Elizabeth nodded. "Our curse will work..." she murmured "I'm counting on it" Marian replied before turning to Lizzie and taking her hands "I will continue to search for Edward and Richard, my dear" her niece nodded and the Queen turned to go but hesitated for a moment.
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked "are you well?" "Quite well, thank you...but there is something I would ask of you..." she turned around and the dowager Queen tilted her head (as did her daughter) "What is it?" Lizzie enquired and Marian took a deep breath. "I would ask you to emerge from sanctuary...there is nothing to keep you here now...and you would not be placed under guard if you emerged"
