Winter's Consort

Chapter two

Elizabeth's mother sent for her only days after the battle at the kings own orders. Her uncle Richard was dead and her betrothed, the new king, headed for London. He would wear the crown now. It was York's no longer, it was Tudor's. Cecily, Little Anne, their cousin Ned and his sister Margaret rode with Elizabeth from Sheriff Hutton. Mother commanded they joined her in London. How could they refuse? To Cecily, Anne and Elizabeth that was their home, it always had been until their Uncle took the throne.

Although it was more the idea of seeing their mother that excited the girls, they were not to be in living in Westminster, their childhood home, but Coldharbour. An idea made even worse by the fact a household had been forced to leave so that it could accommodate them. Elizabeth thought of Westminster, how she had adored it there once, but that was when she still had two little brothers and a sister named Mary. A lot had changed since those days of happiness.

Then there was the matter of the royal appartments, Elizabeth would have enjoyed regaining them for her family but they were still not royal in the eyes of the law. She did not mind Henry Tudor moving into what were her fathers rooms, he was king throught right of conquest, he won his place there, but the thought of Margaret Beaufort in her mother's chambers sickened her; for she had deemed it fit for the kings mother to live in the place of a queen. Surely it should have been Elizabeth who inhabited them if she were to marry him, if she was to be his Queen.

They all were ready to embrace the capital. They were ready for their cheers as they rode through the steets. There was none. The families were all hiding in their homes, they had never done that before. Perhaps they had before for Lancaster but Elizabeth and her cousins were not Lancaster, they were York. Ned was York's heir. They should have lined the streets.

"I do not like this, Bess." Cecily had whispered as she rode beside Elizabeth. "Everything it's... it's haunting."

"Tudors brought a curse with him, they say it's a new plague. A sickness like no other, my lady." One of Elizabeth's maids of honour turned around to speak with them. "That is why they hide."

"Oh." Elizabeth wanted to cover herself and tried not to think of death. But it was hard when she knew that on plague years many of those very houses were emptied of occupants. Whole families dying at once. Behind closed doors the bodies would be piling up. "Then make haste." Elizabeth commanded her like she could force all the horses carrying them and thier guard to quicken. They had all thier belongings also traveling with them, they could not have been made to travel faster by anyone. Elizabeth's eyes caught sight of the youngest three all sat upon their dainty ponies looking in awe at the capital, they'd never seen it so quiet. Nor had the three, when together, been so silent.

Their mother greeted them at the door. Her arms were open and beside her stood Elizabeth's youngest two sisters, Catherine and Bridget. They all dismounted and Elizabeth was the first to fall into her mother's arms. Cecily was next, followed by Little Anne. Their cousins just looked on for a moment as they embraced: the old Queen and her bastard princesses.

"My Bess, you have grown." Elizabeth's mother smiled at her with tears covering her light grey eyes. "And you, Cecily you are looking well." She kissed Elizabeth's forehead and did the same to Cecily before turning to Little Anne. "You have grown beautiful." She spoke with the kindest tone to Anne before kissing her on both cheeks and admiring the fairness of her skin. Little Anne would be married off soon enough. At least whichever man had that pleasure would have a beautiful bride even if he did not love her.

"My little Queen." Her mother beamed at Elizabeth as she cupped her daughters face in her hands. She kissed her again on both cheeks. "My darling Bess, Queen of England indeed." She said half laughing and embraced Elizabeth again.