June 1485, Wensleydale, Yorkshire...
Sitting astride; trotting across the vast, green heath, Marian took a deep breath of fresh air and closed her eyes for a moment, tilting back her head and revelling in the early summer sun. She was home at last.
After the letter containing the information about the Tudor had reached her, another had arrived two weeks later, asking Marian to move the court to Windsor, leaving Brackenbury in charge, and travel immediately to Middleham with the children.
The Queen had been relieved to leave London (despite the circumstances) and within three days, the royal procession was ready to leave for the North. The journey had been a hellish one, with rain hammering down on them every step of the way. However, as soon as the party reached Yorkshire the clouds cleared and the sun shined down as if to welcome it's Queen home.
For two whole months she had lived in utter peace at Middleham, feeling for the first time in over a year what it was to be truly happy. Again she smiled into the sun, laughing loudly and setting her hair free from its jewel encrusted hairnet so that it blew gently in the breeze. There was just one thing that would complete her happiness and that was the presence of her husband.
Upon the threat of invasion arising, Richard had departed for the Welsh border to assess the support there for the Tudor. He had taken Rob (and a rather reluctant Francis) with him and Marian had that morning received a letter from the latter that they were returning to Middleham and could be expected around the 15th...that very day.
Turning her chestnut stallion around Marian grinned.
"It really would be much easier if you rode astride, Cecily!" She called to the 15 year old behind her. With Lizzie and Anne gone, Cecily had become her new companion and close confidant. The Queen found the girl to be delightful company and eager to be shown every inch of Yorkshire which Marian had been more than happy to agree to.
They spent their days riding across the moors, Marian showing her niece all their was to see and telling her of the memories she had there. Despite the harshness of moorland riding, Cecily had insisted to ride side saddle as she had been taught, although her aunt constantly tried to pursuance her to switch to riding astride as she did now.
"I assure you, Marian!" Cecily called back, a smile on her face "I shall be fine!"
"You shall have to ride astride one day, you know!" Marian said, laughing "why not give it a go?" The girl shook her head, giggling.
"Not until I have to!"
Marian let out an amused sigh then gave her horse a small kick to nudge it into a gallop.
"Well! Let's see if you can keep up then!" She shouted over her shoulder.
Cecily let out an amused cry and her horse shot into a gallop also, racing after the other over the heather covered moor.
Maria heard a sharp squeal behind her and sharply turned to see Cecily had fallen with a heavy thud into the undergrowth. After making sure she was alright she burst out laughing and watched as the girl rose from the floor, giggling and brushing mud from her juniper coloured gown. She almost blended in with her surroundings!
"And that, my dear, is why you should ride like I do! You stay on much better!"
"But tis unladylike" Cecily replied, quickly grabbing the reins of her horse before it could make a timely escape.
"Who told you that?"
"My Lady Mother did!"
Marian rolled her eyes playfully, walked her stallion next to her niece's.
"Well, your mother is not here, is she?"
Cecily raised an eyebrow, glanced around warily, as if she half expected Elizabeth to spring out from the bushes like a madwoman, and then looked back to her Aunt, giving her a small nod and mounting her horse again, this time astride. She made sure to neatly arrange her skirts and after that looked once again at the woman opposite her.
"Am I doing it right?" She asked
"Perfect, my dear! See, 'twas not that difficult was it?"
Cecily giggled, shook her head as the two nudged their horses into steady canters.
"I suppose not!" She agreed "and if I'm being truly honest, it does feel safer to ride this way!"
"That is is!" Marian said "that it is!"
༒༒༒
As the sun set over the North, painting the sky in radient shades of blue, pink and purple, Marian and Cecily rode across the drawbridge of Middleham castle, laughing and jesting loudly, causing servants and stable lads to look up and grin at the two approaching ladies.
They quickly dismounted and rushed inside, the eldest calling out to one of the nearby servants.
"Has my lord husband returned yet?" She asked merrily, the servant nodded.
"Aye, your grace, around half an hour ago. I believe him to be awaiting you in your chambers"
Marian nodded in gratitude and turned to Cecily.
"Go and greet the children my dear, help them to bed and then you are free for the rest of the night" she said hugging the girl before releasing her and watching as she scampered away to the nursery before she herself headed for the main stairs, breaking into a run as soon as she was away from prying eyes. Picking up the skirt of her gown as she bolted down the numerous passageways, Marin pushed the door to her chambers open with all her strength and the wood banged against the wall.
Advancing into the room and swinging the door shut behind her, her dark eyes scanned every inch of the room until she spotted Richard, who had been sitting quietly by the fire, anticipating with joy the imminent reunion but was now standing and had placed the goblet he had been holding to one side.
"Marian" he whispered "oh, my love" he ran over to her and in less than a second she was in his arms, running her hands through his curls and peppering searing kisses all over his face.
"How I have missed you" she murmured against his lips "we have been parted for too long!"
"Aye, we have" Richard replied "but now we are together we should make the most of it. What say you?" Marian grinned and took his hand, leading him towards the bed.
"I say we stay in this chamber until late tomorrow morn, entangled in one another's arms while we make up for lost time"
"Now that, ma belle, is certainly an idea I like"
She arched an eyebrow as she lay down on the covers, not bothering to undress for she knew the materials barriers between them would be soon gone. She was right.
Richard quickly threw off his clothes, clambering onto the bed and pinning Marian beneath him, claiming her mouth with his own. She was more than happy to comply to his demands and while he was trying to open the front of her gown, she was slowly hitching her skirts up to her thighs. When the King saw this, he grinned.
"I see you have anticipated me, sweetling" he coed softly in her ear before finally managing to undo the front of her gown and instantly beginning to caress her breasts, making Marian's back arch slightly at the feeling of pleasure.
As he thrust into her for the first time they both moaned loudly, the wave of ecstasy that was brought forth seeming like true heaven after the months of separation they had endured.
"Oh Marian" Richard cried as he buried his face in her hair, hands sliding up and down the curves of her body "you are just as I remember".
༒༒༒
Limbs intertwined with a thin sheet carelessly thrown over their naked bodies, Marian and Richard smiled softly at one another as the first rays of sunlight flowed into the room.
"I have missed you" She whispered, tracing patters with her finger on his smooth chest. He chuckled, raised his head a little so that he could kiss her again.
"And I you" he replied, now gently nuzzling into her neck as he held her tightly to him "You have no idea how much I have longed to hold you like this" Marian laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes and smiling softly.
"Well I'm here now" she whispered "so you can hold me for as long as you want"
Richard chuckled again, placing a small kiss to her shoulder while his fingers began to caress the curve of her waist, making Marian shiver a little in delight.
His eyes widened as he suddenly found the Queen straddling him, lacing her fingers with his and rolling her hips so that they both sighed from pleasure.
"Should we perhaps stay in here today, my lord?" She suggested as a sensuous smile took over her lips. Richard nodded eagerly and she laughed, a laugh that filled the room and was made of only joy, something he had not heard from her for a long long time.
"Methinks I do like that idea well, sweetheart"
༒༒༒
High upon the Wensleydale moors, a radiant summer sun beaming down at the brightly dressed figures below, another sharp whistle filled the air as Ned successfully called his hawk back to him. The graceful bird swept at lightning speed through the air and landed on his master's leather gauntlet without wobbling once. The boy turned round grinning and held his head high as Maggie, Teddy and his little sisters Meg, Mary and Cecily applauded. He bowed dramatically and then spun back round again, preparing to launch his bird into the clear sky once more.
Standing a little way away, Arthur and Gwen by their side, Marian and Richard smiled at the children before looking up to track their hawks which were flying next to one another before suddenly plummeting to the ground to capture and kill the prey their expert eyes had successfully spotted among the heather.
As Marian's bird ascended she saw it held a dead mouse in its talons and applauded, giggling and grinning widely. Richard looked at her affectionately, held out his arm as his hawk landed on his arm, empty handed but the King did not mind, he was perfectly happy to watch Marian laugh and smile, letting out a sharp whistle and clapping as Gwen bounded forward to bring forth more potential prey.
As the party sat down to feast upon the moor, Marian spotted Francis standing away from the group, staring out over the landscape. While the others were dressed in bright, jubilant colours, he remained in his black mourning garb. Richard said he had hardly spoken during the trip to the Welsh boarder and while he understood why his friend was like this, it worried him as he needed Francis by his side when the clash with Tudor came.
Standing from her chair and quickly telling the others to remain seated when they followed suit, Marian made her way over to Francis and slowly put a hand on his arm. He jumped at the sudden contact.
"Jesus, Marian" he said once he realised it was her. She smiled a little at him.
"We all miss her you know...she was one of my dearest friends on this earth"
Francis nodded
"I know she was...you were very dear to her too...she viewed you as a second sister...it's just..."
"Just what?" Marian asked. He turned to her, tears in his eyes as he took her hand.
"I don't know how to go on...Francis needs his mother! I don't know how I am to take care of him!"
"You know I will help, if it makes it easier he can be placed with my children as he grows instead of Minster Lovell? That way you will know he is safe?"
Francis looked up, obviously trying to blink back his tears but failing miserably and they rolled down his face.
"Thank you, Marian" he murmured "thank you so much"
Marian nodded and squeezed his hand, taking a breath before speaking, not sure if she should.
"R-Richard needs you by his side..." she began, pausing as Francis looked back at her with sorrow filled eyes "you are his best friend...when the Tudor comes he needs you by his side"
He looked doubtful, shook his head.
"You know that my greatest wish is to serve him as I have done for many years...but I cannot...I am a broken man, Marian...I cannot fight...not without Anne in the world..." He gave her another long, measuring glance before sighing heavily "how did you do it?"
"Do what?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Carry on" Francis answered "you lost Dickon, withdrew from court for months...but you came back and now you appear stronger than ever...you have managed to carry on...but I fear I cannot"
"Well" the Queen replied, suddenly feeling the threat of tears advancing towards her already saddened eyes "I admit I was lost for a long time, I felt beyond repair...but then Richard convinced me to return to the light, made me remember that I have others, I have my other children...and you have Francis...your son. Carry on for him. I-it is what Anne would want..."
Francis suddenly let out a sob and Marian instantly wrapped her arms around him.
"You're right" he cried "you're right...I must fight for his future...for Anne...oh how I miss her" he drew away a little "it hurts, Marian...it hurts so so much..."
"I know" she replied gently "I know it hurts...and it always will just like thinking of Dickon hurts me but I have learnt to live with the pain...have learnt to remember the happy times instead of the sad and in due course you will do this with Anne"
Francis closed his eyes, nodding.
"I shall get through this" he muttered to himself "I shall fight by my King and fight for my son...I shall"
༒༒༒
"Are you sure we cannot retire yet?" Richard murmured against the Queens ear as they sat on their thrones in the great hall of Middleham Castle, watching as their children danced before them.
"Yes I am sure, Richard!" Marian replied, laughing as she absentmindedly stroked Arthur's ears "you are supposed to be watching our children dance, not thinking on other matters"
"But other matters are so pleasant to think on" he retorted playfully
"And I assure you that if you pay attention now and wait out the feast then our retirement shall be well worth the wait!"
"It always is!" He kissed her cheek, gently squeezing her hand before looking back to the children.
Hopping gracefully from foot to foot in elaborate costumes of murrey and blue, Edmund, Lisbet, Meg and Ned danced together in the middle of the hall, the golden coronets that adorned their heads shimmering in the candle light.
Sitting on a bench, clad in a black doublet as his father had been, watching his friends with fascination and admiration was young Francis Lovell. He had reluctantly opted to stay behind that day; did not like the idea of engaging in any sort of amusement, thought it a mortal sin that he should still want to play and jest with the others when he was supposed to be in mourning for his mother.
He missed her. He truly did. He had loved his mother very much and had been heartbroken when she had been taken from him but there was still something inside of him that told him to play with the others; to go out hunting and hawking, to stage battles with Ned and Edmund and to trail endlessly after Lisbet, laughing and smiling with her like they used to do.
To his great (secret) joy, Lisbet had stayed behind with him at Middleham while the rest of her family went onto the moors, though she loved the outdoors greatly, and they had sat in the solar all day, playing chess and fetch with Arthur and Gwen. Now, watching her dance, he wanted to lead her in the next but knew he could not and so simply watched on with saddened eyes until the music ended and he slipped away from the hall, heading for the stables where he knew he would find some peace.
Little did he know, his father had been watching him the whole time, realising anew how much he loved and needed to protect his son, for himself and for Anne. Dearest Anne Neville, the Kingmaker's Daughter. If only she could still be with them.