June 1487, Westminster...
"And rest assured, most loyal subjects! I shall return victorious!" Henry called out to the court as he sat on his grey destrier, donning armour of solid gold and his crown.
"He looks ridiculous" Lisbet murmured to Meg who was trying and failing to conceal a mocking grin.
"Aye" she agreed "can you imagine mama or papa prancing around in such an ensemble?"
Her sister smothered a laugh and carried on watching Henry as he leaned down from his horse and kissed Lizzie fully on the mouth, winding a lock of her red hair around his finger and then stroking Arthur's cheek. The baby smiled at his father and attempted a small wave as Henry sat up again.
He looked across the courtyard balcony and spotted Lisbet, giving her a slight wave and a nod. Lisbet could not help but chuckle and wave back to him, raising her eyebrows slightly and nodding as he had done.
"I see you are still on good terms with him then?" Meg remarked, clearly annoyed. Lisbet nodded.
"I am. Aunt Elizabeth told me to remember my advantages and so that is what I'm doing"
"Clever clogs"
The two sisters began to walk arm in arm back inside the palace, planning to visit their sisters soon when Lizzie walked up to them and their speech faltered.
"Cousins" Lizzie greeted, rocking Arthur back and forth gently in her arms.
"Elizabeth" Lisbet returned cooly while Meg's grip on her hand tightened. Lizzie sighed and raised her eyebrows.
"How long is this going to continue, dear one?" She pleaded "do you truly hate me this much? Are we now destined to be rivals?"
"You betrayed us" Lisbet stated plainly "and you will never be able to understand the pain and destruction you have caused in doing so, cousin"
"Well can we not at least be civil?"
"Civil?"
"Aye, civil" Lizzie looked to Meg, who rolled her eyes, and then back to Lisbet "Civil for Arthur's sake. I know you love him as I do and would not wish for you to grow apart from him just because of the hatred you bear towards me...so may we be civil for now? And then...then perhaps one day you can find it in your heart to care for me again"
Lisbet looked to her sister who simply gave her a look that said 'just get it over with' and then nodded, detaching her hand from Lisbet's and walking away down the hall, silk skirts swishing from side to side as she went.
Lisbet glanced at her cousin and nodded tautly.
"Civil it is then, cousin" she murmured and Lizzie's face practically glowed with joy, causing Lisbet to feel the, now familiar, stabbing pain in her heart as she turned away and followed her sister to their room.
"You did it then?" Meg asked as she shut the door.
"Aye, sister, I did...but not for the reason you may think. I still hate Elizabeth and I always will but...well I remembered our Aunt's words again 'remember your advantages'. If our cousin thinks I'm on her side again then that may prove useful to us, perhaps in time bring us more power." Meg stared at her sister and then began to laugh, clapping her hands together.
"Christ, Lis!" She giggled "sometimes your ideas even astonishes me! I had no idea you could be this deceitful to family!"
"Elizabeth is no longer family" Lisbet sighed as she flopped down on the bed "in truth I don't know what she is other than a traitor"
༒༒༒
3 days later...
Scooping Arthur up from his cradle and marvelling at how heavy the 9 month old was, Lisbet walked to the window seat in the royal nursery and sat down, thinking of how it was so strange that she sat there. She had spent many hours in that window seat with her parents while they tended to her and her siblings.
It was there that Richard used to read them from the copy of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table that he had brought back from France for Marian in 1475 and it had instantly become one of her most treasured possessions.
Lisbet wondered where that books was now, probably burned or destroyed by the soldiers when they looted Grafton...
Suddenly, Lizzie flew through the door in a swirl of red and green, her damask hennin looking as if it would fly off there and then! Pushing her headdresses' emerald veil away from her face, Lizzie bounced over to her cousin and sat opposite her in the window seat, a look of joy filling her blue eyes. It was hard for Lisbet not to smile back at her so she focussed all he attention on Arthur.
"What has brought you into such a mood, cousin?" She asked with feigned nonchalance and Lizzie giggled, waving a freshly opened letter in the air.
"Henry is victorious!" She cried "he has won! He has brought down this pretender, a boy named Lambert Simnel, and now we are safe again!" As quickly as she had sat down, Lizzie stood up from the window seat and twirled around, placing a small kiss to her son's forehead and whisking him into her arms before all but skipping from the nursery.
Once she was gone and Lisbet was alone, the girl let out a groan and slumped against the wall, burying her face in her hands.
Burgundy had failed! Elizabeth had been so sure they would win! Lisbet had been so sure they would win...but yet again Tudor had prevailed.
'Lord, have you no heart? No mercy?' Her mind cried in anguish but her head snapped towards the doorway as it opened with a bang and Meg rushed in, tears streaming down her face, dripping onto the bodice of her gown while she wept.
After closing the door in haste, and barring it, Lisbet rushed to her sister's side and knelt by her, gathering her into her arms.
"Why, Meggie! Whats wrong? I know our Aunt has been defeated but there will be other chances! Other opportunities! I am sure..."
"It's not that!" Her sister cried in despair, clinging to Lisbet with all her might "it...it's...it's uncle Francis..."
"What..."
"He...h-...he's dead, Lisbet" she cried out in grief again "he's dead! The Tudors killed him!"
Lisbet shook her head, refusing to believe what her sister was saying was true.
"No!" She said "no! No it cannot be! Not uncle Francis...sweet Jesus not uncle Francis..."
'Who will fight for us now?' Her mind screamed 'who will protect my brothers?!' As Meg rose and went to curl up in the window seat, Lisbet suddenly clutched at the front of her gown and groaned while another realisation came crashing down upon her.
"Francis!" She sobbed "oh my dearest Francis...he's and orphan! Oh dear god no!"
'Another York orphan' she thought miserably. Had the news reached Tornai yet? She hoped it had not. Hoped that Francis may be spared just a few more days free of grief. Lisbet longed to be with him. Longed to put her arms around him while he wept as she had done when his mother had died.
Gingerly, Lisbet staggered to her feet, went to her sister and sat beside her, curling up slightly as if to protect herself from the world. Meg's arms quickly encircled her body and the two girls clung together as they tried to contain their sobs, wondering why God hated them.
༒༒༒
As the sisters lay in bed, they tried to get some sleep but their bodies would not allow them to rest, seemed intent on keeping them in the darkness of grief.
"I still can't believe it" Lisbet whispered into the gloom "I can't believe he's dead...he was papa's best friend, Meggie...he was one of the only links left..."
"And now he's gone like mama and papa and uncle Rob and Dickon and Aunt Anne and Uncle Harry and all the others who have died are..." Meg finished, wiping away another tear that had trickled slowly down her cheek.
Slowly Meg turned over to her sister and snuggled against her for comfort, tucking her head under her chin.
At last the two were beginning to slip into an uneasy sleep but the door suddenly opened and they both sprang up from the bed, looking frantically for any sharp object that they could get their hands on.
"Whoah there!" Ned whispered as he shut the door again and Lisbet sat back down on the bed, placing the candlestick she had taken up beside her.
"Christ on the cross, Ned!" She hissed "what the hell do you think you're doing!"
"We don't have much time! Pack your things and meet me at the garden door in half an hour!"
Meg crept round the bed and reached for Lisbet's hand.
"Why?" She asked, eyes full of worry "what's going on?"
"It's Lady Margaret and Morton" Ned answered "from my most trusted sources I have found that they have planned to have you both kidnapped and..."
"And what?" Lisbet urged, dreading the inevitable answer.
"Killed" Meg gasped and shook her head, running over to her coffer and throwing the lid open, frantically throwing out clothes "we don't have time for clothes!" Ned continued "just dress in your plainest garments and gather anything of significance and value to you! Then you must meet me in the gardens! I will explain everything once we are safely away from here!"
Lisbet nodded and watched as Ned left before springing from the bed and lighting the candles of the bedchamber. She headed to her coffer and began to throw out her gowns in search of the most appropriate one as Meg was now doing.
As fast as was humanely possible, the two slipped into black dresses and drew plain brown cloaks around their shoulders, tying the cords tightly.
Next, while her sister gathered up all their jewels and gold, placing them in a small leather pouch, Lisbet all but tore the intricate tapestry from the wall and moved the brick that concealed Richard's ring and the small scrap of silk containing the white rose, placing the objects in the pouch which she then attached to her belt.
Heart pounding and mind swirling, she looked to her younger sister and nodded in encouragement. Together they blew out the candles of their room and were about to slip away when Lisbet hissed and halted mid step, almost causing her to fall.
"My necklace!" She said and rushed back in, returning in moments with the ruby pendant around her neck.
Taking her sister's hand, the two crept along the corridors of Westminster palace, jumping at the slightest noise and shrinking back at the sight of the dark, ominous shadows that cascaded down the walls. As their fear increased and the reality of the situation sunk in, they quickened their pace, biting their lips to keep themselves from sobbing.
As they neared the great hall, they thought that they were in the clear but the sudden clunk of armour turning a corner caused them both to freeze and come into view of a Tudor guard. He studied them for a moment before he whistled and roared into the night.
"The York girls! They're here! They're here!"
Meg cried out in alarm and had to be dragged by Lisbet to move from her spot. Picking up their skirts, the sisters ran as fast as their young legs could carry them, eventually letting their eyes give way to tears as they heard the (now large force) of Tudors gaining on them.
They rounded a corner and Lisbet could see the door to the outside; sighed in relief but then found herself pulled into a dark alcove and a soft hand put over her mouth as she cried out. Finding herself looking directly into the eyes of Meg, Lisbet was shocked and shook her head as if to say 'what the hell are you doing?'
"We don't have time" Meg began as if to answer her sister's unspoken question, fumbling with the opening of the leather pouch and bringing forth her father's ring "the Tudors are gaining on us and if we wish to escape...only one of us can do so" she paused for a moment, tears flowing from her eyes "that one is going to be you, Lisbet" Lisbet shook her head again but her sister continued at a fast pace, her words tumbling forth in a tirade of desperation "you are the stronger of the two of us, you are also the elder and the wiser and for that reason you are to be the one to escape this night! Go with Ned! Go to safety and do all you can to return our family to power! If I'm ever in need of help then I shall send this to you and you will know what to do" she held up the ring, slipping it onto her finger, taking a deep breath "By God I love you, sister and I bid you never forget it...or me...now go...run for your life...run for me...for York"
She darted forward, pressing a kiss to her sister's forehead and looking one last time into her dark eyes before removing her hand from her mouth and running from the alcove, into the hallway.
"Come and get me you Tudor bastards!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, casting one last glance at Lisbet over her shoulder before she ran in the opposite direction, leading all the soldiers away with her.
Unable to speak, Lisbet remained still in shock, barely being able to comprehend what had just occurred. Her sister had left her...Meg had sacrificed her own freedom for her sister's...
The sound of a tree branch crashing against a nearby window caused Lisbet to snap out of her state and finally break free from the confines of the dark alcove, running as fast as she could towards the door, pulling it open and dashing off into the night. She wound her way along the garden paths, dipping behind bushes and hiding behind trees as if the soldiers were still following her until the garden door and Ned came into sight.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lisbet broke into a run again, reaching out to her friend as if that would make her get to him quicker but just as he was about to turn to her, Lisbet found herself snatched aside, dragged behind a bush and a hand clamped over her mouth to silence her screams of protest. It was Jasper. Only just returned from the battlefield, he had come in search of Lisbet when he heard of her escape, despite the injury he had gotten in battle.
Looking into his blue eyes, Lisbet clawed at his arm until he let go and she grasped his hand, tears streaming down her young face.
"Let me go, Jasper!" She pleaded "please let me go! Let me be free! Oh please let me go! Meg has already sacrificed her freedom for me tonight! Don't let her courage be for naught! Please, Jasper! If you have any regard for me at all you will let me go!"
"And wait for you to invade with your brothers?" Jasper murmured quietly. Lisbet grasped his hand tighter.
"Please, Jasper! I know you care for Henry! I know that you care for Margaret but do not keep me here! Let me go!" She gulped back another sob, looking imploringly into his face "please..." she whispered "please, Jasper...you took my chance of escape from me once...I beg of you to not do it again"
Jasper's eyes shined with tears in the moonlit night and he suddenly gathered Lisbet into a hug, nodding his head fervently.
"Go with God, dearest Lisbet" he whispered and the girl's heart leapt "go and remember me when you are free..." He pulled away, holding her at arms length while the tears at last broke free from his blue eyes, rolling down his cheeks "you have become like a daughter to me Lisbet...if I had a daughter of my own I could not have wished for her to be better than you"
Lisbet let out a small sob and embraced Jasper again, wrapping her slender arms around him.
"I will never forget you!" She said fiercely "I promise...I shall miss you dearly, Jasper" pulling away she studied him one last time, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as she did so "you were the first person in the Tudor court to show me kindness" she whispered "and for that I thank you...you have been a true friend to me...and when I am gone...I now beseech you to be a friend to my sister Meg...protect her and my other sisters... please..." Jasper nodded.
Stepping away, slowly at first, Lisbet eventually turned and ran out from behind the bush, towards Ned who waved when he saw her and embraced her fervently when she arrived.
"Where is your sister?" He murmured with worry when he saw one girl was missing. Lisbet began to weep again and wiped her eyes with their sleeves of her gown.
"She...she gave up her hope of escape for me, Ned...she sacrificed herself for me..."
Ned bowed his head.
"'Twas a most brave and noble thing to do" he said gently "your father and mother shall be smiling down upon her at this moment...now we must fly" he flung open the garden door and hand in hand, the two escapees slipped out of Westminster, vanishing into the darkness of the inky black night.