May 1472, Westminster...
"Fortune's wheel has brought you high, Marian..." Jaquetta said weakly as she lay in her sick bed, pale as the sheets that lay around her, Marian caring for her as Elizabeth was in confinement.
"And now it seems it is to bring me low..." the Duchess replied, her eyes filling to the brim with un-shed tears as she clutched the old woman's hand "you cannot leave us, Jaquetta...please don't leave me...I need you"
Jaquetta summoned a small smiled and despite her condition, laughed gently.
"The good lord knows that I am no longer long for this world, I have nothing left to do"
"But you have! You have so much! Soon, perhaps even in the next few weeks you shall have a new grandchild and they will need you..." Marian replied determinedly, praying with all her might that Jaquetta would live, for over the past week she had taken a turn for the worst and was now bed bound.
Marian attended to her day and night, reading to her in the mornings and sitting by her as she slept, fetching water and food when she needed it and could manage to stomach it.
"You are so good, Marian..." Lady Rivers whispered. This was enough to set loose the tears and Marian's shoulders began to shake with sobs for the person she was about to lose. It felt terrible, like there was a dark storm approaching, one that threatened to engulf Marian whole and she could only watch as it came towards her, waiting for the impact and the pain of losing one so close to her heart as was Jaquetta Woodville.
A few minutes later someone crashed into the room. Marian was about to sharply reprimanded them but the person spoke before the Duchess could. It was Meg
"Marian!" She cried breathlessly "it's the Queen...her baby, it has come early...the midwife says she may not survive" Marian was instantly at her feet and after looking at Jaquetta who gave her a reassuring nod, ran from the bedchamber with the Meg, picking up her skirts and wiping away her tears as she went.
The closer she got to the Queens rooms, the more clear Elizabeth's screams became and Marian's heart tightened painfully at the sound, causing her to run even faster, overtaking Meg and bursting through the doors, rushing to the Queen's side and taking her arm
"Whats happening?!" She demanded, looking at the midwife
"It's the baby, my lady" the woman replied, a look of intense worry on her face.
Before she could speak another word, the door opened again and the King darted into the room and went directly to his wife, cradling her as best her could as she screamed, blood dripping from between her legs. Marian grabbed a wet cloth and dabbed the Queens forehead with it, tears spilling down her cheeks once again.
Then with one more ear splitting shriek, the baby came and Elizabeth's head hung back as the King and Marian tended to her but there was no cry from the child. The servants quickly rushed the babe over to a tub of warm water.
"Breathe..." they were saying "please breathe"
At long last a wail was heard but it wasn't right. It was too weak, too frail...
"No..." Marian heard Elizabeth whisper as she clutched her husbands arm, her face red and stained with tears.
༒༒༒
Shaking slightly, the Queen carried her newborn baby to her mother's chamber, Marian and her husband beside her. When they entered, Marian looked at one of the maids but they shook their head...
Kneeling down by the bed, opposite Elizabeth, Marian could see that Lady Rivers was lying completely still, her face drained fully of colour but if she strained her ears she was sure she could hear the sound of small shallow breaths, perhaps she was imagining it, trying to desperately cling onto the last string of hope that Jaquetta would live.
"He's dying, mother" Elizabeth whispered placing the child on top of her mother, her voice contorted by sobs "take care of him for me"
As if she could hear her daughters plea, maybe she still could, Lady Rivers raised her hand slightly and placed it on top of the child's blanket.
And with that, both the boy and Jaquetta exhaled their last, passing on from this world and into the next.
The moment she and the babe were gone, grief filled sobs and shrieks filled the chamber as Elizabeth and Marian cried for their losses. Both women's body's tremored as they wept, their tears soaking the covers that they buried their heads in. Edward held the Queen tightly, murmuring words of comfort to her and before long Marian felt a strong pair of arms around her waist and a firm chest behind her. Richard. She brought her head up off the bed and turned to her husband, placing her head on his shoulder and crying even more as the grief consumed her.
Eventually, the crying ceased but the grief did not shrink. With each passing moment, everything felt worse, Marian did not think she could bear it. Even less so when Jaquetta and the child were finally taken away in the evening. After that the King and Queen left the room but Marian and Richard stayed, him cradling her gently until at last she fell into a uneasy sleep and he carried her back to their chambers, placing her on the bed and lying down next to her, still holding her close to him.
༒༒༒
July 1472, Westminster...
It had been two months since Jaquetta Woodville's death and although she hated to admit it, Marian was coping quite well. For all that she had lost, she had other things that kept her spirits high (mostly because of her husband), as Richard had somehow managed to not only dissolve George's guardianship over Anne, he had made it so that she had been placed in his and Marian's care which pleased her greatly.
She could remember the day so clearly, knew that she always would. Would remember how she had been sitting in her room, engulfed by the feeling of melancholy when Richard had rushed in and delivered the happy news making her smile spirits soar.
Marian had immediately gone to the church where Anne had been staying and took her back to Westminster, she could swear she had never seen the youngest Neville so happy! She was even happier when she had been told that Richard and Marian were to be her guardians, beaming from ear to ear and thanking Marian continuously on the journey back to the palace.
At Westminster there had been a happy reunion between Anne and her sister, despite the past, and it seemed that most was well. However, it soon was apparent the Anne would not be safe at Westminster while George was there and so Richard finally put into place the plan he had been thinking upon for months. Moving Gloucester household to Middleham castle, his beloved childhood home and now his property after the death of the Earl of Warwick.
Marian was rather happy to be retreating from the royal court, was glad that at long last she may find some peace out in the vast lands of Yorkshire where Middleham was situated. She was also sure that Anne would be happy there as Middleham had also been her home for a time Richard had told her.
Yes, she was quite sorrowful about the prospect of leaving the Queen -as Elizabeth was at Marian going away- and the little Prince and Princesses who had each in turn begged her not to leave, even little Edward who could by now at the age of one and a half stammer out a few words and whines of protest about her departure.
The Duchess was excited to meet the people of the North that Richard spoke of so fondly and hoped that they would love and respect her as they did him, her husband had assured her that they would but that didn't stop her from worrying a little as the time drew nearer.
On the morning of their departure, Marian was tapping her fingers nervously on the windowsill, slightly blighting her lip as she thought. A pair of hands slipped around her waist, startling her a bit, and she smiled.
"Do not fret, sweetheart" Richard said as she leaned back into him, both of them watching the trunks full of their belongings being loaded onto carts. "The people of Middleham shall love you as shall the rest of the North"
"I am not so sure, Richard" Marian replied, now turning to face him "they shall still remember how Lancaster treated them during the wars, I fear they may resent me..." the Duke cut her off, suddenly kissing her before speaking.
"They shall not resent you. They will see that you are nothing like your parents, that you are a true York now and that you shall reign over them just and true" despite her worry, this made Marian giggle and her good mood was restored to her and she pressed her lips against her husbands who responded by moving them to the side and gently pressing Marian's against the wall, the stone feeling cool through the layers of her gown, nice against the intense heat of the summer.
A slight knock at the door of their chambers made the couple part quickly and they both called for the person on the other side to enter. It was Anne, a bright smile on her face, a thick cloak around her shoulders with Percy by her side who flew into the room as he saw his owner.
"They are ready!" Anne said happily, the King, Queen and their children are waiting on the steps for you"
"Thank you, Anne!" Marian replied. Her friend beamed back, Marian could tell she really was truly excited to be going to Middleham and laughed quietly to herself as the girl spun around and closed the door.
"You do not think my brother and his family could wait a few more minutes?" Richard commented, drawing his wife into his arms again and attempting to kiss her once more but she turned her head, grinning.
"You know they cannot!" She said, pulling out of the embrace and picking up her own cloak, although she did not think she needed the garment; fastened it loosely. Richard sighed playfully and offered Marian his arm, which she took, and together they headed from the room, turning around for the last time to see their chambers and to make sure the wolfhound was following them.
As they reached the courtyard, the sound of children calling out their names; running towards them, could be heard.
"Marian! Uncle Richard!" Lizzie cried as she reached them, before her other siblings, and threw herself into her new Aunt's arms.
"Hello, Princess" the Duchess said as Richard caught Mary and Cecily, smiling at them.
Together Marian and Richard carried the girls to where their parents were waiting and set them gently back on their feet. As the King embraced his brother, the Queen hugged Marian tightly, smiling at her but with a hint of sadness in her green eyes.
"You shall be greatly missed, Marian. I do hope you shall come to court for Christmas" Elizabeth said, drawing back a little, still smiling
"Of course I will!" Her friend replied "I would not miss it for the world!" They both laughed "and you" Marian continued, turning to the little Prince who was standing by his mother's skirts and bending down to him, ruffling his golden hair affectionately "you must protect your mother and sisters while I am away, Edward. Take care of them for me until I return" the small boy smiled and then nodded, reaching out to gently catch a lock of Marian's dark hair as his mother picked him up.
"Marian!" The King boomed as the Duchess rose from the floor "you will be missed at court, I hope that you and my brother shall not stay away for too long" he smiled and Marian smiled back before Richard spoke.
"I'm not sure we could stay away from London long even if we wanted too! You would be sure to summon us back!"
Edward laughed and embraced the Duke and Duchess
"That I would" he replied "now, be off with you both! Before I decide to order you to stay!"
Richard nodded and took Marian's hand; began leading her down the steps but to his great surprise, she suddenly pulled away and ran back to where the Queen was, for Lizzie had called out her name.
"Marian, wait!" The small girl said
"What is it Princess?" Marian asked with a smile. Before another word could be spoken the three Princesses had engulfed Marian in their small arms, all clinging onto her.
It took quite a while and a firm word from their mother, but at last the Princesses detached themselves and gazed up at their Aunt, all grinning.
"I shall miss Percy" Cecily remarked as she stroked the large grey wolfhound.
"Well I promise you shall see him soon" Marian replied and Cecily beamed up at her. Looking once more at the King and Queen, who smiled at her, Marian went to rejoin Richard, and Percy quickly followed - despite the horde of children around him.
Richard helped Marian into the carriage which was also occupied by Meg and Anne before mounting his horse and smiling at his wife. Marian could see the genuine excitement in his face and it made her excited as well so she beamed back at her husband, a warm, fuzzy feeling inside of her as the procession of wagons, horses and the carriage rolled out of the courtyard and out of London.
Towards Yorkshire, her new home.