Middleham, April 1483, 4 years later, Marian is 29...
Bow in hand, sitting firmly in the saddle, long hair and heavy velvet, fur-trimmed cape, flying behind her, husband at her side on a grey stallion, Marian galloped at breakneck speed through the Woods near Middleham, moving in for the kill.
"Come on, Richard!" She joked as she spurred her horse forward, grinning back at her husband as he began to fall behind. He grinned widely back and nudged his horse into a faster gallop, passing Marian with ease as they gained on the stag which was their prey. They looked at one another, Richard nodded, still grinning, a sign that the stag was now Marian's for the taking.
She looked up, focusing all of her attention on the animal racing in front of her, she spurred her chestnut stallion forward yet again and pulled an arrow from the quiver in her saddle, aligning it with the bow string. Marian could see the stag beginning to tire, it had slowed a little, was stumbling every so often: the chase was almost at an end, and with it, the stag's life. Pulling the arrow back, the Duchess felt the bow string stretch and she drew it back even further, her heart beginning to pound as she began to focus on the target in front of her again.
Taking a deep breath, she let the arrow fly, and the stag stumbled, let out a cry and fell to the floor, twitching for a moment before laying still; dead. She slowed her horse, dismounted, heart still racing as she bent down to see where her arrow had hit.
"Right through the eyes" Richard said as he also dismounted, walking to her side "I must admit, you have become a wonder at hunting these past few years"
"Well, I learnt from the best" Marian replied, eyes shining as she looked up at the Duke; leaned it to give him a fleeting kiss before turning, calling out into the woods, her voice clear and sweet.
"Edmund! Edmund, Lisbet!"
A few moments later, a white palfrey trotted into view and both adults smiled. Sitting atop the approaching horse was Edmund, now 9 years of age and almost identical to his father, back straight and mouth grinning, taking pride in how he so skilfully controlled the animal he was riding.
Behind him was a dark haired girl, her small hands clasped tightly around his waist, sky blue gown fluttering around her ankles, her brown eyes staring around the wood with a mix of intrigue and caution as thick locks of loose hair bounced about her face. She looked as much like her mother as her brother did her father. It was Lisbet.
"There you are mes chéris" Marian said happily as the palfrey stopped in front of them. Richard began to reach up to help his eldest son dismount, but Edmund politely waved his father's hands away, showing his parents that he could do it well enough himself, making them both grin.
Ed bowed and puffed out his chest but as soon as his parents nodded in approval, he grinned again, flinging himself into their arms, the attempted manly facade falling away. Lisbet stayed, sitting on the palfrey, waiting for Richard lift her to safety. As he did, the 8 year old girl kissed his cheek in greeting and smiled at him. He smiled back and gently touched the bejewelled crucifix that hung around her neck. She never took it off.
The family turned at the sound of dogs running towards them and were met with the sight of the family's wolfhounds, Arthur and Gwen, bounding towards them, their black coats shining.
Last July, dear old Percy, Marian's constant companion, had passed. It had near broken Marian's heart and she had mourned the loss of her hound for some time. However, that Christmas (when they returned from the seasonal festivities at court ,which that particular year had been dampened down slightly due to the sudden passing of Princess Mary that May, causing great pain throughout the house of York) Marian had walked into her chambers to find two new wolfhound puppies in a little basket by the fire. One boy, one girl.
They had been one of Richard's many gifts to her, but though the pups was not the most expensive of them, for Marian they held the most value. She had clasped Richard tight when he at last came to their bedchamber, planting kisses all over his face, the happiest of tears running down her cheeks.
The next morning, the family had decided to name the new dogs Arthur and Guinevere (or Gwen for short), the childhood ties to King Arthur and his Knights of the round table still holding strong and true through Marian and Richard's hearts.
Now the dogs ran up to their owners and Lisbet let out an excited squeal, wriggling out of her father's arms and rushing to Gwen, petting her affectionately while Edmund followed Arthur to the stag's corpse, bending down and eyeing it suspiciously.
"Papa?" He asked, raising his head
"Yes, lad?" Richard replied, moving to stand next to his son
"Did you do that?" He pointed to the arrow which was buried deep into the animal's eye; sticking out the other side of its head. Richard chuckled as shook his head, dark curls falling over his face which he quickly pushed back
"No, Ed. Your mother did that" Edmund let out a small gasp and turned to his mother ,who was with Lisbet, looking at her in complete awe, causing Richard to chuckle again.
Lisbet grimaced a little as she walked over, seeing the blood which was oozing out of the stags head but did not let herself be fazed by this and bent down to take a closer look, just as her elder brother had done.
"One day" Edmund said "I'm going to kill a stag just as mama has done!"
"I'm sure you will, mon chéri" his mother agreed, ruffling his hair "did you happen to see any of the squires on your travels?" Lisbet looked up and nodded, smiling
"Yes! I saw them!" She exclaimed "I saw uncle Harry as well"
"Harry?!" Richard asked, an amused smile playing about his lips. When Marian saw his expression, she laughed
"I knew he would probably sneak up on us somehow!" She joked. Edmund glanced up for a moment
"Is uncle Rob coming as well?" His mother nodded and the boy smiled, picking up a stick and throwing it with all his strength for Arthur to go and fetch. Hi sister turned to her father, looked up at him with dark, trusting eyes.
"Will uncle Francis be there? And aunt Anne?" She paused, turning a little red "and their son, Francis?"
Edmund let out a whoop as he heard his sister and she ran into her fathers arms, he grinned, embracing her. Marian smiled as well, but quickly silenced her teasing son with a small rebuke and a soft tap from her hand on his arm.
"Yes" she confirmed "the Lovells shall be joining us" Lisbet looked round and smiled a little, the redness clearing from her cheeks
"I shall be glad to see Francis" the little girl said quietly, so that only Richard could hear "we only see him when at court...I wish we could be there more often" the Duke smiled at his eldest daughter, stroking her hair a little.
"No you don't, dearest" he said "the court is poison, it's a dangerous place to be" she tilted her head in confusion and he gave her a small smile "one day...one day you will understand, Lisbet...one day..." he lowered her to the ground, walking away to join Marian, taking her hand and kissing her cheek, Lisbet staring after him, rubbing the soft fabric of her gown between her fingers.
Marian turned to her children, signalling for them to follow
"Come along, mes chéris, we shall take our lunch in the fields! The squires shall be along soon and shall take the stag back home for us!"
Edmund and Lisbet squealed in excitement, running over to the palfrey ,which was waiting docilely for them, and scrambling onto its back as their parents mounted their stallions and nudged the animals into a canter; the children following closely behind with Arthur and Gwen. They rode for a little while until they were finally out of the woods into the early spring sun and into a grassy field, slowing their mounts and jumping down. Lisbet and Edmund grabbed the blanket that was in their saddle bag and lay it on the ground, settling themselves next to each other and pulling a second blanket around their shoulders to keep out the slight chill that was in the air.
Marian and Richard set out the food that they had had the cooks prepare and had placed in their own saddle bags, sitting opposite their children.
Lisbet picked up a segment of orange (it was her favourite fruit just as it was her mother's) and Edmund reached for a slice of ham, munching on it happily as Marian and Richard took it in turns to feed each other sweetmeats. The dogs remained by the horses, rolling around in the grass, clawing at the dirt beneath them, chasing one another; barking loudly.
Family time was one of the most precious things on Earth to Marian. A time where her Richard and their children could spend time alone like this was a rarity, an extreme rarity and the Duchess made sure to savour every second of it. She leaned against her husband and he looked down at her, smiling and putting an arm around her shoulders, both watching their two eldest children as they tossed small pieces of fruit up into the air, catching them in their mouths and giggling.
"I got one! I got one!" Lisbet cried happily, turning to her parents and beaming. Marian and Richard smiled back but quickly turned around as their daughter let out another excited squeal and pointed. Edmund quickly followed suit, although he stood up and broke into a run.
"Uncle Harry!" He shouted "you're here!" The boy was next to the Duke of Buckingham in an instant and was lifted from the floor into a tight hug then set on his feet again. His sister was there just moments after and swept up from the floor in a similar embrace to the one Edmund had received. She smiled at Harry as he carried her back over to her parents, Edmund following them, looking up in admiration at Buckingham.
"Well good morrow to you both!" Harry said jovially as he reached the blanket. The Duke and Duchess looked up and smiled at him
"Hello, Harry" Marian greeted, standing and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Richard nodded to his friend and threw him an apple which he caught skilfully in his hand; took a bite before Lisbet, who he was still holding, tapped him on the shoulder.
"What is it, little one?" He said, giving her a gentle smile
"Mama killed a stag today, Harry!" The girl replied "can my brother and I take you to see it?"
Harry laughed
"Well well!" He said "I should like to see the beast very much, but alas, little one, we do not have your parents permission to leave!"
Richard grinned, rising to stand next to his wife, as he looked at her, she nodded.
"You may go" he said "but if either Edmund or Lisbet are harmed in your care, Harry, I shall personally throw you into the moat!" He said it in jest, causing the children to erupt into giggles but Harry saw there was some seriousness in his eyes and he nodded in understanding.
"They will always be safe with me" he said, looking to Marian
"I know they will" she replied. Harry grinned and lowered Lisbet to the ground.
"And now!" He announced dramatically, drawing his sword "to the stag!" the two siblings instantly raced forward, Buckingham following them as they laughed, Edmund brandishing the wooden dagger he had been given for his birthday.
"We really should get him a proper one" Richard commented as he watched the trio depart. Marian shook her head
"He is still so young..."
"I received my first dagger when I was seven, my love, it is high time he received his" she looked up at him
"Let is not think about that now"
He smirked, took her hand
"No...let's not. Let's enjoy the few moments that we shall be alone together"
He pulled Marian down onto the blanket, kissing her so passionately that she had to lean back, her shoulders pressing onto the soft fabric. Richard hovered over her, started to lift her skirts, kissed her neck and jaw, beginning to make his way down to the tops of her breasts, which slightly peaked out of the top of her gown and for a moment, she forgot everything, but then somehow managed to reclaim her wandering thoughts and gently grabbed the sides of his face.
"You know I want to be with you, I ache with need when you are not within me, but...now Richard? In a field?"
"I see naught wrong with it, if anything I think it be rather romantic"
Marian laughed a little, smiled
"But what if someone finds us? What if someone sees?" Her smile grew wider; she stifled a laugh; bit her lip provocatively "what if the children come back? What on earth would we say?!"
"We could always say that we were hunting for one of your rings?" Richard quickly offered as Marian giggled and nodded, pulling his head down to hers and kissing him.
He grinned and continued to make his way under her skirts, gently stroking her thighs as they fell open to his hands, watching as she began to moan slightly and throw her head back, closing her eyes in anticipation of bliss. But before the couple could truly get anywhere near the dizzying heights of pleasure that they sought to reach, the sound of hooves made them both bolt upright, Marian quickly righting her clothes and hair, attempting to steady her racing pulse as her eyes darted around, looking for approaching riders.
Across the field they saw Anne and Francis riding on grey stallions towards them, their son riding with his mother, his arms wrapped around her waist as Lisbet's had been wrapped around Edmund. As the Lovell family reached the Gloucesters, Anne and Francis reigned in their horses, the latter dismounting and grinning down at the couple sat on the ground.
"You know, we have been scouring your lands for hours in search of you! But from the looks of it, I now wonder if you shall forgive us for finding you" Francis winked and Marian blushed slightly, looking to Richard who was grinning at his best friend.
"We shall have to see" he said and Anne laughed.
A little boy peaked round from behind his mother, his hair blonde like his father, his bright, inquisitive eyes blue like his mother. Young Francis Lovell. He stared around at the adults, wishing that he knew what on earth they were talking about, hoping that one day he would.
"Lady mother?" He asked quietly. Anne turned her head and looked down at him
"Yes, my darling"
"W-where is Edmund...a-and Lisbet" at the sound of the boy's voice, Marian looked towards him, answering his question before Anne could tell her son that she didn't know where his friends were.
"They are with Harry" she said. Francis peered around his mother a little more, tilting his head, urging the Duchess to continue "I killed a stag during the hunt today, Eddie and Lisbet took Harry to see it"
"Can I go to them, Father?" Francis now asked. The older Francis turned to him, smiling
"I'm afraid not, lad. But I promise that you will see them once we get back to Middleham, if that is agreeable to the Duke and Duchess?"
Richard and Marian laughed, both grinning at their friend's comment
"Of course it is!" Marian cried, still looking at the boy "The children (especially my dear eldest daughter) are anxious to be reunited with you, Francis!" Francis turned red, hid behind Anne, who smiled and began to turn her horse around.
"We shall see you back at the castle then?" She asked
"Yes" Richard replied as Viscount Lovell swung back up onto his horse and joined his wife and son, nodding to the Gloucesters before nudging his stallion into gallop, riding back across the field, the other stallion beside him.
Once they were gone, Richard turned back to Marian, pinning her body to the ground and smashed his lips against hers
"Alone again...at last" he whispered coaxingly. She smiled and quickly turned them over so that she was on top, gazing down at her husband, grabbing his hand and grazing her lips across his knuckles.
"It seems we are...but we really should wait until we get back home, Richard" she laughed lightly "I don't think I can bear the thought of being found caught up in the throes of passion by Harry, or anyone else for that matter!"
Richard nodded, sat up slightly on his elbows
"If those are your wishes" he whispered "then I shall honour them. But surely you will not object to letting me hold you for a while" Marian shook her head, smirked a little and allowed Richard to guide her to the ground once again. He secured his arms around her and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, brushing strands hair, that had escaped the tight braid she wore, back from her face with a tender hand.
"My Marian, the love of my life" he said softly
"My Richard, my own heart" she replied, settling her head against his shoulder