York's Hope.

Chapter Eighteen - The Future

Mother, Lizzie and I came upstairs with Jeffory dressed as my brother.He had a scarf around his mouth and nose, covering up half his face. We heard footsteps, Lord Buckingham joined by Lord Stanley joined us with a handful of soldiers.

"Stanley, Lord Buckingham." Mother greeted, they bowed and Jeffrey stepped forward

"Tell your brother, I will be thinking of him." Mother told the boy as he was handed over.

"As we all will your grace." The three of us watched as he was taken away.

"Do you really think people will believe he's Richard?" I questioned her

"At least it will give us sometime to get my boy away." I scoffed at her not understanding her reasoning.

"If you didn't think it was safe for Prince Richard to go to the tower, you must believe is isn't safe for Edward too. When he see Jeffery and realise what's happened he will fear for his life." I had to agree with my sister

"I had no choice and that I will be trying to get him out of there."

"You should tell Richard that you'll support him as Lord Protector. That you'll give up wanting your Rivers king. Then I can return to court and help in whatever way I can." I tell her.

"Never. We must protect the throne and I do not trust your Uncle." she denied

"Please, mother try to see reason." Lizzie pleased

"Why did he want both sons?" Mother questioned "because he knows if you have the heirs you have all the power." mother walked away leaving us.

"He told me to protect my crown at all costs." I admitted. Lizzie turned on her heel to face me "That is what father told me before his death. My crown not my brothers or my Uncle. But mine. He called me Queen Hope of England."

"Sister." 

"Everything he has ever taught me, ever done has been in the belief that I would be Queen. But for me to be Queen I must loose our brothers. Despite having two sons, two heirs I am the child he sees with the crown on their head." she embraced me

"What will you do?"

"What can I do? I cannot loose our brothers, Lizzie. I can't." I shook my head

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I was looking out if the window when I saw something. I gasped and stepped back as images flood my mind.

"Hope, Hope!" Mother rushed to my side as I dropped to the ground "What is it my child."

"Death and betrayal, will touch our family. It will shake us to our core. It will change everything"  I state.

"You have the sight." she muttered "What else do you see?"

"Fate is sealed but those who fight against it will loose their most precious. So much is not clear as the future slowly plays out but what I know is Death will reach us soon."

"Who's going to die Hope?" Lizzie asked holding me but I never replied as I was consumed by blackness.

When I awoke Lizzie was sat beside me holding my hand. I gripped it tighter as I sat up.

"Hope, you must rest." she insisted but I chose to ignore her. I needed to speak with mother.

"No, I need to speak with mother." She helped me stand and guided her to where Mother and Cecily was

"You'll never give up will you? Your ambition will be the death of the boys and when they're gone you'll fulfil fathers prophecy and put me on the throne. I see it clearly now, you love the crown more than us." I point shakily at her as tears form and fall

"You can't know such a thing."

"You know that I can, father has always seen it in what ever form it took, but I never thought he saw that it would be because of you, you would play a hand in the downfall of our brothers."

"Your seeing."

"The men we love all dead because you would not waver. Anthony, Richard Grey, Edward and Richard gone." I breathed leaning against my twin. We heard the bells ring out on the day of coronation

"We will stay in Sanctuary for now. But when we surface we'll trailblazer. Call it the curse of ambition. But I only want for you, I will restore your good names and get our boys back. I will not stop until it is done." she vowed to us.