- 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒, 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙 -
It's the year 1485 and King Richard III has been slain at the battle of Bosworth along with his beloved wife and Queen, Marian of Lancaster. Their eldest daughter, Lisbet, is given little time to...
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Horses walking into the courtyard of Westminster's palace, Lisbet peered around her cousin and her eyes widened in horror at the scene before her.
The white boar and gold eagle banners which had been hung from the windows for the past two years were gone, lay tattered on the floor as new Tudor ones were put up in their place. Huddled around the edges of the courtyard were bands of captured Yorkists (even the women and children!), most of them still in their night garb. Lisbet recognised some of them and felt her heart twist painfully, just 5 months ago these people had all looked joyful, had danced and sang at the palace feasts and masques. Now their faces held terrified looks, they were just as unsure of their future as she.
"This usurper knows no bounds" she whispered to Lizzie who nodded. The horses came to a halt. "Lizzie! Lizzie!" "Come back Teddy!"
Young Teddy rushed forward, his sister Maggie close behind, an anxious look on her face. "Lizzie!" Her brother cried as the new prisoners began to dismount "Lisbet you're here!"
A red headed woman, who Lisbet recognised as her Aunt Eliza, walked over, dark circles under her eyes. She was accompanied by her husband (John de la Pole) who was glaring murderously at the Tudor soldiers that swarmed the courtyard, and her mother, Duchess Cecily Neville, one of the late Queen's most determined enemies.
Never in her life had Cecily ever shown any interest in her youngest son's children, had often avoided them at banquets and left court when they were present, yet now, she headed straight to her eldest granddaughter, enfolding her in her arms and stroking her hair.
"Oh Lisbet" she murmured sorrowfully "my dear, sweet granddaughter...I'm so sorry...so very very sorry" the girl found tears flooded to her eyes and she looked up at the elderly woman before her. "I shall fight, Lady Grandmother! I shall fight to the death" "You sound just like your dear father did when he was a young boy...oh dearest dearest, Richard..." Cecily returned, hugging Lisbet once again "I am glad that York still has a champion" she lowered her voice, lowered herself to her granddaughter's height, looking deep into her eyes "did your brothers get away?" She whispered.
Lisbet bowed her head, only to find it raised again as Cecily put a finger under her chin.
"I do not know, Lady Grandmother" she whispered softly and the elderly woman nodded, wiping away the tears that had slid down her cheeks. "Well we must pray they do..." she said "and until we have news, we must fight by ourselves...show no fear, dear Granddaughter...you are a York...you have Plantagenet and Neville blood in your veins, be brave, for your father" she paused, nodded "...and your mother too" raising herself up again, she linked her arm with Lisbet's and they turned back to their family.
"He dates his Kingship from the day before the battle Eliza's husband was saying in a hushed tone "so we are all named traitors" "But he cannot simply..." "But he has" Cecily cut in as Lizzie began to speak "and parliament had allowed it, or his mother did. That woman's waited half a lifetime to take her vengeance on the House of York"
