The Rose of Lancaster | The White Queen

Old Curses

Running out into the courtyard, the short train of her yellow silk gown flying behind her. Marian saw Richard trotting into the palace beside his brother. She smiled but it was a smile that he did not return as he approached, dismounting from his stallion once he reached his wife.

Now he was at her side, he attempted a weak grin, placing a hand gently on Marian's growing belly and kissing her.
"I missed you...my Mari" he murmured against her lips
"I missed you too!" She replied "and so have our children. Edmund has been asking for you every day without fail since you left in June!"

Richard tried to smile a little again but when he saw his brother, his face darkened.
"What is it, my love?" Marian asked, following Richard's gaze which was set on the King "what has happened?"

"He laughed" her husband replied, turning away from Edward and, linking Marian's arm with his, began walking up the palace steps "said I was a fool for chivalry, then he stuck his own nose in the trough" Marian didn't reply, simply walked with Richard to their chambers where Edmund and Lisbet were waiting, the boy clutching his little sister's hand for that past week she had begun to stand with help and Eddie had become very attentive to her.

At the sight of his children, Richard's expression instantly became happier and he swept them into his arms, lifting them from the floor and making them shriek with laughter.

"Papa! You're back!" Edmund cried, wrapping his small arms around Richard's neck while Lisbet made happy babbling noises at him.
"See! I told you that they missed you!" Marian said
"As I have missed them!" The Duke replied, now sounding merry and after a moment, set his children back on their feet, kneeling in front of them.

"Now, I have brought gifts back from France!" He reached into his cloak and brought out a bag which he opened and told the children to hold out their hands. "First, for my son" he pulled out a wooden boar figure with diamond eyes and golden tusks. Marian's eyes widened as she saw the gift, marvelled at the fine workmanship of the figure and the beauty of the jewels. Edmund's eyes lit up at the boar and he slowly took it from his fathers hands, into his own, studying it with care.

"Thank you, papa!" He shouted, hugging his father before scampering off to sit on the large bed, turning his gift round and round in wonder. Just two days prior to his fathers return, he had turned two and Marian thought he became more and more like Richard each day; would grow to be a fine man.

Next Richard turned to Lisbet, who had now seated herself on the marble floor of the chamber without Edmund there to support her and was staring up expectantly at her father with her mother's eyes.

Richard grinned at his daughter and brought from the bag a beautiful crucifix necklace, a diamond and ruby cross on a golden chain that Lisbet's small jaw dropped at, her small hands reaching out to touch the jewels. She gave out a giggle and beamed as her father fastened the necklace around her neck, giving him a big kiss on the cheek before scrambling to Marian who picked her up and smiled as Lisbet cooed and squealed in delight.