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Author Topic:   The White King's Daughter-part 2
whitewitch111
Knowflake

Posts: 933
From: Hillsboro, OR, USA
Registered: Jan 2013

posted October 20, 2013 08:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for whitewitch111     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

The Beginning


The first meeting between the young King Edward IV and the widow Grey, Elizabeth Woodville, was well known throughout the Kingdom.

It had been two years since the Yorkist King had crushed the Lancastrian forces at the battle of Towton. And while on a hunting party, he passed by the property of Earl Woodville of Rivers, where he gazed upon the earl’s bewitching daughter.

She had silky blond hair, and eyes as green as fresh holly. Her garb was not too delighting to look upon, but her rounded face and small body struck a passion in the man such as he had never known before.

After some coaxing he persuaded her to journey into the wood alone with him. It was there he had tried to force her into submission. Of course the proud woman refused and even had the boldness to take a knife to the King when he would not heed her.

After months of King Edward’s conquest for Elizabeth, she agreed to be his wife, and they were married in a little chapel at Woodstock. Two months later she was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey, the only English Queen of non-royal birth, and the first to not be of foreign blood.

These were my parents, the lusty amorous King Edward IV, who enjoyed the hunt more than the kill, an ever merry man, whom I absolutely adored. And the proud, bold Queen Elizabeth Woodville, who had not a thing to offer this world but her beauty. Never had she a pleasant thing to say, and imposing her will like a man, she was a pessimistic vixen, and, these are the worst qualities in a woman, or so the great scholars of history and prophets of the Holy Father teach us.

Though I do not blame my father for marrying her, men are easily swayed by beauty, and trick themselves into love when gazing upon a woman of such goddess-like looks. They would rather wed a woman for the favor of her face, then the favor of her mind or her deeds. My father was particularly prey to this, he was known throughout the whole land as the most lustful king, who had ever sat on the throne, and the best womanizer mankind had ever known, but even his beautiful Queen could not keep him from his passions, and there would be many a time he would stray from her bed. Though their marriage was often not a happy one, she had bore him ten children, eight of which would survive infancy.


Elizabeth, soon fell pregnant, and like most royal pregnancies, the birth was awaited eagerly, no less, that it was the Queen’s first. Of course, all expected and hoped for a Prince, and when the birthing pains started, Edward’s physician stated he’d be the first to carry the king’s new born son to him. Unfortunately for him, it was a girl; I, the princess of England, born February eleventh, 1466.

But the king, my father, felt no disappointment at all. He was overjoyed to have a daughter.

At my christening, I was given the name and title; “Lady Princess Elizabeth Plantagenet of England.” My grandmothers, Jaquetta of Luxembourg, who would later be created the Duchess of Bedford, and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, stood as my Godmothers, and Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, an ally of my father’s who had fought alongside him in many battles, my godfather. I would be placed in the care of my governess, and wet nurse, Lady Margery Berners.

For the first four years of my life, things were happy. I grew within the Palace walls of Westminster. I had Lady Berners and her assistants, to attend to my every need, dozens of dresses of all different colors, jewels, toys, tutors, and dance teachers, anything to keep a young child entertained. Mary and Cecily, my younger sisters, would soon follow and join me in the nursery. I, as well, had two older brothers, whom were not of my father’s loins, but he loved them all the same. They were Thomas and Richard Grey, sons of Lord Grey, my mother’s former husband. Father adored us all, each and every one.


When I would become older, and my father restored to his throne, I would be present at all sorts of court celebrations, I would watch my Woodville Uncles play at the jousts, often, them asking for mine and my sisters’ favors. I would sit with my Aunts, knitting and sewing. I would ride beside my mother at the royal parades and precessions, and I would dazzle my father’s court with my graceful dances.

Our family, excluding my mother perhaps, was very much loved by the English people. Certainly more loved then mad King Harry of Lancaster, and the days he brought. He had lost so many lands to the French, and all the country hated him.

But, he was simple-minded, as they say, and easily swayable and knew not what he did, and how can you hate a man of that state?

Ah, we were all related I suppose, all descendants of the great Edward III, but who was the rightful heir, no one could determine, and that is precisely what started the whole bout.

In my earliest childhood, I do not remember the King Edward, my father, well, only that I loved him so. He was always away fighting the Lancastrians for his throne. My father was an excellent general and warrior. Nearly every battle he fought, or army he led, his side emerged the victor.

I remember well the days he was gone; Mama would tell us how he was fighting the bad men and the evil Margaret of Anjou.

Margaret of Anjou was the wife and queen of Henry VI, or Mad King Harry, as he was often called. He was the King who ruled before my father, for Edward IV had overthrown his royalty, defeating the Queen’s forces at the Battle of Towton. And since Henry VI, we were always told, was, a weak spineless man, his wife, Margaret, led his armies. She was a Warrior Queen from the far-away land of France and we were always told she was a woman of evil, and not to be trusted, for her only goal was to throw down our mighty father, the King. My Lady Mother did even go as far as to call her a witch.

At the time I listened wide-eyed and trusted in everything she said, but now I think it queer, Mother would say such things since our own family had the blood of witches which flowed within us. For we were of The Rivers Family. And before the church came with piety it is said that in the pagan world we were great wizards who casted spells and read fortunes and such. It is even said, that in the old religion the goddess, Cerowyn fought us for our power.

And those who opposed of my mother, which there were many, had tried to burn my grandmother, Jaquetta of Luxembourg, as a witch. For, it was said she practiced magic and danced naked in the company of witches. Though none of this was ever found to be accurate and even if it had been, Papa would have acquitted her of the crime just to please my Mother.

My grandmother was something different all together; she performed little charms for us children, things I do not know if they were true magic or tricks to deceive the eye. I can remember once my sisters and I gathered around her, sitting in a large chair. I was very little then, and it was the days we were in sanctuary.

“Did you know a chair can fly?” She said, with a large smile.

“A chair can’t fly!” Mary yelled in mockery, “that’s silly!”

With that my Grandmother pointed behind us, and turning straight around, sure enough, a chair was hovering a few inches in the air.

Grandmother claimed she could even see the future, I remember her eyes, like my mother’s, large and dragon like, piercing into the soul. But this is most meaningless to the story. I must start with things that came before.

A Kingdom with a mad-King is always a dangerous place. My father had been seeking refuge in Burgundy, while Harry of Lancaster was set back on the throne, and Mother, though she waited ‘til last minute, took us, my siblings and me, to Westminster Abbey to hide. She was pregnant and it would be her sixth child, fourth by my father. Along with us also came our grandmother Jaquetta. We would hide there, till his return to England.


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Pearlty
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Posts: 210
From: Ohio
Registered: Jan 2012

posted October 28, 2013 02:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Pearlty     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

I love creative writing that also has a historical context to it. Wonderful.

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mirage29
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Posts: 1992
From: us
Registered: May 2012

posted October 29, 2013 09:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mirage29     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

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