𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑 || 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝑋

~A Divine Secret~

April 1465, Middleham Castle....

While the hustle and bustle of servants packing for a move to court was enough to set anyone's mind spinning, Catherine's thoughts were silent as a page boy passed her a sealed letter with her name written on the front in an elegant hand.

The elegant hand of her Mother.

It had been five years since she had seen the beautiful Eleanor De Poynings, five years since she had been in her beloved Mother's arms but she had never forgotten her handwriting. The letters flew across the page in elegant strokes, twisting and twirling in a dance all their own, one that used to mesmerise younger Cathrine.

Now it only worried her.
For it had also been five years since she had heard from her Mother. There had been not a word, not a note, not a single letter. Not from any of her kin, her brother, her Father, her Mother.

Until now.

Nodding to the boy that handed it to her, she waved him away along with the rest of the chattering servants, bidding the women that held her jewels to lay them down at once so that she might have peace. Margery was the only one she ordered to stay, letting her linger at the back of the bedchamber while she sank onto the chair of her dressing table, turning the letter around with trembling hands.

Her eyes looked at the red seal, the Percy crest pressed into the hardened wax and one she had not seen for so very long. Catherine brushed a finger against it, finding tears filled her eyes at the slight contact; a reminder of her home, of her family.
"Why now?" She whispered softly, peeling back the seal and unfolding the parchment as carefully as her hands would allow so that she could see the rest of her Mother's elegant writing "Why now?"

Her mind could only conjure the worst from its dark depths, it had been trained to do so, and she feared that grief would once more consume her. What if she read her Mother's words only to find her brother Hal was dead? That the Nevilles had vanquished him, a mere boy of fourteen, and she had had another she loved forever taken from her? She's just begun to hope her strength would return.....her brother's death would banish it completely.

"Read" Margery told her encouragingly, as if able to read her thoughts "You will only know the worst once you do"

Catherine nodded, smoothing out the parchment with one hand before she set her gaze upon it, a single, shaking breath passing her lips. The last she feared she would ever take.

My dearest, darling daughter, Cate,

I write with little hope that you may receive this after the years of torture that have been wrought upon our family due to our separation from you, my darling. I fear day and night that you feel we have forgotten you, that we do not write because we do not wish you but I tell you now, Cate, we do and we have. For five whole years.