𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙....
In a world of bloody war and misgivings that lead to treason, there is only one thing Catherine Percy can be sure of and that is danger.
Her life had not always been thus, f...
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~The Wheel of Fortune~
September 1468, Fotheringhay Castle....
She had ordered him to come under the cover of darkness, the inky blackness of night serving as the disguise to cloak his arrival. She knew if she'd asked she would not be allow to see him, while in confinement she was meant to be denied the company of any man, even Richard!
The only creature of the male breed she truly was permitted was Roland, her husband's trusty wolfhound whom he'd insisted be there to protect her and slumbered faithfully at her feet. But she knew she had to see him, had to see him one last time before her babe came into the world. They had been parted too long already.
He would not refuse her call, of that she was sure, but still she found herself waiting anxiously by the window of her confinement chamber. The room was dimly lit, the candles lit at dusk now guttering in puddles of melted wax but it mattered not, she didn't need light. Cradling her swelled belly in her arms, she peered out into the courtyard below, listening for the hooves of a horse and the call of a guard who caught the new arrival.
Her hair was loose and she wore only her nightgown but she found she did not care, the past weeks of pregnancy had taken a toll of tiredness on her body like nothing else and she'd quickly cast aside her usual sense of decorum. Besides, he was special, dear to her in a way almost none others were, it did not matter if she wore her nightgown or the crown of England. All that matter was that they met.
Cecily was asleep, as were her ladies, the gaggle of woman that attended upon the young Duchess each day, trying to prepare her for the day where she would give birth. They prayed by her bedside, made her drink concoctions that made Catherine's nose wrinkle in disgust when she smelt them. It felt like she did not breathe without them knowing and now hoped beyond hope that her plan would not be discovered.
Groaning a little, she pressed a hand to her back, the ache that ran down her spine forcing her to sink into the chair by the window. She could never stand for long now, the weight of the babe in her belly hurt her too much and when she was on her feet she often felt she would collapse. It was strange, truly, it felt as if her body was not meant to carry such precious cargo and her she wanted this child so much! If she were not meant to have it, why would she crave it so?
"Ave Maria" She muttered through clenched teeth, hoping the Virgin may take away even an ounce of her discomfort. If she did not then all her hopes rested on her visitor, the man whom she knew could take all of her pain away with one flash of his smile.
A sudden knock at the door made her jump and fright struck at her heart, making her momentarily fear Cecily or one of her ladies had awakened. By God she would be thwarted then!
