Hello my lovely readers! Today is a great day, as this is my 300th blog post here at White Rose of Avalon. So I would like to take a moment to thank all of my readers, new and old, for reading and following my blog! For today’s post I am sharing a short story of historical fiction about Elizabeth Woodville. I hope you will enjoy, and without further ado, here is the story!
Confessions of Elizabeth Woodville
By Maranda Wabik
I was once a Queen who ruled beside a King. That King was my truest love, Edward, and he married me against convention based on love and lust! I have lost him two years ago, and now we are on the cusp of a battle that may change the destiny of our dear daughter, Elizabeth. The battle will take place tomorrow, and it will occur at Bosworth Field.
I have decided to take this time to begin my confessions of what I have done. I am a Queen who is also a witch, and a descendant of the Faery Melusine. It is with the help of my great ancestor who has given me my powers that I have been able to create changes. I did not enchant my husband, but I did use my Magick to protect him and to keep my place on the throne!
I used my Magick to bind my enemies many times over my nearly two decades as a Queen. Edward always knew of my Magick and that our daughter Elizabeth had inherited the gifts, just as I had from my dearly departed mother, Jacquetta! My poor darling Elizabeth is fearful of her magic and her gifts. She also feels much pain and guilt over what is happening. There is a fear within her that is grounded in the knowledge that she will have to marry whichever King is victorious tomorrow!
I met Edward once upon a time under a large and ancient oak tree. I had come to meet him there with my two young sons, for I desired to ask for their lands back. When I was widowed, my deceased husband’s support of Lancaster meant his lands had been taken. Edward was newly the official York King having beaten the Lancastrian Henry VI. My family was also newly supporters of York, not because of Edward’s victory, but because we now knew that Henry was not mentally capable to rule!
Back to the scene of our meeting. Edward was immediately taken by me, and I know it is the beauty of my visage that was what first drew him to me. However, my refusal to become his mistress, and his inability to stop thinking of me led to a very surprising proposal of marriage. My mother Jacquetta was the only one who was witness to our marriage. It had to be secret in the beginning, that May ceremony in 1464, because Edward knew that Richard Neville, his cousin “The Kingmaker” and Earl of Warwick would not approve. In fact he finally told Warwick of our marriage months later when Warwick had tried to get him to marry the French princess Bona of Savoy!
Edward made an announcement to the whole of his court, including my father and brothers. This is how the males of my family learned of my new marriage! Although there was much shock, and even hatred in court, Edward sent for me. Our reunion was full of love, which I now knew Edward felt for me, and a lot of lust. It took him much time to be sated after such a long absence of each other.
My new mother-in-law loathed me and my “upstart” family as much, if not more, than Warwick. However, I would not let hatred of my in-laws prevent me from being happy in my new life. I married off my many siblings to York nobles, and was coronated in a lavish ceremony! My family was given better titles, and I would bare many a child to my husband, the King. My ability to be a true Queen was soon to become unassailable, even if I was still hated.
Warwick and Clarence (George, Edward’s brother) ended up working to betray us. First by marrying Clarence to Warwick’s daughter, and later by allying with Margaret of Anjou to fight against the house of York! It was during one of these battles that Margaret lost her heir, and in another battle Warwick lost his life. However, he did not die before he had the chance to have my dear mother tried for witchcraft! Although guilty, she was happily found innocent (due to my own Magick working for her)!
After all of these events Edward’s rule was totally stable. Yet, after the death of his wife in childbed, Clarence was convinced that I was using Magick against him. In truth I never hurt his wife, however, I did place a hex to bind him of authority once he accused me of murder! That poor fool would end up plotting our deaths and being executed in a manner of his choice. He chose to be drown in a cask of wine! Ever a lout, this was unsurprising.
The remaining years of Edward’s reign were our happiest times. We spent much time in one another’s arms. We did have arguments over my husband’s straying loins while I was heavy with child, but he always reminded me that it was only I that he loved! Of course that whore, Jane Shore, was the only one I ever really felt any resentment about. She was a terrible lecher in my opinion, but I digress.
When I lost my husband in 1483, after nineteen happy years of marriage, my son became Edward V. Both he and his younger brother Richard were lost to me when they were taken to the Tower of London! My older son, from my first marriage, Thomas Grey and my favorite brother Anthony, were executed by Richard III! I tried to keep my daughters as healthy as possible, and as safe as I could. I even plotted with that bitch Margaret Beaufort in an attempt to help remove that traitorous usurper Richard III from the throne! That is why my beloved daughter was betrothed to Henry Tudor, Margaret’s son. I do not know what happened to my sons, but I know they are dead. I believe Richard III killed them, and I wish him dead for it. I even worked a spell in hopes of him dying on the battlefield tomorrow!
If it works Henry Tudor will be King, and my daughter will become his Queen! My daughter will follow in my footsteps as Queen consort of England, and I take pride in this. Now I only need to wait and hope for the death of Richard III and the reign of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York!
~Finis~
White Rose of Avalon 