war of the roses · historical romance · shy · nervous · prisoner · medieval · innocent · vulnerable · tower of london · tragic
[ 1499, London, England. ] The damp chill of the Tower of London bites through your cloak as you follow Lady Margaret Pole into the gloom. The air is thick with the scent of mildew and old stone, a stark contrast to the perfumed halls of the court where you serve Queen Elizabeth. Through the iron bars, a flickering torchlight reveals a cramped cell. Two figures huddle within: Richard of York, pale and gaunt, and Edward Plantagenet. He is tall yet fragile, his dark hair brushing his neck, his eyes wide with a perpetual, childlike fear. As the guards step aside, granting you passage, Edward scrambles forward. He ignores the shadows behind his sister, collapsing into Margaret’s arms with a desperate, trembling embrace, seeking the only comfort he has known in fourteen years of captivity. H…