You know, a long time ago, in a country far away, a king fell asleep for a year. The physicians did everything they could to wake him up, but alas, the king slept on. Although he slept, his wife and servants fed him, bathed him, and cared for him praying he would awaken. Finally after a year had passed, the king woke! The people of the land rejoiced, as did his wife and son for they had missed him. However, their joy became filled with woe, for the king had lost himself and was reduced to a scared animal who did not know anyone or anything. The queen rose to this and led the people as she had done in the past year, all the while making sure her son was taught to be a king and warrior. The soldiers true to king followed their queen and obeyed her orders and the land prospered. The king was still loved by the people as was his queen.
Then as years began to pass by, whispers began among the king's family. Talk of his insanity grew and some became embolden to forge a path to the throne. The queen heard this discontent and began to protect her husband and son, but the talk had become more then words and the threat to the throne was underway. The York family stood forth and brought war to a country who yearned for the peace they had hold for this short time after the 100 Year's War had been decided. These new battles brought forth victory to the York's and young Edward, Earl of March, became King Edward IV and the old insane king was placed in the tower for he was of no significance anymore. No, the old king was gone, but the queen and their son still roamed the countryside finding more support and followers.
Another battle was fought forcing the queen and her son to leave and sail to her homeland. There they plotted revenge and prayed for the safety of the old king. Back in the majestic land, Edward has found the woman of his heart and married her secretly. At last, he announced his marriage to this woman. Instead of joy and happiness, treason and bitterness came forth and Edward found himself at war with his cousin and his brother, George. The two men whom Edward trusted turned against him and joined forces with the old queen. George married his cousin's daughter creating a trust and contract between the two men. The tide was cast and the traitors with the queen sailed back to Albion.
Edward's spies were everywhere and he met them at battle again. But before the battle had begun, George betrayed his cousin and rejoined Edward. The battle was won before it was fought and the queen was captured, her son killed. The last hope of the Lancaster's was finished. The old king was smothered in his bed by the three brothers of York; Edward the king, George the traitor, and young Richard who longed for chivalry. The cousin's war was ended or was it? For in Wales a young boy was living and being raised to regain the throne for the Red Rose as his mother had foreseen in a vision from God. This pious woman sent word to son's guardian warning him to go to the land of the old queen which they did as quickly as the wind could sail them there.
In Londontown the battle of tongues began. Alliances were made among the most divergent members of court and betrayal lay quietly and calmly within the mind of brother, George who desired the crown and throne for himself. He spread the gossip of Edward's wife being a witch who had cursed himself and his wife and had bewitched Edward. He told of how Edward had smothered the old king, making sure not to mention he helped. He worked at destroying the love of the people toward Edward; striving only for his own gain and power. George's wife died of childbrith fever, he claimed it was Edward's wife who had poisoned her.
Finally, Buckingham and Stanley found a way to end George's devises and Edward who loved his brother was forced to try George for treason and then have him drowned in an execution style George wished for. A tub filled with malmsy wine was made ready and George found himself immersed in it and held under until he had more than his fill. Dead he was, dead from the wine his brother, Edward had brought his wife, the supposed witch of Rivers. George was gone and peace reined for a short time, but like all manners of power the peace ended too soon.
Edward went fishing one cold day and fell into a stream, pneumonia soon followed and death raised it's sickle and struck him down, leaving his wife and children, including the two young princes at the hands of his youngest brother, Richard, and the members of court who despised her. Elizabeth raced from the castle to Sanctuary with the one son and her daughters. Edward's and her's eldest son was with his uncle, but Richard moved quickly to bring the boy to London for protection from those who wished evil to the lad. The other boy was sought after, but Elizabeth using her wits sent the boy to another land for protection and a young street boy was given to the keepers and brought to the other son.
Richard was claimed Lord Protector by Edward before he died, alas, Elizabeth did not trust him for if she had the young lads in the Tower could still have been alive. But when Richard was in the north of Albion a rumor reached him, and he rushed back to Londontown only to find the boys gone. They had been whisked away to who knows where, but it is believed death reached out it's sickle again and they were gone.
Now Elizabeth and the pious woman, Margaret made a pact. Elizabeth's eldest daughter would marry Margaret's son, Henry and Richard was made wary for those around him had had Edward's marriage to be declared illegal and their children illegitimate. Richard III and his wife, Anne were crowned, but the gossip and insinuations surrounded him casting a shadow over his reign. The pious Margaret sent for her son, Henry Tudor and the battle for Albion was decided at Bosworth. For Richard III had the men, so he thought, and charged onto the battlefield. Young Henry Tudor thought all was lost, but Stanley, always on the side of the winner, plunged into the fray with the shouts of "For Tudor"! filling the air. Richard knew he was lost, his son had died, his beloved wife had too. The curse of the Rivers witch had been fulfilled and Richard fell, the last king of Albion to die in battle. He fought bravely as did his men, but the Stanley's changing sides ended the York's dream.
The three York brothers all dead in their graves as their cousin, Henry Tudor of took the crown and the daughter of Edward as his queen. The Red Rose of Lancaster entwined with the White Rose of York and the Tudor dynasty was born from the Cousin's War. Peace fell upon Albion and Londontown cheered. Alas, poor Richard the good man he was, was stigmatized as the killer of the young princes and Elizabeth, the wife of Edward found herself the mother of the queen. The Rivers witch and the pious woman were filled with hope as their children wed, but both were always aware of the cost....
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