#SundaySnippet
The Last Plantagenet?
by Jennifer C. Wilson
The fireplace hadn’t looked like a time-portal.
Nottingham, 2011
All Kate had wanted was a fun, relaxing day out, watching the knights jousting at Nottingham Castle. What she got with was something quite different.
Nottingham, 1485
Storm clouds are gathering around the court of Richard III.
Transported from one to the other in a heartbeat, how will Kate handle life at the Ricardian court? And more than that, how will she cope when she catches the eye of the king himself?
Find out in this “highly recommended” story, set just prior to the decisive Battle of Bosworth.
24th July 1485, Nottingham Castle
Staring out of his chamber’s window but seeing nothing to fully distract him, a grimace crept across Richard’s face as he remembered his last visit to Nottingham, a smiling wife at his side, a healthy son safety ensconced in his own household, with regular updates from his staff. This summer, he was all but alone despite his best efforts of Francis and his other close companions to cheer and distract him. Still, the presence of Kate was proving a soothing and refreshing balm. He re-read the document Tom had delivered to him that morning. A whole fleet, funded by French gold, lined up at Harfleur, waiting now only for a fair wind to send them across the Channel and onto Richard’s shores. It wasn’t just that he didn’t know where Tudor would land, he didn’t even know when he would know, such was the mercurial nature of some of his supporters. Even amongst his greatest nobles, Richard couldn’t be sure would rush to send word to their king, or who would delay, keeping the arrival secret for as long as they could risk. In frustration, his mind wandered, thinking how his predecessors would have dealt with the situation: summary executions, more hostages, threatening the country with violence everyone knew they could follow through with. There had been enough violence, treachery and death during his reign so far; he didn’t want to add more when he could feel they were getting close to a resolution.
“Fetch a scribe to me, I’ll be outside,” he called to the young page loitering in the doorway before making his way out into the bailey to join his friend and the young soldiers. He was struck by a sudden urge to at least pretend to kill somebody.
Jennifer C. Wilson
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| Jennifer at the funeral of King Richard III at Leicester |
Jennifer has been stalking dead monarchs since she was a child. It started with Mary, Queen of Scots, and now also includes Richard III. At least now it results in a story!
She won North Tyneside Libraries' Story Tyne short story competition in 2014 (no dead monarchs, but still not a cheerful read), and has been filling notebooks and hard-drives ever since. Her Kindred Spirits series, following the 'lives' of some very interesting ghostly communities, is published by Darkstroke, and her historical romances by Ocelot Press.
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