1468

"Lily, girl! Come here and tend to the horses." The man shouted from a window as soon as he saw the royal party stopping outside the house. King Edward and his brother Richard looked at each other in amusement.
"What's so fun-," Richard Grey, Edward's stepson, stopped midsentence and stared at the steps leading into the house. Everyone else looked and Edward smiled upon realisation.

A young girl of the same age as Richard Grey was walking down the steps, lifting the skirt of her plain, everyday olive green dress so she didn't trip, watching her feet as she did so. She looked up and froze when she saw the boy on his horse and her breath very obviously hitched. Her cheeks reddened and the pair broke their eye contact and the girl curtsied to Edward. "Your Grace." She said, with a hint of nerves in her voice. "My father sent me to tend to the horses."

"So I heard." Edward smiled and he dismounted. "Can you tame him?" He asked throwing her the reins. She dropped them and quieter than a mouse approached the great stallion, her hand held out to the muzzle of the beast. She stopped two steps away and reached out her hand, allowing him to come to her. The horse sniffed her hand, nipped it gently and then slid his nose into her hand.

"Where would you like me to take your horse? I can take him to the stables or to the river to drink." She asked.

"Could you take all the horses to the stables please?" Edward asked and Lily curtsied and took the reins of his and his brother Richard's horses in one hand.

"Allow me to help you." Richard said, swinging down from his horse.

"I have been looking after horses all my life sir, I think I can manage."

"Please. Allow me to help you." Richard begged her and she nodded her head slightly before leading the two horses she had hold of to the stables. Richard smiled and grabbed his brother Thomas' horse before nearly running after her, Edward and Richard's chuckles echoing behind him.

"That happened quickly." Thomas said, walking over to them.

Edward nodded. "Yes. It's a good thing your mother hasn't organised a marriage for him yet or I think they would be heartbroken."

*TWQ*

The men had enjoyed a pleasant afternoon at the house, Lily and Richard's affection being the source of entertainment. As they waited on more wine before dinner started, the conversation waning slightly, there was a small crash before a man began yelling and a girl whimpered apologies in response.

"Lily." Richard said, jumping to his feet and Edward, Thomas and the other Richard all followed suit, the four of them exiting the room.

Following the sounds of screams, they found them a short way down the corridor. The wine that Lily had been bringing to them seemed to have been the cause of the crash with the large jug in pieces on the floor, the burgundy liquid all over the floor and a little bit of the walls. A man stood with his back to them, yelling at what seemed to be the wall. Only when there was a sob did they realise it was Lily. The man raised his hand and slapped her across the face, knocking her to the ground. He raised his hand again only to have it grabbed and his body shoved against the wall by the King.

"How dare you raise a hand to your own child in front of the King?" Edward spat into the man's face. "How dare you? You should leave before I arrest you and have you hanged." He released the man and shoved him away. Lily's father staggered away quickly as he could. Edward looked down at the girl and reached out his hand. Lily nervously reached up and took it, allowing the King of England to help her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you." She quickly wiped under her eyes and smoothed her hands on her skirt. "My father is not usually so angry. It is only when he has been drinking that he is like this."

"You mean to say this has happened before?" Edward asked.

"Yes sir."

"She cannot stay here." Edward's brother Richard said. "This time it was just a hit, what will it be next time?"

"She will become the royal ward. She will be under the protection of the crown and she will stay with us in London." Edward said, smiling at the excitement on the younger Richard's face. He caught the attention of a passing servant. "Some more wine and another place setting for the royal ward." The servant nodded, curtsied and rushed down the steps to the kitchens. "Come Lily." He said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and guiding her to the dining hall.

*TWQ*

Lily sat in an upstairs room listening to Richard read to her. Since being named the royal ward, Lily and Richard have spent increasing amounts of time together. Suddenly the door opened and Thomas and King Edward stood in the doorway.

"Your mother is on her way to join us. Come downstairs." Edward commanded and the pair followed him out of the room. Lily hung back as the Grey boys ran out to join their mother before walking forwards and curtseying.

"Queen Elizabeth."

"You must be the royal ward that Edward has adopted."

"Yes, Your Grace." Lily answered and Richard's smile did not go unnoticed by his mother. Edward came forward then and kissed his wife.

"I knew Warwick was angry but never did I imagine he would raise his own army against me." He turned to go inside and Elizabeth followed him. "He has betrayed me…" His voice faded out as Richard and Thomas introduced Lily to their half-sisters and their aunts before Lily showed them upstairs.

The group were keeping the little girls entertained when Elizabeth burst in. "Everyone pack your things, we're leaving for Norwich. Lily, you too." She left again as quickly as she came and everyone sprang into action.

Lily helped Mary lift a trunk onto the back of the carriage where two footmen came and secured it and they turned to get into the carriage when a cry of, "Li!" came from behind them and little Mary came running up to them, her arms reaching up. Lily bent down and picked the little girl up.

"Now Mary, you're a big girl now. I'm sure you can walk yourself." Lily smiled as she carried the young girl over to her mother.

"She loves you." The Queen said with a smile and Lily curtsied. "There seems to be another of my children who has affections for you." Lily blushed as soon as Elizabeth spoke and the older woman smiled widely. "Why do you think I invited you along? Come on, into the carriage."

Lily curtsied again and took Mary into the carriage. "Where are we going?" The little girl in her arms asked.

"We are going on an adventure somewhere new. Are you excited?" Lily asked and Mary nodded eagerly.

*TWQ*

Lily looked up from the floor where she was playing with the little girls and up at the window where she could see the rain. There was a crack of thunder and Lizzie jumped into her arms.

"Shh." Lily comforted, rubbing the younger girl's back and smoothing her hair. "Shh, we are safe. We are safe here."

*TWQ*

Lily was helping the servants with tidying up the breakfast things from where she had broken her fast with the little girls when the door banged open and Richard was standing there with red rimmed eyes.

"Leave us." Lily said, flicking her wrist at the servants who curtsied and left the room. "Richard, what is it?"

"My Lord Grandfather and my Lord Uncle are dead."

"What?"

"They were executed without trial by Warwick. They're dead." He began to cry again and fell into Lily's arms. "I'm never going to see them again!" He pulled away and looked at her. "Lily, Lily, please, come to London with me. I don't want to feel like this about you. I don't want to feel like I'm never going to see you again. Please come with me to London!"

Lily nodded. "Yes, yes, of course."

*TWQ*

When they returned to London, the family was in deep mourning for their losses and Lily allowed them to mourn.

On her first night in London, just as she was about to go to sleep, there was a knock at Lily's door. She grabbed her robe and put it on before answering the door. "Richard!" She smiled and the boy on the other side, also in his night things, grinned. "What can I do for you?"

"I thought you might be scared or lonely because it's your first night in London so I thought I'd come and sit and talk with you." Richard said cheerfully, proud of his idea and Lily stepped aside to allow him to come in. She shut the door and jumped onto the bed, Richard following suit.

"What would you like to talk about?" Lily asked and Richard shrugged.

"I don't know!" Richard said and the two children laughed. "Let's talk about horses."

"Alright."

Horses was only the starting topic of the night as Richard and Lily talked about a great deal more than just horses. They spoke of their families, their childhoods, their hopes for the future. Anything and everything to fill the long hours of night time before the dawn came. They spoke for so long that they talked themselves to sleep. When Thomas Grey woke in the morning, he was surprised not to find his brother in bed. He searched the room before realising his brother was gone. He ran into Elizabeth's room and found her with Jacquetta.

"Lady Mother, Lady Grandmother. Richard is not in bed and I cannot find him." He spoke quickly and the two women acted just as quickly, searching all the rooms in the royal apartments before bursting into Lily's room and found them top and tailing across the bed.

"Thank goodness." Elizabeth said, clutching her heart. "He is safe."

The pair shifted and slowly woke up and seemed stunned to see they had guests.

"Lady Mother, Lady Grandmother!" Richard said, springing off the bed.

"Your Grace. Lady Rivers." Lily said, springing up and curtseying. "We were just,"

"We were talking and then we fell asleep." Richard explained. "We're sorry."

"I'm just glad you're safe." Elizabeth said, "Come, we're going to the Tower today." She left, Thomas following her and Richard and Lily shared a smile of friendship that Jacquetta noticed and smiled at before Richard followed his mother, Lily curtsying as Jacquetta left. She sighed and turned to her half unpacked trunk before grabbing her carpet bag and packing one or two dresses and what essentials she may need in the Tower.

So this is royal life, she thought, moving from place to place and never being settled.