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"Bid me farewell."
"To take is not to give."
"Cut!" A middle-aged man with white beard cried out in frustration. "Reread the lines please! You two are terrible, terrible actors!"
Anne sighed in frustration. This was the nth time she rehearsed this scene! The guy playing King Richard III was exhausted as well. With a gigantic stuffing on his back and bending his body half-way down to play the hunchback King, he was near the edge of his patience.
"Mr. Stanley," Anne asked. "Am I getting the role or not?"
"That is to be determined," Mr. Stanley, the high school theater instructor and play director said. "Now, let's do this scene again."
"Are we going to do the lines in the original order set by Shakespeare?" Anne asked.
"That is to be determined," Mr. Stanley replied.
Both Anne and her partner raised an eyebrow. Mr. Stanley was sure obsessed with this scene, where King Richard III seduced and wooed the vulnerable or possibly ambitious Lady Anne of Warwick. He wanted the scene to be perfect. From the way he explained, perfection is something he cannot describe but he knows it when he sees it. He had the original lines in the Shakespeare play restructured in different orders. But nothing seemed right to him.
Looking at her partner, Anne wondered exactly how vulnerable could this Lady Anne of Warwick be if she indeed did fell in love with this...thing, who murdered her father and her husband.
"Why don't we take five?" Anne suggested.
After a long moment of thinking, Mr. Stanley finally agreed. "Sure. Five minutes, starting now."
He set his timer.
Shaking her head, Anne walked off the stage.
Only to find herself face-to-face with an acquaintance.
"Oh hi Liz," Anne greeted. "What are you doing here?"
She and Liz met a few weeks ago at a family gathering. Anne's older sister Izzy was engaged to a gorgeous and charming young man named George. George had an older brother Ed, who was married to this Liz. Neither Izzy nor Anne found Liz endearing. From Anne's perspective, Liz was too haughty and materialistic.
"I'm here to help," Liz replied. "Your sister told me that your school is having play. I need to get out of the house so I am here to help out the costumes. Are you in the play?"
"In Mr. Stanley's words, to be determined," Anne said.
"You don't look too happy," Liz pointed out. "Is it because of me?"
"It's not that," Anne said, trying to smile. "I'm tired. I'll see you later."
***
Anne couldn't be more disappointed. She didn't know what kind of game Mr. Stanley was play; and now Liz was involved.
She stopped by a library to get her mind of things. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about the play.
Richard III...
Curious, she decided to do some research to learn more about Richard III and of course, Lady Anne of Warwick.
It was not an easy task. There wasn't much sources available in the library. The books she found - nonfictions - were too deep and complex. So many historical figures; and almost all of them share the same name. It was more time consuming than she expected. Before she went home, she bumped into the librarian, Ms. Rivers.
"You looked down today," Ms. Rivers said.
"I'm auditioning for a play," Anne told her. "Richard III, and I am trying to do some research to know the materials better. It's not going anywhere."
"Honey, Shakespeare is not history!" Ms. Rivers laughed.
"I know, and I can't get more confused!" Anne said. "And I'm not even a half-way done with my research!"
"Forget the books!" Ms. Rivers advised. "If you want to know the past, you need to be there and see for it yourself."
"Like anyone can to that," Anne said. "I'm not Marty McFly."
"There is a way."
"How?" Anne was not convinced.
"Wait here," Ms. Rivers said. She went into the back and then returned with a bundle of thread. "Before you go to bed, tie one end of the string to your ankle, and let the thread roll. Close your eyes, count to three, and it will bring you back to the past. On top of that, you will find your soul mate."
"My soul mate?"
"Soul mates are predestined to be together, in this life, the past, and the future," Ms. River explained. "In Chinese mythology, there is an old man sitting under the moon. He ties the couple's fate together by binding their ankles with a red string."
Sounds interesting...
***
At night, the moon was full.
Following Ms. River's instructions, Anne tied the thread around her ankle and let the thread roll. Instantly, she became drowsy. Counting one, two, and three...
Everything went dark...
***
By the time she came to, she found herself in a different place. The bed was much larger with four posters. She rubbed her eyes again and still found herself in a four-poster bed. She looked down and realized that she was wearing a simple white nightgown instead of her pajamas.
Is this all a dream?
Anne pinched herself but it hurt.
Looked like it wasn't a dream.
Before she could get out of the bed, the door opened. Maids came in with washcloth and a basin of water. Without a word, they curtsied and began to service her. Anne found it weird since she never had anyone washed her face or hand before. It got even more awkward when they were about to remove her nightgown. Anne shrieked.
The maids were bewildered.
"I...I like to change my own clothes, thank you," Anne tried to explain nicely.
The maids looked at each other until Anne gave them a look.
They exited the room, or rather chamber, and Anne was left alone.
She climbed out of the bed and found her barefoot against the cold, dirty ground made of stone. She found her slippers and tried to dress herself. Only then she wished she had accepted the help from the maids. How in the world could she lace the back of the dress by herself? She struggled and struggled until a middle-aged woman came in.
"Oh my little Anne!" She rebuked and finished lacing her dress. "We must be hurry! You are to meet the Queen!"
"The Queen?" Anne could not believe her ears.
"Yes, the Queen," the woman said. "Come sit, I will plait your hair. Today, you must look beautiful and graceful. Do not let your Lord Father down."
Lord Father?
She plaited her hair so tightly that Anne grimaced. Finally her hair was all plaited and a tall hat with long veil was placed on her head. Anne found it heavy and wonder if the hat would fall off at any time.
Looked like Ms. River's thread has brought me back to the past.
***
She was taken to the throne room. There, she saw a beautiful, blonde lady in a golden gown sitting in a throne. She had a kitten on her lap. Anne heard a meow; and then more cats climbed out behind her throne.
"So you are Warwick's younger daughter?" The Queen asked icily.
Anne just stood there until the middle-aged woman behind her secretly nudged her. Anne shakily gave her a curtsey.
"You don't have to be afraid," The Queen went on. "Although your father have committed acts against me and my family, I do not hold any grudge against you. You are only a girl." She rose from the throne with her white kitten in her arms. "This is Pirlipat. Come, touch her."
Uneasily, Anne approached. She looked at the Queen, and found her features very similar to Liz. She reached out her hand and patted the kitten. Instantly, the kitten hissed and scratched her on the hand.
"You see," The Queen said evenly as Anne rubbed her hand. "We all have to be careful and alert in this Court. Enemies are everywhere, like mice. Pirilpat is smart, for she knows who my potential enemies are. Take this as a warning. Learn to be loyal to me, as being loyal to me is being loyal to the King."
"Yes," Anne stuttered. "Yes, Your Majesty."
And curtsied again.
"There's more enemies around you than you think," the Queen continued. "Like mice, but no one is more frightening than the Mouse Queen."
The Mouse Queen?
"Go now," the Queen said.
Anne didn't know what to do next. Curtsey? Bow?
"Go!" The Queen showed anger. "You will do as I command. You will dance to whatever tune I sing!"
Anne nodded quickly and left the throne room.
***
The Queen was not pleasant, indeed. Although she looked like Liz, she was much colder and meaner.
The middle-aged woman, combing her hair, whispered to Anne, "So you met the Queen, but you did well. Your Lord Father will be proud of you."
In her minds, Anne tried to get the names straight. The Queen, her Lord Father, and Pirilipat the cat...
The middle-aged woman applied oil on her scratched hand, she continued to attend Anne until a maid entered the chamber.
"Lady Evelyn," the maid muttered. And the middle-aged woman went to her.
Her name is Evelyn then, Anne thought. Ms. River's magic worked. I am in the past, in a castle. I am still Anne...
As Lady Anne of Warwick?
Anne tried hard to recall what she had read about Warwick so far, but she couldn't remember anything.
***
Her hair and outfit were changed and Lady Evelyn took her to the hunting field, where falcons flew around and men were on their horses. Women were there too, well dressed and watched in excitement. There was an older lady wearing a huge hat. She saw Anne and gave her a warm smile. Next to her was a older man with dark curls; a young man with brown hair; and a tall girl with dark brown hair.
"Ah, Anne, it's great to see you join us," the lady with the big hat greeted her warmly. She was much nicer than the Queen for sure.
"Sister! What happened to your hand?" The tall girl exclaimed; physically she resembled Izzy.
And the older man with dark curls looked like her Dad.
The older lady shook her head while the older man frowned.
A conversation followed; it was mostly the lady in the huge hat and the older man who did the talking while the tall girl chimed in from time to time. The young man in the brown hair hardly spoke at all. From the conversation, Anne learned their identity. The man with dark curls was her Lord Father, Warwick; the tall girl was her sister Isabeau; and the lady with the huge hat was her great-aunt Cecily, Duchess of York; also the King's mother. The Queen, whom she met moments ago, was Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner by birth. And the young man with brown hair was George, Duke of Clarence; her sister Isabeu's husband; and Cecily's son. Isabeau and George got married without the King's permission and there was a fall out between Warwick and the King.
But according to her Lord Father, things are good now. The King has pardoned them, he said. However-
Before he could finish, they were interrupted by a loud thump and a cry.
"Dickon!" Cecily, Duchess of York cried and ran into the field. Everyone else followed.
A young man with dark hair and dark eyes was rubbing his arm. He had fallen from a horse.
"Dickon, let me see," Cecily insisted while Dickon tried to pull away from her.
"I'm fine, Lady Mother," he said.
So he's Cecily's son too, Anne thought. But he looks nothing like George.
Then Anne noticed a huge cut on his hand.
"Wait!" She removed her ribbon from her hair and used it to bandage his hand. "There, it should be good for now."
She gave him a smile.
Dickon said nothing in return. Anne could only guess that he's shy. In fact he was so shy that he couldn't meet Anne in the eyes.
Duchess Cecily certainly appreciated Anne's kindness toward her youngest son. That night, one of her ladies came to Anne's chamber and presented her a gift from the Duchess - a doll in a fancy dress.
***
Things went well by far, but it didn't last long.
In a cold morning, she was pulled out of the bed by Evelyn. Clad in a cloak trimmed with furs, she was taken onto a ship.
"Where are we going?" Anne asked.
"We have to go!" A middle-aged woman with dark hair replied; she resembled Anne's mom. She stood very close to Isabel; and Anne guessed she was her Lady Mother. Unlike Evelyn, her supposed birth mother was not as half as caring.
The ship was not comfortable at all. Her Lady Mother's attention were all on her sister Isabeau. Anne wondered who else was going on the ship. As the ship rocked back and forth, she was plagued with seasickness. Losing her balance, she fell. She heard voices and footsteps. From the voices, she recognized them as Warwick and George; they were fighting. From their argument, Anne learned that George was not happy with Warwick's arrangement and strategy. Warwick treated George like a child.
"If you have anyone to blame, it's that Woodville woman!" Warwick said angrily. "She failed to provide the King a son! The King has pardoned us...only if I can find a way for the Queen to bear a son! How is that ever possible! We have no other choice!"
"You manipulated me to marry your daughter on the promise that you make me King!" George spat. "Look what happened! I am on the run like a traitor!"
The argument became so intense that Anne was glued at her spot. She remained there until both men parted fuming.
Find a way for the Queen to bear a son...it's possible in the 21st century but certainly not in Middle Ages. The King certainly got him there.
***
They landed in Burgundy. Before Anne could even take a break, she was taken to meet the Queen.
This time, it was the Mouse Queen.
The same Mouse Queen who made the Queen Elizabeth Woodville so scared and insecure that she had to surround herself with cats!
In a dark and gloomy hall, Anne saw a woman in a dark red dress. When Anne looked at her face, she understood how she earned that nickname. Her eyes, facial structure, and nose made her think of a mouse. She looked like her math teacher whom everyone hated at school - Ms. Anjou.
However, her personality and attitude was definitely not mousy.
"WARWICK!" She yelled. She was so loud that her voice echoed though out the hall; it made Anne shiver. "It was you who took my throne! How can I ever trust you!"
Warwick, who used to stand tall with pride, knelt before the Mouse Queen.
"I promise you, that I can restore your husband on the English throne," Warwick promised gravely. At the end of his voice, Anne could hear the intense gasp from George and Isabeau.
The Mouse Queen turned her attention on Anne. "You have a pretty daughter."
She went down and stood right before Anne. "I have a son and you have a unwed daughter..."
She stopped there and gave them a chilling smile.
Anne knew what she meant.
Now she wished she can wake up from this dream.
***
Anne was very nervous when she was prepared for her wedding. The Mouse Queen had sent her a pair of glass slippers as her wedding gift. Although very pretty at the first glance, it was very cold and uncomfortable. She pinched herself over and over again. This dream...I want it to end right now!
But no avail. It seemed like she was stuck in this realm.
At the altar, Anne met her future husband, Edouard of Lancaster. To her pleasant surprise, Edouard was handsome and tall. He seemed to be very carefree and outgoing. Wait...why he is Ted the Captain of the Football Team! Ms. Rivers has said that soul mates are predestined to be together, in the past, present, and future! So in the past I was Lady Anne of Warwick; Dad was Warwick; Liz was of course Elizabeth Woodville; Ms. Anjou was the Mouse Queen; Isabel was Lady Isabeau of Warwick, and her fiancé George was Duke of Clarence. Ted...whom I have a huge secret crush on was Edouard. Isn't it romantic? We were predestined to be together...
In a bright yellow dress, Anne blushed as they exchanged vows.
Maybe it's not so bad after all, Anne thought.
But it was on their wedding night where Edouard of Lancaster showed his true colors.
In her white shift, Anne was waiting in bed. She was a little scared about what is to come. To comfort herself, she played with the doll given by Duchess Cecily.
Then Edouard of Lancaster came in loudly. He smiled at Anne at first. And yet, as soon as he saw that doll, his smile vanished. "What is this?" He demanded. "Is this from York?"
He grabbed the doll from her hands.
"Hey!" Anne did not like his attitude. "Give me back my doll!"
Edouard held in very high in the air. Given his height Anne could never reach it. Nevertheless, she tried. She jumped and hopped but Edouard refused to give it back to her. Then he suddenly dropped it onto the floor.
"Oops!" He smirked.
The doll was broken.
Anne was enraged. How dare he!
"You...you asshole!" Picking up her glass shoe, she threw it at him.
It hit him right in the nose.
Edouard of Lancaster was knocked unconscious.
Anne could not believe what a jerk he turned out to be. And look at him, so tall and big and yet being knocked out so easily by a girl! All her feelings towards Ted the Football Captain were gone. Guess he is a jerk in modern world as he was a jerk in the past.
Anne checked on him and to see if he is okay. He was alive, but unconscious. Using all her strength, Anne pulled and dragged him into the bed. Sitting next to him, Anne wondered what she should do next. Before Edouard of Lancaster joined her, the Mouse Queen did told her that she will bleed. Anne knew what she meant based on what she learned in Health Class. Certainly, tomorrow morning, they'd want the proof of their marital consummation.
Anne spotted Edouard's dagger on the ground.
Now she knew what to do.
Biting her lips, she cut her finger with that dagger and blood dripped onto the white sheet.
Good enough, Anne thought.
***
The marriage between Anne and Edouard of Lancaster had brought her Lord Father additional military forces. Yet, things did not work out well for them.
Warwick lost and was killed in the battle.
Edouard of Lancaster joined the battlefield as well. Before his departure, he threatened Anne, "I know what you have done on our wedding night, and I will have my revenge! When I come back, I will do to you with what I did to your doll!"
But he ended up dead in the battlefield too.
Isabeau and George rejoined the York side.
Her Lady Mother fled.
Now Anne was left alone with the Mouse Queen, who couldn't hate her more.
"You...you cursed little thing!" the Mouse Queen spat hatefully towards Anne. "This is all your fault!" Her eyes became red and her teeth became sharp. Pulling out a dagger, she was about to kill Anne.
Just then, the door busted open.
A young knight in full armor came and pulled out his sword. Stepped between Anne and the Mouse Queen, calmly he ordered, "Step back. You are not to harm Lady Anne."
Anne recognized his face. Why, it's Dickon!
Before the Mouse Queen could do anything else, Dickon ordered his soldiers, "Have her bound and gagged and throw her in the litter."
The Mouse Queen was taken away.
"Lady Anne," he said, reaching out his hand. "Come with me. I'll take you home."
He had a horse ready. Anne uneasily mounted the horse as he walked and guided the horse.
He took her back in London. Before the King and Queen, Dickon asked for the King's permission to marry her. The King agreed without a hesitation.
It was a splendid wedding. In a beautiful white dress and a veil over her face, Anne married Dickon.
***
Like her previous marriage, after the ceremony was the marital consummation. In her white nightgown, Anne was in bed waiting for Dickon. He was in his white shirt, which made him look like a boy next door.
"I have something for you," he said. He gave her a doll - the same one Duchess Cecily gave her with a yellow ribbon wrapped around it. "I found it and I had it fixed. This ribbon, the one you used to bandage my wound, I kept it with me since we last met."
Anne was moved to tears. "Thank you."
"I know I'm not your first," Dickon began.
"No," Anne took his hand. "You are." She went on telling him what happened on her wedding night with Edouard.
Dickon got up and removed his shirt. With his back to her, Anne could see his curved spine and the deep scar on his upper right arm.
He said nothing, but Anne knew what he meant.
She got up and went to him. Taking his hand, she muttered, "You are not different to me. I love you for who you are."
"Anne," Richard turned to face her. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Anne nodded. "I'm not a perfect person myself. Don't be surprised that I turn this bed chamber into a dungeon."
"Then I will stay in this dungeon forever and ever."
"Dickon-"
"No, Richard," he corrected her. "It's Richard."
Only then it hit Anne.
Richard...
With a curved spine and a wounded arm...
And King Richard III from the Shakespeare play... a hunchback old man with a withered arm...
No, it's not true!
He is not perfect, but he is not an evil man as Shakespeare described!
Tilting her chin, Richard leaned over to kiss her. Before his lips reached hers, Anne could hear romantic music in the background.
No, it was a song.
I get a strange magic...
Oh what a strange magic...
***
Anne opened her eyes, Richard was gone. She was back in her bed, in modern days.
Rubbing her eyes, she could hear music from downstairs.
She got out of the bed and ran downstairs, where she found her parents watching Hunky Dory in the living room.
Then she remember the thread Ms. River gave her. She looked down and found nothing tied around her ankle.
But the dream she had last night was fascinating, and real.
"Anne? Aren't you getting ready for school?" Her father asked.
Anne ran and gave her father a hug. She was so glad that her father was alive and well.
***
She went to school and told Mr. Stanley that she is not auditioning for the play anymore. Heading towards the cafeteria, she ran by Ted. She only rolled her eyes and minded her own business. Behind her, she could hear Ms. Anjou yelling at the students.
She came to the cafeteria and found college fair was held. She looked around and one collage caught her attention. It was a presentation from a history program.
"Hi," a guy greeted her. He had dark hair and dark eyes. "Would you like to look my castles?"
Anne was amazed at the beautiful photos of the castles.
"These are from Northern England," he told her. "These rubbles and broken walls have so many stories."
Anne smiled and nodded.
"You look familiar," he went on. "Have we met before?"
"I'm Anne."
"Richard," he shook her hand. "Richard York...maybe one day I will show you all the castles around the world..."
***
As Anne and Richard chatted (and exchanged numbers), Ms. Rivers watched from her crystal ball. She clapped her hands and laughed. Soul mates indeed! After being separated for 500 years, this pair finally reunited again!