Requiem of the Rose King

Richard desires to stand on the battlefield with his father, the Duke of York, but his mother Cecily denies him this wish. "Your words will become a curse, one that spells doom for others." Locked in a tower, Richard discovers that King Henry VI of the House of Lancaster is also housed inside. He fervently hopes to kill him and offer his crown to his father...but meanwhile, the Duke of York is taken captive after a fierce battle against Queen Margaret and her Lancaster forces.

Edward has fallen in love with Elizabeth, a widower and lower-ranked noblewoman who approached him at a party. He meets her in secret on many occasions, disguising their encounters as hunting sessions. One day, as he accompanies Edward, Richard meets Henry, the young shepherd he once met before. Neither know who the other truly is, but they find themselves together after fleeing to a villa to avoid a rainstorm. "I dont care who you are," Henry says. "Its you yourself that I like, after all." Richard responds with stony silence, as the rain continues deep into the night.

Elizabeth gives birth to a baby girl, as Edward and his younger brother George grow more and more hostile toward each other. Meanwhile, the Earl of Warwick pushes a wedding between his second daughter Isabelle and George, bringing him even closer to his former enemies in the House of Lancaster. Queen Margaret challenges Warwick to prove his sincerity by offering his eldest daughter Annes hand in marriage to Edward of Westminster, from the House of Lancaster. But before he commits, Edward has someone he must meet first -- Richard, a man already well familiar to him.

Henry VI is back on the throne, but so far it has only been a return to the days that tormented him. Meanwhile, Edward orders Richard to deliver the banner of the House of York as an ultimatum to Warwick and his brother George, who has joined the House of Lancaster. Richards group acts in secret, but a Lancastrian nobleman discovers their York affiliation and they cross swords. Wounded in the battle, Richard unexpectedly runs into Henry, who is on a pilgrimage.

Anne is ordered by the Earl of Warwick to marry Prince Edward. There is no love between the two of them, but their friendship begins to grow as they discuss their true feelings for each other during a boat trip. Meanwhile, the Earl of Warwick finally confronts Edward on the battlefield. Warwick has the numerical advantage, but George, once aligned with the Lancaster faction, sides with Edward again, evening up the odds. As the battle stalls, Richard takes the place of Buckingham and stages a solo attack on Lancasters camp.

Edward becomes king, and York is overjoyed...but Richards heart was sinking. "The light will never return." Richard goes to the prison where Henry was captured, even after receiving orders from Edward to kill Henry. "Youve always appeared out of nowhere...healing my wounds, then tearing them open." With dagger in hand, Richard emotionally opens up to Henry. But what will Henry say when Richard reveals the greatest secret of all?

Richard captures George for cursing Edward IV. However, Edward IV keeps hoping that George might come to his senses. Richard makes a decision: "Buckingham, kill George." Now Richard must convince Edward IV that it was the Woodville family that sent George to his death. George, cornered by Richard and Buckinghams plot, storms into the courtroom.

Richard and Buckingham embark on a majority-rule maneuver to gain the throne. It creates more suffering for Catesby, who has been trying to protect Richard while serving Hastings. Who is his loyalty truly for? Meanwhile, Hastings and the Queen Mother are planning a service for King Edward V. The service would publicize and solidify Elizabeths power if held, and now Richard is gradually pushed into a position of inferiority.

Anne witnesses Richard coming out of Buckinghams room at night. "You know him better than anyone," she says to Catesby. "If hes hiding something, please tell me." To root out Richards secret, Anne proposes that he dress as a woman and she as a man at a banquet they call "The Devils Paradise." Despite Annes intentions, the banquet is a great success, the two of them lost among the admiring crowd. Then Buckingham appears, dressed as the devil.

Rumors circulate that Richard is not the rightful king. This story leads to the escape of Edward V, son of the previous king, and his brother from the Tower of London. Richard suffers from poor health as he prepares for his coronation in York. A medical examination by the imprisoned witch Jane suggests a certain possibility. With that in mind, Richard visits Buckinghams castle. There, Buckinghams love for Richard grows to the point where he takes unprecedented action. "I can no longer keep my cool with you around."

With Buckingham in open rebellion, an anguished Richard turns toward Catesby. "If only I hadnt been so intimate with him. If only I wasnt the son of the devil..." But that was no longer an option. Leaving his wife Anne and son Edward behind, Richard sets out for battle. Richard III and Buckingham cross swords in the Forest of Dean, just as they promised. "I will cross the border and abandon my name. I will stand by your side and cut through your thorns until the day I die. That...and the loyalty to your father that still binds you..."

"If this name, if this blood, was all an illusion...then what is the point of this battle?" Richard looks back at his past, guided by Tyrell in front of him. "Let us go home, even if it is a battlefield where not even sleep is allowed to us..."