Requiem of the Rose King (薔薇王の葬列)

Please Richard.

You must preserve the king's name.

Our name.

William Shakespeare's renowned plays

Henry the Sixth and Richard the Third

were the basis for what has become a hit manga by Aya Kanno.

And now, that series has been adapted into an anime.

This tale snakes its way through history,

all while following Richard, whom cruel destiny leads

to confront an inner darkness.

It is a story of love and betrayal,

interweaved by those who lust for the throne.

Requiem of the Rose King .

This special is dedicated to recapping

the events that took place during the anime's first part

in preparation for its second.

Whether you've been watching from the start,

or your curiosity led you here just now,

I will be your guide to this darkly fantastic world

of destiny.

Requiem of the Rose King Part One Digest:

Meetings and Partings.

-- --

Let me take a guess. You surrender.

Sorry, but that's Edward for you.

Not yet. One more try--

Lord Richard. That's quite enough.

You know your mother would scold both of us

if you were to come home injured.

Catesby. I need your horse!

The tragic hero of our twisted tale

is Richard, the Duke of York's third and youngest son.

Though he presents himself as a male,

his body harbors a secret only few have come to know.

I wonder when... my arms will grow strong.

You couldn't do it anyway.

Not with your body.

Doubt me? I can prove it.

Your body... is neither a man's nor a woman's.

Richard is born intersex,

but his mother views him as a demon

and shuns him from birth.

He is also tormented by Joan of Arc,

a witch who lurks deep within the recesses of his mind.

You were right. I must be king.

Richard's father, on the other hand,

shows no prejudice.

He loves and cherishes all three of his children.

In fact, he dotes on Richard most of all.

Father is my light.

Only he has the power to save me from this life,

and the darkness and gloom that come with it.

Though the House of Lancaster

rules the land, Richard's one wish is for the Duke of York

to claim the crown from them and be seated on England's throne

where he belongs.

I will not be king.

The duke emerges victorious

from the throes of battle,

but parliament refuses to acknowledge him as king.

He is named Lord Protector to King Henry the Sixth instead.

Have they no shame?

We need to keep on fighting them!

All my life, I've known that the crown belongs on your head!

Let us dye this white rose red with Henry's blood!

York resolves to resume

his pursuit of the throne, and another war comes to pass.

Silence demon!

The only reason he went was because you tricked him

with your evil, honeyed words!

You aren't my son, you're a demon child!

Then one night,

Richard has an unexpected encounter

with a mysterious man deep in the woods.

What are you doing out here?

I'm making a sundial.

The stranger, bathed in moonlight,

captivates Richard for reasons he cannot explain.

Perhaps the shared trauma of growing up

without a mother's love is what forges their bond.

Not me. Because I'm sure that I won't go to heaven.

I'm a demon child.

If my own mother can't love me, how could I expect that of God?

Please let me pray for you.

All that I need to know is your name.

It's Richard.

And my name is Henry.

So, Richard, could I interest you in being my friend?

Little does Richard know this man

is his sworn enemy, King Henry of the House of Lancaster.

The two meet without realizing they are foes.

Thus, their fate is silently set in motion.

The Yorkists succeed in capturing King Henry,

which appears to grant the Duke of York

the upper hand in their feud.

However, York is defeated by Henry's wife,

Queen Margaret, and taken prisoner himself.

When Richard hears of this, he races through the chaos,

determined to save his father's life.

This town's been occupied by the Lancastrians.

Most of all the citizens have fled.

Act now! For Father!

He needs your help!

Hm?

A wife and children.

This man was a husband and father.

He was slain... by my hand.

Father!

Can these frail legs not move faster?

He's waiting.

My father is waiting for me.

Father!

My light.

Meanwhile, the duke's eldest son, Edward,

and his trusted ally, the Earl of Warwick,

challenge Margaret's army without pause.

Look, Warwick. The sun.

That sun's a good omen, to be sure!

They have reinforcements?

They number in the thousands.

And what little light I had was stolen. Forever.

In the dark, the colour of blood is all my eyes

drink in, so I'll paint the world as I see it.

With blood! Blood! Blood! Blood!

The Yorkists are able to quash

the Lancastrians, and Edward declares himself

King of England.

In order to further secure his position, he agrees

to marry the sister-in-law to the King of France.

Come. Let's dance.

The Earl of Warwick's daughter,

Anne Neville, is able to break down the walls

surrounding Richard, earning his trust in the process.

But even the kind-hearted Anne soon finds herself embroiled

in the battle for the crown.

I trust this French bride-to-be that you have selected for me

is quite the beauty as well?

I will provide nothing but the best.

And that's precisely why I've decided never to act

without your approval first.

So he says.

But his words prove false when he begins to rendezvous

with Elizabeth Woodville in secret.

Completely unaware of her true intent.

Enough to seek his divine vengeance.

Those murderers will soon be ours.

I have Edward in the palm of my hand.

If I were to let her go,

I know I would regret it as long as I live.

Does love make people as blind as Edward is now?

He speaks as though he's found

an invaluable treasure in that whore.

One worth more than the coveted crown

our father died for.

As dark shadows begin to shroud

the royal family, Richard has a fateful reunion with Henry,

still thinking him a simple shepherd.

I've really found you.

Somehow I knew God would unite us once again.

Why does this always happen?

Where does your obsession with me come from?

It's because... my salvation was you all this time!

I was your salvation?

Richard finds a surprising amount of comfort

in their unexpected life together,

and a ray of light pierces through his guarded heart.

Henry. You drive me positively mad.

Now I'm afraid I'm going to lose...

..the answers I've gotten, and everything else.

Even so, I find myself wishing this rain would never end.

God save Queen Elizabeth.

Long may she reign.

The public announcement of Edward's

marriage to Elizabeth sows seeds of doubt into the

supposed security of the House of York,

and the realm is once again thrown off balance.

Wars inspire change.

And if another one was to wage,

even someone like me could end up as king.

You'd take my head

just for speaking what is the truth?

Have you never considered you could be king?

Me? A king?

With this shameful body of mine?

But then who is more suited to sit atop that throne?

Please, Richard.

You must preserve the king's name.

Our name.

The... king's name.

With his sister-in-law's engagement

shamefully broken, the King of France

lends his support to a renewed Lancastrian bid for the throne.

And then...

What in God's name...

...are you doing here?

Get back!

Your Majesty. My righteous queen.

It would not do to strike down

your would-be savior.

Raid!