WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Requiem of the Rose King, Episode 6, “A Man Who Has No Awareness As King...A Man Who Is Unqualified to Be King...Neither of Them Is Fit for the Throne,” now streaming on Funimation.
As expected in Requiem of the Rose King, being a king is never without bloodshed and betrayal. Although the House of York now has the throne, there are many waiting in the shadows and plotting Edward's downfall. It's not just political figures like Warwick, either -- it's also Edward's new wife, borne out of his whirlwind romance, who seeks to bring down the House of York as revenge for the death of her husband.
"A man who has no awareness as king" refers to Edward, who is completely oblivious to the betrayals of those around him. "A man who is unqualified to be king" references George, who doesn't know the first thing about ruling England. That leaves Richard, who is constantly in turmoil because he believes himself to be a monster -- but Episode 6 hints that a new contender for the throne may enter the fray.
Warwick's loyalty in Requiem of the Rose King lies with no one but himself. He initially tried to marry his daughter Anne off to Richard, but her refusal to seduce Richard for her father's nefarious reasons ultimately fails because she genuinely loves him. Warwick saw Edward's marriage to Elizabeth as an act of disobedience and immediately switched his focus to George, who was by far the easiest Plantagenet brother to manipulate.
He may not have the bloodline to tie him directly to the throne, but Warwick will stop at nothing to get as close as possible to it. He's even willing to ally with Margaret, even though she was the one who killed his beloved king. Margaret has her own reasons for working with Warwick; her goal is to have her own son on the throne. All of Requiem of the Rose King's characters are trying to win at a game of chess, yet they have overlooked one piece on the chess board.
Out of all three brothers in Requiem of the Rose King, Richard is probably the most suited to be the king; Edward and George are merely pawns in Warwick's plan. Buckingham recognizes this and is determined to be Richard's kingmaker. He's clever and seems to always be thinking at least three steps ahead, but he's also the one who has chosen to step away from the fight for the throne. Richard's insecurity about his body makes him believe he's unfit to be a man and, consequently, a king. The only scenario where he could ever imagine himself as a king is in a place secluded from the rest of society.
Richard has a recurring dream where he is standing on a chessboard with a single throne in the middle. The thorns that surround him are reminiscent of the forest he's had nightmares about for years. His father is there to greet him, looking every bit like an avenging angel with his black wings. The former king promises his son that he would be safe, as there is no one to hurt or love him here. While Richard claims he feels at peace there, it's an undeniably lonely and haunting place to be in.
Neither Edward nor George should be the king but either one would be much more preferable to Warwick. Richard's desire to become king seems to stem from his love for his father, whom he believed was the only one worthy enough to be seated on the throne. In a way, it only makes sense that Richard should be the next king. While it doesn't look like he'll be throwing himself in the fight for the crown for now, he hasn't taken himself out of the equation yet. Warwick, beware.
