~The Heavenly Blossom of Life~

20th of June, 1484, Middleham Castle....

A thin shawl about her shoulders, Constance watched over the courtyard at the foot of the castle steps, a gentle breeze soothing on her face as she watched Richard's men remove the wood from the burned stables. Some of it was still smouldering, sending a film of grey smoke floating into the clear morning sky.

It smelt rather pleasant, she thought.
It smelt of victory.

The charred rubble of the stables was not the only thing being hauled away, so were the gallows, next to the gatehouse. Though hastily constructed, they had served their purpose nonetheless and the loyal castle inhabitants (and the villagers) had gathered to see the traitors die the evening after Middleham was reclaimed, cheering and jeering as one by one they dropped to their death.

Just as she'd ordered, Richard Grey watched, pale-faced (vomiting at one point) and in a perpetual state that swayed between disbelief and despair.

He would soon join them in death.

"Admiring the view?" A voice said from behind and she smiled, glancing over her shoulder at Richard.
"How could I not? It is a site of victory and justice"

"Indeed" He agreed, as he stood next to her, offering an arm which she took, fingers gently squeezing. The grime of battle had been washed from his body and he smelt of lavender with a hint of smoke - the latter because he'd spent so much time in the courtyard. She liked it "But we must be ready. News will soon spread, if it has not already and once the Woodvilles hear they will bring retribution"

"I'd like to see them try and get within ten miles of Middleham" She quipped "Or twenty for that matter. Their funds are low, their support even lower, what soldiers they have are paid for their loyalty and our supporters greatly outnumber them! Even more so when my boy arrives! Margaret's latest letter said he would sail any day now; Marie at his side"

Richard chuckled.
"I wouldn't expect anything less! She is her Mother's daughter. I can remember you riding to the walls of Warwick Castle as if it were yesterday! Have you settled into your rooms? Are they to your liking?"

In the days following their victory, a great many changes had taken place including the lodgings. The girls now occupied the guest quarters (all trace of Grey had been scrubbed from them before they were allowed to enter), Richard had managed to retain his so he had nothing to move, apart from bringing belongings that had been taken back into his care, and Constance had been given the Duchess' rooms.

While they were beautiful, she'd initially been hesitant to take them. They were Anne's rooms, the last memory she had of them was with her dear friend laid out on the bed in her wedding gown, dead and cold, but Richard had insisted. Anne would've wanted her to have them he'd said and would take no further objection.

So she had moved in.

A world away from the small chamber that had been her home for nine long months, the spacious apartments were almost a novelty to her and yet, at the same time, held a comforting familiarity. She hadn't enjoyed such luxury since Edward died.

"I like them very much" She replied, smiling up at the man beside her "And I think I have you to thank for the jewels I was sent this morning?"

"Perhaps" He replied with a knowing smirk "I was looking through the treasury this morning, good God does Grey know how to spend gold, and happened upon them. They belonged to Anne's Mother. I thought you may like such trinkets"

"Trinkets?" She laughed for trinkets they were not and she knew he knew that! In the velvet-lined box she'd received lay a stunning choker, gold quatrefoils set with rubies between sparkling diamonds (the Neville colours of course). A ruby pendant hung from the centre and the necklace was accompanied by pearl earrings; a pearl and diamond bracelet to match. They were almost as fine as the ones Constance had donned as Queen.

She sighed, she would never again be able to wear the pieces she loved. Not only could she not bear the thought of something upon her skin worn by Elizabeth but the Queen's jewels belonged to the Queen of England and she was not that. Not anymore. The Queen of England was little Anne of Brittany.

"I am sure there is a girdle to go with the set" Richard continued quickly, sensing her sudden wistfulness "When I find it you shall have it"
"You are too good to me"
"There is naught too good for you, Connie"
Her cheeks flushing, she shook her head with a smile.

"Let us go inside" She murmured, gently tugging on his arm "I left the girls unattended in my new rooms and if we leave them much longer, Cecily may have jumped through the floor if she is still insisting on jumping upon the bed and Aliénor may have managed to get herself locked in a cupboard or the garderobe!"

"And where is Isabella in all this mischief?" He replied as they mounted the freshly cleaned steps.
"Where do you think?" She asked "Waiting by the window for her brother's army to come marching over the hill"

༻᯽༺

That afternoon....

Placing her book down on the window seat beside her, Constance stood, removing her shawl and walking over to the hearth of the bedchamber, draping it over the chair facing the window before she sat. Anne's former apartment was spacious, bright and clean yet cosy at the same time.

It consisted of the reception chamber, the bedchamber (the sheets of the bed were rumpled thanks to Cecily), the garderobe and above, accessed not only by a main door but also a private staircase leading from the bedchamber, her own solar!

The solar was sunny and warm, stained glass decorating the windows with the arms of the Nevilles and the Yorks, on some, a bear of Warwick for Anne; a white boar for Richard. It was the same in the bedchamber though instead of heraldry there were flowers, white roses, lavender, foxgloves, lilys, all magnificent in their bright hues.

She sighed, relaxing into the chair, fingers toying with her necklace as she stared at the colours the stained glass painted upon the floor in the afternoon sun.

Her son would arrive soon and all would be well, she told herself. The worst was yet to come in terms of the fight for the throne but there was a small avenue of peace beforehand and she was determined to enjoy it. She was enjoying it!

All had been rearranged, no, all had been set right. Woodville banners had been replaced by York ones, bonfires of celebration still burned in the village and some men were still recovering from the copious amount of ale they'd consumed in the day following the victory. All trace of the Woodvilles (bar the prisoner in the dungeon) had been erased, turning the castle from a place of desolation to a place of hope.

Little feet pitter-pattered behind her and she smiled as Aliénor appeared, clambering into her lap.
"Good afternoon, my love" Constance murmured, pressing a kiss to her daughter's hair "Are you well today?" She stroked her cheek - Aliénor nodded "And are you happy?"

The girl nodded again and pointed to the necklace about her own little throat, a beautiful gold piece set with emeralds "Ah! A gift from your Uncle Dickon?" Another nod and Aliénor's fingers brushed against her Constance's own necklace, looking up at her in question "Yes, sweet girl, this is from Dickon too! Would you like to see the jewels he sent me this morn?"

In response, Aliénor slipped from her lap and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. Smiling, Constance led her to her dressing table, opening the black, velvet box to reveal the glistening set inside. Aliénor's mouth formed a small O and she reached out, running her fingers over the choker before lifting it from its place and holding it up to Condtance.

"You wish for me to try it, my love?" The girl nodded and patted the dressing table seat, watching as her Mother sat and hopping up onto the small space beside her, sweeping her hair aside "Ah, so you wish to do it?"

Aliénor nodded yet again and unclasped the necklace Constance wore, letting it drop into her hand. She put it on the dressing table and placed the new one around her Mother's neck, deftly fastening the clasp and before putting her hair back in place.

Next, she removed her Mother's earrings and replaced them with the pearl ones, ever so careful as she slid them in, rosebud lips pursed in adorable concentration. Finally, she took up the bracelet and slid it onto Constance's wrist, nuzzling gently into her cheek once her work was done. Looking into the mirror before them, she nodded, giving one of her rare, sweet smiles.

They were brighter than the sun and twice as warm - a thing that brought all around her untold joy when they genuinely appeared.

"Thank you, my love" Constance murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, of course she was the one who treasured Aliénor's smiles the most and she was sad to see it faded after a moment or two, though her daughter's contentment with her work did not.

The set truly was beautiful, Constance thought, a work of stunning craftsmanship with a lovely weight to it, particularly the choker; the metal cool against her skin. The jewels truly were reminiscent of the ones she'd worn as Queen, just as she'd thought earlier.

What a different time those days had been.
Like day and night.
Heaven and hell.
Life and death.
Joy and sorrow.

Glancing at her youngest daughter, she gently slipped the bracelet from her wrist and put it on Aliénor's slim one - though it did not fit her, the metalwork hanging loosely from it "I think you should have this" Constance said "You are a Princess after all, and my beautiful, sweet daughter whom I love more with every passing day. Never forget that, Ally"

"Is there room enough for two hard workers fresh from the gardens?"

The two looked up to see Richard in the bedchamber doorway with a beaming Cecily who had one hand tucked mysteriously behind her back; her Father's mischievous grin on her face.

"Of course!" Constance laughed "Come in, my dears!" Cecily glanced up at Richard and he gave her a nod, prompting her to skip over to the dressing table and offer a pretty curtsy before presenting the concealed hand which held a beautiful bouquet of flowers made up of lavender, daisies and blue foxgloves! "Oh, my love!" Constance exclaimed, taking them "They are beautiful!" She held the blossoms to her nose, inhaling their sweet scent.

She knew these flowers, she'd watched them grow inch by inch from the cold earth, their roots eagerly drinking up the rain, developing petal by petal into light green buds until they bloomed. In a way, it was rather sad to see their stems cut.

"Uncle Dickon helped me pick them!" Cecily replied proudly, rocking back and forth on her heels, a smile as bright as the summer sky on her lips, loose, flaxen curls tumbling wildly over her shoulders. The hem of her gown had mud on it, the skirt dusted with dirt.
"Did he now?"

"I did!" Richard confirmed, joining his nieces at the dressing table; bending down and pressing a kiss to Cecily's head then Aliénor's. The latter smiled up at him and wound her arms around his neck, nuzzling against his cheek when he obligingly lifted her up "Do you like the flowers too, Ally?" She nodded and reaching into his doublet with one hand, he plucked forth a daisy and tucked it behind her ear "There, that does suit you greatly. I brought it just for you"

She kissed him on the cheek as thanks "Cecily? Take your sister and go to Isabella in the nursery"
"Yes, Uncle Dickon" Cecily said, taking Aliénor's hand when he put her down and bobbing another curtsy, before leading her from the room.

"Thank you" Constance murmured once they were gone, smelling the flowers again. It was clear picking them had been his idea, Cecily had no particular interest in blossoms of any kind but she did like getting muddy "They are truly beautiful"

"I knew you would like them" He replied and bent down to her, hands coming to rest on her shoulders, sweeping her hair to one side "Just as I knew you would like these" One finger gently stroked the jewels of her necklace, leaving goosebumps in its wake, lips brushing the pulse of her throat. She jumped, quickly looking around for any servants or the girls if they'd chosen to return.

"You cannot be so obvious!" She whispered, despite the smile on her lips, placing down the flowers. There had been no agreement between them, no spoken words that gave way to such actions and yet, in the days after they took Middleham, their affection for one another had blossomed, the barriers between them fading away somewhat. Perhaps it was out of joy, perhaps it was borne from relief or a craving to feel something other than death and doom demanding to be sated?

Whatever it was, neither resisted such a change, quite the opposite.

"We have won a great victory" He replied "We have earned the right to indulge a little, no?"
"Ah yes, the dowager Queen of England and her brother in law found locked in an amorous embrace! I'm sure every soul in the castle would think that type of indulgence just fine!"

He kissed her neck again and a warm shiver ran through her body, turning her bones to molten liquid. One of her hands reached up and rested on his cheek, the light stubble there scraping her fingers, eyes locked on their reflection.

He smiled. She smiled too.

She felt so utterly comfortable in his presence.

"There is to be a feast tonight" He said, finally standing straight; releasing her "A grand feast to honour your victory"

"Our victory" She corrected, brushing her skirts before standing also and turning to face him "You were the one wielding a sword and gathering men to your side"

"They fought for you and your son"
"They fought for us and my son. We both have the love of the people and it will endure"

"And I certainly like those jewels upon you" He stepped toward her so their bodies were barely centimetres apart, fingers intertwining with hers "I ask that you wear them tonight" She smirked, a tingling warmth curling in the pit of her stomach.

"Then I will happily oblige you, my Lord. On one condition" Richard tilted his head.
"Name it" They were free from the eyes of others for that moment and, though she had chastised him only moments prior, she found she could not resist taking it.

"Kiss me"

With a chuckle, he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers, her arms immediately winding around his neck, fingers finding silky purchase in the curls of his ebony and silver hair. Her eyes fluttered shut. He responded in kind, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her against him, gently backing her to the bed post and pushing her up against it. She gasped, allowing his tongue to slip past her lips; flick against hers.

Blood rushed through her veins, heartbeat pounding in her ears as her senses were consumed, her body growing more heated by the second as the two pressed together. She hadn't felt such a thing since....since Edward. It was desire. And it was raging, demanding satisfaction.

Breaking from the kiss, she let her head rest on his chest with a smile - mind dizzy. He sighed, hands gently stroking up and down the small of her back.

"You make me so very happy, Connie" He whispered into her hair "so very, very happy"

༻᯽༺

It was beautiful, she thought, sitting beside Richard upon the dais, looking out over the hall, the roar of merry speech, laughter, and the pleasant melodies played by the minstrels in the gallery above filling her ears to the brim.

In her blue gown from the Scropes, a cloth of silver shawl of Anne's (Richard had found) wrapped around her arms and adorned with jewels, she almost felt herself again and her contentment was only increased as she watched Isabella dance with Henry Scrope, her daughter blushing at every glance the young man gave her.

"What a blessing it is to be young" Richard murmured, a small smile on his face as he too watched, knife playing with the meat on his silver plate.

"A blessing in some ways" Constance replied, her heart leaping at the sound of Isabella's happy giggle as Scrope lifted his partner easily from the floor when she jumped. How she had missed that sweet laugh! It had been snatched so cruelly from her "A curse in others. Youth can yield as much harm as it does protection"

"True" He conceded, memories of his boyhood flashing across his mind, the scent of smoke and a woman's screams making him grimace for a moment before Constance's hand appeared on his arm, gently squeezing. She knew his thoughts at the slightest glance.

"Tout va bien" 'All is well' She told him gently before removing it - to have it seen there for too long would be branded unseemly  "Nous sommes ensemble et nous méritons de profiter de cette nuit comme le font les filles" 'We are together and we deserve to enjoy this night as the girls are doing'

He nodded and they once more looked to Isabella dancing, Constance's eyes flicking to her younger daughters who were at the side entrance to the hall, peeking through the door. It was far past their bedtime but she would not chastise them, she decided, they deserved some merriment; a little adventure.

Cecily and Aliénor sneaking from their beds at night was naught to worry about when she remembered what their brother would have to face and his time was growing nearer by the day.

He would have to fight.

He would have to lead his men and bloody his sword with theirs.

Her boy, Edward's boy, their boy was to be on a battlefield. Their little boy with his golden hair and innocent eyes, the image of his Father, would have to cut down men like wheat in a field at the age of just fourteen.

That was what would be expected.

That was what he must do.

She would have to watch her sweet boy armoured and on horseback riding away into a fray she could not shield him from.

She had already been unable to shield him from so much....

A hot flush suddenly blazed through her body and her breath tremored, skin prickling with the crescendo of uncomfortable heat; tears stinging her eyes. That hellish time was growing close, so close, and she could not bear it.

The hall was too warm, the people and music too loud, the light too bright, the scent of food suddenly sickening.

"Excuse me" She murmured, quickly standing, and Richard looked up in surprise but she turned away, not allowing him to see her face "I must take a breath of air. I will not be long. Do not trouble yourself, I am well, all is well"

Stepping down from the dais, she hurried from the hall, forcing a smile as she stepped past her daughters and disappearing into the corridors of the keep. She needed air, she couldn't breathe.

Forcing herself up a spiral staircase, she did not notice when tears trickled down her cheeks or her shawl slipped from her arms, floating in a luxurious stream of silver to the stone steps below.

Under the covered bridge connecting the walls and the keep she went and broke out onto the southern ramparts with a gasp, the cool night air filling her aching lungs.

"Leave me!" She ordered and the guards quickly dispersed, leaving her be as she walked along the walls a little, before finally resting upon the battlements, her hands pressed against the cool stone as she looked up at the sky.

"Please don't let him die" She whispered "Let him leave, please, let him live" If he did not, neither could she. She had mourned all the dead children she could, all the people she could bear, and to lose him would be the end of her. It had always been her wish that none of her boys would ever have to fight as their Father did and now Edward had to.

But it was worse than if he had had to fight by his Father's side on campaign, if that had been so he would've been older and far more protected. He was not a young man fighting for his King but a boy fighting for his throne and in such a battle his inexperience could prove deadly, especially when his opponent was half a decade older - a true man.

"Do not take him from me" She breathed and silent sobs shook her shoulders as she pressed a hand to her mouth. Not her boy, not her Edward....

She did not know how much time passed before her crying subsided and she took to looking up at the sky, perhaps a half hour or so, perhaps more.

Eyes free of tears she stared up at the sky, each star a pinprick of beauty in the abyss of the night. It was so very beautiful, a sight of peaceful coexistence to be admired for all eternity by the mortal souls of the earth. A gift to be treasured from God indeed.

Suddenly, fingers brushed her arms and she felt the pleasant weight of her lost shawl draped over her shoulders, accompanied by the soft brush of a gentle sigh against the back of her neck.

"Dearest Connie" Richard stood beside her, a hand brushing down her arm; against her fingers "Are you recovered?" Now it was she who sighed and gave a short nod. She had expelled her fear and sorrow for that night and she would once more become focused upon ensuring the best for her son in the coming fight.

"I am, thank you, I was finding peace within the beauteous embrace of the sky" She could tell from the way he leant against the battlements that he did not entirely believe her but knew better than to press her into confession.

"I have always found it is best seen from Middleham" He replied instead "This aspect of the sky is so very perfect, the glow of the moon casts itself faultlessly upon the valley"

"You are quite right" She murmured, smiling as she felt his hand gently take hers, squeezing. There was little to fear in the way of being seen at that moment, not only was it dark but their joined hands were concealed by the folds of her shawl and how close together they stood. She could not help but lean against him, letting her head rest lightly on his shoulder. His presence soothed her beyond measure.

"Strong in duty" She sighed, letting go of his hand "It's been my motto since I was but sixteen and it has changed so much in meaning. I used to think my duty simply meant for me to obey but it is far more than that....it is to protect, to wage war, to fight tooth and nail for those you love, those you care for, to never give in to those who would seek to harm them"

"Duty is far more than obeisance" He agreed "It is all you say and more. It is what binds us to others, to our souls and to God, it guides our path in life. It is our duty to see your son on his throne. For England, for our kin and for Edward" Constance nodded, eyes still trained on the heavens.

"When I was a child, I used to look up at the sky and imagine each star was a soul in heaven, showing us what awaited us after death" She whispered. Richard chuckled.

"I have no doubt that if what you say is true then Edward is the brightest. He would not have it any other way!"
"No, he would not!"

Edward never failed to light a room with his presence, capture the attention of the masses with his confident stride and twinkling eyes; his suave, inviting smile. He was undoubtedly the brightest star in the sky. She sighed, a sad smile crossing her face before it fell "How many there are....sometimes it feels we are the only two souls left on earth"

Richard drew in a sharp breath at that.

"Then...." He hesitated, making her look up at him, their eyes meeting as he turned with a sudden sense of urgency "then let us be as those souls would, together in a world where they can only understand one another. Good God I cannot do without you, Connie"

She blinked, taken aback by his words and yet they filled her heart with joy, with the happiest surprise. She couldn't quite believe it all the same. She was wanted, needed.

"But what of Anne? What of Edward?" She breathed, gasping his hands which had not yet taken to shaking like hers. They held onto one another tight it almost hurt but neither cared, the pain was thrilling and kept her from swooning! "Does not the very mention of us bring their memories betrayal?"

He gave a shake of his head, quick, final.
"I loved Anne, I still do, just as I know you still love and mourn my brother but they are gone to heaven. They now rest leaving our hearts to search for others and I think we have found those others.....we do not bring them dishonour or disloyalty, we find a flame of happiness in a world where even a dying ember is rare"

Her eyes filled with tears, her mouth curving with a small smile; a trembling gasp. Releasing her hands, Richard cupped her face, thumbs smoothing along her flushed cheeks with the tenderest of touches, passion in his gaze "Come to me, Constance" He whispered "Come to my bed tonight. Lie with me"

She could not deny she wanted such a thing, especially now it had been laid out, offered, in no uncertain terms. Desire for the man before her lay aching in the pit of her stomach and the hands on her face made her skin burn in the very best of ways. She felt her blood was fizzing!

"Lie with you?"
"Yes!" He said with a fervent nod "We must seize the moments we have, Connie, there is never any telling how many are left!"
"What if we are caught?"
"We will not be! Not if we are careful!"
"Mayhap not tonight perhaps but...."
He arched an eyebrow.

"So you wish to lie with me more than once?"
Heat spreading like a flourish of red steam up her neck, she giggled, face falling into his shoulder.
"Good God, Richard!"

"Do you want it?" He asked "Do you want me?" Pulling back, Constance sighed, looking up into his handsome face, into his lovely eyes. She could not deny herself.

"Yes" She breathed "Yes I do"
"Then come to me! After all have retired! Take the servants passage to my chambers! It is a little further than before but you shall find it!"

She knew precisely where it was, all the sneaking around those past months hadn't amounted to nothing! She could find any room in the castle blindfolded!

"I will" She said and he exhaled a shaking breath, taking her hands again.
"So you will come to me?"
A shiver of delightful desire ran through her.
"Yes....yes I will, Richard
He nodded, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.
"Come when all are retired and you....are ready"

And then he was gone, walking back to the keep while she stared after him, hands trembling; stomach in excited knots.