~Golden Days~

21st of May 1471, Westminster Palace....

The Lancastrian nobles fled once they knew the battle lost, some to the nearby town but most to the Abbey where they begged sanctuary and was granted it by the priest. However, not even God could help them that day. Against the laws of the heavens and the land, King Edward broke into the barred abbey with his men, sword drawn, ready to kill, only halting when the priest bade him not shed blood in the house of God.

Apologising to the old man, the York King sheathed his sword but did not relent in his aim and had the Lancastrian Lords dragged from the Abbey to be beheaded the next day under the command of the young Duke of Gloucester.

All but one. The Duke of Somerset.

"A much different fate awaits him, my friend" The King said grimly when Will asked him why Somerset hadn't been put to the sword "Believe me, he shall wish he had been slain this day before the time comes for him to die" He had not forgotten what the man had done to his Queen, how he had had her beaten and their children torn from her arms - nor would he ever.

With the battle of Tewksbury came great victory for the House of York and great defeat for the House of Lancaster, destroying what little left it had.

Edward of Lancaster, the only true heir to his house was slain on the battlefield. At sixteen, it had been his first battle, just a year younger than Edmund of York had been at Wakefield and it was for him, some said, that the young Lancastrian Prince's life had been taken in an act of long awaited vengeance.

His Mother, Queen Marguerite, was captured soon after the battle and, while a strong woman, the news of her son's death crushed her. Delivered cooly on the lips of John Neville, the Lancastrian Queen collapsed to the ground, a heartbroken scream tearing from her throat, one hand pressed against her womb.

He was her only child and he was dead.

While Somerset was dragged behind the King's horse in chains upon his triumphant return to London, she was paraded through the streets in an open litter. The people jeered but she appeared not to see them. Pale faced, eyes red-rimmed, she simply stared ahead of her at the spires of Westminster Palace that used to be her home and then at the Tower walls where she would remain until the York's decided her fate.

The Lancastrian Prince's widow was afforded more dignity, travelling in a comfortable carriage directly to Westminster Palace with its curtains drawn about her. The King had promised his Queen to rescue Anne Neville and he knew she was just a girl, he was fond of her in truth; he would not humiliate her for the sake of it. Besides her heart was suffering enough without him adding to her troubles.

Constance felt pity prick at her heart as she watched the fallen Queen marched through the Tower courtyard from her bedchamber window. She couldn't help but think if the wheel of fortune had turned differently it could've so easily been her instead of Marguerite being locked away, her that mourned the death of a child.

She knew the pain the loss of children brought and that night resolved to pray that Marguerite would somehow find peace. While they were enemies, they were both Mothers.

All trace of pity vanished, replaced with a violent hatred, when she saw Somerset being dragged to the darkest cell the Tower held, bearing cuts all over his face and one eye blackened - half closed. The scars on her back were an ever present reminder of what he'd done, as were her beloved children and when he disappeared from sight a bolt of victory struck her.

He'd sought to destroy her family and yet here they all were, safe and sound.

"Sweetheart!" Edward greeted merrily when he entered their chambers, opening his arms and she ran into them, beaming. Kissing her soundly on the lips he held her tight and she melted into his embrace, the very same relief she'd felt when James told her of Tewksbury flooding her veins. It was one thing to hear he was alive, it was another to see it, to feel him and the beat of his heart beneath his doublet.

"Now, we celebrate!" She told him and he laughed, cupping her face as gently as if it were a precious jewel.

"Yes, my dearest love" He replied "Now, we celebrate!"

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Westminster Palace....

"Well done Father!" Marie called sweetly, applauding with all her strength as her Father and Uncles paraded past the Queen's party on their way to the great hall, all dressed in cloth of gold and nodding to the nobles lining the corridors. Edward reserved his best smile for his daughter, winking which sent her into a fit of giggles while her Mother beamed, holding her son and donning her coronation gown.

Once her husband had passed, she followed him, Marie trotting at her side in a gown of purple velvet and ermine, her ladies and Cecily behind. It was a walk of triumph through the palace, a glistening show that assured the court of the return of the mighty house of York.

Blue and murrey banners fluttered from every wall as did the King's, the Queen's and their combined one, bearing half of each of their sigils on deep purple velvet and the motto 'Maxime Felix' embroidered in gold beneath.

"We truly are the most lucky, aren't we, sweet boy?" Constance cooed to the boy in her arms as he gazed around at the abundance of people sparkling with jewels. They swept deep bows and curtsies, applauding for their rulers return and gazing lovingly at the little boy that would secure their future.

Chuckling, the Queen straightened the little white bonnet on his head and smiled all the more as they entered the great hall where the main body of the court waited.

The riotous clapping that met her ears prompted little Edward to copy them and as she strode towards her throne behind the King, he clapped his chubby hands, beaming around him.

Ascending the royal dais, Constance swept her skirts aside and sat with her husband upon her throne, his brothers standing by him, her ladies and Mother in law standing by her. She placed her son on her lap, kissing his cheek.

"Come, daughter!" Edward commanded with a grin at Marie, patting his knee. She beamed and rushed to him clambering up onto his lap while the court watched on, the men, indulgently, the women, as if they were about to swoon "There!" He laughed, putting an arm around her waist "Now we are all together!"

"Just as we should be, Father!" She replied happily, showing him the diamond ring on her little finger that he'd given her before Edward's christening. He smiled, kissing her hair.

"Now!" He announced, grinning at his nobles "Lord James of Bourbon, come forth!"

In a new doublet of blue velvet, James emerged from the crowd, coming before the dais and bowing low.
"Your grace, it is an honour to be in your presence"

"And we are glad you are here" Edward replied, inclining his head "You have served my house and my family well, Lord Bourbon and now it is my wish, as it is the wish of my beloved Queen, to reward you" James grinned, knowing exactly the reward he was about to receive for Constance had told him the night before in a flurry of excitement.

It was to be the second of great gifts handed out by the crown for the first had been the gift of a divorce to Anne, finally allowing her to be free of her husband, the Lancastrian Duke of Exeter. She was allowed to keep her title as Duchess, while he was stripped of it, and bestowed all of his lands for the endurance of his life. If she remarried, those lands would pass to any heir she bore.

To say Anne was overjoyed was an understatement.

Lowering himself to his knees, James bowed his head as Edward rose from his throne, smiling down on his brother in law. Richard joined him, carrying a heavy golden chain of office on a cushion "It is my pleasure" Edward boomed "To bestow upon you the title of Duke of Somerset and all of the lands and income the position carries"

Turning to the side, he lifted the chain of office into his hands and placed it over James' head, onto his broad shoulders. The new duke offered up his clasped hands and the King took them between his.
"I pledge allegiance to you and your successors, to serve you, to aid you and protect you until my last breath"

"I am grateful for your service and your loyalty" Edward replied, pulling James to his feet "Now, join my brothers" The younger man raised his head and smiled, walking up the dais to the other sons of York who nodded to him.

༻᯽༺

Laying in the afterglow of lovemaking, Constance smiled as Edward caressed the top of her head, winding strands of her hair around his fingers. That day had been a golden one, perfect and joyous; the final step to the return to power and she embraced it entirely.

"Wasn't Neddy good today?" She murmured, trailing a hand across his chest, still rising and falling with heavy breaths - he certainly hadn't spared his strength when they returned to the tower! He hummed in agreement.

"He was the perfect image of a York Prince and you saw how the court adored him!" Indeed she had and pressed a kiss to Edward's lips as he turned on his side and she did the same, giggling when he brushed their noses together "Just as I adore you" His hand stroked the curve of her body, coming to draw circles on her hip.

"And I you" She replied "My King" He smirked.
"My Queen" Pulling her body against his, he kissed her passionately, hooking her leg around his waist and beginning to grind against her. A soft mewl left her and she tangled her fingers in his hair, rolling her hips in response.

"Ned..."
"Connie" He whispered, placing hot kisses down her neck "Sweet Constance" He rolled them over so he was on top, beginning to trail his lips down her body when, suddenly, he stopped. Constance frowned in confusion and looked down as he rested his forehead on her stomach, sighing.

"My love?" Without answering, he moved off her and from the bed, pulling on his shirt and breeches. Pulling the bedsheet over her bare body, she shuffled to the edge of the mattress, cocking her head to the side "Ned what is it, what's wrong?"

After lacing his boots, he turned back to her and gently pushed her back onto the bed, one hand on either side of her body as he planted a kiss to her lips.
"I will be back soon, sweetheart" Without giving her a chance to reply, he kissed her one last time and moved away, striding from the room without a backward glance.

Constance stared up at the bed canopy for a moment, frowning to herself as she tried to decipher what had just occurred. Edward had been about to have her for the third time that night and without warning - he had stopped. It was inexplicable, nothing quelled Edward's lust and yet he'd left with his mind consumed with another matter.

What that was, she didn't know but it pricked continuously at her mind until she found herself reaching for her nightgown and pulling it on. Edward had defeated the forces of Lancaster hadn't he? The Prince was dead and the Queen captured, their children were safe and so were they? There was no more danger, was there? If there was he wouldn't keep it from her, would he?

She bit her lip.

Slipping on her velvet robe, she tiptoed from the chamber. She was the Queen, she had every right to be walking around the fortress at night but a voice in her mind told her to keep quiet, to be aware of every shadow.

She knew not where Edward ventured but her feet had a mind of her own, guiding her through the hallways until a two voices alerted her, prompting her to step behind a pillar.

"You know it must be done, there is no other way"
"Just because I possess a consciousness doesn't mean you need to be a prat about it"

That was no doubt George and Richard, their quarrelling voices more than familiar to Constance's ears.

"Besides" Richard continued "he is no true traitor unlike you. You bore the Lancastrian rose more enthusiastically that he ever did and you had all the enthusiasm of a drowned rat"

"Careful, little brother" George warned and the Queen's frown deepened. Who was this 'he' they spoke of, why was Richard speaking of his conscience, something she knew was of paramount importance in his code of honour?

She didn't have time to find answers as a third voice joined the brothers.

"Hold your peace, George. Both of you. I have enough troubles without you two squabbling like old women!"

Her breath hitched.
Edward.
She'd hoped rather than believed he wouldn't appear.

His footsteps were louder than usual to her ears, the steady beat of a war drum as they drew closer and closer; finally stopping. She exhaled shakily before daring to peer around the pillar only to spy Edward passing a small pouch to a guard by a heavy door. The man nodded, passing the King a heavy iron key before moving away out of sight.

And then, she realised.
They were outside King Henry's rooms.

Edward unlocked the door and one by one they slipped inside, the lantern Richard carried illuminating their figures. His brothers were dressed the same as him, simply and hurriedly, their white shirts billowing around them like sails in a breeze, untucked from their breeches.

The door shut. Constance blinked.
"No" She whispered into the dim light of the deserted corridor - dread filling her to the brim. There could only be one reason the three sons of York were paying a visit to the deposed King in the dead of night and it certainly wasn't for an amicable chat. It was to dispatch death unto the old man.

Her feet pushed her forward, taking her closer to the closed door and her hand crept upwards, fingers curling around the latch on the small window in it. It opened without a sound. The chamber inside was dimly lit but the three sons of York were plain to see, gathering around King Henry's bed like ghosts, making her heart beat faster, pounding against her ribs.

The old man slept soundly, his troubled face relaxed with his mind away from the cruelty of the world. Eyes wide, Constance watched as Edward took up a pillow, staring in disbelief as he looked at his brothers before Henry and pressed the pillow over his predecessor's face. Her shaking hands pressed over her mouth in horror.

Immediately he began to struggle, body jerking, thin arms flailing, pushing helplessly at Edward's face. Constance's stomach turned, bile rising in her throat as Richard sprang onto the mattress, holding down Henry's kicking legs and George watched on now holding the lantern, a passive expression on his face.

She shook her head, hardly daring to believe what she saw was real, that her beloved husband was murdering an anointed King before her very eyes. He was a solider, a man trained to kill since birth, it was true, but there was a vast difference between slaughtering rivals on a battlefield and an old man in his bed who possessed neither strength nor stamina.

Soon, his struggling body stilled and his arms lay limp at his sides. His chest no longer rose and fell and Edward took the pillow away, looking down at the dead King who's face was now almost blue and his eyes open - panic stricken.

Suddenly, as if he could feel himself being watched, his gaze flicked up and met hers, growing wide as he took in the horror on her face, the tears dampening her cheeks.
"Constance...."

She shook her head, stepping away into the gloom, the beat of her heart rushing in her ears before she turned and fled, ignoring the calls of her husband. As fast as she could she retreated to their chambers, slamming the door and stumbling towards the prie dieu where her rosary lay. Snatching up the cool rope of onyx beads, she pressed it's emerald and diamond crucifix to her forehead, a small sob racking her body as she began to pray.

Her husband had just murdered a man in his bed, pressed a pillow over his face while his brothers helped and she'd done nothing. She'd stood and watched and now Henry was dead and her husband was a true murderer - she could almost feel her heart cracking in her chest.

"What have you done, Edward?" She whispered, gazing up at the cross on the chamber wall "What have you done?"

She sprang to her feet when she heard the door open, her rosary wrapped tight around her hand and stared at her husband as he stepped into the chamber, the door shutting behind him.
"Connie" He advanced, trying to reach for her.

"No!" She cried, almost a shriek, holding out a hand to stop him. She couldn't bear to have his hands touch her in that moment, the same hands that had smothered an old man mere minutes ago "No, do not touch me!" He stared at her, letting his arms hang limply at his sides and she shook her head, more tears gliding down her cheeks "I promised him" Her voice dropped to a whisper "we promised him that he would be safe! That he would be protected!"

Edward swallowed, tilting up his chin.
"It had to be done"
"You smothered an old man in his sleep!" She yelled, surprised to see him flinch slightly "After he told you he was glad he was in your care! He trusted you!"
"That was his mistake"

Constance recoiled, stepping back as if the words had burned her but Edward stepped forward, a degree of despair taking over his voice as his initial cool response failed him "You know we couldn't have kept him alive, Constance! We did once before and still he was restored to the throne! Keeping him alive would only keep embers of hope alive for Lancaster. His son is dead, we needed him dead too. Besides, you were the one who ordered the night attack on Fauconberg's men are you not?"

She stared at him in disbelief.

"That was different! Those men were attacking us! They would've killed me and the children, they'd already set fire to Southwark! Henry had done naught but be born into a position he was unfit for!" Turning away, she knelt at the prie dieu again, bowing her head "Sweet Father above forgive me...." Her words of prayer failed her "he was an old man....a sick old man...."

Edward rushed over, kneeling at her side and taking her hands, forcing her to look at him. She was surprised to see a glimmer of fear on his face, even more to feel his hands shaking somewhat.

"He was a threat! To us and to our children! Do you think I wanted to kill him? Do you think I was joyous showing myself what can happen to a King? Do you think I relished pressing that pillow over his face while Richard held him down? I didn't, I don't take joy in the murder of an old man, I take joy in securing our children's future, our son's crown! I did it for us....for Marie, for Edward and for the children the Lord is still to bless us with just as you did!"

She was surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes and when more of her own spilled, she let him draw her into his arms, trying to ignore her abhorrence at his touch for the sake of comfort.

"I promised him our protection...." She whispered and Edward nodded into her hair, holding her tightly.
"And now he has God's, his soul is at peace" He didn't sound certain; more like he was trying to convince himself.

"And what of our souls?" Constance asked, turning her head to look at the crucifix on the wall again. Edward sighed.

"The Lord will understand"
'Thou shalt not kill' Was all Constance could think over and over.
"Will he?"