~Sister's Strife~

"It is done, your grace" Jane said softly a week later as she approached the Queen who was standing by a window in her bed chamber, looking gown at the courtyard below through the frosted glass.

"Truly?" Eleanor breathed "my sister is in the Tower?"
"Aye" Jane replied truthfully "Elizabeth is imprisoned in the Tower and her daughters safely at Leeds Castle" Eleanor nodded silently, only looking up when Jane took her hand, their fingers intertwining.

Jane had always been looked down upon by the nobles, for they thought her nothing but a whore, and Eleanor's other ladies (while not cruel to her apart from Margaret) were wary of her. Anais sometimes tried to make cheery conversations but Marie was always cold and Anne was less than obliging; kept her daughter Isabel away and Katheryn too.

Richard disliked her to an unspeakable level and had hardly uttered one word to her during the time she had been apart of the household and his friends largely followed his example.

So, as it was, poor Jane was rather void of friends, the only companion she found was Eleanor. Their friendship had formed quicker than either expected, an intimate bond growing between them in seemingly the blink of an eye! They shared the same humour and wit, took interest in the same things and soon began to confide in one another, sharing secrets never before whispered to another.

Now Eleanor turned to her, squeezing her hand a little as she thought.
"Do you think it's right?" She asked tentatively. "I've been pondering over my decision since the moment I announced it and....well I don't know anymore. I know Elizabeth needs to be stopped and if she did not have my nieces with her I would have clapped her in irons without a second thought but....what of my nieces? Alone and without their Mother in an unknown place?"

"You did what was right, Leena!" Jane assured her "and besides, you know your nieces well! Lady Elizabeth is a plucky little thing and adapts well to almost any situation! Cecily takes a little more time but eventually comes around and the rest are mere children! They hardly know the difference between one royal palace and another!"

Eleanor smiled a little at the descriptions of her nieces for they were all accurate. Lizzie never stayed sulking for long and would most likely be as happy at Leeds Castle as she had been at Westminster just as her sisters would be!

"You notice a lot, Jane, don't you?" She said and then it was Jane's turn to smile as she nodded.
"Not many people talk to me and never have done" she admitted "so I've made it my talent to listen and to remember!" The Queen nodded and turned back to the window, watching as Richard lifted Bess onto her horse and George mounted his (clearly proud that he could do it himself).

"With that done, the ceremony can go ahead" she said quietly and Jane tilted her head.
"Ceremony?"
"Yes....in the chapel the Archbishop of York is to invest my George as Prince of Wales!"
"So the throne truly is secure"

Eleanor nodded, smiling a little as she watched her two eldest children leap over the makeshift jumps that had been made for them and their horses.

"He is to be invested here in a weeks time and Rob and Francis are to bring Johnny back here with them so Richard can knight him! Then we are to travel to Fotheringhay Castle for Christmas!" She said, now a note of excitement to her voice. It had been her own suggestion to hold their Christmas Court there and Richard had readily agreed. Richard had been born there (as had a few of his siblings) and it had been his parents main home for years!

'Why not mark the beginning of a new reign, a new age for England in the place where your own life began?' She had said and Richard had smiled and kissed her, his eyes shining with love "There my other sons shall be created Dukes! Edward is to be the Duke of York and little Thomas is to be the Duke of Arundel!"

She announced the titles with pride for it had always been expected that her sons would grow to be Dukes as they were sons of a Royal Duke but now they were to be Royal Dukes themselves!

'They will probably not know the difference between possessing a title and not!' She mused, after all, Edward was only seven and Thomas only one, though he would be two in November.

꧁꧂

George tried not to shuffle from foot to foot as he looked around Sheriff Hutton's chapel, gazing around at the stone pillars and the altar, the abundance of candles that made the images in the stained glass windows almost dance before his eyes.

On one knee in front of him was his father, his dark brows furrowed with concentration as he helped to lace his son's doublet of cloth of gold and straighten the ermine lined cuffs of his sleeves.

"Will I really be King one day, Father?" George asked, his voice quieter than usual, almost slightly afraid though he would deny any sort of fear if questioned. Richard looked up as he finished his adjustments, smiling and placing his hands on his young son's shoulders. He felt his heart swell with pride.

"You will" he said with a nod "and all of England shall look to you" he expected George to smile at the promise of a crown (his namesake certainly would have done) but the boy instead looked down, a look of uncertainty crossing his face as he bit his lip "George? What's wrong?"

"I don't want to be King if you'll die" George murmured softly, afraid his admission would show weakness despite knowing he had never been reproached by his Father for showing emotion. Now Richard stood and gathered his son into his embrace. It was strange, he thought, he often forgot how young George really was.

He always presented himself in such an adult manner, striving to be mature but in that moment he was the mere eight year old boy he was, young and worried.

"I won't die for a very long time" Richard told him as he gently combed a hand through his son's ebony curls "I promise....and I always keep my word, don't I?" He felt George nod his head against the front of his doublet, only then catching sight of Eleanor who was lingering at the chapel door.

She smiled at him and he found himself in awe of her beauty, as he was each time he saw her, without fail. That night she was dressed in a velvet gown of rich crimson, silver embroidery on the bodice and skirt shimmering in the candlelight as she moved towards her husband and son.

"It is time" she said softly, opening her arms as George ran to her, enveloping him in a warm hug. "Harry left safely" she said as Richard joined them "I asked if it was possible if he could stay for the ceremony but he said not"

"What is it that's taken Harry from us so quickly, my love?" He asked, watching as their friends and family began to enter the hall, Johnny included who was looking as excited as a small child at the prospect of receiving a knighthood which he was to do that night.

"Cat is about to have their fifth child" Eleanor explained "he said he wanted to be with her" she smiled to herself "it's strange" she observed "I really think they may have found some sort of happiness together....perhaps not love....but some sort of happiness is theirs I think" Richard smiled.

"I'm glad for them" he said.

꧁꧂

"Do you, George Plantagenet of Gloucester, Prince of England, hereby promise to keep the laws of this realm and govern the land to the best of your ability, obeying your Lord and King in all matters?" The Archbishop of York boomed at the chapel alter as young George knelt before him, his parents watching in proudly from the side.

"I do" he said as clearly as he could, his hands clasped tightly together in front of him as he tried to control the erratic beating of his heart that was threatening to break through his chest.

"And do you promise to fulfil your duties as Prince of Wales and be a good and righteous Prince of this realm, fair and just to all who do seek your aid?"

"I will" George declared and saw his Father smile before the Archbishop made the sign of the cross over his head and passed the golden crown in his hands to the King. Richard stepped forward, crown in hand and held it above his young son's head, smiling down at him before he looked up to address the nobles that sat in the chapel pews.

"With this crown, I, Richard Plantagenet, King of England, hereby declare you, my son, George Plantagenet, as Prince of Wales and King after my reign!" He placed the crown on George's head and heard the boy suddenly take in a sharp breath, hand reaching up to "Long live the Prince of Wales!"

"Long live the Prince of Wales!" The crowd chorused as the Archbishop once more made the sign of the cross and all present followed his example.

꧁꧂

October 1483, Fotheringhay Castle....

Eleanor giggled as if she were a little girl as she chased her children along the corridors of the castle, skirts swishing, hair unbound and flying behind her.

Ahead, Matilda, Edward, Cis and Isabella ran as fast as they could, the promise that the last to be caught would receive a strawberry tart fresh in their minds. Edward held his three year old sister Nell in his arms, grinning as she squealed and bounced happily in his arms.

"Annndd....I've got you!" Their Mother cried as she caught Matilda around the waist, swinging her up into the air and kissing her cheeks while the ten year old squirmed and giggled "come on, Tilda!" Eleanor continued, taking her daughters hand as she set her down "we must catch the others!"

"Yes! Yes!" Matilda crowed and picked up the skirt of her gown, running after her siblings.
"Eleanor! Eleanor, his grace wants you!" Eleanor turned at the sound of Jane's voice, smiling at the other redheaded woman as she nodded.

"Carry on the game!" She laughed "the children like you!" Jane nodded, a proud blush staining her pale cheeks at the praise before she made after the children, their excited squeals filling the corridors.

Eleanor was all smiles and laughter as she entered Richard's study, almost skipping over to his desk where he was sat to kiss him soundly on the mouth. When he did not respond as readily as he usually did she pulled back a little, a small frown on her face.

"What is it?" She asked as she toyed with the ties of his shirt, her humour draining a little at her husband's dismayed expression "my love what is wrong?"
"It's news, from Sir Robert in London" he sighed, sitting back in his chair and eyeing the letter in front of him "I thought that once the boys were disinherited and in the Tower we would be safe but we are not. It seems there is a rebellion in the making" he paused "and our niece Elizabeth is betrothed to Henry Tudor"

"Henry Tudor?" Eleanor breathed, frowning fully as a wave of disbelief swept over her. She shook her head, leaning back against the desk and letting her hands curl around the wooden edge. "But....how? When?"

"Since September apparently"
"But that's not possible" Eleanor argued "Henry Tudor is....he's Margaret's son, only she could have...." her voice trailed away and she shook her head again, feeling the sting of betrayal beginning to pierce her heart "only she could have arranged this. With Elizabeth"

Richard sighed a little and put his hand on top of one of hers, rising from his chair and standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry" he said, sliding his arms around her waist "I know she's dear to you but it seems she has been scheming with your sister"
"Very dear" Eleanor mumbled as she leant against him, hiding her face in his shoulder "oh, Richard, have I been blind?"

"Your graces?" She spun around at the sound of Stanley's voice, her eyes widening when she saw him in the middle of the room, Margaret beside him. The more she looked at her, the more she could feel her sadness replaced with anger.

Striding forward, she watched with a cold expression as Margaret curtsied before her.
"Is it true?" She snapped and saw the other woman flinch "is it true you have betrayed me and betrothed your son to my niece? That all you have ever been has been a lie?"

Margaret simply stared back, a blank look in her eyes, one that hurt Eleanor more. If she had seen anger, sadness even a grain of either then at least she would have known Margaret cared about her betrayal but all that was there in those dark eyes was simply nothing.

No care.
No love.
Nothing.

"Your grace" Stanley said smoothly, a lightness to his voice that made it seem he was trying to ease the situation "perhaps there has been some mistake?"
"Oh shut up, Stanley!"
"Eleanor" Richard warned from his desk and she momentarily glared at him over her shoulder.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, Richard Plantagenet" she ordered "for I will not listen!" Turning back to Margaret she saw Stanley had stepped back and clearly wasn't going to aid his wife who simply stared at her Queen ""Betrayal. I knew it was to come" Eleanor cried "but never, never did I expect to find such disloyalty from you. You who have stood by me and supported me....only to prove false in the worst of ways"

At that Margaret looked down, a twinge of hurt or guilt in her eyes, Eleanor could not tell which but she did not care. Perhaps it was simply embarrassment that she had been found out?

"When I lost my first child you comforted me" she said slowly "and told me to give my husband another chance when I had all but given up of any hope of happiness with him. It was you who comforted me when my little Richard died and my William too! It was you whom I trusted with my children and my secrets and prayers!" Her voice rose to a shout as she felt tears fill her eyes and Margaret looked up, finding tears in hers too. "How can you do this, Margaret?!"

The dark haired woman opened her mouth to speak but Eleanor held up a hand for silence. She was not in the mood for excuses or begging, all she knew was that she had been betrayed by one she trusted most and it hurt. It hurt greatly.

"Lord Stanley?" She said icily and the man walked forward, bowing low but he did not speak for fear of another reprimand "from this day forth I am placing Margaret under house arrest"
"Your grace!" Margaret stuttered, astonished. "Eleanor! Please!

"Be quiet" Eleanor hissed "you have no right to speak to me, not now and quite frankly I can hardly bare to have you in my sight!" Margaret looked down again "all of your wife's lands are forfeit and will revert to you, Stanley" she continued "her servants are dismissed she is to have no contact outside of your household, do I make myself clear?" Stanley nodded firmly "take her away"

Margaret opened her mouth to voice another protest but could not as she found herself quickly steered out of the room by the firm grip of Stanley on her arm. Hearing the door shut, Eleanor slowly walked to the fireplace, feeling Richard's eyes follow her as she stopped and stood before the flames, placing a hand on top of her swelled belly.

"I'm sorry" Richard said as he had done earlier but Eleanor shook her head, not allowing the pain that wracked her heart to register on her face.

"I am the Queen now" she said, twisting the rings on her fingers "and Queens have to make tough decisions. Besides, if I had kept her here and not done away with her as quickly as I did I fear I would have relented in my anger....she has been one of my trusted friends for many years." She paused and sighed "but it seems she took me for a fool"