~Accords~

The shadows of the fire danced on the skirt of her nightgown, weaving delicate patterns of smoke and embers across the white linen.

Deep in thought, Catherine swayed slowly from side to side, oblivious to the world around her as she had been for the majority that evening. She'd played with Henry, visited Margery and baby John but as soon as she retreated to her chambers, her smiles vanished, replaced with the small frown she held on her lips.

Richard hadn't joined her for dinner and she hadn't sought him out since she'd left his study that afternoon. His prized stallion missing from the stables told her he'd ridden out into their lands but she'd not been able to see him when she peered out from the bailey ramparts and so simply retreated back to their rooms. It was a strange thing, to not have him by her side.

Their relationship was not one of turbulence and disagreements like some were. Most of the time they shared one thought, one mind and to not do so felt strange. It was unnatural, conjuring a sense of unease at the pit of her stomach that refused to slacken no matter how long she stared into the flames a servant had stoked for her. But her husband was not the only man that filled her mind, Prince Edward did too.

Until that day, his memory had been like a ghost to her mind, a shadowy figure that flitted in and out, catching her attention when the world was quiet. Now the apparition materialised before her very eyes, the figure of a man and not the boy she'd once known flickering amongst the flames.

Did the Prince still remember her with fondness as she remembered him? Or had her memory been soured by many years of separation and her marriage to a York Prince; the birth of her Henry?

She was not sure she would blame him if it had.

"I hate when there is discord between us"

His quiet voice startled her and Catherine jumped slightly as she felt Richard's hands slide slowly around her waist, waiting to see if she would pull away. She did not. Instead, she leant back against him, relishing the familiar warmth of his body pressing through his thin shirt "I'm sorry, ma belle" He murmured after a moment "I didn't know you were so fond of him....I shouldn't have spoken as I did"

Him, of course, meant Prince Edward and Catherine felt a small sigh leave her lips. She'd never told him that she'd known the Prince, he'd never been a topic of conversation to naturally spring up between them and she'd never exactly wanted to tell him. Perhaps it was time that she did? At least then he would understand why she'd reacted so that afternoon.

"I knew him as a boy" She admitted after a moment "He was dear to me and I believe....I was dear to him for a time at least. When I was first married to Georgie, he sought me out, climbed over the garden wall of all things, and....he offered to marry me"

"Marry you?" Richard exclaimed, releasing her for a moment to stare into her face with a look of disbelief "He offered to marry you?"

Catherine nodded, continuing to stare into the flames while she thought of that sunny afternoon at Haddon Hall, filled with the innocent dreams of youth. Dreams she's shared in and dreamt of for many years after. "And..." Her husband hesitated slightly "What did you say?"

She sighed a little, turning away from the fire and wandering towards her dressing table.
"What do you think I said? I said yes"

Upon the polished wooden surface lay a great many caskets, decorated with delicate swirls of silver and gold that shone in the candlelight. Each of them were filled to the brim with jewels, rubies, emeralds, sapphires she could often be seen donning along with fine rings, but there was one box unlike the others.

Made from oak and without fine adornment, it was almost lost amongst the finery but Catherine had never let it escape her notice. Not for one day. Slowly sinking onto her cushioned seat before the oval mirror, Richard watched her from the hearth, a note of surprise still lingering in his eyes.

"Come, Dickon" She murmured, reaching for the small wooden box and lifting the lid. Inside lay a single object, a ruby ring that hung on the delicate golden chain selected so many years ago at Haddon Hall. Edward's ring. Lifting the delicate necklace, she listened to Richard's soft steps as he padded towards her, coming to stand beside the dressing table with a curious look in his eyes.

"Your Mother's ring" He observed when she held it up to the flickering candlelight but Catherine shook her head, a sigh of slight guilt passing her lips.

"Only it is not that" She answered quietly, taking one of his hands in her own; squeezing gently "It is Edward's....Prince Edward's. He gave it to me as a promise that one day he would marry me and I....I gave him a string of pearls" The smile that lit her face was one of tenderness "I wonder if he still has them...."

Richard's eyes widened and he stared at the ring with a mix of curiosity and sadness on his handsome face. He opened his mouth to speak but no words appeared on his tongue, refusing to be summoned even though he tried to force them into the open. Reaching out, he caught the ring and it's golden chain in the palm of his hand, watching the ruby studding it glisten though he found no joy in its beauty.

He found only a bitter resentment. If he'd not loved Cate so fiercely, he would've almost been amused that he could be jealous of the designs of a little boy. But he did and found no fun in it.

"At least we needn't worry for Anne's safety. He will not harm her" Catherine murmured, breaking him from his swirling thoughts as she plucked the ring from his hand and placed it safely back in its box. A sign she no longer wished to linger on the past. It was a rare thing to ever see her do and Richard was grateful she'd allowed him a glimpse into the childhood that still brought tears to her lovely eyes.

"But what of Marguerite?" He asked as she rose from the dressing table, wandering back to the hearth where she stoked the burning wood, making hot flames spring upwards in a swirl of smoke.

"If she is to harm anyone it will be Warwick" She sighed, giving Richard a wry smile when he joined her, tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it carelessly onto a nearby chair "I do not know what he sees in this alliance! Does he not know that as soon as she regains power she will have his head? And the heads of his kin? And as for George! He cannot be pleased with his new set of circumstances"

He arched an eyebrow, coming to stand behind her again and wrapping his arms around her waist. Of course George would not be pleased, far from it and truly he was surprised Warwick's head hadn't been hacked from his shoulders by his brother's own hand.

"I'll wager he didn't even see them coming!" He replied, deciding to occupy the gloomy expanse of his mind with his beautiful wife rather than dwell on his fool of a brother "I promised you a summer of peace" He murmured, letting his fingers begin to dance higher, toying with the strings of her nightdress "and even if this is to be the end of that summer then let us spend it in each other's arms. Let us spend it where we belong"

Sweeping her golden hair aside, he planted a gentle kiss to her neck, feeling her pulse quicken at the gentle contact that had her body melting into his. One hand tugged at the front of her nightdress, slipping beneath the fabric and cupping her breast. Catherine moaned softly, turning in her husband's arms as he gently rubbed his thumb over her hardening nipple and allowed him to push her nightgown from her shoulders.

Coaxing him into a kiss, she pressed her body against his, relishing the exquisite feeling of skin against skin while she wrapped his arms around her. This time would be slow, gentle, she could tell. Tonight there would be no hurried kisses, no desperate touches, they would simply love one another and by the time the sun rose they would still be entangled in one another's arms.

Running his hands along the soft curves of her body, he gently pulled her towards the bed, chuckling when she lay back onto the covers and extended a hand towards him.
"Come to me, my love"

Her hair spread out, a golden halo against the pillows, Richard could almost believe her to be a siren, beckoning him into an ocean of pleasure from which he would never escape. Not that he wanted to, he thought as he unlaced his breeches, quickly discarding them. In less than a moment, he was by her side, the covers cool against their skin as they pressed together, sighing softly when their lips met again.

Catherine's eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of Richard's kisses descending down her chest, gently circling her nipple and drawing gentle moans from her until she pulled him above her again. She did not need overwhelming waves of heated pleasure that night, she realised, she only needed him and spread her legs, wrapping them around his waist to signal her need.

He did not need any more prompting and entered her in one smooth slide, filling the room with their satisfied groans that ended with their lips once more meeting. Catherine smiled into the kiss, winding her slender hands into the mass of dark curls above her while she began to rock her hips back and forth, meeting each of her husband's gentle thrusts with one of her own.

They fit together, like a lock and key, made for one another, perfectly in sync as they were lost to their own world of loving pleasure.

"Dickon...." She whispered as he lowered his lips to her neck, sucking gentle marks onto her skin. He smiled. Dickon, she'd called him, not Richard, not 'darling' but Dickon, a nickname that encapsulated all of her love, all of her adoration. It was a memory, the link that bound the tender friendship of their childhood to the passionate love they now felt for one another.

Rolling his hips into hers and hearing her soft gasp of pleasure, he knew he could never love another woman more than he loved his Cate. Soon, their pleasure began to mount and Catherine clenched around him, her fine nails gently dragging over the lightly freckled skin of his back, eyes fluttering shut "Dickon" She called sweetly to him again and he nodded, unable to reply as his breaths quickened and one hand grasped the headboard above them.

The other roamed her body, squeezing her breasts, teasing her nipples into hardened peaks while his thrusts quickened and her hips canted.

She was close, he knew and reached down between them brushing his fingers across her clit until her back arched and she cried out. Hearing his name on her lips, he followed her into bliss, spilling hot inside of her while she sought him for another kiss, clasping him close with all her might.

꧁꧂

September 1470, London....

It was the first time Catherine had ridden with an army at her back and she could not deny it certainly gave her a sense of power. Looking to Richard who rode beside her through the streets on a large white destrier, clad in fine armour, she could see he felt the same and chest swelled with pride at the sight. He looked a fine warrior and was soon to become one.

In late August, the King had dispatched letters throughout the land, calls to arms that all the Lords in the land were commanded to honour and obey. Richard had, of course, jumped to his brother's aid, sending out summons for men to join him with the hope that they would.

Neither the Duke nor Duchess could've estimated the vast amount that appeared at their gates!

Two thousand men of England answered Richard's call, a fine number for any Lord to muster let alone one of only seventeen and still innocent in the ways of battle! The young Duke had looked fit to burst when he looked out over his men the morning the Gloucester household departed for London, satisfied he'd won the respect of the land as well as love of his people!

Now, he rode through the streets of London to the happy cries of it's citizens, Catherine faithfully by his side with an open purse at her belt from which she threw golden coins.

"God bless you, my Lady!" One woman called and the young Duchess smiled her serene smile, sending a small nod in the woman's direction. Despite her lavish taste, the extensive costs of her belongings, she'd always been of a charitable nature and could often be found offering alms to the poor in Fotheringhay's village.

It was a trait that warmed Richard's heart each time he saw it and he grinned when she turned to him.
"We will face whatever comes together" She told him, glancing at the gates of Westminster that loomed overhead, opening in anticipation for the arrival of the Duke and Duchess.

In entering the Palace, Catherine knew she would be willingly trapping herself and her family into the war to come but she supposed there was no way to escape it. Weather she rode to Westminster or not, the icy fingers of the coming campaign would reach into her life!

The courtyard was abuzz with activity, the clash of metal and the shouting of soldiers as they ran about, preparing for war. Smoke clouded the air above, its thick scent filling the noses of all who dared wander close, billowing in great clouds from the bonfires lying charred across the stone.

No sooner had the Duke and Duchess pulled their steeds to a halt then they were ushered inside by a servant, through the halls which had a distinct chill despite the day being warm. There was no time to rest, no time to think and they were quickly brought to the King's study where Edward and Elizabeth waited.

Just as Richard did, the King donned his armour, decorated with intricate patterns of gold across the pauldron. The desk before him was scattered with papers and his handsome face grim, unable to find its usual light even when his gaze fell upon the sight of his brother.

"Dickon!" He sighed, striding around the desk and gathering his little brother into a relived embraced that clanged with the clash of metal "Jesu am I glad to see you!" Richard attempted a wry smile while Catherine crossed over to the Queen, taking her hands and kissing them fondly instead of hugging her for with her rounded belly, she was not sure it was possible!

Though she was only seven months along, Elizabeth already looked ready to take to her childbed.
"The footprint of a healthy son!" Catherine remarked and Elizabeth smiled her thanks, cradling her belly with a Motherly pride she somehow gave regality to.
"A son I shall bring into this world for the greater good of England with God's grace!"

"Yes yes! Enough with the pleasantries!" Edward grumbled, leafing through a stack of crumpled letters with a frown on his face. Finding the one he sought, he snatched it into his hands, scanning the parchment with narrowed eyes. Catherine only needed one glimpse of it to recognise her beloved Georgie's handwriting and felt a rush of relief flood her. So he still stood with Edward. Good.

"Warwick has landed in the North with ten thousand men!" He announced grimly, as if reading out a death sentence "We must ride out to meet him and....we must crush him"

"Crush him?" Richard repeated, a note of almost hesitance to his voice that was silenced on his elder brother's cool reply.
"Completely"

Retuning to the letter, Edward sighed, reading over the lines with a quickness that told the others he had done the same many times before. Clearly, it told a truth that hurt him to admit and the King hung his head, the coldness of moments ago melting.

To Catherine, he looked almost vulnerable in that moment, a broken hearted boy and not the strong man she knew, not a King. It reminded her of the night he'd come to her after Edmund's death and she'd held him while he cried. Was Warwick's betrayal truly as painful as the death of a beloved beloved brother? Did the traitor truly mean that much to him?

Then suddenly, the sadness was gone and any vulnerability, any weakness, vanished, sealed fast behind invisible armour that encased his heart. Rage flared in the depths of Edward's eyes, turning the bright blue to a flame that could burn the very soul with one glance.

"How can he do this?" He hissed, demanding, holding the parchment high for all to see "Our cousin? After all we have been through, after all we have suffered at the she-devils's hands!"

Throwing the paper onto his desk with a scoff of sickened disgust, he began to pace back and forth across the room, his anger growing ever stronger in the light of day "It was Warwick that lit a fire in me taught me how to fight....how to win, to drag her down and punish her for what she did for what she did to all of us and now he stands with her!" His voice rose to a yell and when he turned to his little brother, heated tears glistened in his eyes "Did none of it matter?" He demanded before turning away.

Elizabeth was promptly at his side, placing a  comforting hand on his shoulder while she drew one of his to her belly.
"Think of our son, my love" She whispered "Think of our boy"

"What of George?" Richard cautiously ventured "He surely cannot have taken up the red rose of Lancaster as our cousin has done? Is there any mention of him in the letter?" Edward sighed, keeping his back turned to his kin while ringed fingers gently rubbed across his wife's swelled belly, covered with soft silk.

"Our fool of a brother has written to me" He admitted "He says that he will sail with Warwick but once we face each other in battle he will fight by our side. He says the sons of York shall be reunited once more...."

"And do you trust him?" Catherine asked, finally prompting him to turn and face them again, a grimness to his expression that she was sure she'd only seen on a man condemned "After all, who is he to reunite the Sons of York when he was the one who tore them apart in the first place"

Edward looked at his boots, kicking at the corner of a carpet beneath them, and shrugging slightly.
"I don't know....but I want to. He's still my brother" His eyes met Richard's "Our brother" The young Duke nodded his agreement. While George had betrayed them twice over, he was still their flesh and blood, still one of their own and now he had extended an olive branch they both knew deep down they would not refuse it. Even if their hearts secretly resented him.

The brothers gaze held for a moment, trusting and afraid all at once. Such stark emotions on any man in such a world was rare to see but between Edward and Richard it came naturally and always had done, strengthening the unbreakable bond between them.
"Who marches to join us?" Richard murmured.

"John, of course" Edward answered, causing the Duke and Duchess to glance at one another with looks of heavy doubt written on their faces "Georgie, Hastings, the De La Poles....we shall have a strong force, Dickon, of that I can assure you"

Forcing an encouraging smile to his lips, he took to the papers on his desk once more, flicking through the numerous decrees and letters while the sounds of an army echoed from the courtyard outside. Flicking his hand, he gestured for Dickon to join him and Elizabeth left his side, gliding to Catherine's.

"We are to go to the Tower" She said, linking their arms as she swept them towards the door. The men needed solitude to plot their grisly plans and she knew it would do no good to either she or Catherine to stay and hear them "There we will be safe no matter what comes and it is comfortable! We must simply pray. Pray and wait"

The young Duchess sighed, letting her head rest gently on the Queen's shoulder while they walked, her eyes wandering over the grand palace walls. When would she next glimpse their splendour?

"Wait" She mused quietly "That's all I ever seen to do"

꧁꧂

The Tower of London....

Rain drizzled down from the cloud-covered sky, soaking all it touched, and Catherine could not help but pull her husband's cloak a little tighter around him, making sure the ties were secure. Gazing up into his youthful eyes, she felt her heart twist in pain.

They had said goodbye before and each time it was difficult but this, this was different and both appeared to know it. This farewell seemed a final one, though neither dared admit such a dreaded thought, and when they were clasped together in one last embrace, they wanted to never let go.

"Come back to me" Catherine whispered into his hair, combing her fingers through the dark curls she held to commit their softness to memory "Come back to our boy, to our life" Richard clutched her closer, yearning to throw off his gauntlets so that he might feel the warmth of her body beneath his fingertips just one last time. He could not bare to lose her, not now, not for all eternity.

"I will, ma belle" He swore faithfully "I will come back to you and toHenry"

"Safe and sound" She added, reluctantly pulling away to gaze up into his face. Time was running out and Edward's distant call from the courtyard reminded them of that "I will not have anything else, Dickon"
"And you shall get nothing else, Cate" He replied softly, pressing a delicate kiss to her lips, one so tender she was sure it's touch would linger for a lifetime. "When have I ever disappointed you?"

"Never, my love...." She whispered, shaking her head and feeling tears sting her eyes when he began to pull away, all the warmth inside of her suddenly vanishing, like a fire had been doused by icy water. Only Richard could conjure it to life again and as he slipped away through the Tower door she pressed a hand to her mouth, feeling her lower lip begin to tremble "Never...."