~To Love~

November 1475, Windsor Castle....

"Look at my boy's handwriting!" Constance exclaimed as she showed Anne young Edward's letter, his very first to her that was all his own.
"It is very fine!" Anne praised, smoothing a hand over her swelled belly "It is a shame I shall not see him at Christmas, I love him well"

"You will mayhap see him after your confinement is over? He would love to see the babe"
"My little girl!" Anne enthused "You and Edward shall stand as her Godparents of course"
"We would be honoured. She will be a very fine York girl"

Placing down her sweet boy's letter, she rose from her seat by the hearth and wandered over to her bed where Beth and Katherine stood, pouring over rich fabrics that would make the Queen's Christmas gowns "Ah" Constance sighed happily, running a hand over a length of crimson velvet "I think I should like to pair this with the cloth of gold damask and trim the sleeves and hem with ermine"

"A fine choice!" Katherine agreed "I think the green velvet would be a beautiful choice, paired with the white silk" Constance hummed happily, taking up a length of purple damask velvet and holding it to the light "This would suit Marie. Send it to my seamstresses and have it made as a gift for her" Handing it over to Beth, her sister nodded, folding the material over her arm and bobbing a curtsey before leaving.

"Ah!" She chuckled, glancing over at the silver caskets placed on her pillows "The jewels I sent for?" Katherine nodded and she drew the first towards her, opening the lid and exclaiming with glee as the jewels glittered towards her eyes.

On a velvet cushion lay a golden collar set with sapphires and diamonds, a diamond York rose pendant hanging from the centre. The same pendant hung on the matching pair of earrings, each bearing a sapphire in the shape of a raindrop hanging from it. Nestled around the set was a beautiful crown with the same stones, similar to the one worn by the Queen's of England.

"Perfect" Constance breathed, glancing at the other caskets which contained exactly the same jewels, the same earrings, the same collar, the same crown. Five caskets. One for her and one each for her four daughters "I will give them to my darlings on Christmas Eve" She decided "then we may all wear them on Christmas Day!"

"A fine idea" Katherine said "They shall love them dearly! The dolls you sent for for Isabella and Cecily have a arrived too! Each in their favourite gowns!"
"I'm glad! I'm sure they shall love them! I must think of a gift for my son, perhaps a carved bow and quiver of arrows? Or a new bejewelled book of hours?" She hummed to herself "Perhaps not the latter, I believe Richard mentioned he would give him a gift of that sort"

"Your grace?"
Constance turned as Lizzy walked in and swept a curtsy.
"Yes, Lizzy?"
"The King requests you for supper in his private chambers this evening"

She sucked in a sharp breath, the summons taking her by surprise but she knew she had no choice but to obey.
"If it is the King's command then send word I shall be glad to attend" She replied and turned back to the bed, running hand over another length of fabric.
"I wonder what he wants" Katherine murmured and Constance let out a sigh.

"I think I know" She said grimly.

༻᯽༺

That evening, the King's chambers....

Apart from the crackle of the fire and the occasional scrape of a spoon or knife, all was silent in the King's private chambers where the King and Queen sat at a long table, one at each end.

Every so often, Constance glanced to the ornate door she knew lead to his bedchamber, wondering if or when he would request she go there and he would follow. When she was pregnant there was no question of him bedding her and after the birth of Aliénor she was weakened greatly but now....she was fully recovered. It was known he wanted another boy, another heir for England and with the return of her health, she was ripe to bed and beget with child.

She no longer felt angry with him, she only felt an overwhelming sadness whenever she looked his way and she could hardly think of him bedding her without any love or desire between them. Even on their wedding night there had been pleasure. The very thought of him rutting coldly between her thighs made her heart sink and her stomach turn but she knew she would do it, for the sake of duty. She'd said she would.

Looking to her bowl of cooling soup, she slowly drew her spoon back and forth through it.

"You are not hungry?"
She looked up at Edward's question, forcing a smile.
"No, my Lord, thank you, but I find my appetite is rather limited at the moment"
"You have fully recovered from our daughter's birth, have you not?"

She nodded, placing down her spoon and sitting back in her chair, holding his gaze.
"I have, it is the events of the latest months that take a toll on me"
He frowned, returning his eyes to his plate.
"France is finished Constance"

"It is not France I do dwell on, my Lord, I can only thank Christ and his Saints that no blood was spilt and he was able to provide me with an amicable solution. It is its aftermath that troubles me"
Edward glanced up again, placing down his knife.
"How so, my Lady?"
She nodded, glad to have his attention.

"It is the people, my Lord, your people, our people. They yearned for a great victory"
"And a great victory we may have had but you wished for peace"

"A great victory that may not have come and may have left England without a King" She countered, making him frown "The taxes raised to wage the French campaign weighed heavy upon the people and now they have nothing to compensate for it which I do know is partly my doing. The war has not yet been twisted to your advantage!"

Edward raised an eyebrow, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table.
"So what do you suggest?"
"The gold gained from the campaign be given to them" Constance returned and almost immediately Edward began to laugh, shaking his head.
"All of it?"

"No, my Lord, not all of it!" She snapped, she was no fool "But we must give them some comfort, we cannot have our people suffer, we must have them support us! They love you, there is no doubt, but love does not sate the hunger in their bellies for food! Have the gold distributed amongst the people and make sure it is known who gives it to them! They do not know the intricacies of what happened overseas so it will simply seem you have returned the husbands and sons of England unharmed while bringing the country vast amounts of wealth. We will make it seem a victory, it will be a great victory"

Edward's amusement calmed and he stared at her, a look of sadness pooling in his eyes.
"We?" He repeated "It has been a long time since you spoke thus"
"We are the King and Queen of England, my Lord" Constance replied matter-o-factly "we are one"

"We were one" He murmured in correction before letting out a heavy sigh "and by God I do miss that time Connie! I miss you!" Her heart skipped a beat and she sucked in a sharp breath "I miss you, I miss having you at my side by your own will instead out of duty, I miss having you to hold when the day grows dark"
"You have your mistress"

Edward shook his head, pushing back his chair and rising.

"She is not you!" He said, slowly making his way towards her "I care for her I will not deny it but she has not been the keeper of my heart since I was eighteen, she is not the woman that I love, the woman that learnt English for me, the woman that has given me the best children a man could hope for. She is not the other half of my soul, Connie, that is you" Arriving at her chair he turned it towards him before sinking to his knees, gently taking her hand and holding it to his cheek, gazing up at her "It has always been you and it forever will be.....there used to be not a day that went by where you would not call me Ned and now I have lost count of the weeks where that name has not been used on your sweet lips"

Her lips parted a little and she stared down at him, her head beginning to swell with returning affection. She'd said he would have to relent first and he had, in his own way.

"I've missed you too...." She found herself whispering and the smile she'd started to believe she'd never see again, spread across Edward's lips "I love you Edward. Many times this past year I've wished I didn't but I do. My heart is yours as it always was"

Tilting his head, he lifted his free hand to her face, cradling her cheek and, instinctively, Constance nuzzled into his warm touch.
"Then let us heal the wound between us, sweetheart!" He enthused "Let us be as one again! Tell me, what can I do?"

She blinked, thinking a moment. She wouldn't ask him to give up Jane, she'd realised by then he'd likely only find another woman to replace her but there was one thing he could give her, something she wanted dearly, something she needed.

"You can give me a son" She told him "an army of sons" Edward grinned.
"I'm being serious, Connie"
"As am I!" She returned, lowering her lips to his ear, warmth beginning to blossom at the pit of her stomach "I desire another babe" She whispered "I want another son inside of me"

She heard Edward's breath hitch, his hand tightening around hers as he then exhaled shakily. When she pulled away, she saw his eyes had darkened and her heart jumped with excitement.
"Well then, my Lady, I suppose I shall have to fuck him into you and we all know the best way for a son to be obtained is through pleasure"
"Then pleasure me, my Lord"

A wicked grin curved his lips and he sat back on his heels, running his hands across her thighs.
"Lift up your skirts"
She did as he bade, tugging up her heavy skirts above her knees and over her thighs, spreading her legs and Edward sent her a grin.
"God I've missed this"

Diving between her legs, he licked up her cunt, dragging a desperate moan from Constance as her head fell back. One hand curled in his hair, pulling him closer and Edward held onto her thighs, feasting on her like she was his last meal.

"Edward...." She breathed as he looked one leg over her shoulder, spreading her wider as he sucked on her clit, driving two fingers into her and scissoring them the way he knew she loved. A ragged moan tore from her throat and she tried and failed to catch her breath, her hips bucking up into his mouth. All too soon the coil in her belly snapped and she felt a gush of warmth rush from her.

She hadn't lasted long but neither had she been touched for many months and her husbands mouth had sent her to the heavens.

"Fuck me" She demanded and Edward looked up, his mouth glistening with her juices "I need to feel you again and I need it now" Grasping her hips, he lifted her as he stood, smashing their lips together as he carried her to the hearth and lay her down.
"We will go to bed later" He whispered as he raised her skirts again, hooking a leg around his waist and undoing his breeches "I cannot wait"

They both cried out as he thrust into her, snapping his hips while Constance's back arched. A pinch of pain was the reminder of how long it had been but he filled her so well, stretching her perfectly. He soon began to move and the pain yielded to a growing pleasure, flooding her veins. She grasped his hair as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking her hands and holding holding them above her head with one of his own.

"Christ Con" He moaned through gritted teeth and she pulled her hands from his grasp, pushing him over and straddling him, pulling the pins from her hair until it fell loose and she swept it over her shoulder.
"My dress!" She told him hurriedly "Cut the laces, now!" His eyes flashed with excitement, he sat up, drawing the dagger from the sheath at his waist and dragging it down the back of her gown, slicing the laces clean away.

Constance's hands grabbed at the material, pulling it down with her shift and freeing her breasts that Edward groaned at the sight of, immediately cupping one while he began to kiss and caress the other. Reaching down, she lined his cock up with her entrance and sunk down onto him, letting out a sigh of bliss, pulling him close.

Cradling his head against her chest, his arms around her, she rolled her hips, slowly at first, remembering the dance they used to know by heart before the need inside them both became almost unbearable and Edward's hips thrust upwards, begging her to go faster.

Not letting go of him, she rose up and down faster and faster until she was gasping for air, her eyes fluttering closed and he letting out a gasp as her cunt fluttered around him, almost ready for another climax.

"Ned" She whined and that was enough to undo him. Letting out a strangled moan, she felt him finished deep inside her, pulling her too into sweet bliss and they clung to one another, kissing almost desperately, discarding their need for air. Their love was their air, it was all they needed.

At last, Constance collapsed, rolling to the side and immediately cuddling into him, a contented sigh on her lips. She felt whole again.
"I love you" He told her, his fingers beginning to comb through her hair as they stared up at the painted ceiling covered in stars. She smiled, placing a hand over his heart.

"I know"

༻᯽༺

Constance woke in the King's warm bed feeling a strong arm wrapped around her waist and, after a moment, something soft, smelling sweet, prodding gently at her lips. Opening her eyes, she saw a segment of orange and happily parted her lips, letting Edward pop the fruit on her tongue.

"I ordered one for you as soon as I woke" He murmured, kissing the top of her head, gently nuzzling into her hair. Taking his arm from around her waist, he propped his head on his hand, watching as she sat up a little on her pillows "do you think we made a son, this night?"

She could believe it easily not knowing how many times they had lain together, by the fire, on the dining table, against the wall in his room....
"I think we may have. Another York rose may be blossoming in my womb as we speak!"
"And he will be strong!" He chuckled, running his free hand across her belly "as are you, my Queen"

His hand slipped between her thighs and Constance giggled, rolling on top of him, straddling his waist and pressing a kiss to his lips.
"Not now!" She scolded playfully, still tender from the nights activities and he made a comical groan, rolling his eyes.

"But you are so very beautiful!" He argued, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear "and we have many many nights to catch up upon!"
"Why don't we take a stroll in the gardens? Last night has left me....rather weary" Edward grinned "why don't we dine together and then we shall take to the gardens!" With an affectionate sigh, he cupped her face, drawing her into a soft kiss.

"I think that perfect, sweetheart. We shall do whatever pleases you most, I want to make you happy again and....I deeply regret the months that have passed between us where you have not been so" An sheepish look appeared in his eyes, like a child being caught with a stolen sweet, one that quickly swirled into true regret as he intertwined their hands, pressing hers to his lips "I should've come to you...I should've made things right but my damned pride blinded me" He bowed his head, making him almost a supplicant to her "you were right" He said "I know you were right, what you said to me on the night we broke apart. You have been endlessly loyal to me, endlessly loving" He glanced up again "You are strong, Connie, stronger than most warriors I have known for while you do not wield a sword you possess a strength of mind that no steel could match. I would not admit it then but I admit it now, to you, my beloved wife,as a King to his Queen, as Ned to Connie....I would not have my throne without you....while it may be unmanly to say, I need you and I will always need you"

His words brought tears to her eyes and, throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him with all her might.

"Thank you" She whispered "That is all I have ever wanted to hear, Ned" Pulling away, she giggled a little "Richard did say you were a stubborn old fuck"
"Dickon said that?" He exclaimed "well, perhaps he was right" Constance nodded before hesitating a little.

"Did you mean it?" He frowned a little in question "When I gave birth to Aliénor you said you would love me always and forever. Did you mean it?"
With a loving sigh, Edward smiled and cupped her face again, leaning their foreheads together.

"I thought I was going to lose you, I thought you might die in my arms. I have been on battlefields, I have stared death in the face yet I have never been more afraid than I was in that moment, when you could've slipped away. When I said those words I meant them, I don't think I've ever meant them more"

When the Queen's ladies were called at last, they each arrived with smiles on their faces, happy ones Constance easily returned, squeezing their hands in excitement.

"All is well!" She laughed as they dressed her while Edward was readied in the adjoining chamber "we are as one again!"
"And I am glad to hear it!" Anne said, making the others nod in agreement.
"We are to take breakfast together and then shall walk in the gardens!"

"It is snowing today" Katherine remarked, glancing out of the nearest window "I shall fetch a warm cloak and gloves for you"
"Thank you, Kate" Constance returned "I feel today is a new beginning and, hopefully soon, there shall be another York Prince to join my Neddy!"

༻᯽༺

"Well, would you look at that!" Edward laughed as he caught a snowflake on the tip of his finger, the white fleck bolder against the black leather of his gloves "It's beginning to snow again, would you like to go inside, sweetheart?"

"No, Ned" Constance relied, resting her head on her shoulder and glancing at their linked arms "I wish to stay like this, with you"
"Of course. I've had a message from Richard to say he and our boy have departed from Ludlow"
"Neddy?" She exclaimed happily "Oh that is fine news is it not? We shall have him for Christmas!"
"And I shall have my brother" Edward added "I've had no word from George"

"Perhaps that is for the best, my love. He is still angry with us, particularly with me, he would only cause a scene if he attended, although I wish I could see Isabel and her children" Edward grunted in reply.
"He's twenty six years of age and yet still acts like a child who's been denied his favourite sweets! We are brothers but sometimes I forget we share the same blood. Mayhap I should try to reconcile with him, give him more land?"

"It is certainly what is best for our house" Constance conceded "Though I dislike him wholeheartedly, we cannot afford to be divided. He has his French gold but if land will stop him sulking like a babe then by all means give it to him, just do not give him power along with it"

"I certainly shall not! If I have any power to bestow it shall be to Dickon! He's more than deserving"
"And far more agreeable! They loyalist man I've ever known and will ever know! He is raising our boy" She said, a smile on her face "he is the best man to raise him into a King, apart from you of course"

"No, I agree" Edward returned "As King I do not have the time to teach him properly and Dickon is a far better tutor than I. Neddy will be the greatest, most chivalrous, strongest knight England has ever known! England shall blossom under him"