~Twisting the Knife~

Christmas 1475, Middleham...

"Does my Mother love me?"
Eleanor's head darted up at the question Katheryn asked her. She was sitting at the side of the little girl's bed to wish her a goodnight, had been about to blow out the lone candle that provided light when the words had been spoken aloud.

Words Eleanor had always dreaded yet there was no way to escape them now. Katheryn's hopeful face stared up at her, brown eyes wide with question, dark curls fanning her pillow.

She could not explain that she hated to think on Kate. She must provide an answer to the young girl's question for it was one of the greatest importance.

"Of course she does" she said with as reassuring a smile as she could muster "I am sure that she loves you very very much!"
"Then why did she send us away?" Katheryn asked, fiddling with the covers "Johnny and I?"

Eleanor's mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of a response, reaching out and taking Katheryn's hand.
"Because your Father is a powerful man" she said after a moment "and he loves you and wants to protect you"

"Just as he protects you and Bess and Tilda and George and Will?"
"Precisely!" Eleanor confirmed warmly "and he will always protect us, all of us. You are the daughter of a Royal Duke, Kit....both your Mother and your Father love you to the ends of this earth and I bid you never forget it!"

"Never" Katheryn promised solemnly, smiling when the Duchess leant over and brushed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Goodnight, Kit" She whispered, blowing out the candle by the bedside and using the light creeping through the door she had left ajar to guide her.

"Eleanor?"
She turned as Katheryn's voice called softly out to her one last time.
"Yes, mon cher?"
"Do...." her voice hesitated slightly "do you love us? Johnny and I?"

"I do" Eleanor said, slightly surprising herself with the quickness and truth of her answer, though she could almost feel Katheryn beaming in the darkness "I could not love you more if you were my own....for I think of you as such"

꧁꧂

Eleanor smiled to herself as she walked down the spiral staircase that lead to the great hall, the memory of her moment with Katheyn still filling her heart with joy. 'I do love them' she thought as jovial music floated up the stairwell from the Christmas festivities. She had not been away from them long, only to put the children to bed and was now to return in even higher spirits than before!

"My love you have come back to me" Richard chuckled as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, offering her his hand to help her down the last few steps. Eleanor grinned, basking in the light and warmth of the hall that she stepped into, nodding to friends and nobles as she made her way to her seat on the dais.

Christmases at Middleham had always held a certain extravagance to them and this year was no exception! The hall was filled with grand Lords and Ladies from across the land who had come to feast and to dance at the invitation of the Duke and Duchess. The finest food filled each plate and the finest wine filled each goblet, it was all just as Eleanor had planned. She sat back with a satisfied nod, relishing the scent of spices and sugared sweets. 

Richard sat beside her, eyes trained on the soft swell of her belly that was beginning to show through her gown. She was only four months pregnant yet this babe was already showing rather clearly! The waist of her dresses had had to be expanded early, much to the annoyance of Marie and Anais, and the kicking had begun, little feet pressing rather painfully into her flesh!

In truth, Richard had found himself worrying for Eleanor and their child for the past month or so, the babe seemed to be growing far too quickly and the Duchess was becoming prone to sickness.

The shortest of walks seemed to now leave her short of breath and strength, in the mornings she was prone to vomiting that would leave her weakened for the day and she no longer took pleasure in dancing of all things, finding the movements brought her pain.

He had been tempted to suggest she avoid the Christmas festivities altogether and exchange them for rest; the only thing stopping him being the knowledge of her pure love for them! He would not deny her her joys, especially if they served to ease her a little.

"Five babes in five years!" He muttered to himself but Eleanor heard and chuckled as she caught him eyeing her belly.

"You, my Lord, are staring at my growing girth as if it were one of those custard tarts you favour!" She teased, placing a ringed hand atop it as she sighed, recognising the look of unsettled nerves on his handsome face "for my sake stop worrying and enjoy our Christmas tide, Dickon!"

"I cannot help it, love, though I know all will go well!" He returned, taking her hand, kissing it tenderly as if to reassure himself of his words.

"All will go well" Eleanor stated "all that is different is that we have a bigger, stronger babe than our others! I see nothing wrong with that!" She giggled to herself, shaking her head "now, fetch me a few of those oranges I have such a craving for and then we shall talk to distract ourselves from your nerves"

"Your wish is my command!" Richard declared as he rose from his seat, good humour restored, and went in search of the requested figs. Eleanor's eyes travelled around the hall, scanning the faces of each person their inquisitive gaze came across. She was pleased to see that everyone was smiling and joking with one another, the formalities and ceremonies of court were quite far from their minds!

Anne and George were huddled away in a corner, presumably discussing her lands, an argument which the Duke had been surprisingly receptive too! He had agreed to give Anne Sudeley Castle though he was yet to relinquish anything else and they were all waiting to see one of George's well known rages knowing one was never far!

Francis and Anais were dancing, as was usual, gazing adoringly at one another, Rob was coaxing his Nell to try a piece of orange, chuckling at her reluctance to taste the unfamiliar fruit and Harry was leaning against a wine barrel of all things; rather looking rather like he would prefer to throw himself into it!

Catherine Woodville was dancing with Sir Robert Brackenbury, a man Eleanor had only become acquainted with in France, though he had been amongst Richard's retinue of comrades for years! She found that she liked the man, his quiet manner and jolly laugh, how his eyes crinkled in the corners when he laughed.

Beside Harry was Jack who was watching the younger man with a clear degree of amusement on his older face. He was leaning against the hall wall, knife and piece of wood in hand as he carved another small wolfhound. Each of the children at Middleham had one and now he was crafting one for Eleanor's next babe.

The thought made her hands returned to her swelling belly and she sighed as she sat up a little, back aching.
"I do hope you are worth all this trouble, little one!" She said a smile lighting up her face as she saw Richard heading back towards her, plate of orange segments in hand.

"Dickon? Eleanor?" Harry's worried voice called out to them as Richard sat and Eleanor looked up from her plate, a frown flickering across her lips, he looked even more discontented than before.

"Harry?" She returned, noticing the way he held his cap in his hands, how unease rested in his blue eyes "Harry what is it?"

"Lady Staffo....no, Lady Stanley is here" he replied and Richard's smile vanished from his face.
"Stanley?" He repeated lowly and Harry nodded.
"He means Margaret Beaufort" Eleanor said as she realised, remembering Margaret had remarried when her husband had been killed. "why is she not in here? Would she prefer to wait outside in the cold?"

"She has been shown to Dickon's study" Harry said quickly, jerking his head towards the side entrance to the hall "she has a letter....from the King" Eleanor and Richard exchanged glances and nodded at one another before leaving the dais. A noblewoman had been sent to carry this message, not a simple courier. That fact alone placed significance on the letter.

Margaret was standing by the window when the Duke and Duchess entered, her cloak, damp with melted snow, laid on a chair by the roaring fire. Dressed in black, as usual, with her raven braid trailing down her back, she appeared almost as the angel of death and Eleanor shivered as she saw the letter she carried.

Still, she moved forward to greet the other woman, taking her icy hands in her own warm ones and leaning forward to kiss her cheek in greeting.
"Lady Stanley" she said with a nod "or may I still call you Lady Margaret?" Margaret's thin lips curved into a small smile.

"Lady Margaret is just fine, your grace" she replied with a small curtsy before moving toward Richard, holding out the parchment in her hand "I was charged by the Queen to give this into your care, your grace"

Richard nodded, taking the letter, though his suspicious eyes did not leave Margaret even as he broke the King's royal red seal. He had never liked her, found her cold and her stoic nature unnerved him, how her face was often unreadable.

Eleanor watched with baited breath, hands placed almost protectively atop her belly as she watched her husband read. He gulped. His skin paled, a heavy sigh left him and Eleanor shook her head a growing sense of unease knotting itself at the bottom of her stomach.

"What is it?" She asked after Richard lowered the letter, letting his arm hang limply at his side in an almost defeated manner "Richard tell me what is wrong?" He looked up, his worried gaze flicking from Eleanor to Margaret.

"Lady Stanley, I wonder if you would leave the Duchess and I to talk for a moment?"
Margaret immediately nodded, sinking down into a curtesy before she reached for her cloak.
"You must stay" Eleanor said quickly, forcing herself to smile "please....go to the hall and enjoy the festivities....or you may use our chapel if you prefer?" Margaret gave her a grateful nod and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Richard walked to the hearth, sinking down into a chair and extending his hand to Eleanor, helping her to seat herself comfortably on his lap.
"It is Edward" he said gently brushing a stray curl away from her face "it seems that....he wishes for me to go to war again"

Eleanor felt herself pale, all the warmth of the fire and of the Christmas celebrations fleeing her body as her husband's words settled on her.
"War?" She whispered though she hardly dared to speak the word "w-whatever for...."

"Edward wishes for me to wage war on Scotland....he wants for me to take back some of the border castles that the Lancastrians lost during our Father's Day...." Eleanor shook her head, taking his hand and bringing it to her lips.

"When? When are you ordered to go?" She asked, dreading the answer and feeling as if a dagger had been thrust into her heart as she heard the answer.
"New Years day, love"

"So soon" Eleanor whispered, stinging tears filling her eyes as she suddenly realised what was happening. This was not Edward. This was not an order from the King as it appeared to be. This was nothing of the sort.

This was Elizabeth.
This was to be her punishment.

"Leena?" Richard murmured as Eleanor suddenly stood, pacing back and forth across the study, hand pressed to her mouth "Sweetheart what is it?"

"This is because of me!" She cried "She told me not to forget the power she held and now she has found the means to remind us both! It is as it was with John! She took his position from him and now she seeks to take the man I love from me!" Her voice rose to a shout with each word she spoke, fuelling her fear, her anger "this is her! This is me! This is her way of showing that she can still control me!"

"Eleanor you are talking in riddles" Richard began and Eleanor turned to him, eyes wild with hurt and cheeks damp with freshly shed tears.

"Do you not see Richard? She is the Queen! And I told her that she had no power over me any more! That I had broken free from her!" She walked up to him, taking his face in her hands and lightly pressing their foreheads against one another's "this is her way of showing me that she does....that you and I only live as we do through her good grace!"

"Elizabeth" Richard hissed, concern turning to anger as he wrapped his arms around Eleanor, cradling her against him "that....that bitch"
"She is a bitch" Eleanor admitted resentfully "and I wish I had seen it sooner....so many things could have been avoided"
"My love if anyone had ever tried to tell you you probably would have accused them of treason!"

"That's true" she said with a wry smile before it one more faded into a frown "but I suppose what makes this worse is that....she wanted me to know it was her....she wanted me to know it was her who was causing us this hurt"
"How do you know that?" Richard asked taking up the letter again and scanning the lines.

"Because she was the one that sent Lady Margaret!" Eleanor sighed, sitting down in her chair "Margaret said that the Queen had charged her with delivering the message. This was planned. I may have fallen out with my sister but that does not make me know her any less....in fact it makes me know her better! She wanted us to know this was her. She wanted me to know"

"Whatever she has given she can take away" Richard murmured thoughtfully and Eleanor nodded.

"Precisely....and she will take, make no mistake of that. She will take what she thinks shall either hurt us most or what she deems us no longer worthy of....what we must decide now is if we bow to her will or stand our ground. What will you do? Will you go to this war of Edward's or rather Elizabeth's?"

"I will not" Richard stated "I will say there is sickness in the North so I cannot muster an army. If he keeps pressing for it then I will say what we truly think but putting him off will give us...."

"Time" Eleanor finished, leaning her head against her hand "it will give us time for we have the children to think of as well, how our being out of favour will affect them and our people"
"And I want to be with you when this babe is born" Richard added, leaning against her chair, earning a small smile from her as she took his hand.

"We will find a way" she said "together"