~Christmas~

"3....2....1...." the children (along with Rob and Harry) waited with baited breath for Jack to shout 'go!' as they looked ahead of them at the other end of the hall. This was the yearly race to see who was the fastest amongst them and none seemed to care about the age range, they were all determined to win!

"I'm going to beat you this year" Harry muttered to George Neville who merely grinned; reaching out to ruffle the 27 year olds mess of dark blonde hair.
"I think not" he teased in return "I think you're getting rather slow in your old age"
"Old age?" Rob exclaimed "if Harry here is old then I must be considered ancient! I'm thirty two!"

"You are ancient, Uncle Rob!" Bess crowed from where she stood in the middle of the line, her keen ears overhearing their conversation.
"Well if he's ancient, Bessie then I don't know what that makes me!" Jack chuckled and Bess grinned at him.

"That doesn't matter" she proclaimed "you're my favourite Uncle so I don't care how old you are!"
"That would be sixty one!" Harry announced earning a rough punch in the arm from Jack that resulted in a snort of laughter from Rob whom he glared at "shut up Percy"

"Yes!" Six year old Cecily called "do shut up Uncle Rob so we can start the race! I'm determined to win it!"
"You won't!" Her older brother George called "your legs are too short!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh for heaven's sake stop squabbling you two!" Matilda sighed as she helped four year old Isabella to stay on the invisible line they had crafted, smiling at the giggling redhead "George, Cis is younger than you by two years!"
"That doesn't mean I can't beat him!" Cis returned determinedly "and I will you'll see!"

"You can do it!" Katheryn called encouragingly and her half sister beamed back at her while Eliza nodded in agreement.

"Go!" Jack called and everyone jerked into motion as the hall was filled with excited squeals and giggles. Everyone scrambled to get across the hall to the dais, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Harry dashed ahead of his friends, knowing that he was winning until halfway to the finish line when he suddenly found himself tackled to the ground by a laughing Rob who called for George to run on.

Harry slapped him.

"You bastard!" He yelled as George crossed the line and grinned over his shoulder.
"Harry!" Richard chided, though he was finding it hard to refrain from laughter.
"But I was winning!" The younger man complained, sounding rather like one of the children.

Richard merely chuckled and shook his head, turning to the children who were now scrambling up the dais towards he and Eleanor, eager for their praise.
"I beat him! I beat him!" Cis crowed in delight.
"That you did!" Eleanor proclaimed as she bounced her little namesake on her knee "take it like a York George!" She added with a wink as she saw her eldest son sulking by his chair "here, Kit, take Nell for me would you?"

"Of course, Eleanor!" Katheryn said with a smile, swooping forward and taking the little smiling two year old into her arms before she headed back to the children's table with the rest.

"Do you always celebrate Christmas in such a way?" Cecily Neville asked as she observed Rob and Harry who were now rolling around on the floor while Jack tried to pry them apart. Eleanor smiled and nodded, still feeling glad that they had managed to lure the Dowager Duchess of York to Middleham that Christmas season! She was surprisingly good with the children and while they had been nervous to approach her at first they were quickly warming to her. After all, she had brought an abundance of gifts with her!

She particularly doted on thirteen year old Eliza, not caring that she was a bastard, and the young girl basked in the affection of her Grandmother.

"We have our grand feast as you saw last night" Eleanor explained merrily while she grinned at Richard playing peekaboo with their one year old son, Thomas, who was giggling on his knee "and that is where all the Lords and Ladies of the land come to us but the rest of the time Richard and I like to spend with our closest friends and our children without ceremony! We love to have them with us and the children love to stay up after their bedtime of course!"

Cecily nodded her approval, her eyes wandering over to the children's table where they were all laughing and joking with one another. She smiled; her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"I find I am particularly interested in Richard's son" she murmured and Eleanor nodded.
"You mean our Johnny?" She asked and her mother in law 'hm'd as they both looked at the twelve year old boy who was in the middle of an arm wrestle with Bess.

"He looks just as my husband did at that age! Tis a wonder in truth!"
"You knew the late Duke when he was that young?" Eleanor exclaimed and Cecily nodded, her face suddenly rosy with the happiness that long ago memories brought.

"I knew him from the age of eight" she said softly "when he became a ward of my Father. He was twelve then...." her voice quietened slightly "I loved him....I love him still" she said "and he loved me....he loved me greatly. He would have made such a wonderful King"

"And you would have made such a beautiful Queen" Eleanor whispered with a smile as she covered the one of the older woman's hand with one of her own. Cecily looked up, placing her free hand to her daughter's cheek.
"As would you, my dear" she said "of that I am sure!" Eleanor merely chuckled and shook her head as she reached for her goblet and took a sip of her drink.

"Eleanor is already Queen, Mother" Richard interjected and his mother arched a grey eyebrow "she is my Queen of the North"
"And you are my King" Eleanor returned warmly, kissing his cheek before she rose from the dais "I will go and check on Edward" she murmured and her husband nodded.

"Give him my love!" He called as she walked from the hall, her silk gown rustling as she climbed the stairs.

As the laughter and chatter of the hall faded away a saddened silence replaced it and she sighed. Edward was sick again as he had been each winter of his life and was once more bed bound.

Her heart ached for him and she knew Richard's did too for they wished they could do something to make him better! To make his illness go away and make him a strong a boy as his brothers were!

Knocking on his door and waving his servants away, she made sure to smile as he looked up from the paper he was holding, his black curls bobbing as his face lit up and he bounced on the covers.
"Mama!" He cried happily, waving to her as she walked over to him and let him wrap his thin arms around her neck, hugging her with all his might "you have come to see me!"

"Of course I have, my dearest son" she laughed, slightly alarmed at how pale he looked, she was sure he had not been so pasty when she had seen him two hours before "of course I did" she said again, running a hand through his hair "your Father sends his love"

Edward's face lit up even more and he beamed, puffing out his chest proudly.
"Will he come and see me later?" He asked "and can Johnny and George come too? And Georgie? I miss them"

"And they miss you! With all of their hearts!" Eleanor shuffled more onto the bed, attempting to cross her legs as her eyes scanned the numerous pieces of paper that scattered the velvet covers. Picking up one she felt herself staring in awe at the drawing upon it. It was of a maiden with long unbound hair but seemed no child's drawing at all! It looked better than anything she could ever do "Jesus Eddie!" She breathed "this is amazing!"

"Do you really think so?" He asked in earnest, winging his hands together "I like to draw when I'm locked up in here, it takes my mind away from feeling poorly but I think I'm getting rather good"

"Only rather good?" She exclaimed "I shall be getting you a drawing master in the new year if you so wish! You have great potential!" Edward grinned and nodded vigorously before his smile slowly faded and he began wringing his hands again.

"Mama?" He whispered and she looked up from the page "w.....will I die....soon I mean....will I die soon?" At once Eleanor's smile fell from her face and she could feel tears flood to her eyes though she tried her best to push them back. Placing down the paper she took Edward's small hands in her own, kissing them in turn before she shook her head.

"Each of us have our time on this earth and die at the end of it, my darling" she said "but your end is far far far away. You will grow stronger as you grow older and you will grow into a man! A fine young man! An Earl or Duke! A strong Prince of the House of York and a strong Prince of the North! You will not die, Edward....death is many many years away"

Edward slowly nodded, his lower lip beginning to tremble as Eleanor gathered him into her arms and he started to cry "I love you" she whispered into his hair.
"I love you too, Mama"

꧁꧂

Walking into her chambers Eleanor smiled as she saw Richard relaxing in a bath before the fire. He opened his eyes sleepily as he heard her approach, holding out a hand and smiling as she knelt by the tub, arranging her skirts around her feet.

"Look at you!" she teased "you look as peaceful as one of our babes after a feed!"
"Perhaps you should join me?" Richard asked, arching an eyebrow "I think you'll find the water is very pleasant!" Nodding, she turned around and swept her hair over one shoulder, grinning as she felt Richard's fingers on the laces of her gown, tugging them undone.

"If you get water on this gown, I will personally throw you into the moat, Dickon!" She warned and a splash of warm water against her neck was the response she received, making her giggle as Richard pushed her gown from her shoulders and she stood in her shift "how could you be so cruel, mon amour?"

"Me?" He asked, eyes wide with mock innocence as he pointed a finger at his chest "never!" Eleanor shook her head as she let her shift leave her body and stepped out of the circle of linen, taking the hand Richard extended as she stepped into the bath. Slowly sitting down, she shuffled back against his chest and smiled as she felt his hands slide around her waist, gently cradling the soft bump that curved her belly.

"Our twelfth child" he whispered happily and she nodded, closing her eyes, her body relaxing in the warm water "do you think they shall be a girl or a boy?"

"Girl" she answered confidently "our brood has developed a pattern, love, we had a boy last so the next shall be a girl! Although rather a small one I should think, I'm six months along and hardly showing!" Richard kissed her neck, carefully shifting behind her so that she was more comfortable.
"Small or not she shall be our lass and we will love her!"

Eleanor smiled and nodded, taking Richard's arm and gently bringing it forward, running a hand along the silvery scar that angled from elbow to wrist. It had been caused by a badly aimed spear that had slipped under his vambrace, he had told her when she questioned him, during one of the battles in Scotland and she wished she had been there when it had happened.

While she was sure seeing Richard badly injured would have caused her heart to near break, at least she would have been able to nurse him with all the tenderness in her heart.

Leaning forward she gently placed her lips against his skin, placing featherlight kisses along the scar until she reached his hand and kissed his palm.
"I love you" he whispered softly and she glanced over her shoulder with a smile.

"And I love you" she replied before turning completely so that she was straddling him and her belly was cradled between them "your Mother was saying she has taken an interest in Johnny!" Richard arched an eyebrow, he was never sure weather Cecily's interest was a blessing or a curse "she says he looks like your Father and since he looks just like you, you must look like your Father too!"

"Where is this going, Leena?" He asked, although her words had brought a proud smile to his lips. He had always liked being compared to his Father. Eleanor shifted slightly in his lap while her fingers danced lightly on his chest.

"In truth...." she began slowly "I would like to apologise" it was almost impossible to not laugh at the surprised look that swept across Richard's face. In an instant he had taken her hands, kissing them gently as his eyes searched hers for any sign of hurt.

"Why, ma belle?" He asked tenderly "what on earth have you done wrong for I can think of nothing!"

"You will when I have spoken" she returned, nodding though more to herself than him before she spoke again "these words should have been spoken many years ago, many many years ago and I freely admit that but I would like to say them now. I want to apologise for the way I acted when Johnny and Kit first came here" Richard tilted his head "I acted like a child having a tantrum! That's really the only way to describe it! I was angry, unrightfully so as I had years to introduce the children to my mind but I chose not to. I took my anger out on you and on the children when neither you nor they were or are at fault. They are your children, your blood and it is good that you wanted to care for them and I should have seen that....I was wrong, Richard. And I'm sorry. Sorry for how I acted and sorry that I did not say this sooner because I should have" 

She took a breath and bit the inside of her cheek as she waited for his reply, smiling slightly when he took her hand.
"I take it that you do not feel the same as you did then?" He asked quietly as he brushed a stray curl away from her face and she instantly shook her head.

"No!" She exclaimed "they are as opposite as could be! I love Kit and Johnny! And, as I told Katheryn once, I could not love them more if they were my own" Richard smiled at that, the blue depths of his eyes swimming with adoration as he listened.

"And they love you" he replied "Johnny calls you Maman and Kat only does not because she remembers...."
"She remembers Kate" Eleanor stated matter-o-factly and he nodded "but that does not anger me" she reassured him quickly "not in the slightest, it is right that she should love her Mother. I rather....I rather wish that they could have seen her as they grew"

Richard shrugged slightly, though blatant surprise showed on his face at his wife's words.
"After Kate married in 1474 I have hardly heard from her. Whenever she does write she sends the children her love....but nothing more, she mostly just asks for money"

"Then she is missing out. Katheryn and John are wonderful children and I am proud to have helped raise them....in fact when we next go to court, they shall come too!" Eleanor gave herself a determined nod and returned Richard's youthful grin that had appeared on his face as he laughed.

"Truly?" He asked in disbelief "I mean we have never taken all of our children to court before but if we were to then you would want Kat and Johnny with us? You do not care what people will say? What your sister will say?"

"My charming sister and the rest of the nobles can take their snobbishness and stick it up their highborn backsides!" Eleanor declared, raising her arms out of the bath and sprinkling she and Richard with droplets of warm water "I do not care what people will say, I will not have Kit and John left out simply because they are bastards. They are a part of our family and we will treat them as such!"

"And anyone who dares to raise objection shall have your oh so lovely rage to deal with!" Richard teased. She nodded again.
"Exactly!"