~Thin Ice~

Her hand tucked carefully into the crook of his elbow, Eleanor and Richard walked along one of the garden paths at Westminster, watching as the sky darkened with clouds.

"Jane Shore?" Richard asked "passing messages to Elizabeth?"
"From your enemies, I am told! It is the talk of court, your grace" the grey haired man walking beside them returned. Lord Stanley, Margaret's third husband. Eleanor stole a glance at him, brushing her fingers along the petals of an early flower and she studied his features.

He was a rather short man and wiry too so that sometimes his clothes did not look as if they fitted him. He sported a long curled beard that she noticed he often stroked when he thought, a habit she found hilarious, and the face behind it was thin, his chin pointed. Stanley often smiled, though weather his smiles were genuine she could not tell for his eyes and expressions were simply unreadable!

She could tell he took great care in concealing his thoughts and feelings and also took meticulous care in whose company he kept. Richard had told her that he had known Stanley most of his life and that he was not to be trusted.

He had a brother and when it came to battle they would place one brother on either side to ensure their family's favour! Stanley had never bothered with Richard before but after hearing of his new position of Lord Protector he had swooped forward like an Eagle 'no' she thought 'he's not an eagle, more like a weasel!' Yes, Stanley had scurried in like a weasel, intent on worming his way into the new Protector's good graces and, to Eleanor's disbelief, Richard had accepted him into them!

Which, of course, went against his own advice completely.

Stanley seemed to have spies everywhere and now he was relaying to them his latest findings on Jane Shore of all people. It seemed she had sided with Elizabeth, according to Stanley, and Eleanor inwardly sighed, wishing Jane had simply stuck to the shadows instead of sticking her head out into the open!

"If it is the talk of court then why are you informing us?" She now asked "why have we not heard" Stanley laughed, a sound that made her almost grimace.
"It is unlikely that anyone would concern your graces with such a seedy matter" he returned and Richard frowned.
"Yet you do?" He said, coming to a halt, Eleanor and Stanley following suit.

"I raise it only to protect you and your reputation" Stanley said, laughing again as if he were discussing the weather "I'm sure you wouldn't want to be seen to be out manoeuvred by the Queen and her growing band of conspirators?"

"Nor played by you, Stanley" Eleanor said, plastering a sickly sweet smile onto her face to match his own. She saw the corners of Richard's mouth twitch upwards "and Elizabeth is the dowager Queen"
"Of course, your grace, my apologies" he said, bowing his head "and I assure you I would never do...."

"No" Richard interrupted steadily "but your tone is leading. I am able to make my own judgments" Stanley bowed low and walked away, a certain spring in his step as he did so that made Eleanor shiver. Her husband turned to her, his eyes deep with worry "it seems that banishing Jane Shore has given her cause to turn against me" he said and she feigned surprise "why would Elizabeth plot with her husband's mistress"

"Desperation" Eleanor replied "you will find that my sister will resort to more and more drastic measures the more she feels power slipping away from her" Richard raised his eyebrows.
"I will have the whore followed to see who she's in bed with now" he stated and immediately Eleanor's heart began to pound.

If Jane was to be found with Anthony.

Anthony would be arrested.

So would Jane!

The strained and thin layer of trust that remained would be broken in a trice and England would be thrown into chaos! Edward's reign would be plunged into even more instability and there may even be a threat of war. Only it would not be York and Lancaster fighting this time.

It would be York against Yorkists.

The Woodvilles may even return to their Lancastrian roots! Eleanor shook her head. That mustn't be allowed to happen. Never. They had to keep the young King's reign safe.

"How do we even know we can trust Stanley in this?" She asked quickly, clutching onto Richard's arm a little tighter "know that he is not sending you on a wild goose chase? Really! Francis calls him the English Spider! Weaving his web of lies wherever he goes!"

"You trust Lady Margaret" He pointed out and Eleanor could not accuse him of being in the wrong.

"To a certain extent" she conceded "but Margaret has earned that trust over many years and....oh what does it matter, what good will come in following Shore? She can be no great spymaster!"
"No but what she can be is Elizabeth's pawn. I will have her followed and we will see what happens."

꧁꧂

It was early afternoon the next day when Lady Margaret burst into Eleanor's chambers where she was staring aimlessly out of the window. At her Lady's arrival she spun around, her eyes widening as Margaret curtsied, trying to catch her breath.

"Your brother" she gasped "Lord Rivers!"
"What about him?" Eleanor cried as she rushed forward and guided Margaret to a chair, pouring her a cup of wine and willing her to drink it as quick as she could "what has happened to Anthony?! Tell me, Margaret!"

"He's been arrested!" Margaret said as she drained her goblet "by your husband's men! He was found in bed with the Shore Whore and is in the Tower of London now!"
"No!" Eleanor yelled and in an instant she was gone from her chambers.

Not caring for her pride or dignity, for once, she ran without inhibition along the corridors to her husband's study, ignoring all the looks of surprise and scrutiny that bore into her as she passed. 'No no no no no!' Her mind screamed as she threw open the doors, ready to demand Anthony's release....

Only to stop as the doors slammed behind her.

"Anthony" Richard murmured miserably, staring into the flames of the fire in front of him. He did not need to look up to know it was her "he's been so loyal to me....even these past few weeks"
"He is still loyal to you!" Eleanor urged, running to his chair and kneeling down in front of him, her skirts pooling around her "he has made a mistake that's all!"

"A mistake?!" Richard roared and her eyes widened as his suddenly snapped to hers with rage filling them "I do not see how any of this can be much of a mistake! I don't think Jane Shore naked in his bed was much of a mistake, do you?" She shook her head wordlessly and he stood, walking past her.

"What....what will you do?" She asked, her voice almost shaking as she began to fear the worst 'he wouldn't' her mind told her 'he knows how much it would hurt you!' "To him and to her?"
"I must make an example of him. William Hastings was found with them, not in bed obviously but he was with them and he has been dispatched already. Execution seems...."

"No!" He turned around at Eleanor's scream as she scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. "no" she repeated, her voice a little quieter "you will not execute my brother!"
"I have no choice, Eleanor!" Richard cried "I cannot have any of the Woodville's coming against me from all sides! And Anthony has made it clear where he stands, with Elizabeth!"

"If you execute Anthony I swear to God...."
"You swear to God what? What will you do?"

Eleanor scoffed.
"Oh I'll tell you what I will do, Richard Plantagenet" she hissed, walking forward to face him "first I will raise up an army of my own, in my name which will be easy because, without sounding too boastful, the people love me, especially in our lands. I will use this army to barricade the North against you and I will take the children there, including Katheryn and Johnny and you will never ever see us again! That is what I will do, my Lord and don't you dare underestimate me or say that I will not try for I will do much more than try I will succeed if you even dare to lay a finger on my brother!" She stepped back as Richard stared at her, his expression melting into one of pure shock "does that outline what I will do well enough for you?"

"Quite" he returned coldly "I thought you swore that you would stand with me against your family. That we would be united as one!"

"And I will stand with you! I will fight against Elizabeth and all of her plotters, which I don't believe Anthony to be one of! I will fight them with my bare hands if need be! And I will support you and love you through all but I will not let my own brother be murdered at your hands, Richard! Please! It will tear us apart!"

"And keeping him alive won't?" He asked with a shake of his head "Elizabeth will find a way to break him out and...."

"Edward murdered George and I hated him for it because George was like a brother to me" Eleanor stated "how do you think I will view you if you murder my actual brother, Richard?" He shook his head again and she sighed, reaching out and taking his hands "I do not want to fight with you, my love" she said softly "I hate it. It makes me feel as if we have been flung back to the early days of our marriage. But surely you must see that if you did execute him I would never be able to forgive you even if I wanted too?" He nodded a little, though quite reluctantly.

"And the Shore Woman?" He asked "what is to be done with her?"
"Leave her be" Eleanor said "I do not believe she wished for harm to come to us, she was simply a messenger and, as you said, Elizabeth's pawn. Let her go. The people will view you as merciful and she will have no further reason to act against you"

"And if she causes trouble again?"
"Then" Eleanor sighed "I will deal with her personally....are we agreed?" Richard nodded again, bringing her hands to his lips and kissing them one by one.

"I will keep Anthony in the Tower under guard but he, like your nephew, shall not be harmed. And Jane Shore....I will let her go free" he raised his eyebrows "it seems I was right to trust Stanley?" Eleanor held back a sigh.

"You were" she admitted "though I would warn you against making a habit of it! We both know of his dismal record with loyalty so do not think he shall simply change overnight for you! It is not as it was in the North"

"Don't I know it!" He paused and his face fell a little "Loyalty and honour are such things so often broken in this world, I sometimes wonder if there are any left who are truly good"
"While I cannot admit to being truly good, I think I can admit to being loyal" Eleanor said with a wry smile, raising herself up onto her toes a little to kiss him "and you can always rely on my love and council"

"As long as I don't execute your brother?"
"As long as you don't execute my brother, you silly goose....now, I suggest we fetch Prince Richard from Sanctuary"

Eleanor wandered back to the fire, taking a seat as she waited for her husband to speak, folding her hands in her lap.
"You would have me break sanctuary?" He asked, leaning back against his desk and folding his arms.

"Yes and no. In bringing Richard to us we are protecting him from Elizabeth's schemes" she answered "he may only be nine but she will not hesitate to use him for her own gain! God I wish we could get him and all of our nieces out of that god awful crypt!" Eleanor shook her head as she thought of the dark, cold tomb she had spent six months of her life in "and if you are wondering on the people's reaction then that is easy! We simply distract them!"

"With what?"
"Use your mind, Dickon! What is the one thing that can captivate an entire city, may, country and make them forget about any other troubles? Why a coronation of course! Crown Edward and fulfil your duty while sating the people!" She sat back in her chair, satisfied, while Richard mulled over her idea, a small smile appearing on his lips as he began to nod.

"Your right" he said quietly "by God you're right!"