~Dearest Hal~

Richard sighed as he shut the door to their bedchamber behind him, almost collapsing back against the wood.
"What's made you so tired, love?" Eleanor laughed as she laid her cloak on the large bed that was at one end of the room and lay back on the soft covers.

"Being without you" he replied, walking over to join her and jumping onto the covers, making her giggle "it's been hell and now heaven has returned in the form of you!" She smiled, drawing him into her arms as best she could with her expanding belly "have you been busy while we've been apart?"

"More than you know!" She replied with a groan. "I can't remember a time where I've had more people looking to me!" She paused a little and sat up, ignoring Richard's sigh of protest "and I have something to tell you" Richard merely 'hm'd' as he sat up beside her, eagerly sweeping her hair aside and placing hot kisses to her neck.

"And what might that be, sweetheart?" He asked in between kisses. She took a breath.
"Our daughter Bess is betrothed to King Charles of France" his lips halted and he leant his forehead against her neck, sighing a little "you do not seem surprised" she said "though, why would you, according to Mother you were arranging it between yourselves" Richard sighed again and sat up fully, carding a hand through his hair.

"Are you angry?" He asked "nothing was settled, I only suggested it. It was one sentence in one letter. If I meant for any serious negotiations of course I would have told you"
"No" she replied "I'm not angry, just a little stung that you didn't think to tell me first about something concerning our daughter's future" he shook his head and took her hand, stroking her knuckles with his thumb.

"I'm sorry" he said and she shook her head.
"It doesn't matter, I suppose" she murmured "not now when it is done. Bess may now be the next Queen of France! Your Mother thinks it the best idea in the world"
"Of course she does! Any marriage alliance that involves royalty fuels her determination beyond belief! But now, I think we must discuss the traitor in our midst"

A frown came across Eleanor's face and she instinctively put a hand to her belly, taking comfort in the small kick her child gave her.
"Harry" she whispered and turned to look into her husband's face "you said you were going to" she gulped a little, finding bile rising in her throat at the words she was about to utter "hang, draw and quarter him"

"I am" he replied bluntly and Eleanor's eyes widened "the idea was put forward by Stanley and the others seemed to think it was a good idea....it was voted on and it won. His execution is set for tomorrow morning"
"You can't...." She breathed "you can't be so brutal, Richard. He's our friend"

"He's a traitor!" Richard snapped, making her jump as he rose angrily from the bed and began to pace back and forth in front of it "it's no less than he deserves"
"Stanley's put you up to this" she said firmly "I know you, Dickon, you are not a murderer....you are not like this...."

"Well it's happening!" He yelled, suddenly back by her side as he saw her flinch at his words "oh God I'm sorry" he whispered, taking her hand a pressing desperate kisses to it "I'm sorry, Leena, forgive me"

"Come here" she murmured, patting her knee and he shuffled further onto the bed, taking off his crown before laying his head in her lap as he always did in an evenings at Middleham when they were in the solar, relaxing on their chaise. She would read to him and everything would be perfect.

God now she missed those evenings. Evenings lit by fire and the soft hum of the Northern songs he'd taught her "is there nothing you can do?" She asked and he shook his head, beginning to trace patterns with his fingers over the deep blue velvet of her gown.

"I want to go back to the North" he admitted quietly "I want for it to just be Leena and Dickon again. No courtiers watching our every move, no enemies scheming to take our crowns for us, no friends proving to be enemies"

"I do too" she whispered as her fingers began to play with his hair, combing through the soft raven curls and slowly feel Richard begin to relax. "but we can still have our moments of Dickon and Leena, my love, when we are alone as we are now and when we are in each other's arms"

꧁꧂

Climbing the stairs that led to the cell at the top of the highest tower at Ludlow Castle, Eleanor held her breath, rubbing the velvet of her dress between her fingers. Richard had told her that it was best she didn't see Harry as he thought it would only distress her before the execution and she knew he was right.

Seeing Harry would stoke all her anger, betrayal, love and care all into one flaming fire and as she approached the thick oak door that had a heavy bolt across it, she wasn't quite sure what to do about that.

"Open the door" she ordered and the guard dressed in the royal livery bowed, nodding as he fumbled with the keys on his belt and finally found the right one "I will knock when I'm ready" she said and he nodded again, opening the door and she stepped inside.

Her eyes widened as they took in the cell, the walls were bare, the single, small window without glass so that a chilling breeze blew into the room. She shivered. A small bed lay below the window with a straw mattress on it and a single tattered blanket that could not provide any warmth if it tried.

It was on the bed that Harry was sat, his finery gone, no more velvet caps or chains of office or jewels, leaving him in a thin shirt, dirtied with mud, his breeches and boots. He was shivering and hugging his knees to his chest, rocking his body back and forth on the bed as he tried to keep warm or tried to keep sane.

He looked up as he heard the door slam and his face immediately crumpled, blue eyes filling with tears before he shook his head, pressing it into his knees. Eleanor felt pity strike at her heart as he began to weep, small sobs escaping him as his shoulders shook. She had resolved to be strong, to be cold in the face of the traitor but, seeing him now as he was, scared and alone, without a friend in the world it seemed, that resolve broke.

All she saw was the sixteen year old boy she had seen at Middleham eleven years ago, swinging from the ceiling while his face turned red from embarrassment. Her little brother in law.

Walking forward, she slowly sat down on the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up she gave him a small smile and opened her arms to him. His face twisted into a mix of pain and relief and then he had moved forward and was sobbing against the bodice of her gown.

Gently hushing him, she let him cry all he wanted, smoothing a hand over his hair in a small attempt to soothe him.
"I'm sorry!" He wept, clutching her tighter "I'm sorry Leena"
"I know you are" was all she said and he nodded his head, over and over again until his sobbing finally subsided somewhat and he detached himself from Eleanor's arms.

Sitting up he wiped his nose on his sleeve and pulled his knees up to his chest again, avoiding his friend's eyes "why did you do it?" She asked and he groaned a little, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He hadn't slept for almost three days now.

"I don't even know any more, Eleanor!" He cried and meant back against the back of the bed, guilt filling his tone "I've been a bloody fool" he muttered miserably "I was blinded by power and now...." his voice trailed away and Eleanor suddenly became aware of an incessant banging sound from outside "its the scaffold" he murmured fearfully "where they are going to kill me"

She looked down, couldn't bare to look out of the window to see the platform where Harry would die.
"What happened? What did Richard or I do to anger you so?" She asked and he finally let their gaze's lock "we gave you everything Harry, you were one of the most powerful nobles in the land!"

"But I wanted more!" Harry yelled and suddenly rose from the bed, beginning to walk back and forth across his cell, his distress clear and rising by the second "I always disliked Edward for shunning me when it came to duties and titles! I was pushed aside by him so when I was raised up by you I knew I was finally rising as the Duke of Buckingham was always meant to be! And then.... then Margaret came to me one night and offered me a deal. If I joined her son then if he died without issue I would become King!" He looked at her again "I would be King! Cate would be Queen and our son the Prince of Wales!"

"Cate?"
He sighed, almost blushing a little.
"My name for Catherine" he said, stopping in his pacing "she likes it. But that doesn't matter! I know that you and Dickon are the King and Queen and you have been and shall be the greatest rulers this country has ever known! But when Margaret have me that offer....I saw nothing but it....my ambition. There was nothing but my ambition. And now I am to die. My wife will be the widow of a traitor. Her lands taken from her and left destitute. My children will be auctioned off to nobles and will never see their Mother again!"

"Catherine is my sister!" Eleanor cried, standing from the bed "do you ever think I would let that happen to her or your children?" He paused, then nodded then shook his head and looked down, guilt flooding his face again.

"You will not. But Richard would. I've been asking to see him since they brought me here but he's denied me. I saw him once, when I was caught and by God, Leena, I've never seen him so angry....he looked as if he wanted to kill me and now he will" he was suddenly seized with a bout of fear and he took Eleanor's hands, a pleading look in his eyes "you cannot let me die like this! Please do not let me die like this!" He begged desperately "I can't do it! I can't...." and just like that, Harry broke into a fresh wave of sobs and fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands.

꧁꧂

"Jane?" Eleanor murmured as Jane tied the laces of her gown. They were alone at that moment, Anais and Marie were already in the great hall as the Queen had ordered them to be for she had needed to speak with her other lady.

"Eleanor?" Jane replied teasingly placing her chin on Eleanor's shoulder and grinning into the mirror in front of them, wrapping her arms around her middle "what is it?"
"What do you know of....poison?" Eleanor asked tentatively. That afternoon she had left Harry in a river of tears that shook his body and made him verge on madness and decided there and then that she would not let him die the next morning.

Not in the way planned.

Jane frowned and released the Queen from her embrace, walking around to face her fully and tilting her head to the side.

"Poison?" She repeated "why?" Then she paused and sighed a little, a look of realisation crossing her features "it's for the Duke of Buckingham, isn't it?" Eleanor nodded (glad she didn't have to explain herself) and then raised her eyebrows, prompting her friend for an answer. At long last Jane nodded "my Mother knew quite a bit in the art of medicine and often tended to wounded soldiers....I remember watching her. When the men were too injured to treat and she knew they were going to die but it could take days or, sometimes, weeks....she would administer a poison that would make them go to sleep. Only permanently"

Eleanor nodded again, folding her arms across her chest as she considered the option presented to her. Killing Harry. The idea was still rather abhorrent to her. To be killing her sister's husband, her brother in law....her friend. But it had to be done. To save the pain that would be inflicted by the execution. Not on just Harry but on the rest of their friends.

To watch Harry die like that. It would live in their mind for the remainder of their lives. His screams, his blood would never be erased. She would not allow Harry to die like that. And she would not allow her friends to watch him die like that nor Richard to do so for it would weigh on his conscious and drive him mad.

The reason he had denied Harry into his presence was because he feared he would forgive him. Harry was like a little brother to him and if he came before him Richard was sure he would forgive the traitor for his actions. But he could not afford to do that. By forgiving a traitor, the other nobles would loose faith in him and while he didn't care for their opinions, their faith and support was something he couldn't lose.

Not then. Not ever.

"Do you know how we can get it?" Eleanor asked Jane who was watching her curiously before she nodded.
"I carry most of my Mother's medicines with me as a precaution in case I ever need them. The poison is one of them....I take it you will want to use it?"

"I will" Eleanor whispered, nodding to herself "I do"

꧁꧂

That night, Eleanor slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake Richard as she pulled on her bed robe and tiptoed over to her dressing table where the small vial of poison lay, left by Jane. Examining it for a moment, she then placed it into her robe pocket and left the chamber.

In silence she made her way across the castle, up winding staircases and down dark corridors until she at last once more came to Harry's cell door and sighed with relief when she saw no guard stood at it. The great iron key hung on the wall beside it and she lifted it from its hook, opening the door before closing it as she slipped inside.

Harry was kneeling on his bed, his crying no more as he stared blankly out of his window. There was not a trace of sleep in his eyes as he looked out into the night and at the scaffold below him. How could he sleep? This was to be the last night of his life and then in the morning unimaginable pain awaited him. It was a strange thought to him that he would never sleep again.

"Harry?" He spun around at Eleanor's soft voice and immediately jumped from his bed, kneeling before her and taking her hand which he pressed to his lips.
"I've something to confess" he said hurriedly as he came unsteadily to his feet "this is the last chance I have to do so so I beg you to listen"

Not knowing what else to do, she nodded and allowed herself to be guided to the bed, sat down with Harry beside her "it was I who ordered the execution of your brother" he stated, eyes widening as hers did "not on purpose" he said quickly "never never on purpose....I was given a piece of paper by a man who said he was from Tudor and was told to give it to the Constable of the Tower....I thought it was a recruitment letter and I left it on his desk but the next minute I knew your brother had been executed....I'm so sorry, Leena"

Eleanor stared at him for a moment, her mouth slight parted as she sought the words that evaded her. Harry was not only responsible for throwing the country into chaos but was also partly responsible for the execution of her beloved brother too? God in heaven help her.

Closing her eyes she shook her head and swallowed before she looked up at him again. She couldn't allow for anger or grief to cloud her actions in that moment.

"Come here Harry" she said, a soothing tone to her voice, one she used with her children when they were in tears and she was trying to calm them. She patted her lap. In an instant he seemed to understand and tears filled his eyes as they now seemed to do every moment of the day. But now they were tears of gratefulness, of relief and a river of remorse.

Obeying her command he laid his head on her lap and allowed himself to relax as she began to gently comb her fingers through his golden hair. "I will look after Catherine" she told him "and I will see that your children are not separated, you needn't worry for them"

"Thank you" he whispered, taking her free hand and once again pressing it to his lips "thank you Leena" she shook her head, tears now pooling in her own eyes that she tried to blink back. Reaching into her robe she drew out the vial of poison and took out the cork that sealed the top.

The black liquid inside smelt faintly of honey though it's sweetness did not stop her hesitation for a few moments before she put it to Harry's lips. He squeezed her hand before he took the vial himself and (not allowing himself to think) drank its contents in one gulp, passing it back to her once it was empty.

"Do you forgive me?" He croaked as he lay back down again, his voice slightly hoarse with the fear that was reflected in the trembling of his hands.

He knew he had just sealed his fate.

"I do" Eleanor replied, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead as he stared up at her "by God Harry I don't know why but I do...." she paused, forcing herself to smile a little in order to relax him "tell me, Harry, what is your favourite memory"

He smiled back, easily distracted as the poison slowly began to work on his mind and body, setting him at ease. Eleanor felt a sting of pain in her heart as he did so, his smile a reminder of the boy he had once been, young and carefree.
"When I was home" he said simply "with my children....and Cate"

"Tell me" she said softly. And he did.

Told her warm words of the happiness he had found, of the love he bore his children and the pride he had in them. He told her everything. Everything that made his heart swell with happiness, everything that made him laugh.

He told her everything, with the same smile on his face as she had seen when she first met him. The smile that now remained on his lips as his words slowly trailed away, his heartbeat dwindled into nothing and his eyes closed.

And Harry slipped away into an endless sleep.