~The Princes in the Tower~

April 1484, Westminster

The eighth of April. That was when the Tower was to be attacked. A force of men loyal to the Woodville's led by Eleanor and Richard Grey would use the cover of darkness to break into the fortress, hopefully taking the guards by surprise and setting the Princes (along with Thomas Grey) free.

They had to be careful, after the last attack in October, the boys had been moved to rooms deeper within the Tower walls and so it would be difficult to get to them. But if they did, if they succeeded, the boys would be hurried away to the Midlands (to one of Eleanor's Rutland manors) and then later to the North to Helmsley castle.

There they would reside in secret until the time came when they could be safely brought back to court.

In her mind Eleanor went over the plan over and over and over again as she stood before the mirror in an empty bedchamber she had found. She had slipped from her bed a quarter of an hour prior and was glad that Richard was deep in sleep and would not likely wake up in her absence.

'Richard, my love, I am sorry' she thought as she straightened the belt that was tight at her waist and held her breeches in place. She looked at the unfamiliar garments in the mirror and was almost tempted to smile. She had not worn breeches since she had been a little girl and these ones (like the ones she had worn in her girlhood) were rather ill fitting as they were Richard's!

However, her expression darkened somewhat as she looked at the dagger that was secured in the belt, freshly sharpened and, for now, sheathed. God help her had she need to use it though she doubted the night would go without bloodshed. 'Richard Richard Richard'

Guilt stabbed at her heart, guilt that had plagued her since she had agreed to the plan to set the Princes free. It hurt her to know that she was betraying him, was sneaking behind his back and working with his enemies to hide his own nephews.

But she knew it would hurt him more if he ever found out her part to play.

She wanted to tell him, by God she did, she wanted it with every fibre of her being but she knew she could not. If he found out, not only would he fly into a rage only God could match, he would likely go around hunting down and executing every man involved in the plot! And besides, the more people that knew, the more chance the plan had of failing. And they could not afford that.

He had said that one day he would move the boys to the North where they would be safe. But they needed to be rescued now and not a second could be wasted.

Eleanor near jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock on one of the doors of the chambers and quickly pulled up her hood and took to hiding behind a great chest, concealing herself from sight.
"Leena? Leena are you there?"

"Rickon!" She rushed out from her hiding place as she heard her nephews voice and watched him emerge from the servants stairs "Rickon how on earth did you find me?" The man before her scoffed a little as he pulled her into a fond hug.

"Really" he teased "you didn't think we wouldn't have contacts inside the Palace, did you?" Eleanor merely smiled at him "are you ready?" She nodded.
"I am ready to play my part for our family" she replied steadily and Rickon nodded "one last time"

"One last time" he repeated, taking her hand and leading her down the servants stairs.

꧁꧂

Eleanor could hardly breathe as she, Rickon and the band of fourteen others who followed them, snuck along the outside of the Tower walls with their hoods pulled up over their faces to conceal their identities. She did not know any of the men present apart from her nephew but had no choice but to trust them as they all tried to stay together in the dark of the night.

"Four of you will come with me to rescue my brother" Rickon ordered before he whistled and a rope ladder swiftly dropped down from the Tower ramparts. Eleanor's eyes widened as she looked up but, of course, there was no one there to be illuminated by the torches on the walls. They had already vanished "the other ten shall go with the Queen and rescue my half brothers. You are to obey her orders though you all know the plan as well as your own name! Is that clear?"

The men nodded and made murmurs of agreement before Rickon grinned slightly and began to climb the ladder, much more nimbly than Eleanor expected as she followed him, cloak blowing in the wind.

The chilling breeze that whipped at her face almost made her shiver, whistling relentlessly in her ears, made her almost want to turn back, shaking her resolve as much as much as it shook the ladder.

She half feared that the rope would break and that they would all be send hurtling down to their death on the harsh cobble street below. But it did not and Eleanor found herself almost clinging to Rickon as he helped her over the ramparts.

"Don't fret" he whispered to her as the rest of the men clambered over, their footsteps surprisingly silent as if they were almost ghosts in the night. "have courage" she nodded, more to herself than him and gathered all the bravery she had and gulped back her fears.

"With me!" She ordered firmly, trying to copy the authority Richard held in his voice until another pang of guilt stung her, and the men that were to join her stood to attention. With her leading, they snuck along the ramparts and down the Tower steps, crouching down as they caught sight of a set of guards marching down below. They got by unseen.

After what felt like an eternity to Eleanor, the door that would lead to her nephews came into view and she held up a hand. The footsteps behind her halted in an instant "when I say the word, we break the Princes free" she commanded turning to face the men and they all nodded with determination "we will use whatever means necessary. If guards come, we will fight them and we shall not stop until we have freed my nephews! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes your grace"
The many hushed voices echoing that phrase answered her and she nodded at them, turning back towards the doors, begging for Richard and God's forgiveness in her heart and mind one last time.

"Now!" She cried, drawing her dagger. The next minutes, hours, Eleanor did not know, were a blur to her. A blur of blood, of metal against metal, of crashing doors and shouting men; alarm bells ringing.

When they finally forced their way into the Princes rooms, the boys had backed away, little Edward and Richard clinging to one another without a shred of bravery between them and they weren't reassured when Eleanor threw back her hood, confidant she was out of sight of any guards who may recognise her.

"You're here to kill us!" Edward yelled, his green eyes filled with fear and hatred as he pushed his little brother behind him "You're here to murder us as you murdered Uncle Anthony!"
"No!" Eleanor cried, shaking her head "I didn't kill my brother and I'm not here to harm you! I'm breaking you free!"

"Then why do you hold a blade?" The young boy demanded, nodding at the dagger in her hand that had been drawn long ago though no blood stained its sharp edges. Looking between her weapon and her nephews, Eleanor slowly bent down and slid her blade across the floor towards the fireplace.

"See" she said slowly, standing up again "your Uncle Rickon is setting Thomas free! We are here to save you! You are to go to the Midlands and then the North! And you will hide there!" At that Edward shook his head, his eyes filling with tears he tried so hard to hold back.
"Why?" He snapped "why would you do anything for us? You don't care about us! We are nothing more than" his voice trembled and Eleanor's heart stung "we are nothing more than threats to you!"

"That's not true!" Eleanor cried, shaking her head again "you're my nephews and I love you! Don't believe me if you wish but you have to come with me!" The two boys exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes flicking to the door as the fighting continued outside.

"We should go, Eddie" The youngest whispered, looking up pleadingly into the face of his elder brother as tears ran down his face "I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go!"
"I swear to you" Eleanor said firmly and Edward looked to her again, his expression now conflicted, caught between the pleading of his little brother whom he had come to love and would defend with his life and the potential danger "I would never harm you. Your Father was like a brother to me, I would never harm his children. Never"

"But you would take everything they have from them"

She bowed her head as guilt flooded through her body but she forced herself to look up again, now was not the time for pondering.
"Come with me" she pleaded, knowing ordering them to come with her would do nothing. "please"

"Please, Eddie" Little Richard mumbled through his tears "please let us go with Aunt Leena" Edward bit his lip, almost drawing blood, before he nodded and told his brother to fetch their cloaks.

"I go with you for the sake of my Father" he stepped forward, holding his head high. "you say you loved him as a brother and I've heard he loved you the same but I hope you know he would never, never forgive you for what you have done to us!"

"The Marquess of Dorset is free!" One of the men yelled as he drove his blade into the heart of a Tower guard and the man screamed in pain. Eleanor nodded and lifted her youngest nephew into her arms. The nine year old clasped his arms around her neck, sobbing into her shoulder.
"Be brave, my darling" she whispered gently as she pulled up her hood again "it will all be over soon....lead the way, Eddie"

Edward didn't need prompting a second time and, with his cloak tight around him, ran into the corridors filled with the wounded, dying, dead and fighting, though he did not flinch at any of the horrors his young eyes came to face. As he ran out onto the ramparts his eyes widened as he took in a full breath of fresh air, finally free to run, free to move....free to escape.

The wind whipped his blonde hair, stung his skin and stirred his cloak behind him and he suddenly felt adrenaline flood his veins, making him run, run run run as fast as he could so that he could almost taste the freedom that lay just moments away.

He may not be a King, he may not be a Prince but he could still be free, he could still live a life!

Looking down to the gates he gasped as he saw his Uncle, Thomas Grey beside a pack of saddled horses. While looking rather haggard and a sporting a prickly beard, the boy still recognised him and almost leapt down the steps to get to him.
"Tommy!" He screamed and Thomas spun around just in time to catch the thirteen year old in his arms.

"Edward! Jesus you're safe!"
"Of course they're safe!" Eleanor's voice, throughly out of breath, said as she caught up with Richard still in her arms "we need to go and we need to go now"
"I agree" Rickon said firmly as he lifted Edward from his brother's arms and placed him on one of the horses "Leena, you ride with little Richard, Tom and I will take the other two. The men have hold of the gate Tower"

They all mounted their horses at the speed of lighting, trying not to fumble with the leather reins as they grasped for stability and Tom's deep voice demanded for the gates to be opened. It did, the wooden doors swinging open, letting the people below escape.

Their horses jerked into motion, galloping through the gates and onto the streets of London and Eleanor finally allowed herself to breathe once more as the sounds of battle faded away until all that remained was the sound of hooves on cobble and laboured breaths.

When they were out of the city, she allowed herself a small smile as she saw Edward grin to himself, his self-assurance returning a little as the rays of moonlight caught on his golden hair and he let out a laugh.

A laugh that was so like his Father's it moved Eleanor to tears.

꧁꧂

The jewels are safe and kept in the same box. We shall keep a close eye on them for they are as precious to us as they are to you.

~ Tom

Eleanor let out a sigh of relief as she red the two sentences scrawled onto a scrap of parchment that she had found under her crown which she had laid aside in the solar the night before, tired of its weight. There had been uproar at court the morning after the attack and Eleanor hadn't left her rooms for fear that the courtiers would somehow see her part to play if they saw her.

But now she felt she could relax just a little.

"Thank the Lord" she whispered, crossing herself before she leant forward in her chair and threw the note into the fire seemingly just in time for a moment later Cat walked into the room. Eleanor frowned as she noticed her sister's face was filled with unease.

"What is it, Cat?"
Cat looked up, biting her lip a little.
"The King has sent for you"