~Murder~

Her hands clasped together as if in prayer, Eleanor stared out of the window of her bedchamber, her eyes wandering aimlessly into the darkness of the night. She had been stood there for around half an hour now, and though her heart had long since calmed its incessant beating her mind still raced, unable to process the grisly images put there by murder's hand.

She tore her gaze away from the glass panes as she heard the door open and close behind her. Turning to face her husband, she found tears in her eyes that were reflected in Richard's.

"You murdered him" she murmured, though her voice was barely audible, sounded almost strangled as she tried to gather her thoughts and words together "you and....and Edward....I saw you"

"You did?" He whispered, his hopes of concealment dashed in a moment, though he tried to go to her all the same.

"No!" She ordered, holding out a hand to prevent him from coming any closer "no...." her voice wavered slightly as they looked at each other, all the warmth that had encased them earlier vanishing into an cold confrontation. It was suddenly as if they had been hurled back to the early months of their marriage, their grief plan, overshadowed by a brewing anger.

"I had no choice" Richard began in earnest, his tone almost pleading, though it fell on deaf ears.
"No choice?" Eleanor cried, shaking her head as she swept past him to the fireplace "I watched as you helped murder an old man while he slept! Held him down as he struggled for breath and you have the nerve to tell me that you had no choice?!"

"Edward ordered...."
"Just because Edward ordered it does not mean you have to do it! Really! Sometimes one would think you do not have your own free will when it comes to your beloved brother Edward!"

"I could say the same for you when it comes to Elizabeth!" Richard retorted, a stored up resentment in his voice as he spoke of the Queen, stepping towards his wife once again. "There is hardly a command of hers that I have seen you disobey! What about John! What great protest did you utter when your sister tore him down from his position?"

Eleanor whirled around, rage filling her eyes.
"I tried to save John!" She yelled "I crossed a battlefield for him Richard! And what did you do? Sit in your tent as Edward most likely told you to do! And besides, I did not murder John! You murdered Henry in cold blood!"

"Just as he murdered my father! And my brother? What say you to that?!" Richard cried, stepping forward again so that they were face to face, staring angrily into one another's eyes.

"That it was Margaret of Anjou!" She replied, trying to even out her voice as her fists clenched at her sides "not that witless old man that you just put to death! Without trial, without charge and without warning! His only crime was living!"
Richard looked away, sighing as he shook his head.

"A crime that cost Edward the throne" he explained "I know that he did not chose to start a rebellion....but by keeping him alive....Edward could not be secure on his throne" sighing heavily once again, Richard turned away, his anger vanishing and giving way to a tired defeat "you appear to think that I wanted to kill him" he said, slowly sitting down in a chair "that I somehow took joy in taking the life of an old man away! I know that it was his Queen that took the lives of my family.... not him....I didn't want to kill him, Eleanor"

The Duchess simply started at him, her rage dissipating as his had, becoming sadness instead as she looked into his eyes "his son had to die too....for us to survive....that's why our men went after him on the battlefield, how he was killed so easily"

Eleanor shook her head, slowly sitting down by Richard's chair and leaning her head against his knee. She had been the one to curse Edward of Lancaster, she had been the one to condemn him to death. Similar to how Richard had helped condemn Henry to death....

Staring into the flames of the fire that were slowly dying as the night dragged on, Eleanor sighed slightly, standing once again and turning to her husband. Reaching out, she took his hand and raised him from his chair, guiding him to their bed and watching as he hesitantly lay down on the covers.

Discarding her bed robe, she joined him, moving into his arms and taking his hand once more, brushing her lips against his knuckles.
"What has changed?" Richard whispered, almost alarmed by her sudden shift in mood "are you not angry anymore?" Eleanor merely shushed him, shaking her head.

"No" she said, just as she had earlier only now their was a gentleness to her tone "let's not speak of this....not again....not ever again"
"Never again" he agreed, tucking her head under his chin and combing out her braid out with his fingers.

꧁꧂

June 1471, Westminster....

Anais gave a squeal of surprise as she tripped over a sleeping Fortuna, causing the little dog to seemingly fly from the floor, dashing to her mistress's skirts while Eleanor chuckled, realising how much she had missed her friend's company.

She had been relived beyond measure to find that they had not spent months locked up in a dark cell but instead had been at Grafton, carefully hidden by Jacquetta until it was safe for them to return!

"Really, Anais, be careful!" Marie chided with a roll of her eyes, carefully lacing the Duchess's shoes while Anais merely stuck her tongue out, fetching a necklace that Richard had had delivered to his wife's chambers that morning.

"It's beautiful!" She said in wonder, gliding a finger over the oval emerald that was surrounded by carefully set sapphires, glimmering in the rays of sun that shone through the chamber windows.

"The Duke spoils me!" Eleanor laughed, lifting her hair so that her Lady could clasp the delicate jewels around her neck.
"Which is just as it should be!" Marie replied with a short nod, rising from the floor and straightening the hem of the Duchesse's blue gown before she turned her attention to the slight creases in her hanging sleeves "you are his wife, he should spoil you each day!"

"And he does!" Eleanor confirmed, holding up a hand for Anais to slide rings onto her fingers "he has been showering me with gifts ever since the court returned to London!"

"I think he loves you, your grace" the younger woman remarked, jumping when the Duchess snatched her hand back before a soft laugh left her and she shook her head, standing from her bed and leaving her ladies staring after her.

"He does not" she said firmly, more to herself than to them, her cheeks reddening "he does not love me, Anna! He cannot!"
"And why not?" Anais asked, earning a sharp tap from Marie and a scowl.
"Go and fetch fresh linen" she ordered and Anais nodded, falling silent as she curtsied and left the room, her shoulders drooping slightly.

Stepping forward, Marie extended her hands in a gesture that surprised Eleanor as she took them, bringing the two closer together.
"Anna does not understand these things, your grace" she said gently "she is too young I think"
"She is scarce a year younger than me!" Eleanor returned but Marie merely smiled, tucking a loose strand of copper hair behind her ear.

"But you have matured, chérie, Anais has not.... she speaks without thought, even if she may be right" the Duchess looked up, all pretence of nonchalance gone, leaving a saddened look on her face.

"But I know her to be wrong" she whispered "it is a fact, Marie....and do not question me, I beg for I know for sure....I grew up around love, you see. My mother and father caused quite the scandal when they married, as it sure you know.... their love is unbreakable....just as I think my husband's is...." she drew her hands from Marie's grasp and walked to the window, staring out as she had a habit of doing "he may care for me....I know that he does....but true love is unbreakable. He will never truly love me....because he loves another"

"And who is this other?" Marie questioned, joining her by the window "for there is no Lady on earth I am sure that is comparable to you, your grace!"

"Kate" Eleanor confided miserably, her voice laced with, a now familiar, resentment "while Richard may be mine forever in body and in law....she will always have his heart" she looked up, softly sighing before she refused to linger any longer on her thoughts and plastered a smile onto her face "have your heard that the King's mother has returned to the court at last?" She asked brightly.

"Oui, your grace" Marie replied with a gentle smile "and I hear that she favours you above her other daughters in law!"
"Wouldn't that be a blessing?" Eleanor laughed as Anais returned, curtsying with a bundle of linen in her arms, though her laughter soon died on her lips as a nudge of misery lodged itself into her heart.

꧁꧂

"Ah, my dear Eleanor!" Duchess Cecily exclaimed as she swept passed the Queen, almost ignoring her apart from a slight nod of the head before she took Eleanor into a fond embrace "it has been too long since I have seen you, my dear"

"Indeed it has" Eleanor replied with a smile, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief as Marie's words were proved to be true after all "I trust that you are well?"
"That I am, child" Cecily replied airily "though now I must retire to my chamber!" As quickly as she had arrived, she moved away down the corridor, her flock of ladies following her while the Queen merely scoffed.

"I hope you noticed that, Leena!" She said indignantly, beginning to walk again and motioning for her little sister to join her "I swear she slights me every time she sees me!" Eleanor shook her head, placing a hand atop Elizabeth's as she tried to reassure her (and herself).

"The Duchess has never favoured you and you know it!" She said with a small shrug "why should it concern you now? After all, your reign is secure once more, what does her opinion matter?"

Elizabeth glanced at her with approval, making Eleanor straighten up slightly, pleased that her efforts had paid off.
"Well said, sister" she announced as they entered the great hall where all the Lords and Ladies of the court awaited them, the King and his brothers already at the dais at the far end of the chamber.

They had all been called forth for the 'trial' of Anne Neville. It had been just as Eleanor had said, upon returning to London the widowed girl had been placed into her sister's care and so she had not seen her since but now she hoped she was well.

She knew that Edward would show mercy, would not condemn a 14 year old to the Tower for crimes that were not her own, but still she prepared herself for the anger that was sure to emerge from her elder sister at the young Neville's royal pardon.

As she approached the dais, Richard held out a hand to her, bringing her gracefully to his side and admiring her necklace, glad that she had worn it.
"I hope that you like it?" He asked, pleased when she nodded and stood up slightly to brush a chaste kiss against his cheek.
"I like it very much" she murmured to him. "though I do not think I need such gifts, Richard!"

"Nonsense!" He retorted playfully, as if the mere idea was scandalous not just to him but to God "you are my wife and Duchess and I shall give you which gifts I please because I'm the Duke of Gloucester and I like it!" Eleanor giggled at his words, shaking her head as she caught George watching them, an amused expression on his face.

"Do stop smirking, Clarence" she tutted with a roll of her eyes that George knew was far from serious, though she was careful to make her expression convincing enough for the all seeing sight of her sister.

"My apologies, Duchess" he returned with a mock bow that made her bite back a grin as Richard nudged her and she turned her attention to the slight blonde girl that had entered the hall.

"Anne Neville" a man announced for all to hear and Anne immediately looked as if she wanted to hide for all of the eyes in the hall were now upon her. Scrutinising her, criticising her, trying to weigh up in their minds weather she was a traitor.

She knew that to some she was....

She was dressed in a murrey gown leant to her by her elder sister. It hardly fitted her with cuffs that she had to roll up at least three times and an armful of skirt that she had to keep tightly packed in her fists unless she wanted to fall. It was far from comfortable or ideal but Isabel had told her it would make her 'look less like a Lancastrian' and so she obeyed without a word of protest, something she had grown used to doing that past year.

As she approached the dais she could feel the York's gaze on her and found herself flicking between the different colours of eyes, absentmindedly searching for a friend. The light blue eyes of Edward seemed to smile at her though his lips were set in a straight line of seriousness while the Queen's dragon like green ones did not even try to hide their holders malice.

A shiver ran down her spine as she curtsied and looked to the Duke of Clarence, his deep brown eyes were accessing her, partially unreadable unlike his little brother's blue ones that were simply filled with worry. At last she glanced momentarily at the Duchess of Gloucester, finding her to have a small, kind smile on her lips and a form of hope filling her eyes which were, while similar in hue to her elder sister's, were completely different in sentiment.

"Your grace" Anne murmured with a slight gulp, looking back to the King "I beg for your royal pardon....it was not my will to betray you...." she shook her head slightly, now glad of her oversized sleeves as her nails dug into the velvet. She wished that Edward would speak, would cease his curious staring and break the air of tension "my father ordered my marriage to the son of Margaret of Anjou and she commanded that I go with them, I had no choice but to obey...."

She felt the urge to step back as Edward rose in silence, walking forward her and staring down at her.
"You know that Margaret of Anjou is defeated?" He asked sternly, clasping his hands together in front of him "and will never ride out against me again?"
"I know that now" she whispered with a nod "and that her cause has no merit"

All of a sudden, Edward smiled and it seemed as if the room had become alight with the brightest of suns, relief flooding through her.

"Well that is good enough for me!" He proclaimed and Eleanor immediately looked to her sister, watching as disbelief formed on her delicate, pale features "I forgive you and pardon you!" Edward continued, forcing the Queen from her seat as if she were about to strike Anne Neville down there and then "you are welcome at court and may live here with your sister!"

The Queen turned and strode from the room, gesturing for her sister to follow, which she did, hurrying after Elizabeth after she sent Anne an encouraging smile and a look of apology to the King.

"How could Edward do this?" The Queen cried as the Duchess closed the heavy door to the anti chamber and sighed "he pardoned her without a moments hesitation! And after what Warwick did to Father and John!"

"Edward did what he had to do!" A calm voice replied and the two near jumped out of their skin as they turned to see their mother sitting in a corner of the room.
"But you must begrudge Warwick's daughters their happy reunion!" Elizabeth argued while Jacquetta shook her head, sipping slowly from a goblet of wine.

"England needs peace!" She reasoned "everything else must be set aside!"