~New Beginnings~

The loud squeal of a young babe filled the halls as Elizabeth and Eleanor rounded a corner, just in time to see George take Prince Edward from his nurse and into his arms. The little Prince looked up to his Uncle, a toothless grin on his rosy face as he giggled, content to be held.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at her brother in law, her fists clenched in the fabric of her gown, crumpling it in an instant.
"He will have nothing to do with my son!" She seethed, starting forward with her younger sister on her heels, eager to avoid conflict.

"George would not harm him!" She reasoned, though she knew the Queen would be oblivious to any sense, especially when it came to her hated brother. Striding into the chamber where the Duke of Clarence had disappeared, Elizabeth immediately looked around for her youngest child, holding her arms out to him.

"Come here my Prince" she murmured gently, swiftly taking the baby from his Uncle's hold and into her own before she passed him back to the nurse, waving her away. Eleanor sighed to herself and walked over to where her husband was perched on Edward's desk, a map in his hand as he looked up.

She raised her eyebrows a little at him as George huffed and reluctantly sat down in a seat, folding his arms.
"It won't be very long until we see him settled at Ludlow" he remarked, quite blatantly seeking to create some form of argument.
"Ludlow Castle?" Elizabeth repeated, clearly confused as she looked between the three York brothers "we are to live....in Wales?"

"Not us" Edward explained with a smile "but our son will, when he's two!" Elizabeth merely stared back at him in disbelief, her eyes widening as she shook her head a little "he's the Prince of Wales!" He continued, appearing at ease while the others were anything but "he must establish his own household there"

"What possible use has Wales for an infant Prince?" Elizabeth demanded, looking to Eleanor for an ally. The Duchess immediately caught on, sending her elder sister a nod.
"I agree!" She said, for she did, and heard Richard sigh behind her, knew he was frowning "there is no use for him there! Surely he is better with his family?"

"Precisely!" Elizabeth said, almost throwing her hands up in annoyance before Richard spoke.
"The people must know him from childhood, your grace, that way they'll learn to love him and that's how well break Welsh loyalty to the Tudors"

Edward nodded in agreement, sitting beside Richard as he spoke only for his attention to once more he diverted to Elizabeth.
"No!" She thundered "I am not letting go of my son!" He sighed.

"This is what it means to have a Prince and not a girl!" The King said with a shrug "it's simply the matter of choosing the right guardian!"
"Then I will choose his guardian!" Elizabeth returned "Leena and I shall choose his guardian between us, I am his mother, she is his Aunt and if he is to be forced to leave me then I shall have a say in who raises him into a man!"

"It's not simply a matter of raising him into a man, Elizabeth, it's a matter of raising him into a King" Edward replied curtly, a look of visible irritation crossing his face while his brothers simply watched, slightly amused.

"Stop it" Eleanor whispered, nudging Richard in the ribs hard enough to make him shift uncomfortably before she turned and left with her sister, both of their heads held high as the York brothers stared after them.

"She's impossible I swear" George muttered.

꧁꧂

"George will have nothing at all to do with my son Leena!" Elizabeth stated firmly once more as she stared at each of the little figurines which represented each candidate for the Princes of Wales' guardian. Eleanor noticed that over the past few weeks, those words often passed her elder sister's lips, her hatred for the Duke of Clarence seemingly growing each day.

"What about Lionel?" She suggested, picking up the small portrait of her elder brother and tilting her head a little "he is a Bishop and...."
"Which is why it cannot be him!" Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head "I agree we should search within our own ranks for my son's protector....but whomever it is must be dedicated solely to him!"

"Then what about....our Richard?" Eleanor asked, laying down one portrait of an elder brother and picking up a younger one. She smiled at the small figurine, she had not seen her little brother since 1467 but remembered him as a merry blonde boy who would do anything for his family "he is a year younger than I and by the time Edward is two he shall be almost nineteen!"

"But he has no military experience and is hardly ever at court!" Elizabeth said, slightly waving a hand in dismissal "and before you suggest our little brother Eddie, he's far too young! He's still but fifteen! Has not even finished his education!"

"Then Anthony!" Eleanor sighed, placing down the portrait of her brother and standing from her chair to stretch her aching limbs. The two had been sat in the Queen's chambers for little over three hours debating on the guardianship and both wished their mother was there to help guide them!

She leant against the window, placing a hand on the fabric that covered her belly and sighed once again, finding it was becoming a habit of hers. "Anthony is the best to protect your son" she said, trying to smile at her sister's exasperated expression "he is loyal to us and would fight to the death for the Prince. Perhaps Rickon can join him once he's a little older?"

Elizabeth nodded slightly, too rising from her seat and taking the Duchesse's hand in her own.
"You are right" she whispered, leaning her cheek against the cool stone of the wall "but Anthony is our defence here...."

"And who needs his protection more?" Eleanor asked "an infant or two strong Woodville women with the power to cast their enemies into the mud?"

꧁꧂

August 1471, Westminster....

"Come on, Leena! Join us!" George laughed as he and Richard tumbled to the floor with youthful grins on their faces, the summer sun beating down on them, making the jewels they wore glimmer.

"See!" Edward called triumphantly as they scrambled to their feet, pointing his sword in their direction as his men applauded, goblets of wine in most of their hands "I told you I could take you both!"

"But what about Eleanor?" George retorted, once again looking over to her while Richard gave a playful shake of his head "I'll wager she could defeat you in under a minute!"

"Under a minute?" Edward chuckled, striding towards the Duchess and bringing her to her feet from where she had been spectating their carousing on the courtyard steps "how do you like those odds, Leena?"

Eleanor laughed as she clung onto the King's arm, shaking her head until she was by George's side.
"I will not stand against you but in jest!" She proclaimed loudly "though if you challenge me then I assure you I shall give you a worthy fight!"

"Hear that!" George said as Richard drew his sword and passed it to Eleanor with a grin, showing her how to hold it properly before she jumped nimbly onto his brother's back.

"Aha! I'll have you both!" Edward proclaimed, raising his blade into the air as George charged forward and he did, the three colliding a few moments later before they all tumbled to the floor with a crash, Eleanor falling on top of the King. In one swift (though rather accidental) move, she dislodged his sword from his grasp, sending it across the cobblestones of the courtyard.

At once, the men watching let up a cheer and Richard rushed to his wife, helping her to her feet with a proud smile on his face. Straightening her gown a little, she grinned at him while Edward and George got up, laughing and smiling as they did so.

"It seems you are more than a match for me!" The King joked, clapping with the rest before he took a goblet of wine and finished its contents in one large gulp in an effort to discard some heat "but now be off with you!" He waved his arms in the air, shooing the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester away "make sure you reward her well, Dickon!" He called after them before looking around for his next opponent.

Taking her husband's hand, Eleanor ran up the courtyard steps, almost setting loose her hair in her fervour to get inside the walls of the palace. Once or twice, Richard called for her to slow down for she was dragging him along the corridors without a care in the world.

He was tempted to ask her if she wanted him to make love to her there and then but decided it was best to wait until they reached their rooms for her eagerness seemed to betray her lust.

As they burst through the doors to their chambers, Anais and Marie looked up from where they had been quietly embroidering by the window, the younger of the two letting a surprised giggle pass her lips.

Laying their work to once side, they quickly curtsied before fleeing the room, well aware that Eleanor and Richard had probably not even registered their presence as they closed the doors behind them.

Taking both of his hands in her own, Eleanor led Richard to their bed before halting just under a foot away. Gazing up at him from under her lashes, she sent him an inviting smile before her hands reached around to the back of her gown.

"I have something for you" she murmured softly, her fingers tugging at the delicate laces holding the soft blue silk together before she unbuttoned her sleeves. Pushing the material from her shoulders, she allowed her gown to fall at her feet before she took Richard's hand and gently brought it to her lips "I have a gift" she said, excitement brewing in her eyes.

"A gift?" He murmured, removing her rings one by one and tossing them aside "and what gift may that be, sweetheart?"

"A child" she replied quietly, watching with anticipation as he suddenly ceased his caresses and looked up at her, surprise crossing his features before joy filled them.

"You are with child?" He whispered, hardly daring to breathe as Eleanor guided his hand to her belly, placing it against the soft curve that ever so slightly rounded her stomach.

Silently, she nodded, feeling the urge to laugh as she watched Richard's expressions seemingly change from moment to moment, each more overjoyed than the last.

"I am carrying your child" she managed "our child....just as I said I would"
"But how?" Richard asked in disbelief, only now noticing the new shine that adorned her hair, the slight change in the weight of her breasts as he cupped one through her shift "how did I not notice? I've been in your bed near every night since I returned from exile! By God you must think me a simpleton!"

"Not a simpleton!" She giggled with a shake of her head, his blatant surprise endearing him further to her "but men never notice anything so I well expected it!" A small squeal escaped her as her husband suddenly pulled her shift over her head, scooping her up into his arms and placing her onto their bed.

He discarded his doublet and boots before laying beside her, once more placing his hand on top of her belly and smiling from ear to ear. Leaning down a little, he kissed her stomach before placing his head lightly atop it.

"How far along are you?" He whispered in wonder as Eleanor began to run her fingers through his hair, smiling down at him.

"Four months I believe" she replied "they will begin to kick soon....just as Jacquetta did. In fact I think they have begun their movements already! I was awake most of last night to be truthful!"

"A February babe" he murmured happily, placing fleeting kisses to her warm skin as he made her way back up her body to her lips "our child, Eleanor....our little son or daughter!"

"We will be a family" Eleanor whispered, lifting his shirt over his head so that she could feel the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers "a true family, Richard! A-are you pleased?"

"Pleased?" He repeated, a glimmer of amusement lighting the blue in his eyes as he pulled her close, careful not to crush her belly between them "I do not think that I have been happier!"
"And we shall love them well" The Duchess continued "whomever they turn to be, they will be our child and we will love them"

"Love and cherish them until the day we die" Richard finished, tucking her head beneath his chin.