~Duchess of Gloucester~

Eleanor stood still, silent, lost in thought as her mother and sister readied her for her wedding at dusk the next day. She had bathed, had her hair gently patted dry and now was being put into her wedding clothes.

The gown was one of white damask with golden symbols relating to the house of York running along the hanging sleeves that swept gracefully to the ground. It was lined with a soft white silk but Eleanor did not notice its sumptuousness nor the golden girdle or necklace set with an emerald that Elizabeth clasped around her waist and neck.

Jacquetta gently brushed her daughter's copper curls, pinning some at the back before placing a small pristine white headdress onto her. She then attached a short veil and gently kissed Eleanor's cheek though there was no response, nothing but silence.

"How do you feel?" Elizabeth asked gently as she straightened the hem of her sister's gown.
"Like I am going to my death" was the murmured response she received "or rather my execution"

Eleanor flinched as she heard a knock on the door and slowly turned to see her brother enter, a smile lighting up his face; holding out his hands.
"You look beautiful sister" he said while she raised her eyebrows and only managed to return his smile a little.
"Well I guess that's something, Anthony" she said as he linked her arm with his and she let him guide her from her room "but this...this is not what I want"

"I know" he soothed, patting her hand as they walked slowly through the hallways in the direction of the chapel "it may not be what you want, but this is your destiny now, it is what you must do....as your duty to our family"
"Ah yes" the Countess muttered "my duty. The duty which is causing misery beyond measure"

Finally arriving at the chapel, Eleanor halted in her steps, looking around at her mother and sister who nodded to her in encouragement before snapping her gaze to the front as Anthony pushed open the chapel doors.

Eleanor stepped across the threshold, clasping her hands, trying to steady her breathing as she saw her betrothed standing before a priest at the alter, his back to her.

He was dressed in a golden doublet, his chains of office sitting evenly on his shoulders which his black curls lightly touched.

Eleanor hesitated slightly before she forced herself to move forward, staring at the chapel ceiling as she prayed for courage before coming to the alter.

Looking to her right she saw Richard had done the same and he gave her a small smile, rather warm compared to the glance he had given her yesterday, making her relax a little. Smiling nervously back at him as they knelt before the priest and bowed their heads.

Slowly, the ageing man made the sign of the cross over them before picking up one of Eleanor's hands and placing it in Richard's. Once again, the Countess felt her heart begin to race as the Priest began to murmured Latin, words she did not understand and that did nothing to soothe her.

Glancing behind her a little, she looked helplessly at her kin wishing with all her heart that Bella was there. She knew that her presence would have comforted her. Bella had always been there for her ever since she could remember and now (through no fault of her own) she was not.

Turning her gaze back to the front, she watched as the old man made the sign of the cross once more and opened his arms, turning his open palms to the ceiling, to god as he prepared for the vows.

"Do you, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, take this woman, Eleanor Woodville, Countess of Rutland, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" He suddenly bellowed, making the girl jump at the strength and authority he held in his voice.

"I do" Richard said solemnly and the Priest nodded.
"Very well, now, repeat after me. I, Richard Plantagenet...."
"I, Richard Plantagenet"
"Take this woman to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part, if the holy church it will ordain and hence, I plight thee my troth"

Richard repeated the words slowly and steadily with not a fault in his voice as if he had previously rehearsed for this moment. 'Perhaps he has?' Eleanor wondered as he spoke, stealing a half glance at the man beside her before the Priest turned his attention to her.

"And you, Eleanor Woodville, Countess of Rutland, do you take this man, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, to be your wedded husband?"

She took a deep breath, clenching her free fist to calm herself slightly before she nodded her head.
"I do"

As he had done before the Priest nodded and made to continue, now clasping his hands as if in prayer.
"Repeat after me" he said calmly "I Eleanor Woodville, take this man to be my wedded husband"
"I....Eleanor Woodville take this man to be my wedded husband...."
"To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer in sickness and in health"

Eleanor repeated the words, though she appeared a little distant as she said them, using all the power she had to concentrate on the vows in her head.

"To be meek and obedient"
Her head shot up as the Priest spoke again. Meek and obedient? Why, these were two things she had never been, two things that she would never be! Frowning slightly, she swallowed before speaking, making sure that an undercurrent of sarcasm was in her voice when she spoke.

"To be meek and obedient"

Out of the corner of her eye she was sure she saw the Duke grin for a moment before she was instructed in her next words.
"Till death do us part, if the holy church it will ordain and hence I plight thee my troth"
"Till death do us part, if the holy church it will ordain and hence I plight the my troth" she repeated, watching as the priest nodded his approval and reached for a cushion that held to rings. They were both gold but set with different jewels, one with a ruby and one with a sapphire.

Richard reached out and took the latter into his hand, slowly holding up Eleanor's and sliding the ring onto her ring finger, a look of deep concentration on his face as he did so.

Eleanor was next, picking up the ruby ring as she held up Richard's hand and put the ring onto his finger. For a few moments, the pair looked at each other in silence, eyes of deep blue staring into eyes of emerald green.

"I now pronounce you man and wife" the Priest declared and Eleanor could hear the applause of her kin behind her but that quickly went silent, as did the rest of the world as the words hit her like a slap in the face. She was married. She was no longer Eleanor Woodville, Countess of Rutland, she was the Duchess of Gloucester, a royal Duchess of England....and wife to Richard Plantagenet.

Lifting up the skirt of her gown, Eleanor began to walk back down the isle again with Richard by her side, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Congratulations" Elizabeth said as she walked forward, drawing her newly wedded sister into a hug.
'Congratulations or commiserations' Eleanor was tempted to say but bit back the retort and simply smiled as she pulled away.
"Thank you, your grace" she said as Anthony clapped Richard on the back, grinning at him.

"Come along, Leena" Jacquetta said gently, taking her daughter's arm and guiding her out of the chapel. Eleanor felt a massive sigh of relief, as soon as she was out of earshot of the rest, pass her lips and leant her head on her mother's shoulder.

Glancing out of one of the windows she saw that it was pitch black, now the dead of night and sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly realising why Jacquetta had lead her away.

"It won't hurt, will it?" She suddenly whispered, stopping in her tracks as her heart began to pound again. Her mother smiled, turning to her young daughter and placing her hands on her shoulders.
"A little" she said "but you must not fear, my dear....it will not hurt for long"

꧁꧂

With a shaking hand, Eleanor slid away the last of the pins that held her hair in place and watched as the red curls fell forward over her face. She quickly pushed her hair back over her shoulders so that it tumbled down her back and fiddled with the ties at the front of her night gown, making sure they were secure.

She then made her way to the large four poster bed that was at the other end of the candlelit chambers, it's purple hangings drawn back and tied to the wooden pillars.

The pristine, white covers were soft, she noticed as she sat down, taking deep breaths, and slowly brought her legs up from the cold wooden floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

The sudden creak of a door made her jump and she slowly turned to see Richard enter the room in his undershirt and trousers, his sturdy boots gone.

Eleanor watched as he walked over to the bed, the mattress dipping slightly as he sat beside her. The pair looked at each other, offering each other shy small smiles and nods as they tried to think of what to say.

"We don't have to...." Richard began looking towards the bed "if you don't want to...."
"We do" Eleanor replied quietly "I'm clever enough to know that if a marriage is not consummated it can be considered invalid and then what would your older brother say to that?"

"Ned?" The Duke asked, with a small chuckle, raking a hand through his dark hair "I suppose you are right, my lady. He would not be happy if he plan did not succeed....but then again, is that not what you would want?"

Eleanor turned to him, crossing her legs as she peered up at her husband.
"I have resigned myself to this arrangement of his by now, have you?"
Richard nodded and slowly shuffled back further onto the bed, leaving Eleanor to follow suit, which she did.

Never breaking the eye contact they had, she slowly laid back onto the pillows, clasping her hands together.
"What now, my lord, Gloucester?"
"Just trust me" Richard said and she arched an eyebrow, sitting up again a little.

"I don't know you" she returned quietly "all I know is that your did not like my elevation to the rank of Countess of Rutland and you once begrudgingly admitted that you found me pretty"

"You are pretty" he admitted, moving a little closer to her "very pretty"
Eleanor felt herself blush as she lay back down again and Richard took off his breeches before he carefully moved on top of her.
"You won't hurt me....will you?" she heard herself suddenly whispering, her voice quaking.

The Duke gently put a hand to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
"As you may have been told, it will hurt a little, but I will not hurt you intentionally....that I can promise you" After a slight hesitation, Eleanor nodded and closed her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek as she prepared for what was to come "my lady?" She opened her eyes a little in question "you need to...." Richard paused a second, taking in a deep breath "you need to... you need to spread your legs"

The young woman's eyes were open fully in a trice, large emeralds staring at him as if he had gone insane.
"I need to what" she asked, sitting up on her elbows. Richard raised his eyebrows a little and Eleanor sighed, part from reluctance, part from fear as her head hit the pillows once more.

Closing her eyes again, she took a deep breath before she slowly let her thighs part and bit into her cheek once more as she felt the hem of her nightgown being lifted until the embroidered linen was almost gathered at her waist.

She curled her fists as she felt Richard move between her parted legs, her nails digging into her skin. And then suddenly she had to bite back a pained cry as he entered her, pushing hard enough to break her maidenhead. Feeling her breathing increase as he pushed further, she tasted blood on her tongue as he withdrew from before thrusting inside again, causing hot tears to flood to her closed eyes.

A few more thrusts and Richard suddenly stilled and groaned while Eleanor flinched as she felt something hot spurt inside of her.

Her eyes opened as her husband moved off her, rolling onto his back at the other side of the bed. The Duchess merely stared at the canopy above her head, swallowing before she moved onto her side, lowering her nightgown and watched as Richard's chest rose and fell.

"Are you alright?" She whispered and he turned to face her, smiling a little at her when he nodded.
"Are you?" He asked gently and reached out a hand to catch the tear that was trickling down her cheek.
"I'm not rightly sure" she murmured "but I think so...."

"I'm glad" Richard replied, leaning over to brush his lips against her cheek before he stood and reached for his breeches, pulling them on. After wishing her a goodnight he made towards the door but Eleanor suddenly shot up from the covers.

Before she knew what she was doing her lips had moved.
"Wait" she said, holding out a hand as if to stop him reaching for the handle. She did not know what was going through her brain, did not know why she was about to speak, but as he turned to her, she did "W-will you stay with me? If only for a little while....I don't like being alone during the night...."

Richard tilted his head a little as he nodded, walking around the room to put out all of the candles until the room was pitch black and he made his way back to the bed. Carefully he drew back the covers and slid in beside Eleanor.

She expected him to turn away and go to sleep but he did not, instead he reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist before he drew her to him.

Hesitantly, she lay her head on his chest, her mind telling her to move away while her body refused to obey, snuggled a little closer to him as she closed her eyes.