~Wife and Witch~

When Eleanor woke the next morning she found herself alone and shivering before she pulled up the sheets around her and looked out of the small window that had beams of light coming through the diamond pieces of glass.

Holding up her hand, she eyed her wedding ring with a mix of reluctance and sadness, for it was a reminder that she was now well and truly trapped in a gilded cage. Married to a man whom she did not know (despite their unexpected closeness the previous night) and certainly did not love. He did not love or know her either, she thought, as she slowly moved from the bed and walked over to a coffer that lay under the window.

Opening the lid, she retrieved a soft lilac gown before removing her nightgown and pulling on a clean shift, trying to ignore the dull pain between her legs. She slipped the gown over her head and tied the laces tightly, though she felt her fingers trembling a little.

After she reached for a hairbrush, slowly brushing out her curls before she opened a draw next to her and picked out a white gauze veil. Using the pins from the previous day, she attached the veil, hiding her hair and neatly arranged it so that is was flowing down her back, the elegant fabric almost reaching her knees.

Eleanor slowly made her way back to the bed, sitting down as she pulled on her stockings and a pair of lilac silk slippers to match her gown.

"I'm married" she whispered, part of her still in disbelief "no longer Eleanor Woodville....but her grace the Duchess of Gloucester...."

Standing she walked to the small table under the mirror that hung on the stone wall and retrieved the charm that hung on the deep black ribbon, containing the curse she had laid on the brother of her husband.

Tying it around her neck, she slowly kissed the metal locket and left the chamber, walking to the chapel.

What she found there was Elizabeth, wearing a white veil similar to her own and on her knees before the altar; hands clasped in prayer.

Eleanor went to her side, kneeling beside the Queen and bending her head to pray but before she could even begin, her sister had turned to her with a smile.

"Are you well?" She whispered and Eleanor nodded, though she found she could not fully return the smile.
"I am, to be honest, but I cannot admit to being happy!"
"You will be soon....I am sure of it" Elizabeth said, taking her younger sister's hand "even if that happiness is with your child and not with your husband"

Eleanor's eyes widened and she put a hand to her stomach, shaking her head.
"Anything but a child" she said sternly, leaning against the altar "besides, where is the Duke?"

"Parliament" the Queen answered "to prevent George from getting to the throne....we must pray that he wins"
Eleanor smiled at that and nodded, turning to pray once more.
"Of course" she replied "for now all of our hopes rest on the shoulders of a sixteen year old boy!"

"How feeble you make him sound!" Elizabeth chuckled, clasping her hands again "I'm sure he is not so!"

"I'm not sure of anything!" Was the reply she received along with a sad frown "but still, I will pray that the Duke is victorious, for if he is not then you can safely bet that we are all doomed"

꧁꧂

October 1469....

The seventeen year old Duchess leant against the ramparts of the tower as she watched for any sign of an attack from Warwick or the return of Edward.

In late September, Richard had won the argument in Parliament, resulting in the council voting against George for King and securing Edward once more. Eleanor had not seen her husband since their wedding night (almost two months now) but she found she did not mind, she had her young nieces to look after and her sister and mother to keep her company.

Sometimes she didn't feel as if she wanted him to come back at all, would be content if he went back up to the North and stayed there. But she knew that now that would not be possible though it pained her to think of the reason why.

All in all, she had found herself rather a good routine to see through her through the day. She decided that the key to avoiding perilous boredom was to keep busy and so that was what she did.

She spent all of one morning mapping out her day, remembering how she would fill her days at Leeds Castle, the place she had come to view as home but now wondered weather she would ever see it's lovely moat or enchanting great hall ever again. The only thing she had to remind her of her life there was Fortuna who slept by her side at nights so her mistress was not lonely and trotted by her heels during the day.

Early in the morning Eleanor would wake up and dress, usually planning her outfit the night before. She would then wash and go down for breakfast in her sister's chamber. After she would look after the Princesses until the time came for their midday meal and then she would go to the chapel.

It was surprising to Eleanor (and to the rest) that she sometimes stayed there for hours at a time, either in prayer or in thought. She had never been the most devout child but now she seemed to find comfort in the chapel. She found the quiet and peace of the chamber a form of safe haven for herself and her troubles. Something which she found had multiplied beyond her counting.

Now as she stood on the rampart she felt a small tug at her gown and looked down to see Lizzie, an idea suddenly blossoming in her head. She believed she had found a way to solve her greatest problem of all.

Bending down so that she was at the small girl's level she smiled.
"Lizzie?"
"Yes, Aunt Lyanna?" The Princess replied, tilting her head a little as she petted Fortuna.
"Do....do you know what mandrake root is?"

The little girl frowned a little before she nodded, her red curls bouncing as she did so.
"The plant that looks like a little person!" She said, then clearly becoming proud of her explanation when her Aunt nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, Lizzie!" Eleanor exclaimed "do you know where I might find some? Here? At the tower? I've looked but I can seem to find any"
Again the young girl nodded and ran to the other side of the ramparts, pointing to a patch of plants at the opposite end of the tower grounds.

"There!" She said pointing and the Duchess smiled at her, kissing her fondly on the cheek.

She knew what she must do.

That night, Eleanor watched as darkness fell before she rose from her bed, being careful not to wake Fortuna, and wrapped her cloak around her, slipping silently from the room.

With the knife she had stolen from be table at dinner in hand, she made her way out of the keep and thanked god as she made it outside that the moon was shining bright, giving her no need for a torch.

Walking as fast as she could, the Duchess knelt by the plants that her niece had pointed to, eventually recognising the leaves of the mandrake and beginning to push away the soil that covered the root. The part that she needed to complete her task. Grabbing the leaves, she was about to pull the plant from the ground, adrenaline pumping through her veins when....

"Eleanor? What are you doing out here, my dear?" The voice of her mother called out and the young woman turned to see Jacquetta standing behind her, a confused expression on her face that immediately turned into one of sadness and sympathy as she saw what her daughter was doing "come inside, Leena" she said gently "and then we shall talk"

No sooner had Eleanor sat down at her mother's feet in her warm chambers, she began to weep, burying her face in her hands while Jacquetta placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

It seemed to the Duchess that she spent an eternity weeping for she could not seem to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks, soaking the front of her nightgown. In all her life she knew she had never cried this hard or this much and felt as if she would never cry again, thinking all her tears must be used up once she finally stopped, rubbing her throat which stung.

"You are with child" her mother said quietly and Eleanor nodded miserably, unable to speak "how many times did you lie with your husband?"
"Once" she croaked, hanging her head as Jacquetta's eyes widened.
"Why, then you have a wedding night child" she whispered "it must be some form of blessing, don't you think?"

"It's a curse" the Duchess hissed "binding me to this marriage forever....unless I get rid of it"
"That's why you were reaching for that mandrake root...."

"Yes, mother....that is why" Her eyes suddenly filled with tears again as she looked up at her mother with a pleading expression, clinging to her gown "oh, don't think me a heartless monster!" She begged "but I do not want this child! I do not want it! I know that many women are mothers around my age but I am seventeen, mother! I do not want children, not now, not yet! Not ever unless it is with a man I love and I do not love my husband!"

"Yet God and Melusina have seen fit to give you a child" Jacquetta said with a small smile "do you truly mean to get rid of it? Think Leena, that child inside of your womb is yours, your own flesh and blood....your baby"

At her words, her daughter began to sob again, her shoulders heaving as she struggled for breath until the door banged open and she shot up, wiping her face.

"It's Edward!" Elizabeth cried from the threshold "he's back! Edward is back!"
"What?!" Eleanor cried as she jumped from the floor with a gasp "he's in London? Here?"
"Yes!" Her sister returned "and I'm so happy I think I may cry!"

"Not now!" Their mother said with a laugh before looking to Eleanor "I think we have had enough tears for one night"

꧁꧂

"Welcome home!" Everyone cried as they raised their goblets filled with wine high into the air "to King Edward!"

"They lost their nerve!" Edward laughed as everyone took a large gulp while Eleanor placed her drink down onto the table, a million thoughts running through her mind as she stared at the King "George said he would beheaded me but of course he would not dare! Not even Warwick had the stomach for that!" The room erupted into laughter again as they all beamed around at each other, buzzing from a York victory at last "he tried to make me give my Elizabeth up! But I told him that I would happily stay in his house forever but never would I give up my wife not who I am!"

"They are fools to think it" Eleanor quipped and the King turned to her with a smile, holding out his hands, which she took.
"May we now be friends, my lady?" He asked with a grin, hugging her tightly when she nodded and smiled at him, welcoming him home once again.

"So he just released you?" Jacquetta asked with a shrug and Edward nodded while Anthony spoke.
"Parliament wouldn't declare for George and make him King" he explained "so if Edward wouldn't abdicate and they wouldn't kill him"

"Warwick let me out for exercise" Edward finished, leaning on the back of a chair "so that he could save his pride!"
"But really he just let him go!" Richard added, causing the others to laugh.

"And now he will be sorry!" Elizabeth remarked with a relieved smile, taking Eleanor's hand "you know of my brother, John and my father?" She paused a moment to compose herself and her younger sister leant her head against her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"So they will pay for it!" She said but Edward's joyous expression fell as he shook his head.

"None of you will like it, but they won't...." he said steadily and immediately the Queen's and the Duchess's gaze snapped to him in confusion. "we must have peace" the King continued "and I was a fool not to see that I had shut Warwick out....but he knows that he has lost and he will beg for my forgiveness as will George"

"You must not give it!" Elizabeth exclaimed, plastering a smile onto her face, one that faltered as her husband spoke again.
"I will" he murmured "they are my brother and my cousin and this country cannot stand another war especially one within this family....and I will make Warwick's nephew the Duke of Bedford"

"My first husband's title?" Jacquetta gasped as tears filled her blue eyes.
"He's Warwick's heir and I must give him some stake in staying loyal"

"How could you" Eleanor hissed as she stepped forward "how can you do this to us? Your kin, Edward? My father and brother fought for you, died for you and now you reward their murderers? How can you do such a thing? And in the name of peace as well?"

Without giving the King a chance to reply, the Duchess swept front the room and to her chamber, slamming the door shut and gathering Fortuna to her as she began to weep on her bed. Once more mourning the loss of the father and brother she had loved so well.

She was just beginning to fall into a fretful sleep an hour later when a small knock came from the door and the Duchess sat up, her limbs aching as she called for whoever was there to enter.

The door opened and Richard strode in, sitting down on the bed as he looked at his wife.
"Warwick's nephew is innocent of anything" he said "the boy is four years old for God's sake and his father, my cousin John, has fought for York throughout this rebellion, not once turning his coat to Warwick's side! He point blank refused to be a part of any treason so do not blame him or his son in your anger."

"They are Nevilles" Eleanor replied "and they have readily shown us to be our enemies! They hate my family, my Lord, tis a well known fact"
"My mother is a Neville" Richard reasoned.
"And is that supposed to enlighten me?" The Duchess shot back "your mother hates my family more than most!"

Richard sighed and leant back against the nearest bedpost.
"Do you want war?" He asked and a humourless laugh left his wife's lips.
"Why on earth would I want war?" She scoffed "I don't want war, I simply want justice for my father and brother! Surely you of all people can understand that, my lord. Besides, there is another reason I do not want war....a quite important reason I may say"

"And what would that be, my Lady?"
"I'm with child" Eleanor said, feeling a slight triumph as she watched her words sink into her husband's mind, though she did half wonder if she had done herself more injury than good. Just a few hours ago she was intending to get rid of the babe, now she had announced that she was carrying a child to Richard himself!

"You are with child?" He whispered before a small smile lit up his face as she nodded.
"Yes" she answered curtly "I am pregnant with your child, my Lord. So, is that enough reason to persuade you that I don't want war?"

The Duke nodded his head fervently, his eyes trained on her still flat belly before he jumped from the covers and bounded out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Well! At least he's gone now!" Eleanor murmured to Fortuna as she blew out the candle by her bedside and lay down under the covers. "but now I have the Merry job of deciding what to do with this thing inside of me!"