~Evil Intent~

December 1469, Westminster....

"They are coming here for Christmas" Jacquetta murmured sadly as she, Elizabeth and Eleanor watched the carriage that contained the Nevilles and George roll into the palace grounds.

"How can they have the nerve?" Eleanor hissed, glaring as Lord Warwick emerged before she left the window and stormed to the courtyard.

Thinking of rushing down the steps and slapping Warwick there and then she was only stopped by Richard who caught her arm. Unlike Edward, who had immediately strolled to his cousin and brother as they arrived, he had stayed at the top of the steps, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Eleanor could see that his face was grim as she yanked her arm back and glared at the people below.
"What are they doing here?" She demanded quietly "the only reason Warwick and George should be in London is to have their heads stuck on spikes"

"Calm yourself" Richard ordered "don't distress the babe"
"Distress the babe" Eleanor scoffed, folding her arms "we haven't spoken to each other in weeks and the first thing you tell me to do is to not distress the babe"

The Duke looked at her with a raised eyebrow before glancing back to the courtyard. It was true what she had said, they had not spoken to each other in weeks, now slept in different chambers, but neither of them seemed to mind that much, whenever they spoke it was merely polite 'good mornings' or some small disagreement either of them had with the other.

Eleanor huffed at his cold reaction and clasped a hand around her locket, narrowing her eyes as she saw George and the King embrace. Suddenly his dark eyes found her green ones and his expression became sad, almost remorseful but hers merely displayed hate "I will not deal with him" she sneered, looking to Richard before walking indoors.

The Duchess stormed to the Queen's chambers and picked up Fortuna immediately, hugging her to her.

"My husband is insufferable" she grumbled, taking a seat beside Elizabeth, who was on her throne, waiting for he Neville women who were to be brought to her "I swear he gets more so every time I see him! And he does not care for our babe apart from to tell me not to distress it!"

A small smiled tugged at the corners of the Queen's lips while her sister frowned, putting down her small hound before turning around to see her mother enter and stand by the throne.

"So we are to receive the Nevilles?" She murmured, trying to prevent her eyes from filling with tears as a firm knock came at the door and it opened, revealing Countess Warwick and her two daughters. Eleanor's eyes were immediately drawn to Isabel and they involuntary narrowed as she found herself gripping the arms of her chair tightly. She knew in her mind that she could not blame the eldest Neville sister, no matter how much she disliked her. It was most likely that she had been pressured into the marriage to George by her father and mother and besides, who would not want to marry a royal duke?

'Me' Eleanor concluded as she smiled a little at her own thoughts before her expression became icy cold again, making her sit up as she saw the way Countess Warwick still appeared to look down her nose at the Queen, even as she curtsied.

"I am sorry for your loss" she began only for Eleanor to stand from her seat, an angry flush working its way up her neck as she glared at the older woman in front of her. At once the Countess looked rather alarmed, as did her daughters, and they appeared to take a step back as her angry eyes looked upon them all with hatred.

Behind her, Elizabeth was grinning, a malicious smile that betrayed her knowledge of what was to come and the pride she had in her little sister, while Jacquetta simply watched on in silence.

"By which you mean the brutal slaying of my father and brother?" Eleanor hissed, pushing back her shoulders and drawing herself up to her full height "who were innocent of any crime in all their lives and merely obedient to their Lord and King? Edward?"

"In the fortunes of war...." the Countess began but she was quick to be cut off as the Duchess took another step towards her, one that promised violence if she said another word.

"It was not war, you fool!" Eleanor cried "the deaths of my kin were no honourable death on a battlefield....it was murder and it was treason in the eyes of god and man or are you too stupid to see that, Countess?"

"My Lady" the Countess stammered before gasping as Eleanor struck her hard across the face, sending her stumbling back while her daughters looked at each other, ready to flee the room as a candle blew out.

"Be quiet" the Duchess commanded through gritted teeth before she lowered her hand once more and raised her head "and I am not my lady to you, I am Her Grace the Duchess of Gloucester, wife to the King's brother and the mother of his heir who grows strong inside me!" She placed her hands across her stomach and a humourless laugh escaped her throat "why" she exclaimed with a smirk, relishing the shocked expressions of the Neville women "you are in the dark, are you not? Did you not know of my marriage to the Duke? I'm surprised for I am sure the whole court knows by now!"

"W-we did not....your grace" the Countess stammered, trying to regain her composure "and we wish you well with your babe....I assure you.... we shall pray for a son"
"Save your prayers for I do not accept such gifts from traitors" Eleanor returned before the woman before her began to curtsy.

"Your grace, I must return to my Lord and husband...."
"You will go whenever the Queen commands it!" The Duchess hissed, her eyes flashing with anger and the need for revenge "and all of you will dance to whatever tune she sings! You are lucky your necks are still unbroken....for if it was up to me or my sister....I assure you it would be a far different story"

And with that she strode from the room, her head held high and confidence emanating from her as she walked down the corridors, the train of her blue damask gown flowed behind her.

"Eleanor!" A desperate voice called out and she turned only to see George standing a few feet behind her; had obviously ran to catch up with her "Eleanor I have to"

Her hand flew out, backhanding him hard across the face her rings cutting into his flesh, splitting his lip and making him cry out in pain. George almost doubled over, clutching his wounded face with one hand while he stared up at her with hurt eyes. The Duchess felt no sympathy, only a hatred and that coursed through her veins, fuelled her actions.

She felt powerful in that moment, just as she had in her sister's chambers.

"I must speak to you" he gasped but Eleanor merely sneered at him, turning to walk away, wrapping a hand around her necklace and wishing the curse would work faster "it's about Bella!"

She stopped in her tracks, letting him walk to her again, staying a few feet away in the hope that she would not strike him a second time.
"What about Bella?" She murmured with narrowed eyes, folding her arms over her chest "what could you possibly have to say about the my dear sister who's heart you broke with your betrayal?"

"W-when can I see her?" He asked and after a few moments Eleanor began to smile before a harsh laugh left her lips as she tossed back her head.
"You will never see Bella again! She is gone to Italy! And she has been since August!"

At once George's face contorted painfully, his heart seemingly breaking at the Duchesses words and she was glad as she watched, watched his confidence and arrogance crumble at her hands.
"And my child?" The words were barely a whisper, hardly audible at all yet Eleanor caught them, making her eyes narrow and her fists clench in the fold of her gown.

"That child is no longer yours" she hissed "it is Bella's and Bella's alone....you forfeited your right to call that child your own when you married Isabel Neville"

She was sure she could tears forming in George's eyes, was silently hoping that he would shed them. But no. He pushed them back and straightened his back, staring down at the woman before him.
"And so what is to be done with them?" He asked, his voice now dripping with venom "what is to be done with this child. My child."

"They are to come into the care of the Queen, but you will not know where....you will never see them, that I will make sure of. While there is breath in my body I will do whatever it takes to keep the child from you....I swear it"

"George!"

The pair turned to see Richard standing at the end of the hallway, anger clearly written on his face while he clutched the hilt of his sword. "Forgive the intrusion, dear brother, but my wife and I have something to discuss and it is of the upmost importance."

Giving Richard a clipped nod, Eleanor began to walk, only to look back to her old friend who was staring after her, his expression now defeated and heartbroken.
"You betrayed her" she said coldly "you betrayed Bella....and I hate you for it"

꧁꧂

Eleanor walked beside her husband in a cold silence not speaking a word until she entered his chambers and he shut the door behind him with a harsh bang.

"You struck the Countess of Warwick" he muttered, turning to the Duchess who stared blankly back at him "and you threatens the lives of the Countess and her daughters....what on earth were you thinking?!"

"Calm yourself" Eleanor said, smirking a little as she placed a hand to her belly "don't distress the babe" Richard seemed to tremble with rage as he strode across the room.

"What in God's name were you thinking?" He then yelled "do you want to start another goddam war, my lady?! Is that truly what you want because your aim is completely on target if I am correct!"

"You are not correct!" She scoffed in return, rolling her eyes "but that woman is the wife of the man who murdered my father and brother! How can you not understand that, my Lord?!"
"Oh I understand!" he shouted in return "I know that you are grieving but you did not have to take out your anger upon a woman and her children! For heavens sake, have a little dignity!"

"Dignity?!" Eleanor cried as she walked over to him, her rage now quickly rising "says the boy who only a few years ago decided to run at mad King Henry with a sword! I wouldn't call that very dignified, would you?!"

"Henry and his Queen murdered my father and brother!" Richard hissed.
"And Lord Warwick murdered my father and brother! Truly you should have seen the countess! She has always hated my sister! Hated my family! She looks down her nose at us as if we are nothing better than dirt and she did that today! That is what fulled my anger against her! Perhaps I was wrong to turn on Anne and Isabel! Perhaps they are innocent of anything but in my actions towards their mother I believe I am completely justified! There does that satisfy you?!"

Richard sighed and walked away, sitting down at a nearby table while he stared at his wife's angered expression.
"You must apologise to the Countess" he murmured and immediately Eleanor's rage was alight again.

"And why would I do such a thing?" She asked, sitting opposite him, never breaking the eye contact they held.
"Because I am your husband and I order you to" was Richard's reply but this served to only make the Duchess laugh as she shook her head.

"You think that because I am legally bound to you that I shall be inclined to do your bidding, my Lord?" She asked; voice laced with resentment "you should think again on that"
"It was in your vows" he replied.
"Ah yes, my vows!" Eleanor exclaimed sarcastically "which I regret ever passing my lips! I do not care if I break them for I do not care for this marriage I never have and I never will! In this all has been taken from me! My freedom of power, my freedom to make my own choices! All I have now is the child that grows inside of me! A child you do not care for!"

"That's not true" Richard said with a shrug as he watched her "they are my child too so of course I care for them. It is their mother whom I do not care for"

"Well that is entirely agreeable to me for their mother does not care for their father in the slightest!" Eleanor returned, trying not to show how his words had stuck her even though she expected no different.
"And yet you still must apologise to the Countess!"

"I will not listen to this any longer!" The Duchess declared, standing "for your words are nothing but foolishness!"
"Likewise!" He replied with a small tilt of his head while his wife stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Outside, Eleanor leant against a wall to catch her breath, her chest heaving from the rush of adrenaline her anger had brought forth, and yet, through her enraged state of mind and descending pounding of her heart, she was sure she could hear a woman's voice echoing in the chamber from which she had just emerged.