~Bitches and Bastards~

"And you, your grace? Vhere did you grow up?" Anais asked as she gently brushed Eleanor's hair a week later. The Duchess smiled for she had come to like Anais over the days she had known her, she was bright and energetic, certainly had a charming wit and sense of humour....she reminded Eleanor of her own sister Bella....

She found Marie pleasant to be with too. The young French woman was quieter than her fellow Lady and took joy in embroidery and looking after Fortuna, she was always composed, dignified and mature but also had a sense of humour that amused the other two.

"You must not ask Her Grace so many questions, ma petit" she now scolded gently from where she sat by a window, a piece of cloth in her hand as she stitched small flowers onto it.

Anais nodded, pushing the veil of her hennin behind her shoulders as she continued to brush Eleanor's hair before beginning to braid and twist it into one of the fashionable styles she had learnt.

"It is fine" the Duchess said with a smile "though I appreciate your council, Marie." Marie looked up from her work and nodded before returning to it "I grew up at my family home, Grafton Manor....and it was beautiful. I had all of my sisters and brothers beside me and we lived rather simply but happily"

"Then your sister became the Queen" Marie said quietly, quickly finding herself drawn to the conversation which made Eleanor smile as she nodded.

"Indeed" she replied "and I suppose all I had ever known was taken from me but in a rather good way! Then of course I was made Countess of Rutland after the Queen's Coronation....and that Christmas I departed for Leeds Castle! That was where I truly found who I am....there I was a leader! I had my own people!" Eleanor let out a small sigh and handed the last of the hairpins to Anais before she put a hand to her belly.

"You vill be fine, your grace" Anais said, gently covering the Duchess's hand with her own "and you shall have a healthy child....a little Duke or Duchess of your own!"

"Thank you, my dear" The Duchess replied before turning towards the door where Marie was taking a message from a page boy before sending him away with an elegant flourish of her hand.

"It if from the Duchess Cecily" she announced once she had torn open the message and frowned when she saw her lady freeze in her seat "is all well, your grace?" Eleanor nodded slightly and motioned for Marie to continue "she demands your presence in her chambers....immediately"

"Well well" The Duchess said, raising her eyebrows as Anais took her trembling hand, giving it a gentle squeeze "it looks like I am about to have my first true meeting with my mother in law...."

꧁꧂

Eleanor arranged the veil of her tall hennin as she stood outside the chambers of Duchess Cecily. She knew that the older woman favoured headdresses and so, as a last minute decision, had told Marie to select one. It resembled a church steeple, she thought, and felt heavy on her head as if it would crush her at any minute.

If she was being honest she was not fond of many of the headdresses some women sported at court, much preferring to adorn her hair with ornate pins or a coronet which she could wear her hair loose with.

Though she did rather like the colour of the headdress for it matched the buttercup yellow of her down and felt a faint smile touch her lips as a haughty lady in waiting announced her.

"The Duchess of Gloucester your grace"

"Thank you, Lady Sutcliffe" a cold voice replied and Eleanor's eyes fell on Cecily Neville, her green headdress towering above her while she stared at her new daughter in law, her ring adorned hands resting on the arms of her throne. "You may go" she ordered as the Duchess curtsied gracefully then sat on the chair that was placed behind her so that the two women locked eyes with one another.

"I am...." Cecily began only to be stopped as Eleanor began to speak.
"I am well aware" she said curtly "you are not happy with this marriage....but I don't blame you for neither am I!"

"Oh please" the Duchess of York scoffed "you expect me to believe that you did not scheme with your sister and your mother to secure my youngest son for yourself? Did not seduce him as the so called Queen did to my Ned? After all, you are pregnant, perhaps you lured him to your bed?" Her eyes widened as the woman opposite began to laugh, her mirth almost throwing the hennin from her head as tears of amusement flooded to her eyes.

"Lured him to my bed?" She repeated, trying to compose herself "forgive me, your grace, for my outburst but I could simply not resist for the last place I want your son is my bed! And if your opinion of me and my marriage is as malicious as you presented it I wonder why you did not send for me sooner?"

Cecily glared at her as she pursed her lips, thinking of a retort which she could fire at the young woman but could think of none at that moment so stunned was she.

"I....I had to find a time which was convenient for myself" she said.
"Which means this issue can have no real importance, your grace" Eleanor returned "perhaps you simply wanted to find another way to diminish my family and shame me? Perhaps because you are not happy with this marriage?"

"I will not have such insolence!" Cecily cried, rage suddenly rising in her as she stood from her throne "why have you come if just to speak to me in this way?"

Eleanor smiled sweetly and clasped her hands in her lap, peering up at her mother in law through her lashes.

"Well, if I remember correctly, your grace, you were the one who commanded me to your presence and as I approached I realised I had two options. I could either play the meek and obedient wife I am meant to be in my marriage vows or I could simply tell you what I thought like the good honest woman I am! If you cannot tell, I chose the latter!" With a deep breath, the Duchess then rose from her seat and swept a curtsy, feeling as confidant as ever in herself "and now, your grace, I shall return to the Queen's side"

"He will never love you" Cecily called out as Eleanor made to leave, reaching for the golden door handle.
"And what makes you think I desire his love?" She asked, turning a little.
"Everyone desires love" the Duchess returned "no matter how hard you try to deny it, but my son will never love you. He is already in love with another, his mistress who he has a child with and who carries another child in her womb just as you do now. You may be his wife but you will never be his love"

"And yet your words are nothing new to my ears, your grace" Eleanor said, smiling once more "you think you are above all with your knowledge but in fact you have not triumphed this time which I expect will be rather a disappointment to you"

She then threw open the door and strolled out into the hallway, trying to seem at ease but inside she was a thing but. Her heart was pounding, her mind was swirling, begging for answers. Answers she knew only Richard would provide.

It was not as if she were surprised at the news of him having a bastard. No, it was said that all Lords sired bastards so she supposed she had suspected as much but what shocked her was that Richard's mistress was carrying a child as she was!

True, she did not go to Richard's bed but it she had always heard that he had honour and respect yet here he was keeping his own whore and without telling her! Perhaps she would have been more accepting if he had as it was known Edward had mistresses (no matter how much that irked Eleanor) but she was never to know as she all but ran to her husband's chambers.

She did not bother to knock, simply burst in before hurriedly shutting the door, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her breath.

Richard looked up from where he was reading by the window, a confused frown crossing his face as his wife walked over to him and stared down at him, a blank look in her usually emotional eyes.
"When were you going to tell me?" She asked "about your bastards? About your mistress?"

At once Richard's eyes filled with alarm and he slammed his book shut, rising and walking past his wife to where a goblet of wine awaited him. She followed.
"When?" She repeated, her tone now more demanding, ordering him to look at her.

"I don't know" he murmured "at some point I suppose....I would have had to since they are to live with us one day"
"What?!" Eleanor screamed, causing her husband to jump "you want me to one day house your bastards and your whore?!"
"Don't call her that" he replied tersely "and no, not her but the children. My daughter and the other child that Kate now carries"

"Kate!" Eleanor cried, throwing her hands up in the air, surprising herself with the vehemence of her words "so that is the name of your slut!"
"I told you not...."
"You told me not to call her a whore! I didn't, I called her a slut, for she is and if there is one thing that is certain I will never accept your bastards into my home or my presence"

"You will" Richard hissed, slamming down the goblet in his hand onto the table, so hard that the glass cracked "I am your husband, my lady, weather you like it or not and if I say that one day my children will come to live with me then they will!"

"And our child?! What of our child? Our little son or daughter? Are they to be pushed to the shadows for some harlot's brood?!"
"Of course not! They shall be sent to another noble family when they are old enough to be educated in a way that befits their royal station"

"And I don't get a say in the matter?! I do not get a say in the fate of my own child?!" Eleanor yelled, clenching her fists when her husband shook his head "and I thought you had honour. But no, instead you are no better than any other man who fucks their little whore and then forces their bastards upon another woman! Really, you can go and drown your bastards in a river for all I care! In fact, I might do it myself...."

No sooner had the words left her lips then the Duchess cried out in pain as Richard struck her hard across the face sending her stumbling back. But she was quick to retaliate and found her balance again almost immediately as she slapped her husband with all the force she could muster, sending him hurtling backwards and to the ground as he tripped over.

"The next time you strike me will be the last time you have a hand to strike me with!" She hissed, her words full of venom before she walked from the chamber, slamming the door behind her.

She put a cool hand to her stinging cheek as she hurried along the halls to return to her own chambers, wanting nothing more than to rest but it was not long before her injury caught the attention of one.

"Eleanor!" George cried in disbelief as he near crashed into her rounding a corner. Before she could protest he cupped her face with his hands and cursed as he saw the angry red mark that stained her cheek "who did this to you?" He asked, his voice low.

"Your younger brother" she replied, finding she had no more strength left to fight in that moment and so simply watched as George's temper flared and he grabbed her wrist, all but dragging her to his chambers where he shut the door behind them, sitting her down in the window seat.

"I think I might kill him" he muttered, crossing his arms as he stared down at his old friend who stared straight back.

"I think I would be more worried about me killing you in this moment" she replied dully, though George could tell that in that moment the only person she wanted to kill was her husband. Walking to the other side of the room, as she removed her heavy headdress, he picked up a bowl of cold water and a clean handkerchief before he returned to the Duchess and sat opposite her.

Slowly dipping the cloth in the water, he raised it to put it to Eleanor's cheek but she jerked away, her eyes full of suspicion.
"I know that you hate me" he murmured "and have every right to do so....but let me do this, if it the last thing I ever do for you"

Moving back a little, the Duchess never broke eye contact with George as he gently dabbed at her cheek, the water at first stinging her skin before soothing it, making her relax even though she knew she shouldn't in the presence of the man she hated.

"Well this has been an eventful day" she sighed at last "I have had a run in with your mother and with your younger brother"
"I can see" George replied quietly, leaning against the window "but what did you have to say to my mother? I know you find her rather insufferable...."

"She summoned me to berate me on my marriage" Eleanor answered "but I think I rather ended up berating her a little which she was not pleased about....I suppose some of her words had an effect on me....she told me that you brother would never love me as he loves another....his whore, Kate"

George frowned and placed the bowel and cloth in the floor.
"But you do not desire his love....that I know well" he said and the Duchess nodded slowly.
"I don't....but then she said that everyone desires love and....well I do....it's one of the reason why I was so opposed to my marriage in the first place! But I suppose....I shall never have it, shall I, George?"

The Duke's eyes widened, surprised that she had used his first name instead of merely calling him a traitor or 'traitorous bastard' as she had one day.

"You might" he said, placing a hand on her arm "and there is no reason why you should not"
"Apart from that my husband hates me!"
"Love....love is not always in a marriage" he whispered "that is something I know well"

"You didn't love Bella" Eleanor hissed, trying to push back the tears that threatened to fill her eyes at the mention of her beloved sister "you used her....used her and then abandoned her"
"I loved her" George replied firmly "and I love her still....and one day you shall find love too"
"I won't" she murmured "not now, that I know"

Gently, George reached out, taking her face in his hands, giving her a small nod before he pressed his lips to hers. It was a soft kiss, not one of passion or love but simply one meant to comfort her which it did, making Eleanor slowly lean into his arms as he pulled away, laying her head on his shoulder.

"George!" Richard yelled from the door and both George and Eleanor shot up from the window, their moment of peace shattered "why in God's name are you kissing my wife?!"

"Well it's not as if you do!" George returned, a sickly smile on his face before his expression darkened "you bastard"

Eleanor clapped a hand to her mouth as George's fist connected with Richard's jaw making him cry out in pain "and if you ever hit her again" George bellowed "I will triple that blow and so will Ned if he finds out which he damn well might if I have a mind to tell him! Now, get out, babykins!"

Stumbling back, Richard turned and left, the door slamming behind him before George looked back to Eleanor and wiped away the tears that slowly glided down her cheeks. He gently pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest. He had never seen her cry before, only a few tears when she fell off her horse once when hunting, not properly as she did now.

Picking her up, he walked over to and lay her on his bed before he lay down beside her, feeling surprised as she immediately reached out to him in her grief, clinging to him with all her might.

"I don't know what to do!" She sobbed "for the fist time in my life I truly don't know what to do, George"
"You will find a way" George replied quietly, hugging her to his chest "or your name is not Eleanor Woodville"