𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝑋𝑉𝐼

~Peace~

Richard stood anxiously outside the door to his wife's chambers, wondering if he should enter or leave. The day before had been their daughter's funeral and she had not looked at him once, had kept her eyes trained on the coffin that contained Jacquetta's small body until it was lowered into the chapel floor and she locked herself in her rooms once more.

Raising his hand, he knocked gently on the wood and looked up from his boots as the door opened a crack and Anais' face appeared, dark circles under her eyes before she frowned as she saw him standing in the dark.

"Your grace" she murmured, watching him with clear disapproval as she curtsied before looking behind her where Marie had now arrived and was all but glaring at the duke, folding her arms.

"Your grace" she called over her shoulder "Votre cul d'un mari est ici"
"Ass of a husband?" Anais repeated with a small nod even though Richard was standing right in front of her "I like that one, Marie"
"Merci, petit....you may enter, your grace"

Anais and Marie slowly moved aside, though they kept their narrowed eyes upon the Duke as he advanced into the room and went to stand at the foot of Eleanor's bed, his hand fiddling with the hilt of his sword.

"If he says so much as one disagreeable vord to her, I shall throw him from the vindow myself" Anais whispered and her fellow lady nodded solemnly, the protectiveness she had come to feel for her mistress during the past nine months at its highest level.

Eleanor looked up from where she was petting Fortuna on her lap, her loose hair falling over her shoulders as she fondly smiled at her little hound. Her eyes widened a little as she saw her husband looking both tired and anxious with a sad frown etched onto his lips. She looked to her Ladies, giving them a small nod of dismissal, though she gave them an encouraging smile when they hesitated before finally leaving the room.

She reached for her bed robe, pulling it over her nightgown and clutching at the soft fur that lined it. Setting Fortuna onto the ground, she beckoned for Richard to approach and turned to face him as he knelt beside her bed, staring at her.

"I hope you have not come to attempt to get a son" she murmured and he immediately shook his head, wordlessly "then what have you come for? More talk of your bastards?" Again he shook his head and Eleanor nodded, prompting him to speak.

"I came to ask your forgiveness" he stammered and she looked at him strangely, rather surprised at his words.
"Forgiveness?" She repeated slowly "for what, my lord?"

He looked at her imploringly, reaching for her hand but she quickly brought it to her chest as if his touch would burn her.