𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝑋𝑋𝐼𝑋

~Safe at Last~

Staring out of the window of her chamber at Sudeley Castle that night, Eleanor watched the soldiers carousing and singing around the bonfire in the courtyard below, drinks in hand as they celebrated the York victory.

She hoped that the noise wouldn't disturb Anne, who had been placed on the other side of the castle. Eleanor had promised that she would visit her the next morning but now, as she stood at the window, found that she could hardly move.

Now she was alone, the events of the day had come crashing down onto her mind like a ton of bricks. She had ordered a bath and thrown her bloodied armour and gown to one side but the dried red liquid still stuck to her hair and skin, reminding her of the man she had killed.

Over and over she remembered how she had driven her dagger through his neck and how the life had drained from his eyes. She knew she had had no other choice, she knew full well what would have happened had she not killed him. Yet the thought of taking someone's life with her own bare hands still moved around and around in her mind and memory, refusing to fade.

Hearing the door open and close, she flinched a little as heavy footsteps approached her and a pair of strong arms slid protectively around her waist.
"Are you all right?" Richard whispered, gently kissing the base of her neck "today when I tried to go to you....you stepped back out of reach and....you weren't at the celebrations, Edward is asking after you"

Eleanor sighed, leaning back against her husband.
"I killed a man today" she replied slowly "stabbed his neck with my dagger in the woods...."

"Of course" Richard said, nodding slowly "you've never killed anyone before....I'm sorry sweetheart" she turned around, looking up into his face, putting a hand to his cheek.
"I had to....I know that....this man, he tried to.... he tried to rape me. I had no other choice"

Richard's eyes widened before they filled with shock and anger, instinctively hugging Eleanor closer to him before he pulled away, taking her hands.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked hurriedly, looking over her for any sign of injury "my god he's lucky I didn't catch him....his death would have lasted longer than it did I can assure you but you did so well in defending yourself, my darling, that man does not deserve your worry or your thoughts!"

The Duchess nodded, feeling herself smile a tiny bit as her husband leant forward and gently brushed his lips against her forehead "your bath will be getting cold" he murmured "do you think washing away the blood would help a little?" He waited until she had nodded and raised his hands to the front of her shift "May I, sweetheart?" He asked and Eleanor slowly stood up onto the tips of her toes, kissing him gently in way of reply.