𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝐿

~Victory~

Two weeks later....

Eleanor smiled at her reflection in the mirror that stood at the far end of her chambers at Windsor castle. The Yorkist nobles that had participated in the Tewksbury campaign had lodged there for the night but the next day was what all had been anticipating and was what had finally arrived!

For that morning the victorious Yorkists were to process through the streets of London with the country once more secure and the enemy defeated. Queen Margaret was to be present, would be paraded behind the King in a chariot as a spoil of war but the fate of the Bad Queen did not concern Eleanor. What did, was her part to play.

Edward had come to the Gloucester's chambers late the previous night and there and then announced that it would be Richard who would lead the victory procession and that Eleanor would ride on the King's horse with him.

Richard had looked as if he were about to faint with joy and pride and Eleanor almost clapped her hands in delight. To be given such a prestigious role she knew was an honour and a show that Edward truly did credit her with part of the victory!

As the sun rose, a servant had knocked at the door and delivered the most wondrous gown the Duchess had ever seen, prompting her suspicions that Edward had had this planned for quite some time (which was more than likely). It was made from cloth of gold, the golden thread that had been used to sew suns in splendour, boars and phoenixes onto the fabric, shimmering as the gown moved and caught the rays of the sun.

The sleeves were made of the same fine material and fell gracefully to her feet in her favourite style, a detail she was delighted Edward had included.

The front of the bodice displayed a beautiful York rose, created from diamonds and set with a Pearl in the middle that made Eleanor dizzy at the mere sight of. She had no idea how much such a garment had cost and decided she would dare not venture into that realm for her gown was fit for nothing less than a Queen and she knew it.

And so she allowed maid servants to buzz busily around her as she stood proudly in front of the mirror, puffing out her chest a little as the women arranged her hair, leaving it loose with only a diamond circlet, embellished with small emeralds, for decoration

Once the servants were done, they sank into low curtsies and left, bending the knee again as Richard walked through the door in a doublet of cloth of gold with a shining crown sitting atop his head.

"How do I look?" Eleanor asked as she twirled and Richard caught her by her waist, pulling her into a gentle kiss that she smiled into.
"You look radiant" he murmured against her lips, curling locks of her hair around his fingers "and I? Do you approve of your husband?"