𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑋

~Pro Gloria Dei~

"Pro Gloria dei" Eleanor said slowly as she read from the Latin bible she held had placed in her lap. She sat in her solar, windows wide open to let in the fresh summer air and to light the words that she read.

Beside her on the blue silk chaise that had become her very pride and joy sat Katheryn, her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to make her way around the new and confusing language the Duchess had been trying to teach her for that past week.

Behind her sat Eliza, contently humming to herself while she braided Katheryn's dark hair. She was supposed to be paying attention to her Aunt's lesson as well but found herself far too easily distracted by her half cousin's braid that she was working upon so diligently to be concerned with learning. Besides, she had no need of it.

And so Katheryn was rather left to fend for herself in the realm of Latin. Not that she minded.

Again and again she tried to think what on earth Eleanor had said. 'Pro Gloria dei' she pondered to herself, her nose slightly wrinkling as it often did when she thought. Surely she could remember something of what the Duchess had taught?

Pro Gloria dei....pro Gloria dei....pro Gloria dei....

"It means for the glory of God" Eliza said at last with a heavy sigh, though she did not look up from the braid in her hands as Eleanor smiled at her, nodding.

"It does, sweeting!" She confirmed, almost clapping her hands together in delight. Katheryn merely frowned. She had wanted to translate the phrase! She had wanted to be the one to impress Eleanor as Eliza always seemed to be able to.

Of course Eliza had had a head start in Latin studies for the nuns at the convent had taught her the language from an early age. 'But still!' Katheryn though stubbornly, suddenly feeling the urge to take her braid back for herself and shake it loose 'I shall prove myself!'

After living at Middleham for over a year she had come to not only respect and admire her Father's wife and Duchess but had also found herself beginning to love her, in a way.

Katheryn had found herself wanting to impress Eleanor at each turn just as she had wanted to impress her own Mother, Kate! Wanted for Eleanor to turn her charming smile on her as she did all of the children whenever they pleased her.

She took each chance she could to spend time with her, finding that trailing after the Duchess was one of her favourite pastimes, especially when Eleanor did not dismiss her to the nursery, simply talked to her, laughed with her. Treated Katheryn as if she were her own.