𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐿𝑋𝑋𝑋

~Thin Ice~

Her hand tucked carefully into the crook of his elbow, Eleanor and Richard walked along one of the garden paths at Westminster, watching as the sky darkened with clouds.

"Jane Shore?" Richard asked "passing messages to Elizabeth?"
"From your enemies, I am told! It is the talk of court, your grace" the grey haired man walking beside them returned. Lord Stanley, Margaret's third husband. Eleanor stole a glance at him, brushing her fingers along the petals of an early flower and she studied his features.

He was a rather short man and wiry too so that sometimes his clothes did not look as if they fitted him. He sported a long curled beard that she noticed he often stroked when he thought, a habit she found hilarious, and the face behind it was thin, his chin pointed. Stanley often smiled, though weather his smiles were genuine she could not tell for his eyes and expressions were simply unreadable!

She could tell he took great care in concealing his thoughts and feelings and also took meticulous care in whose company he kept. Richard had told her that he had known Stanley most of his life and that he was not to be trusted.

He had a brother and when it came to battle they would place one brother on either side to ensure their family's favour! Stanley had never bothered with Richard before but after hearing of his new position of Lord Protector he had swooped forward like an Eagle 'no' she thought 'he's not an eagle, more like a weasel!' Yes, Stanley had scurried in like a weasel, intent on worming his way into the new Protector's good graces and, to Eleanor's disbelief, Richard had accepted him into them!

Which, of course, went against his own advice completely.

Stanley seemed to have spies everywhere and now he was relaying to them his latest findings on Jane Shore of all people. It seemed she had sided with Elizabeth, according to Stanley, and Eleanor inwardly sighed, wishing Jane had simply stuck to the shadows instead of sticking her head out into the open!

"If it is the talk of court then why are you informing us?" She now asked "why have we not heard" Stanley laughed, a sound that made her almost grimace.
"It is unlikely that anyone would concern your graces with such a seedy matter" he returned and Richard frowned.
"Yet you do?" He said, coming to a halt, Eleanor and Stanley following suit.

"I raise it only to protect you and your reputation" Stanley said, laughing again as if he were discussing the weather "I'm sure you wouldn't want to be seen to be out manoeuvred by the Queen and her growing band of conspirators?"

"Nor played by you, Stanley" Eleanor said, plastering a sickly sweet smile onto her face to match his own. She saw the corners of Richard's mouth twitch upwards "and Elizabeth is the dowager Queen"
"Of course, your grace, my apologies" he said, bowing his head "and I assure you I would never do...."