𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 || 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐿𝑉

~The Queen's Gambit~

"You refused?" Constance cried as she strode into the King's tent, the words Richard (who was standing outside with the other nobles) had told her burning in her ears.

"For heaven's sake lower your voice!" Edward snapped, snatching up a goblet from the table near his great bed and filling it with wine "These walls are thin as parchment and I will not allow my men to hear our disagreements!" He sat.

Clenching her fists, Constance sucked in a sharp breath but obeyed him all the same, sitting opposite him at the table just as she'd done with Charles "We are here to take, my Lady" He continued, fixing her with a hard stare "King Louis expects he will scatter a few coins at my feet and I will be satisfied! If anything his insult only makes me hungrier to take what's mine!"

Constance sighed, leaning her head on her hand.
"Your childish pride will be the death of you, the death of all men like you" He shook his head, taking a sip of wine.
"It is not just my pride at stake here, it is our son's, it is England's it is yours!"

"Because of a war you started!" She yelled, sharply standing as she found herself unable to sit still. Though Edward gave her a look telling her to lower her voice again, she scoffed, beginning to pace back and forth "I did not ask for this! Our boy did not ask for this, England did not ask for it! George asked for it and you granted it to him like a fool!" Sighing, her hands rested on the back of her chair "Have you not had enough of war? Have you not seen enough men die, are you not sick of the stench of blood or the cries of grief for the fallen? Have you not lost enough? Has your Mother not lost enough?"

"My Mother understands my aims"
"No!" She snapped "Your Mother understands she's lost a husband, a son and may lose three more because of the actions of one! What will happen to her if you die? What will happen to Neddy and our girls? What will happen to me?"

"I will not die!" He shouted, standing before he glanced sharply to the tent entrance, gritting his teeth "Why do you have such little faith in me?"

"Oh, because this war is all my fault?" She hissed in return "You know I do not doubt your strength, I never have, but also I do not doubt men die in war! You have fought to victory so many times, Edward, but all it takes to kill a man is one well aimed blow and what....what if such a blow hits you?"

As her voice softened from anger into worry, his face softened too, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he sat once more. Taking another sip of wine, his eyes flicked to hers.

"What would you suggest?"

Constance's heart leapt and she hastily returned to her seat, ready to grasp at the hint of a chance Edward had given.