𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑉𝐼𝐼𝐼

~Past Times~

Eleanor smiled at Mary and Bella as she took a seat between them in the great hall of Westminster, looking forward to the feast that was to come.

Glancing behind her, she saw the rest of her family (including her mother and cousins, new in from Burgundy) flock down the opposite end of the hall, laughing and joking with one another as they took their seats.

Soon enough the royal court followed and Eleanor spotted the royal dukes heading towards them and smiled politely at George as he sat opposite Mary before glancing at Richard who sat next to Bella.

"You all look the same you Rivers girls!" George commented with a grin "all like beautiful fish!"
Eleanor scoffed while Bella merely rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"I'd rather be a beautiful fish than a handsome dog" she muttered and a mischievous grin lit up George's face, seeming to take no offence at all to the girls words; even tempting her to return his smile.

"I'm not sure I should like to be a fish!" Isabel Neville remarked as she approached with her sister in tow.
"Hello!" Mary greeted, earning a sharp elbow in the ribs from Eleanor before Isabel continued.

"George does try to be so charming sometimes, but he doesn't always get it right!" Turning her haughty gaze to Richard, her smile grew and she sat, smoothing out the line green skirt of her gown "last time we saw you, Richard, you fell off your horse at our father's castle! Do you remember?"

The look on Richard's face showed that he remembered all too well, his complexion turning a deep shade of red, while Isabel smirked to herself. Eleanor folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing a little as she tried her very hardest not to glare at the older girl sitting opposite her.

Trumpets announcing the Queen filled the room and for one moment Eleanor had to forget her anger as she rose to her feet, turning to the side, her eyes widening as she saw her sister place her hand on top of Lord Warwick's.

"My Lords and Ladies of the court" he announced, his tone jovial, though his face was anything but, wore a scowl that Eleanor thought could tear into any soul "I give you Queen Elizabeth of England"

The pair began to walk forward and Eleanor sunk into a deep curtsy as her sister passed, grinning as Elizabeth smiled at her, sending a small nod her way. Rising to her feet again, she watched as the Queen took her place beside Edward and beamed at the court before turning back around to sit down.

"Eleanor!" Her head spun around as George called to her, a smile on his face "care for a dance, oh most beautiful fish?"
A small gasp escaped Eleanor's lips before she began to laugh, tossing back her head and grinning as she nodded and waited while George walked around the table and extended his hand to her.

Placing her hand in George's Eleanor cast a glance over her shoulder as he lead her towards the other couples that had begun to form only to find Isabel's jealous eyes boaring into her back. Smirking triumphantly in response, she made sure to blatantly gaze up into George's eyes so that the eldest Neville girl would notice and giggled childishly as the music started and the pair began to dance with the other courtiers.