𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝑋𝑉𝐼𝐼

~Nightmares~

September, 1470....

Eleanor and Marie jumped from the bed as Anais all but threw herself onto the covers, shaking the two awake.
"What in God's name are you doing, Anna?" Eleanor asked groggily, letting her ladies raise her from the bed and wrap her bed robe around her "it's only just turned dawn, if I am correct"

"You are correct" Marie groaned, holding a hand up to shield herself from the sunlight that flooded through the slight cracks in the shutters of the chamber "and I for one demand to know what Anais is doing dragging us out of bed"

"The King has sent for you" Anais replied, slipping shoes onto Eleanor's feet before she pushed her from the chamber and all but dragged her to the Queen's rooms where Elizabeth, Edward and Richard were waiting. The three women curtsied before the Duchess shooed Anais and Marie away and stumbled forward to where her sister enveloped her in a tight hug.

"What is it?" She asked "why have I been sent for at this hour?"
"There is another rebellion in the North" The King answered and in an instant Eleanor was fully awake, looking to Richard.
"Is this true?" She asked, alarmed as he nodded.

"Aye, it is....the seemed to have risen in Lincolnshire and yet again the leader has no name" he said and Elizabeth sighed.
"All the other times it has been Warwick" she muttered, clearly frustrated "but he is still in France to our knowledge! Who could it be?!"

Edward nodded, beginning to pace around the table they were all gathered at.
"Dickon has ordered his army to meet mine on the road tomorrow and it is to be lead by John Howard"
"Tomorrow?" Eleanor cried but the King held up a hand for silence.
"Then John Neville's army will meet us soon after that and together we shall crush the rebellion!"

"But why must you go?!" Elizabeth exclaimed "with Warwick and George threatening to invade any day now I think that you should stay here and defend the capital! Let one of your other trusted men lead the armies! Say, Hastings? Or Richard?"

"No, my love" Edward replied softly, placing his hand atop hers as his pacing finally came to an end "it is my crown and so I must defend it. And besides, George has written to me....it seems that he was visited by a certain Lady Sutcliffe" Eleanor and Elizabeth exchanged knowing glances "and he swears that as soon as we face Warwick in battle, he shall fight for York"

Eleanor sighed, shaking her head as she pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning a cheek on her hand.
"And you trust him?" She asked "you trust the word of a traitor?"
"I want to" Edward replied heavily before smiling a little. "trust you, ma petite boule de feu, to always be the voice of reason in times such as these....but I have no other option but to trust him....he is still my brother, n'est-ce pas, Dickon?"