𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝑋𝑋𝑉𝐼𝐼

~Anne~

"Come on!" Edward yelled over his shoulder as he, his brothers, Eleanor and the Yorkist knights rode through the night, the foot soldiers on their tails, running in the darkness in their efforts to reach Tewksbury.

"The French bitch has taken shelter at Gobes Hall with the Neville traitor" George remarked but Eleanor shook her head at him.
"The Lady Anne is no traitor" she retorted sharply "shes a fourteen year old girl who was forced into a marriage by her traitor of a father!"

"Amen to that!" Richard murmured, nodding at his wife "we must find a way to rescue her tomorrow....we cannot leave her in the hands of the Bad Queen"

Pulling her hood more securely over her head to defend herself from the wind that whipped around the Yorkist forces as they trekked across the country, Eleanor could hardly bear to think what was befalling Warwick's daughter. Anne was alone, according to messengers, abandoned by her own mother, left with the Bad Queen and Edward of Lancaster whom the Duchess was sure had not proved any sort of loving husband.

"I agree" she called over the winds "and I will be the one to fetch her. She and Margaret will be hiding together, it won't be hard to find her!"
"That's madness!" Richard cried "I'm not letting you near a battlefield let alone into the hands of Margaret of Anjou!" George gave a shout of laughter.

"I think it's a little late for that, Dickon!" He said with a shake of his head "Eleanor will be close to the battlefield weather you like it or not! Why else do you think Ned decided to bring her? So she could watch from the sidelines?"

"Thank you, George!" Eleanor cried as she looked at Richard "perhaps now my husband will listen?"
"Because George decided to put in a word, sweetheart?" He retorted sternly "Absolutely not! I will not have you harmed!"
"The only way I would be harmed was if you decided to seek me out during the battle because of your constant worrying!" His wife returned with a confidant smile "besides, it is for Edward to decide!"

"Ah, so I don't even have control over my own wife!" Richard exclaimed, after which George began to laugh again.
"When did you ever, Dickon?" He asked, grinning at his sister in law.

꧁꧂

Tewksbury, that night....

Eleanor quickly grasped a shawl, wrapping it around her shoulders as the King was announced and she dipped down into a curtsy only for Edward to wave a hand in dismissal.

"You needn't curtsy to me" he told her with a smile before he perched on the edge of her bed, clasping his hands together "now is not a time for formalities and Dickon will be here any minute which means I have little time to ask what I need of you"