𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝐶𝑉

~Dagger to the Heart~

With her sister just one step behind her, Eleanor brushed her hands on the skirt of her gown, trying to smoothen the nonexistent creases in the cerulean silk. Cat had been the only person she had told about the plot to rescue the two boys in the Tower and now, as she looked behind her, the flaxen haired widow offered her a reassuring smile.

"What was he like when he asked for you to fetch me?" Eleanor asked and Cat took her hand.
"There was something wrong....but I couldn't say what. It could be a number of things, sister"
"Or it could be the one I know we are both thinking of"

Eleanor took a breath and nodded to herself before she stepped forward and placed a hand against the cold handle. Twisting it, she looked back at Catherine one last time before she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

Richard was standing behind his desk and staring out of the window, twisting something over and over in his hands but she could not see what. All she knew was there a sense of anger in the air, of sadness and betrayal. Walking to the middle of the study, Eleanor took another breath before she spoke.

"You asked for me?" But her words were simply met with a silence that was cold as ice and a small look to the side that acknowledged her presence.

"England has seen two Kings called Richard. Neither of them met happy ends" he said at last and Eleanor found herself looking at the hem of her skirt; fingers tugging at her sleeves "One from disease. The other murdered by his own subjects" he paused a little and his shoulders heaved slightly, her heart twisted as she realised he was crying "But it seems that my misery is to be set upon me in the form of betrayal by my own wife and Queen"

He turned around slowly and held up the object he had been twisting around and around in his hand. Eleanor's dagger and she felt herself pale. She had thrown it away to show the boys she wasn't a threat to them....but had forgotten to pick it up again "this is yours" he said, tears sliding down his face and onto his doublet "I know because I gave it to you"

As his eyes met hers she could see all his sadness melt away into rage, cold and unforgiving "why?" He suddenly yelled "why have you done this?"
"I had to" she replied and flinched as he threw the dagger to the ground.

"Had to?" He roared "so you had to betray me? You had to scheme behind my back? You had to plot with that bitch of a sister you have?!"
"If I hadn't rescued them they would have died, Richard!" Eleanor cried "I didn't decided to do what I did lightly and I felt guilty and I feel guilty every time I think of it!"

"Not guilty enough to stop you though?" He snapped, glaring at her with all his might before his eyes narrowed "this plot is why you asked to stay at Grafton isn't it?" He hissed "you said you wanted to spend time with me but it really was so you could betray me and our entire family I might add!"