𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝐶𝐼𝑆

~Christmas Celebrations~

December 1484, Pontefract Castle....

Eleanor's fingers scraped mercilessly at the sides of her thumbs, stripping them bare of skin as she paced up and down the corridor outside of Anne's chamber. Her crown was placed to one side on a window ledge, she was unable to carry any more weight then already sat on her shoulders. Worry for her country, worry for her children, her family, her friends.

Most of all Anne.

Day and night, morning and evening, every minute of the day she worried for Anne's health. She sat by her bed and read to her, held her arm to steady her when she was strong enough to take a walk around the castle grounds but her health had been deteriorating rapidly since summer.

Eleanor had objected to her coming with the court to Pontefract for Christmas but Anne had argued her way, something the Queen now bitterly regretted allowing her to do. 'I should have ordered her to stay!' She told herself, feeling like she could slap herself for her stupidity.

The journey from London to Pontefract had torn away all of Anne's remaining strength and when the finally reached the castle she had had to be carried inside by her fellow ladies. A shuddery breath passed Eleanor's lips as she tried not to cry again. In her private chambers she had wept for Anne but she could not allow herself to cry in the corridors where any of the court may see her.

So far none had passed Anne's chambers but her sister Cat and Jane Shore who had stayed (but to the side), worried for their Queen's health as she paced up and down, her shoes echoing on the stone floor.

"I have to know what's going on!" She complained to no one in particular "that physician has been with her for over an hour now!" She threw her hands up, grumbling to herself as she glared at the door that barred the way to Anne's bedchamber.

"You were the one who sent for that physician" Cat said and Eleanor looked to her sharply "have"
"Don't tell me to have patience, Catherine!" She snapped before continuing her pacing "Anne is like a little sister to me, I'm as worried for her as I would be for you were you in this" she waved her hands in exasperation "this condition!"

The door opened, revealing the ageing physician Eleanor had sent for, the best in the country he was said to be, but she did not wait for one word to pass his lips before she had rushed past him and into the chamber.

The first thing that hit her was the heavy smell of intense that assailed her nose so strongly she was tempted to cover her nose with a handkerchief but had no time as she spotted Anne and ran to her side.

Anne was laid below the covers of her bed, her golden hair loose and carefully laid out on her pillow. In the dim light of the chamber her slight figure almost appeared nonexistent, her skin was pale and pasty, her limbs near twig-like. It struck Eleanor (as she knelt at Anne's side) that she looked almost the same as when she had found her after Tewksbury and all that she saw now was that same terrified girl who felt alone in the world and tired of all that life had hurled her way.