𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋

At the sound of her little sister's voice, Bella had shot up, clapping a hand to her mouth as George rose beside her, his face a picture of embarrassment. Both of them had been expecting a tirade of anger or at least shock from the thirteen year old but in fact found quite the opposite as Eleanor crumpled to the floor, clutching her sides as she began to cry tears of laughter!

Tossing back her head she had laughed until her lungs screamed for air and her mind felt like it would crack if she continued, and so, she had merely picked up her bible and threw it at the pair before making the sign of the cross and stumbling out of the room, trying not to fall down the spiral staircase that lead to her chambers while her unrestrained giggles filled the passageways.

"And you, Leena shall marry...."
"No!" Eleanor cried with urgency as her mother's words snapped her from her thoughts and she snatched the little red headed figure from Jacquetta's hands, clutching it protectively to her chest as if it were her own child "no....I will not be marrying anyone, mother....not yet....I know that I must play my part! Do my duty to our family and to Elizabeth....but not yet"

"Eleanor" Jacquetta began in a stern tone only to smile a moment later and nod her head indulgently before turning back to the rest of the miniature likenesses "then I was thinking that our Annie should wed Viscount Bouchier and little Catherine could marry the Duke of Buckingham!"

"Really mother?" Elizabeth said from behind, making Eleanor near jump out of her skin at her elder sister's sudden appearance "is Cat not too young to be matched?" Sitting down beside the small wooden table, the Queen placed her hands on her swollen belly and her expression saddened a little "Warwick has refused his daughters to me, mother" she said quietly "it is a snub, an direct insult to me that shall be read as such by the rest of the court! Of course Duchess Cecily shall be revealing in it but she hates me as does Warwick! He despises my very presence here on earth yet Edward still thinks that we can be friends!"

"You should do as Edward says!" Jacquetta replied with a small smile while Eleanor stared up at her.
"But how can she?" She asked, folding her arms "friendships cannot be forced!"

"Ah, but they can be feigned!" Her mother returned "but that was not what I was talking of. We must make our family strong by marriage so that we may weather an attack from anyone who dares to defy us!"

The door opened and Baron Rivers strolled in, a knowing grin crossing his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes as he entered.
"What spells are you three weaving?" He chuckled, walking over to his wife and kissing her on the cheek before he looked over at the table in front "ah, the goddess of love is busy with her work I see!"

"Hm" Jacquetta replied, picking up another miniature "there is no love in this, Richard, only business!"
Elizabeth laughed a little, wrapping her arm around Eleanor's waist.
"I see mother has changed her tune!" She said, grinning at her little sister.

"Ah yes!" Eleanor continued, pleased to be involved in a family joke which her other sisters were not "when she set her heart on you, father, the lowly squire, she caused quite the scandal saying true love was enough! Now she's even trying to have me married off!"

"It was worth it!" Her father chuckled "for u have the most beautiful lady in the Kingdom!"
"And I the handsomest, kindest most loving man!" Jacquetta said as she gently kissed her husbands lips, an adoring smile on her face.

"Who has just been made treasurer!"
"Father!" Eleanor exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Baron Rivers' neck, laughing as he swung her around "truly?"
"Truly!" He replied with a smile.