𝐸𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒 || 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑊𝐻𝐼𝑇𝐸 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝐸𝑁

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑉𝐼𝐼

Her hair was pulled back from her face, drawn into an intricate braid before it was wound up into a bun and secured with pins. Rings were slid onto her fingers and then a necklace was placed around her neck.

A simple chain with a boar at the end.

The same one Richard had given her to wear at their coronation two years ago.

Eleanor almost wept to look at it and so did not allow herself to; only for her finger to brush across the silver animal before she tucked it securely into her bodice.

She flinched a little as Cecily placed the Queen's crown on her head and was almost tempted to remove it but her Mother caught her wrist just as she had done in the gardens.
"No" she said firmly, their gazes locking "you are the Queen, Eleanor"

A small sigh and Eleanor pulled her wrist back from Cecily's grasp. She looked towards the doors of her chamber.

They would be waiting, the remainder of the court, waiting for her. Her children would be waiting for her too. Poor George. The boy hadn't seen his Mother for almost three days and the last time he had she had been screaming and crying as if she had lost her very mind.

Eleanor gulped and felt her chest beginning to tighten again as she looked at those doors looming in front of her. She wanted to run. She wanted to hide.

"You have to face this" Cecily said from beside her "for Richard, for your children and for our house"
"I must do as the Phoenix does and rise" she replied, forcing herself to take the first step towards the doors "rise to defend my country and my people"

Shoes clicking on the floor, Eleanor took a deep breath and held her head high, every inch the Queen of England that she was and to the people always would be. As the doors opened she didn't allow herself to hesitate and walked forward, straightening her back.

"Leena?"

She stopped in her tracks as she heard Anais' voice from the side of her and felt her heart skip at beat at the sight of her infant daughter in her Lady's arm. Little Katheryn was wrapped in her swaddling blankets but she was wide awake, blue eyes staring up at Anais.

Richard's eyes

"Take her" Cecily said softly as she came to stand beside the Queen, placing a hand on her shoulder. Without hesitation, Eleanor held out her arms and watched as her daughter was passed into them, never tearing her gaze from the dark blue eyes that now stared insistently up at her. Nose scrunching, Katheryn gave a small yawn and Eleanor gently kissed her forehead, nuzzling against her soft cheek.

"Mama!" She looked up sharply at the cry of her son's voice to see George running towards her, dressed from head to toe in black and his eyes reddened from crying. Abandoning all sense of pride, he rushed towards his Mother as quickly as he could and gave a small sob as she looked at him.

Holding his little sister in one arm, she encircled his shoulders with the other and pressed kisses to his ebony curls while he clung to her waist.
"It's alright" she whispered and felt him nod against her gown "everything will be alright, my darling"

"Will it?" He looked up at her with a tear stained face, lower lip trembling. She nodded and felt the small spark of determination that had been brewing inside of her fan into a burning flame once again. She held her children in her arms, her own flesh and blood who were now Fatherless and looked to her for their sole protection.