~The Holly and the Ivy~
November, The Palace of Placentia....
"Have you finalised the guests you shall invite to your Christmas Court, sister?" Anne asked as she brushed out Constance's hair for bed, combing through the brown curls until they hung in a satin curtain down her back.
The royal family would be returning to Westminster at the beginning of December and the King and Queen had planned for the Christmas to count for two since the Christmas of 1471 was steeped in doom.
"I think I have all but finished" She replied, raising her hands so Katherine and Lizzie could removed the rings and bracelets she wore while Isabella rolled her embroidered stockings down her legs "Each of your families are invited of course, as are our normal court attendants. I cannot wait to see your children again Beth!"
Beth smiled at her in dressing table the mirror from where she folded the Queen's blue gown over her arm along with the veil of her hennin.
"They long to see you too!" She replied "The boys worship the ground you walk on and Princess Marie does adore little Elizabeth!"
"I've had my musicians compose new pieces for this season!" Constance continued, thinking of the delightful melodies they'd played for her and Edward that afternoon, leading to lasting applause from both but then, she sighed. There had been one person playing on her mind as she organised for the Christmas season, a person she mostly couldn't bear to think of but had made pity prick at her heart.
"There is...." She paused for a moment, looking at the length of ribbon her fingers had begun to play with. Anne tilted her head, taking the ribbon to tie the end of the braid she'd woven with the Queen's hair.
"There is?" She repeated.
"There is one other person I should like to ask to the festivities"
"Oh?" Isabella said with a smile "May we know who?"
"Arthur"
The collective gasps that flew around her chamber were clearer than day and all of her ladies looked at each other with wide eyes. Surely, they thought her mad, she mused, and if it were any other month she would've readily agreed with them.
"Arthur?" Anne echoed "The whore's son?"
Constance nodded.
"Yes"
"Are you...."
"Mad? I do not believe so, sister, but Edward may think me so when I ask him. We have all endured a difficult year and, while I do not like the boy, he is only a child and he has suffered too. He was in sanctuary for six months!"
"Any poor soul sentenced to six months with that woman is certainly to be pitied!" Katherine remarked and Constance smiled.
"They certainly are! His brother is too young to have here and so shall stay at Grafton with the whore but I would like to summon Arthur to court. He....he deserves a bit of light after the darkness he has endured"
Her ladies raised their eyebrows at her words but there could be no doubt of the admiration in their gazes.
"You are a better woman than I" Anne said and the others nodded their agreement.
"I think it's very nice, your grace!" Lizzy praised "and it should be known it was you who summoned him, not his grace the King"
"I agree" Beth murmured, perching on the end of the bed "Then his presence shall earn you respect instead of scorn"
"Then it is settled" Constance replied, rising from her seat "I shall ask Ned tomorrow!"
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Christmas Day 1472, Westminster Palace....
Constance woke to feel familiar calloused fingers dancing along her thighs, drawing her night gown up, up, up, until it rested on the small swell of her belly.
"Good Morrow, sweet wife" Edward whispered, nuzzling into her neck "Tis Christmas and we both deserve a gift" A small, happy sigh floated from her lips "Will you let me between those pretty thighs of yours?"
She turned her head, parting her thighs and their lips met as his hand dipped between them, drawing a sweet moan from her. Edward knew exactly where to touch, exactly where would please, setting her body aflame in the winter cold as his fingers stroked her cunt, drawing wetness from her.
"So perfect for me" He breathed as he slid two inside her, his thumb circling her bud of pleasure, shooting sparks though her veins.
"Ned" She moaned, her back arching from the bed as he crooked his fingers "Ned...." His free hand reached for the top of her nightgown, quickly undoing its silk ties and pushing aside the material to free her breasts to his gaze.
Cupping one, he manoeuvred his body above her, looking down at her face hungrily before he bent his head, wrapping his lips around her nipple. Constance gasped, hands flying to find purchase in his hair, moaning softly as he suckled, grazing the hard bud with his teeth and massaged her free breast, sending her spiralling into a world of pleasure.
Involuntarily, her hips rose from the bed, trying to grind against his to gain the friction she needed to satisfy the growing ache between her parted thighs.
"Please...." She gasped and he grinned knowing exactly what she wanted.
"Please what?" He still asked, already pushing back the covers and moving down the bed. She threw her head back, almost tormented as his fingers found her cunt again.
"Please, my King...." She breathed and he settled between her legs, spreading them hungrily apart.
"How could I ever deny you?" He asked through eager breaths but she didn't have time to reply, only to cry out in ecstasy as he buried his face in her cunt, his tongue delving into her warmth.
"Edward!" She moaned, one hand snaking down her body to grasp at his tousled hair, the other grasping the pillow beside her. His lips quickly found her clit, gently suckling as three fingers sunk into her, making them both moan, she from pleasure, he from how wet she was. He crooked them and her back arched from the bed, a strangled cry leaving her lips as her nails scraped against his scalp.
"Edward...." She chanted, her eyes fluttering shut in bliss "Edward, Edward, Edward...." He chuckled against her, the deep vibrations running through her, hurtling her towards bliss and, with one more press of his lips and crook of his fingers, she fell over the precipice, her body shuddering before it went limp on the bed.
He gave her no time to recover, pushing himself up her body, fitting his hips to hers and slamming into her with a groan. Again, her back arched and she cried out in pleasure, lighting striking up her back as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Connie...." Edward groaned, burying his face in her neck where he began to place hot kisses, winding their hands together.
"Ned!" She whined, barely able to breathe as his hips snapped against hers, unrelenting, almost brutal, but she adored every second. He sometimes treated her bad if she were made of glass and while she loved his tender affections, she liked when he put himself in complete control, dominating her entirely.
The warmth deep in her belly sparked into a burning flame again and Edward groaned when she clenched around him, already close to finishing for the second time that morn.
"You. Are. So. Perfect" He hissed, punctuating his words with sharp thrusts that made her body arch and, pulling her hands from his, she cupped his face, pulling him down into a bruising kiss.
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"Sweet heaven, Ned, I love you" Constance gasped as she fell back against the pillows, out of breath and fully sated.
"And I you" Tugging her to him, Edward placed kisses along her neck, inhaling the scent of jasmine encasing her long hair "My beautiful Queen" She smiled, resting her hand on the one he placed against her stomach, stroking it tenderly "and our son, our next beautiful boy. I cannot wait to meet him"
Her smile widened.
"May we name him Edmund?" She asked "For your brother?" Edward hummed, placing another kiss to her neck.
"Edmund" He murmured "Prince Edmund" She certainly liked the sound of that - Cecily would too!
"A sweet boy named Edmund....I would like that"
"And you shall have him! Four months from now you shall cradle our son in your arms and we shall have two Princes blessed to our York line" Her smile widened and she turned around to face Edward, snuggling into his chest, content at the thought of holding another healthy boy in her arms.
"Then we shall have three, then four, then five!" She mused, her heart singing at the thought of possessing a nursery bursting with sons "and we shall have daughters too! Little Princesses to make Queens!"
"The whole of Europe shall be ruled by our nest!" Edward chuckled, kissing her forehead "we shall have allies a plenty to defeat any enemy"
They both sighed, content in their dreams and in one another's loving arms. Their first Christmas of peace could not have been better at that moment "I hear the Thames has frozen over" Edward remarked and Constance sat up on her elbows, recognising mischief in his voice.
"Oh?"
"Oh indeed!" He said, sitting up as well, trailing his fingers across her chest "And I thought, why not show ourselves to the people, united in Christmas joy by taking a skate on the Thames?" Giggles immediately burst from her lips and she nodded eagerly. The suggestion was almost childish in nature but she knew the court would love it, just as the people would love to see their rulers!
"I've never skated before!" She said but Edward only shrugged, throwing back the covers to retrieve his bed robe.
"What does that matter?" Leaning over, he kissed her again "You'll have me to hold onto!" Winking at her, he rose and Constance knew she must too; reaching for the strings of her nightgown and tying them again. This Christmas was certainly made to be a time of joy for all!
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One week later....
Wrapped in rich furs and velvets, the royal family and their court rode through the streets of London to where the Thames' ice was at its thickest. Constance and Edward rode at the head, waving and smiling to the crowds that had gathered to call love to their King and Queen.
Marie rode on Marianne beside her Mother, wrapped snugly in a crimson cloak trimmed with ermine. She waved gracefully just as her Governess had taught her, smiled politely to the people that called her name "Princess Marie! God save the Princess!" Rang in her ears and she revelled in it, smiling all the more when her parents gave her looks of pride.
She wished her brother could've attended, wishing to show him to the world after he'd spoken his first word that last evening, but he was too young and neither of their parents wished for him to suffer a fall on the ice or catch a cold. With that in mind, she wondered why her Mother attended. She'd noticed the small bump beneath her shift when she visited her that morning as she was being readied and felt all the more joyous for it!
She only hoped the babe would not be lost as so many had been and a fall on the ice or a simple cold May cause that, she feared. She would look out for her, she decided, if her honourable Father could not and he was the greatest knight she knew! Yes, as long as her Mother had she and her Father, the babe would be safe and she would have another brother or sister.
She would love them, just as she loved little Edward.
When they reached their patch of river, Marie couldn't help but beam. Some courtiers were already in attendance, married couples holding hands as they glided across the misty ice, sharpened horse bones attached to the bottom of their shoes. Tables were set up at the edge where the royal chefs had been brought to cook fine food and spiced wine when their nobles wished for a morsel.
"May I have a cup, Father?" Marie asked as Edward lifted her from her saddle after attending to her Mother. He smiled, drawing the soft hood of her cloak over her dark hair.
"I don't see why not! You are more than old enough at seven, my girl! You there!" A page boy at once was at his side, bowing low to his King and Princess.
"Your grace?"
"Fetch a cup of spiced wine for the Princess" He ordered "and make sure it is not an inch cold!" He added as the boy made to obey, bowing again.
"Yes, your grace, of course, your grace"
Marie smiled up at her Father, marvelling at the power he wielded easier than he lifted a goblet to his lips. He was so strong, so above all others she'd ever laid eyes on.
"Thank you Father" She said and he smiled down at her, offering her a large hand in which to slip one of her small ones. She did so eagerly.
"You're welcome, my little lion"
"Come along, my Lord!" Constance called from the river bank once Marie had her drink and a serving girl attached her skates "I need you and our beloved daughter to keep me from the cold of the ice!"
"At once, sweet Lady!" Edward replied, striding over to her side with Marie's hand tucked in his.
"Good Morrow, your graces!" Richard greeted as he joined them, bowing and Marie gave a pretty little curtsy.
"And to you, Uncle Dickon!" She replied, smiling when he grinned down at her, offering his arm.
"Have you ever skated before, Marie?" She shook her head, winding her arm through his "Neither have I, since I was a boy, we will have to learn together!"
"Be careful!" Edward called as they shuffled away, laughing when Marie almost fell, the spiced wine in her cup sloshing onto the ice with a puff of steam "Now for us!" He announced and stepped onto the ice with ease, his hands in Constance's, coaxing her to follow "Take it one step at a time" He said as they glided on the crystal surface of the Thames, Constance laughing with surprise while she watched her feet.
Bit by bit he showed her how to move, how to push her feet to propel her across the ice without his help. Soon, she only held one of his hands and was moving quite happily across the river, listening to the people's cheers.
James was skating happily the whole time, moving effortlessly across the lake as easily as she remembered him doing with the rest of their brothers while she and their sisters watched.
Beaming at her husband, they skated across the lake, laughing a talking until a hit to the wall of her stomach made her force her skates to stop and she put a hand to her belly. Immediately, Edward was all worry.
"What is it, Connie? Are you hurt? Is baby hurt?"
Slowly, she shook her head, then looked up at him with the greatest smile.
"I just felt him kick for the first time...." She whispered and Edward roared with joyful laughter, picking her up and spinning her around until she demanded he put her down for the sake of propriety. The onlookers on the bank didn't seem to care, they cheered themselves hoarse!
"Our son!" He whispered, cuddling her against the furs of his cloak "Our beautiful boy is strong!"
"He certainly is!" She replied, willing the child to kick again "He will be healthy, I can feel it!"
"Your grace?"
Constance turned at the sound of Anne's voice to see the Duchess skating towards her, coming to a graceful halt before curtsying.
"Yes, sister?"
"The boy" Her eyes met her brother's "Arthur is here"
Taking in a cool breath of air, she let the icy feel trickle down her throat as she smoothed out her cloak with gloved-covered hands and nodded.
"I see. Is he on the bank?"
Anne nodded.
"Yes, your grace. Anthony Woodville has brought him"
"I shall come in due course"
With another curtsy, Anne skated away and Constance made to follow, noticing Edward didn't "Will you not come too?" She asked but her husband shook his head, taking her hand and placing a kiss to it.
"I will speak with him later, sweetheart, I will not do so in the eyes of the public. They must see it is your choice and this is your moment. They will respect you more than ever!"
"Go and help Richard and our daughter before one of them breaks a bone!" She instructed with a smile, watching Richard and Marie slide around in fits of laughter, throughly warmed by his words and, with that, the King and Queen departed.
Constance immediately spotted the six year old boy at the bank of the river, looking around curiously, wrapped in furs with golden curls peeking from his velvet cap. His uncle Anthony stood behind him, one hand protectively on Arthur's shoulder as he tried to ignore the disapproving stares and whispers sent the pair's way.
Raising her head, Constance approached them. As soon as Anthony saw her, he straightened his back and made to bow, prompting Arthur to do the same but, before he could greet her properly, James skated in, coming to an elegant halt beside the Queen.
"Ah, my dear sister!" He said, his voice sweeter than honey and smile wide. Bending, he kissed her hand "How fare you this afternoon? The festivities are certainly splendid! A reminder of the fun of childhood!" She chuckled.
"Thank you, Jamie! I hope the rest of the court are enjoying themselves, I am just about to greet two new guests!"
At that, James' gaze snapped to the man and boy in front of him, settling scornfully on Anthony.
"Ah, Woodville!" He exclaimed, his tone far too pleasant to be sincere "Will Hastings and I were just talking of you!" Anthony raised his chin.
"All good things I hope?"
James tilted his head, his smile wider and sweeter than ever:
"No"
And with that, he skated away, whistling happily to himself. If Constance hadn't had a sense of propriety or manners she would've burst out laughing there and then but had to limit her humour to a small smile as she turned to her guests again.
"Lord Rivers, I am glad to see you arrived at court safely"
"Thank you, your grace" Anthony replied "we are honoured" She smiled politely and looked down to the boy, realising for the first time in her life she was looking on him of her own free will. The boy glanced up at her with hesitance, nervousness and she swore that she could even see glimmers of fear in the eyes so like his Father's.
God only knew what Elizabeth had told him of her as he grew, she thought, and perhaps her avoidance of him at all costs, her clear displeasure in having him in her presence, had only confirmed his Mother's tales.
"Lord Arthur" She inclined her head, clasping her hands tightly in front of her and he bowed again before looking up to his Uncle.
"Go on" Anthony instructed "Just as we practiced" Young Arthur returned his gaze to the Queen and he bit his lip, still watching her nervously before he spoke.
"Your grace, I am honoured and humbled to be invited by you to attend the Christmas celebrations at court. I wish you the best of Christmas tidings and health and prosperity to your line" His voice was rather quiet but Constance heard each word and, surprisingly, her heart was warmed by them, making her smile a little more.
"Thank you, Arthur" She said gently "I am glad you are here....and so is his grace, the King" That finally coaxed a small smile from the boy and he bowed again.
"I am at your service, your grace"
"Why not have a cup of spiced wine?" She suggested and Arthur's face visibly brightened at the prospect of such a warming treat "And then have a skate on the lake? I am only just learning myself but it is great fun!"
"Then I should like to learn too, your grace!" He replied, the first words of his own he'd spoken to her. She nodded.
"Enjoy, my Lords! I'm sure I shall see you at this evening's feast!" Inclining her head once more, Anthony and Arthur bowed low before she moved from the bank onto the ice again.
She was aware of the looks of awe that followed her from commoner and noble alike but did not acknowledge them as she skated to where her ladies had congregated at the centre of the lake.
"It is certain!" Katherine laughed as they all curtsied "You are certainly a better woman than me!"
"You were grace itself!" Beth praised "There can be no doubt of your authority and position!"
"Which there never should've been!" Isabella added "But we are safe now, our rightful King and Queen sit the thrones of England and Constance shall soon deliver us another heir! Long live the Queen!"
"Long live the Queen!" The women cheered, raising their cups of spiced wine and Constance thanked them with smiles but, in truth, her mind was elsewhere.
There was one person she'd been hoping to see, one person who'd eluded her for months and had not once glimpsed with her sister. Someone she cared for.
Anne Neville.