- 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛 -
It's the year 1464 and Eleanor Woodville lives at Grafton Manor as one of the younger daughters of Jacquetta and Sir Richard Woodville. At 11 years old, her worries are little and her joys great but her o...
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~Twisting the Knife~
Christmas 1475, Middleham...
"Does my Mother love me?" Eleanor's head darted up at the question Katheryn asked her. She was sitting at the side of the little girl's bed to wish her a goodnight, had been about to blow out the lone candle that provided light when the words had been spoken aloud.
Words Eleanor had always dreaded yet there was no way to escape them now. Katheryn's hopeful face stared up at her, brown eyes wide with question, dark curls fanning her pillow.
She could not explain that she hated to think on Kate. She must provide an answer to the young girl's question for it was one of the greatest importance.
"Of course she does" she said with as reassuring a smile as she could muster "I am sure that she loves you very very much!" "Then why did she send us away?" Katheryn asked, fiddling with the covers "Johnny and I?"
Eleanor's mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of a response, reaching out and taking Katheryn's hand. "Because your Father is a powerful man" she said after a moment "and he loves you and wants to protect you"
"Just as he protects you and Bess and Tilda and George and Will?" "Precisely!" Eleanor confirmed warmly "and he will always protect us, all of us. You are the daughter of a Royal Duke, Kit....both your Mother and your Father love you to the ends of this earth and I bid you never forget it!"
"Never" Katheryn promised solemnly, smiling when the Duchess leant over and brushed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, Kit" She whispered, blowing out the candle by the bedside and using the light creeping through the door she had left ajar to guide her.
"Eleanor?" She turned as Katheryn's voice called softly out to her one last time. "Yes, mon cher?" "Do...." her voice hesitated slightly "do you love us? Johnny and I?"
"I do" Eleanor said, slightly surprising herself with the quickness and truth of her answer, though she could almost feel Katheryn beaming in the darkness "I could not love you more if you were my own....for I think of you as such"
꧁꧂
Eleanor smiled to herself as she walked down the spiral staircase that lead to the great hall, the memory of her moment with Katheyn still filling her heart with joy. 'I do love them' she thought as jovial music floated up the stairwell from the Christmas festivities. She had not been away from them long, only to put the children to bed and was now to return in even higher spirits than before!
