𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑 || 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝐼

~The Yorks of England~

"Catherine....Catherine"
Catherine groaned, moving her head against the covers while her name was sobbed desperately from above her "Catherine....Catherine please"

She jerked awake, her hair a mess of loose curls around her shoulders and her eyes unused to the light that filled the room. Blinking profusely, her vision returned to normal and she was met with the sight of distraught Edmund, tears streaming down his face and his breathing laboured, more so than ever. His skin was red and blotchy, covered in sweat and the bandages on his arm soaked with blood.

"Catherine...." He wept again and she was instantly by his side, moving up the bed until she knew he could see her face. With deft fingers, she snatched a cloth from the bowl of cold water next to the bed and placed it on his forehead, taking comfort in the relived sigh that left his lips.

But still, he sobbed. He sobbed not like a man but a little boy, vulnerable and afraid and when their eyes met she was shocked to see they were identical to little Dickon's in terms of youth.

He looked like a child again.
"I'm dying, Catherine" He said, voice a trembling mess that made her heart ache with pity "I want Ned!" He cried, squeezing her hand "I want my brother, Edward!"
"I will send for him, I promise" She told him, not daring to confirm his thoughts of death, even though his skin was as grey as church stone from which death tolls chimed.

"Tell him, Cat" Edmund mumbled, eyes glassy with more tears "Tell him I love him as I do all of my kin. Tell him to care for our Mother and our brothers and sisters too....tell him I'm sorry that I've failed them"
Catherine shook her head determinedly, beginning to cry herself when she heard her nickname spoken on his lips. She had cared for him day and night for almost a week....she would not let him die. He could not die!

"You have not failed them!" She assured him quickly, tenderly smoothing away the damp hair that had fallen across his face "Now sleep....you need your rest so you do not fall unconscious"

With a trembling lip Edmund nodded, slightly more composed now as he moved with a grunt to settle his poor body again.
"I can breathe again now" He sighed, almost smiling a little "Now I have said what I need to, I can be at peace"

Catherine did not reply, she did not reply for a long while and Edmund feebly raised his head to see she was staring at the hand that was intertwined with his.

"It's cold" She whispered, her blue eyes flicking to his before she suddenly pressed a hand to his forehead and an overjoyed cry escaped her "By God, Edmund! Your fever! It's broken!" She was all smiles, giggling happily with all her might which made him chuckle "It's broken!" She exclaimed again before releasing his hand and rushing to the door.

Flinging it open she shouted at the top of her voice for her husband and in moments, loud footsteps pounding on the winding staircase answered her. George Neville threw himself over the threshold of his bedchamber, his eyes darting to the bed where his cousin lay and his wife stood by, smiling.