𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 || 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐶𝑉𝐼𝐼

~Crime and Punishment~

She sat before the hearth in her nightgown and a murrey mantle, a glass of watered down wine in hand. The glowing shards of morning light had just begun to filter through the coloured glass in her chamber windows, casting beautiful shadows upon the tiled floor.

"You should have seen him!" She murmured with a smile "I know you will be proud, so proud!" There was no debate on whether she would tell Ned of their son's victory and as she drummed her fingers lightly against the side of her glass, she hoped he was there to listen "He's been injured, lost the tip of his little finger on his left hand, if you could ask the lord to heal it quickly I would be grateful!"

"Ask him yourself!" She could hear him say with a grin "He's far more likely to listen to you than me!"
"Well, yes, my love, but you are with him! And I know you'll want our boy to heal soon." He would sit in the opposite chair, head tilted, eyes alight with mirth, long legs outstretched. She could see him.

"Of course he will, he's my son! I was never weakened from injury for long was I?"
"No, you were always far too eager to get back into my bed!" Then he'd laugh; wink at her.
"Who wouldn't be? Our boy will heal, Connie!"
She knew she believed him. Edward would heal fast.

"He's a strong fighter!" She enthused "Richard said so! Cut through men like they were sheaves of wheat, just like you did! But...." A sly grin overtook her lips "he is younger than you were when you first fought, does that perhaps make him better?" The look of feigned outrage that would contort his features would send her into fits of laughter and she couldn't help a small chuckle.

"Ah, now you know I won't concede to that no matter how proud I am of him! I'll wager Dickon told you he still had much to learn too?"
"He did say he was a little too impulsive?"
Edward only shrugged at that.

"Well that's just in his blood, all York men are so!" That was true "I remember being terrified Richard was going to get himself killed at Tewksbury because he was a great warrior but my god the lad was reckless with a bravery bordering on stupidity. He managed to pull it off though, as we all do. Edward will grow, he'll learn to harness that impulse a little."

"George never learned."
"George never learned anything." He replied "Apart from how to dig his own grave." A grimness came over his features and Constance sighed, tilting her head.
"Don't do that."
"Don't do what?"
"That! We're supposed to be happy!"
"You're the one that brought dear brother George back from the grave for a moment!"

She supposed she had and raised her eyebrows in apology, taking a sip of wine.
"He's so brave, our son." She said, head lolling back a little "He will be a fine successor."
"You've told me that before, many, many times! So many times in fact one might doubt you missed me!"
Her gaze shot back to his.
"Oh how could you say that!" He was grinning "You know I miss you! I will miss you more these next years!"