Kingmaker

A Feast #2

The feast came to an end in the early hours of the morning, some men remained whilst others had already left; saying farewell to their wives once more as they headed off for sleep. Some of the men had children at home, so their wives could not remain for the night. In silence, Ava had slipped out of the great hall, walking out onto the courtyard to gaze at the moon. She smiled, the moon bathing her in a soft white glow. The victory over York had been uplifting for her and her army. But deep down she was kicking herself for the loss of so many men. Her remaining soldiers were fairing well afetr a nights rest and some good food. But the losses of so many on the battlefield had her questioning her leadership; despite Sir Richard and Sir George losing soldiers themselves.
As she stood alone, Ava gazed over to the stables. An empty stall next to Crispin where Spur would've stood. That was another thing she was kicking herself for. The loss of a horse was inevitable in battle. It hurt her to say that the animal had died under her, and she had survived. The animal could've easily crushed her under his weight. That was one thing she kicked herself for. She knew that riding into battle had given them an upperhand, but at the same time. It had endangered and killed many horses. Several times had her soldiers told her that they were warhorses, and that they were trained to carry men into battle. But she refused to accept it completely. A horse had died in her care, and though she had lost a horse at the Battle on The Moors. It seemed to have hit harder this time.
Shaking the thoughts away, Ava smiled as Sir Richard wrapped his arms around her from behind; pushing his nose gently to her neck. "I was wondering where you'd gone to" he murmured, his arms resting lightly around her waist. "Just getting some fresh air, then I was going to head to our quarters to get this dress off. Feeling rather warm under all this material" replied Ava softly, turning in his arms to rest her own against his shoulders. Sir Richard merely shifted his arms around her a little tighter, pulling her to his chest a little. "Then let us go. I will come with you. We do need sleep after all, and I can't imagine how that corset is hugging your ribs" commented the knight softly, earning a soft chuckle from Ava. "If it were any tighter, I'd be screaming at how much it was crushing my ribs. But I heard how you'd like to see me in red and gold. King Henry made it possible with this dress. He said you'd love it" she smiled, watching as Sir Richard took a step back to admire the dress once more. "I love it. It loks even better when you wear it, dear. And maybe next time you wear it, you can have your sword on you. I noticed how uneasy you were without your blade" he commented with a kind, understanding smile. "How can I protect my men if I don't have my sword? The feast was wonderful and all. But I still fear there are men within our ranks that are not fully supportive of Lancaster" murmured Ava as she gazed to Sir Richard. "Do you know who could be disloyal?" asked the knight, moving a hand to the hilt of his sword. Ava responded with a sigh. "How long has it been, Sir Richard? Sine Elizabeth came back to the castle? She brought a few soldiers back with her. Not many, but she brought some back. And where was she before coming here? The Abbey in Yorkshire. I'm not saying she is the one to watch. And the King might have sent those soldiers to be with her. But it's just unsettling when new faces appear. Last time a new face appeared he tried to kill the King, and I took the heat to protect him"
Sir Richard watched her as she spoke. It was very rare that she questioned royalty. But this time, she had a point. Did the King send those men to Elizabeth, or were they York soldiers disgusied under Lancaster? It wasn't unlikely. Lancastrian men had fallen on the battlefield. And there was the smallest chance that they could've been taken by York in order to gain access to a Lancastrian army. Sir Richard shivered at the thought. But he watched how Ava spoke. Even in that elegant dress, she could still pull off that intimidating look and tone of voice. She could disregard the elegance in a split second.
Changing the subject, Ava looked to Sir Richard. "The King's Coronation is in a few weeks, is it not?" Sir Richard rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Indeed. Myself and Sir George will be jousting against the York knights. Even as they are our enemies. The King insists on them being included. I don't quite understand why. But they will be there nonetheless. They will bring their squires, and no doubt their King Edward. Our King Henry will be guarded throughout the day, and the night at the banquet. The King may ask you to be among his personal guard. You have protected him before, after all. His personal guard are much different to the soldiers we see ona daily basis. Their armour is bulkier, and they're often taller and well. They're strong. Very strong. They could probably lift you with full armour on" Ava had to clear her throat there upon hearing how strong the King's personal guard were. And the fact that she could be among them?!
"But. What if I want to joust myself? Or squire for you?" she started, watching Sir Richard. "It will be up to the King on the day, dear. But if he asks that you stand at his side. Then you will have to" replied Sir Richard, seeing the disappointment in her eyes almost instantly. Did she not understand that if she did joust, she would be up against the York knights, and they would inevitably try and unhorse her or worse, kill her? Or, maybe she did understand. But just wanted to prove herself as a jouster? He didn't know for sure. But he hated seeing her disappointed. But at the same time. He didn't want her to get hurt or killed. But that was still a risk as she guarded the King.
They couldn't win either way with keeping one another safe. There were risks and dangers to everything they did. Even walking across the courtyard had some essence of danger to it.
After a few moments of silence, Sir Richard sighed. "We will speak with the King in a few days. For now, allow the man to rest. And let us go for sleep ourselves. We've had a long day" he gently took Ava's arm in his, leading her back into the castle and out of the coldness outside. He could feel her limping as she walked at his side. Though it was a small limp, he could still see it, and feel it as she walked. He knew it didn't cause much pain. No. The main cause for his concern when it came to pain was her back. It hurt a lot, and he knew it did. It had almost gotten her killed when she couldn't stand with the pain during the battle at Tewkesbury.
As they entered their quarters once more, Ava kicked off her boots that she'd worn under the dress. Earning a chuckle from Sir Richard. "Somehow I knew you'd wear those"
Ava merely shrugged with a smile. "Comfort before elegance, Sir Richard. Besides. How else would I be able to step on people's toes if they tried anything with me in a drunken stupor?" Sir Richard had to smile at that, stepping closer to her and taking her in his arms once more. "You're resourceful, you would've found a way" he chuckled softly, running his fingers lightly through her hair. "Maybe I would've after all" smiled Ava, resting her arms on his shoulders.
The knight smiled once more before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. At the back of his mind, he wanted to ask for another child. But deep down he knew the risks were far too great. There was always a 'Maybe'. This time that maybe was that the child would survive. But at the same time, if York found out, and they would. They would simply strike again at the Neville family to spark even more of a reaction from the Lancastrian family and their armies.
He knew Ava wanted another child. But maybe she too knew the risks.

[Authors Note: How do you feel about Sir Richard and Ava having another child? They both know the risks, and are internally questioning them. The risks are very high, and with York already taking the life of their first born son, Llane. Will they strike again if another child is born? Or would they strike before the child even had a chance to enter the world? Keep reading to find out if anything comes of this!]