Kingmaker

Beautiful Mistake #2

As the day came to an end, Ava sighed. She was tired of waiting for things to happen with York and knew that if they waited any longer. They could be at the weaker end of the war. There were so many risks to what she was thinking of doing. And it could all land her in quite a lot of trouble with the King, and with Sir Richard. Though they were married, he still had significant standing over her, and if she slipped up. He could be one to put her back in her place.
For the past 5 hours, Ava had been sat working on her notes again. Scribbling on the paper about how she wanted to approach York in a war. Detailing where each of her men would be. What they would do. Where she would be. And what she would be doing. If anyone saw her notes, they would easily think she was losing her mind and her sense of sanity. When really, she was just losing her patience and her will to wait around for another attack. She knew that York weren't going to hang around for much longer. And she knew that her son wasn't safe no matter what they did. It made her realise that she shouldn't get her hopes up for him surviving long. And as much of a dark thought as it was. She knew it to be true.
With another sigh, Ava moved out of the castle. Heading out to the campfires to sit with her soldiers. Many looked at her, silently wondering why she was outside and not sleeping. But they dared not question. She looked far too down to be questioned, and after recent events. They knew to tread carefully around her. But they also knew she had to be talked to, otherwise, she'd lose trust in them completely.
"I'm planning an attack on York. You are to speak to no one of this. We are doing this alone. And in silence" started Ava after some time. She captured the attention of her soldiers almost instantly. The ones around her had shifted closer and others had shifted to sit closer too to hear what she had to say. "I fear that if we wait in silence any longer, York will have the upper hand. We've given them far too long to think about an attack. They must have sent Lord Petyr here to scout us out. He's already had his soldiers attack Sir George. And I don't know if Sir George will be able to fight after the wounds he received. I don't even know how long it's been since the attack. The days have all blended together for me lately" she sighed now, tucking her knees up to her stomach and resting her arms on them.
The soldiers looked to Ava, many of them giving concerned looks to those at their sides. They knew that what Ava was doing was risky. And they knew that she would need to run the plan by Sir Richard and the King first if she hadn't already. But they knew she hadn't. And that was what made it so risky. One of the generals was the first to speak. "Ava. Have you slept? Your mind needs it. This attack you are planning. It is too risky. We cannot risk running at York head first and hoping that we come out victorious"
Again, Ava sighed. "We cannot sit around waiting for them either. We cannot avoid attacking them. It only gives them more time to plan an attack on us instead. And maybe you're right. My mind does need sleep. I haven't been sleeping well recently. I fear for Garret's safety. And your safety. And Sir Richard's and Sir George's. And for King Henry's. I feel as though I should hand myself over to York. Give myself up to them so that they will ease the pressure on Lancaster. They want me, after all. So why not let them have me? Give York back what they want. Give them the one person they chased for a week and haven't stopped bleeding Lancaster for. They want me. They want me in their dungeons. And they have people that want me. Their knights want my head. Sir Henry Stafford, most of all. He wants my head after I fled York and after I fled his hand. He sees me as one of the biggest traitors York has ever seen. And he has said he won't rest until I am in the dungeons of York, or in his grasp. That one time he had me... He talked. He threw punches. He showed the true anger of a York knight. And for once. It scared me. It made me realise so many things. One thing it still failed to do was make me want to return to York. Even if that wasn't their goal, it failed" She silenced for a moment, her men remaining silent around her. Knowing she had more to say.
"York won't stop until they have their main targets. They don't care for Sir Richard or Sir George. They only want King Henry and myself. Sir Richard and Sir George would be additions to their stocks, of course. But they're not main targets until they are deemed as such by their King. It still amazes me to this day that they think their ruling matters now that their King has returned. He still isn't the King of England, and he won't be for quite a while. Sir Richard isn't known as the Kingmaker for no reason. If something were to happen to our King Henry, Sir Richard himself could take the throne if he wished to. But that just piles on more risks. Though I suppose it would change the way York would approach us. Either way. If we hang around much longer waiting for York to act. They will. And they'll hit us ten times harder than we will be able to handle. Our armies may have grown. But theirs will have too" she sighed, directing her eyes to her men now.
They all watched her. Wanting to tell her to go get some sleep and think on what she had said. To tell her to think about the attack and it's consequences.
To think on giving herself up to York and the consequences of that.
Her mind was as messed up as ever. And she needed sleep. But she was denying her body the rest it needed at every chance she got. And it wasn't helping her a single bit.

[Authors Note: Slow updates recently, I know. But I need time.
Also, what do you think is going on with Ava? Is her mind messed up from lack of sleep? Or is she just trying to make things easier for Lancaster?]