The Forgotten Rose {COMPLETED}

Part I: Chapter Eighteen - Summer Splendour

Richard lifted his young son into his arms and kissed his forehead lightly. "My boy." He smiled as he walked about the room rocking his son into a gentle sleep. His hand held Edward's head carefully, admiring the dark locks which covered it. Some of the locks had fallen into curls from Anne's adoration, for she would wrap his hair around her slender fingers.

"I shall find you the finest of horses." He told his son as they walked to the window. Edward turned his head like he understood his fathers words. "You see there, those are my stables and when you are a man you shall own each mare and each stallion. You shall have a hound as well, from my kennels, we shall hunt together, and I promise that I shall teach you to ride myself." He grinned holding Edward's fist in his hand. He tried not to think of John, the son he had left in Gloucester. Who he too had cradled in his arms. "And you will be a good son."

"Look, your lady mother." Richard pointed as he caught a glimpse of Anne riding back to the castle on her fine chestnut mare. Edward let out a slight squirm as his mother became lost to his gaze.

"She shall be back within the hour, she went to visit your dear aunt, Duchess Isabelle." Richard smiled at his son. He was still surprised by his Edward's small size, he wondered if he would be a sickly boy because of it. He may be lost to him before he reached manhood. Richard did not wish to admit it for it would mean another child, and what if it was a girl? No, one boy would do. If he were to be lost to infancy or boyhood, another son could be produced. They had been married under two years and one son was already born. At any point Richard was sure that he and Anne could have another boy, another fine boy.

"Do not worry my son, she shall be with us soon." He kissed his son once more before carrying him back to his cradle, for the maids to rewrap him in his swaddling bands, that way he would grow. straight and tall.

"I shall return my boy." Richard promised, he waved at his son with a soft smile coating his face.

"Your grace." One of the nursery maid greeted him falling into a curtsey, he did not take too much notice. He nodded his head to acknowledge her before leaving his sons nursery.

Richard passed a dozen servants as he dashed down the long staircase. A tower once barely been used had finally become a hive of activity. Maids carrying cloth too and from the new child's chambers, bringing water to bathe him and priests to bless him.

Anne would be waiting for him.

He had missed her, for the week she had been away the only way he could stop himself from running after her was to look upon their son. For young Edward shared Anne's gentle eyes, they were not so blue more of a lightening grey, but to Richard they brought Anne to him, no matter how far she was from him.

His feet thundered on the final steps as he left the castle and rushed towards Anne as she dismounted her horse. "Anne." He called waving his arms to attract her attention. Like a child he kept running towards her, so fast three other horses being held by a stable boy spooked and broke loose. Both Richard and Anne chuckled as the stable boy, no older than thirteen, chased after the three, now wild, horses.

"Tell him to leave them, they shall come in their own time." Richard told his master of horse. "And teach him some horsemanship, they shall only keep running if he chases after them. They are prey animals, they are not so intelligent to realise the foolish boy means no harm."

"Yes, your grace." The master of the horse told him. He bowed to his Duke before taking hold of Anne's reins as two of the other stable boys helped her down. One was on his hands and knee's as a step for her to stand on as she slipped out of the saddle and onto the ground. She patted the horses neck in thanks.

"My Lord." Anne said as she collected her skirts and marched into Richards arms. "How is our boy?" She cheered with a smile from ear to ear.

"He is well, I left him only a moment ago." Richard smiled at his wife as he released her from his embrace. Both had fretted over their son, since his troublesome birth and Anne also because of the memory of the death of Princess Margaret, if god would take a Princess why not the son of a Duke? They said that sleep took her, just as it did hundreds of infants, and Anne feared her son would be taken by such a thing also. He had been so weak, so tiny and sickly at birth she was amazed that he had lasted the winter.