The Yorkist Rose
Fourteen
"You are leaving?" She sounded shocked as she sat up, looked at her new husband through wide eyes.
"Of course." He smiled, sweet, innocent. "I have to leave for I am king and my duties lie beyond simply pleasing my wife." he approached her, kissed her cheek and stepped away looking at her once more, flashing her that smile that made her think, he'd done it again, he tricked a woman into his bed and he would leave, this time though the news was far more devastating, he had tricked her. She felt tears in her eyes but did not show them.
"Please, these affairs can surely wait?"
"They cannot dear wife, I am bound to timing, I spent enough with you and I can spare you no more time my love." he looked at her and could clearly see her doubt in him, could see her thinking. "My wife, oh you doubt me?" He looked away and shook his head clearly distressed "How my heart breaks at such, how could this be? You doubt your own husband?"
"I do not."
"Those words would mend my heart if they were true."
"They are my love."
"then you'll allow me to leave and not keep me here? You'll allow me to leave and do my duties, I shall return."
"When?"
"I cannot say."
"But you will return." her heart beat skipped, she had wanted a datem,, tempted to keep her husband, her king here by force until he gave her the answer she wanted, until he offered her a date which would confirm when he would return, would confirm that he would return, at the least it would give her expectation and then answer if he did not show, she had been no more than a mistress to a powerful man.
"I swear it, for I could not leave you."
"Then go quick and return to me with haste."
A boysih smile before he turned, a swish of his cape, he walked to her, kissed her lips with passion, his eyes closed briefly as they held each other before he turned again and fled from the hunting lodge, mounted his horse and left.
To his shock, his distress when he arrived back at the palace his mother waited for him, she looked at him with doubtful eyes, she looked over him, sighed and was about to turn. "Lady mother?"
"You have been whoring, dishonouring young women, pitiful behaviour for a king, a son of York. George would not do it,"
Fury was hidden, he tried hard not to yell, not to tell his mother that he and not George was King of England, that he and not George was the eldest son, that he and not George had power and that he indeed controleld George and granted and removed power in England, that George was merely his pawn and that if she had not so much a sheltering grip upon him, George would probably be doing just the same. Thiose words did not leave his mouth instead he muttered a simple yes and walked into the palace, paying no attention to the bowing courtiers. His question as to why his mother had been outside awaiting his return was soon answered when his friend the Earl of Warwick approached, a smile etched on the older man's face. "Ah, Edward, I am pleased you'll join us for today i have a special guest for you."
"Oh?"
"yes, waiting for you in the gardens." Edward recalled he had seen no one but his mother but said nothing on that, hoping that Lord Warwick had not noticed his absence from the palace this morning, for that could of course bring up some awkward questions which he did not wish to answer. Hopes were shattered when the Earl next spoke, his tone was non-committal, as though he did not care when he stopped and looked over the gardens from one of the windows. Edward sttood beside him as he stopped, he too looked out of the window spotting the woman he was clearly supposed to meet today, dressed in a fine gold dress. "You were out this morning, your groom says you kleft in the small hours, left for where?"
"I wished a walk."
"You have been acting strange this last month, I hope it is not for reasons which I would disapprove of."
"Such as?"
"Your mother claims you invited the Rivers, your enemies to the tournament."
"She is correct."
"For their daughter, that widowed whore-"
"She is no whore."
"Then you have not had her?"
"Not as you think." He did not elaborate and instead walked away from Warwick, his pace fast and aimed, he wanted to be away from Warwick and alone, without having to explain to the man about anything, he didnt want to have to tell him about the marriage, he was king of England and what pleased him he could do, he was no boy, not just the Earl of March or Duke of York, he was indeed a man, a man with a crown on his head and a throne beneath him. Explanations were to be given to him, not from him.
"Edward." The man called trying to keep his pace. "I do not object to you talking to the woman."
"You should not object at all."
both the men stopped and turned, stood their in clothes of blue was Richard, looking between both Warwick and his brother. "Your Grace need explain nothing, My Lord Warwick, you should ask your king no such questions for they do not concern you, he is your king and his judgements decided by God. He is righteous." Warwick bowed to Richard, the young Duke of Glouster and turned away from the men who by title and birth outranked him despite their youthful age. "Did you marry her brother?"
Edward pulled the boy away from prying ears before he showd his brother the boylike smile. "This morning, consumated it just after,"
"When Warwick thought you were simply tired."
"He thought nothing of the sort, he knew I was not in my chambers, he was sure of that when he spoke to me, as was our mother."
"They do not know where you were?"
"Perhaps they do, does George?"
"I thought not to trust him with such matters, he can know if it pleases you."
"It does not, you are right, he should not know."
"Of course." He smiled, sweet, innocent. "I have to leave for I am king and my duties lie beyond simply pleasing my wife." he approached her, kissed her cheek and stepped away looking at her once more, flashing her that smile that made her think, he'd done it again, he tricked a woman into his bed and he would leave, this time though the news was far more devastating, he had tricked her. She felt tears in her eyes but did not show them.
"Please, these affairs can surely wait?"
"They cannot dear wife, I am bound to timing, I spent enough with you and I can spare you no more time my love." he looked at her and could clearly see her doubt in him, could see her thinking. "My wife, oh you doubt me?" He looked away and shook his head clearly distressed "How my heart breaks at such, how could this be? You doubt your own husband?"
"I do not."
"Those words would mend my heart if they were true."
"They are my love."
"then you'll allow me to leave and not keep me here? You'll allow me to leave and do my duties, I shall return."
"When?"
"I cannot say."
"But you will return." her heart beat skipped, she had wanted a datem,, tempted to keep her husband, her king here by force until he gave her the answer she wanted, until he offered her a date which would confirm when he would return, would confirm that he would return, at the least it would give her expectation and then answer if he did not show, she had been no more than a mistress to a powerful man.
"I swear it, for I could not leave you."
"Then go quick and return to me with haste."
A boysih smile before he turned, a swish of his cape, he walked to her, kissed her lips with passion, his eyes closed briefly as they held each other before he turned again and fled from the hunting lodge, mounted his horse and left.
To his shock, his distress when he arrived back at the palace his mother waited for him, she looked at him with doubtful eyes, she looked over him, sighed and was about to turn. "Lady mother?"
"You have been whoring, dishonouring young women, pitiful behaviour for a king, a son of York. George would not do it,"
Fury was hidden, he tried hard not to yell, not to tell his mother that he and not George was King of England, that he and not George was the eldest son, that he and not George had power and that he indeed controleld George and granted and removed power in England, that George was merely his pawn and that if she had not so much a sheltering grip upon him, George would probably be doing just the same. Thiose words did not leave his mouth instead he muttered a simple yes and walked into the palace, paying no attention to the bowing courtiers. His question as to why his mother had been outside awaiting his return was soon answered when his friend the Earl of Warwick approached, a smile etched on the older man's face. "Ah, Edward, I am pleased you'll join us for today i have a special guest for you."
"Oh?"
"yes, waiting for you in the gardens." Edward recalled he had seen no one but his mother but said nothing on that, hoping that Lord Warwick had not noticed his absence from the palace this morning, for that could of course bring up some awkward questions which he did not wish to answer. Hopes were shattered when the Earl next spoke, his tone was non-committal, as though he did not care when he stopped and looked over the gardens from one of the windows. Edward sttood beside him as he stopped, he too looked out of the window spotting the woman he was clearly supposed to meet today, dressed in a fine gold dress. "You were out this morning, your groom says you kleft in the small hours, left for where?"
"I wished a walk."
"You have been acting strange this last month, I hope it is not for reasons which I would disapprove of."
"Such as?"
"Your mother claims you invited the Rivers, your enemies to the tournament."
"She is correct."
"For their daughter, that widowed whore-"
"She is no whore."
"Then you have not had her?"
"Not as you think." He did not elaborate and instead walked away from Warwick, his pace fast and aimed, he wanted to be away from Warwick and alone, without having to explain to the man about anything, he didnt want to have to tell him about the marriage, he was king of England and what pleased him he could do, he was no boy, not just the Earl of March or Duke of York, he was indeed a man, a man with a crown on his head and a throne beneath him. Explanations were to be given to him, not from him.
"Edward." The man called trying to keep his pace. "I do not object to you talking to the woman."
"You should not object at all."
both the men stopped and turned, stood their in clothes of blue was Richard, looking between both Warwick and his brother. "Your Grace need explain nothing, My Lord Warwick, you should ask your king no such questions for they do not concern you, he is your king and his judgements decided by God. He is righteous." Warwick bowed to Richard, the young Duke of Glouster and turned away from the men who by title and birth outranked him despite their youthful age. "Did you marry her brother?"
Edward pulled the boy away from prying ears before he showd his brother the boylike smile. "This morning, consumated it just after,"
"When Warwick thought you were simply tired."
"He thought nothing of the sort, he knew I was not in my chambers, he was sure of that when he spoke to me, as was our mother."
"They do not know where you were?"
"Perhaps they do, does George?"
"I thought not to trust him with such matters, he can know if it pleases you."
"It does not, you are right, he should not know."