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War had ended. Happiness had come to him in a familiar form. He had wife whom he blindly loved. He had a son whom he blindly spoiled. He considered himself a happy man in his position. He was a royal duke. He was prince of the House of York. His life was not easy, but in the pasts years he had realized that his wife and son were his happiness, soul, and heart. His family was not easy. He was always in between his brother Clarence, and his brother the King. Still, he managed to call himself a happy man. For wife, he felt passion, and in the years that they have been united by the church, it had not changed.
They could be tender and warm to each other. Sometimes when an argument appeared from thin air; they could be stubborn and ice-like. In the end, their hearts went back to each other with love like they always did.
This day was not an exception. Anne had argued with him the night before. She was not pleased on leaving her son while they went to the King’s court for the winter festivities resulting in Richard having to face her back the whole night.
She did not liked it, but now she had come to terms. He admitted to himself that he was surprised when he saw her enter his office. In his desk, he had papers, many papers and his hand, mostly his nails were stained with ink.
“May I have quick words with the duke?” Anne asked him.
“The duke has matters to attend to but he will not send away his duchess.”
A smile appeared in his mouth, “What does my duchess wants?”
“Your duchess? Am I not your wife first?”
“My dear lady wife!” He sighed, “What it is my love?”
“I am sorry for this morning.”
“I know that it pains you.” He said as he stood up from.
“We must be back for his birthday.” Anne said, “You do not want to take him to court, My terms then, dear husband, is that we are back for his birthday.”
“I do not control the snow yet, my love. Nevertheless, I will make my best to be back.”
“Do you promise?” Anne asked him giving him a forgiving look.
He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles.
“Your hands are like icicles.” Richard gasped, “For Heaven’s sakes! What where you doing? ”
“I took Ned and John for a walk.” Anne said as he guided her hands to his neck for warmth, making him shiver, “It turned out to be more of a run.”
“How come?” He asked her.
“They were like puppies, and I the little girl who had lost them.”
“Did you lose them?”
“They outran me. I must inform you that your John runs fast! He fell covered in mud, but it only made him run faster and laugh louder.”
“He fell in mud?” Richard asked.
“I send him for a warm bath like I did to Catherine and Edward. They are to go to bed now and sleep.”
“I believe that it is too early for them to sleep.” Richard said, “But if they outran you, they should be punished by sent to bed early than they are usually.”
“That is the worst of punishments as a child.” Anne said.
“And for a grown man too. Just like being woken to early, or having his wife give him her back on a cold winter night.”
“I promise my love, that I will not give you my back tonight.” Richard could see a mischievous look illuminating her eyes, “Unless you want to see my back.” Richard sniggered taken back by his Anne’s naughty and dirty words, “But I know that Christmas is near, and the Holy Church prohibits the touch of men and woman. We could repent later.”
“I’ll confess for your soul, but for mine, I will gladly wait in purgatory.” Richard smiled rubbing his nose against hers
“You’ll wait in purgatory?” Anne asked in a whisper, “While I am forgiven my our Lord Jesus Christ?”
“I believe that memories remain. Do you think that they not? I could think of them there.”
“I hope so. If they do, I hope that they make our waiting for judgement easier and more bearable.”
Richard kissed her nose before again kissing her hands, “I need to finish what I started.” Richard said, “Why do you not have a bath to be drawn for me. You can scrub me down, clean my hands.”
“Like if I was you handmaiden?” Richard asked.
“No. Like a wife would for a husband who is madly in love with her.”
“You are madly in love with me?” Anne asked in a exaggerating tone, “I thought you married me for my fortune and the Beauchamp states, and this castle up in England.”
“That too.” Richard said, “Though I knew you before. I always like the idea of knowing my wife. I know you since you were a child.”
“You thought I was an annoying spoiled child!”
“Oh you were one. You stomped your tiny feet, and alike with your sister Isabel, your Dad moved the heavens and the mountains to please you both. I had never seen such a devoted father.”
“So you married me because of my fortune and because I was a spoiled child.”
“No. I asked you to marry me because I knew it will suit us well. You a royal duchess with organza and silk dresses with extravagant headdresses, and because I loved you. I was in love with that spoiled child. Your sweet voice. You reading words of poets. You dancing as if you were Terpsichore.”
“Do you want me to be Terpsichore or Aphrodite tonight?” Anne asked him.
“Hm! I do not know. I think I prefer Anne Neville instead. Do you know that you and that sweet mouth of yours has alerted the servants.”
“How come?”
“Francis told me something." His cheeks were red while he laughed. "Apparently we are quite loud when we are in bed performing out marital duties. You cry in pleasure, and I grunt too. The other night.”
“Oh!” Anne smiled, “That night. In my defense I had not seen you for a few days. You went hunting, and you styed in the loft like you told me.”
“Well my love, we were loud. Francis saw one of your handmaidens and some servants with their ears glued to the door.”
“Which lady?” Anne asked.
“The one that Francis bed every other night.”
“For Our Lady’s sake don’t this girls know chastity? You keep Francis in line, and I’ll keep my flock of ladies straighter.”
Richard chuckled against her head before giving her a kiss in the lips, forehead and chin. He held her tight for a few seconds . Anne felt his arms traveling down her waist and down to her buttocks before lifting her up.
“Do you remember this?” He asked her, “When you wanted to reach for your silk kite. Neither of us couldn’t reach it so I lifted you.”
“You wont drop me like that time, right?”
“I was a thirteen year old. You were chubby then.”
“Am I still chubby?” Anne asked him.
“In all the places that arouse me.”
He placed her back down being taken back when Anne kissed him in a way that seemed both innocent and naughty.
A knock on his door interrupted them.
“Dickon?”
It was Francis.
“Come in Francis!” Richard called.
“I have a joke Dickon. What does the— Anne!”
Francis kissed Anne’s hand that was accompanied with a curtsey.
“Do you bring me a present Francis?” Anne asked him.
“No, I don’t. But I am keeping him sane.”
“I thought that I was in charge of that.” Anne said looking at Richard.
“Oh you do. You prevent him of a type of insanity. I just remind him not to be rude to the lords of the court because not everyone understands his cold self.”
“Oh!” Anne gasped, “Oh please do.”
“I’ll have a bath drawn to you my love.” Anne said to Richard, “With lavender or with roses?”
Richard felt little embarrassed, “Lavender.” His whispered.
Francis saw the interaction. It amused him. His friend could be like ice. His behaviour with Anne was like water running down in a ravine; natural and without stress. Then was the little kiss that Richard gave her in the nose that was followed with a smile before she left.
“Do you prefer lavender or roses?”
Richard threw at him the first thing at arm’s reach:
A small pillow that he sat on.
“I must insist. I would like to know why you prefer lavender instead of roses.” Francis laughed as he sat, “I personally love the scent of roses.”
“Anne is fonder of lavender.”Richard shook his head in confusion. He did not know why he was answering.
“So Anne likes lavender?” Francis asked as he played with his beard, “Do you end up with the scent of lavender as well?”
This time, Richard threw at Francis a plum making him smirk, “Thank you. I was hungry!”