Wicked Game

Authors note: The characters, names, and everything else belong to Stars, The White Queen, and the amazing Phillipa Gregory. I

Anne awake with a gasp and immediately looked around her chambers for an intruder. Her eyes searched every shadow and every crevice for danger. Her breath came out in rapid bursts and only began to slow as she realized that there is no immediate threat. She pulled the covers on her lavish canopied bed further to her chin and sank deep into the feathered mattress. Her leg brushed the warmth of her love, her Richard, as she settled back into the comfort and safety of her chamber.

She smiled at the rightness of the world, she was the daughter of the Kingmaker and now she is the Queen of England exactly as her father wanted. She is laying in the most luxurious chambers in the whole of England, married to a King that she loves, with a beautiful son, their heir, and with two adopted children to love. What could possibly be wrong that could cause her such fright? As if that mere thought brought the demons and witches to their bedside, she felt the cold chill of fear touch the nape of her neck as the image of the previous Queen Elizabeth Woodville sprang to her mind.

Her treachery ran deep in the halls and the whole of England. Her command brought the death of her husband, her sister, and her brother George so she could keep a hold on her power after the death of the late King Edward VI. The beautiful Elizabeth Woodville sought revenge for the loss of her two York Princes and now she sent her oldest daughters to roam our halls and find a weakness to bring down the true King, Richard III.

Richard let out a soft sigh in his sleep and seemed to sink deeper into the pillow as he turned his handsome face towards her. Richard's black curls framed his porcelain face and made him look like the young man she fell in love with. In sleep, the stress and worries of kingship fell from his shoulders leaving the lean frame of her warrior prince. She smiled and wondered what he dreamt of and as she reached her hand toward his face he called a name that chilled her down to the bone.

"Elizabeth," He whispered.

She immediately retracted her hand back as the pain of his infidelity washed over her. He had promised that he was using the bastard daughter Elizabeth as a pawn to dishonor his enemy Henry Tudor. She had ignored the tightening of her stomach as he claimed that she was just a pawn in his wicked game, but she knew that he was lying to her and himself. She knew from the moment that siren whore had walked into her rooms. She was even more beautiful than she remembered, truthfully, she was even more beautiful than her mother and grandmother. Her hair was a reddish gold and it flowed in thick curls down her back, her lips were plump and full, and her skin was fair from the years that she spent hiding like a rabid dog in sanctuary. Anne expected her to be beautiful since her grandmother and both of her parents were handsome, but she hated the aura of innocence and happiness that Elizabeth seemed to carry that managed to charm the whole court including her husband.

At first it seemed like Richard was trying to honor and make his nieces feel welcome at his court especially when the rumors that he was involved in their deaths were constantly circulated around the whole of England. She had faked her smiles as the siren Elizabeth would happily greet Richard and smile up at him as if she had never seen a more handsome man. She would grit her teeth as she watched married men and the available men of their court attempt to dance, flirt, and woo Elizabeth, but she would use her whore's tricks and Richard would gallantly offer his hand and they would dance the night away.

Anne heard the whispers of the court, the talk of how Richard who was often so serious and so honorable seemed like a young man in love as he would often laugh during their whispered conversations, he would brush back stray hairs that would fall into Elizabeth's eyes while she read a snippet of some book that Richard brought her, and the long walks they took together in the evenings as if they were King and Queen ruling England together as husband and wife.

"Elizabeth, my love," Richard muttered in his sleep causing Anne to close her eyes at the injustice and pain that this new insult caused her. His lovely lips that would softly kiss hers were parted in desire and he reached out his strong hands as if searching for the warmth of Elizabeth's younger and taller frame.

She wondered if the whore had given herself to her husband or if she was still playing some game that her and her witch of a mother devised to bring further ruin upon Anne and her family. She seen the way Elizabeth would look upon her husband, as if desperate for a cool drink of water, the lingering looks she shot at Richard as she left their bed chamber for the evening, but the most disgusting is the way she would look at Anne. As if she felt sorry for her because her husband would rather spend time and energy admiring her beauty than loving his wife that spent years worshipping at his altar.

She should have expected this sooner when her mother made the claim that Richard wasn't her true husband, or when she speaks of the love she has for him and he never answers or offers any sentiments back, and when he came back from seeing that witch Elizabeth Woodville and he spoke of keeping Princess Elizabeth close. She thought he was distraught over the death of the princes, but she failed to notice when he spoke he sounded like a man enchanted.

Richard began to stir, and she realized that the sun was starting to shine, and she was wide awake and even more fearful of what is to come. He opened his eyes and for a mere moment she noticed the look of disappointment that settled on his face as he gazed upon her.

"Anne, you look unsettled. Are you well?" He asked, she would normally smile at the concern in his voice but all she could do was nod stiffly.

He nodded and slowly rose from the bed; his naked body was still lean and muscular from the years of training and time in battle. He began to dress to make his way back to his chambers. "I will escort you to break our fast. Have Princess Elizabeth come to my chambers when you are ready."

"The bastard girl, Ms. Grey will be busy attending to me, I'll send someone else to you. It's already bad enough you shame me in front of the court, I don't want her escorting you first thing in the morning as if you two were lovers instead of Uncle and Niece." Anne hissed out, her temper rising that the thought of Elizabeth was the first thing on his mind.

He continued calmly putting his boots on and then he looked upon her as if she was a puzzle to solve instead of his loving wife who was screaming in pain and desperation on the inside. "As you wish."

"I'm tired of this wicked game you play Richard. I don't want her here anymore, she's a whore and she should be treated like one instead of treating her like a Princess. What is happening to us? Don't you see, she's using her magic to tear us apart?"

"Anne, I've already told you, if Tudor thinks I'm bedding her then I make him look a fool, no one will follow him especially when I have the allegiance of the previous Queen, Elizabeth Woodville." He replied, his face was expressionless, and his tone was patient, "Why do you feel this hatred for her? She's honorable, kind, charming, and she's innocent."

"I hate her, I hate her mother, and everything she stands for. I see the web she's spinning around you and you don't even realize that you are caught within it. You love her in a way you could never love me."

"Anne." Richard replied calmly, he stood from the chair near the fire and he made a move to approach her.

A knock sounded from the chamber door stopped him in his tracks. Anne stayed in bed wrapped in the blankets, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, but she kept her head held high. The door opened and Elizabeth, Cecily, and two servants came in the room. When they spotted the King standing as still as a statue they immediately bowed and waited for his acknowledgement.

Anne watched as his eyes left her face and sought Elizabeth. His usually stoic features softened as they took in her measure. Today, she wore an emerald green gown that made her curls look fiery and even though the cut of the dress was modest she still managed to look radiant. Anne felt the bite of jealousy as Elizabeth rose to her full height and bestowed a smile upon the King that would make angels weep.

"Your grace," Elizabeth acknowledged him and dropped into a graceful curtsey as she looked upon Anne. "May I help you with anything?"

"Your presence isn't needed here Ms. Grey. Continue to the chapel and pray before you break your fast. I've been hearing disturbing rumors and I feel that you may need to cleanse your soul." Anne hissed out causing Richard to stiffen.

"Your Grace, I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way... If you tell me what I've done to upset you I can try and improve upon my behavior." Elizabeth said softly, the hurt was evident in her voice.

"You've been acting like a whore. Exactly like the type of woman your father was so fond of." Anne replied coldly.

"Anne," Richard's voiced caused a booming echo as he shouted her name in warning, "You will not speak to her in this way. She has done nothing to offend you and I demand that you show respect to our nieces. It is my wish as your husband and as king."

Elizabeth closed the distance between herself and Richard stopping only a foot away from him. His fingers twitched as if he was denying himself from reaching his hand out to touch her. Her beautiful almond shaped eyes moved between Richard and Anne bravely before saying, "I do not wish to create disharmony among us, I'm so happy to be back amongst my people again. I had prayed that my mother would let us leave sanctuary to make peace and grieve the loss of my brothers. I believe that the real killers of my brothers are running free and not having to feel the weight of their crimes on their back. I only wish to serve you and my uncle, the King, to the best of my abilities. I have written to my mother that my uncle is a wonderful man, he's brave, honorable, and he's not the tyrant that people have tried to depict him as."

"You honor me Elizabeth, I've been carrying the weight and guilt of the Prince's death on my shoulders since they were taken from the tower. I have taken steps to avenge them, but I fear their killers are locked away and hidden in the shadows to avoid punishment." Richard said softly, his hand reached to gently grasp Elizabeth's hand and he brought it to his lips to kiss the fingers of her right hand, "You honor me with your trust. I will forever be grateful of it and always take steps to be worthy of it."

Elizabeth gasped at the contact and there was no mistaking the love and desire she felt for him. Her lips parted and she took a step closer to him as if she wanted to run her slender fingers through his ebony curls.

"Enough." Anne said, causing Elizabeth to flinch at the harshness in her voice and immediately take a step away from Richard. His hand that was holding hers dropped uselessly to his side, but his eyes never left her face. "I tire of this conversation and the day has only just begun. Elizabeth, leave us and go to the chapel to pray for forgiveness for your sins. Cecily, gather my blue gown and tell the servants I would like to bathe. Also, you can tell them I want them to use the rose soap today."

Immediately the occupants of the room that were standing as if frozen in time began to move in a flurry of activity. Cecily quickly sent her older sister a look that spoke volumes and Elizabeth knew she would be buzzing with gossip. The servants brought in a large wooden tub and began to fill it with buckets of steaming water.

"As you wish, Your Grace," Elizabeth dropped into an elegant curtsey for Anne which she ignored and then looked at Richard with her beautiful doe eyes before walking out of the room.

"That was unnecessary." Richard said, his frustration evident as he looked upon Anne. "I'm the King and I shall not be ruled by my wife. I want her here and you will treat her with love… I demand it Anne."

"As you wish, Husband," Anne said reluctantly, she got out of bed to let the servants undress her for her bath. "Will you be escorting me to break our fast?"

Richard smiled politely and walked over and kissed her on both cheeks as if she was his sister and not his wife. "I shall. Then I will take my leave of you till dinner."

"Oh, is there state business that must be dealt with?"

"Not today. I want to go riding, I have a new horse and I want to break him in."

"Are you going alone? Is Stanley or Sir Brakenbury joining you? I would very much like to go out and get some fresh air if you would like the company." Anne said excitedly, forgetting all about Elizabeth and her charms. She hasn't had the opportunity to ride as much since she became queen.

A look passed over his face, but she thought she might have imagined it because it was gone so quickly. "I shall make you aware of what we decide after we dine if that suits you," Richard asked as he began to walk toward the doors to her chamber.

"Of course, Husband." She said with a sweet smile.

He nodded and then disappeared through the doors without a backward glance. Anne continued happily with her routine, bathing, dressing, putting on her jewels as she waited for Richard to escort her to the great hall.

The great hall buzzed with conversation as the members of the court gossiped, flirted, and discussed the latest politics. Anne sat with Richard on the raised dais among their court and dined on the best of the dishes. She was dressed in a new velvet gown of a deep shade of blue that accentuated the curves of her breasts and her long hair was combed till it shined. She had hoped that Richard would see her and would forget all about the snare he was setting for Elizabeth.

She could almost imagine that their life was back to normal, like they were back home in the north in Warwick Castle by the easy flow of conversation. He would occasionally offer her one of his rare smiles that showed that he wasn't always the serious man that people seen him as.

The moment she started to feel at ease with her husband, the siren entered the room. She smiled at everyone who glanced her way and even stopped to talk to a few of the wives of the nobility. Some of the younger men got up from their seats to try and persuade her to sit and dine with them, but she was lured over to her sisters as they cheerfully called her name. Elizabeth politely extracted herself from some of the handsome young men to make her way to her sisters, but as if she was pulled by an invisible string her eyes managed to lock onto Richard's.

Richard said this was all a game, a snare, to humiliate his rival, but Anne never seen him look at any women the way he would watch Elizabeth. It wasn't the lustful looks that some of the men eyed her with, or the power-hungry stares as they sized her up to see what wealth or prestige they could extract, instead he eyed her like she was an angel from the heavens.

He shook his head as if he was trying to clear the effects that Elizabeth seemed to have on him and pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "I'm going to prepare my horse and then I'm going to ride for a while. When you're finished, Brakenbury and the guards will escort you to finish the ride around the grounds with me."

"Oh, would you like me to join you now?" Anne asked already moving her chair away from the table and she began to stand to make her way to the stables.

"No, I would like to ride alone for a while." Richard then added, "I have some matters of state that I would like to think on and find the best solution."

As Richard began to make his way from the table all the court stood and bowed till he walked past. Anne watched his lean frame in his customary black apparel and she tried not to dwell on the fact that she would never get used to him walking away from her. She was happy to see that Elizabeth was still in the company of her sisters and Richard left without even glancing in her direction. She tried to finish the rest of her meal, but her appetite was yet again spoiled as she sat alone and lonely on her throne.

Anne forgot how much she enjoyed being outdoors in the sun and hearing the joyous sounds of nature. She was enjoying how brilliant the greenery looked and how the birds were chirping so merrily. She was being escorted by Stanley, Sir Brakenbury and his guards with her ladies in tow. They were planning to journey across the countryside over meadows, across stunning hillsides, and much to her delight they might even see a waterfall or two.

Richard had ridden out on his own with only a few guards, but Sir Brakenbury assured her that they would eventually cross paths since this was the King's favorite route through the hillside. She could see why it would be a favorite for him since he grew up on the battlefield and felt at home when he journeyed through fields instead of being cooped up inside the castle walls.

Anne was so at peace she had quite forgotten about her earlier disagreement with Richard, her hatred towards that devil Elizabeth Woodville, and her jealousy towards that whore Elizabeth Grey. She chatted merrily with Sir Brakenbury about the trivial things they normally would not have time to discuss, commented on the weather, and the beauty of nature. That was until they were about to pass near a rocky outcrop that jutted out covering the area below it. She heard laughter and playful shouts of joy coming from what sounded like a woman. Anne noticed Brakenbury gesture to one of the guards to go scout the area, but before the guard could move Anne stopped him with a shake of her head.

Anne moved her horse closer to the edge to see what was happening below and she felt as if a stone dropped to the pit of her belly. Another burst of bubbly and raucous laughter floated up to her ears and she nearly fainted as she spotted Richard chasing Elizabeth around the trunk of a large tree that was in the middle of a gorgeous meadow. He was without his cloak, but he still had his dagger and sword attached to his belt. His black cloak made of fur and a rich velvet fabric was spread carelessly on the ground with a few pieces of ripe fruit scattered on top.

Richard faked that he was going right, and Elizabeth went left causing her to burst into another fit of giggles when he scooped her up and spun her around causing her hair to come out of its neat plait. Her hair looked like it was on fire as the shining sun brought out the red and gold hue in her hair.

"Unhand me sir, I'm a member of the King's court," Elizabeth said sounding like the spoiled princess she was raised to be.

"Oh, how come you are out by your lonesome? Aren't you needed at your court by your King?" Richard questioned her as he put her feet gently on the ground. "Don't you know there are bad men that would hurt a delicate flower like yourself?"

"Aye, but I'm safe." Elizabeth said teasingly. She pulled her hand out from his grasp and moved to sit on Richard's cloak that was spread on the ground. She picked up an apple and took a bite of it looking carefree and happy as they played their game.

"Safe? How so?" Richard asked, moving closer to Elizabeth as if he couldn't get enough of her. His expression was intense, and his dark eyes were unreadable as he waited for her reply.

"Because my King will protect me. I don't fear anything when I have him close." She said softly, her playful smile dropping at her admission. She suddenly looked uneasy as if she revealed to much of herself.

Richard smiled that rare smile that caused tears to prickle in Anne's eyes because she thought it was reserved for her. "Your King thanks you for your loyalty. Indeed, he would be a fool to let any harm come to you. As long as you are by his side he will always defend your honor and fight for your love."

Anne felt Sir Brakenbury come to her side and quickly take in the scene below him. He kept his expression neutral, but she could feel the pity flowing off him in waves. He offered her a polite smile and asked in his gruff manner, "Your Grace, would you like us to announce your arrival to the King?"

Anne thought to herself resentfully that he might as well because as long as he was staring into Elizabeth's eyes he wouldn't notice her mere existence. "Yes, Sir Brakenbury, I would like to continue our journey if the King is willing. I don't want to waste such a beautiful day." She replied her tone sounded pleasant and unfazed. She kept her head held high as if the sight of her dearly loved husband in the company of another woman didn't faze her at all.

The guards announced their arrival and Anne watched as Elizabeth looked up shyly, surely regretting being caught in such an intimate scene with a married man. Richard looked up at them with his usual stoic expression barely casting a glance her way. "Ah Sir Brakenbury, Stanley, you've made good time. I was teaching Princess Elizabeth to ride without a saddle. She's quite the natural."

"Anything the Princess does is handled with grace and ease Sire. Even the sun is envious of her magnificence and beauty." Stanley said charmingly, casting a wink in Elizabeth's direction.

"Agreed, I think we should put her at the head of our armies. Tudor would surely realize that he faced defeat at the hands of such a force of nature." Richard said cheerfully. He stood and reached a hand out to help Elizabeth to her feet.

"You men seek to tease me, but I'm to happy to be out in the sun and free to enjoy this wonderful day. Even the thought of invasion can't divert me gentlemen." Elizabeth interjected causing the men to laugh heartily and Richard to raise his eyebrows in amusement.

"What would the fair maiden like to do instead of discussing politics, war, and death of our enemies?" Richard asked her as he lead her to stand proudly before them with her hair blowing gently in the wind like she was the river goddess that her ancestors claimed to be.

Elizabeth looked at him and then off to the distance thoughtfully, "Let's continue our ride, I want to cherish these moments, these memories."

Richard actually grinned at her as he admired her enthusiasm and energy, "The lady has spoken. We shall continue on till we can ride no longer."

"Then let's continue on Husband. We shan't waste another moment. Lady Elizabeth Grey should be riding with the rest of my ladies as fits her station." Anne said coldly. She took some satisfaction in the submissive nod that Elizabeth offered her.

"No, Princess Elizabeth will ride with me. I'm tutoring her on proper horsemanship as I've already said." Richard pointed out, "Does that suit you, Anne?"

"Your wish is my command, Husband." Anne replied.

Richard kept Elizabeth's hand in his and walked over to where their horses were grazing. He stopped near a magnificent white horse that had a tail and mane that reminded Anne of the silver of starlight. She sucked in air through clenched teeth as he turned Elizabeth to face him and picked her up depositing her easily onto her horse. Elizabeth blushed as their bodies brushed against each other. Richard walked around the horse adjusting the skirts of her dress to cover her boots before climbing easily onto his horse.

He glanced back at the court that was on the road above them. He smirked as he glanced over to Elizabeth before saying, "Try and keep up my Lords and Ladies. Princess Elizabeth and I are intent on seeing if we can get to the end of the world."

Elizabeth's whimsical laughter floated back to them as they took off kicking dirt into the air leaving Anne and the rest of the court to stare in wonder. Anne watched her normally serious husband ride off in the distance looking more carefree than she had ever seen him. She wondered if her heart could take anymore of this cruelty as she felt another stab in her chest that felt like her heart was slowly breaking into pieces.