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[without-a-thorn.insanejournal.com]

Who: Eleanor and George
What: Henry II is dead, Eleanor is being released from prison
When: July 1189
Where: A castle in England
Note: Reposted as a favour, originally posted by Eleanor and George



Eleanor had not enjoyed imprisonment in the slightest. Alright, so perhaps she could understand Henry being upset, but could he really blame a mother for wanting to give her children everything she could? Honestly. But she did get to go out occasionally (albeit with an escort) and see her sons, and she wasn't treated badly.

She was sitting in one of her rooms reading, when she heard a horn blast that indicated an approaching party. The guards along the walls took up the call, and the book fell to the floor forgotten as she ran to the window to see who it was. She couldn't tell who it was, but whoever it was, they were flying Richard's banner.

Her door burst open, and one of the guards came in. He bowed before saying, "Majesty, I have news. Your husband, King Henry, is dead. Long live King Richard. You're free now, Your Majesty."

Eleanor felt her knees give way. Henry was dead. Richard was king. She was free.

"Thank you," she told the guard at last. "Perhaps I should go down and greet the party that's just arrived."

He bowed again. "As you wish, Your Majesty." Eleanor swept out of the room as he trailed behind her.

She descended the steps to the hall, swiftly crossing the expanse of stone to the door and hurrying outside. Even at ground level, she couldn't be sure who was among the party, but she raised her hand and called out a greeting anyway. It wouldn't do her any favors to be rude.

George tried not to be grateful at the death of a monarch. It was, after all, a tragedy. But he wasn't made of stone, and his loyalties and affection had long since shifted away from Henry and onto his sons and his wife. Civil war had a way of doing that.

When Henry had died, George had set off immediately to the castle that he believed was holding Eleanor at the time. He'd met up with a party sent from Richard, who had apparently been expecting George to appear somewhere along the way. George had to smile at that. He hadn't even gotten a chance to speak with the new king yet.

When their party arrived, george was surprised but pleased to find Eleanor waiting for them. Good. Her guards must have already released her. They, at least, knew how to respect a woman.

He slid off his horse and knelt before her, kissing her hand before grinning up at her. "It's been far too long, Your Majesty."

Eleanor smiled until she thought her face might crack. George was here, and that, more than anything else, told her that things were going to be alright. George had a way of instilling that feeling in her.

"It really has," she agreed, finishing with the formalities and letting him rise before beckoning him inside. She called out instructions to the stable master to water and feed the horses, and to a pair of stewards to get food and drink for the riders. Sixteen years was not nearly enough time for her to forget hospitality (or, indeed, her deeply ingrained, almost second nature way of taking charge).

Once they were inside and the doors had swung shut behind them, she pulled him into a hug, propriety be damned. "I'm so glad you're here," she said quietly. "Is it really true? Henry dead, and Richard king?" She waved her hands. "But where are my manners? Come, let's see if we can find you something to eat, and you can tell me everything."

George returned the hug gladly, finding himself nearly tearing up as he did. Captivity hadn't changed Eleanor in the least, and that was a relief. A world where Eleanor broke under the pressure was a frightening world indeed.

"It's true, Majesty," George said with a nod. "I haven't gotten the chance to speak with Richard yet, but I saw Henry's body myself."

Eleanor allowed herself a few moments of just clinging to George, because he was the first physical part of home that she'd been allowed to see and keep, knowing that she could go back to that home at the end of it. And if she got a little misty-eyed, well...she was fairly certain George wouldn't tell.

She led the two of them back to the kitchens, shooing everyone else out so it was just the two of them. The head cook tried to serve them herself, but Eleanor gently-but firmly-escorted her to the door. She was perfectly capable of putting together some simple meals.

"God rest his soul," she said at last. "How did he die? And tell me about Richard. Is he well? I know you haven't seen him recently, but was he when you saw him last?"

George leaned against the wall of the kitchen, feeling too alert from riding to sit down.

"He was ill," George explained. "Neither the physicians nor I could do anything for him." George hesitated before adding, "Geoffrey was there with him when he died. I think he took some comfort from that."

George smiled a bit. "I last saw Richard in Anjou. He was in good spirits, as he always is when he's quarreling with his father. Or was. Anyway, I sent him word that I supported his ascension, and the men with me were apparently expecting me. We'll both be seeing him soon, I think."

"If there was nothing that could be done, then there was nothing to be done," she finally said, setting a plate and mug in front of George.

"Was he?" she asked. "Henry and I have had our disagreements, and I rather wanted to run him through for a while for locking me away, but the dying deserve the comfort they can find."

She laughed quietly, taking her own plate and sitting down. "That always did keep his spirits up. And you're always expected, George, the men know that you everywhere with Richard. So if Richard is coming to free me, naturally they assume you're coming along. I do hope we'll be seeing him soon. That would make me happy."

"'Disagreements' is putting it lightly, Majesty," George teased gently. He felt a sense of sadness over Henry's death, but it was hard to focus on that in the face of Eleanor being free and Richard finally being safe from the threat of execution for treason. "It'll be odd, having the family back together again."

"Yes, well..." Eleanor trailed off, looking down at her feet. "I honestly didn't expect all of this to go on as long as it did, or get as big as it did, but I wouldn't change a thing."

"It will be," she agreed. "But good, I think. We've been split up for too long, and I like my children where I can keep an eye on them. I don't know if that makes me cynical, hypocritical, overly cautious, or all three, but that's how it stands."

"I think it makes you a typical mother," George said with a smile. "Especially considering how strong-willed your boys are. Perhaps they'll get along better now. I miss the days when I could just pick them up and put them in seperate rooms when they were fighting with each other."

She smiled, a bit fondly. "Perhaps it does," she agreed. "And I rather like to think they get that from me, but it can be bloody annoying when it's used against me. And I rather think they know that, too."

She laughed then, bright and happy, the way she hadn't been for a while. "Or when I could put them over my knee. They learned after a while not to push me on things. Of course, then they grew up and developed minds of their own, and wills to go up against mine. But that's good, I think. If they were all passive and meek, it wouldn't have served them well at all."

"The meek never do well on the throne," George agreed. "Richard's going to need your guidance, though. This is a bigger responsibility then he's ever taken on before, and you know he can be a bit...reckless."

She huffed out a laugh. "Don't I know it. And you know I'll do everything that I can for him. I always have," she added, almost to herself. "As soon as we get back, I can start. When do we leave, anyway?" she asked, hoping not to sound too eager, and most likely not succeeding. But she found she didn't really care.

"Any time you'd like," George said, grinning. "I would imagine you're quite eager leave this place. I'll write to Richard and tell him that we're on our way."