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Late at night, two figures sauntered down the street of London. One was in his dark blue doublet with a sword buckled around his waist. Next to him was a young woman wearing a cloak a size too big for her; under that cloak was a fancy dark green dress trimmed with furs. The two, hand in hand, went towards a sanctuary. The man knocked on the heavy door.
Within a short moment, a priest answered the door and let the couple in.
The priest recognized the man, and muttered, "Your Grace."
The man, Richard Duke of Gloucester, released the young woman's hand and went to speak to the priest. The priest nodded and Richard gestured the young woman to follow them.
***
She was brought to a fine chamber. The priest left them alone.
"Thank you," she said to Richard softly, releasing the cloak he lent her.
"You will be safe here," Richard said. "George will not find you."
"Why are you doing this for me?" Anne asked, though she knew the answer.
"Why'd you think?" He asked back, half teasing.
"You still love me?" Anne asked, looking away.
"I do, and I always have."
Anne let out a sigh. "So many things have happened. I was married to another, and you are now father to two children."
"You know?" Richard was surprised.
"Isabel told me," Anne said. "Kate is her name, isn't it?"
Richard nodded. "Yes."
Anne couldn't blame him and she didn't. All lords sire bastards and she was too married another. The only difference was that her marriage to Lancaster was never consummated.
But she could've cared less.
She loved Richard and only Richard.
She wanted to be his wife.
And she had wanted him since the moment she placed her hand into his.
"Richard, there's something I like you to do for me," she said carefully.
"What is it?"
"Can you...make love me tonight, like you did with her?" Anne muttered. She had been waited for this moment for too long.
"Anne," Richard began. "It's not the same. Don't compare yourself with Kate. I never loved her, and I cannot dishonor you-"
"There are ways, aren't there?" Anne asked. "I overheard Isabel's ladies. There are ways..."
Her hands went up to his chest.
His hands stopped hers before she could unbutton his doublet.
She leaned up to kiss him.
Then again.
And again.
Finally he kissed her back. The kiss was deepened until they pulled apart for air.
"I remember," Anne said, catching up with her breath. "The night you kissed me."
She was referring that night when they were at Middleham. There were talks of the possible betrothal between Richard of Gloucester and Lady Anne Neville, much to their delight. The two met secretly at night; it was there Richard confessed his love for her and bestowed Anne's first kiss. Anne could never forget it.
She took his hand and placed it against her chest.
"Can you feel it?" She asked. "I thought I lost you forever but here you are."
She kissed him again.
"Show me," Anne whispered between the kisses. "Show me, how you love me."
Before she could cup his chin, Richard took her hands and guided them to his belt. "Undress me," he said gently but with command.
Slowly, Anne unbuckled his belt. Despite her desire to have Richard, she never undressed a man before.
She unbuttoned his doublet and slipped it off his shoulders.
She pulled his shirt out of his trousers and over his head.
Seeing him half naked before her, Anne pressed her hand against his bare chest, feeling its warmth. With her fingers, she traced the dimmed scars he got from the battlefield. Her hands went to his broad shoulders and traced the curves of his muscles. When her hand went to his left arm, she noticed a deep scar. She placed a kiss on it, as if it could heal.
He unlaced her dress and slipped it off her shoulders. He covered her bared skin kisses; and it brought shiver down to her spine.
Her breathing became heavy when her dress pooled by her feet.
He released her braids and pushed her on to the bed. Climbing into the bed with her, he hovered over her and whispered, "The bed will be our kingdom, only you and I."
His kisses traveled from her lips to her neck. When the kisses reached to her cleavage, Anne felt gushed inside.
"Put your arms over your head," Richard instructed.
Anne complied and felt more settled in bed in that position. She closed her eyes when Richard kissed her ankle. Each time his burning lips touched her skin gave her the pleasurable feelings that she never had before; and she felt funny down there. However, as Richard pulled up her shift to her thigh, her body tensed.
"Relax," Richard coaxed. "Enjoy what you feel."
Anne felt a bit ticklish when he kissed her inner thighs and she laughed. But she even stopped him before he could push her shift up any higher.
She wasn't ready for him to touch or see her most private part.
"Don't," she whispered, resting her hand against his dark curls. "I'm not ready yet."
He was disappointed, but he didn't want to force her to do something she wasn't ready for. He placed a kiss on her belly through the fabric of her shift.
Lying down next to her, he pulled her into his arms, wrapping her hair around his wrist.
"You know you should not stop your husband when you are in bed with him," he rebuked gently. "If you do it again, I will spank you."
After saying that, he playfully pinched her on the behind.
"I don't know why," Anne muttered. "I got nervous before you could...touch me there."
"Anne," Richard laughed. "On our wedding nights, it has to happen. Strangely, you are the one who wanted this but now you wanted it to stop."
"No, I don't want you to stop," Anne murmured, kissing him on the cheek. "I do want you."
He pressed her body against his while pulling down the strap of her shift. He had her lying down on her back as he peeled her shift off altogether. Blushing heavily, Anne crossed her arms to cover her breasts and pressed her legs together. The chilling air gave her goose bumps.
"Arms over your head," Richard instructed.
A bit reluctantly, Anne placed her arms over head, giving Richard a full view of her body.
"Close your eyes."
She closed her eyes and felt his hand pressed against her belly and went up to her breasts. She bent her back in pleasure when he rubbed her nipple. When he replaced his thumb pad with his lips, however, Anne was taken aback and was about to push him away. It was a gesture she had not expected and it even scared her a little.
"Don't move," Richard ordered, holding her arms over her head with one hand.
Lowering his head to her breasts, he sucked on one nipple and teased the other one with his fingertip.
Slowly, Anne began to relax and enjoy the pleasure drowning her body. How she wanted to touch him and wrap her arms around him...but her arms held against the pillows over her head by Richard.
"The other one," she murmured after he released her nipple from his mouth.
He sucked the tip of her other breast as she moaned.
He released her arms and kissed her rip cage, then her stomach. He rolled onto her belly and began to kiss her bare back.
"You know how many times I kissed you tonight?" Richard whispered in her ear, while his hand slipped down to her butts.
"I don't know," Anne replied. "I guess 500."
Only then she realized where Richard was touching her. She gasped when he inserted a finger.
"Shh," Richard said, placing a kiss on her shoulders. "On our wedding night, we will do more than what we did tonight. It will hurt you, but only once."
He pulled out his finger and rolled her over. He took her hand and guided her to his trouser. Anne knew what he meant. She unlaced his trouser and stripped it off him. He placed her hand against his manhood. Anne blushed heavily as she stroked him. She placed a few kisses on his chest. She continued to stroke him until he moaned. She felt something wet.
"What..."
He wiped her hand with bed sheet. He wrapped the covers around them and held her in his arms, touching skin to skin.
Anne asked no more.
And she was no longer cold.
By now she knew that when she was with Richard, nothing will go wrong.
***
Finally, after much waiting, it was their wedding night.
Anne dismissed the ladies and waited for Richard to come to her. She was still in her wedding dress.
When Richard came to their bedchamber, Anne slowly undressed herself. Standing naked before him, she went on to undress him. After he too was naked, they climbed into bed. Anne lied on her back as Richard pulled her legs apart and wrapped them around him. She gasped when he took her virginity and dug her nails into his back.
It did hurt, like Richard told her.
But it was worth it.
After he pulled out of her, he covered her body kisses; Anne quietly counted the number of kisses he gave her.
"Are you happy?" Richard asked.
Anne only smiled. She was happy, but she wanted him more.
"Are you?" He asked again.
She replied by rolling on top of him, and kissed him on the lips.
And then on the chest.
And then on the stomach.
She moved down and sat on his crotches. Raising her arms and holding onto the bed frame, she began to ride him.
He stroked her stomach and held her body as she moved against him. He rose to nuzzle her breasts and Anne threw her head back in pleasure. Finally, after they reached climax, Anne let go of the bed frame and wrapped her arms around him. Holding his head against her breasts, she buried her face into his curls.
"Now, I'm happy," she said, panting.
Her hand joined his; their ring bands rubbed against each other.
She was his.
And he was hers.
She was no longer the feisty virgin who craved her him.
She was now his lover, wife, and hopefully soon the mother of his child.