Let us be lovers|(Richard)(Casual)

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Anne started to sit down with the dress maker as she saw some fine fibers that would make her dress. Silk she imagined that they where, mixed with a tiny bit of polyester. Though she must say that she rather found it ticklish when touched to her skin, she had to consider that if she was going to be wearing it and later have a nasty resolution with it.

There was one particular fiber that she loved , it felt almost like cotton . The result and effect of the touch was that it felt almost like clouds where wrapping around herself. Now the only trouble was that she needed to try one and the other to see which she liked.

Madame ... Shall I ask the girls to bring in the dresses She heard the lady who was helping her , and nodded at her saying yes that they should bring up the dresses. She hoped that she was not going to be to caught up to ignore Richard.

Though she did have some questions on the matter of their publicized engagement. How quickly had the media realized that they where now an it item, and if he had anything involved with it. Then again ,she could not in the confines of her home scold him for it. She was to be his wife, and thus he deserved every bit of respect even though deep inside her she had plots to be laid.

Seeing three girls walk in , she saw the two dresses which where laid on the pearl colored sofa and dusted to keep the new puppies hair dog away from them. These girls, this dress how much was it worth. How much money was Richard putting into their wedding.

Grabbing the dress she started to head towards her room and closed the door as she stripped down and started to place the dress on top of her. A sigh escaping her as she walked back out and started to stand on the podium.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

If one had asked Richard Plantagenet if he'd be planning a wedding a week or so ago, he would have scoffed and replied firmly in the negative. And that was a hypothetical wedding of anyone but himself. Yet here he was, helping Anne arrange the finer details, as he knew he should.

Ever since their engagement, it was as though their past quarrels and hatred had never been, at least outwardly. They laughed, they smiled and neither of them mentioned Anne's late husband or Richard's late brother. If one hadn't known the truth behind this, what had really happened, for all outward appearances...it looked picture perfect.

And looks were certainly of great importance when it came to this affair; keeping up appearances as well as the actual finery itself. And what finery it was. Despite the fact both he and Anne had not wished to publicize the impending wedding (owing in part to the fact the pair of them had all too recently professed in a NYT interview there was nothing going on between them), it was too great a secret to be kept. It was evident, not only by the ring spotted by eagle eyed paparazzi on Anne's finger, but simply by their changed demeanours. Although the wedding was not to be a grand spectacle with guests numbering thousands as may have been expected (this was owing to Richard's knowledge of Anne's dislike of too much press attention) it was still of significant prestige to warrant a great deal of time and money being invested in it.

A great deal of the tax money Richard had been meaning to bribe Faustus with had come in useful after all.

He’d had very little experience of weddings, other than attending those of his brothers (having steered clear of the nuptials of Anne and Edward d’Anjou), hence the cost of it all came as rather a shock, though not an entirely unpleasant one. He wanted to please Anne after all, genuinely. And if it was a fine dress she wanted it was a fine dress she’d get. He’d thought it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride in the dress before the big day arrived however; he voiced this opinion to Anne as she re-emerged and stood on the podium that had been set up (having donned one of the aforementioned dresses), although he smiled as he said it.

Ooc: I hope that works for you Steph! <3

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

Seeing herself in the mirror she sighed, she turned around to be handed the veil by one of the girls who was helping her dress. It was a little old fashion the wedding dress, and she hoped Richard would not mind it at all. But rather see it with enjoyment. She wanted everything to be perfect, and she wanted to also have a memory of her second wedding.

But at the same time she was having doubts about having everything so lavished and fine. It was not like it was going to be the event of the season ,even though the press had found out. But then again why not enjoy it , why not make something out of it ,something that she could remember with her dear heart . After all she was not paying for anything ,and she was actually quite amused with the whole task of deciding. The only thing she would ask of Richard was actually his honest opinion about the matter at hand . The wedding dress primarily, and maybe the cake as well.

She turned around when she heard Richard Say that it was bad luck to see the bride; she could only laugh at him for ever believing such a thing. If he knew her better ,she would have to say that she was not the one to be told that the groom seeing the wedding dress before the wedding was a bad idea. To be honest she could only expect from him the best of ideals ,and the best of wishes for her.

Also the wedding was not such a big deal, and it was only close family and friends that would be arriving to see them join as man and wife. After all he had won on their foolish game of hate, and now she was here ready to give her love to him. To show him in a way that she cared more for him, and she would keep but half of her secrets if her plan went right.

Then again she also thought that maybe she was taking things a little to easily. Turning around, she showed Richard the dress as she wanted his opinion on it and smiled. She wanted to make this event at least a little bit comfortable for the both of them. “ What did your family say when you told them about us” She asked and stepped down from the podium, and walked over toward him .

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Having voiced his opinion on seeing the dress, Richard half expected to be asked to leave. On the contrary Anne simply laughed, seeming to wave the idea off as foolish superstition. To be perfectly honest, that suited Richard very well indeed. To see Anne happy, smiling and laughing after their months of verbal battles...it wasn't something he wanted to miss.

As Anne showed him the dress, Richard looked it over with his critical gaze. In truth he hadn't the faintest idea just how he was meant to react to the dress fitting ceremony; suffice to say that he liked the gown well enough. It was a bit old fashioned but then so was he. And as far as he could tell Anne seemed to like it; that was good enough for him.

He smiled as she did, informing her that it met with his approval as long as it met with hers.

“ What did your family say when you told them about us”

The rustle of the dress' fabric as Anne moved towards him almost obscured the question, but Richard managed to hear it. And he laughed. How could he not, when the reactions of his family had been so...amusing?

"My mother couldn't decide whether shock or happiness was the best reaction," he informed Anne. "I'm afraid she thinks you're mad, or blind, or both," He laughed again. Then, "If you're worried about the Yorkist and Lancastrian feud, don't be. The topic wasn't even mentioned. And if it makes you feel any more at ease, my brother George was ecstatic, heartily pleased for the pair of us,"

Richard didn't like to dwell on how Edward would have reacted to the news.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

She blushed slightly when he saw him smile at her, it was the first time that she had seen that smile. It was almost like if this was not reality at all, the smile contained so much emotion and so much care. It was like if the bitter man who had been a few weeks ago present in his office had changed.

Approaching him, she raised her hands up to his neck and wrapped them around tugging his gray hair slightly. The texture was the same as a few years ago, but it was also more brittle. She smiled when he answered her question, and chuckled. “ I imagined your mother would react that way, and the rest of your family to. “ she told him ,and turned around and saw herself walking over toward a folder were presents were layer out of what they would need or what they would want

She hoped that he would not mind picking out the cake, and also the presents since she had both samples and photographs on the table. “ What kind of cake would you like” she asked and bit her bottom lip shyly hoping she was not asking to much of her fiance.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Richard noticed Anne blush as he looked at her; something he hadn't seen her do in a long while. He wondered whether this new persona he'd come to adopt in light of their current situation un-nerved her, considering how they'd been acting towards each other before the engagement, and the intensity of those feelings.

As Anne wound her arms around his neck and fiddled with his hair his smile grew a little wider. It was these small gestures, the smiles, the embraces, that made the whole experience seem more real, somehow. And the fact that this was all truly happening and not some fantasy was a joy indeed.

Anne laughed at his reply. It felt as though he hadn't realized until now how much he loved her laugh. Laughter was something Richard usually would only hear inside his own head, and not joyful laughter at all.

“ I imagined your mother would react that way, and the rest of your family to. “

Richard raised an eyebrow but said nothing, amused at Anne's thoughts on the matter. As she moved away to get the folder his smile fell slightly, but grew again when she returned to his side.

“ What kind of cake would you like”

Richard laughed again, though not unkindly. The idea of picking out a cake, of all things, was laughable...that and he hadn't the faintest idea.

"Honestly Anne, I have no preference," he said, still smiling. "As long as you have what you want, I'm happy."

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

She smiled when he said that anything she picked out was fine for the wedding, she was actually going to ask him if a nut cake was fine. But she guessed that she would have to be a little bit more persuasive than anything else. Turning around, she grabbed the fork and cut a small slice as she gently placed it on a small plate and walked over towards a table folder in hand.

Grabbing his hand, she opened the folder and showed him the seating positions that she had arranged, if it was alright with him. They had the dress and the church ready now they just needed to do the sitting and then the arrangements for the wedding and hire a minister.
She imagined that he would like to do it the old fashion way, but she was not quite sure yet.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Richard nodded his approval at the sample of cake Anne had placed on the plate; he had to admit it looked good and he didn't have a particularly sweet tooth.

He then turned his attention to the seating plan she showed him, momentarilly distracted from it by the fact that she had taken his hand in hers. Such gestures still felt quite new, their past altercations considered, new and pleasant.

He smiled and nodded as he looked over the plan, very impressed with Anne's organizational skills. She had clearly not conformed to the stereotype of artists being perpetually messy with very little organizational skills to speak of.

"I think that will work well," he said, with a smile. "It must have taken you some time to sort it all out...I'm sorry I haven't been able to help very much recently."

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

She stared at Richard, as she nodded and left the folder to the side. A smile forming on her lips as she grabbed the cake and cut a slice. Her eyes closing , as she ate a piece and turned to Richard as she chewed a little. She was shy to ask him to have a taste, she did not know if he was much of a sweet tooth like her.

The wedding would be soon, and she was wondering if they were maybe rushing things to quickly. " Do you think .. your family will like me. I mean they never really rejected me, but with being a widow and then marrying you. I was actually wondering if maybe I was showing off" she told him, and sighed cutting another slice of the cake.

They were actually pretty much at the end of their meeting for today, she had everything set. She just had to see that the venue she had chosen and the minister were available, and order the cake for the date.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

As Anne placed the folder to the side and proceeded to sample a piece of the proposed cake, Richard found himself thinking over her changed demanour. Ever since their engagement she had become a great deal more reserved and, dare he say it, shy. This didn't mean she was unhappy; she was the happiest he'd seen her in years. Yet this new nature of hers, compared to her previous confidence...was this how she had always been and he'd simply forgotten? It had been a long time, after all, since they'd been truly happy in each other's company.

" Do you think .. your family will like me. I mean they never really rejected me, but with being a widow and then marrying you. I was actually wondering if maybe I was showing off"

Then again, perhaps she was just nervous about the wedding (and nervous was probably an understatement). What she was doing, in the eyes of anyone other than themselves, would probably be unthinkable. She was marrying a man who was not only of the opposite alligence to herself and her family but who had murdered, in cold blood, her late husband and his father. Many would think she was mad. Maybe she was. Maybe they both were.

He took the empty plate from her hand and placed it on the table, then took her hand in his, the hand that bore her engagement ring.

"Anne," he said, quite seriously but with a certain kindness. "It doesn't matter what they think of you, nor does the fact that you're a widow." And that's my fault anyway, but they aren't to know. "I love you...that's all that matters. And marrying someone because you love them is not showing off, even if you make a big spectacle out of it." He gave her a warm, comforting smile...an expression that would have once been difficult to fake but was now clearly sinciere.

[ANNE SOPHIE PLANTAGENET]

She smiled at Richard as he said this, this was it . She was going to be married to this man who was before her, there was nothing she could change. Nothing she could do to differ the fate that she was awaiting. To her most honest surprise, she was quite shocked at how much love she could give. She was willing to do that, and so much more. Now all he had to do was get her to the altar and actually make her his wife.

With that promise, and that vow she would be his forever until they both died. But then again she was more than happy to do this . For his sake, for hers. Raising her hand, she caressed his face as she stood up and hugged him.

This was the beginning of the end.