@edmcndd, tower of london
Richard understood well that the death of Lady Talbot was a necessity, that it was something which needed to be done. After all, not even a whisper of treason could be permitted when whispers could easily grow. He could hardly disagree with the notion that the noblewoman had made a mistake in her words, and it was best to make an example rather than allow such things to fester unchecked.
Even so, he was not a heartless man, least of all when it came to those he knew intimately. By most accounts, he could certainly count Edmund Percy among his intimates in more than one sense of the word, and there was no doubt that today's events had taken more of a toll on him than others. Richard was not so blind as to not be able to see that the woman who had lain her head upon the block today was Edmund's blood relation, and that he had been forced to watch the swing of the sword by the King's own hand. It was troublesome, naturally; though he was beyond hopeful that it would never come to pass, the thought of same fate befalling any members of his own lineage was a hard one to swallow.
As the gentleman who had been gathered began their retreat from the Tower Green, Richard took the initiative to approach the Earl, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. "I would that we were seeing each other again under better circumstances," he finally said, finding difficulty in meeting Edmund's eyes. "Are you... alright?"