A Thorn In The Rose: A War Of The Roses TL
- Thread starter VVD0D95
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If it was in the laters patent to be heirs male sure. The general "assumption" would be male preferred heirs general with heirs female singular.
If that makes sense. Essentially daughters/sisters can pass on claims but only hold the title if no other female claimants exist or if the king decrees they hold it. It's generally why male cousins of daughters had to petition the Crown to receive the title over the other.
Chapter 194: Richmond
VVD0D95
Banned
Chapter 194: Richmond
August, 1467
August, 1467
“Wow!” George exclaimed as he looked around. The Lord’s Solar in Richmond Castle was huge. There were tapestries hanging from the walls, showing the Royal Standard, the Battle of Crecy, the Battle of Poitiers, the Battles of Wales, and all other sorts of things. There were tapestries of the King, the Queen, their children and of course of their mother and father and Edward.
It was something.
“I’m happy you like it.” A voice said.
George turned around and hurriedly bowed as his brother, the King entered the room. “It looks wonderful, Sire.”
“Good.” The King said. “I shall be sure to inform John that you like his style.”
George smiled. John was the man who was to serve as his chamberlain, the man had come from their father’s estates on the Marches.
“Sit.” The King commanded. George hurriedly did as he was bid, sitting down in one of the two chairs in the room. The King sat in the other chair opposite him. The King’s chair was facing the tapestry of their father and mother.
The King’s face was still heavily lined, but he looked less tired now than he had done for the past few months. Now that the Queen had delivered another daughter, it seemed the King was relaxing a little. George wondered if that meant the King would grant him the permission he needed to wed Isabel. He knew Isabel was desperate to wed.
“Now, you are eighteen, soon to be a man grown. You are my lieutenant in the north. You have responsibilities.” The King said.
“I know, Sire.” George replied, Mother had ensured he knew just what his responsibilities were. “I am to oversee the sheriffs and the collectors. Ensure that no discord is sown within the northern regions. I am to use my authority to root out any Lancastrian sympathisers and to ensure that the Earl of Salisbury does not grow too powerful.”
That last bit always confused him. Salisbury was their uncle, surely him having power was a good thing? Rather him than Percy.
“Good. And you know how you are to do that?” The King asked.
“Yes, I am to speak with the Solicitor General about legal matters, speak with John about matters relating to financial issues, and speak with Lord Scrope if I have any queries pertaining to military matters. I am also to host regular banquets and meals for the gentry and the nobility here.” George said. That did actually sound like it could be fun.
“Good, you did actually pay attention then.” The King said smiling.
George snorted. “Are you going to be staying for long, Sire?” He wanted to know how long he needed to play the deferential brother, and when he could start acting the part of Prince.
“No, I need to return to London. The Earl of Arundel says he has something to discuss with me regarding the fleet.” The King said.
“Ah.” George replied. He wondered what the fleet issue could be. Since the King’s Lieutenancy Act, and the Act Restoring the Queen to the line of succession had been passed, the King had focused much of his attention on the Navy. That made sense, given that they were now bound by their trade routes to keep influence on the continent. Appointing Arundel as Admiral of the Fleet was something that intrigued George. Did Arundel have the best knowledge?
“Worry not though, for Lord Salisbury will be in attendance here for the next few weeks.” The King said.
“Oh?” George replied, he didn’t know what to make of their uncle. The man’s myth was intimidating, but the man himself was old.
“Indeed.” The King said. “Be careful though. He will try and pressurise you into marrying cousin Isabel. Do not agree to anything yet.”
George frowned, he wanted to marry Isabel, and he knew she wanted to marry him, so what was there to wait for.
The King seemed to know what he was thinking for he soon said. “I will allow the marriage to occur, but I want you settled in at Richmond first.”
George wanted to protest, but he supposed he understood the logic. Better to know who he was dealing with before he thrust Isabel into that situation. “How long?” He asked then, just to have a number.
“Six months at most.” The King said.
George exhaled. He could wait six months. “Very well, I defer to your judgement, Majesty.” With any luck, by then the Queen would be pregnant again and there would be fewer concerns about his place in the succession.
George and Isabel are gonna get married before that six month mark, I feel it in my bones.
Ok, why would that deligitimize their marriage? Unless she and Henry were intimate it might cause a problem, but iirc it was more a verbal agreement when announced in this TL.
Also, didn't henry vi agree with the marriage?
And george should be showing some signs of wanting his brother's throne, which he isn't
Maybe the events which led to Clarence going bad won't happen in this tl...
Butterflies are aflappin'...
Yes, George seems...squirrel-y and that’s def something a squirrel-y, horny 18 year old would do
First Margaret and Henry were NEVER fully betrothed, and in any case that would be useless for trying to invalidate Margaret and Edmund’s marriage as any contract between Henry and Margaret was broken by royal will (Somerset had only words by the King and no written proof) and her marriage with Edmund approved by Henry VI. A secret engagement would be dangerous but here everything happened in public and was well know so the validity of Margaret and Edmund’s marriage is unquestionable.
Chapter 195: Percy
VVD0D95
Banned
Chapter 195: Percy
October, 1467
October, 1467
Henry Percy, Lord of Alnwick looked at the high table, where the Duke of Clarence was chatting animatedly with the Earl of Salisbury and Baron Latimer and tried to repress a snarl.
It was an insult that he was not on the high table. He was still one of the most powerful and influential Lords in the north. Clarence had acknowledged as much when they’d spoken a few weeks ago, and yet, here he was sat at the second table, to the right of the high table, seated next to John Powlett, a baronet! The man was the MP for some shit hovel in Yorkshire.
“What are you thinking, my lord?” Powlett asked then in that strange accent the people from his part of Yorkshire always had.
Henry blinked and turned to look at the man. Powlett was bald, with a thin wisp of a moustache, his eyes were two different colours. One was green, the other blue. He towered over Henry as well.
It was that that made Henry take breath and then in as polite a tone as he could reply. “How strange it is that I am here, whilst Latimer and others are there.” He nodded to the High Table.
“You feel that you have been insulted?” Powlett asked.
Henry looked at the man, looking for some sign of hurt, but finding none. That encouraged Henry to respond. “Not insulted, I find it curious. His Royal Highness has spoken highly of me and my family, and yet here I am.”
Powlett nodded. “I have a feeling that His Royal Highness is playing the game, albeit in a manner that his brothers would have disapproved of.”
“How so?” Henry asked. Clarence was young yet, would he even know what the game was?
“Well, he meets with us all, talks with us, woos us, but he never quite commits to anything. He is good, but his brothers are better. We are men who need commitment in the north, Lord Percy, as I am sure you know.” Powlett said.
Henry grunted. That was true, no northerner liked flowery words that weren’t backed up with action. But what could they do? Clarence was all but untouchable.
He watched as Latimer got up and walked away from the high table, and as his seat was taken by Isabel Neville, Salisbury’s granddaughter. As he watched how closely she leaned in to speak with Clarence, an idea formed in Henry’s head.
He turned to his left and looked at his son. Henry junior was tall, muscular, intelligent and handsome, Henry knew that his son had bedded his fair share of women, and of course, he had seen how some of the women here had been looking at his son.
“Son.” He whispered.
His son looked up from his cup and replied. “Father?”
“How well do you know Lady Isabel?” Henry asked.
His son frowned. “I know her well enough to know that she is in love with His Royal Highness.”
Henry thought on that, he looked at the high table again, and sighed. It was true, the Prince and Lady Isabel were giggling to themselves. He glanced down the high table and noticed Lady Anne looking at her sister rather forlornly. Another thought entered his mind. A way to cause disruption.
“And what about Lady Anne?” He asked.
Henry turned back to look at his son and saw the boy frown. “I do not know much about her.”
“Then that is your duty for today.” Henry commanded.
“Father?” His son replied sounding confused.
Henry sighed. “If we are to make an impression we need to show these people that the Prince is not everything he is pretending to be.”
“And me getting to know Lady Anne will do that?” His son asked sounding uncertain.
“Yes.” Henry said. If the Prince was the sort of man Henry suspected him to be, it would.