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An Unsuspected Pregnancy: A Plantagenet Timeline
1393-1400
On January 16th, 1393 Queen Anne gave birth to a baby boy. The royal family was shocked and so, apparently was the queen who admitted she hadn't even known she was pregnant. This of course began compilations as it became clear that the child was premature and would likely have little chance of survival. Queen Anne was ever present by the baby's side for around the 1st week before pregnancy complications reappeared. She was bleeding and following collapsing on her way to see the young prince who had recently been named Edward (after both his Grandfather and Great-Grandfather) Richard II ordered her to bed rest. He appeared concerned to have a sick newborn in one room and a dying wife in the other.
The complications continued and the Queen drifted in and out of consciousness almost constantly and the King was surprising regularly at her bedside. Prince Edward too was having severe problems and himself faced the flu which was being misdiagnosed. Rumors spread that the King was going insane and quietly Roger Mortimer made preparations to overthrow the king if he became insane from the potential loss of his son as well as his wife in order to replace him with himself.
As whispers of an heir reached the public speculation arose that Richard II was actually sterile and that the dying Queen had had an affair. When news reached the royal court however, the king ordered the silencing of all those caught stating "such seditious lies toward my Queen".
Anne as well as Edward both improved and by early February the kingdom was once again a joyful place. Prince Edward had recovered substantially and the child was christened on February 6th. The news had mixed results almost everywhere on the continent as no one knew Anne was pregnant. France however, looked very fondly upon the birth and by March (in the midst of a 30 year truce) entered into marriage negotiations for the barely born heir to the throne. Charles VI was eager to rebuild and prepare for future warfare in necessary and Richard opened negotiating fairly soon.
Negotiations soon took a very different turn following the birth of a 3rd girl to Charles VII who was previously making plans for his 2nd daughter Joan to become Queen. Upon the birth of Marie he quickly betrothed to the English Prince whose father gratefully accepted. The Kingdom of England, although not prosperous from within was shaping up to be so in foreign affairs.
As the next year passed the Kingdom would grow slightly more strained. Richard left for a war in Ireland and loyalty began to crumble against both him as well as his family. The Lord's Appellant were gradually regaining their power which had been lost when Richard began to rule as a full monarch and Anne began to fear for her sons life. Without the advice or permission of her husband she move both her as well as her son to Porchester Castle as they would then be able to flee the country.
Richard disapproved of the movement of his wife and son but upon his return didn't visit them or call them back to London. Edward lived in the castle quite sheltered until he was four when the King finally put his foot down and ordered a tour of the country. The trip proved to be a terrible idea and the unpopular prince was nearly killed several times in upper England by overtaxed peasants.
Anne passed away in 1397 much to the sadness of the nation. She was viewed as the gateway to the king's sympathy due to her request not to execute protestors in the past and was mourned heavily. Edward himself was greatly affected and was moved from his longtime home (Porchester) since he could remember back into the spotlight of London. To further increase his strain his father began shunning his as he reminded him too much of Anne. The political climate however made that move appear very dangerous.
Richard had ruined his standing with the public once and for all by executing and imprisoning 4 of the Lord's Appellant and exiling the 5th (Henry Bolingbroke who pledged to re invade the Kingdom). John of Gaunt, Henry's father, used what political power he had left to begin collapsing the King's reign as rumors were being spread by his exiled son that Richard was planning endangering him just as he had done to Gaunt's brother Thomas of Woodstock. His efforts were cut short however in 1399 when he suddenly passed away, much to the sadness of the public.
It was just after Gaunt's death that Prince Edwards caretakers (all from Queen Anne) opened a request of asylum to the young boy's uncle Sigismund who was the King of Hungary and Bohemia who had been watching from afar. Rumors were spreading that while Richard was off on his fight against the Irish Bolingbroke would strike and seize the throne while likely executing or imprisoning the prince. The day Henry did indeed land was also the day the young prince was snatched from London (voluntarily) and taken to his uncle's court.
When Richard returned he was furious that his son has been taken. Although indifferent to him most of his life (the boy reminded him much of the deceased Queen) he still knew that was his last card to play in order to keep English Power. Attempts to raise an army proved to be futile as almost no one held loyalty to the rough taxing King who duly abdicated in favor of Henry in July 1399. The King's life wouldn't last much longer however, with rebellions appearing in favor of both Richard and Edward almost constantly (little of the promised change had come) Henry IV had the ex-king murdered by starvation and news spread around Europe.
Meanwhile in Hungary King Sigismund (who was at the time childless) treated Edward like a son. The boy was duly educated in various subjects and was taught military strategy for the hopeful overthrow of the false monarchy in England. King Henry however was furious the boy was not returning even after several requests to Sigismund who realized it was a death sentence for his nephew. Meanwhile Charles VII continued negotiating marriage for the young boy with his daughter seeing the true falsehoods of the weak monarch currently in power and Sigismund renewed the contract with marriage set for 1409.