Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
- Thread starter aurora01
- Start date
1550
"You ought to keep your strength up, sweetheart," Eleanor said, hovering by the doorway.
Elizabeth had taken to frequently resting since she had gone into confinement, the Royal Progress had come to a halt in York and it felt only right that the next Prince of Wales would be born there.
Eleanor would never have called her daughter frail but the pregnancy had certainly taken it's toll on her. Her complexion had turned sallow and the early morning sickness had never really abated for her, Eleanor knew in her eyes she would always see that chubby cheeked toddler in her daughter's place - even as a married woman about to have her first child. In her eyes now, Elizabeth seemed younger than she ever had been.
"I'm alright Mama, really," Elizabeth said, glancing up from the letter she was reading in bed. "I feel better today," She had that stubborn set to her jaw, something that Eleanor had come to recognise as as much of a Plantagenet trait as her daughter's fair hair. "The baby just...takes a lot of my strength sometimes,"
"And he'll be the strongest Prince in Christendom I have no doubt," Eleanor said with a worried smile. She had found another copy of Tyndale on her daughter's desk and was loath to broach the subject while Elizabeth was delicate. Her Bess was a curious girl she knew that, with a keen interest in her people - that was what Eleanor had assured herself on many a sleepless night. Lady Percy had an interest in similar topics according to court gossip and she had been Elizabeth's governess, it was only natural that it was a topic that interested her.
But her Elizabeth? Sliding into heresy? Eleanor did not want to think about that but neither could she ask, not with the worry of her daughter's and future grandchild's health lurking over their heads.
She could wait, she told herself and she was certain that it would be worked out. Elizabeth had always been a curious child but never an unreasonable one.
"He should be," Elizabeth said almost grumpily before suddenly turning pale and making a soft noise of discomfort.
"Bess?" Eleanor asked, feeling her heart hammer in her chest. "Are you...?" She did not get an answer before one of the ladies had taken it upon themselves to throw the sheets back and find them stained and -
"Ladies," Eleanor almost breathed a sigh of relief, "If one of you would not mind fetching the physician, I believe our new Prince is ready to make his entrance,"
The room burst into a flurry of activity and it was the Lady Elizabeth Dudley who approached, not timidly as the girl could never do anything in such a manner but she seemed eager to speak to Eleanor in a low voice.
"It's the Earl of Rutland,"
"What about my son in law?" Eleanor said almost impatiently, "Of course we must let him know that he's about to be a father and -"
"He's not here." Elizabeth Dudley said, "My Robert told me he rode out this morning -"
"Where was he going?"
Elizabeth Dudley's eyes flashed and Eleanor knew she had an answer, damn the Talbot wench!
"Very well, when he returns we will give him the news," and Eleanor silently hoped that Lady Cecily should get her hands on the lad before she did. Lest he face her own wrath.
Elizabeth had taken to frequently resting since she had gone into confinement, the Royal Progress had come to a halt in York and it felt only right that the next Prince of Wales would be born there.
Eleanor would never have called her daughter frail but the pregnancy had certainly taken it's toll on her. Her complexion had turned sallow and the early morning sickness had never really abated for her, Eleanor knew in her eyes she would always see that chubby cheeked toddler in her daughter's place - even as a married woman about to have her first child. In her eyes now, Elizabeth seemed younger than she ever had been.
"I'm alright Mama, really," Elizabeth said, glancing up from the letter she was reading in bed. "I feel better today," She had that stubborn set to her jaw, something that Eleanor had come to recognise as as much of a Plantagenet trait as her daughter's fair hair. "The baby just...takes a lot of my strength sometimes,"
"And he'll be the strongest Prince in Christendom I have no doubt," Eleanor said with a worried smile. She had found another copy of Tyndale on her daughter's desk and was loath to broach the subject while Elizabeth was delicate. Her Bess was a curious girl she knew that, with a keen interest in her people - that was what Eleanor had assured herself on many a sleepless night. Lady Percy had an interest in similar topics according to court gossip and she had been Elizabeth's governess, it was only natural that it was a topic that interested her.
But her Elizabeth? Sliding into heresy? Eleanor did not want to think about that but neither could she ask, not with the worry of her daughter's and future grandchild's health lurking over their heads.
She could wait, she told herself and she was certain that it would be worked out. Elizabeth had always been a curious child but never an unreasonable one.
"He should be," Elizabeth said almost grumpily before suddenly turning pale and making a soft noise of discomfort.
"Bess?" Eleanor asked, feeling her heart hammer in her chest. "Are you...?" She did not get an answer before one of the ladies had taken it upon themselves to throw the sheets back and find them stained and -
"Ladies," Eleanor almost breathed a sigh of relief, "If one of you would not mind fetching the physician, I believe our new Prince is ready to make his entrance,"
The room burst into a flurry of activity and it was the Lady Elizabeth Dudley who approached, not timidly as the girl could never do anything in such a manner but she seemed eager to speak to Eleanor in a low voice.
"It's the Earl of Rutland,"
"What about my son in law?" Eleanor said almost impatiently, "Of course we must let him know that he's about to be a father and -"
"He's not here." Elizabeth Dudley said, "My Robert told me he rode out this morning -"
"Where was he going?"
Elizabeth Dudley's eyes flashed and Eleanor knew she had an answer, damn the Talbot wench!
"Very well, when he returns we will give him the news," and Eleanor silently hoped that Lady Cecily should get her hands on the lad before she did. Lest he face her own wrath.
1550
1550
The door came open with a slam just as loud as the current slam of thunder from the storm raging outside, the man in the bed almost jolted away from his companion but the woman in the bed merely curled up languidly. "What is it?" Chastity Talbot said impatiently "And might you not knock first?"
"An urgent message for His Grace," The sodden messenger said, "His wife," The words were sharp and pointed and caused a scowl to come over Chastity Talbot's face. "Her Majesty, the Queen has given birth to a healthy son but she has caught a fever. Your mother herself sent me to fetch you,"
"In this weather?"
The messenger gave him a look that made Edward knew that this was most certainly one of his mother's men and the Dowager Countess of Rutland was a formidable woman. She would box his ears about it the moment he returned, even if he was a grown man. He sighed knowing that there was no other option and that it would be a hard ride through the rain to York to see his wife and new son, "If you will give me a moment to dress," He gave the man a nod, it was his own fault he supposed but he'd never yet been able to stay away from Chastity.
She was like a siren, he tried to pull away but she pulled him back in.
"Well." Chastity herself said coldly after a moment, "I ought to say congratulations?"
"England has a healthy Prince of Wales, darling - that's not a terrible thing,"
"You have a second son." Chastity said hotly "Not a first and yet that harpy of a mother of yours won't let you see our boy and -"
"Our son is illegitimate sweetheart," Edward said gently, choosing not to say bastard for fear of how it would upset her. "It would be different if you and I were married but I will provide for both you and the boy, I got you out of your father's house didn't I? Besides my mother is caring for him and she would not let harm come to him -"
"She won't care!" Chastity exploded "Now that there lies a bonny Prince of Wales in the nursery, she will only care about the little girl who sits at your side. She is your wife and where I should be!"
"Chastity -" Edward tried but it was no use.
"She has a fever," Chastity said her eyes gleaming and there was a sinking feeling in Edward's stomach, "It could be our chance Ned don't you see? God has smiled upon us, he means for you and I to be married and our son to be in his rightful place don't you see?"
"Chastity."
A thud at the door came and Edward knew that he had to leave, "I must go, it's alright just promise me that you won't do anything rash?" He said getting up and searching for his clothes.
"Of course not," Chastity smiled and Edward pretended he hadn't seen the cruelty in it. "All we have to do is wait,"
Well, it seems that no matter what TL we are in, the Talbot women are always harpies. Hopefully both Elizabeth and her young son are okay
Curse of the Talbots, perhaps it needs a fun name.
Spoilers but the Prince of Wales is doing well and I’m not that cruel…well not yet anyway.
Oh no, oh no. This is going to end well.. Great chapter, looking forward to more!
I suppose it won't inspire you with confidence to say there's a Talbot Queen Consort down the line
Okay, that worries even me, and we all know I thrive on chaos...I suppose it won't inspire you with confidence to say there's a Talbot Queen Consort down the line
If it makes you feel better, she's not due until the 1700s. Even I am not so cruel to give Chastity what she wants.
She could, theoretically. Edward is next in line after Elizabeth and their son, isn't he? If Elizabeth and the baby both die, Edward would be King. He could marry Chastity and she would be his Queen.
Not that @aurora01 would do that, but...
No but she would in her ideal world wants to be Edward’s…not that I have any intention of giving her that I can assure you.
Or rather I have a co writer who would smack me on the arm.
The succession is a bit of a touchy topic at the moment I can say, Richard’s elder sister did marry into France after all and if anything happened the current King of France would likely push his claim especially with his cousin on the throne of Scotland. But Edward does have a claim through his mother and his father was the bastard of a King, Cecily’s brother Richard is still alive at the moment so his claim would come before Edward’s I would think.
I would consider him the more likely domestic candidate if a succession crisis came up though as Richard is a confirmed bachelor and has never married.
1551
"The bells rang out over England when the first of Elizabeth's children was born, in a dash of irony immortalised in Marlowe's 'Richard III' - he was a healthy boy, something that his grandfather had longed for but never received. The Queen Mother was among those proclaiming it to be a sign from God, a view shared by most. The Prince of Wales had a difficult first night but rallied the next morning, with more than one courtier noting that his lusty wails could be heard through all of Greenwich. Cecily, Dowager Countess of Rutland took charge of her grandson during his first few days as Queen Eleanor could not be moved from her daughter's bedside where she prayed for Elizabeth's swift and speedy recovery.
There was still the palpable fear that the young Prince would find himself coronated before his time, but after a week the young Queen managed to rally and recovered herself well. Her husband, the Earl of Rutland had arrived a few days following his second son's birth and met a frosty reception notably from his mother in law but the couple had managed to put on a united front by the time word came of the boy's naming.
The Plantagenets have named their children some unusual names over the course of history, I doubt anyone will forget Prince Octavian anytime soon...but the new Prince of Wales received a family name, he was of course, Edward."
- Elizabeth: The Journey
There was still the palpable fear that the young Prince would find himself coronated before his time, but after a week the young Queen managed to rally and recovered herself well. Her husband, the Earl of Rutland had arrived a few days following his second son's birth and met a frosty reception notably from his mother in law but the couple had managed to put on a united front by the time word came of the boy's naming.
The Plantagenets have named their children some unusual names over the course of history, I doubt anyone will forget Prince Octavian anytime soon...but the new Prince of Wales received a family name, he was of course, Edward."
- Elizabeth: The Journey
They have so many babies this time, my family tree took a beating. At least not all of them are Plantagenets!
Well you’ll see her reaction after we venture to Constance/Kitty for a bit, needless to say she didn’t take it well and Chastity was spitting feathers over the name.
I've just nominated this TL for a Turtledove in the Medieval category. Does someone want to hop across and second it for me?