Have you ever seen the Ashley and Mary-Kate movie Billboard Dad?Ooh, little girls playing matchmaker is always fun!
The Sunne in Splendour: A War of the Roses Timeline
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
I've seen Lohan's version of the Parent Trap. And one Mary-Kate and Ashley involving a summer camp, but I can't remember what it was called!
It takes Two. I only know cause I went to their shared wikipedia page to find out the name of Billboard Dad. They make a billboard cause their dad doesn't wanna date.
They will, very soon in fact.
Oh thank you. I'm happy people liked the new Duchess of Gloucester that I chose!
June 1478.
June 1478. London, England.
Nell had her face down over Isabella’s lap, her eyes closed as she peacefully slept. They had woken up earlier that day to attend the mass for Edward and his soldiers, the mass the Queen herself was hosting, even though the King would be attacking her home country. Nell put on her best blue dress, the only garment not completely ruined by her intense desire to run around and play in the dirt like a little boy, and allowed her nannies to brush out her hair and braid it.
It was a happy day, even if they had to stay hidden during the mass, and pretend it didn’t hurt when Edward paid more attention to his estranged wife and children than to them. Isabella knew that was the price to pay when she dallied with the King. He had his Queen, his princesses and princes. He could never be wholly hers.
And Isabella didn’t want to be the Queen. There were stories about one of Edward’s mistresses, who thought herself higher than Her Grace. The woman was lucky enough to be forgotten when her brother rebelled against the king and lost his head for it. Isabella didn’t want to be like her. She loved Edward. She loved the daughter he had given her, the child of his that grew in her womb. She would never jeopardise her standing by making a scene.
She would watch quietly, pray silently and hope Nell understood and followed her commands to not cry when her father moved away from their pew without acknowledging her, so he could sit in the front with the Queen and their children. Nell, her feral, half-wolf half-child who adored her father more than anything. Isabella was sure that it was only a matter of time before she made up a kerfuffle and they had to leave early, but she didn’t let herself lose hope that just this, Nell would behave. She stroked her daughter’s reddish-blonde hair, observing the tight streets passing as her carriage moved, wondering if she had made the right decision for herself and her child.
Maybe it would have been better to stay at home, in the manor Edward paid for them. Nell would have been upset to be without him, but she was more upset at the frilly pale-blue dress trimmed with white lace that they had forced her in, clearly. She would have gotten over with enough marzipans and bribing from her nurses.
But it was too late to return now. Isabella was sure she had made the best decision. The mass would be held for many citizens of London, in Westminster Abbey. She would not be the only scandalous presence. Anyone reasonably dressed could come in, if there were enough available seats. It was for the people, to the soldiers who would supposedly recover the lands stolen from them by the French kings, to the King, paid for by the Queen.
Isabella placed a hand over her mouth. She felt ill, she didn’t want to do this anymore. Nell moved in her lap, rubbing a hand over her eyes and she leaned forward so she could tell the coach to move around and return to her manor when someone shouted out, “It’s her carriage!”
Isabella looked around and the nurse that was to help with Nell also sat up, confused. She tried to look out the window to see what was happening, but there was a fog rising up from the Thames. They ought to have taken a barge to travel, but the river always made Nell sick. She thought it would be safer.
Something was thrown against the window. A rotten cabbage, brown and oozing. Another person shouted out, “Whore!” and something else was thrown. Isabella wasn’t able to see what it was, but she heard the thump against the carriage and the shouts of the driver, telling people to stay back.
An onion hit the window and the glass shattered, raining over them. Nell shrieked in fright, pulled out from her sleep and Isabella pulled her close, as close as she could with the large belly between them, screaming out, “Get us out of here!”
“Long live the Queen!” someone shouted, while another called for the whore to come out. A second rotten cabbage hit the carriage’s window, maybe thrown by the same person as the first, and the carriage began to move as fast as it could while they tried to leave.
“Whore!” someone else shrieked out like a curse.
“Go back to Scotland, you dirty whore! Leave our king alone!”
Nell was crying now, skinny arms wrapped around Isabella’s neck. She thought about Edward. Tall, dark-haired and handsome Edward, with the pot-belly that had been growing over the years. She thought about his wife, gowned and crowned the true Queen. Her lover would soon go to France and he might very well die there.
He told her he had set up his will and Parliament accepted it. Prince Edward was still young, just thirteen. His mother would be his regent until he reached eighteen and could be crowned. Blanche of Lancaster would be his queen and she would bear a line of kings with the blood of the red and white roses. But what would happen to her? What would happen to Nell and her unborn sibling? They depended on Edward, they needed his money and favour to continue living. What would happen to them?
And based on the way the people were treating her, she had an inkling as to the answer.
--
Westminster Palace, England.
Richard approached the famous Lady Catherine after the mass. He didn’t want to, not at first. However, in the feast that followed, Edward made a speech thanking the Queen for the trouble she went through, hosting the mass and the feast with her coin before he was to leave for war. It was clearly difficult for him to get through it, everyone knew he and the Queen had hardly spoken since she had their youngest son nearly a year before, but Edward was a master at masking his own feelings.
Anyway, as soon as they were allowed to leave their seats, when Edward finished speaking and the food began to pour in, Philippa and Joan ran to greet Catherine Woodville. Richard didn’t notice at first, he was talking with Henry Tudor and his niece, Lady Somerset. Henry would send his own men, and would even join them in France, but Annie wanted him to stay behind.
She was with child again and wanted him to be with her for her pregnancy and the birth. Henry wanted to do his duty to the King. They couldn’t agree on it and decided to ask Richard for his opinion, while Richard wanted to stay out of it as much as possible.
He was looking around the hall, while Annie teased Henry for wanting to leave, and Henry kept trying to save himself, when he saw them. Philippa and Joan, clinging to the hands of a tall and fair woman that was leaning down so she could look in their eyes while she spoke to them. His daughters’ faces were earnest
Her back was to him, but he was able to see that she was wearing a yellow and blue dress, her skirts heavily embroidered and trimmed in pearls and precious stones. Her hair, which was golden, fell down her back in a tight braid, a sign that the lady was unmarried. He couldn’t remember whether or not he had seen her at the mass, even if he wasn’t as focused on the priest as he was, and it must be because she had changed after it. He himself had changed, from a white jerking to a dark green surcoat with golden buttons.
Which meant that was the first time he was finally laying eyes on Lady Catherine, or whom he assumed to be her.
“Excuse me,” Richard murmured, letting Annie and Henry work out their issues themselves. They didn’t even seem to notice his words, continuing their talk as if they were alone in the world. He walked to his daughters and the woman, who still hadn’t noticed his approach, moving away from people who wanted to talk to him.
Philippa was the first to notice him. She widened her green eyes and smiled, letting go of the hand she was holding to grab him. “Papa!” she said, gathering the attention of her twin and the woman she was talking to. “Papa, come meet our friend.”
The woman turned and Richard was unable to notice the similarities she had with her elder sister, the Countess of Pembroke, who was thankfully not present. It was striking. However, he still was able to notice the differences. She had an oval-shaped face, with a full lower lip and bright round blue eyes. She was beautiful, clearly, with a sweet and gentle face.
Richard could see that her dress was less yellow than what he thought, but more orange, leaning heavily into red. It was embroidered with golden thread, a gold necklace with pearls hanging down her neck. Her sleeves were full, with heavy earrings, but when she looked at him, Richard felt that she was embarrassed at being caught.
“Nice to meet you, my lady,” said Richard and she curtsied to him, though rather awkwardly, as Joan hadn’t let go of her hand yet.
“It’s a pleasure, my lord,” she responded. “I’m Lady Catherine Woodvile.”
He nodded. “I’m aware.” Richard turned to his daughters, who were now playing with Catherine’s dress, though she did not even look or turn her eyes away from him. She looked at him earnestly, certainly afraid of whatever he was about to say. “Girls,” he started, causing Philippa and Joan to turn and look at him, “Allow me to speak to Lady Catherine in private. Go play with your cousins.”
Joan looked forlorn. “But, papa!” she pouted out.
“Go,” Richard sternly murmured and the two moved away, going to play with their cousin, also called Catherine who was dancing with her sister Cecily by the corner of the room. When they left, he was able to turn to Catherine Woodville, who still had on her nervous smile. “It seems my daughters have gotten quite fond of you, my lady."
Cate nodded, though her face was still full of nerves. "I apologise for overstepping, my lord,” she started before he could even continue. “Your daughters are lovely girls, and I understand they attach to people, but I know it was out of line and I shall not do it again.”
“Actually, I wanted you to continue,” he said. Cate looked at him in shock, but he didn’t let her stop him. “My daughters are very lovely, yes, but they are also talkative, and they haven’t stopped talking about you. I think you made quite the impression on them.” He smiled, sadly. “My girls have had precious little since their mother died and I don’t really know what to do with them, but you seem to know. You are good with children.” It hurt to admit that. More than anything. Richard didn’t want to neglect his children, but he had been leaning heavily on Mary to handle the brunt of parenting for ages and with her gone, he came up lacking.
She smiled, not noticing his turmoil. “I was the youngest in my family, but I have many nieces and nephews, my lord,” she said, good naturedly. “Your daughters are quite easy-going when compared to the rascals my brothers and sisters have produced.”
Richard chuckled. “Yes, I can imagine,” he murmured. His eyes moved around the room and he saw Cate’s older brother John, looking at them with a strange glint in his eyes while his wife Jane tried to speak to him. He also saw that Henry and Annie were now happily dancing, all troubles forgotten. He returned his eyes to Cate. “During the war, I shall travel to France and the girls will stay in the royal nursery while I’m gone.” He hesitated, losing his words. “If you’d like to continue seeing them, I shall place no hindrances on your way.”
Cate understood his meaning perfectly and nodded, curtsying once again. “Thank you, my lord.”
OMG YESSS it's HAPPENING!!! Also, I do truly hope that Lady Gordon and her young children will be secure enough once Edward is gone.
I don’t feel bad for Isabella. You can’t go around sleeping with a married man and think everyone is going to like you. In fact something about this character REALLY bugs me, I think she’s probably one my least liked characters in this story, right up there with George and Elizabeth Woodville.
I dunno I can’t put my finger on it. Just something about her “love martyr “ attitude that REALLY annoys me. Or maybe I am just team Madeline and sick of Edward and his mistresses and their “ woe is me feelings” when they are both selfish. I feel like Isabelle is really like Elizabeth Woodville, but she is just sneaky about how she does things.
I don't know if that's exactly true, Isabelle seems much less demanding and more likeable than Elizabeth...
I dunno…like I said it’s just something about this character I am not feeling. Like I said I could just be biased because I am TEAM MADALINE and just projecting.