The Sunne in Splendour: A War of the Roses Timeline
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
February 1482.
February 1482. Greenwich Palace, England.
Lady Lancaster waved away the handmaiden that came in, arms heavy with a pile of dark blue silk. "No, not this dress," her mother said in the early hours of the morning, standing tall in her daughter's rooms as sunlight filtered in through the windows. "The Queen will wear the gown of green taffeta."
Lady Richmond, standing beside Blanche, frowned. "Is it truly advisable, my lady?" she asked. "King Edward is barely cold in his grave." Blanche looked between Lady Richmond and her lady mother, the two women seeming to fight an invisible battle for her. She shivered, dressed only in her shift as another maid brushed out her bright red hair.
"Court mourning has been lifted in light of today's celebrations." Blanche watched as her mother walked to one of her jewellery boxes, choosing a pearl and emerald necklace. Satisfied, she began to survey the multitude of rings and earrings in the boxes, setting some aside, though Blanche could not tell which. "The Queen must not be hidden in mourning garbs whereas everyone else prances about in their best."
"Yes, but the Queen must be a paragon of virtue and piety," Lady Richmond responded. Lady Lancaster didn't seem to have heard Lady Richmond's comment, or maybe chose not to as she hummed to herself. "Her Grace alone must continue the year of mourning when others choose not to."
"A year of mourning?" said Lady Lancaster with a startled laugh, turning back to look at her daughter and her lady governess. "Please, Lady Richmond. King Edward IV was not the Queen's husband. And our current king will not be in mourning today for his own father, so Blanche must not be seen to shun His Grace's decisions. Today's tourney will be the first event where she will stand as queen, above all other women. Including the Dowager Magdalena."
Lady Richmond turned so Lady Lancaster could not see her displeased face, but Blanche did. Even as her maids dressed her, brushing her hair under a tall headdress and giving her satin slippers to peep under the hem of her gown, the little queen thought: This is all so wrong. Lady Richmond was a great woman, Blanche knew it, and if she thought something was unchristian, then surely, she was right.
Blanche had met the old king only a handful of times and her memory of him was fuzzy. Hazy, at best. She knew that she had lived at court after her father died and her mother made peace with the Yorks, and she must have seen the King many times then, but soon enough, the Dowager Queen sent her and her household somewhere else. And Blanche could scarcely remember any other life.
The gossip amongst her servants was that her move was so Blanche would not outshine the Queen's own daughters, but she doubted that. Since she was five years old, she has been the Princess of Wales. Now, Queen of England. Either way, even with the eldest of her sister-in-laws married to the Emperor's son, in England, she outranked them. Such was her life. And the Dowager Queen could not ignore that.
She wondered if it would not be best to wear a mourning dress. Surely, people would think her honourable, and gracious, as all queens must. But her mother would have it no other way. And she decided not to say anything, because when her maids stepped back, Blanche fully adorned like a doll, Lady Lancaster smiled happily and clapped. Then, she stepped forward. Her heavily-ringed hand closed behind Blanche's shoulder, adjusting her posture and she said, "There. A true queen, even without a crown." Blanche smiled at her comment, letting out a relieved breath.
She knew why her mother was so determined to see her dressed like a queen. Blanche was only eleven, and she'd only be truly married to King Edward when she turned fifteen, but the plan was for her to be crowned alongside him. And for her to sit in the smaller throne beside his. That was all her mother wanted, in truth. For Blanche to be a ruler. To bear a son named Edward after her beloved Lord Lancaster that would rule over their kingdom. To be all that she could not be: a true queen of England. So she decided to take her side at that moment, just to please her. Because Blanche knew that all her mother did was out of love.
They travelled to Westminster by barge with her principle ladies behind them and from there, they rode to where the tourney would be held at a great park just outside of the large royal palace. When the crowds cheered as she left her coach, Blanche knew that people admired her. She was a pretty girl at eleven years of age, with sparkling blue eyes and bright red hair visible at her angular eyebrows and the slips of hair that escaped her restrictive headdress. She had a soft, but handsome face, with a smile that promised both mischief and sweetness and perfect white skin.
There were many people filling the stands. Knights and ladies both, but they all moved aside as she passed, bowing and curtsying as deeply as they could. Blanche smiled at them, leading herself to the high throne at the royal box. The tourney was to celebrate the seventh birthday of the King's younger brother Clarence and her husband and brother-in-law were present, Edmund seated in a place of high honour.
Blanche took her place next to the King. Edward V. Her husband. She waited for him to look at her and grace her with a smile, or to even nod in her general direction as a form of acknowledgement. But he didn't. He didn't even look at her and for the way he acted, the throne beside him might as well have been empty.
And all the little queen had were questions: what did I do wrong?
I agree, fought over like a leg of mutton by her mother and lady Richmond and ignored by her husband to boot. Edward, be nice to your little wife!
Such is the fate of being the 11 year old queen. Not old enough to stand up for yourself, or to be interesting to her husband.
Poor Blanche, turn up between a Mother that places all her unfulfilled ambitions on her and a Lady that she knows is respectable and wants Best For her.
And can't Say i'm surprised by Ned's reactiom, he has so much in his plate right now that humoring his 11 year old wife must be but an afterthought.
And can't Say i'm surprised by Ned's reactiom, he has so much in his plate right now that humoring his 11 year old wife must be but an afterthought.
Ned is 16. He doesn't really see Blanche as his wife. And he still sees his mother as the Queen of England. He's hardly the guilty party here.
Ik, that's what i meant when i said i wasnt surprised.
Hopefully by the time their marriage really starts 4-5 years time, that Will chance.
Just because he does not see Blanche as his wife yet, does not mean he can be nice to her. But on the other hand, he's just lost his father and has the burden of the throne on his narrow shoulders, so it's not much as a surprise. Tough time for everyone involved.
Aww, nor a good situation for anyone involved, but Blanche was at least more realistic than her mother ironically enough.
It's not a black and white situation. Everyone is right, in their own way.
Well five years or so isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. But yeah, hopefully someone can remind her that she's still too young to really be Edward's wife in all senses of the word.
I just came across this timeline and very much enjoyed reading through it. It’s exceptionally well done and most deserving of the Turtledove award it received.
It’s obviously a Yorkist wank but 1) the author has freely admitted this, and 2) the TL is plausible and well researched.
In fact, if this TL were reality, and someone in 2022 came to an alt history board and posted our own reality, it would look like an absurd Lancastrian wank. Edward IV actually marrying Elizabeth Woodville? Surely not, he was much too sensible to risk everything like that. Warwick falling out with Edward, changing sides and leading the readeption of Henry VI? No way. Edward IV dying followed by his loyal brother Richard taking George’s role as the smearer of Edward’s marriage and children, imprisoning and likely murdering his nephews? Utterly ridiculous. George murdered - and the method being drowning in wine? Come on. Richard meeting his end in a battle with his best friend, who somehow not only wins the crown but marries Edward’s daughter and starts a dynasty named after a Welshman?! ASB territory for sure.
The Wars of the Roses turned out strangely but we consider it normal because it actually happened. TTL is novel but read to me as familiar and plausible, while also being engaging. I worry young Ned will screw it all up, but we shall see.
And I did very much like how Harri turned out.
It’s obviously a Yorkist wank but 1) the author has freely admitted this, and 2) the TL is plausible and well researched.
In fact, if this TL were reality, and someone in 2022 came to an alt history board and posted our own reality, it would look like an absurd Lancastrian wank. Edward IV actually marrying Elizabeth Woodville? Surely not, he was much too sensible to risk everything like that. Warwick falling out with Edward, changing sides and leading the readeption of Henry VI? No way. Edward IV dying followed by his loyal brother Richard taking George’s role as the smearer of Edward’s marriage and children, imprisoning and likely murdering his nephews? Utterly ridiculous. George murdered - and the method being drowning in wine? Come on. Richard meeting his end in a battle with his best friend, who somehow not only wins the crown but marries Edward’s daughter and starts a dynasty named after a Welshman?! ASB territory for sure.
The Wars of the Roses turned out strangely but we consider it normal because it actually happened. TTL is novel but read to me as familiar and plausible, while also being engaging. I worry young Ned will screw it all up, but we shall see.
And I did very much like how Harri turned out.
Yeah. I can't remember them rn, but they have been having some children.