The Sunne in Splendour: A War of the Roses Timeline
- Thread starter pandizzy
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Edward being a alcoholic is so sad to read. Poor man is gonna get stuck with the epitath:
Edward the Drunken at some point.
Yep, The man can't even bring himself to be angry over the fact that he was truly cucked.
Edward the Drunkard and his brother Richard the Spilled
At least Edward isn't making a fuzz about whether the kid is his or not. That's good. That should ease things a bit no matter what
Damn, what a bitter movement for the both of them... Still, at least Blanche and her child will be safe...
August 1485.
August 1485. Greenwich Palace, England.
Blanche insisted on having her confinement at her grandmother’s palace and the entire court moved there to be present for the heir’s birth, King Edward included. All of them wished to be in location, to be the first to listen when news came. To know if it would be a boy or a girl, if it would live or die in the cradle as so many babies did.
For what it was worth, the Queen’s state already had its intended purposes. It dragged the King from his drinking and his depression, giving him a new reason to live after his brother’s death. He was a new man, more cheerful, marrying his young mistress to Thomas Bryan and returning to attend the council meetings. Edward now reminded all of his father, as he was when he came to the throne. Young, spry, happy. Charming.
He would laugh at anything as long as the Queen was beside him, and often, after the child quickened, the people would catch him with his hand on her stomach, feeling the baby moving underneath her skin. At long last, the court became a happy and cheerful place again.
But for her part, whenever she looked at her young daughter, Margaret Stewart wanted nothing more than to weep. Blanche was fourteen, and tiny, like her mother was. Her belly protruded forward, visible even under her voluminous skirts.
Too young. She was too young. Only fifteen, around the same age as her mother was when she was born. And when the pains began, Lady Lancaster clutched her heart, watching as her baby moved around the darkened chambers, a hand at the low of her back. Lady Lancaster followed her faithfully, the first time her child had trusted her instead of Lady Richmond in a matter close to her.
“My love, please sit down,” Lady Lancaster tried. Blanche stopped by the bed, leaning against the wooden column as she grunted with pain. “The birthing chair has been built to help you.”
But Blanche shook her head, bright red hair tumbling down her back. Lady Lancaster approached her and put her hands on her daughter’s back, seeing how much she trembled and how the shift clinged to her sweaty skin.
“I’m scared,” Blanche murmured, eyes squeezed shut. She dropped down on the bed, sprawled on all fours and the midwife ran to attend to her. Lady Lancaster stroked her child’s back, chewing her lower lip in nerves. “Mama, please help me.”
“I’m right here, my love,” said Lady Lancaster. “I’m right here and soon, your baby will be here too. Once he comes, all of your pain will stop, I swear it.”
Blanche reached forward with a hand, tugging at the ribbons attached to the bedposts and Lady Lancaster observed as blood and her waters dripped down her thighs, the midwife lifting up her shift to expose what was to come. She watched as her daughter cried and grunted, beginning to push. It felt like the entire world had stopped, even the birds outside ceased their song as the Queen of England squeezed out the heir to the throne.
“Here, keep going, Your Grace,” the midwife said. “I can see him. He has very dark hair, but I can see him.” Blanche wept at that, pushing even harder and Lady Lancaster began to mumble out a prayer, willing for all the saints that listened to keep her daughter and grandchild safe. Blanche was her only child, the last Lancaster and this baby meant peace. It meant everything. “Here, he is.”
Blanche let out a deep gasp when the child finally exited her, sliding out into the midwife’s waiting arms in a mixture of blood and fluids. It began to cry right at once and Lady Lancaster saw then that it had a healthy size, with perfectly-formed limbs and a head full of dark hair. Blanche dropped down on the bed, twisting to lay at her back as the midwife looked at her, a large smile in her face.
“It’s a boy, Your Grace,” said the woman, quickly placing the child in his mother’s arms. “A healthy baby boy, praise Jesu!”
Lady Lancaster tapped the woman next to her, who was audibly cooing at the baby. “Go and fetch the King,” she demanded. “He should know that his heir has just been born.”
The woman nodded and left with a curtsy, allowing Lady Lancaster a moment to step closer to the bed. A servant came to wrap both Blanche and her child in linen, the boy having stopped crying when he noticed they placed him in his mother’s arms, but the little queen was still in tears.
Her eyes were bloodshot when they looked at Lady Lancaster. “Does he look like Edward, mama?” she asked, half desperate. “Do you think he looks like Edward?”
“He has his hair,” Lady Lancaster commented. “But there is plenty of time for him to grow to be like his father. You shouldn’t worry.”
Before she could say anything, the doors to the chamber opened and the King bound inside, as the maid had quickly found him. Lady Lancaster curtsied for her son-in-law as he entered, a large smile on his face.
“How is he?” he asked. “Is he well? Strong?” He stopped next to the bed and Blanche looked at him, still bedraggled and sweaty, the child sucking his fist next to her. “Give him to me, the boy wants his father.” Lady Lancaster noticed how his wife hesitated briefly before she allowed him to take the boy and how she trembled like a leaf, tears sliding down her cheeks.
King Edward laughed though as his movements took away the linen surrounding the child, exposing his naked body and his obvious sex. She watched his face soften and a gentle smile cut across her lips, arms ready to hold his son.
“We’ll name him Richard,” he said. “After my little brother.” He shook his head and Lady Lancaster thanked her attentive hearing, as he parted his lips and whispered, “The Lord has given me a second chance.” He looked back at his wife and mother-in-law. “Once my time comes, this little boy will be King Richard III.”
“England shall be ready for him,” Lady Lancaster said. “The red rose and the white rose are combined in our dear boy.” And there will be peace.
Well, at least Edward has gotten his act together. There might be hope for England yet. Welcome to the world little Prince Richard. May the world never know who your real father could be
Good to see that Edward got better. I was so afraid for him. And would you look at that? Little Richard is of perfect age to marry Catherine of Aragon as well!
If that happens, I hope KoA's reproductive history is better here...
Not going through years of neglect and starvation would help.
Hope the boy is Edwards.
People can either assume the best or assume the worst. No way they're going to be able to know for sure, as Genetic tests are several hundreds of years in the future...
True, but I hope little Richard has a good life and that his parents gets better.