The Sunne in Splendour: A War of the Roses Timeline
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
Who??? I don't recall any "Elizabeth of York" ITTL. It can't be the Woodville, nor Edward's daughter.
King Edward's sister, the Duchess of Suffolk is called Elizabeth of York as well.
Maybe learn to read who is related to who before you complain
Dude come on. Anyone with any degree of war of the roses knowledge should know about her
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk - Wikipedia
Elizabeth was present at the birth of her nephew, Edward of Eltham, for example @Anarch King of Dipsodes
Yes!!!!! The Trastamara and Aviz royal families have heirs for the next generation!!
Maybe. They are awfully young for marriages though so we will see!!
Yeah, the baby is dirty. You gotta wash them to see them properly.
Would JoĂŁo refer to Juana by the epithet that labeled her a bastard with no lawful claim? ISTM he would say " my cousin Juana".
It was more so the readers would know who he was referring to. Also JoĂŁo is a little cruel bitch so he would use it probably.
We'll see!! Right now, all they gotta do is grow healthy and strong, surpassing only the milestones of childhood.
June 1475.
June 1475. Westminster Palace, England
The two children knelt together before the priest, faces serious and slightly afraid. The entire chapel was entirely silent as they observed the ceremony, watching the work of years be cemented through the marriage of two who were not yet finished with their schooling. The young heir to the House of York, Prince Edward and Lady Blanche, the last remaining Lancaster in all of Europe.
Margaret Beaufort thought they could not look more different if they tried. Not just by their opposites sex, but their sizes and appearances, which were a stark contrast when put together so closely. It was strange to think that they were so closely related that the Pope had to write a dispensation in permission for the marriage, not just because of their young age, which meant they couldn't consent to such a match.
Prince Edward, whose grandfather was a brother to his bride's great-grandmother, was tall for his age with dark hair that shone like burned gold. The straight tresses fell on his blue eyes with abandon and he raised his hand to push the hair away, though it quickly returned to obscure his vision. He seemed closer to his adulthood by his enormous height, though he retained the infantile face of the young royal children, with round cheeks and an innocent gaze. He fidgeted awkwardly as he placed a hand atop the girl's, the priest placing a blessed cloth over them both.
He was wearing the blue and white associated with his House. It was the silver circlet on his head and white roses embroidered on his doublet with silver thread that seemed to make him shine as bright as any precious gem, dragging attention away from anything else.
Beside him, Blanche of Lancaster looked entirely her own age of just five. She was small, with bright red hair streaming down her back and light blue eyes that seemed plucked from the heavens. She was young and childish but would grow to be just as beautiful as her intended bridegroom was handsome.
Blanche wore the red and yellow of the Lancastrians, with golden thread embroidered on her sleeves and long hanging inner sleeves made in cloth of gold. The shoes that peeked out from under her skirts were white, however, strings tied around her ankles. She wore no circlet like Edward of Eltham, but her hair was a crown on its own, flaming red like a bursting ruby and burnished gold.
Margaret observed them both as they awkwardly began to repeat the marriage vows, voices stilted at the unpracticed Latin of the youth. This was the first celebration she had taken part in months, as her husband Sir Henry Stafford had died during the Last Battle. Although she had not loved him, she respected him well. Margaret honoured him by wearing her widow garb for six months and staying away from festivities, praying and contemplating for most of her days in her estates, but now he was dead and buried and she was ready to rejoin the world.
Perhaps she ought to remarry, perhaps not. In truth, Margaret did not think it would be necessary for her to broker a new alliance through marriage. She had a good position at court, her son was with her and soon to be married to a girl of great standing.
Even more, as a sign of her own influence, she had been named as governess to young Blanche of Lancaster. The office pleased the King and Queen, who knew of her loyalty, and also the Dowager Duchess, mostly due to her familial ties to the House of Lancaster. With it, Margaret had quite the extra money to support herself and also, an important place that could secure her position when the throne inevitably changed hands with the King's death.
When the vows ended and the two children were handed quills to sign their names, Blanche turned to look at her governess and Margaret smiled reassuringly at her. Blanche smiled back and turned to the paper once more, tongue poking out as she sloppily wrote Blanche at the end of the contract. Beside her, Ned of Eltham had more control of the quill and wrote Edward, Prynce off Wayles with fine handwriting.
The court clapped at the young pair when they stood up, still holding hands. Guinefort, the royal dog, and Lady Regina, Lady Catherine's personal pet, barked excitedly as they walked to the great hall. The two dogs lead the way and the royal children ran behind them, though Blanche and Ned walked more calmly behind the younger prince and princesses. This was probably because the importance of this day had been heavily stressed to them.
Because of the age of the married couple, the ceremony had been held late in the morning and the celebrations would be cut short for the inhabitants of the nursery so they could go to sleep at a reasonable time. The court ate a small lunch together, with Ned and Blanche seated at the high table with his parents and her mother. The Dowager Duchess of Lancaster had a pale colour to her face, but she ate her food slowly and when the people began to dance, she accepted an offer made by the Duke of Gloucester and was one of the firsts on the floor.
Margaret was sat close to her charge and she saw when the Queen, taking advantage of a servant taking her plate away to serve her another course, leaned sideways to whisper in her son's ear. Barely a second later, the Prince turned to Blanche and whispered something in her ear as well. The girl beamed and nodded excitedly, biting her lower lip as she pinked in pleasure.
They stood up and moved to the available floor, where those present shifted to make room for the two to dance. Blanche giggled happily as she offered a prim hand to Ned, who was smiling shyly as well.
Margaret smiled as the two continued to laugh and dance together. This was good. England needed peace and if this peace was symbolised by two children playing together, unaware of the true meaning of the words they had just recited, then so be it. England needed peace. Everything else had to be set aside.
--
George met with John Neville when the entire court was busy with the jousts that had been organized to celebrate the marriage of his nephew. It was the fifth day of celebrations and he was already sick of it all.
John was waiting for him in his rooms when he returned to the palace at the first sign of Edward’s distraction. He could not afford his brother having any inkling of what he had been planning, but the sight of Ned of Eltham and Blanche of Lancaster whispering together was too much for him to bear.
“Cousin,” the Marquis of Dorset said when he stepped inside his assigned chambers, “I see you have thought the same of the celebrations as I did.”
George nodded. “He spends the treasury with abandon,” he murmured, not needing to say who he was talking about. “He celebrates the marriage of two worthless bastards, with no claim to the throne.”
John nodded as well, face impassive.
“He promised his bastard to my son, forced me to agree,” he choked out. “He gave Northumberland back to the Percys and promised your shared niece to Henry Algernon, heir to the enemy of my family, uncaring of what they had done.”
George nodded. The door was shut behind him, no one was listening and he had nothing holding him back. He could say what he wished without fear.
"It's his bastard nature," he said. "Richard told me. I thought it was just his children who were illegitimate, but Richard said Edward is a bastard as well."
"Blaybourne,” said John, nodding. “I remember well the talk that existed after Edward was born, for the Duchess’ husband was nowhere close to Rouen when he was conceived. My sister said she had followed her husband in his campaign as an explanation, but I know the truth. Cecily abhors anything that is not prim and proper. She would never spend days following an army around, sleeping in tents around the French countryside.” John shook his head. “Your saintly father accepted the bastard as his own, but we all know the truth.”
“Edward is a bastard,” said George, “Which means I’m the true heir to York, the true King.”
John nodded. “Long live King George, first of that name,” he murmured.
George smiled and took a deep breath, centring himself.
“My wife, the Queen, is with child again,” he said. “Richard has told me that it will be a boy, a boy who will bring a golden age to England.” His smile grew much larger. “When my son is born, we shall strike.”