Chapter Text
December 5, 1488
“France is eager to annex Brittany,” the Duke of Richmond stated, frowning in concentration. “Hence, why Duke Louis of Orleans is pressuring his cousin, King Charles to arrange a marriage between him and Anne of Brittany now that he is a widower. King Charles has an heir which means that Brittany’s independence is not threatened as much with the Duke of Orleans being second-in-line to the throne. Which is why the Duchess of Brittany’s councilors have shown no resistance to such an idea. Furthermore, this proposal has the support of the French council who will most certainly try to coerce the young king to take Anne of Brittany by force if we do not agree to their terms.”
King Edward nodded, frowning slightly. Despite being an ocean away, he and Charles had continued to be friends, and their bound deepened when Queen Cecily gave birth the dauphin who was Edward’s nephew, godson, and namesake.
However sometimes politics came before friendship and family. He had no doubt that if King Charles refused to go along with his cousin and councilors, he would be accused of being weak and subservient to England. As easygoing as he was, Charles would not let anyone question his authority, any more than they already had.
And if Edward were to be honest with himself, he might not be so upset if his upcoming nuptials with Anne of Brittany were cancelled.
“Perhaps we should let the Duke of Orleans have the duchess and look for a princess who is closer to His Majesty’s age,” Cardinal John Morton suggested. Morton was a gaunt man with snow-white hair and beard. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor of the Privy council.
The Marquess of Dorset did not agree. “If we do that, it will look as though we are just letting France walk all over us."
“Not if we ask for payment for allowing the betrothal to be annulled,” Richmond contradicted shrewdly. “In fact, he can ask for the same amount, we would have gotten as Anne of Brittany’s dowry.”
Edward grinned at his brother-in-law, thinking that was not a half bad plan. “Perhaps we should ask for a bit more than that. That way if they refuse, we can lower the price. Like you said, they are eager to annex Brittany so let’s see just how desperate they are to claim it.”
Of course, they could not be too greedy, France might want to end the matter peacefully but if England were too pushy, they would decide that it wasn’t worth it before sending their troops to Brittany and take Anne to France by force. The only reason they hadn’t was because they felt it would cost them less money and men to negotiate than it would to invade Brittany especially if England chose to send troops to stop them.
“A good idea, Your Majesty,” the Earl of Surrey complimented as though he had come up with it himself instead of simply expanding on Richmond’s idea.
Although he was the King’s brother-in-law, there were many nobles who resented Henry Tudor’s rise to power. Some were suspicious of him and feared that one day, he would make a move for the throne. However, most were simply jealous that despite coming from two lines of bastards, Henry Tudor had married a princess, became a duke and was the king’s most trusted advisor.
Of course, in the Earl of Surrey’s case, he merely hoped that if he continued to suck up to the king, he would reclaim his dukedom.
“What of Spain? Do you think that they might wish to make their daughter a queen instead of a duchess?” Oxford inquired, looking pensive.
Edward frowned, thinking it would quite unseemly if he went after his brother’s fiancée. Luckily, she was even younger than Anne of Brittany was and therefore unable to be birth any heirs for another decade. “The Princess Catalina is only three years old. I believe as His Eminence pointed out that it would be best to look for a bride who is of marriage age.”
Oxford looked like he wanted to say something but was unsure of whether it would be welcomed. Thankfully, the Marquess of Dorset came to his rescue.
“Your Majesty, I believe Oxford was pointing out that if we allow the betrothal to be annulled, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain might want you to marry their daughter instead of the Duke of York,” Thomas explained.
Edward could feel heat coloring his cheeks, feeling rather embarrassed at his mistake. He might be the king but at eighteen-years-old, he was still a teenager compared to the experienced men that made up his privy council.
Perhaps he was being a bit paranoid. However, there were times when he couldn’t help but wonder if his councilors saw him as an inexperienced child.
“Well, I suppose we can deal with that if such a subject is broached by Spain for we will not suggest it,” Edward declared, keeping his voice steady. “I think perhaps that is enough talk about potential brides for today.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see his older brother hiding a smirk behind his goblet as he took a drink.
“Your Majesty, if it pleases you, I shall compose a list of Europe’s eligible ladies who would be suitable as your wife,” Richmond suggested, inclining his head as he adjusted the sleeves of his doublet.
In France Edward and Henry had come up with a code that would allow them to communicate without giving anything away to those who were in close proximity to them.
Henry’s particular gesture meant that Edward was not to argue with him now but instead dismiss the other men and discreetly pull him aside.
“Yes, that would please me greatly. I think it is time for our council to come to an end, Dorset, Richmond, if you could stay behind so we may discuss my sister’s birthday,” King Edward suggested, wincing inwardly as he realized what a lame excuse that was especially considering his sister’s birthday was more than a month away.
However, no one dared point it out as the men single filed out of the chambers, leaving the three of them alone.
“Our sister’s birthday,” Thomas repeated incredulously.
“She was the only one I could think of,” Edward defended himself, glaring at his half-brother.
“Your Majesty, speaking of being discreet,” Henry began, giving Edward a look that could only be described as unimpressed. “I would suggest that you do not propose to the lady you think no one is aware you are in love with until the betrothal between you and Anne of Brittany is officially broken off.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Edward lied, his cheeks red, this time for a completely different reason.
“Do you think the entire court is blind to the way you seem drawn to Lady Eleanor Percy?” Henry asked, his tone bland as his eyebrow shot upwards.
“We are just friends as she is with my siblings and my cousins,” Edward protested.
“And yet they don’t seem half as upset when she leaves court or happy when she returns to court,” Thomas pointed out with a sly wink. He then directed his next words to Henry. “To be fair though, Your Grace, it is only obvious to people who know my brother well. At worst, the court assumes that the King will make Eleanor his mistress.”
Edward grimaced upon hearing that, but he said nothing, knowing a reaction from him would only confirm their suspicions.
“Regardless of what is being said, the last thing we want is for France to know that you have an ulterior motive to allow their suit for annulment. That is why for the next few months, you must treat Lady Eleanor as though she was just another lady. In fact, I would suggest that she returns to her home with the rest of her family for the time being,” Henry stated.
“Is that really necessary?” Edward asked. “She’s done nothing wrong, and our relationship has been nothing but chaste.”
“I understand that, and this is nothing but a precaution to ensure that the French don’t drag negotiations out in hopes that you will cave and agree to it without any sort of compensation,” Henry told him.
“Forgive me for saying so, brother, but one of your father’s worst traits was his impulsivity,” Thomas pointed out. “All Richmond is asking is for you to wait a few months before planning your wedding.”
“But if, as you say, it’s obvious to everyone that I want to marry Eleanor,” Edward began, fighting back a smile. “wouldn’t that mean it would be obvious to the French Ambassador and therefore the entire French council?”
“Not if you send her from court and have no more contact with her until the negotiations are over,” Henry informed him. He quickly added when it looked like Edward was about to object: “All I ask is for three months at the most.”
“Fine but I will be the one who tells her,” Edward commanded firmly. “I will talk to her discreetly.”
“Very well.” The king decided to ignore the doubtful expressions on his brother and his brother-in-law’s faces.
Almost thirty minutes later, Edward’s mind was racing as he pictured Eleanor wearing the queen’s crown, a vision of delicate beauty. The thought of her being his wife excited him and yet it also filled him with anxiety.
Ever since that fateful night when he chanced upon his younger siblings engaging in a snowball fight with their cousins and the oldest of the Percy children, they had become rather close.
The young king wasn’t sure when his feeling for Ali (as she preferred to be called) stopped being platonic. All he knew was that her mere presence was enough to make him feel carefree and warm.
“How did Father and you know that you were in love?” he asked perhaps the only person who would understand what he was going through.
“Your father was the type of man who fell in love easily,” Elizabeth Woodville replied. “Why he loved me in particular? Well, I’m not sure. Some people claimed witchcraft. Maybe that was it.”
“Mother don’t joke about that,” Edward scolded her, scandalized that she could speak so casually about accusations of witchcraft that had no doubt harmed her reputation more than once.
“He loved me. Even when he had mistresses, he loved me,” Elizabeth murmured, a faraway look in her eyes. “As for me: your father was like a handsome chivalrous knight from the old tales and so it was impossible not to fall in love with him. Perhaps I idealized him too much, but I loved him, and he loved me. We knew it from the moment our eyes met.”
“That quickly?” Edward asked in surprise. His feelings for Eleanor had changed from friendship to something more rather abruptly but it had taken more than a year for them to change and another year for him to have noticed or rather for it to be pointed out by his younger brother.
“Sometimes you just know, other times it is obvious to everyone except you,” the dowager queen teased, ruffling her son’s hair. She then placed a finger beneath his chin and lifted his head up. “What troubles you, my sweet boy?”
“Nothing. I just don’t want to make a mistake,” Edward admitted. “After all, I am a just a boy who has never been in love before, how I can be sure that I'm doing the right thing?”
“I think you give yourself far too little credit,” Elizabeth said softly. “Besides love conquers all, don't you know that?”
“And yet we are expected so often to ignore our hearts for the sake of duty,” Edward countered.
“That is true, and I shall not ever say that duty is not important. I would not have had your older brothers had I not done my duty,” Elizabeth agreed, a sad smile on her face as she thought of her son Richard Grey who was executed along with her brothers, Anthony, and Richard Woodville by the so-called King Richard III.
Her brother Richard was the last of the male Woodvilles making their earldom extinct. It now belonged to the crown and Edward would make sure to give it to one of Thomas’ younger sons, therefore making the next Earl of Rivers a descendant of his mother’s family.
“It’s strange how your parents eloped and yet expected their children to marry for duty,” Edward chuckled.
“Something my father once pointed out,” Elizabeth agreed. “But in all fairness, Ned, it was less about duty and more about allies as the Woodvilles were treated with suspicion as we changed sides so abruptly. The fact that your father and I married soon after my family allied with the Yorks did not help matters. However, it’s different for you. The war is over, Ned and you have no duty that needs to be fulfilled. You are free to follow your heart.”
Her father was ill, her mother and siblings were to return to their estates, but she was to remain behind under the watchful eyes of her uncle. Her father had given no reason for her to stay but it was obvious why.
First her father had wanted her to marry the Earl of Surrey’s (Duke of Norfolk then) grandson but when he found out that Henry Tudor was sponsoring the exiled boy king, he had thought she’d be better off marrying the young Duke of Buckingham.
When it was decided that the Duke of Buckingham would marry Princess Catherine of York instead, Henry Percy had taken it in stride. He decided to look higher for his oldest daughter, pressing her and her brother to befriend the Duke of York, hoping that the young boy would turn out like his father and become besotted to the point where he would marry her.
However, Eleanor doubted that even her ambitious father would have guessed that instead of gaining the Duke of York’s attraction---ironically, she might be the only woman the fifteen-year-old prince did not flirt with--- it was the king who seemed to want to spend every moment in her presence.
At first Edward seemed to treat her as he would any lady but as the months passed, he seemed to talk to her more casually, even allowing her to call him Edward, something she noted that no one outside of his family was allowed to do. Then she started to notice that his eyes seemed to always be on her.
He did not flirt with her or send her gifts like most men did with the women they were courting. But if he wanted to dance with a lady not related to him, she was the only one he asked. The first time he ever jousted, it was her favor he asked for---he played it off as not wanting to upset his sisters by having to decide between them but anyone with eyes could see the way he seemed to light up when she tied her favor around his lance, wishing him luck.
There were rumors that Edward was like his father and would spurn his intended bride for her instead and Eleanor desperately hoped that was the case. Not because she wanted to be queen---well she’d be a liar if she didn’t admit that certainly was a perk---but because she wanted to be his wife.
“Do you know what I thought when I first saw you?”
They stood together on the balcony, looking out at the starry sky, ignoring the music and the chatter of the courtiers which was muffled only slightly by the glass doors that led to the banquet hall.
“I just assaulted the King,” Edward guessed, a ghost of a smile on his face that only got bigger when it caused her to laugh.
“Oh, will I ever live that down?” Eleanor jested, dramatically shaking her head before sobering slightly. “That’s when we first met. I first saw you months earlier when you were officially crowned. I thought you looked far too serious, and it made me wish I could make you laugh just so I could see a smile.”
“You do make me smile,” the golden-red haired king remarked, smiling fondly.
“Thank you, Your Majesty but I---”
“Ali, please, you promised,” Edward reminded her, mock-reproachful.
“Oh, alright, Ned, but I don’t think that I can accept credit, at least not all of it, for making you smile,” Eleanor said, glancing towards the doors where his half-brother was dancing with his wife. She frowned, as it occurred to her that in just a little more than two years, Anne of Brittney would be in England as Edward’s wife and queen, and she doubted that the French Princess would want any rival for the King’s affections. “Perhaps we should go back inside,” Eleanor said abruptly.
“Is everything all right?” Edward asked her, unnerved by her sudden change in mood.
“It’s nothing, Ned,” Eleanor assured him, smiling again as she laid her hand on his arm, letting him lead her inside.
Regardless of her father’s ambitions, she would not get in the way of Edward’s duty no matter how much she wanted to. She had promised herself that she would accept whatever he chose to do and yet that did not stop the despair she felt when the Duke of Richmond sent her a message that by the order of His Majesty, she was to leave court and return to her family estates.
Nor did it stop her from feeling a surge of bitterness when an hour later, her uncle told her that the Dowager Queen had summoned her. She had no doubt that Edward had begged his mother to apologize to her for him, instead of having the courage to say he was sorry to be banishing her for no other reason than he was trying to please a woman---no a girl he had never met.
Eleanor crossed herself upon thinking such spiteful thoughts. Edward was doing what he must to still the rumors still circulating around court, and she certainly should not be condemning his decision as it showed the strength of his character that he would strive to be kind to an eleven-year-old girl who had no say in her choice of husband either and would be leaving the comfort of home for a land of strangers.
She was surprised that when she arrived at Elizabeth Woodville’s chambers, she immediately dismissed Eleanor’s ladies, telling them that she would send one of her other ladies to escort her back to the Percy apartments.
It became much clearer when Elizabeth led her to her to a secret antechamber where Edward was waiting for her. The Dowager Queen gave her arm a light squeeze and an encouraging smile before heading back to the chamber she had come out of, leaving the door open, no doubt listening to every word.
“I’m sorry for the deception but this was the only way I could talk to you privately without anyone suspecting anything,” the king explained.
“Oh? And what did you need to talk about, Your Majesty?” Eleanor asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. She wasn’t his mistress so there was absolutely no need to treat her as though she was a dirty secret. “The Duke of Richmond has already expressed your wish for me to leave court. My servants are packing my things as we speak, and I shall be ready to leave by tomorrow morning the latest.”
Edward scowled darkly, angered that Henry had sent a letter to Eleanor’s household before he had the chance to explain that this was not as bad as she clearly believed it was.
“Please forgive me, Ali, I wanted to speak to you first. I---uh---please understand that I’m only asking you to leave for the sake of appearance. The last thing I would ever want is for us to be apart,” Edward rambled, feeling like he could kick himself for sounding so stupid.
Eleanor softened, touched by his genuineness. She reminded herself that she knew this day would come eventually and she promised herself that she would not be selfish. And yet she had not thought it would come so quickly. A part of her wished that she could put aside her pride and beg him to let her stay by his side, even if she had to be his mistress, that would be better than pretending that they felt nothing for each other.
“I understand, Ned. Will you ever allow me to return, or do you think it will be better for your queen if I stay away?” Eleanor inquired, averting her eyes.
Edward’s brow furrowed in confusion briefly before realizing what she meant. He dropped to his knees, taking her hands in his.
“France wishes to annul the betrothal between me and Anne of Brittney. In a few months, I shall be a free man and there is only one woman I want as my wife and queen: you,” Edward declared, kissing her hands.
Eleanor’s jaw dropped unsure what to say to that. So, she kneeled down next to him and rested her forehead on his.
“Would it be considered too bold to ask for a kiss from a king?” she wondered.
“I must admit, I do not care,” Edward laughed as he closed the gap between them.
April 16, 1489
Elizabeth of York preferred to stay in the country with the boys instead of going to court, although she still came for some events. So, to keep abreast of what was happening she relied on letters from her mother, brothers, and husband.
She was not surprised to hear that the betrothal contract between her brother and the Duchess Anne was dissolved. It had been on the horizon for over a year ever since her brother started showing marked favor to Lady Eleanor.
According to Henry the negotiations had gone quicker than he expected and although it was not as much money as he would have liked, it was still a very good deal. They had even gotten the Pope’s blessing just as an added precaution to make sure that the breaking of the engagement was both legal in terms of God’s law as well as the laws of man.
As soon as he got the confirmation that he was no longer betrothed, Edward would send a messenger to Alnwick castle where the Percys would no doubt be waiting for him to summon them to court.
Henry had asked that Elizabeth return to court so she could be among the courtiers that greeted Edward as he brought his new fiancée to meet them. He had not mentioned their son or their wards, but the princess turned duchess knew better than to suggest to bring them.
While to her bringing at least Jasper to court was just to introduce him to his soon-to-be aunt and let him see his uncle and father who were so caught up in state affairs that they hardly interacted with him.
But some courtiers, especially the proud Percys, might take the sight of her son as a reminder that while Edward was heirless, Jasper was next in line for the throne, a rival to any children Lady Eleanor might have.
Considering that she had just learned that she would have Henry and her second child in November, it would be for the best if she erred on the side of caution.
April 29, 1489
The Duke of York was almost sixteen and the women he flirted with were not yet mature nor did they know much of the carnal pleasures he was seeking. No, Dickon had wanted his first time to be with a lady with experience.
Lady Margaret Bourchier was seven years older than him and despite having the prim and proper appearance in public, in private she was not so stiff. It had been something of a challenge to get her out of her shell.
She had not been married for very long, but she certainly had enough experience to teach Dickon a few things.
“I must admit, Your Highness, that you are a fast learner,” Margaret moaned breathlessly as she collapsed into his arms.
“I do hope your husband does not mind sharing you because I am eager to continue practicing,” Richard purred, nipping her ear. “Sir Thomas does not know just what kind of woman he has.”
“Oh he knows what type of woman I thought I was so he will be quite shocked and humiliated if he ever finds out about this,” Margaret murmured. “So, I beg of you to try not to brag about pleasuring me.”
Dickon grinned at her, his chest puffing up in pride. “Did I really pleasure you that much, my lady?”
“If you hadn’t told me, I would never have believed this was your first time,” Margaret complimented him, licking her lips.
Taking that as a hint that it was time for round two, Dickon pulled her on top of him, passionately kissing her.
Unfortunately, their tryst was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Your Highness, the King wishes for you to meet him in his private audience chambers,” the groom called, having heard enough sounds to realize that opening the door would not be welcomed.
Dickon groaned, annoyed that his brother had to interrupt him now. He spent weeks chasing after Margaret who despite having already lost her maidenhead was still not the type to be some lord’s mistress. However, in time, he won her over.
“Your brother calls, and you must answer,” Margaret told him, escaping his hands, and already starting to put her clothes back on. Unwilling to let her go just yet, Dickon untied her laces every time she tied them. Although she did not slap his hand away, the twenty-three-year-old gave him a glare. “We both have places to be, Your Highness, so don’t be childish.”
“Childish? Am I not a man? Have I not proved to be a man?” Dickon demanded, taking umbrage to her words as well as her tone.
To his surprise Margaret blushed at his words, her eyes trailing downwards before she quickly averted them, clearly embarrassed by her own lust.
“I would say so, yes but we must not get lost in our desires every time,” the dark-haired lady pointed out. “We have duties that we must attend to. We can do this again some other time.”
“I shall hold you to that,” Richard declared, watching her as she got dressed slowly before inclining his head, giving her permission to leave.
He lay there for a few minutes basking in the glow of his first time. Then he called for his grooms to come dress him. He had left his brother waiting for long enough.
When Richard walked into his brother’s audience chamber, Thomas took one look at him and clapped him on the back.
“Look at that, my little brother is all grown up,” he laughed. “Good for you.”
“How did you---?” Dickon spluttered, surprised that his brother seemed to instantly know what he had done just by looking at him.
“No one grins like that unless they’ve been with a lady,” Thomas informed him.
“What? You---what? Dickon!” Edward exclaimed, looking scandalized and horrified at the same time.
“Are you upset that I not only was the first one to be married but also the first one to bed a woman?” Richard teased him.
“First of all, your marriage to Anne de Mowbray does not count considering it was never consummated. Secondly, who---actually never mind, I don’t want to know,” Edward decided, turning away from his grinning brothers.
It was true that Richard’s “marriage” to the young Countess of Norfolk was not a true one due to them both being younger than six-years-old and was merely just a ploy for the late King Edward to get his hands on the heiress’ estates---something that paid off when little Anne died at age eight---but sometimes Dickon found it amusing that he was married before his older brother.
“I’m sorry, Ned, I’m just feeling a little giddy right now. I’m sure it will wear off soon and I can be serious if you need me to,” Dickon assured him.
“Can you really?” Edward asked, a slight smirk on his face. In show of great maturity, Dickon stuck his tongue out at his brother. “Yes, that clearly allays my doubts. Moving on. I am planning to meet the Percys before they reach London and I wanted you two to come with me.”
“To think, the next time you visit us in Alnwick Castle, you will be the Queen of England,” Maud Percy breathed, as she brushed her daughter’s hair.
Eleanor shivered at her mother’s words. It didn’t feel real quite yet.
“I knew you would make a fine wife for a duke, but I was wrong to think so lowly of you,” her father spoke in jest, but she could detect the pride in his voice. He had been so very proud of her since she returned home and shared what Edward had said to her. “Just remember that all I’m hoping for is a dukedom.”
“Would you like to ask him the next time I see him, or may I wait until after we get married?” Eleanor quipped dryly, quirking her eyebrow.
“Forgive me, I am but an old man who thinks his descendants deserve a dukedom,” Northumberland told her, having enough sense of humor not to be offend by his daughter’s brazen words. “Just be glad that is all I’m seeking. Goodness knows there are far more ambitious men than I.”
“You mean like our son. I love that boy, but he keeps saying that Catherine Spencer is not worthy of a future brother-in-law of the king,” Maud remarked, frowning in disapproval.
“He’s twelve. I’m sure he’ll grow out of his arrogance eventually,” the older Percy said, not sounding too convinced.
Just then little Alan came running in.
“The king is here!” he shouted in delight. “The king is here!”
“How are you?”
“When I daydreamed about this moment, that was not the first thing you said to me,” Eleanor jested as he kissed her hello. “And I imagined you kissing me in a meadow.”
“I promise that I shall meet one of your expectations later, my love,” Edward laughed, kissing her lips again and again until his kisses were slowly becoming more passionate. They both were gasping for breath when they parted. “Forgive my lack of control but now that I’m kissing you, I find it hard to stop.”
“Ned, I’m beginning to think you are a hopeless romantic,” Eleanor giggled.
“Well, you seem to bring out that side of me,” Edward told her, resting his forehead on hers. “I hope that you liked my letters. I know I’m not a poet but I thought you might have enjoyed them.”
After a heated discussion, the Duke of Richmond agreed that he was perhaps being overly cautious--- the fact that Henry Tudor had admitted to being wrong was in itself a surprise and a victory--- and that as long as Edward was discreet, there was no harm in exchanging letters with Eleanor.
“I did. Thank you for writing to me.”
“Not even married yet and already you two are sickeningly sweet,” Dickon drawled from a few feet away, causing Edward and Eleanor to jump apart as though they had forgotten about their two chaperons.
“Don’t ruin the moment,” Thomas scolded his younger brother, giving him a stern look.
“Now he knows how it feels,” Dickon grumbled under his breath.
“Perhaps we are being a bit selfish. I know my younger siblings are eager to meet you. Well Hall already knows you, but William, Alan, Josceline, and Elizabeth were quite disappointed when I stole you away as soon as you arrived,” Eleanor remarked, although it had been more that her parents had ushered their younger children away, allowing the two young lovers to have a private moment.
“Well, we don’t have to return to court just yet,” Edward remarked. “I’ll send a letter to Richmond and tell him that I will be staying the night here and returning to court in the morning.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to get in the way of whatever business you need to attend to,” Eleanor remarked. Of course, she doubted he would be here if he had something urgent bit of statecraft to attend to. Edward was certainly not a procrastinator and if he were expected to do something, it would be done.
“Nothing but if something does come up, I am certain that Richmond can handle it,” Edward pointed out.
“I doubt he’d admit it if he couldn’t,” Dickon quipped as the foursome strolled out of the living room and into the parlor. Neither Eleanor or Edward seemed to hear him, and he let out a heavy sigh. “They are going to be like this from now on, won’t they?”
“Don’t worry Dickon, I’m sure you will be just as bad as well once you are married,” Thomas remarked, throwing his arm around his younger brother’s shoulders.
Dickon snorted. “Well luckily, I have at least ten years before that happens."
April 30, 1489
It was a scandal when Jacquetta had married a mere knight, Richard Woodville. A scandal that was still whispered about when their daughter became queen. And that mark against her family was nothing compared to the fact that they were once Lancastrians supporters, the Yorkist's sworn enemies. Despite that, they were now favored by the Yorkist king who was so besotted with Elizabeth that he snubbed a French match just so he could marry her in secret.
Now their son followed in his footsteps by choosing an English woman from a family with Lancastrian sympathies as his bride.
But it was easier for them. Edward had not been as impulsive as his father, the Percys had chosen to fight against the usurper long before Edward had begun taking an interest in Eleanor and their family’s noble lineage went back at least a hundred years and therefore they could not be accused of being social upstarts.
Although the Dowager Queen could not help but feel a bit of bitterness as she watched the court greet the Percys with far more graciousness and cheer than they had when she first arrived, she refused to let her acrimony mar her son’s future happiness for two reasons.
Firstly, having the nobles accept Eleanor as the new queen meant it was unlikely that the crafty Lady Margaret Beaufort could convince one of them to conspire with her against Edward (and Elizabeth still could not discount that Henry Tudor might be biding his time before making a grab for the throne). The fact that dear Lizzie was due to give birth to her second child by the end of the year did not help ease her suspicious mind--- although she was loath to think of her precious grandson who was not yet three as an enemy.
The second thing was she refused to treat Eleanor as badly as Dowager Duchess Cecily of York had treated her. The old woman had thought Elizabeth was not good enough for her son and had made it quite clear that she scorned Edward’s actions. And while she did not outwardly support George or Richard’s treason, the Dowager Queen often suspected that her mother-in-law did not disagree with their accusations against the Woodvilles and Elizabeth.
No, instead of treating Eleanor coldly, Elizabeth would make sure to treat the younger woman with kindness and respect. She would take her under her wing, helping her navigate the treacherous waters of the royal court. She would be more than a mother-in-law, she would a guide and a mentor, passing down all the wisdom she had learned to her true successor.
Elizabeth was taken out of her thoughts as Edward and Eleanor walked up to her. Her son had decided to forgo making an announcement at one of the banquets, feeling that by simply introducing Eleanor to Elizabeth formally, it would confirm what he was sure his courtiers already suspected.
“Mother, I would like you to meet my fiancée, Lady Eleanor Percy,” Edward proclaimed as the reddish-brown haired lady made a shallow curtsy.
“Your Majesty, Lady Eleanor, I am pleased to hear this news and I give my warmest congratulations,” Elizabeth said sweetly, moving forward to kiss Eleanor’s cheeks. “I am glad to be welcoming you to the family.”
This caused the courtiers to clap enthusiastically, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. But that mattered little.
After all, if Edward and Eleanor’s marriage turned out to be fruitful, enough sons to make sure that the Tudors, any Tudors, could start up another Cousin War again than her family's greatest gamble would continue to pay off.