Awww good to see the children of Longshanks are more or less united in their love for their brother the Prince of Wales..
Maid of Norway, Queen of Scotland: A Plantagenet Britain Timeline
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
Chapter XXXVIII - Road Trip
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May 1299. On the road to Scotland.
Normally, it was a queen who rode to her king, who left her home and came to her marriage. Very rarely did a man ride to his wife’s home, to take up the place of a lord there and not his own.
But it was the Guardians’ decision that Édouard come to Scotland, and not Margaret to him. It would’ve been awkward, and time-consuming, for their queen to travel south only to then return to her kingdom so he could learn the land and meet the highest nobles of Scotland.
Moreover, Margaret technically outranked him at that moment. He wasn’t the King of Scots yet, and certainly not of England. He was just the Prince of Wales, Duke of Aquitaine and Earl of Chester, as his father had named him. Even if Scotland was poorer, and less populated than England, she was more important than him on a technicality. She was a queen. A crowned head, with an entire kingdom depending upon her good health and progeny.
Édouard had a younger brother. England had no need of him as Scotland had need of Margaret. There were no heirs after her, at least none that promised a smooth succession and transition of power. Which was probably why the Scottish wanted him to come to them, to ensure that he and Margaret would not waste their days travelling when they could instead work to produce heirs of their own. The thought of it made him flush.
“I hear she is very beautiful,” Piers murmured, riding by his side. Édouard looked at him. “Your betrothed. Everyone says she is the most beautiful queen in the world.”
“I wonder what the Queen of France thinks of that description,” Édouard answered. “It must certainly sting.”
What he remembered of Queen Jeanne was of a plump and plain woman, with auburn hair. He shook his head.
“She was pretty, but we were children when we last saw each other. I cannot say if I would think now that she was beautiful enough then to be worthy of the appellation.” He remembered her being taller than him with pale blonde hair and blue-green eyes. She was pretty, though. Back then. He had to admit it. “My father thinks we will have a good relationship, since we know each other from childhood.”
“It makes sense,” Piers said, the wind snapping at his cloak. “Not many future kings have the chance of knowing their brides from childhood. With this past behind you, perhaps both the Prince and the Queen may find common ground.”
“Common ground,” Édouard said, tasting the words in his mouth. He nodded. “Yes, I’d like that. I don’t want a troublesome relationship with my lady wife.” He looked at Piers, then at their escorts. Three hundred guards, standard-bearers, servants to fill his household. Wagons and more wagons with his things. “Do you know what was the agreement between my father and Queen Margaret’s councillors?”
Piers shaked his head. “What?”
“I’ll only be king once Margaret has a living child by me.” Boy or girl, the agreement said. Édouard wondered if it was to ensure he wouldn’t be able to claim the throne if Margaret died before they had any children. “Our eldest son will inherit both kingdoms, but Margaret is permitted to remarry and produce new sons if either I leave her a childless widow, or if I die while we only have daughters. England and Scotland will only be united in the form of our eldest son.” It was a testament to his father’s faith in both him and his unborn heir that he agreed to the demands.
But Piers frowned. “That doesn’t sound too bad,” he said. “Surely, there is something else.”
Édouard began to think. It had been around a month since his father explained the agreement to him, but he supposed he had forgotten the finer details.
“My household will not be maintained by the treasury.” He was thankful that his father had taken the trouble to allot him so many lands. Otherwise, he didn’t know how he would be able to maintain a life worthy of his title. “I shall have no rights to the succession if I were left a childless widower.”
But there were more agreements made on what would happen if they did have children, about the succession of their countries.
“The children can come with me to England, but not to France while they are underage.” That did make sense. France was still considered the enemy and even their lands in it were not considered safe. Best for their heirs to stay on the island while they were growing until they were old enough to care for themselves. “I cannot appoint public offices without either the Queen’s or the Guardians’ permission. I can’t take weapons out of the country. Or gold. Scotland is not legally obligated to join either my wars or my father’s wars, unless it is the Queen’s desire.” But they were obligated to join theirs, which Édouard felt was either unfair or extremely ironic, considering everything. “I’m not allowed to take Margaret out of Scotland during her minority, or if she is pregnant.” He made a face. “I guess when she comes of age, they expect her to choose if she wants to go or not.”
“That makes sense,” said Piers with a grin. “We best hope our lord King Edward lives long enough to see Queen Margaret reach her adulthood.” He moved his horse closer. “You must understand that they are only afraid of losing their autonomy, Your Grace.”
“I do understand,” Édouard retorted. “I’m just upset that they are so distrusting of me. They hardly know me!”
“And you’re oh, so charming,” Piers teased. Édouard rolled his eyes. “Don’t take it personally, my prince.”
“I’m not,” Édouard replied, even as he felt the lie in his words. “I understand how politics go.”
“It probably won’t take long for the Queen to have a child,” Piers said. “If the Prince does his duty.”
Édouard felt his face burn in embarrassment. “I know,” he answered. “I know what I must do.” He knew where his duty layed. In Scotland, under the royal sheets of the Queen's bed. That was where he would perform the most important duty of all.
Hey, everyone, just to remind everyone that the south of my country is currently being destroyed by floods and rain. 200,000 people have been displaced, a hundred are dead and another hundred are missing. I've signed myself to be a volunteer healthcare worker, but for those that find it in their hearts to give us help would be much appreciated!
Amazing chapter Izzy and May God have mercy on your country and all those people 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Everyone is in thoughts and prayers. I work in healthcare myself and have given donations.
Sweet chapter, and I am very sorry about what’s happening in Brazil
Good stuff! Definitely seems like the Scots aren’t playing around and made sure this marriage agreement was throughly negotiated and leaving no loopholes for longshanks to abuse.
God I need this reunion so bad!
So so sorry to hear about what’s going on in Brazil! Heart breaking to see and glad to have been told about it as this is the first I’m hearing of it! Will definitely send donations and all! I finally have money to do so these days!
God I need this reunion so bad!
So so sorry to hear about what’s going on in Brazil! Heart breaking to see and glad to have been told about it as this is the first I’m hearing of it! Will definitely send donations and all! I finally have money to do so these days!
I picked and chose from the agreement between Mary I and Philip II as well as the agreement between queens regnant of Portugal and their husbands, where they only became king once they gave birth to a living child (most of them seemed to have boys as their firstborns but I think the Scots can accept an heir presumptive giving a crown to her father)
Ooh very nice to see the details of the marriage agreement, I have no doubt Edouard will have an... interesting time in Scotland.
Well, he's 15 and about to be introduced to, as far as he knows, the only woman God will allow him to have sex with who's been consistently described as the most beautiful woman in Europe. I think he's gonna be fine.
Oh definitely, I mean more navigating politics and how the nobility views him..
I am really sorry to hear it, I hope it is resolved as quickly as possible with the least damage. That event reminded me of that awful earthquake my country experienced one year ago, and I still remember the horror of those days, despite being extremely far away from the disaster, being stuck in my mother's village in Tekirdağ with the roads closed due to heavy snow. I don't even want to imagine those days back.
My prayers are with the people of Brazil, and with everyone who was affected by this disaster.
On a much lesser topic, can I ask a question?
What will the wedding ceremony be like?
Will it have bagpipes, haggis, kilts, any any other Scottish stereotypes that probably does not exist at this point?
Kilts haven't been invented yet, love. And I don't think bagpipes are that prevalent in Scottish culture. It will probably be a very boring Catholic ceremony.
I mean, in so much as any large woolen cloak counts, they do have "kilts", but thats not especially unique to Scots or celtic peoples in general.
Likewise, haggis is just another local variation on a pudding (broadly defined as any mixture cooked inside an animal casing).
And as pandizzy alluded to, the evidence of bagpipes in Britain at this time is very scant. If anything, Eduard is likely to have heard it more often in France than Margaret has in Scotland.
Likewise, haggis is just another local variation on a pudding (broadly defined as any mixture cooked inside an animal casing).
And as pandizzy alluded to, the evidence of bagpipes in Britain at this time is very scant. If anything, Eduard is likely to have heard it more often in France than Margaret has in Scotland.
Both of them wearing cloaks with her coat of arms embroidered on it will definitely not be seen as something Scottish. People will just grumble a bit about extra formality, but like... That's expectable.
Scotland is not the ye old distant north, it's a catholic country with a noble ruling class. They will probably have extremely similar customs to English weddings, only that someone says a toast in the feast in gaelic rather than French.