Maid of Norway, Queen of Scotland: A Plantagenet Britain Timeline
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
Simversions of historical characters are a joy. I remember back in my day when I did serial killer Henry VIII in Sims 2. Olive Specter had nothing on him
I really like playing with my characters. I just think it's fun.
Something interesting i came across:
(Who's Citing Orme, Medieval Children, p.174)
Henisch, The Medieval Cook, p.25.
(Who's Citing Orme, Medieval Children, p.174)
It has come to my attention that the proper spelling of the Scottish variation of Elizabeth is actually Els peth and not Els beth. While I could go back and make the change in all the chapters that mention our little future Lady Bruce, it won't be organic so I've decided I'm in too deep and the character will continue to be referred to as Elsbeth Comyn/Bruce. Hope everyone understands that this means I'm aware of my mistake but have elected to ignore it so no one will feel in the right to correct me in the future. Thank you anyway!
Making this a bookmarked post might make it easier to consult if people wanna give you grief
I don't really like adding bookmarks that aren't chapters or extra information about characters...
BTW, there's a new TV series on CBS called Elsbeth - a spin-off from The Good Wife.
Chapter XXIV - Childish Dinner
July 1294. Beaumont Palace, England.
After Édouard saved her life, Margaret began looking at him with new eyes. She felt he was an entirely different person, someone who risked himself to save her.
His father was furious. Of course he was. Édouard was his only son and there was an adult knight present who could’ve saved her. There was no reason why he should’ve jumped in the water after her to rescue her. Margaret didn’t even know Édouard could swim, but it seemed he had been taught by his guardian, in case something similar happened to him instead. There was no reason why he should jump, but he did in fact.
What he did… Had been marvellous. He was like a knight in a white stallion from one of her stories, saving the princess from ‘evil’. Even if the evil had been a slight misstep in the river’s edge. And more importantly, it had made her fall utterly in love with him.
She watched him from the window of her bedchambers, this time hiding herself behind her curtains, not wanting him to notice her. He was walking with his guardian across the gardens, both of them talking excitedly, with the guardian holding a large book in his hands. Certainly, they were in the middle of a lesson or another, though Margaret didn’t know. She herself was having an off day, as it was thought detrimental for women to study as fervently as men did, and for so many days.
Édouard was ten to her eleven, and she was a little taller than him, but her heart now stuttered when she looked at him. She could hardly meet his gaze without blushing.
A sudden crash echoed behind her and she turned around to see that Elsbeth had dropped a jewellery box. Lady Egidia approached her and began to assist her lady in picking up all the dropped rings. Thankfully, the crown jewels of Scotland had stayed behind and Margaret knew none of those pretty baubles should cause a tragedy if broken.
Margaret looked at her governess when the woman stood up again, directing Elsbeth and the jewellery box out of the room. Her foster mother was married to the High Steward of Scotland, but they hadn’t seen each other since the Queen’s household moved to England. She wondered if she missed him. Everyone said Lady Egidia loved and obeyed her husband with all her heart.
And Elsbeth… Her lady was only twelve and she was married to Robert Bruce, who was eighteen. With his mother’s death, Elsbeth was now a countess, even though the marriage hadn’t been consummated yet. Her brother John was married to Christina Bruce, who sewed by the fire with her little sister Mary. There were other ladies in Margaret’s entourage, of course there were, but she only cared about the four.
And save for Mary, all of them were already married.
“When will I be married?” she asked in a high voice. Egidia Stewart looked at her.
“My lady, what a question,” said the royal governess. “The Queen knows well that she and Prince Édouard will be married once my lady is sixteen.”
“Can’t it be earlier?” Margaret asked and Egidia smiled.
“Why are you so eager, my queen?” she asked and Margaret looked away, her cheeks flushing. “The law states that no girl under twelve or boy under fourteen may be married.” Egidia approached her, taking her diamond-shaped face in her hands. “The years will pass quickly. Don’t worry about it.”
“I want to invite the Prince for supper,” Margaret said. “Can you arrange it?” His father had left Beaumont Palace, because word came that the queen had given birth to another child, so they were technically alone. With only Egidia and his tutor as supervision. And no need to attend to the king.
“What do you think she wants?” Édouard asked one of his grooms, standing before the mirror in his bedchambers. The man was dressing him silently, face scrunched up in concentration but Édouard knew he heard him. It would be impossible not to.
“The Queen probably wishes to thank you for saving her life, my lord,” the groom said.
“She already thanked me,” said Édouard. His groom stepped back and he looked at himself, the reflection of his body in the mirror. Édouard was ten, wearing a fine green tunic and with his hair brushed to perfection. His mother used to say he would grow into a very handsome man, but he still didn’t see it. He wondered if he ever would.
He left his bedchambers and walked to the Scottish Queen’s apartments, his heart racing inside his chest. She must want something from him. Margaret, that is. She wouldn’t have invited him for supper without a reason. Everyone wanted something from him. He wasn’t stupid.
Her governess opened the door to him, curtsying deeply. The first thing Édouard noticed was the table set up for them both in the antechamber, filled with delicious food, such as sweetmeats, roasted goose and much more. His eyes looked at Margaret standing by the table, wearing a pretty green dress trimmed with cloth-of-gold.
She was very beautiful. Even Édouard knew that. And would grow to be even more beautiful. Her face was shaped like a cut diamond, her lips full and heart-shaped. She had blue-green eyes, more vivid than his own, who were blue-grey. He wondered if she’d be more beautiful than him someday.
The greyhound named Oslo stretched before the hearth and Édouard smiled. He liked dogs. Very much so, in fact. His father had many dogs, though he didn't have any as of yet. When he became king, he'd have as many dogs as he wished.
“Hello, Prince Édouard,” Margaret said, making him look back at her. She was smiling and Édouard smiled as well.
“Hello,” he said. “I’m happy you invited me here, my lady.” Her smile was as bright as a thousand suns and she gestured for them to sit down. A maid pulled his chair for him to sit and he sucked in a breath when they began to serve him goose’s pie, his favourite.
“I’m happy you came,” said Margaret, in a stilted and practised voice. He wondered if he made her nervous.
He smiled again and began to dig in at his food.
super tender chapter, really well written, while I was reading I couldn't help but imagine the scene, as if it were really happening before my eyes, the part where we see Margaret's first romantic thoughts towards her heroic young knight is very cute 😇, the part to whom he shyly asks if he can invite him to dinner is truly a touch of class, I almost can't wait to see how this "first date" of theirs ( can we call it that ?, because for me it already is ) continues and above all it will be fantastic when they will be older, with the teenage hormones that will hit them like a raging river, I am already anticipating the laughter at the possible embarrassing situations that this will cause 🤣😜
"I saved your life"=W Rizz
In all seriousness though they're adorable and I want them together forever (I mean that was going to happen anyway but I mean actually together and happy and stuff)
In all seriousness though they're adorable and I want them together forever (I mean that was going to happen anyway but I mean actually together and happy and stuff)
Awwww, it looks like Margaret and Edward are certainly going to be a good couple, once they're old enough...