This story should be prefaced by its point of divergence from our own history.
After his victory at Barnet in 1471, Edward IV pardons his brother George for eternity. Isabel Neville survives giving birth to George's son Edward of Warwick. The couple have three more children besides Margaret Plantagenet and Warwick. Edward IV only has three daughters in this chronology, but also has three sons. One is wry, aloof, and intelligent, the other two, foolish and weak. Since Edward values physical fitness, he survives past 1483 thus removing any chance for a Shakespearean scenario. As Isabel has not died by 1494, George is never found guilty of murder or treason, and is thus never executed.
An entirely fictional element of this story are the Carthusian Brothers of the Sword. They are a mix of the Knights of the Teutonic Order, as well as various monastic orders, drawing their name in fact from the Carthusian order of monks.
Henry Tudor accepts a royal pardon but chooses to live out his days in the Holy Roman Empire, a fact of some considerable significance as we shall discover later. He fathers several sons and his wife is a lady in waiting to Edward's eldest child, Elizabeth of York, Holy Roman Empress for six years. His eldest son Arthur, will become known as the "Wizard Earl" for several daring exploits.
Another key difference is the fate of the Percy family. The last heiress had married a member of the powerful Stafford Family and had three children, only one son amongst them: Philip Stafford. Philip himself had a son, Robert. But Philip died during a battle against the Scots in 1479 and his father died three years later. As Robert was only a child, the massive estates of Northumberland and Wiltshire went to his aunt Matilda, despite the (albeit stolen) will of Robert's grandfather. The King settled this disagreement for good in 1489, compensating Robert with the Northampton estates that went with its earldom and marrying his younger sons to Matilda's daughters.
Edward counted not only a lordship and a crown to himself, but also had guardianship of the duchies of Burgundy and Luxembourg.
His ducal vassals were as follows:
Edward of Luxembourg, Duke of Luxembourg, Baron Rivers, Duke of Burgundy, titular King of Thessalonica, Earl of Chester, Prince of Wales, and Duke of Cornwall
Edmund the Tall, Duke of York and Speaker of Parliament (Edward IV's second son)
Richard the Fair, Duke of March (Edward IV's third son)
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
Richard Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Gloucester
Edward Stafford (2nd cousin of Matilda and 3rd cousin of Robert), 3rd Duke of Buckingham
John de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Matilda Stafford, 1st Dowager Duchess of Northumberland, 2nd Dowager Countess of Wiltshire
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The White Rose
Fanfiction"Accursed! Accursed! You shall be accursed even unto the thirteenth generation of your blood!" The White Rose - Edward the Handsome- is as cold and silent, as handsome and unblinking as a statue. He governs his realm with an iron hand, but he cannot...
