Violent Delights (Violent Delights Book 1)

Afterword/References

To be clear, fifty six and sixty four, are very old ages to live to in the Middle Ages. That was about as long as one expected to live, both died of old age related diseases. Philippa died of some kind of heart condition, likely, and Edward a series of strokes, likely. Again we don't know exactly but even so. Given *gestures broadly to the Middle Ages* that was a very respectable age. Like living that long, and dying in your own bed, you're winning.
Edward, sort of sadly, would outlive Philippa, the Black Prince (Ned), and most of his loyal knights/friends including Monty, his younger brother, his second surviving son, and three daughters who would succumb to the plague. He did however have his oldest daughter and oldest surviving son by his side when he passed, and got to meet over a dozen grandchildren.
The primary timeline, and all major events are completely true. Even little things like Edward owning a lion, and having his grandfather's dagger, and Philippa's coronation dresses, are true. Edward being called Lionel as a child is apparently true. That said little details and conversations of course I had to take artistic liberty.
Things like the lion attack, and Philippa breaking into Mortimer's office, I made up for plot purposes.
Things like calling the Black Prince (their first born son) Ned, is conjecture. In all likelihood, all of these guys went by nick names, not their real names. Either from childhood, or for ease. She's gonna call the baby something different than her husband, for all we know they called him something else completely just like Edward was apparently called Lionel. We just don't know so I go with Shakespeare and call him Ned. Similarly William Montague I called Monty to make it easier, but we don't know what he was called. Wilam is how is name is sometimes spelled so maybe that, or Will or literally anything? I don't know what pet names Edward had for Philippa, likely Pippa, but if she called him Lionel and that was their code, then he maybe used something from the King Arthur legend. Kent, was technically Sir Edmund, Earl of Kent, but in Marlowe, everything, he's usually referred to as Kent. In reality they likely would have simply been calling him Edmund as that's his name. But, Edmund is so similar in reading to Edward that I wanted to avoid confusion also historically we refer to him as Kent. So I left that one, even though in all honest accurately they'd have likely not called him Kent.
That said, again, historically all these guys were speaking French, but Old French, and Old English, which means none of this would sound the same. I try my best to keep references and turns of phrase to true to period, but there's simply a lot that gets a bit lost in translation, this is a modern work so any little dialogue things or what have you we're going to get artistic license for. We don't know what anyone actually said most of the time.
Similarly, Edward III was known to use code names and messages.
All the events again are as true as I can get, or complied from different versions of the story. That said, Edward II was long thought dead in 1326. We now suspect that he did live at least till 1330. In captivity or free? We don't know. I kept it vague in the novel, but suffice to say a lot of people were looking for him, Kent seemed to have thought he talked to him or at least wrote to him, many people thought he was alive. It's commonly thought he escaped to Italy and Edward eventually went and saw him one last time, maybe he met Philippa and a couple of the kids? We kind of hope so, but we don't fully know. Edward later had his grave redone mysteriously and possibly added, ah, more correct remains. Yeah, that was after Edward took a mysterious trip to the continent.
Aimee Gaveston was a real person (all the other ladies in waiting are fictional), but she was real and was who is stated in the novel. Little is known about her life but she remained in Philippa's service and I believe she eventually married and had a couple children.
Edward and Monty have a serious of espionage related adventures, on the continent and domestic. They're pretty fun. Also jousting adventures. Monty will eventually die of jousting related injures later in life.
The royal family thinking kidnappings were funny is true. Edward I would have himself fake kidnapped and his wife had to 'rescue' him on Easter. Edward II kept this up but apparently was hard to wake up to be kidnapped, like he'd still be asleep. Then Edward III at one point actually paid actors to go and fake 'rob' the Black Prince...who was on his way home from war with the King of France as a captive. The Black Prince at this point was not surprised and told the King of France that it was a real robbery. Which begs the question, how many times was the Black Prince fake kidnapped in his life that he sees bandits and assumes it's a prank of his family's namely his dad's? Anyway, point being that was the familial sense of humor.
Brief note about the after notes: Edward was noted to have a mistress AFTER Philippa's death. There's not really solid evidence he was with her before her death AND even after Philippa's death, I've read multiple different versions of the woman's life and involvement to the extent that I'm not even taking that as fact. So yes he may have had a mistress AFTER she died, but not before. We have zero evidence to show he ever cheated on her. Which is really sweet considering the time period.
The lady in question is Alice Perrs, there's a lot out there about her, but all conflicting, some say she was in her teens when she met the king, in which case that's horrible also I really don't see Edward suddenly being attracted to a teenager after being faithful to his wife. Moreover, others paint her as scheming. Well, if she was sleeping with the king I hope she was getting something out of it. Frankly, we don't know, Edward had dementia or something of that kind at this point so he also didn't know what was going on. She did exist and get lands and such, we know that, but why? To be fair several princes were around who could have been having an affair with her like do we know it was Edward? It's complicated. Point being, even if Edward did have an affair with her, it was after Philippa died (some sources say it began when she was ill, considering Edward was distraught at her death and sat by her bedside for three days as she died I highly doubt it). Also Edward went on campaign willingly away from Philippa many times, no mistresses no illegitimate children, simply put I doubt his sex drive was such that he's looking for a mistress as his wife of forty years dies. Just no. Alice Perres comes up later in time after Philippa's death, she was in fact married, there's a bit in Parliament where Edward testifies he didn't know she was married (supposedly, I didn't cross reference the incident), even so this is all years after Philippa's death (and he likely had dementia at this point...he was showing some symptoms).
Philippa's physical description is accurate. She was supposedly darker skinned and haired and to be fair several of her sons were too. Both the Black Prince and John of Gaunt are depicted medium skinned with very dark thick black curls. She is usually described as a bit chubby and 'dumpy' which to be clear this woman had thirteen children so she was often pregnant, like leave her alone. That follows that's basic biology. Also her death effigy depicts her as a little chubby which she was in her mid fifties when she died and again had thirteen children. That said I went with the description of her always being a bit chubby because why not? 

Brief note. Several of those thirteen children died in infancy. It is debated if one even existed or if it's a misreading of a birth registry. The reason it's debated is if the baby was full term, ah, Edward hadn't been around nine months ago. I say, there's no reason if the baby died at birth, to believe it was full term.
Just for fun, here's a list of all their children.
Black Prince/Edward of Woodstock
Isabella of Woodstock
Joan of the Tower
William of Hatfield (died shortly after birth)
Lionel of Antwerp
John of Ghent (usually spelled Gaunt)
Edmund of Langley
Blanche of the Tower (died shortly after birth)
Mary of Hampshirite
Margret of Windsor
Thomas of Windsor (this is the debated one, died in infancy)
William of Windsor (died in infancy)
Thomas of Woodstock
They were born between 1330, and 1355, so the Black Prince was twenty five years older than his youngest brother.  Unless otherwise noted all of them survived infancy. So nine children in total who lived past infancy. Mary, Margret, and Joan, all died as teenagers, presumed due to the plague. Lionel would predecease both his parents, of natural causes, likely Marfan syndrome he was seven feet tall apparently, and the Black Prince would predecease his father albeit by a year, again of natural causes.
Yes, John of Ghent. Shakespeare lied to you because there's been mistranslations to call him John of Gaunt, he was born in Ghent so he's John of Ghent. All the kids got titles and such later up there I'm going by their birthplace. We have no real idea why the Black Prince is called as such, that is only written down much later, not in his lifetime, and he was not called that (more than likely) in his lifetime or to his face. I'm using it here so we know who he is also frankly it's awesome.
All the physical descriptions are as accurate as I can get.
Philippa's birthdate is debated. Long story short, she likely was fourteen when she married Edward. That would make the most sense and would follow with the Black Prince (Ned's) birthdate. He was born about a year after what would have been her sixteenth birthday...which follows if you consider it wasn't good form to sleep with the girl before she was sixteen. Even though Edward was also a teenager. It explains why they didn't conceive for their first year of marriage. That's a theory, some say she's older than Edward, but that doesn't match up. I went with fourteen because that seemed most likely.
Tracking Philippa was nearly as bad as tracking Richard Courtenay (fixer/spymaster of Henry V, yes intensely fun guy). They both become these ghost like figures who simply pop up in the king's narrative at key points. Half the time I only knew where Philippa was because of birth records of another kid. But just like Courtenay, undoubtedly she's not only someone important to Edward, but also quite clever in her own right. We know she handled finincial papers. We know she was regent for him. She trained the kids namely John of Gaunt, she managed the kids and their finances. She even rode to war in Scotland at one point, like she's very very competent, very tough, very cool, such an interesting person who we know relatively little about compared to her husband. We'll never know how many of his decisions she influenced or orchestrated entirely or how much she coached him behind the scenes but honestly I'm going with a good bit. No man is an island and from what little we do know when she does show her hand so to speak she's remarkably competent and clever.

She and Edward remained in love their whole lives. They were often together, intentionally travelled together. Shared love of music and reading, they road together well into old age. Had children for over twenty years, she had her last child in her forties so they remained ah, enthusiastic about each other. Usually their kids are a few years apart but a few are back to back, Irish twins. Edward would get her presents and she him, they simply remained devoted their whole lives. At one point Edward (claimed) someone had told them both rumors about each other but they immediately spoke and found out it wasn't true, which showed how much they spoke and communicated.

Works referenced

Edward II : the unconventional king
by Warner, Kathryn, author'

The Black Prince
by Barber, Richard W

The perfect king : the life of Edward III, father of the English nation
by Mortimer, Ian

King Edward III
by Packe, Michael St. John

The Reign of Edward III
by Ormrod, W. M., 1957-

Edward III & his wars, 1327-1360
by Ashley, W. J. (William James), Sir, 1860-1927

Edward III
by Warburton, William Parsons, 1826-