1272-1298
MAIN CHARACTER : Mother, horse breeder, leather worker and horse trainer. From a noble family in Agen, France, another famous horse family. Proud and dedicated to family. Will do anything for Arnald. Her mother died birthing her, so she was largely raised by her father in the horseyard training, shoeing, making bridles and tack, etc. Very much a tomboy.
S1E2- Feb 1297 – She gives birth to Bernard de Brocas, who will become a preeminent attorney in England as an adult. She has a very difficult time with this delivery. Arnald gets home just in time for the birth.
In S1E4 (?) or S1E5 (dies in 1298 supposedly) she gives birth to twins and almost dies doing so. She is very clingy with Cerise and refuses to leave her, wants to be with Cerise for the birth. Marie convinces her she will be at risk of childbed illness (infection? What did they call it?) and makes her go inside the house. Margaret is very upset with her and Cerise works herself up during Margaret’s labor. She names them Arnald and Lucie.
Margaret disappears. There is no explanation, no real clues, and multiple possibilities as to what could have happened to her. She is never found, and her mysterious disappearance drives the family for the remainder of the series. Arnald is destroyed, John is devastated (the only one of her kids who remembers her), and William obsesses over proving GADN must have kidnapped her and trying to find her.
Secret/trauma/ghost: Margaret is terrified the same will happen to her, as having her first child almost killed her. She’s torn between being a good mother/wife, having children for her husband and the legitimate fear of dying in childbirth. Because she didn’t have a mother to learn from she feels she isn’t a very good one to her own children but knows she is very competent with horses.
Choices she must make that show her character: She chooses to have children even though she knows it will likely kill her. Will choose to care for horses even when it puts her in danger (gets them safe from storms, saves from wolves, etc.).
Coping mechanism: hyperfocused on the horses, feels distanced from her children even though she loves them.
Married Arnald de Brocas when she was 21 in 1293. Is an excellent horsewoman. She is a noble. Angry that her husband went to fight with Edward i.
She has been taking care of the horses alone since Arnald left. She is a skilled smith and can make buckles, shoe horses, etc. Central Conflict in her Life: that she is in Gascony where there is war, taking care of her kids and their herd of horses, while her husband is in England and Scotland in the service of King Edward as a Knight. Smart, independent, nurturing, but terrified inside. She loves her husband but is angry at him at the same time. Part of her wants to go live with her family in Agens where she will feel safer. Takes care of children while also taking care of horses, has to ask Marie to watch boys so she can care for horses.