S1E1:
At end, Margaret should be screaming in labor while Fayette and Marie try to help her. All of them are crying/grieving from losing C/M/G. Object of Catherine’s that Fayette moves out of the way so Margaret has room.
S1E2:
Feb 1297 – Arnald and Etienne ride into Saint-Sever leading the chestnut mare from Navailles, find William and Jacques cleaning up the mess. They quickly figure out it was William who killed the men from Navailles. Arnald rushes home after Wm tells him Marg is in labor.
The three women manage to get Marg through labor safely and Bernard is delivered. There is so much blood. Fayette is horrified by how much blood there is compared to the horse deliveries she has seen. She asks “Why is there so much blood?” Margaret 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.
William is bent on revenge. He convinces Arnald to go after the “hostages” but he’s really trying to find GADN. GADN has gone to Bordeaux, perhaps anticipating that William will come after him. Someplace where it can look like he’s doing business for King Edward. To talk to the seneschal and complain about William, trying to sow doubt in the King’s mind about William.
In Scotland, a young William Wallace, of minor nobility, has begun leading a small band and striking here and there (3E) in the wilds of Scotland. Strike and run guerilla tactics. One attack with 30 men on the headquarters of Heselrig and Lanark results in the death of the English sheriff. Wallace is not married and did not possess a home. He quickly gained a national reputation and he was a genius at warfare. Costain suggests lowly friars who traveled to care for the poor may have served as Wallace’s eyes. In spring, when Scottish nobility decided to revolt against Edward, they summoned Wallace. Wallace and his men went, and met with Sir William Douglas at Perth. Sir William Douglas had commanded the garrison at Berwick, been captured, and released after swearing an oath of loyalty to Edward. Together their men marched on Scone where they met no resistance. Edward’s justiciar gathered his documents and ran. This win for the insurgents cause rejoicing among the Scots. In response Edward confiscated all of Douglas’s estates in England and arrested his wife and children. Douglas is later arrested, sent to Berwick to the exact same cell he was in before, same chains, etc. He dies there within the year. Wallace sweeps north as far as the Tay, pillaging. Scottish officials marched in, Scots gave in but Wallace wasn’t part of that. He continued attacking the lowlands. Treasurer Hugo de Cressingham sends overconfident reports to Edward, thinking the Scots had been broken. This caused Edward to focus on his problems in France. Wallace takes advantage of the English arrogance and takes over the common men of Scotland under his banner. He moves rapidly and lays seige to Dundee near Stirling Castle. English command forced to tak action. John de Warenne takes 50k men and 1000 horse. He is late sixties, stiff, hates Scotland and sick of war. Wallace has 40K foot and 180 horse (optimistically), untrained but brave. Crude equipment, wore mostly wool or cloth tunics to soften sword blows. Long spears or axes. Very unorganized. Wallace however is a military genius.
September 1297 – Battle of Stirling Bridge –
Wallace calculates that the English will be lazy and cross the bridge, which can only be crossed 2 abreast. He waits until about 5K have crossed, then at 11:00 he gives the signal. 5k English and Welsh soldiers killed almost immediately by swords, falling off bridge, drowning, trampling, axes. Fat Cressingham is the one who convinces de Warenne to cross. He is among those killed. He is knocked from horse, trampled, skinned and his skin iis given as souvenirs. De Warenne watches from the other side of stream, orders bridge burned if possible, then runs like hell for Berwick. He then runs all the way to York where he gets letter from E2 saying to stay in Scotland until insurgents are beaten/destroyed. English are chased down through rocky fields, roads, streams and killed. Wallace not only chased down de Warenne’s army but also pillage and burned 700 towns. In mid October he and his men went back into Northumberland and fire 700 villages.
The pope interferes, insists King John Comyn be released from prison.
9 October 1297 – Truce between Edward I and Philip Iv, through Pope Boniface VII. Truce did not include Scotland.
Mid-October 1297 – Wallace invades and pillages northern England, fires 700 villages.
Edmund Crouchback is in France trying to help with truce. Edward is there while the Wallace stuff above is happening.
Edward’s reaction?
S1E3 22 July 1298 – Nov 1298
29 Jan 1298 – two-year truce with France was signed, agreed to put the quarrel to the pope.
20 March 1298 Edward reimburses them for loss of lands, 8000 s. 20,000 s total, remainder to be dispersed to William’s friends.
- Edward immediately sent word to England to halt their attack on Scotland until he arrived. This also would have meant the soldiers from Gascony were transferred to Scotland. (date?)
Arnald is ordered to Scotland as part of Edward’s summer invasion. Brings another crop of warhorses to London with him. Etienne, too old for war, returns to Saint-Sever.
Edward invades 3 July 1298.
In S1E4 (?) or S1E5 (dies in 1298 supposedly) Margaret 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. Arnald isn’t there for the birth. He was called to England in May 1298 to Scotland.
Battle of Falkirk July 22 1298.
This is the battle that sees England defeat the rising star William Wallace. Edward is trampled by his own horse in the night and fights with broken ribs. Arnald is the one he insists bandage him up. Arnald himself is nearly killed in the battle.
After the battle, (in London?) they receive news that Edward’s eldest daughter Eleanor has died in Ghent, from childbirth. Edward, having lost like 11 other kids by now, is heartbroken. Arnald does his best to console the king but knows that Margaret is also likely giving birth any day, without him there.
Arnald returns home to find Margaret and the two babies, whose names obviously cause mixed emotions because the toddler he killed was Lucie. Plus he’s had PTSD dreams about Margaret taking the girl Lucie away on Cerise.
During this time wolves are active again. A townsperson is found maimed, believed to be wolf kill. GADN is also making evil mischief by sending King Edward petitions trying to discredit William and also harassing Margaret. He does something to threaten her. There are also French forces in the area.
S1E4
William Wallace resigns, and Arnald rejoices because he can stay home now.
Margaret disappears. There is no explanation, no real clues, and multiple possibilities as to what could have happened to her. William and Marie arrange for a wet nurse for baby Arnald. (did noble women nurse their own babies?) Cerise colics. End of episode. They search for wolves, ask for whereabouts of GADN. Try to establish where French troops were at the time. William is positive GADN kidnapped her, while Arnald isn’t sure but he’s completely haunted by his nightmares. John agrees with William, that it must have been GADN. He never forgives or forgets.
London – Smallpox 1299, Edward marries Marguerite of France. In 1300 Piers Gaveston appears in Prince’s household accounts.
Cerise dies. They have still not located Margaret and Lucie.
A significant sum is delivered from the Crown to “Menald and his heirs” with some also going to his friends, for restitution of lost lands.
May 1300 – Edward invades Scotland. 30 Oct Truce with Scots
S1E5
Treaty of Paris. The truce is renewed several times during the negotiations until 1303. The truce arranges the marriages of Edward I and Marguerite of France, sister of Philip IV and between Edward I’s son the prince Edward and Isabella, daughter of Philip IV.[14] The marriage of Edward I and Marguerite occurred in 1299, while the second occurred in 1308. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1303 which returned Aquitaine to Edward I, in exchange for homage, and ended of the Auld alliance between France and Scotland signed eight years earlier in 1295.
This episode should be about Margaret’s disappearance and William.
S1E6 March 1305 – August
William, correspondence, Famine in France, The death of William Wallace (Arnald observes and is completely traumatized by)
S1E7 Nov 1305 – June 1306
S1E8 26 Feb 1307 – 7 July 1307
Piers Gaveston exiled. Baby Eleanor Born. Battle of Loudon Hill.
Edward I dies.
S1E9 July 1307 ? – 19 June 1312
Isabella arrives. Wedding and coronation.
Wedding:
S1E10
Bannockburn. Arnald dies. The boys are now orphans.
Jan 1307 – Opening Image (1) – 12-year-old Isabella of France rides in a black carriage pulled by four black horses. The carriage careens towards a French Gothic cathedral, driven by what appears to be Death. Beside Isabella sits her French nurse, Theophania. We see Isabella’s big eyes, an innocent but astute child with far too much weight being placed on her shoulders. The jeweled crown on her head is too big for her, and seems to crush her.
Theme Stated (5) and Set-up (1-10) – Speaking to Isabella as the carriage rushes towards the cathedral, Theophania details Isabella’s duties as the soon-to-be Queen of England, and describes Edward II, whom Isabella has never met. Her description is respectful but hardly flattering, and it’s clear Edward ‘s intelligence will be no match for Isabella’s. Theophania gives thematic statements: that Isabella must gain strength from her adversaries, that she must never give up, and that she should not fear to destroy her enemies.
At the wedding, we meet Isabella’s betrothed. He is hardly interested in her.
Catalyst (12) – Feb 25, 1307- Piers was given responsibility of planning coronation. He gave himself a central role in it and many held that against him for a long time. The At Edward’s and Isabella’s coronation, Edward’s lover Piers Gaveston wears imperial purple decorated with pearls. His coat of arms hangs beside the King’s, and Isabella is left to sit alone while Edward sits with Gaveston. In this one evening Edward humiliates Isabella, enrages the barons, and insults several members of the French royal family. He lets the world know who he cherishes most. It will never be Isabella.
Debate (12-25) – Isabella and her nurse argue over how to navigate Isabella’s new world.
Break into Two (25) – It becomes clear that Gaveston has complete control over Edward’s actions, behavior, and spending. His terrible influence causes Isabella and the barons to force Edward to banish Gaveston. Edward does so, but then secretly calls Gaveston back. Gaveston is caught and executed by the barons. It seems there will be peace in the royal household.
B Story (30) – Isabella has her first child, the future Edward III. Unlike most English queens, Isabella keeps her children near to her. She is invested in their upbringing and education.
Fun and Games (30-55) – Skip forward to year 1321 – Isabella is now 26 years old and has 4 children. She is respected by everyone, including the pope, the people, the barons, and her husband. She is the voice of wisdom on the throne. She serves as mediator between her husband and the barons, and between England and France. She has an enormous amount of influence over her husband. All is well until it becomes clear that Edward has taken another lover, the greedy Hugh Despenser, son of the Baron of Winchester. Both Despensers wants Isabella and her influence out of the picture.
Midpoint/false resolution (55) – Isabella beseeches the Barons to exile Despenser and his father, which they do. There is a a brief peace.
The Despensers return, and are worse than ever. Edward devolves into a thieving, manipulative tyrant.
Bad Guys Close In (55-75) – Isabella’s brother, King Charles IV of France, seizes Edward’s French possessions in Gascony, France because Edward refused to pay him homage. This gives Hugh Despenser an excuse to treat Isabella as an enemy of the state. He convinces Edward to remove her children from her, and also to confiscate all of her English land possessions. During an altercation, Despenser strikes Isabella. Edward doesn’t come to her defense.
All is Lost (something dies) (75) – at the Pope’s suggestion, Edward sends Isabella to France to negotiate with her brother. She is still bruised from Hugh Despenser’s assault. Charles, of the great Capetians, is furious. Isabella refuses to return to England despite pleas and threats from Edward and Despenser. From here on, Isabella wears only black mourning garments.
Dark Night of the Soul (75-85) – Isabella mourns for her marriage and her children. Charles is becoming uncomfortable supporting her financially. The pope seems to be turning against her. At a breaking point, Isabella suggests her son pay homage for Gascony in King Edward’s stead, so the 13-year-old crown Prince Edward of Windsor joins her in France. With the help of exiled Roger Mortimer, 1st earl of March, Isabella plots to overthrow Edward II. Isabella sets up a betrothal between Prince Edward and Phillipa of Hinaut in exchange for a substantial dowry. Isabella uses this money to build a mercenary army.
Break into Three (85) – Isabella’s army crosses the English Channel with an army of ninety five ships. While the ships are being unloaded in England, Isabella fires off letters to cities and villages saying she plans to rid the country of the Despensers. Her army is supported by almost all barons, Robert the Bruce of Scotland, magnates, and bishops. Most importantly she is supported by the English people, who greet her as a liberator. Knowing the “whole community of the realm” will declare for the queen, the King runs with the Despensers and the few barons that support them. A wild chase ensues, all the way to Wales.
Finale (85-110) – Isabella’s army captures Edward and Hugh Despenser at Llantrisant. Isabella is made regent for the crown prince. Edward is imprisoned at Berkeley Castle. Hugh Depsenser is executed in a most gruesome way.
Final Image (110) – Isabella, astride a white horse, leads her son and several barons to a celebratory feast. She wears a black velvet gown and the bejeweled crown, which now fits her perfectly. Thus ends this bold and noble enterprise, where Queen Isabella reconquers her kingdom and destroys her enemies, at which the whole country rejoices together.