Feast of Fools (Violent Delights Book 15)

Afterword

If you're thinking 'wow I thought Margret was an epic bitch', that would be due to mostly Shakespeare, but no other literary interpretation of her life has been very kind. I mean I know why, it's sexism, but anyway.
The basic facts of the novel are true. Margret was just sixteen when she married her husband, and twenty three when he fell ill and she had her first (and only) baby. That's extremely young, she was not in a whole lot of control here. She was undeniably intelligent and so tough, but 90% of her actions are in direct support of her husband. Which, seriously, who else was she supposed to support? That's...her husband, like she's allied to him permanently. She would fight all her life to get him his throne back, and save herself and her son, ultimately, tragically failing.

So, to debunk a couple of rumors about Margret.
1 - she was having an affair: okay maybe, maybe anyone was??? Suffolk, and Somerset, and Butler are the main ones named as possibly her lover. Every single one of these men was 15-20 years older than her, and married. Somerset and his wife did go to get her, and she trusted him and all, he's a father figure he literally has a daughter her age. Suffolk and Butler, actually sound a bit gay, like Butler gets that allegation a bit, but they too were much older. IF Margret chose to have an affair, simply put, she had lots better people to do it with, her brothers in law, Jasper and Edmund, were her actual age, so was Harry (later Duke of Exeter), Younger Somerset, or any number of young knights, like credit the girl with some taste here, at least Jasper and Harry spent their whole lives with her helping her, and remained unattached (younger Somerset had a mistress and child). I don't think that was going on, to be clear, we have no evidence of it and I truly hate when historians pair men and women together just because they knew each other...it's called 'having friends'. If it was, Henry VI was apparently completely fine, he lived in close quarters with everyone like, if it was an arrangement then whatever but I honestly don't think so.
2- Margret thinks her husband is useless. Frankly if she did, she had a couple great opportunities to leave him. I honestly don't see why she wouldn't love him. Why? Well because Henry VI, age twenty three, was the EXACT genre of man 16 year old girls tend to think is attractive. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to ask some women how they felt about their male high school english teacher. Seriously, he's tall, thin, soft spoken, gentle, sensitive, reads a lot of books, listens to your feelings, dresses mostly in black, likes pets, and is very polite. I encourage you to spend some time on tumblr and then get back to me. Speaking generally here (yes everyone is different), he was kind of catnip at this point, sorry gents that's what women want. There's no real reason at this point he wouldn't be at least mildly attractive. Jokes aside, seriously, there is nothing not to like at this point for sixteen year old Margret who had to be married to him.
3- Henry was not the father of their child
A couple points
1-for some reason Henry VI seems rather asexual like his dad. I can't imagine that's genetic but also like it's not we test it usually. So.
2- that does not mean he did not have sex with his wife.
3- their baby was born early October. October is the 10th month. That means that Margret got pregnant prior to Lent,  which is a fairly usual time if your'e trying for a kid again, going to try before Lent pick up after Advent
4-Henry VI fell ill in August
5- absolutely none of that implies he is not the father. They were together geographically. It's pre-Lent conception, he was not ill then, they wanted a baby, and he loved his wife. Again sex wasn't romantic strictly it's a duty even if he was asexual or even sex repulsed no reason to believe he'd have not gone through with it for the sake of a kid.  Simply put, he'd just think he was a really great catholic for not wanting sex! He'd think he was nailing this religion thing, he's not supposed to enjoy it! Nobody's going to tell him differently his closest brother and his cousin don't seem all that interested in girls either they're not telling him. So, he would genuinely assume that was just 'cause he's not tempted by the sins of the flesh, he'd still try to have a kid (in theory) that's his duty as a husband.
6- Henry did say the baby was 'conceived by the holy spirit' but he said that shit a lot, like that's typical does not mean he didn't think he was the father. It could mean that admittedly but again he said that sort of thing. Also at that point he'd woken up out of an 18 month coma and is being presented with a 16 month old baby, like this man is confused who is interviewing him right now?
7- IF Margret needed a father for the child she had Henry's two brothers and a couple cousins who were all her age who'd all remain best friends with her their whole lives. She clearly loved Henry and he her, if he was not the child's father this was apparently agreed upon or at the very least this was her intentionally getting pregnant and Henry never need know it wasn't his.