The Fearless Princess (Forgotten Royals)

Chapter Twelve

It took longer than I would have liked to arrange a meeting with my father. Edward probably would have been given an audience sooner, but I worried he would ruin everything with demands. This had to be handled with the utmost care.

At least my mother was busy overseeing preparations for Easter. Lent couldn't end soon enough for me. It was the bleakest time of the year, and it felt like color had bled away from the world. I craved the return of spring when life came back to court.

Not that I wanted a chance to dance with a certain French lord. That wasn't on my mind at all.

"My dearest daughter." Papa smiled, but his lined face seemed weighed down. "Is all well?"

"Of course," I said in a bright way, refusing to bring any melancholy to him. "What of you? Why was there a messenger leaving in such haste?"

His smile faded a bit. "Terrible news, I'm afraid."

I never lost my confident stance, even as worry struck me like an arrow. Arguments built inside in case my father had found out about Edward's plans.

"The pestilence has taken another life." Papa clenched his hand. "The Duke of Lancaster."

"Blanche's father?" Shock rippled through me. "I am very sorry."

The Duke of Lancaster had been around as long as I could remember. One of Papa's closest friends, it was little surprise John married his daughter.

"So am I." My father's kingly mask broke and his face trembled a bit. His pain made my heart crack, but he lowered the gate on his emotions, becoming a stone fortress again before I could say anything. He rubbed his hands together. "But we have to act fast. Henry had two daughters. The eldest is in Hainault. We need to make sure there is no problem with the inheritance."

I grimaced. "Are you worried Blanche won't get her half of the inheritance?"

"You never know how these things go." Papa turned to his fireplace. "I am going to give your brother temporary control of the duke's lands. He can get his people into position, so it will be harder to wrest any of it away from him."

"From Blanche," I said, a little nettled that he was acting like these lands were John's.

Of course, a husband had all power over a wife, including her properties. I wasn't foolish and knew the way the world worked. But I felt awful for Blanche that she lost her father and her husband's family was more focused on material concerns. It would shatter me if I lost Papa. I hoped John was showing her care during her grief.

"Of course," Papa said. "Blanche is our family now. We have to protect her interests."

I raised my eyebrow, but managed to keep my peace. It was another reason to be thankful that I had never married.

"This will change your brother's life." Papa held out his hands to the fire. "He is going to become one of the richest and most powerful men in the realm."

I sucked in a breath. John had only just turned twenty-one. The Lancaster estates were vast and overflowed with riches. It seemed so much for a young man.

"Will he become the Duke?" I asked.

"If I have anything to say about it," Papa said. "If the sister makes too much of a fuss, I might just have to make him the Earl of Lancaster for now."

I imagined there would be quite a few other titles to go along with it. I loved John, but he was already a bit pompous. This was going to make him unbearable. He had changed so much from the little brother who feared losing me at sea.

A different concern entered my mind. "What about Mary? Isn't she visiting them?"

Papa lowered his head. "Perhaps you could make the arrangements for her to return?" He adjusted his sleeve. "This won't be a very merry time for her while everyone is grieving."