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Girl, he can barely handle you as a person.

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Anne Neville: When she feels wronged, Cecily doesn't cry, nor does she scream, nor does she stamp her foot. That's because she prefers to channel all her energy into the revenge she's preparing for you. Richard Duke of York: She's nine. Anne Neville: More precisely, nine years, six months, three days, and 12 ways to make your life a misery. Do you know that on her last visit, the abbess was bedridden after swallowing a significant amount of ash? Cecily Neville: She punished me! She locked me in a cell all alone. She said that way she would drive the devil out of me. Anne Neville: If humility didn't come willingly… Cecily Neville: …I made sure it came with cramps. Richard Duke of York, looking at the herb-roasted meat on his plate: Don’t say another word…

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Henry V x Catherine of Valois WIP.

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Henry V: I’d commit unspeakable things for you. Catherine of Valois: That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me! Meanwhile, France burns in the background

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Catherine always ends up with her leg wrapped around Henry. 🤭

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Brandy

Full name: Brandy Macaulay (née Larue)

Birthday: 14 May 1962 (Sign: Taurus)

Date of death: March 2000 (at the age of 37)

Height: 181 cm (5'11”)

Heritage: Scottish, French

Place of birth: Glasgow, Scotland

Residing in:

▫️ Glasgow, Scotland (until 1978, when she ran away from home);

▫️ Inverness, Scotland (from 1978 until her death in 2000)

Job: she had worked in retail for a couple of years, then switched to working as nail technician at a beauty salon in town—a job she highly enjoyed. She held that particular job until her eventual death, in March 2000.

Relationship status: married to Malcolm James Macaulay, from 1988 until her death, in 2000; they met in 1985

Immediate Family:

▫️ Matis Alexandre Larue (father)

▫️ Davina Larue (née Gordon, mother)

▫️ Malcolm James Macaulay (husband)

Children:

▫️ Blair Úna Macaulay (daughter)

▫️ Donald Dougal “Donnie” Macaulay (son)

A few things to get to know Brandy!

▫️ Brandy was quite the character, one could say. Determined, passionate about her beliefs and desires, quite stubborn, the type who set her mind on something and then went ahead and did it, or at least gave it a try (or multiple). The type who couldn't be pressured into doing what she didn't want to do, and who couldn't be stopped from doing what she wanted to do. Last time someone tried that (her parents), she took her backpack and walked out the back door (aka ran away), leaving only a note behind.

▫️ Yup, you heard that right, she ran away from home. That's how she ended up from Glasgow to Inverness, actually! She was only 16 at the time, and it happened after a particularly nasty argument with her (well-intentioned, but somewhat overbearing) parents. Her life got quite chaotic for a while, but she managed to stay afloat and figure it out, believe it or not. She was that dead set on proving (mostly to herself) that she can be on her own and handle it just fine. What started as a reckless decision made on a teenager’s whim (and definitely felt like a reckless decision for a while), ended up with Brandy having a taste of the independent life, and realising she didn't wanna have it any other way from then on. This whole thing is a story in and of itself, and we will get to it another time (you can find a short version of it over here), but I’ll say this: this wasn't the end of her relationship with her parents. Brandy reconnected with them after a while!

▫️ Brandy loved squirrels! So much so that she and Malcolm built a little feeding house for them in their backyard. It’s there to this day, periodically taken care of by Malcolm, and still frequented by the little critters.

▫️ She was fluent in French (learned it from her dad, who is French).

▫️ Before she and Malcolm moved together, some time after they got married, Brandy lived in a rented flat she shared with a dear friend (a lass named Emily Glenn).

▫️ There’s a lot of Brandy in both the Macaulay twins. They look quite a bit like their mum—the eyes, the freckles, the little tooth gap, the nose shape—but they also hold some of her fire. Some of that bright, vivid energy that fueled Brandy's every action. I think there are moments, every once in a while, when Malcolm kinda just… stops to look at the twins and is a bit like “🥹”.

Here’s the sketch version, because I quite like it:

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https://www.tumblr.com/eve-to-adam/784075782023774208/im-obsessed-with-the-way-that-she-dress-she?source=share

Im begging you to draw more stuff like this.

Well, that was unexpected, ahahaha. I'm not the kind of artist who usually makes a habit of illustrating NSFW content. I remember the drawing you're referring to was more of an experiment - to see how far I'd be willing to take things. I can't give a definite answer, like whether I would or wouldn’t do it again now, but what I can assure you, dear anon, is that I'm pretty sure I’ll be open to doing such experiments again in the future - whether near or far.

But thank you for your enthusiasm and support!

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Yes, my Eleanor Cobham owns a monkey — and yes, the little rascal has just struck Cardinal Beaufort in the forehead with a walnut.

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Omg there's a convo going on about Richard, Duke of York, and I have to jump in! I honestly love digging into his personality. He’s so interesting, especially because a lot of Wars of the Roses fiction just skips over him. That’s probably why I find him so fascinating.

What really gets me is the way his personality seems to change over time. For most of his life, especially during his “prime,” he was super loyal to Henry VI. Like, going out of his way to be helpful and obedient. But then over time, he starts getting more and more frustrated. I think the financial problems and being sent off to Ireland kind of pushed him over the edge. And then suddenly, it’s like he flips a switch—he starts standing up to Henry and taking a much more aggressive stance. Totally different vibe.

Also, something I’ve always found curious is how he named his sons. He and Cecily had eight sons (that we know of), and he didn’t name one of them Richard until the very last one. Meanwhile, his firstborn was named Henry—probably to honor the king. But skipping his own name for so long is weird, considering it was super common back then to name your son after yourself. And Richard III, the one who did get his name, was born when Richard was clearly done playing nice at court.

It makes me think he was scared for a long time—like, genuinely afraid of drawing attention to his bloodline or reminding people of his dad, who was executed. It seems like he tried really hard to be the perfect loyal subject so he wouldn’t rock the boat.

One of my favorite things about him is the letters his sons Edward and Edmund wrote to him. The fact that we still havethose letters probably means he kept them, which is honestly so sweet. He stayed in touch with his kids, sent them gifts, and even listened to their complaints—like when they wrote about a bully. That says a lot about what kind of dad he was.

I always think that, since he grew up without a father, he had to figure out how to be one on his own. And maybe that’s why his parenting style seems kind of different—and maybe even why Edward ended up being the kind of father he was too.

I just love digging into historical figures like RoY who don’t get as much attention. There’s so much more going on beneath the surface with him! I do also sense the arrogance in his character which I won't lie I love lol. But it boggles my mind that people think he was greedy and wanted to create trouble. It makes no sense to claim the crown when you are over 40 and the current king is ten years younger than you are.

“...a lot of Wars of the Roses fiction just skips over him” – oh, that one hit hard! Straight to the point. I’ve noticed that historical fiction usually portrays him strictly as an antagonist – which is totally fine – but rarely tries to explain why. I think the only novel that somewhat attempts to “study” him more closely is Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith. I say this with some uncertainty, as I read it a few years ago and don’t remember all the details very clearly.

I tend to agree with you regarding this fear York had of the people and institutions around him. I think it all stemmed from a kind of suspicion – a valid one, in my view – of not wanting to be branded a traitor, just as others feared they might be betrayed by him. It created a vicious cycle. “I will not betray you unless you force me to,” – that kind of situation. I think his frustration wasn’t only aimed at those around him, but also at his own father. He probably felt indifferent towards his memory, since as far as I know, Richard never tried to build a tomb or a monument in his father's honor. Either that, or he wasn’t allowed to, or he believed that doing so would be akin to approving his father’s treasonous actions. I'm still researching this, so if you have a source that says otherwise, please contradict me.

Instead, the man Richard may have truly been grateful to was Edward, Duke of York, whose legacy saved him from a frightening future – considering that, although his father held the title of Earl of Cambridge, he had no lands to support it. As for the other uncle, Edmund Mortimer? If it turns out he actively, knowingly conspired with Cambridge and the others to take the throne – only to betray them at the last moment (I assume he realized how unrealistic the whole plan was) – then I suspect Richard enjoyed the inheritance he left behind without mourning the man too much.

Back to York. I feel like he walked on eggshells for half his life. I think the most peaceful period for him was his childhood, as a royal ward. Westmorland, who had a close history with the Lancastrian kings, and life at Raby with the other Neville boys, probably made him feel somewhat safe. It’s as if Cecily’s family name offered him a safe harbor – at least until he became independent. To quote my little Cecily:

“Then why should I marry him? How could I marry someone whose family has fallen into such disgrace? Wouldn’t that stain our illustrious name? Should I let him hide his traitorous nature, let my name become a shield against the world, covering his sins like whitewash over a hideous stain? My name will be like a shell, a golden shell hiding a venomous snake inside.” (Proud Cis).

Perhaps York truly came to appreciate the sense of closeness he felt in his bride’s family. Given that Westmorland did everything he could to secure the wellbeing of his children, I’m sure he took his duty of shaping York into an ideal subject for the new regime very seriously – after all, Cecily was going to be York’s wife. It's highly likely Richard was fine with this, although the situation may have grown frustrating at times. I see mixed signals here – admired for his wealth and lineage, yet still suspected for what he might do with them. In the end, living under constant suspicion must have been exhausting:

“I am like a man punished for a crime he didn’t commit, like a criminal awaiting sentence,” he growls menacingly.“I fight to keep us safe, you and I; I do all I can to give you certainty, I protect and honor you with my name, with my body, praying that danger passes us by.” (Proud Cis).

What I think helped him throughout his life was Cecily’s affection, with whom he seems to have formed a partnership from childhood. The fact that they spent more time together than the average noble couple likely helped them – gave them space for conversation, mutual understanding, and friendship. Together, they enjoyed a stable family life, with both parents as focused on their children’s emotional bond as they were on their education. York didn’t send his older sons to other households for schooling, confident that he could educate them just as well at home. Whether that comes from arrogance or affection – or both – I’m here to support him, ahaha.

I think the situation with the Croft brothers might be a window, albeit a limited one, into his attitude toward his own children. Even though we don’t know the replies to those letters, I imagine Richard would have tried to solve the matter in a way that prioritized the boys’ lineage as much as their safety. What do you mean, my two roses of York have been insulted?! Gerard, hang those Croft scoundrels! (Just kidding.)

I imagine him as a lenient but responsible parent. I suspect that if his own sons had been guilty of something similar, punishment would not have been far behind. Probably something to set an example – then a good spanking.

You know, this is the first time I’ve really thought about their children’s names, ahaha. Surely, a man who’s trying to step away from the shadows of the past would want cordial relations with his king – even inviting him to be godfather to his child. I can’t say whether the order in which the children were named was deliberate or not; nearly all their names reference some saint, king, or ancestor. Maybe the couple wanted to emphasize certain connections that mattered to them as a family – or maybe it was just the natural choice for any parents.

Richard may have believed names carried bad luck, given his family’s history. Perhaps he thought that naming his heir Richard would be interpreted as something more than intended. The connection you made between the christening of Richard III and the tense moments between his father and the royal family feels like a kind of acceptance. A recognition of self, of the past, of his father’s actions – as if that was the moment when York thought, to his own surprise, “Now I understand why you did it, father.” That was likely when healing began, too, along with that sudden change in attitude. Or maybe, tired of constantly having to defend himself against supposed acts of treason (Cade’s rebellion is a good example), he figured he might gain more by actually becoming one, you know? From my point of view, the main reason behind this shift in behavior was a genuine desire to eliminate the harmful influences surrounding the throne. It’s like dust – no matter how much you wipe it, it keeps coming back. At first, I believe York wanted nothing more than a well-governed England, debt repayments, and a balanced treasury. I think his actions during his protectorates say more than any speech. But he may have realized that this whole struggle between him and the royal faction was going nowhere – and that the only solution for England’s stability was for the crown to rest on his head. After all, there’s a big difference between being ruled by a weak king who still has discernment, and by a hostile faction ruling in the name of a king whose mind is scattered.

Still, it’s possible he overestimated the strength of his allies, Salisbury and Warwick, and, by extension, the number of those truly willing to follow him in his fight for the throne.

There’s so much to discuss about the personality and actions of Richard of York, depending on each person’s interests and imagination.

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Not the same anon but I find the appearance of historical figures to be interesting topics. I always imagined York and Richard III to be dark haired and brooding figures. So I was just as surprised as you when I saw that he was blonde! Doesn’t help that most of fiction points out that he was so different from his other sons as a dark haired man.

However, unfortunately for us brunette York team, he was most definitely blonde. That Cirencester window is likely from his youth when it was still fashionable to have that Henry V bowl cut situation. He also appears to be blonde there. We know the Shrewsbury book is from the 1440s (his 30s). If you look at other representations in the book (Henry VI, Humphrey Duke of Gloucester) they are depicted with dark hair which we know they had. Even the patron of the book is shown with dark black hair while the older men have obvious grey hair. So it’s likely accurate. Margaret of Anjou and York are presented with blonde hair so they were both likely blondes.

There is also a stained glass of him in Cambridge where he was likely older. He seems fair haired there as well.

And while that fork bearded man is most definitely not York (that was fashionable under Henry IV and likely his father in law), your character design of York makes sense with that beard to me.

I think the reason it’s so hard to reevaluate historical figures like York is because they are caricaturized by modern fiction. There is also that persistence that it was said that Richard III resembled him most (over 20 years after his death). That one doesn’t make sense to me because the same sources say that Richard claimed he was his father’s only true child 🥴. Then of course we get the myth of the dark brother Richard vs his fairer brothers so ofc his father was dark like him. It is also important to note that early in his kingship Edward was also compared to his father. The Richard story is just one that stuck around and become immortalized in fiction.

It’s the same way his peacock outfit seems to go against his image lol. Almost all books and even documentaries I read/watch he is a super serious, ambitious man in the background who looks plain like his son Richard. However, based on everything we have he was likely a flashy, blonde man who enjoyed wearing fashionable clothes and showing off his wealth. We know he spent around a million pounds (modern obvs) on an enamel brooch! Also check out all that gold on his armour in the Cambridge window.

Just adding that there is an illustration from a stained glass of his father who is also blonde. His mother’s skeleton was excavated and noted that she had auburn/red hair so she was likely ginger. Chances are that the son of a blonde and ginger would not be a brunette.

All that said, I think a huge part of historical fiction is imagination. If a character feels a certain way, we want to see him that way. I, for one, love your character designs as a whole.

Sorry this is a whole essay!

No, no, no! I actually appreciate messages like this. I encourage you to continue whenever you feel like it — smother me with them, I insist!

Yes, indeed, with so many contradictory sources not only about the appearance but also the personality of historical figures, you have to be quite careful about the path you choose. That’s the same reason I had when I decided to pause the process of sketching the characters — I felt I had a duty to try to represent them as they were believed to be, not as my mind attempts to picture them. That’s exactly why I appreciate messages like this — they offer me another perspective, which makes some decisions easier to make. But that doesn’t mean I can ever get used to picturing York as blonde, ahahaha.

I can’t say I’d be disappointed if it turned out that Richard Plantagenet really was blonde. As for the window from Cirencester, I realized from the beginning that the reason his hair isn’t visible is because it was cut short — more than that, in my story, York had that kind of haircut until he decides — or Cecily decides for him, lol — that he should let it grow longer. Anything for you, my lady. There are probably opinions saying I should reconsider that fork-shaped beard, but guess what — I won’t. Ever.

Being busy researching other sources, I haven’t looked into the Shrewsbury Book in detail, but now that you mention Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, even he gave me a bit of a headache regarding his appearance. Of course, in my drawings, I chose to illustrate him based on the model from the Shrewsbury Book, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach the subject in the book, considering that Humphrey seems to be sketched from a portrait in which he appears bald(?) — only for me to later realize that the hair is there, just either drawn very faintly or it faded over time. Or maybe some detail was lost in the scan of the sketch. Margaret of Anjou — same issue, considering some of the descriptions can be quite conflicting.

As for the supposed resemblance between York and Richard III — I’ve read many opinions, both academic and not, that claim Richard III resembled his father the most. The question I’ve always asked myself was: in what way? Physically or in terms of personality? Emotionally or logically? The fact that the descriptions of Richard III as being short, with dark hair, etc., are then attributed to York as well always felt a bit off to me. That’s because — and here’s where the artistic instinct comes in — I just can’t picture York as being short, lol. Maybe not as tall as Edward IV(?), but never short. It’s just... unnatural, somehow. The rumor that Edward IV wasn’t York’s son? Nah, man. I don’t fall for that propaganda. I guess Richard III just wasn’t loved enough as a child.

The fact that you bring up these traits — zealous seriousness, a cold demeanor combined with greedy ambition — feels very important to me! It actually makes me feel relieved in a way, because my York is a man with a slightly different attitude — he has a touch of sarcasm, is sometimes easily irritated, but still teases out of a desire to show affection. And very, very rich, of course (Cecily Neville approves this message.) I’m not saying his personality doesn’t include traits like seriousness or cold ambition — it’s just that he’s not defined only by those things. Sometimes he can seem contradictory, and that’s what makes him complex. Real. I appreciated York’s character in the (few) works of historical fiction that included him, but I felt the need to add something more to that cold and calculated demeanor. Somehow, not as relaxed and familiar as Edward IV, but also not as introverted and stern as Richard III. And your opinion somehow makes me feel more confident in this approach.

It’s wonderful to know there are others who see him in a different light too.

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Thank you for your long response to my question! Since you are still working on character appearances this might be a helpful article for you: https://riiiresearch.blogspot.com/2023/08/richard-duke-of-york-revealed.html?m=1

Thank you for the question and for the interest you've shown me. It was a real pleasure for me!

Thank you for the article! Even though I tend to prefer narrative descriptions over manuscript illustrations when it comes to the faces of historical figures — imagine having twenty characters who all look more or less the same, ahahaha — I have no doubt that the source you were kind enough to share will prove useful in some way.

I’ve seen various representations of Richard Plantagenet over time, but they’re so different from one another that I’ve kind of been forced to choose one that suits my tastes and expectations. If we go by the strands of hair taken from Edward IV’s coffin and the York illustration from the Talbot Shrewsbury Book, which depicts him as blonde (I assume it follows the same principle by which all queens were portrayed as blonde), we might say his hair was possibly a sandy blonde. John Ashdown-Hill describes York as having “fair hair,” probably based on the same manuscript illustration from Talbot.

But Cecily could just as well have been the blonde one — even though Ashdown-Hill classifies her as a brunette — and Edward IV might’ve inherited that trait from her. The portraits of their two sons, especially that of Richard III (who is said to have resembled his father), make me think he was more likely dark-haired. I don’t know if it’s an obsessive thought or something, but I just can’t picture York with blonde hair.

As an adult, I’ve imagined him with shoulder-length hair, something like in this and this sketch, but as I said, there’s a lot to debate — especially considering that, even though we do have representations of him, they seem very contradictory. In the stained glass at Cirencester Abbey, he appears to have short hair, judging by the fact that the crown leaves no visible trace of hair. The version of Richard Plantagenet that I went with in the two sketches is very close to the one from Penrith Church, Cumberland — even though there’s still debate over whether it’s actually him being depicted or not. But that forked beard? That cannot be missing. It just can’t!

When it comes to his adult appearance, I think the best option might be to find a middle ground — a sort of compromise — a blend of the existing representations, picking the well-defined elements from each and combining them, lol. Throughout the process of writing this book, I kept telling myself there has to be a balance between fiction and historical accuracy — but what historical accuracy?! We don’t even know what color this man’s hair was!!

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It’s insane how beautiful your art has gotten. I was wondering if you have any sketches of a young Richard duke of York for your novel Proud Cis. Also will we ever get to read it? 🥹

Hello! :)

Ayyy, how sweet of you to say that! I’m trying to grow as much as I can, to push my limits and try different things to see which artistic approach suits me best. So the fact that you said that truly makes me happy! Thank you, I really appreciate it! ❤️❤️

As for the sketches and potential illustrations of the characters; I don’t have any sketch of Richard Plantagenet from his youth — or adulthood — so far. The same goes for the other characters. At first, I thought I could somehow juggle between the writing process and the illustrations, but I quickly realized the manuscript would go through many changes along the way — which is perfectly normal, of course — and that would inevitably alter the context of the illustrations too. What complicates things for me is that if I illustrate a scene that I later decide to change, I’ll then be forced to modify the illustration as well, which can be quite problematic depending on how many changes that scene undergoes. This is one of the reasons I haven’t illustrated anything new for Proud Cis lately.

As for the characters — I’m still trying to find a balance. I’m a pretty unpredictable person when it comes to my work, and there have been many times when I made decisions after hours, even days, of debating with myself. I don’t know whether I should wait for Richard’s character to “decide” how he wants to look in the manuscript, or just start illustrating him — with the risk of having to redo the same character design over and over again before I finally settle on how I want him to look — in his youth and beyond. Recently, I started working on a more compact character sheet, and it’s turned out to be quite helpful for the narrative so far — it helped me discover things I didn’t even know I wanted, ahaha.

To answer your last question — I would absolutely love for that to happen. Even though the manuscript is written in my native language (Romanian), and even though I want to release the book (whenever that may be) in Romanian, one of my wishes is for there to also be an English version. I’m not sure if that wish will come true before, during, or after the book’s release. For now, I’m just trying to focus on finishing the book, especially since I’m juggling quite a few things at the same time. Not to mention that, like all of us, I’m dealing with negative thoughts and emotions, which can be really discouraging at times. Ah, this self-criticism. It’ll be the death of me one day. But until then, the chapter that marks the beginning of the year 1438 for Cecily and Richard is waiting to be written.

I hope I don’t let them down!

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The fact that we have so little information — especially about the 15th-century alterations — on Fotheringhay Castle gives me wildly conflicting feelings.

On one side: Fantastic! Creative freedom! Time to let my imagination run wild and (re)construct all sorts of cool stuff to fit my story.

On the other side, though — where the heck am I supposed to place these elements?!

I can be SO indecisive sometimes!

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The funny thing about writing your favorite characters is that no matter what they do — even the tiniest, most insignificant action — you get excited: Cecily adds a touch of elegance to her outfit with some newly acquired pearls; Richard relaxes in his armchair with a glass of Bordeaux; Edward IV, at two years old, is still shitting himself; Gloucester is fighting with literally everyone on the planet; Henry VI chewing his venison, thinking this morning’s liturgy was way too short; Eleanor Cobham delicately embroidering an altar cloth alongside her ladies-in-waiting, blissfully unaware that Cardinal Beaufort is already plotting a counterattack.

And you’re just sitting there like…

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"This is my most precious jewel. Don't you like it?"

Henry V x Catherine of Valois.

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I'm obsessed with the way that she dress She looking good in that tight red dress Baby, I'm going to need it again so come over Don't nobody know you like I know you Make her say she love me I own her She knows I'm the only one That can make her fold up Hold up Catch your breath don't slow up She put it down and I control her Hands on her neck She getting wet ― Henry V x Catherine of Valois.

Well, it seems I've discovered my new obsession.

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━━━━━━━⊱ 𝔈𝔩𝔦𝔷𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 ⊰━━━━━━━━