#crhs.graphics

the first son receives an earldom, the second is given to the church, the third is a spare. what is a fourth son? richard beauchamp de warwick's nature was shaped by his unfortunate order of birth -- as a forth son, he would never become earl of warwick, nor he would carry anything but a mediocre title. wishing to differentiate himself from those who suffered the same fate as him, young richard made his career in the army. it was in battles he made a name for himself, and influential friendships enough to gain favor with the king himself. a barony was given him for his victories and restless loyalty, and a wife was to be expected -- arrangements were made so he would wed someone of the retinue of the then prince of wales' foreign bride.

the meneses family has been of aristocratic noble blood for centuries before beatriz vasconcelos de meneses was born. in her lineage, they carried a former queen consort (with no issue to claim kinship to the crown) and influential family members on the council, still holding the king's favor. it was through family power that she came to serve the then infanta lianor; together they grew, the eldest noble  caring for her princess, their coppery heads under the sun a well known sign among court, as if they truly was blood between them. when lianor was to become eleanor, princess of wales, beatriz followed suit, knowing in her heart they would never return to their beloved coimbra shores.

richard was present at the reception of the infanta, carrying the knowledge of his impending betrothal. there was no instant warmth between the couple, both too occupied by their respective focuses -- him his newly received lands, her the princess -- to bother with pleasantries to improve a match both diminished. the marital bed remained cool through the first year, though beatriz fell with child soon. the birth would occur after a short, ill advised confinement -- lady beauchamp had refused to leave eleanor's side regardless of her growing belly -- and the child was named in the infanta's honor.

for the first 3 years of her life, lianor beauchamp was kept on her father's guardship. her mother refused to leave the queen's service and the girl as heir to her father was cared by the man in that precious way you treat your legacy. it was only when john was born that the eldest beauchamp was relocated elsewhere, to the royal nursery, where the princess of wales was still under a year old. there seemed to have been a growth in closeness between lord and lady beauchamp then, for within the following years, a second girl,  elizabeth, was born.

the relationship was strengthened as the years went by -- on a direct contrary line to the queen's own poor marriage -- and the couple resigned to a marriage of convenience, yet affectionate enough there was understanding of one another's responsibilities and roles, both within the marital realm and the english court. with a daughter in direct favor of the princess and prince of wales, another with a impending marriage to scotland and a son on his way to manhood, it was a nasty shock when john, the esteemed heir, received a kick to the head by his favorite stallion shortly after his fifteen name day. the boy would go on to pass on a couple of days.

beatriz, well in the dawn of her childbearing years, was kept in the dark over her son`s death for over a month as she remained in bedrest through the rest of her last pregnancy, and then, she barely survived the ordeal of richard's birth. her once fair beauty by then had deteriorated considerably. the bitterness and the years heavened her girth and painted streaks of grey amidst the fire-kissed locks she had once been so proud of. 

by 1452, all of her time was exclusively the queen's; her eldest child's son was raised alongside her own, and her controlling nature was replaced by overwhelming worry over the queen's decay. when eleanor finally passed, death also came to any chance that beatriz would ever return to the english court. her poisonous words towards queen isabel barely spared her neck, and the price for her affront was the isolation of the beauchamp couple to kidderminster.