The pregnant Elizabeth is crowned queen and welcomed by Edward's brothers Richard and George though Warwick and his daughters do not disguise their disapproval and Cecily refuses to attend the coronation. Warwick is especially aggrieved that the king is neglecting a peace treaty with France and entertaining the Duke of Burgundy, a relation of Elizabeth and enemy to the French king. As it becomes clear that Warwick intends to make himself powerful Edward gives key posts at court to Baron Rivers and his sons, which also enrages Margaret Beaufort,whose young son Henry Tudor has had to forfeit a title to the Rivers family. Margaret is also angry when Warwick captures the deposed fugitive former king Henry and Edward imprisons him. As a reward Warwick asks that his daughters are betrothed to the king's brothers but the request is denied. When Elizabeth gives birth to a daughter, rather than an heir, Warwick is delighted and organizes a rebellion, incarcerating Edward, Elizabeth and Jacquetta and killing Rivers and his sons, putting George forward as his new protégé. Elizabeth swears vengeance in blood.

Margaret Beaufort is pleased to learn that Warwick, whose daughter Isabel is George's reluctant bride, is holding a parliament in York to have George declared the rightful monarch. However the parliament opposes Warwick's idea and Edward, Elizabeth and Jacquetta are all released. Edward, to his wife's annoyance, suggests alliances with Warwick to prevent further factions and even Elizabeth's surviving brother Anthony appears to acquiesce. However Edward has another revolt on his hands, supposedly led by Henry's wife Margaret of Anjou but in reality staged by Warwick and George. Margaret Beaufort's husband wants no part in it but the obsessive matriarch prevails upon her nervous brother Richard to lead her cause. He is killed by Edward after telling him that the rebels are actually Warwick and George, who are forced to flee abroad. Whilst on board ship Isabel miscarries George's baby but Elizabeth is pregnant again and swears that this shall be a son.

After his failed coup, a desperate Warwick makes his biggest and boldest gambit yet, offering up his daughter Anne to seal an alliance with Margaret of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI, the king he helped depose.

Having witnessed the murder of Henry VI the pregnant Elizabeth is again shocked when she discovers her husband having sex with courtier Jane Shore. Her isolation is increased as Jacquetta falls dangerously ill and, aware of George's dislike of her, she appoints Anthony as her sons' guardian. Also wary of George is Anne Neville, pardoned by Edward for her part in the revolt and reunited with Isabel at court. However Anne is upset that she is not allowed to contact her mother in exile and feels that George and Isabel are controlling her every move. She has one ally in Richard and is unhappy to learn that he is considering marriage to Margaret Beaufort to effect peace. However he proposes to Anne, declaring that he loves her, and she accepts. Edward approves of the match as Elizabeth's new baby son is born.

Edward plans a war with the French but, sensing that too much blood has already been shed, makes peace with king Louis, angering George, who will now not assume the title Regent of France. He becomes convinced that Elizabeth, like her late mother, is a sorceress who caused Isabel to miscarry and who has bewitched her husband. Her two sons also stand in his way to the throne. When Isabel dies he accuses Elizabeth of poisoning her but his public outcries and dealings with Louis lead to his being accused of treason and he is arrested. Despite pleas for mercy from his mother and Elizabeth Edward has George drowned in a barrel of wine. This gives his title back to Henry Tudor, whose mother Margaret Beaufort is now a lady-in-waiting to the queen, thus giving her hope that her son is nearer to becoming king.