A destiny fulfilled - An Eleanor of Austria TL
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1517 - New beginnings, part 1
Germaine, Dowager Queen of Aragon was extremely grateful for the support who both Ferrante of Calabria and Alonso of Ampurias were silently given to her as the welcome she had received in Castile had been very cold, but Germaine had been mentally ready for something worst. Still the hostility of the Castilian‘s court was a small price to pay for the success of her plan and to keep her promise to not let her beloved foster son spend another birthday sulking in Aragon and she was hoped who the surprise who she had planned for her young step-grandson would make him happy.
Isabella of Portugal was looking to herself in the mirror: she and her household had arrived in Castile just few days earlier, as her parents had accepted the request made by both the Regent and the Dowager Queen of Aragon and supported by the Regent of Castile, to send her in Castile for a couple of months for the celebrations of her husband-to-be’s birthday and so giving to her and Ferdinand the opportunity to meet and know each other before their wedding, who would not happen for another year and half. She was nervous and curious at the same time and dearly hoped to make a good impression as the success of her wedding and her future happiness were dependent in big part from this meeting.
Ferdinand, King of Aragon and Castile was rather unhappy: Germaine and Archbishop Alonso had insisted for that journey in Castile but he had little desire to spend his birthday in that country who he barely knew and in which Germaine, who he regarded as his own mother, was so hated. Naturally he had understood the reasons for that journey, in part for making him better know in his other kingdom and in part for not having him to celebrate another birthday sulking because he missed his grandfather and their shared celebration, but the latter part was useless. Castile could not give him any distraction who would prevent him to spend his birthday thinking to his grandfather and how much he missed him…
Isabella of Portugal was looking to herself in the mirror: she and her household had arrived in Castile just few days earlier, as her parents had accepted the request made by both the Regent and the Dowager Queen of Aragon and supported by the Regent of Castile, to send her in Castile for a couple of months for the celebrations of her husband-to-be’s birthday and so giving to her and Ferdinand the opportunity to meet and know each other before their wedding, who would not happen for another year and half. She was nervous and curious at the same time and dearly hoped to make a good impression as the success of her wedding and her future happiness were dependent in big part from this meeting.
Ferdinand, King of Aragon and Castile was rather unhappy: Germaine and Archbishop Alonso had insisted for that journey in Castile but he had little desire to spend his birthday in that country who he barely knew and in which Germaine, who he regarded as his own mother, was so hated. Naturally he had understood the reasons for that journey, in part for making him better know in his other kingdom and in part for not having him to celebrate another birthday sulking because he missed his grandfather and their shared celebration, but the latter part was useless. Castile could not give him any distraction who would prevent him to spend his birthday thinking to his grandfather and how much he missed him…
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Ooh yay, hopefully getting to know each other better will make Ferdinand and Isabella very well acquainted with one another when they are wed.
I have a feeling Ferdinand Jr will be more than happy to be in Castile once he realizes that his bride to be is waiting for him there
Well, they are already in the same palace but Ferdinand do NOT know it as everyone was under strict order to NOT say a word about the presence of their Portuguese’s guest around him (and Archbishop Alonso had produced his best imitation of his late father in giving that orders so everyone had taken him seriously and was too scared for not obeying. Alonso of Ampurias and Ferrante of Calabria, are still laughing for that scene, by the way)…
And meeting Isabella will definitely cheer a lot young Fernando, who will definitely NOT spend his 14th birthday sulking and thinking to his grandfather as he has better things to do.
I can only think it will be a bit awkward at first considering ferdinand and isabella are only 13/14 but yes, a pretty girl should be a very welcome distraction
She is 13 and half and he is 14 and they already know who they will marry soon enough and are old enough for possibly getting a crush for each other (keep in mind who in theory at this point they are both old enough for being married)
1517 - Catching up with the English court
Eleanor, Queen of England was happy since she had received confirmation from the doctors of her suspicions to be again pregnant few days earlier and she and Henry had celebrated the good news, sharing it with Suffolk before the latter’s departure for Scotland, where Margaret was in confinement together with the Duchess of Albany as Charles had prompted her to have her confinement in Scotland for not losing her usual visit to her sons in April for their birthdays, as hopefully Margaret would be churched before James‘ birthday on the ten of April and so able to celebrate with her sons. Eleanor had found that extremely sweet and complimented Charles for his premure toward Margaret and Henry also had been unable to deny who his best friend was doing his best for being a very good husband: sure he was not faithful to her but he would be an ipocrite to say something about that to his best friend, specially as he continued to enjoy a lot Mistress Blount and be grateful and surprised by Eleanor’s continued absence of any kind of resentment or jealousy… Henry just hoped who Eleanor’s pregnancy would be good as the previous one and his 18 years old Queen and their child would be in good health after childbirth and he had sweared to be happy whatever sex would have the baby: his preferences were, naturally, for a Duke of York, but a princess Elizabeth, to be named after his beloved mother (and also for Eleanor’s favorite sister) would be equally welcomed as his Duke of Cornwall was a bonny prince of a year and half with an extremely good health and quite big for his age, and his greatest joy…
Anne Boleyn, the fifteen years old granddaughter of the Duke of Norfolk and favorite lady-in-waiting of Queen Eleanor, knew who her popularity among the courtiers was owed more to her relations and her friendships with the Queen and not to her own qualities but she was not worried by that: she knew who Cardinal Wolsey had proposed to resolve the question of her father’s claim to the Irish Earldom of Ormonde, who had belonged to his maternal grandfather, arranging a marriage between Anne and James Butler, heir of the Pier Butlers who had taken the Earldom, claiming who belonged to him as male heir of the Butlers. Anne knew who her father, who some months earlier had been elevated to the peerage as Viscount Rochford, was rather unhappy of that solution and hoped to see a failure of the negotiations but she would accept whatever outcome of it as, while she had never meet James Butler, the idea of becoming a future Countess was undeniably attractive for her and her heart had not formed any attachment…
Anne Boleyn, the fifteen years old granddaughter of the Duke of Norfolk and favorite lady-in-waiting of Queen Eleanor, knew who her popularity among the courtiers was owed more to her relations and her friendships with the Queen and not to her own qualities but she was not worried by that: she knew who Cardinal Wolsey had proposed to resolve the question of her father’s claim to the Irish Earldom of Ormonde, who had belonged to his maternal grandfather, arranging a marriage between Anne and James Butler, heir of the Pier Butlers who had taken the Earldom, claiming who belonged to him as male heir of the Butlers. Anne knew who her father, who some months earlier had been elevated to the peerage as Viscount Rochford, was rather unhappy of that solution and hoped to see a failure of the negotiations but she would accept whatever outcome of it as, while she had never meet James Butler, the idea of becoming a future Countess was undeniably attractive for her and her heart had not formed any attachment…
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Hopefully Henry stays far away from Anne here! And hopefully everything goes well for both Eleanor and Margaret with their latest pregnancies
Well, considering who a) here Henry is perfectly satisfied with his actual wife and b) Anne is the favourite lady, protégé and practically best friend of said wife, I can guarantee to you who Henry will not look at Anne twice, so do not worry…
Eleanor will give birth around August/September (so two years after her first child) while Margaret is close and the next update (or better the next after the second part of the Spanish one, with the first meeting of Ferdinand and Isabella) will reveal the outcome of both her pregnancy and the one of Anne d’Auvergne/Albany as the second will be born 10/15 days after the first
Ooh Anne as a Countess would be quite interesting, and I'm sure it would be helpful for English designs on Ireland as well!
Well, the negotiations with the Butlers will take a lot of time and I am quite unsure of the final outcome… Anne would be a wonderful Countess, that is sure…
In OTL I have no idea, here absolutely as they were close in age while Mary was much younger (seven years younger than eleanor and more than four younger than Isabella, while the other two had two years and half of difference) meaning who they were each other’s favorite sibling (Charles was a boy, Ferdinand and Catherine only names).
We are in 1517, meaning who they have NOT yet meet (in OTL Anne was In France until 1522 and her romance with Percy is between 1522 and the beginning of 1524). For now Anne‘s only matrimonial prospect is Butler, we will see what will happen in future
1517 - New beginning, part 2
The day after his birthday Ferdinand III of Aragon and VI of Castile was ready to declare Valladolid is favorite’s place in the world, among the laughters of Alonso and Ferrante, as five days spent in company of the enchanting Isabella of Portugal had made Ferdinand completely forget his sulking and any antipathy for Castile. He had spent as much time as possible talking, playing or riding together with his future bride, who was prettier than the portrait in the medallion and very nice and gentle and luckily looked to be pleased with him as he was with her. Still Ferdinand was grateful for having found Isabella also for other reasons: she was so gentle and comprensive and once he had confided to her what he wanted to do had absolutely supported him and offered to go with him to Tordesillas, for meeting his mother and sister and to talk about that to Germaine, who had been neither angry or worried for that request, but had immediately called Ferrante and the two Alonso (as the Regent of Aragon had reached the others for few days, as he do not wanted miss his half-nephew’s birthday and wanted meet Cisneros and the young Isabella) planning that secret excursion and that morning had wished them a good journey and good luck for their little adventure as she would remain behind and keep occupied Cardinal Cisneros and the other Castilian nobles.
Isabella was riding near to Fernando, trying to conceal her nervousness and curiosity as she was both curious and terrorised of meeting her aunt Juana, the Mad Queen of Castile, as they called her. She fervently hoped who everything would go well, more for Fernando’s sake than her own, and to meet also little Catalina, so she would be able to tell something about his own betrothed to her brother Joao, after returning home.
They had planned to spend only few hours in Tordesillas but in the end they had departed the next day just in time for returning to Valladolid before the night, remaining at Tordesillas for the night, Isabella sharing Catalina’s bed as the two girls, cousins and soon sisters-in-law, had struck immediately a friendship who would last for all their lives. Fernando had returned to Valladolid quite shaken and Germaine, Isabella, Ferrante and the two Alonso had spent half of the night comforting him as the young King was distraught for the discovery of his father and grandfather’s cruelty. In the end Germaine had remembered to her beloved son who now he was King and of age and would be able to do soon something for his true mother and sister, if he wanted and that had reassured the young King, who had wowed to himself who he would have spent his next birthday, the last one without Isabella at his side, in Valladolid with Germaine, Juana and little Catalina.
Isabella was riding near to Fernando, trying to conceal her nervousness and curiosity as she was both curious and terrorised of meeting her aunt Juana, the Mad Queen of Castile, as they called her. She fervently hoped who everything would go well, more for Fernando’s sake than her own, and to meet also little Catalina, so she would be able to tell something about his own betrothed to her brother Joao, after returning home.
They had planned to spend only few hours in Tordesillas but in the end they had departed the next day just in time for returning to Valladolid before the night, remaining at Tordesillas for the night, Isabella sharing Catalina’s bed as the two girls, cousins and soon sisters-in-law, had struck immediately a friendship who would last for all their lives. Fernando had returned to Valladolid quite shaken and Germaine, Isabella, Ferrante and the two Alonso had spent half of the night comforting him as the young King was distraught for the discovery of his father and grandfather’s cruelty. In the end Germaine had remembered to her beloved son who now he was King and of age and would be able to do soon something for his true mother and sister, if he wanted and that had reassured the young King, who had wowed to himself who he would have spent his next birthday, the last one without Isabella at his side, in Valladolid with Germaine, Juana and little Catalina.
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Who is mother was definitely NOT crazy as he was told any time he had asked about her. I believed who that was self-explained