An Imperial Match: Anne Boleyn marries Charles V
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
Mistakes were made. The original birth was in 1532. Just fixed it.
1st of April, 1534.
Lisbon, Portugal. 1st of April, 1534.
Eleonora touched her hair self-consciously, trying to assure herself that there was not a single strand out of place, a single curl poking out of her braid or the hairnet covering it. For years, Eleonora had worn a bonnet covering most of her hair and neck. Every inch of skin save for her face and hands were covered when she was a nun. Back then, she dressed as conservatively as possible, and though she wasn't a nun anymore, old habits were hard to let go.
Ippolito had paid for a Roman seamstress to make new dresses for her, garments proper for the wife of a Portuguese infante, and though Eleonora had begged off, he insisted and would not take no. She touched the pearls sewn into her skirts, chewing on her lower lip nervously.
Henrique covered her hand with his. "It will be alright," he said. "They shall love you like I do."
She nodded, letting out a deep shuddering breath. "I can't speak Portuguese yet," she said, shaking her head. "How will I even speak to the King and Queen?"
"My brother speaks Latin, as does his wife," Henrique responded, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "It will be alright. Even if you can't speak Portuguese right now, it will be alright."
"I wish I had your confidence," Eleonora murmured. She closed her eyes and nodded, taking a deep breath. It would be alright, it would all be alright. They were married and even if the King told Henrique to gain an annulment on his own merit, there was no reason to think he'd still be angry. That he'd demand her to be sent back to Ferrara, even though Paul III confirmed Clement's bull and blessed their marriage.
When she opened her eyes again, Eleonora looked at Henrique and nodded, letting him know she was ready. He looked at the guards standing by the closed doors and nodded, which made them open the double doors that led to the throne room.
Her heart was still racing but Eleonora stepped forward without fear, arm linked with Henrique's. The entire Portuguese court was present to see them both and though they did not speak anything, she wondered whether they approved of her, whether they saw faults in her posture or her gaze. She curtsied by the doors in the direction of the thrones before straightening up, eyes focused forward.
"Infante Dom Henrique and Dona Leonor d'Este," the herald announced, banging his staff on the floor. Eleonora looked down for just a moment and she saw the mosaic present on the floor, a symbol of Portuguese pride that bore shapes of different sizes, swirls and circles. Magnificent, she thought, continuing to walk forward.
The King and Queen were sitting on their thrones, the Queen's smaller than her husband's as a consort. The King was a tall man with a somewhat visible pot belly, a round face covered in a dark beard and black curly hair. He wore royal robes and a cloth of gold doublet, dark eyes focused on her. Though there was no crown upon his head, Eleonora did not miss the rich jewels around him, the golden chain over his shoulders that spoke of a religious knightly order.
The Queen was different. Light, where the King was dark. Small, where he was large. Her hair was auburn, brushed and coiffed into braids that surrounded her face under a chain of rubies and pearls over her head. She wore embroidered red velvet and silk, with a cloth of gold undergown. To her, the Queen seemed corpulous, probably because of a large number of pregnancies, but she had good health clear on her flushed face.
She and Henrique bow before the thrones once more and another time when they stop, paying their respects. As she straightened up again, Eleonora could feel her heart beating so hard that she wondered whether the others could listen to it. Her mouth was dry and she looked at the King and Queen, waiting for them to speak first.
Thankfully, someone did. The King moved his eyes away from her and to his brother, a soft smile cutting across his face. "Welcome home, Henrique," he said. "Portugal has not been the same without you."
"I'm happy to be home, Sire," Henrique responded. "Please, allow me to introduce my wife, Eleonora d'Este."
The King looked at her again. His eyes saw everything. His face was serious, placid. The slightest wrinkle between his brows, speaking of a desire to read her posture, her expression and Eleonora adjusted her stance, trying to look somehow taller and more submissive at the same time.
All the books she had read did not prepare her for this.
Before anyone could speak, the Queen stood up. Previously, she was holding the King's hand but she let go to walk forward. Eleonora was taller than the Queen, not much, but enough to make it awkward when she curtsied at her approach.
"Welcome, sister," said the Queen, pulling her into a hug. She was warm and smelt like rosewater.
Eleonora felt a weight lifting itself off her shoulders as the Queen stepped back, a knowledge that her action had helped, no matter the King's own indifference. She knew especially when she saw Henrique mouth, "Thank you," as the Queen looked at him briefly.
It would be hard, but it certainly could have been much worse.
She looked at the King once more, unable to stop herself from hoping. He was tapping his fingers gently against the carved arm of his throne, looking at her, then to Henrique. The Queen sat beside him once more, placing her hand over his and Eleonora saw as he relaxed.
She understood it immediately. Whatever his feelings on the matter were, the King would not be against the Queen and the Queen was on their side.
Eleonora looked at Henrique and smiled.
--
Toledo, Castile. 17th of April, 1534.
Thomas entered his daughter’s chambers carefully, a hand respectfully placed on his stomach. He found Anne sitting by the window, sewing a dress for little Catalina with her ladies sitting around her. His daughter was wearing a simple dark green gown, the sleeves slashed to show the fine fabric of her embroidered shift underneath it. Her hair was hidden under a silk and velvet hood, as Anne hated the Iberian fashion of showing off all of one's hair and considered it too immodest for her tastes.
But he didn't care. Thomas focused his eyes on the growth apparent under his daughter's skirts, a new grandchild for him. Hopefully, another son. Anne already had three of them, but the Emperor had no need for more than four daughters. No monarch did.
He bowed before her and Anne raised her eyes, setting her sewing aside. "Papa," she murmured with a smile.
She stood up with somewhat difficulty, a hand thrown behind her to support her pregnant body and Thomas stepped forward, stretching an arm forward to help. She accepted it, their fingers interlacing and he took advantage of the moment to press a kiss to her knuckles. "How are you, my child?"
"I'm well, thank you," said Anne. She looked around her, at her ladies. "Leave us."
When they were alone, Thomas turned to his daughter. She had summoned him, her servant coming with clear orders for him to follow and see what the Empress wanted to say.
Anne rolled her eyes when she saw him staring at her expectantly. Thomas was smart. After what she said to him during her pregnancy with Juanita, he had not stepped a toe out of line. It was better than being humiliated by his own child before his wife.
"I have a task for you, father," she murmured, looking away from him.
"A task?" he asked, confused. "What sort of task?"
"A task for an ambassador," she murmured. Anne turned to the window, the light hitting her face in golden rays, her brown eyes looking much more lighter than they truly were. "I want you to travel to Chambéry, at the court of the Duke of Savoy."
"For what purpose?" Thomas asked.
"I want you to arrange a marriage between Infanta Margarita and the new Prince of Piedmont, Emmanuel Philibert."
"Me?" Thomas said, incredulous. "I'm the Empress' father. Surely there is some other minor nobleman who can do it."
Anne turned to him with pleading eyes. "Papa, please," she said. "Charles wants this betrothal to be signed before the end of the year and I know no one who is better than you." She grasped his hands. "We need influence in Italy. Especially within the Savoyards, who have always been pro-French." Her teeth closed on her lower lip, biting at it. "Margarita's illness means we might never be able to find a king's son willing to marry her and Charles said she must marry, or join the church."
"Anne…" Thomas murmured, shaking his head.
"Please, father," she said, clutching his hand. "I'm begging you. You're my only hope, the only one I trust to do this."
Thomas sighed. "Won't the Savoyards think strange that your father is the one discussing this matter?"
Anne shook her head. "Au contraire," she said. "They will be flattered. The betrothals of my other children were arranged by ambassador, whereas Margarita will have her own grandfather advocating for her. They will be flattered to host the Emperor's own father, as you are."
He supposed that made sense. Thomas nodded, then, and said, "Very well. I'll do it."
so far so good for Henrique and Eleonora! And hopefully Thomas will be able to fulfill the negotiations for margarita’s betrothal, I’m sure he’s more than capable.
Ooh, I loved the Anne/Thomas interaction. We don't get nearly enough scenes with the two of them together, and it's nice to see that Anne still trusts him with something this delicate and important, even after everything that's passed between them. She always was a Daddy's Girl 
danielsantiago45
Banned
Great to see Leonor embracing her new sister! Joao would never be mad at his brother for long, he's known as "The Pious" after all, and a great part of piety is love of family.
And although Thomas is a bit of a jackass hopefully he will be able to arrange the marriage for Margarita. She deserves better than a life as a nun.
And although Thomas is a bit of a jackass hopefully he will be able to arrange the marriage for Margarita. She deserves better than a life as a nun.
No. Especially as she and Charles still haven't got a daughter named for either Anne herself or Anne's mother/Charles's aunt Isabel...
They haven't had a Carlos either.
I do have one Infanta Ana planned, but whether she's Portuguese, Castilian, this generation or the next, who knows.
Awww, it's nice to see that Leonor has seen to it that Eleanora will be welcome to Portugal, Iberian simpery can work wonders it seems. It's quite nice to see that Anne is pregnant again, though it would be nice to see all of her children outlive her I fear that even with the lack of inbreeding with Charles she may lose one before she meets her own end, particularly when it is so soon after Fernando's birth.
I think João is more upset about the apparent disrespect to their father's wishes, but he will come around. I hear nieces and nephews are the key to one's heart.
Maybe. We'll see. I am being overtly generous to Anne in my notes so we'll see.
Very true.
I'm wondering how the brother who's still in the Church is feeling about it all.
Afonso? I don't think he cares much beyond "Well he did get a dispensation so whatever."