An Imperial Match: Anne Boleyn marries Charles V

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TheBookwormBoy

pandizzy said:
Castello Sforzesco, Milan. 2nd of November, 1535.​

Caterina kept her hands firmly over Ludovico's shoulders as they walked to the bed, the candles lighting up her son's nervous face. He looked at his father, at the duke, at her husband and Caterina had no more tears left to cry.

She looked at Francesco, her husband and she felt nothing but sadness. And acceptance. He had been dying for so long, for so many years and it was good to know that he would finally be at peace. Not good, maybe good was not the right word, but Caterina wondered whether he would have preferred to have suffered less. Whether he might have wished for something else, instead of seeing his strength, so impressive before, waste away. His body shedding weight as he failed to eat, failed to thrive. His muscles losing shape and size as he became confined to his bed, sores eating away at his skin as the maggots ate the dying tissue to keep off infections.

Ludovico was trembling as he sat beside his father, dark hair falling over his eyes. He swiped it away nervously and moved to take Francesco’s hand, chewing his lip nervously. Poor boy, so young, just twelve. He had need of a father still, of more guidance and now, he was to rule over all of Milan, all of Francesco’s conquests that their enemies eyed hungrily. The rich lands of Milan, Montferrat, Florence and Mantua were sure to keep them all thirsty for glory, especially now that Ercole d’Este managed to retake Modena. They could not show weaknesses, and boy lords were the bane of any house.

“Lulu?” Francesco croaked out, opening his milky white eyes. The disease had taken his vision away, his body trying to gather strength wherever it could in an effort to save itself. “Is that you, my boy?”

“Yes,” Ludovico said. “Yes, I’m here, father.”

Francesco moved slowly, his hand sliding away from Ludovico’s grasp to his arm, then to his head, where he placed his palm over the crown of dark Italian hair. Sforza hair. Caterina maintained her hold over his shoulders, keeping him steady, supported by his mother. Ludovico trembled and closed his eyes.

“I bless you child, for this final moment between us,” said Francesco with a waning voice. “You will be a good duke of Milan, I know it so.”

Ludovico nodded carefully. “I hope to rule well under your legacy,” he said, careful. “It will please me also, to have my firstborn be named either Francesco or Francesca, whatever its gender, father.”

Francesco smiled.

“Your sister, the Countess Palatine of the Rhine has already promised me the same, son,” he murmured. “Franz Wittelsbach will come after his Sforza cousins, however. You are older than your sister."

Ludovico nodded and when Caterina looked at him, she could see tears shining on his cheeks. Poor boy, so young, so in need of a male hand over him. To guide him. A father to teach him the ways of the world.

But it didn't matter. Caterina would be mother and father to him, and to all their other children. Massimiliano, Franco. Even Margherita, far away with her much older husband still needed her mother's letters to keep herself sane. Her heart raced and she nodded, watching her husband’s face, beautiful even after five years of sickness and poor health.

“Caterina, my wife?” Francesco called and Caterina moved immediately to sit beside Ludovico, a hand with her son and another with her husband. “Caterina, where are you?”

“I’m here,” she said, interlacing their fingers. “I’m right here.”

Francesco smiled, then coughed, droplets of blood spraying across his collared shirt. Caterina’s heart twisted deep in her chest and she tried not to cry.

“My love,” he whispered, “You have been to me the most loving and dutiful of wives. I never could have brought back Milan without you.”

“You could have, my lord,” Caterina responded, squeezing his hand. “With or without me, you would have brought the Sforzas back to their rightful place.”

Francesco’s smile seemed to shine even brighter. “Ever so humble,” he said. "My proud Spanish duchess, it's your time now to rule Milan. To take care of this family."

"I will," she promised. "I will finish your work."

"Don't finish my work," he said. "Finish your own." His trembling palm moved down Ludovico's face, cleaning off his tears. "Take care of this family, Caterina."

"I will, I swear it," she said. "I swear it, my love."

It took hours, maybe even years, an eternity, but Caterina couldn't feel the time pass. She held Francesco and Ludovico's hands, the day passing, her husband's body failing. The night turning into dawn, the priests' prayers stopping. The world moving on.

Caterina waited until the younger children came to kiss their father's face, when Catherine de' Medici helped Ludovico to his bedchambers. She heard the bells of Milan ringing in the early hours of the morning and she waved off the councillors coming to ask her questions, to wonder what to do with their minor ruler. She waved them off and entered her own bedchambers, dismissing her maids.

Her hands were trembling as she removed her rings, her earrings and her necklace. Her heart was broken, never to be fixed and something was squeezing her chest, preventing her from being able to breath. She felt faint, dizzy. Lost.

Caterina looked in the mirror and she could not recognize the woman depicted there, her dark reddish-brown hair. The dark bags under her eyes. She looked older, tired.

She looked like her mother.
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Poor little Ludovico, thank goodness he has Caterina around to keep him safe. She’ll make a fine regent of Milan for the couple years he has before he can assume the full power of the Dukedom as an adult. I’m sure she’ll do good work as Duchess Regent and even as Dowager Duchess once Ludovico reaches his majority.
 
HortenseMancini

HortenseMancini

Well at least here Francesco has a son to pass his dukedom onto and keep the Sforza name alive. I'm thinking Francis might attempt to invade, but possibly not considering that Caterina is the Emperor's sister and Ludovico is his nephew.
 

danielsantiago45

Banned
TheBookwormBoy said:
Poor little Ludovico, thank goodness he has Caterina around to keep him safe. She’ll make a fine regent of Milan for the couple years he has before he can assume the full power of the Dukedom as an adult. I’m sure she’ll do good work as Duchess Regent and even as Dowager Duchess once Ludovico reaches his majority.
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Me too buddy, me too.
 
pandizzy

pandizzy

HortenseMancini said:
Well at least here Francesco has a son to pass his dukedom onto and keep the Sforza name alive. I'm thinking Francis might attempt to invade, but possibly not considering that Caterina is the Emperor's sister and Ludovico is his nephew.
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He is survived by three sons, more than many rulers can claim. You can be sure that Francis will wish to invade Milan but many of Caterina's relatives surround him, so I think she's somewhat safe from him this time. Of course, no real word on the d'Estes who still want Reggio back...
 

Deleted member 81475

It's obviously a different, shorter-term sort of alliance, but Enrico Dandolo's granddaughter did become Queen of Serbia. Brought a lot of Venetian artisans to Serbia and all the patrician families attended, so it can't have been too outrageous for them.
 
18th of November, 1535.
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    • pandizzy

    pandizzy

    Barcelona, Catalonia. 18th of November, 1535.​

    His mother insisted that Felipe learn finances, so he'd be better prepared to handle the economic matters of his many kingdoms when God called him to rule. His father had begged off, there were plenty of advisors and servants to do the work for him, but since he was so often gone, it was his mother's responsibility to choose his instructors. And she did so well, inviting financial experts from Italy and the Empire to teach him.

    So Felipe felt, like any other boy of twelve in his situation, that he knew what he was doing. He liked mathematics, he liked to understand it. He especially liked the idea that he could do something about it, that he could take these kingdoms of his and fix them. Make them a better place to live.

    He had great dreams, as any boy did. Felipe and his instructor, a Venetian man named Agustin Rossi wrote a long dissertation about what they thought should be done to fix his father's economical problems in his Spanish Kingdoms. Monsignor Rossi did most of the thinking, of course, but Felipe had many ideas.

    There was a problem with the minting of coins. They were hammered down by different blacksmiths, meaning there was no pattern. No standard. It made it too easy for tricksters to shave off some slivers of silver here and there, to cause enough mayhem to mint more, weaker and less valuable coins, or silver objects to sell for profit. Such an act weakened the crown, made them seem liable to theft.

    Felipe thought he had the perfect solution for it. A machine that could press melted silver into perfectly sized and patterned coins, something similar to a printing press. Felipe had no idea how it would work, or how it could be made, but maybe his father could call some inventor from Italy to do so. Like Leonardo da' Vinci.

    And there should be a way for Castilians, Aragonese and all to trade together. One coin, one king, one kingdom. It seemed to him that this was the best choice, to create a standard. Was his father not king of Castile and Aragon both? Maybe they could even introduce this coin in the Low Countries, even if Felipe was not set to inherit those.

    So, he and Monsignor Rossi wrote down all his ideas in as clear and concise words as he could manage. He wanted to be brief, but Felipe still found himself holding around six pages full of notes for his father. He was walking down the corridor, heart racing. Monsignor Rossi had offered to come to him, assumed he would in fact, but Felipe begged off. He thought his father would be more open to change if it came from him, his son and the Prince of Asturias.

    His heart continued to race when Felipe at last found his father, talking to the Duke of Alba. Snippets of their conversation reached him as he approached them, clutching the paper to his chest.

    "The Dowager Duchess of Milan intends to send her second son Massimiliano here to be educated as soon as they are out of mourning," said the Emperor. “I want you to travel to the coast to welcome my nephew after the New Years’ Celebration.”

    The Duke of Alba nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “Am I to bring Messer Sforza here?”

    “Yes, he will share a school room with the Prince of Asturias,” said his father. He shook his head. “Eustace Chapuys told me the Dowager Duchess is trying to arrange a marriage between Massimiliano and Violante d’Este, a daughter from Duke Alfonso and that Laura Dianti."

    The Duke of Alba frowned, this was certainly a confusing new development, but he was stopped from saying anything by noticing Felipe standing behind them. The Duke bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness."

    The Emperor turned to look at him, confused. "Shouldn't you be with your tutors?" he asked in a gruff voice.

    "Yes, but I have something to show you!" Felipe murmured, excitedly. "I worked really hard on it."

    His father waved him off, already turning.

    “I am busy at this moment, Felipe,” he said. “Show it to your mother, I’m sure she will enjoy it.”

    “But it’s for you,” Felipe insisted. “Not for my mother.”

    “I’m busy!” his father answered, looking at him with such a look in his face that Felipe felt his heart stop. “I don't have time for your silly things. I will not say it again, boy.”

    Felipe nodded as tears flooded his eyes, trembling as he bowed. His father walked away with the Duke of Alba, who looked at him with an apologising expression. He returned to his rooms, not wanting anyone to see him cry. He threw his papers in the first lit hearth that he found.
     
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    • danielsantiago45

    Banned
    Yikes, Charles really should find time for his children, specially Felipe, it's obvious he has sonmuch talento and that needs to be encoutaged and nurturee, not brushed off
     
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