Oh poor Charles really is tormented by Anne's death, even after all these years...
An Imperial Match: Anne Boleyn marries Charles V
- Thread starter pandizzy
- Start date
27th of September, 1547.
Stirling Castle, Scotland. 27th of September, 1547.
Her stomach was so large now as to be ridiculous, swollen beyond belief. The physicians calculated a birth for late October and yet, Nora thought there was no way for her skin to continue stretching to accommodate her growing babe. It was only one child, everyone said it, and she looked much smaller than the Dowager Queen with her babies. As if that could be any consolation, when her belly ripped apart before the child was ready.
But everyone told her not to fret, with rolled eyes and disgruntled sighs. Angry at placating this child queen, while Jimmy was made to learn the ropes of ruling so soon. His father had unfinished plans to create another permanent settlement in the Americas with the name of Jamestown, and he was eager to see it done.
When Nora asked from where would the child come out, Mary Fiennes told her, with a disappointed glint in her eyes, that it would be from the same place it entered her. That seemed impossible to her, because how could the baby even pass through it? Nora didn't want her child to be crushed in her entrails and she decided that she must have misunderstood her lady.
Her sister-in-law Kitty was pregnant again, carrying her fifth child. That ought to be good, Nora imagined. Both of them expecting together, even if they were thousands of leagues apart. Jimmy told her that none of their children would marry into England, but maybe he was lying. Maybe he was just teasing her.
She didn’t think so, but there was no reason for it. It didn't hurt to hope.
She hoped it was a boy, a handsome prince that looked like her. Another James, or Robert, or Arthur. A Duke of Rothesay, to fill up her days and give her joy. But Nora knew it didn't matter if the child was a boy or not. She'd be happy with anything.
Boy or girl. James or Anne, she would be happy. Overjoyed, really, because this child was the answer to all of her prayers and to Nora, nothing could make her stop loving it.
--
Madrid, Castile. 12th of October, 1547.
Felipe signed his name with a flourish, giving his final approval to the legal betrothal of Infante Carlos and Lady Isabella Tudor. She was the second daughter of the King of England, from a long line of extremely fertile women, and a descendant of Reina Isabel and Rey Fernando. And to improve upon the matter, she was English. Her mother was a first cousin to the deceased Empress.
To Felipe, Isabella was perfect.
The paper had already been signed by the Emperor and Joana, who stood behind him with a smile. His wife had the feeling that only a king’s daughter was enough for their precious, and only, son, a sentiment he shared wholeheartedly. To have the English on their side, rather than the French’s was a clear victory for them. Their island was a prime place for ships to be docked if they ever decided to take Navarre back, optimal for naval attacks on the French north. With Isabella by their son's side, Felipe was sure they would have a chance to do so.
With the final signature, Felipe slid the paper forward, so that the English ambassador could see it. The man, named Thomas Wyatt, smiled and read it carefully, as if to commit it to memory. The Prince took advantage of the moment to observe his face, which was extremely familiar. Strangely so, in fact. Surely, the man had been an ambassador to Castile before, and Felipe might remember him from his boyhood days. That distant age when his mother was regent and his father was gone, as he always was.
The Emperor left. Again. To go to Burgundy and be with his precious little duke, now that he had arranged the betrothal of Infanta Ana and the Count of Charolais.
"I'm looking forward to the day when I shall meet the lovely Isabella," Felipe murmured. Lady Isabella was only three and the marriage would not be celebrated until she was sixteen and could bear children for her husband, thirteen long years until then. Fine years that both she and Carlos could spend growing, maturing into two fine youths. Without the worries of being unpledged, Carlos and Isabella might even follow the example of her grandmother and exchange letters. Grow closer. "I'm certain that she will become the future queen that Castile and Aragon desperately need to stand by Carlos."
"My son is a good boy," Joana said. "Intelligent and kind hearted. Lady Isabella will be happy by his side, you can be assured of that, Master Wyatt."
Master Wyatt nodded his head with a gentle, but still cold smile. Felipe dismissed him with a movement of his hand, being left alone with his beloved wife. Joana smiled and leaned her behind against his desk, looking at him. She was twenty-seven now, with long dark hair and glittering eyes marked by laughing lines visible at its corners. They had agreed to stop having children when she gave birth to their fifth, and copulated only on days in which such an act would not result in a pregnancy, and Felipe had to hold himself back from touching her. It was not a good day, not yet anyway.
"That went well," he murmured, leaning back in his chair. "Now only Luisa and Elena are in need of matches."
“Luisa has a sweet and generous spirit,” Joana murmured. “I don’t want to see her with anyone but a man who will care for her and love her.”
“She is also a perfectionist, determined to always do well,” said Felipe. “I’m eager to see her as the mistress of her own court.” Joana snorted and he raised his eyes to look at her. “What is it?” She shook her head and he took her hand. “No, tell me. What’s so funny?"
“Nothing, it’s just,” Joana began. “So many women are living past what was expected now and wherever our girls will go, they shall have to contend with strong mother-in-laws. Elizabeth Tudor, Juanita…” She smiled. “I can only hope to love Isabella as I love our daughters, even if she is married to my only son.”
“Women…” Felipe shook his head. “All of you have a tendency to think that no girl is good enough for your precious little boy.”
“Because no one is,” Joana joked with a roll of her eyes. “But I’m being serious. If we must send our daughters anywhere, it must be with those who will love and care for them. Including kind mother-in-laws."
"Of course," said Felipe. "I won't send our girls to the vipers' nest." He played with his fingers, adjusting the ring around one. "My half-sister Margaretha married the Duke of Parma some years ago. She had twin sons and only one survived, Alessandro. He's two, I believe."
"Our girls can do better than a bastard's son," Joana complained. "Even if she is your sister."
He sighed. "You're right," he said. "As always, you're right."
"What about Carl of Savoy?" Joana suggested. "For Elena. Margarita's son."
"Another first cousin," Felipe complained. "It will weaken our blood, to marry so closely amongst each other."
"Your sisters have married all across Europe, my love," Joana said, squeezing his wrist. "The richest heirs are theirs. We can't deny it."
"No," Felipe said. "We can't." He shook his head. "And with our uncle Ferdinand so prolific in his marital duties, there are hardly any others that may be acceptable for our girls."
"Quite true," said Joana. "Unless the rulers of Europe do as your father and King John did, then our blood will continue to thin out. Stretched beyond its limits." He nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. "But if they do, our daughters and granddaughters will lose matches and husbands for them."
"I'm aware," Felipe murmured. He smirked then. "But if the rulers of Europe do as my father and King John did, then England will soon be completely out of women." She laughed then, a high and free laugh that utterly drowned out the sound of his door opening. A groom stepped inside, handing him a sealed letter on a silver platter, and Felipe sighed as he leaned in to take it.
He laughed. "What is it?" Joana asked, straightening her back.
"The Lord," Felipe began, "truly works in mysterious ways." He handed her the letter and spoke aloud, as she read it, "Our cousin Margarethe, upon being told she'd marry Paolo Sforza, ran from court. When our uncle's men found her, she had already said her vows and became a nun."
A smile curled across Joana's pink lips. "Paolo is only two years older than Luisa and now…" She didn't even need to finish her sentence. They all knew the opportunity that had just been presented to them.
I'm late as heck to this but I LOVE that you chose Christa for Leonor!The new cast for season 1 of Imperatrix Anna, a show that chronicles the life and death of Anne Boleyn, Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, as well as the early 16th century in Europe:
Sai Bennett as Anne Boleyn
Álvaro Cervantes as Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
Kit Harington as George Boleyn, later Duke of Wurttemberg
Michael Fassbender as King Henry VIII of England
Frances Cuka as Catherine of Aragon
Blanca Suárez as Isabella of Portugal
Emmanuel Leconte as King Francis I of France
Dakota Fanning as Elizabeth of Austria
Sam Claflin as Ferdinand of Austria
Daniel Bruhl as King João III of Portugal
Christa Theret as Leonor of Austria
All those choices are spot on!
Wait, Margaret of Austria is still born ITTL? I thought she would’ve been conceived after Charles’s marriage to Anne…
I just checked and yeah, she was born in July 1522 so conceived before the pod
Yeah, I know. I'm only just now going through this whole thing.
Also Nora seems incredibly sheltered, and it’s sad that she doesn’t seem to have a single friend in Scotland
I mean, I can't imagine Henry or Isabella would let their daughter be anything but sheltered!!!