Chapter 44, May 1511
Hof van Savoye, Duchy of Burgundy, May 1511

She ran a nervous hand through her thick, chestnut curls when she heard the news. The King of England, dead? Good god… I am now to wed a King rather than a Prince… Her aunt Margaret, who stood across from her noticed the girl’s apprehension and tried to soothe her,”Do not worry, King Henry has sent a letter that he still intends to marry you after your fourteenth birthday… He will not jilt you.”
Eleanor of Austria rose an eyebrow, skeptical,”How can you be sure? He is king now and can wed who he wishes. My aunt Catherine is unwed, my cousins Beatrice and Susanna are also yet to be promised…”
Margaret waved her niece’s concerns away,”All three are either too old or too young… Besides, if the engagement were broken, so too would that of his sister Catherine to your brother, and he benefits more than us from both matches.”
The girl ran a hand through her hair again, still not appeased by her aunt’s reasoning. Her gloomy thoughts of rejection were soon dashed when she heard the boisterous laugh of her brother. Sauntering into the courtyard, with a smirk on his face was Charles, Duke of Burgundy, the boy who knew he was destined to be Holy Roman Emperor after his grandfather. Carrying a piece of parchment in his hand he grinned at his aunt,”Lady mother, you should have seen Lord Egmond’s face when I startled him!” He laughed again,” He turned white as the moon!”
Margaret chuckled at this,”And what of your studies? Do they go well?”
Charles shrugged,”Yes they do, though German is a bore, suitable only for my horse.”
Eleanor rolled her eyes at this, not even a man grown, and Charles was already quite the character. Still, their aunt seemed to guide him well and ensured that his advisors were loyal to him, not France. Of course, Margaret of Austria for her part had been a surrogate mother to them all, and the younger ones; Charles, Isabella, and Mary even called her ‘mother’. While Eleanor loved and appreciated her aunt, to her she could be no substitute for her birth mother, who, thanks to fate and the machinations of the powerful, was in faraway Castile with Eleanor’s younger siblings. Eleanor kept a close correspondence with her mother though, and always eagerly awaited the letters that she received in return. She had even begun writing to her brother Ferdinand, the King of Castile, and he seemed to be good enough sort; kind and reserved in equal measure. Yet it was another King that filled her thoughts, as she had started her monthly courses several months ago. That King was the athletic, redhaired, Henry, eighth of his name to rule England, and at times she would wake with a start, after having dreams of the young man kissing her alone in his rooms. Though she was confused by this, she endeavored to keep such dreams to herself, even if they did cause her to wonder if he would truly love her, and if she could dare hope for such a thing. Lord, have Henry be a loving and faithful husband to me.



Enjoy an extra chapter, I have been in good spirits today.....
 
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Poor Eleanor does not need to worry, there is not a man in Christendom, i think, who would refuse her hand. Hopefully she will have a happy life in England, whatever her relationship with Henry is like.
 
Poor Eleanor does not need to worry, there is not a man in Christendom, i think, who would refuse her hand. Hopefully she will have a happy life in England, whatever her relationship with Henry is like.
Well in OTL the poor girl was often heartbroken, but ATL she escaped that fate...
 
Poor Eleanor does not need to worry, there is not a man in Christendom, i think, who would refuse her hand. Hopefully she will have a happy life in England, whatever her relationship with Henry is like.
Well in OTL the poor girl was often heartbroken, but ATL she escaped that fate...
You guys are both correct here... Essentially as you say even though Henry, and any other man would be a fool not to marry her, Eleanor is still a rather insecure girl, which partially stems from the fact that she is practically an orphan... We'll have to see how she does here, but I promise it will ultimately be better... Thank you so much!
 
Good luck getting the faithful part. Also Great update! Can’t wait to see what happens to Eleanor next!
Being married to Henry will be eventful, that much I promise.... We'll get her POV again in a couple years, when she marries Henry.. Thank you!
Give him a couple of sons and forget the second part and you will be happy in England, Eleanor...
Well, we'll have to see on both accounts, especially on whether she can ignore his infidelities... Thanks!
 
Please dear God, let Henry and Eleanor be content with each other and have a couple of sons to prevent a second shitshow in England.
All I can say is that it won't be a disaster but it won't be bliss.... The Tudor dynasty isn't going extinct any time soon though... Thank you so very much!
 
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