Eleanor making moves there.

I hope some Monasteries and other such houses survive this time.
Oh, she certainly knows how to seize on an opportunity, that is for sure. Most should survive, it won't be too bad, essentially the main goal is to add some money to the treasury while making an example for the other houses.
 
I think this won't be anywhere near as drastic as IOTL as England is still very much Catholic here, in the sense of adhering to Rome, and the Pope only gave approval for certain monasteries to be dissolved. And yeah, Eleanor is cashing in on this, which I think is smart, if a little smarmy (but hey, she's Philip the Handsome's daughter)
Indeed it won't be so drastic, Henry is still the defender of the faith and Papal approval is key here. I think of it as something of going after a fairly small number of the religious houses, enough to make a good amount of money and to encourage all the others to make sure they behave. Yeah, I think that's a good summary of it, she sees something to gain and she's going to take it. Eleanor is certainly Phillip's daughter and Ferdinand's granddaughter...
 
Henry seems to be getting much closer to Elanor.
Well, they're both much more mature now that they are older. You could say the two have reached an understanding of sorts; Henry can have a mistress or two, but they have to be women that Eleanor approves of, and Henry still has to make it clear that he regards her above all others. Eleanor in exchange doesn't make a fuss over these affairs, even if it still annoys her. I will also say that you are certainly right, he's mostly been much more loving and respectful of her now, in part because of that little arrangement, but also because she's given him two healthy sons. Thank you for commenting, I always enjoy finding out what you think!
 
Chapter 163, October 1528
Hatfield House, Kingdom of England, October 1528

They were there in Hatfield’s great hall, enjoying a splendid dinner. Hatfield was a lovely residence, more modern than Herford, with checkered black and tan marble flooring in the hall. Light from the setting sun filtered through the windows, shining over the bowls of venison stew that sat in front of the household. The venison was freshly hunted by the Duke himself. Charles was not quite so avid of a hunter as his half-brother the King, but being in the mood to do so, he had brought down a stag in the late morning.

Giovanna turned to “This is delicious, my compliments to your cook.”

“Of course.” Charles nodded,”He is a most talented man.”

The Duchess of Somerset grinned,”Indeed he is, but Charles did a great job of bringing down the stag. An arrow to the throat and it was dead in less than a minute.”

“Aye, the best I could do for him was give him a quick death. That is the way of things, there are predators, and there are prey.”

“True, we must be grateful for the small mercies that we can bring during the hunt.” Anne replied.

Though the mood was largely merry, including Giovanna herself, there were some exceptions.

Isabel Leigh for instance, sat quietly in her black dress of mourning, every now and then bringing a spoonful of stew to her lips. It was understandable that she had nothing to say, her mother had just died in August, and the woman was heartbroken by the loss.

As if by coincidence, the topic of custody of Joyce Culpepper’s children came up, which caused Isabel’s eyes to flick over in the Duchess’s direction in interest.

Anne Boleyn cleared her throat,”I think that my young cousins need stability, to grow up in a household that can give them the education they deserve. As a royal Duchess, I believe that I can do so.”

“You make a good case for it, not to mention that their wardships may prove quite profitable in the long run. I will write to the Dowager Duchess, the Howards have long been close with my mother, and I have no doubt that she won’t deny us this.”

“Thank you, Charles, truly. I will make sure that they are brought up as good, virtuous Christians.”

“You will do them quite a service, I’m sure.”

There was a bit of an interlude in the discussion, as the servants took away what was left of the main course, and brought out the final one. It was warm, buttered bread and Giovanna’s mouth watered at the smell.

Trying to be patient while the bread was being served, Giovanna brought up the contents of her latest letter with the Queen of France,“Joanna is with child again, sooner than I expected her to be too.

“Excellent, I am so happy for my sister. May it be a son that can satisfy the French King,"

“Is it true that King Francis has engaged the Duc d’Angoulême to the Pope’s great niece?” Anne asked.

Charles brought a piece of bread to his mouth,“Yes, it is my dear, interesting is it not?”

“It’s like the days of the Borgia Pope, can you imagine the thievery Pope Clement would commit if he also had children?”

The Duke agreed,“That Medici Pope puts his family’s interests above all else, is it any wonder that many cry out for reform?”

Anne Boleyn gracefully set her goblet down,”You know, there are some who suspect that those priests won’t translate the bible so that the people won’t question their worldliness. I’m inclined to think those people are correct.”

Giovanna observed one of the footmen raise his brow slightly at the comment, but thought nothing of it, perhaps the man was not used to overhearing theological discussions. Little would she know, this oversight would soon bring them all a whole host of trouble.
 
Oh dear, Anne is gonna be in so much trouble.
How much harm can a mere footman do against the Duchess of Somerset? Yes, Henry will be pissed, but at the end of the day, family prestige and the need for a united front might mean Anne's rank protects her, especially if Charles takes her side.
 
Hatfield does seem like a lovely place - though I hope the nobility are not abandoning the Castles quite yet.

Slightly adventurous thing to say at dinner there Anne, though inclined is not the same as committed to - this may only be a small storm in a small teacup.

A chapter from the footman's POV might be interesting, a sorta 'downstairs' chapter?
 
Oh boy… At least being married to Charles should protect Anne, but this can’t be good. Hopefully that footman loses his head

Oooooooh boy.
Oh boy indeed, this will undoubtedly lead to at least some trouble for Charles and Anne... The footman might not though, not necessarily treason if you're spying and then report something to the King that he wants to hear about, though he certainly won't be working for the Duke and Duchess anymore.
 
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Oh dear, Anne is gonna be in so much trouble.

How much harm can a mere footman do against the Duchess of Somerset? Yes, Henry will be pissed, but at the end of the day, family prestige and the need for a united front might mean Anne's rank protects her, especially if Charles takes her side.
I'd say he can do some, but ultimately not too much. While Charles can protect her, he may be implicated as well, though I'm happy to report that at least neither one of them will be treated too harshly because of this.
 
Hatfield does seem like a lovely place - though I hope the nobility are not abandoning the Castles quite yet.

Slightly adventurous thing to say at dinner there Anne, though inclined is not the same as committed to - this may only be a small storm in a small teacup.

A chapter from the footman's POV might be interesting, a sorta 'downstairs' chapter?
Oh, they're starting to fall out of fashion, but not entirely. That's true, it's not like she just said that she doesn't believe in mass, so it isn't quite heretical; enough to warrant any deadly punishment, this will still cause a bit of drama. I agree that it could be interesting, but mostly I just try to stick with the three POVs with the only exceptions being those chapters from Isabella of Portugal's and Anne Boleyn's POVs.
 
I'd say he can do some, but ultimately not too much. While Charles can protect her, he may be implicated as well, though I'm happy to report that at least neither one of them will be treated too harshly because of this.
Anne is a Reformer NOT a Protestant and there is a big difference between the two things… she was definitely NOT an heretic (at least not more than Reginald Pole was)
 
Cast for Catarina: The Queen of Hearts
Catarina: A Rainha de Copas, c.2022​

Saoirse Ronan as Catarina de Habsburgo, Queen of Portugal
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Pedro Carvalho as Joao III of Portugal
Pedro Carvalho - IMDb
 
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Chapter 164, October 1528
Ribeira Palace, Kingdom of Portugal, October 1528

The next few months were going to be rather busy for the Dowager Queen of Portugal. Not that she would mind, in fact, she reveled in it, serving her family gave Catalina of Aragon purpose.

Catarina’s new babe was due in February, so Catalina would serve as her nephew’s hostess during the woman’s lying-in, just as she had during her first pregnancy.

That time had not yet come, however, though they were indeed in Catarina’s chambers at that moment. The Queen’s ladies had, at this point, nearly finished with all the necessary arrangements, and the whole household was optimistic at the prospect of the next child being healthy.

Not that Beatriz wasn’t shaping up to be a lovely heiress of course. But a son would make the question of succession simpler, and the Portuguese would prefer to be independent of Spanish rule. In any case, Beatriz was at least healthy, and tall for her age as well. She reminded Catalina of her sister Juana, with a similarly cutting sense of humor. She had the feeling that Juana would be quite satisfied when she told her of Beatriz’s growth. Beatriz herself was there too, playing a game of dice with her half-aunt Maria, the two sitting on cushions in the Andalusian style.

Neither girl took the game too seriously, and every so often a roll of the dice would be followed by the laughter of both children.

The Queen of Portugal sat across from her aunt, both women sewing as they talked,”The women of the nursery tell me that she grows well. Dona Margarida is particularly amazed that she is taller than her aunt Isabella was at that age.”

Lovely, Catalina thought to herself, She has the makings of a fine Queen.

The four-year-old Princess looked up towards the pair, a devious grin on her face,“Dona Margarida is a fat pig! I bet she snorts like one too!”

Catarina turned to look at her daughter, her face turning stern”Beatriz we don’t say things like that. It’s unkind.”

“But mama, it’s true!” Beatriz insisted, face scrunched up in childish defiance.

“Even so, you mustn’t say such things. You may think them, doing so is no sin, but acting on those thoughts is. I expect you to keep such thoughts to yourself from now on.”

“Her Majesty is right.” Catalina added, her tone more gentle than Catarina’s,”Nobody is perfect, and even if we were we must remain humble, the same goes for you too Maria.”

Under the gaze of both women, the Princess of Portugal huffed but conceded,”I will try.”

As if nothing had happened, the two girls returned to their game and the women to their sewing. Catalina chuckled as grabbed ahold of her needle again.

“What’s so funny?” Catarina asked.

“Oh, she just reminds me of someone.” Catalina explained,”Let’s just say that Prince Juan may have his hands full with your girl if he’s not careful.”
 
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