27th of December 1535 - Royal Palace of Tordesillas

Standing in the darkened chamber awaiting an audience with Joanna of Castile, Isabella of Portugal, Dowager Queen of Spain did not wish to ponder the very thing that had brought her here this day. 

Her husband was dead and buried, the royal court of his dominions were in mourning and Isabella found herself regent to her son, the new King; who was still but a child and there was much for her to consider. 

It had been decided since the death of her husband that the court must leave the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales in hopes of further avoiding the contagion that had claimed the King's life. 

After what felt like an age, the doors to Joanna's chamber opened and Isabella straightened her back as she gently rested a hand on Philip's shoulder and nudged him towards the room. 

It was a matter of presence, one that Charles had taken when he had come into his throne after the death of his grandfather with his mother imprisoned. 

Isabella knew that Philip could only take his rightful place as his father's heir with her blessing, even if it meant depriving her of her throne yet again. 

The very notion hurt Isabella and she wished that there could be another way, however the country needed stability something that it could not be offered if Joanna claimed her throne. 

Seated before the fire, her eyes cast down on the book that she was reading contently as the party entered her chambers and the doors were closed behind them. 

Joanna kept her eyes low, focusing on the latin words before her as she made the travelling party wait; she might not have much power but she had power enough to do this and she knew that they wouldn't be the only visitors this day. 

Finally, Joanna looked up, she took in the mourning attire that they were all wearing but she kept a mask of indifference in place as Isabella stepped forward to speak. 

"Your Highness, I bring you the grave news that on the 12th of this very month. Your beloved son was called from this world by the Lord himself," Isabella stated, her voice cracking as she did so and she willed away the tears that threatened to fall. 

It was not the time nor the place for her to grieve, she had to be strong for the sake of her children; they needed her to be strong not a crying mess.

The room was quiet after Isabella had spoken, all eyes focused on Joanna to see how she would take the news that her eldest boy was gone; all fearing that the madness might claim her as it had done when her husband had died. 

Instead, Joanna set down her book and stood from her stool in front of the fire; the long robes that she was wearing ill-suited for the Queen of Castile and Aragon as she moved forward. 

"May God have mercy on his soul," Joanna mused crossing herself, her eyes flickering over those that Isabella had with her before they settled upon her eldest grandson. 

Perhaps with the right guidance he would turn into a better man than what his father had been, there would be no more bloodshed if she had her way. 

"Kneel before your Queen," Joanna instructed, her hands moving to clasp before her as she stared down at her grandson who seemed rather nervous. 

Only when his mother moved to do so did he follow her lead, a wary glance cast at the stern face of his grandmother who stared down at him. 

"It is my consent, as I am the only one who has such power, that, in my name, you govern these kingdoms which undoubtedly belong to you as well," Joanna said, her hands trembled slightly as she spoke and willed herself onwards. 

Afterall, this was the promise that she had given to God when she had acted as she had, she had done what she thought best for the lands that had shunned her and allowed her to be locked away all these years. 

"It is also my will and consent that Isabella, Dowager Queen of Castile, Leon and Aragon shall act as your regent until such a time comes when you are of age or ready to govern of your own will," Joanna continued, her eyes shifting to her son's widow whose belly continued to grow steadily as she carried the last child that Charles would ever produce.

Perhaps God would be kind enough to let this child live, his father's life being enough penance for all the trouble that Charles had caused and the lives that had been lost because of his power-hungry desire to claim more lands. 

Joanna moved forward, her knees creaking as she moved and she cursed her body for growing old; she approached Philip, who stared up at her through thick eyelashes. 

Reaching out, Joanna grasped Philip's chin in her fingers as she stared down at him while making him look at her; she could see much of his father in the boy and yet she hoped that she had acted soon enough to ensure he would not be Charles' copy in all things. 

"Never forget who you are and what is expected from you," Joanna instructed, her wrinkled fingers holding onto Philip's chin with her eyes searching his own for something that she could not yet find. 

They were the same words that she had said to Charles when he had come for her blessing in ruling her lands while she remained trapped her. 

Joanna almost wanted to laugh now, while once she would have jumped at the chance to leave; now she knew that she never could because of what she had done. 

"I wish to grieve for my son in peace," Joanna announced releasing Philip and turning away, she kept her back to them as they quickly left her room and headed to the chambers that had been prepared for their own stay here. 

There was much to be discussed and Joanna ignored Isabella for a moment as her daughter-in-law lingered by the doors as if to say something but decided against it. 

The doors to her chamber closed before Joanna turned back away from the fire, John of Avila appearing from his place in a hidden alcove of the room where he had been watching the events take place. 

"It is done," Joanna stated moving towards him, her heart pounding in her chest and her hands almost clammy as she glanced towards the door and feared what would happen if anyone were to discover what she had done. 

There was no doubt that they would have executed her if they discovered that she had committed filicide, it had been her doing not that of some illness that had taken Charles from this world. 

"God will forgive you madam, you did what needed to be done," John reassured her, it had been him that she had spoken to of her plot; not long after Ferdinand had come to this place and freed Eleanor and attempted to do the same for herself.

It was with him that she had plotted to save the Spanish realms from her son, that she had concluded upon hearing about the Alliance against Charles that he must be dealt with. 

Before Joanna had a chance to reply, a cough fit overtook her; a hand flying to her mouth to silence the coughs while John moved to hand his mistress a handkerchief that he had on him. 

A sorrowful look on his face as Joanna struggled to catch her breath, the handkerchief used to wipe the spital from her mouth before she looked down at it. 

If this was her punishment for acting against her son, for ensuring that he met his own end before he could cause the deaths of millions then she would take it. 

It had been a difficult decision to make, one that Joanna had gone back and forth upon until she had no further choices other than to command a loyal lady in Isabella's household to do her bidding. 

The promise of a good marriage and dowry had sealed the deal and the girl had been gifted a slow acting poison to fed to Charles, it had taken months of dosing for it to work but no one seemed any the wiser that it was not illness that had claimed him. 

"May God have mercy on my soul," Joanna whispered, her eyes staring at the blood that filled the handkerchief and she closed her eyes knowing that she did not have much longer left. 

It had been her own sickness that had forced her to act, one that had driven her to act now rather than allow her son to do something that would bring great shame to their royal house. 

Joanna straightened up and thanked John for his kindness, she did not know how she would do this without him and she was certain that he would take her secret to the grave. 

Isabella would install good values in Philip, mould him into the King that the Spanish realms needed and secure a peaceful alliance with those who had risen against Charles. 

Castile, Leon, and Aragon needed peace and they needed a monarch that would put them first rather than neglect them as Charles had done to expand his realms. 

Joanna tossed the handkerchief into the fire allowing it to consume the evidence of her illness, now she just needed to convince Isabella of the next part of her plan. 

***

28th of December 1535 - Innsbruck, County of Tyrol

Kneeling before the alter, King Ferdinand of Bohemia and Hungary whispered prayers as the letter announcing the death of his brother lay just in front of him. 

The news had been sudden and Ferdinand had not thought that his brother would leave this world before they had the chance to see each other again. 

There was so much left unsaid between them, his heart ached that they might never be reconciled after he had turned his back on Charles' plan to unite Europe under the Habsburg family.

It had been Isabella that has written to inform him that his brother had passed, the young Philip was now King and she urged him to come to her so that she could discuss her plans for the future. 

Isabella had not revealed much other than her desire for peace, to leave Spain in better hands than Philip had inherited them and that she wished to make strong the kingdom that she had come to love. 

The sound of someone taking a seat beside him on the pew broke Ferdinand's concentration and he offered a small look to his older sister who was dressed in mourning garbs and her focused on the cross on the alter.

"I hated him," Eleanor whispered with a shake of her head, tears filling her eyes and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. 

It had always been her and Charles against the world, the two of them had always had each other, she had left everything that she had ever known to come with him to Spain when he had become its' King.

"I hated him for everything that he took from me and how he used me," Eleanor spat clenching her hands, she wished she could face him one last time and tell him just how much she hated him. 

Perhaps then she would feel content in never seeing him again, perhaps then she would not feel like she had let him down by not being with him when his life came to an end.

"Yet he was still our brother," Ferdinand mused knowing exactly what she was trying to say, none of them would have ever wished this especially with such a great divide between them. 

To lose the chance to make amends, to move passed all the hurt and pain that they caused one another; perhaps they would have found a way to reconcile their beliefs and wants for the future to the grand plans that Charles had for them. 

The two siblings were silent, allowing them both to think of their beloved brother that had left them and how they would move forward for this loss.

They would offer their support to Isabella and her children at this time, Ferdinand knew that his sister-in-law would need all the support that she could get during this time especially while pregnant. 

Eleanor wiped away the stray tears, her hand trembling slightly as she tried to compose herself; her eyes glancing down at the small bump that had appeared and she had cherished the news that she was with child again.

"You did what you thought was right, even if it wasn't what Charles would have wanted but he cannot fault you for doing so," Eleanor stated knowing that guilt would eat Ferdinand alive if he let it. 

They had both acted against Charles' wishes, they had both turned their back on the vision that Charles had for Habsburg rule over the continent.

"If you wish to honour him now then help Isabella now, she will need support and she faces the unenviable task of dealing with the alliance," Eleanor instructed producing the letter that she had received and handing it to Ferdinand. 

It was not an easy ask and Isabella had to be strong, there would be many that would be displeased with her plans and what she had to ask of Ferdinand and Eleanor was not enviable.

Ferdinand frowned, his eyes taking in the elegant hand of Isabella and her requests that she laid out for Eleanor in hopes of gaining her support in such endeavours. 

Isabella planned to offer the Kingdom of Naples to the French in hopes of peace and a link to the alliance as well as dowry for the new King Charles to marry her eldest daughter, Maria of Austria. 

Looking to Eleanor, Ferdinand sighed knowing that this was just the beginning and he too would need to start looking for ways to link himself to the alliance through marriage least he find himself on the outside alone in all of this.