Prologue
In October 1501, a Spanish ship landed at Plymouth carrying a Spanish princess, who was said to be the most beautiful princess in all of Christendom, betrothed to the Prince of Wales. The two met and fell in love at first sight. However tragedy would soon strike, two days before the wedding Prince Arthur passed away, likely taken by the sweat, the bride's parents King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile insisted that Catherine should wed Prince Arthur's successor Prince Henry, then the Duke of York, on account of the fact that the full dowry had been paid. The old King Henry VII seemed at first to be prepared to do just that, however, just six weeks later, King Louis XII of France offered Marguerite de Angouleme, the sister of his heir Francis, Count of Angouleme, tempting the English monarch with the prospect of peace between England and France. This move deeply concerned the Catholic monarchs fearing that England would ally with their mortal enemy instead of them.
Meanwhile, King Henry VII of England was faced with an uncomfortable decision, if he went ahead and married his second son to Catherine, the girl would be over twenty by the time the new Prince of Wales was eligible to wed, however, if he went with the arguably more desirable prospect of Marguerite of Angouleme, he would have to hand back Catherine's dowry, unless, of course, she were to be wed to someone else.
With that thought in mind, Henry decided to wed the young princess to the son of one of his dukes, Lord Thomas Boleyn, Earl of Wiltshire and heir to one of the wealthiest Dukedoms in England, they were descendants of Edward III via the Black Prince's daughter Anne, as well as being descendants of the Byzantine Empire and in all honesty the rightful rulers, if they could ever expel the heathen Turks, and the younger Boleyn's mother was none other than Isabel of Viseu, sister of Manuel I of Portugal. He was certain that her parents would still not be thrilled by this, however, the King was not hugely concerned by their thoughts, and quickly moved to accept the french king's offer.
When she learned of what was to happen to her, the Spanish infanta was said to have wept for a day and night, however, despite her parents' best efforts in January of 1502, Catherine of Aragon was wedded to the young Earl, and became the Countess of Wiltshire. The great Catholic monarchs were predictably furious however with Louis also the King of Naples the pope had been reluctant to intervene, and so the marriage stuck and four years later the wedding of HRH The Prince of Wales, Her Grace the Lady Marguerite of Angouleme took place.
Catherine had watched as the french girl walked up the nave of Westminster Abbey, although she had long since come to terms with her fate, hatred consumed her at the sight of the french girl, she knew that the Prince of Wales was no happier about the turn of events than she was. Although if she was honest, the young newly made Duke was a kind man, and one who treated her with much respect, and he came from a noble and old family, being the rightful rulers of the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Lands, she placed her hand on her swollen stomach, her third precious child, if there was one thing she was grateful for it was her precious children. Her daughter Mary and son George would soon be joined by their sibling, the midwives had informed her would arrive in July. She wondered what the future would hold for her children, she knew Thomas wanted to try and take back the Empire that belonged to him by right, and if not for himself for their young son George, an ambition Catherine could get behind, she also couldn't help but hope for a glorious future for her daughters as well, maybe just maybe her blood may yet sit on England's throne.