Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Eleanor's Plight.

12th of July 1534 - Palace of Alcázar of Seville

Holding her head high as she entered her brother's court, Eleanor of Austria could not deny the dread that filled her as she tried to ignore the whispers that surrounded her upon her disgraced return from France. It had been only a few years earlier that she had entered this very court to the news that she was to wed the King of France as part of a treaty that the man had been forced to agree to.

Eleanor wished she could go back in time and warn herself to flee, to refuse her once beloved brother in hopes of sparing herself from the humiliation that she now suffered. Perhaps then she would have been able to see her daughter, it had been four years since she had last seen her Maria and she prayed every day for her health and happiness. Maria was a Princess of Portugal, she had lived at the Portuguese court of her half-brother King John since her mother had remarried and Eleanor had not been able to see her.

Entering her brother's presence chamber, Eleanor felt her stomach turn as Charles came into view and she tried her best to unsee the look upon his face. Not even Isabella of Portugal's presence could ease her mind, her former step-daughter/sister-in-law could only offer Eleanor so much reassurance when Charles looked as angry as he did.

"Your Imperial Majesties," Eleanor greeted sweeping down into an elegant curtsy before them both, her eyes lowered and she prayed that God could give her the strength to face her brother now. Rising back up, Eleanor spared a glance to Isabella who nodded her head towards her in greeting before she fully focused on Charles; her heart dropped a little at the cold look on his face.

There was silence for a moment and even from her seat beside the fire, Isabella could not ignore the chill in the room; she had tried to calm Charles, to make him see that it was not Eleanor's fault that she was no longer the Queen of France. The peace was never going to last and Isabella had known that the moment their aunt had been declared mad that it was only a matter of time before Francis freed himself from the wife that had been forced upon him.

Now they were faced with such a thing and Isabella knew that Charles saw it as a slap to the face, he had never dreamed that Pope Clement would turn on him so. It seemed like not too long ago everything was in their favour, they had expanded their empire and they had everything they could have wanted.

Now all because of the lies of one woman everything seemed to falling a part around them, it had caused Charles many sleepless nights and he had done all he could to support her when it was possible. He would have no part in her plotting now, leave her to rot in the nunnery where King Henry had sent her and let that be the end of it; he had no desires to fight a war on all fronts.

"First you disgrace our family by carrying out a secret love affair with Frederick II, Elector Palatine," Charles stated, he arms crossed and he remembered when he had discovered that love letter and how furious he had been. Eleanor was a Princess of Castile and of Aragon, she should have known better than to act as such while Frederick had served as a counsellor and general for him.

"And now you lose your crown in France, the one I got for you," Charles stated with a shake of his head, all Eleanor had to do was keep the peace and ensure that the French King would never rise up against him. Now he had no idea what to expect and he feared an alliance between England and France, he had nothing to offer either country or they spouted such tales of a madness that came from his mother's family.

Now they wished that any daughter of his line carried the madness, he could not allow such rumours to continue to spread and he knew what had to be done. Silence at his words left Eleanor a little unsure how to proceed and she wished she could make him see that nothing she could have done would have secured their marriage alliance with France.

Francis held no interest in her as a woman, he would not visit her bed instead favouring that of his mistress and Eleanor had been powerless to do anything about it. She recalled how her brother had originally planned for her to wed the Duke of Bourbon in his attempt to swing the war with France in his favour; she had gone to Isabella then hoping that her sister-in-law might sway Charles away from such notions.

He had shown how smart he was at the expense of his loved ones, he had not cared that he was ripping her away from her child or the fact that she had pleaded with him to allow her to marry for love. Afterall, she had done her duty to her country, she had married the King of Portugal at his orders; she had never thought that fate would see her as Queen of France.

"With Your Majesty's leave, I would like to travel to Portugal. I wish to see my daughter, it has been many years as you know since I was last in her presence," Eleanor asked, she saw no reason for him to deny her. It was not like he had need of her to remarry so soon after her failing in France, it could take years before anyone was willing to marry her after how she had been disgraced. Her darling Maria had turned thirteen the month before, it would be wonderful to celebrate such a thing with her; she was surely a woman now and soon she would be married off to a man with a grand title.

"I do not give you such permission," Charles replied, he turned his back to Eleanor and made his way over to the fireplace so that he did not have to face her. He admired the tapestry above the fireplace and found that it soothed him, he knew his decision would bring Eleanor pain but what he did, he did for the good of his realm.

"You shall to travel to the Royal Palace of Tordesillas and shall remain there for as long as it pleases me," Charles continued, taking a deep breath after he had spoken before he turned to face his sister. A cool mask of indifference slipping into place and he watched as her confused face fell, her eyes feeling with tears of anger and he waved his hand summoning the guard by the door to do as he had been bid.

There was little point in delaying her journey, the sooner she was at Tordesillas the better and Charles could continue to focus on fixing the damage that had been caused to his family's image. The colour drained from Eleanor's face and she moved to take a step towards her brother, only to have one of the guards seize her arm and stop her from moving any further. She shot him a shocked look before she looked back towards her brother, fear filling her knowing that if she went to Tordesillas then she would never leave; she would be trapped there as a prisoner alongside the woman that she called mother.

"You can not do this to me, I am your sister… I have done everything you have asked of me," Eleanor pleaded with him, she shrugged off the guards hold on her and hurried towards her brother. Collapsing at his feet, she stared up at him pleading and hoping that he might change his mind; she had always been a good and loving sister to him and had put aside what she desired for his.

Reaching up to clutch at his hands, Eleanor kissed them and pleaded with him to reconsider; she would not go to Tordesillas, she could not go there. It was one thing to have the French court whisper about a madness that ran through her veins, one that had corrupted her mother and her aunt, that God in his kindness and wisdom had ensured that the same madness would not touch the Valois line. It was another thing entirely to be sent to reside with a woman that all of Europe called Joanna the Mad, she had been locked away for nearly thirty years.

"I beg of your Charles. Do not send me there. I will do anything you command. But do not send me there," Eleanor pleaded repeatedly, pressing a kiss to the top of his hands after each part but her words did little to sway him. Two guards approached her from behind and grabbed her arms before pulling Eleanor to her feet and forcing her back out of the room.

Charles stood firm watching her as she struggled against the guards, the mask of indifference did not slip as she cried for him to reconsider that she was his loyal subject. Quietly watching the scene before her, Isabella rested a hand on her recently flat stomach and felt a chill settle over her; she closed her eyes trying to block out the growing distant calls of Eleanor pleading for Charles to change his mind.

She had birthed him four children so far although only two of them still lived; she prayed her next pregnancy would end better. Getting to her feet and approaching her husband, Isabella did not speak as she reached a hand on his shoulder in comfort knowing that it had not been an easy decision for him to make.

Highly recommend Athenais Penelope Clemence's story, Chained by Love and War as well as the short prequel An Enchanting Dance in Calais by Countess of Sherwood. I also recommend For Even as Love Crowns You by wizardfantasy and Sanctuary by Cattyfan.

Please Review, Favourite and Follow x