The Italian Rose || The Tudors

•Chapter 54

December 11th,1540, kingdom of Spain

The couple will be married by proxy in the fourteenth year of Princess Isabella Tudor's life. Princess Isabella Tudor will travel to Spain in her sixteenth year of life for her mariage to Philip, Prince of Asturias.

The princess Isabella Tudor is to have a dowry of 150,000 crowns.

I read the documents of the marriage between Philip and Isabella with a smile.

At least the future of one of my children was certain and I was assured that I will be able to determine the future of my two boys too.

One would become king and it would do me good to invest the other in the Church. Who knows, Arthur might one day become a cardinal or even a pope. It was in his blood, that was for sure.

"Madam, it's time for the princess's christening." Clarice said, smiling at me. I looked up from the document and closed it.

Henry and I had decided to baptize Isabella in Spain and name Emperor Charles and Empress Isabella as her baptismal parents. That way we would make clear to all of Europe that our alliance was official and firm.

"Very well." I stood on a neatly placed my light blue dress again "Ladies, shall we go?" I smiled and asked Giulia, Clarice and Bianca who nodded with a smile.

I walked to the crib in my rooms and carefully lifted Isabella out. The nursemaids had dressed Isabella in a white dress and a white lace hat over her red hair.

"mia bella prinsipessa , i love you dearly and i want you never to forget." I whispered as I kissed her. I covered her well with a blanket and then walked with my ladies-in-waiting to the long hallway where Henry was already waiting for us.

Henry was dressed in a gray ensemble. When he saw us approaching, a broad smile broke on his face.

"My Queen and my Isabella." He greeted us. He kissed me on the mouth and kissed Isabella on her forehead. "They are waiting for us in the private chapel."

In addition to the fact that Isabella was baptized in Spain, Henry and I had chosen to keep it small. Just a few of our courtiers, the Emperor and Empress and their children, Philip, Maria and Joanna.

~

"I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," the priest said as he poured the water over Isabella's head.

"Amen." I said smiling as I gently squeezed Henry's hand.

I watched Isabella be placed in Empress Isabella's arms. Empress Isabella smiled as she put the cap back over Isabella's hair.

She and Charles walked away from the altar and approached me and Henry. "Will she be my wife, father?" Philip asked who was sitting on the same benches as us.

Philip was already 13 years old, he had been educated since he was ten to succeed his father as king. He probably expected an older fiancé than a five-day-old baby, but I was glad he already knew clearly that Isabella was going to be his wife.

"Yes Philip, Princess Isabella will be your wife in the future when she is old enough." said Charles patiently. "But for now she will return to England with her parents where she will be raised as the future empress."

"Yes, the princess will learn Spanish from the moment she can speak. You will hardly notice that you have a foreign wife, Prince Philip." Henry added, he got up and took over Isabella from Empress Isabella. "Our little princess will be a wonderful queen and your father and I will win the battle against France and the Ottoman Empire."

"And we will all be happy." I thought in my head.

That's what you thought, Lucrezia, that's what you thought.