((Private))
Emperor Joan III gathered his daughters together, for it was time to speak to them of marriage. Peronella, the eldest, had already been married once to the previous archduke of Austria, but he had passed away five years ago before the couple could conceive a child. Now 35, it seemed best that she be remarried soon before she was unable to bear children. The second daughter, Estrella, had recently entered her twenties and was the most beautiful, although she was also the most fiery of the three. The youngest, Candela, was a sweet girl of 14 already blossoming into womanhood. He had rarely had the occasion to spend time with them all, but he could not delay this much longer.
When Joan called upon his daughters for this meeting, Estrella, as usual, took the lead. "What do you want, Father? Is something wrong?"
Joan did his best not to grin. His daughter could be so worrisome at times. "Do not fret, my dear. I only wish to discuss your futures."
"You intend to marry us off, don't you?" Peronella said. Seeing as she had already played her part in the dynastic game, she knew how these things worked.
Both Estrella's and Candela's eyes lit up at that. The youngest, usually so quiet and reserved, bubbled with excitement as she said, "Is it true? Are we to be married?"
Joan couldn't help but smile at Candela's enthusiasm. The girl was a hopeless romantic, spending most of her days reading romances and fairy tales. No doubt she envisioned her marriage to be a grand affair.
Estrella pushed her younger sister aside, a triumphant look on her face. "So who shall I marry? A prince? A king? An emperor?"
Joan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Not exactly."
The second daughter's expression dropped, and she seemed on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Peronella rolled her eyes and pushed her aside, depriving her of her moment of attention. "Perhaps you should just tell us of our future husbands then."
Joan nodded, looking first to Peronella. "My dear Peronella, I have arranged a most important marriage for you. Surely you have heard that with the recent loss of the crown prince of Sweden, that puts you next in line for the Swedish throne. If by some chance King Karl VIII Gustav does not produce an heir, you will likely be queen, and I wish to ensure your position will be secure. An influential duke, one Gustav Vasa, has recently been widowed and seeks a new bride. He will make a suitable match, especially since his ancestor ruled briefly as king during one of Sweden's independence wars against the Danish in the 15th Century."
"So that means I shall be departing for Sweden this time then?" Peronella said. "I think I might have preferred Austria."
"What are you complaining about?" Estrella said, sneering at her sister. "You have a chance to be queen of an entire country, and in your own right." She turned to her father and flashed a grin. "So who is the lucky man that gets to wed me. Perhaps someone from an influential family?"
"Why yes, your intended is from one of the most influential families in Europe: the Habsburgs."
Estrella's expression dropped at that. Soon she was having a full-on tantrum. "You intend to marry me off to those miserable Austrians as Peronella's replacement, even as they disrespect us over Lucca! I won't do it."
Joan gently grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to calm her down. "No, no, not at all. Your husband is from the Hungarian branch of the Habsburgs."
Estrella stopped her tirade for a moment. "Is he in line for the throne, at least?"
"Lajos von Habsburg is the king's second cousin, so not exactly, but he is a powerful duke and a personal favourite of the king."
The young woman thought it over for a moment. "I suppose being wife of member of a royal family and a duke in the king's favour is somewhat acceptable."
"And what of me, Father?" Candela chimed in.
"You, my dear, are to be married to Demetrios Palaiologos, nephew of Basileus Manuel IV."
Candela blushed and clasped her hands together. "I've heard the Greeks are a romantic people, both intelligent and passionate."
The youngest daughter's fawning over the prospect of her future husband was soon interrupted by another tirade by Estrella. "Father, why would you do this to me? Peronella is to become a queen and Candela gets married off to a man who could even end up basileus one day, while all I get is some Hungarian duke who all he has going for him is a personal friendship with his second cousin the king. Life is so unfair!"
Bursting into tears, Estrella stormed from the room. Joan was in shock as to what to do, but Peronella grabbed his shoulder to comfort him. "Let her go. She'll get over it soon enough."
"She didn't even stay to see the portrait."
Candela perked up immediately. "You have portraits of our future husbands?"
Joan stepped over to the far wall, where he pulled aside a drapery to reveal three portraits. The first was a distinguished looking gentleman with a finely pointed beard and piercing eyes. Peronella merely shrugged at the appearance of her new husband, figuring that she could do worse for a man of 40. The second, the Hungarian duke, was ruggedly handsome, and surely Estrella would change her mind if she had stuck around to see it. As for the third, it showed a young boy, barely into puberty, with a pleasant complexion and confident smile. One couldn't exactly call him handsome, although he might be too young to make that judgment yet, but Candela took one look at him and started fanning herself with her hand. Joan was perplexed by her reaction, but Peronella had a knowing smirk on her face.
"I suppose I should start arranging the weddings," Joan said. He then let out a sigh. "This certainly won't be cheap."
"That's what you get for having three daughters," Peronella said, clapping her father on the back before leaving the room.
After the eldest daughter left, Candela surprised her father with a hug. "You're the best, Father. I can't wait to meet my husband." She glanced at the portrait and giggled. "I wonder if he's read the classics. Or maybe he's an expert horse-rider. I hope he writes poetry."
Mumbling to herself about the hoped for traits of her future husband, Candela started to wander from the room. Just before she was to leave, she whipped right around and scurried over to the portrait. Looking to her father, she asked, "Can I hang this in my room?"
"If that will make you happy, you most certainly can."
Candela squealed and wrapped her arms around the portrait. It was almost too big for her to carry, but she managed to lift it and take it with her. Joan laughed to himself at her attitude. Now he just had to announce the marriages to the court.
((Public))
I wish to announce to the court of the impending marriages of my three beloved daughters. My eldest daughter, Peronella, shall be wed to Duke Gustav Vasa of Sweden in hopes of securing her place in that country in the event that she find herself on the throne. My second daughter, Estrella, shall be wed to Duke Lajos von Habsburg of Hungary in hopes that the union will encourage greater cooperation between our two countries that have not always seen eye to eye. My youngest daughter, Candela, shall be wed to Demetrios Palaiologos, nephew of Basileus Manuel IV, a symbol of our everlasting friendship with the Greeks. I wish the happy couples most joyful and fruitful marriages.
Now for affairs of state, I wish that we discuss the prime minister's suggestion regarding Lucca. Shall we grant Austria both Mantua and Novara while keeping Lucca and Cremona for ourselves? It would be an even division of the Italian state, and perhaps might be acceptable to the Austrians. I wish to hear any other suggestions or thoughts on this one. This matter is of great import.
- His Imperial Highness, Joan III de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
((I've thought over what would happen if the game placed a Trastamara on Sweden's throne and I've decided that while I will mod in Peronella as queen if that happens, I will not be taking control of the Swedish royal family as I have with the Trastamaras and Palaiologoi. I feel it would be bit too much work and kind of gamey to control another independent country's royal family. What I will do is ensure that Peronella has a son and he succeeds her to ensure that the Vasa family gains the throne in the end, upon which I'll end my meddling. Of course this will only occur if the game does not provide a new heir and places a Trastamara on the Swedish throne first.))
Emperor Joan III gathered his daughters together, for it was time to speak to them of marriage. Peronella, the eldest, had already been married once to the previous archduke of Austria, but he had passed away five years ago before the couple could conceive a child. Now 35, it seemed best that she be remarried soon before she was unable to bear children. The second daughter, Estrella, had recently entered her twenties and was the most beautiful, although she was also the most fiery of the three. The youngest, Candela, was a sweet girl of 14 already blossoming into womanhood. He had rarely had the occasion to spend time with them all, but he could not delay this much longer.
When Joan called upon his daughters for this meeting, Estrella, as usual, took the lead. "What do you want, Father? Is something wrong?"
Joan did his best not to grin. His daughter could be so worrisome at times. "Do not fret, my dear. I only wish to discuss your futures."
"You intend to marry us off, don't you?" Peronella said. Seeing as she had already played her part in the dynastic game, she knew how these things worked.
Both Estrella's and Candela's eyes lit up at that. The youngest, usually so quiet and reserved, bubbled with excitement as she said, "Is it true? Are we to be married?"
Joan couldn't help but smile at Candela's enthusiasm. The girl was a hopeless romantic, spending most of her days reading romances and fairy tales. No doubt she envisioned her marriage to be a grand affair.
Estrella pushed her younger sister aside, a triumphant look on her face. "So who shall I marry? A prince? A king? An emperor?"
Joan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Not exactly."
The second daughter's expression dropped, and she seemed on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Peronella rolled her eyes and pushed her aside, depriving her of her moment of attention. "Perhaps you should just tell us of our future husbands then."
Joan nodded, looking first to Peronella. "My dear Peronella, I have arranged a most important marriage for you. Surely you have heard that with the recent loss of the crown prince of Sweden, that puts you next in line for the Swedish throne. If by some chance King Karl VIII Gustav does not produce an heir, you will likely be queen, and I wish to ensure your position will be secure. An influential duke, one Gustav Vasa, has recently been widowed and seeks a new bride. He will make a suitable match, especially since his ancestor ruled briefly as king during one of Sweden's independence wars against the Danish in the 15th Century."
"So that means I shall be departing for Sweden this time then?" Peronella said. "I think I might have preferred Austria."
"What are you complaining about?" Estrella said, sneering at her sister. "You have a chance to be queen of an entire country, and in your own right." She turned to her father and flashed a grin. "So who is the lucky man that gets to wed me. Perhaps someone from an influential family?"
"Why yes, your intended is from one of the most influential families in Europe: the Habsburgs."
Estrella's expression dropped at that. Soon she was having a full-on tantrum. "You intend to marry me off to those miserable Austrians as Peronella's replacement, even as they disrespect us over Lucca! I won't do it."
Joan gently grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to calm her down. "No, no, not at all. Your husband is from the Hungarian branch of the Habsburgs."
Estrella stopped her tirade for a moment. "Is he in line for the throne, at least?"
"Lajos von Habsburg is the king's second cousin, so not exactly, but he is a powerful duke and a personal favourite of the king."
The young woman thought it over for a moment. "I suppose being wife of member of a royal family and a duke in the king's favour is somewhat acceptable."
"And what of me, Father?" Candela chimed in.
"You, my dear, are to be married to Demetrios Palaiologos, nephew of Basileus Manuel IV."
Candela blushed and clasped her hands together. "I've heard the Greeks are a romantic people, both intelligent and passionate."
The youngest daughter's fawning over the prospect of her future husband was soon interrupted by another tirade by Estrella. "Father, why would you do this to me? Peronella is to become a queen and Candela gets married off to a man who could even end up basileus one day, while all I get is some Hungarian duke who all he has going for him is a personal friendship with his second cousin the king. Life is so unfair!"
Bursting into tears, Estrella stormed from the room. Joan was in shock as to what to do, but Peronella grabbed his shoulder to comfort him. "Let her go. She'll get over it soon enough."
"She didn't even stay to see the portrait."
Candela perked up immediately. "You have portraits of our future husbands?"
Joan stepped over to the far wall, where he pulled aside a drapery to reveal three portraits. The first was a distinguished looking gentleman with a finely pointed beard and piercing eyes. Peronella merely shrugged at the appearance of her new husband, figuring that she could do worse for a man of 40. The second, the Hungarian duke, was ruggedly handsome, and surely Estrella would change her mind if she had stuck around to see it. As for the third, it showed a young boy, barely into puberty, with a pleasant complexion and confident smile. One couldn't exactly call him handsome, although he might be too young to make that judgment yet, but Candela took one look at him and started fanning herself with her hand. Joan was perplexed by her reaction, but Peronella had a knowing smirk on her face.
"I suppose I should start arranging the weddings," Joan said. He then let out a sigh. "This certainly won't be cheap."
"That's what you get for having three daughters," Peronella said, clapping her father on the back before leaving the room.
After the eldest daughter left, Candela surprised her father with a hug. "You're the best, Father. I can't wait to meet my husband." She glanced at the portrait and giggled. "I wonder if he's read the classics. Or maybe he's an expert horse-rider. I hope he writes poetry."
Mumbling to herself about the hoped for traits of her future husband, Candela started to wander from the room. Just before she was to leave, she whipped right around and scurried over to the portrait. Looking to her father, she asked, "Can I hang this in my room?"
"If that will make you happy, you most certainly can."
Candela squealed and wrapped her arms around the portrait. It was almost too big for her to carry, but she managed to lift it and take it with her. Joan laughed to himself at her attitude. Now he just had to announce the marriages to the court.
((Public))
Now for affairs of state, I wish that we discuss the prime minister's suggestion regarding Lucca. Shall we grant Austria both Mantua and Novara while keeping Lucca and Cremona for ourselves? It would be an even division of the Italian state, and perhaps might be acceptable to the Austrians. I wish to hear any other suggestions or thoughts on this one. This matter is of great import.
- His Imperial Highness, Joan III de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
((I've thought over what would happen if the game placed a Trastamara on Sweden's throne and I've decided that while I will mod in Peronella as queen if that happens, I will not be taking control of the Swedish royal family as I have with the Trastamaras and Palaiologoi. I feel it would be bit too much work and kind of gamey to control another independent country's royal family. What I will do is ensure that Peronella has a son and he succeeds her to ensure that the Vasa family gains the throne in the end, upon which I'll end my meddling. Of course this will only occur if the game does not provide a new heir and places a Trastamara on the Swedish throne first.))
