Isabel, Holy Roman Empress was so full of joy in taking in her arms her newborn son who she had almost forgotten the pains of childbirth… She was grateful for Catalina’s support and encouragements during that ordeal as that had given her strength and taken away all her worries about childbirth. She smiled to her aunt who was there, still fussing over her, for making sure who Isabel would be at her best for Charles‘ arrival as the Emperor was impatiently waiting outside the room to be allowed to enter.
Then Charles arrived and Isabel, who was really tired and barely able to keep her eyes open felt a little despair as perceiving her husband‘s nervousness, specially when he barely looked at the son who Catalina was putting in his arm, more interested in having an answer to some barely spoken question. She was feeling too numb for talking and too upset for the apparent disinterest of Charles for their son for being able to feel anything, specially seeing the baby again in Catalina’s arms. Isabel closed her eyes, then reopened them few moments later hearing her husband’s worried voice who was asking how she was while taking her hands in his own… she was barely able to say who she was tired but Charles visibly relaxed and kissed her forehead while Catalina told him to not worry as she would be again fine in short time before giving her the newborn baby as Isabel had extended her arms toward Catalina as soon Charles had let go her hands. This time Charles looked at the baby boy with interest, kissing first him and then her, thanking her for having give to him and Spain a so precious and perfect heir, prompting a small laugh from her as she relaxed, finally understanding who Charles had been simply over worried for her health when the Emperor told her to sleep and fully recover her strength quickly as he needed her at his side as soon was possible as he had feared to lose her while he would take their little Philip with him outside the room before leaving him to the care of his wet nurse. While her husband left the room with their son, followed by their aunt, Isabel closed her eyes, telling herself who she had been really stupid to think who Charles do not cared for their child… Catalina had told her more than once who her doubts were unfounded and who Charles looked much happier now than he had been when they had first meet in England but Isabel had not listened to her, still feeling far too insecure about Charles‘ love, specially when they had meet the viceroy and vicereine of Valencia as she knew far too well who Germaine of Foix, Dowager Queen of Aragon had been Charles’ lover and their forbidden relationship had been one of the reason for which the Emperor had refuted to marry her in the past, choosing instead to marry his sister Eleanor to the widowed King Manuel, Isabel’s father, for keeping Portugal’s friendship, with all the terrible consequences of that choice. Rationally Isabel knew who Charles at the time had wanted a French match for himself and who he was already engaged to the infant daughter of Francis I, but that had not prevented her to be extremely jealous of Germaine, who had since remarried twice, on Charles’ order, but before that had also given to him his firstborn child, and she knew who Charles loved dearly their daughter Isabella, who he had sent in his native Burgundy, under the custody of the aunt who had raised him first and then in the household of his sister Isabella, once the exiled Queen of Denmark had sought refuge in the Netherlands (and now the little girl was to go to live in Italy, under Eleanor’s custody, as Charles planned to marry her to some ruler there). And if that was not enough Isabel‘s suspicions had apparently been confirmed by Charles’ irate reaction when he had been informed by Germaine’s current pregnancy (thinking rationally Isabel could understand who Charles had been angry as Germaine’s actual husband was the former heir of the Kingdom of Naples and the fact who Germaine had not given any child to her second husband had led him to think who he was not risking anything in marrying the already 38 years old Germaine to Ferdinand of Calabria and instead she had fallen pregnant few months after the wedding) and her own pregnancy had not helped all to keep under control that kind of thoughts.
Well she now needed to stop to worry and relax and remember who she was far from being in the same situation of her poor sister-in-law Catarina, as her brother’s inability to let go his fixation with their former stepmother was ruining his wedding and the life of his wife. She had written to Joao more than once, trying to push her brother to do the right thing to his wife but she had received confirmation who the gossip who she had heard about her brother calling his wife with the name of her elder sister were unluckily true and Catarina had been felt extremely humiliated by that accident, who had not happened only once.