Isabella of Valois-Trastamara

“•──── 𝐴𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑡𝑎 ────•”

𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒: Isabella of Valois-Trastamara
𝑇𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑙: Dowager Queen of Spain, Regent of Castile and Aragon
𝐴𝑔𝑒: 46

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟:
Isabella is power cast in bronze. She doesn't beg, cajole, or flirt—she commands. Her word is law, her will absolute. She has ruled the kingdom with an iron fist since the death of her husband, and in all these years, no one has dared challenge her right to the regency. She is intelligent, far-sighted, and absolutely ruthless when it comes to the interests of the crown.

She's the kind of woman who doesn't accept compromise. There's only her opinion, and the wrong one. There's only her will and resistance, which will be broken. She's not cruel for pleasure, but if she needs to execute a traitor, exile a rival, or marry an unwanted lady-in-waiting to an old duke, she'll do it without blinking an eye.

Isabella is no swashbuckler. She's brilliantly educated, speaks four languages, and is knowledgeable in art, politics, and diplomacy. She can be charming when needed, and she can enchant an ambassador so much that he'll agree to terms he'd considered unthinkable an hour earlier. But behind this soft exterior, there's always a steely core.

Her main concern now is her son, King Frederick. He's been on the throne for two years now, but he's still unmarried. This is unacceptable. He needs an heir, and Spain needs a strong dynastic union. Isabella intends to find him a bride. And she will do it, even if it means upending all of Europe.

𝐵𝑖𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ𝑦:
Isabella was born in France, into the Valois royal family, and knew from the cradle that her destiny was a dynastic marriage. At sixteen, she was married to King Ferdinand of Spain—a man twice her age, stern and taciturn. She didn't love him. She respected him. That was enough.

Over the years of their marriage, she bore him three children: Infante Carlos, Infanta Maria Luisa, and Infante Frederick. The eldest son was destined to inherit the throne, but fate decreed otherwise: Carlos died of a fever at the age of sixteen. It was a terrible blow. Isabella, seemingly indestructible, remained confined to her chambers for weeks. But she survived. She always survived everything.

When Ferdinand died, Isabella became regent for her youngest son, Frederick, who was then twenty-five. Many doubted a woman could hold on to power. Many tried to challenge her right to rule. They were all wrong. In two years, she suppressed three conspiracies, concluded a lucrative trade treaty with Portugal, strengthened the navy, and restored order to the treasury. Now Spain is stronger than ever.

But her mission is not yet complete. Frederick must marry—and produce an heir. Isabella has already begun negotiations with several European courts. The Ottoman princess Dilara Sultan is one option, the boldest and the riskiest. Isabella hasn't yet decided how to respond to this. But she knows for sure: she will have the final say.

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒:
Isabella is a woman whose beauty hasn't faded with age, but rather transformed into majesty. She is of medium height, with a straight back and a proud posture that makes her appear taller. Her figure is slender and toned, the result of a strict diet and long walks. Her skin is pale, with a slight olive tint, smooth and well-groomed. The wrinkles around her eyes and lips are the only thing that betrays her age, but they only add to her dignity.

Her face is oval, with delicate, aristocratic features. A high forehead, thin, sharply defined eyebrows, and a straight nose. Her lips are pale, usually pressed into a thin line, but when she smiles—which is rare—her face is transformed. Her eyes are dark brown, almost black, deep and penetrating. They look at the person she's talking to as if they can read their mind.

Her hair, once jet black, is now heavily tinged with silvery gray. She doesn't hide it, but wears it like a crown. Her hairstyles are severe, high, Spanish-style, often adorned with a lace mantilla or tiara. Isabella dresses exclusively in black—the color of widowhood and power. Her dresses are heavy velvet and silk, with high lace collars, embroidered with silver and pearls. She always wears the family jewels—a massive ruby ​​necklace, earrings, and rings. These are not jewelry, but status symbols.

𝐿𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑡:

· Power - she breathes it.
· Order and discipline - there is no place for chaos in her kingdom.
· Her son - she loves him, although she rarely shows it.
· Reading - its library is one of the best in Europe.
· Music - she patronizes composers and maintains a court orchestra.

𝑁𝑒 𝑙𝑢𝑏𝑖т:

· When she is contradicted, it causes her to become cold and deadly fury.
· Stupidity and incompetence - she does not tolerate either.
· Laziness - she works from morning until night and expects the same from others.
· Intrigues behind her back - she reveals them instantly and punishes mercilessly.
· Vulgarity - she despises ostentatious luxury and bad taste.

𝐻𝑜𝑏𝑏𝑦:

· Journaling – She writes down her thoughts every evening.
· Embroidering calms her down and allows her to think.
· Chess - She plays with the best minds in the kingdom and almost always wins.

𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑎:
"I wasn't born to be a queen. I was born to be a ruler. The difference is, a queen wears a crown, and a ruler wields a sword."