As promised, scenes from my next story;

The Emperor's Daughter

This story depicts Elizabeth as Infanta Isabel, the illegitimate daughter of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and his step grandmother Germaine de Foix, and set during the reign of Henry VIII. Though I will be using real people, this story is not historically accurate. I will be depicting real events but they may not follow the correct timeline. Although it is set during the Tudor Dynasty the story will still be a regency fic. If you like historically accurate stories, this story is NOT for you (I basically created my own era-a tudor dynasty during the regency period) but I think I have a good premise and hope you take the time to read my story and enjoy it. This is a very short teaser that jumps from the beginning of the story to the middle. I want to get a little feedback before getting too deep into the story. Let me know what you think.

BLURB: Fitzwilliam Darcy, the duke of Holder falls instantly in love with an intriguing country beauty who is anything but a nobody. Theirs is a forbidden love but their hearts won't listen.

"She must not be allowed to take the child with her."

"But the King has agreed to send her away, he has arranged a marriage for her. The child shall be raised by her husband. What harm can she do?"

"Carlos is already attached to the child and that harlot has too much control over our young king. If we leave the child with her she will continue to have ties to the king and can use the child to influence him in the future."

"She is a girl, what use can she be to the King?"

"Kings have always used their bastards for political advantage, as you well know, and as you said, the King is very fond of the child. Many people shall want to use her."

"What shall we do? Have the child raised at court?"

"We shall keep her at court until we leave Aragon for the King's Imperial coronation. Once he is crowned Holy Roman Emperor, we shall send her away until she is old enough to be used for our political gain."

"Where shall we send her? The King shall never agree."

"Leave the King to me."

**Nineteen Years Later**

'Who is that intriguing beauty?' thought Fitzwilliam Darcy, the Duke of Holder.

He had just walked into a stifling assembly hall in the backward country village where his friend, Charles Bingley, leased an estate. He let his cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, persuade him to accept his friend's entreaty to help him learn how to manage an estate and had joined him and his family earlier in the day only to be told that Bingley had accepted an invitation to a country assembly of all things.

The Netherfield party entered the assembly hall and everyone turned to stare at them. Even the music had stopped. He looked around and saw nothing of interest until he heard tinkling laughter. He followed the sound and beheld the most handsome woman he had ever seen. She was studying the unmoving crowd with amusement and it made him smile. 'She thinks this farce is as ridiculous as I do.'

He covertly studied her as the host introduce himself and his family to them. She was richly and fashionably dressed although not over dressed like his friend's haughty sisters. They looked like they were attending a ball at the palace whereas she was appropriately attired for a country assembly. Her attire and comportment was miles above anyone else in the room. 'What is one such as she doing at an assembly such as this?'

His party started to move further into the room and he felt his friend's sister, the cloying Caroline Bingley, latch onto his arm. He looked down to detach her from his person and when he looked back up the intriguing beauty had moved on, to his great disappointment. He looked for her amongst the crowd as they were being introduced to a loud, shrill woman and her daughters.

He vaguely heard the family's name and his friend ask the fair haired one for a dance as he surveyed the crowd. He was then being loudly addressed by the loud matron but did not bother to listen to her. He gave her a quick bow and left to find him a corner where he could watch the crowd undetected.

He knew that he was being insupportably rude but he was in no mood for matchmaking mamas. He had no desire to attend the assembly in the first place, then he lost sight of the only interesting person in the room due to the annoying Miss Bingley. His friend soon joined him.

"Come, Holder, I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner."

"I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and the only other woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with has left.''

"I would not be so fastidious as you are for a kingdom! Upon my honor I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, and several of them are uncommonly pretty."

"You are dancing with the only tolerable girl left in the room,"

"Oh she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you."

"Which do you mean?" he asked as he turned around. He looked into the sparkling green eyes of the beauty he had been searching for. "I dare say she is, Bingley. I would like an introduction" he said to his friend's surprise.

He was soon standing in front of Miss Elizabeth Bennet requesting a dance which she thankfully accepted. They danced for a while in silence as he stared into her beautiful eyes. He knew not what to say.

"Come, Your Grace, we must have some conversation" she started. "I shall talk about the dance, and you ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples" she added teasingly. He was enchanted.

"Do you speak as a rule while dancing?"

"Sometimes. One must speak a little, you know. It would look odd to be entirely silent for half an hour together."

"We cannot have that can we?" he asked, enjoying their banter. "Tell me, you seemed amused as we entered the room. Does my party look that out of place?" Her tinkling laugh poured out.

"Forgive me, Your Grace. I assure you it was not your party that so amused me, it was my neighbors' reaction to it."

"Why, pray tell? Does not the crowd and music always stop as someone enters the room? It happens at every ball I have ever attended" he teased, eliciting more delightful laughter from his companion. This would be the best dance he ever had….

**Several Months Later**

"Where is my Elizabeth?"

"She has been transported to the tower, Your Grace" said a sadden Mr. Bennet.

"Dear God" said the Duke of Holder before dropping to his knees with his head in his hands, his heart breaking.

"They said it was for her protection. Mendoza came with the envoy and she was allowed to take her ladies with her. She was not alone and she will be afforded every comfort whilst there."

"Her protection indeed!" he said as he jumped to his feet and started to pace. "The King wants to use her as a bargaining tool against the Emperor. He has no care for her wellbeing!"

"We knew this could happen. We know this is her life."

"Tis not a life! Used for political gain, given away to whomever her father sees fit, locked away for ransom or a treaty, used as a pawn by King Henry! How many times has she been betrothed to another King's bastard or even the Pope's bastards, rouge Dukes, and aging princes? This is not to be borne! This cannot continue!"

"There is nothing to be done. She would have been taken into the queen's household whilst her father visits England and may not have been allowed to return to us."

"Has Mendoza heard from the Emperor regarding my petition? Will he grant me an audience when he comes to England?"

"No he has not heard back and I fear that once the Emperor is made aware that Elizabeth has been taken to the tower he will not be pleased and will remove her from England. King Henry has never been so daring and he seems desperate for a treaty, but the Emperor's imminent visit was for that very reason so I know not what the King wants to gain by taking Elizabeth."

"That fool!" yelled the duke. "As if what he is doing to Queen Katherine is not enough! I must away to Whitehall."

"To what purpose? I cannot think the King will see you."

"Oh he shall see me, and very soon, but no. I shall speak with Suffolk and try to garner any information about the real reason Elizabeth was taken away. I shall ask him to petition the King for permission to allow me to see her. I will not leave until I have seen her for myself. Did Mendoza say where he will go after he has seen her to the tower? I must speak with him urgently."

"He left you this" said Mr. Bennet as he handed him the missive Ambassador Mendoza left for the duke. "Mendoza is our best weapon. He cares for 'his Isabel' as if she were his own child and he has the Emperor's ear. He feels the fondness the Emperor has for his daughter will somehow lead him to release her from all of this turmoil and allow her to marry where she pleases. King Henry's latest machinations may work in our favor."

"I pray that it shall. My position on the Privy Council is not enough political influence for the Emperor to allow me to marry her. He has nothing to gain from such a marriage. I must pray that a father's love will help me with my love."