Page 141 of Disillusioned (A Lay of Ruinous Reign #2)

Whereas it hath been mutually agreed by treaty and sealed consent between the Royal House of Brittany and the Holy Roman Empire, that a matrimonial union shall be entered into by Lady Eleanor and His Imperial Majesty Maximilian, with all solemnity and binding force, to the end that peace may be established and amity strengthened between their realms, especially in light of the reported increasing hostilities by the Kingdom of France:

It is therefore covenanted and confirmed that lawful proxy shall contract the aforementioned marriage, in full accordance with the customs of the Holy Church, and shall be held in full force as though both sovereigns were present in-person.

And furthermore, for the advancement and securing of this union, Her Majesty Queen Eleanor doth bestow, as her royal dowry to His Imperial Majesty, the following entitlements and grants:

Unfettered access and usage rights to all royal naval ports of the Kingdom of Brittany, including but not limited to: St. Brieuc, St. Malo, the Channel, and the western Bay of Douarnenez for purposes of both Imperial defense and commercial passage;

Exclusive trade rights and privileges along the eastern and southern routes through Brocéliande’s harbors and overland passages, extending north to the Channel and allied maritime territories;

Primary levy and purchase rights upon the agricultural yields of the Breton crown demesnes, including grain, flax, honey, and seasonal harvests, with exemption from tolls customary to foreign powers.

And it is agreed that, these privileges, being given with mutual consent, shall endure for the natural lifetime of the union, and shall be renegotiated upon the death or abdication of either party.

Moreover, it is hereby expressly stated and confirmed that Her Majesty Queen Eleanor shall retain, in perpetuity, full sovereignty and right to rule over the Kingdom of Brittany as Queen Regnant, free of vassalage or subjugation to any foreign crown, including that of her consort; nor shall she be bound to take residence in Vienna or any other Imperial court, save by her own sacred volition.

Furthermore, in the event of war, invasion, or any attempt at forced annexation of the Breton realm, His Imperial Majesty Maximilian shall be obligated, by oath and by arms, to render military aid and the full muster of his forces in defense of Her Majesty’s person, lands, and throne.

In witness whereof, the aforementioned proxies, being empowered by their respective sovereigns with full right, writ, and seal, have enacted this marriage by proxy in lawful form, and have set their hands to this indenture in the presence of witnesses noble and learned, upon or after the day and year first above written.

Signed:

Reichskanzler Ulrich von Trapp zu Salzburg

Imperial Chancellor of the Empire

Gr?fin Margaretha von Hohenberg

Countess of Hohenberg, Lady of the Inner Court

By the Authority and Eternal Will of His Imperial Majesty, Maximilianus Primus, Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Romans and Archduke of Austria, I, Albrecht, Count Fritsch, do hereby stand as His Imperial Proxy in this sacred and unbreakable union with Eleanor of House Trécesson, Daughter of the Armor and Argoat .

By my hand and solemn oath, I bind both houses, sealed this 28th day of April, Anno Domini 1532, at Hofburg, Vienna.

Albrecht, Count Fritsch

Imperial Proxy and Voice of the Emperor