Читать книгу The Valley Beyond - T. A. Nichols - Страница 12

Chapter VI

Several weeks had passed since Isabella arrived home from Portugal, and she continued to spend time with Lucía in Segoia. This proved to be good therapy for Isabella, as she started to accept her loss around people she loved and trusted and who had become an important part of her life.

One day, a priest entered the city, riding a donkey, with two saddlebags draped over its back. The man was simply dressed in a brown robe tied with a hemp belt and sandals and wore a wooden cross around his neck. The guards at the gate laughed at the sight of a tall man riding a donkey. His legs were practically touching the ground, but the priest smiled and kept on riding to the fountain in the city square. Such a sight created interest among the small crowd who had gathered to watch the priest reach into the fountain with his cupped hands to give the donkey a drink of water. With each handful of water, the donkey made a typical braying noise with many hee-haws, which attracted the attention of the children in the crowd. The priest spent time with each child. He asked them their names and allowed them to pet the donkey and then gave each a blessing.

The priest took the reins of the donkey and walked to the palace gates. He told the guards he had urgent business with Don Fernando. Once through the gates, he was led to the anteroom of the great hall, where Don Fernando was at his table on the dais, busily reviewing some documents.

“A Father Baldwin to see you, mi señor,” announced a servant.

Don Fernando paused from his reading and rose from his chair to examine the priest who entered the anteroom, carrying his leather saddlebags. His eyes, although gray, sparkled with a smile. His face was smooth and wrinkled and gave the appearance of intellect and wisdom. His mane, which protruded from his tonsure, was a mop of gray thinning hair, and his robe was more gray than brown from the dusty road traveled.

“Do I know you, Padre?” asked Don Fernando.

“No,” said Father Baldwin.

“Please have a seat, Padre. Perhaps some refreshments?”

“No, thank you. I assure you, I’m fine,” said Father Baldwin with a smile.

“What can I do for you then?” asked Don Fernando, quite interested in the priest who sat before him.

“It’s what I can do for you. Let me explain,” said the priest with a smile and a voice that put Don Fernando at ease. “My name is Hugh Baldwin, and I have been sent from Rome in answer to your letter to His Holiness, which concerned a tutor for your daughter, Doña Lucía. Here are my credentials and a letter of introduction sent by His Holiness.”

Don Fernando rose from his chair and walked off the dais to examine the documents handed to him. Don Fernando noticed the official lead seal of the pope, the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul, with a cross, which separated the two saintly heads attached to the letter with a white cord at the bottom of the document. He read the rather lengthy verbose introduction written in Latin and then turned to Father Baldwin.

“This is a rather grandiloquent introduction, more like a sermon than a letter.”

“Sí, His Holiness does tend to get carried away in his use of the Latin language,” said Father Baldwin with a subtle laugh. Don Fernando could not help but laugh along with his guest, caught in his infectious humor.

Don Fernando took a seat next to Father Baldwin below the dais, and he listened with interest to his conversation regarding his background. Don Fernando discovered that his guest was a mixture of Norman and English noble stock. In his early years, he was trained as a warrior by his father, but becoming a knight was not in his nature. He also realized that being the youngest of four children, he would also become a poor knight, so he turned his attention to the church and felt very comfortable with his choice of profession. Father Baldwin went on to indicate with humility that he received a classical and advanced education at St. Albans, thanks to his father’s support, and was considered a scholar of his day. After further study, he was ordained a priest.

Don Fernando also learned his new tutor could also be quite loquacious in his own right, as he babbled on about being chosen by the English Pope Adrian in his late teens due to his acute intellect and quick-wittedness. The new pope at the time had made him an offer to come to Rome to serve the papacy, which he did in various capacities over the years through succeeding popes.

Don Fernando started to yawn as his new friend continued the conversation by also mentioning his enjoyment of having traveled the world to garner knowledge, especially in the Arab world. Here, he spent time learning and reading original Greek texts about the ancient sciences of medicine, biology, physics, and advanced mathematics.

Finally, Don Fernando had had enough, and he interrupted the conversation, “Well, Padre, I am very impressed with your background and find it to be a good match for my daughter. As you are probably aware, Padre, from my letter to His Holiness, you will be taking over the teaching responsibilities from Yamina, Lucía’s nurse and tutor. She is advancing in age and wishes to stay on as nurse only. Oh, by the way, you will also be tutoring my daughter’s good friend, Doña Isabella, as well. I hope you will not mind, Padre,” said Don Fernando, who returned his papal letter of introduction.

“Not at all,” responded Father Baldwin. “And I do hope I have not bored you, Don Fernando. I really do hate talking about myself, but I felt that I had to convince you of my qualifications in order to seek your approval. I owe my entire success from the hand of God and give thanks each day for his many blessings.”

“Well, Padre, you have impressed me with your qualifications, and I find you more a university scholar than a simple tutor, for sure. You are a very humble man with a pleasant, outgoing manner and a well-educated man of God. Now, Padre, what about payment?”

“I do not require payment, only simple lodging.”

“That I will see to immediately,” responded Don Fernando, and he rose from his chair. “Follow me, Padre, and I will show you to your room and introduce you to your new students.” Father Baldwin picked up his saddlebags and followed behind his new employer.

While Don Fernando and Father Baldwin were meeting in the antechamber of the great hall, Lucía and Isabella were in their shared boudoir, dancing and whirling around to imaginary music, laughing and giggling to their missteps. The girls were about to have an archery lesson when Don Fernando and Father Baldwin entered the boudoir and found both Lucía and Isabella completely oblivious to their entrance. The girls had left the dance floor and moved to the dressing table, where they were preening and making faces in the oval mirror, which sat on a heavy silver base.

Don Fernando cleared his throat, and the two girls abruptly turned around to see Don Fernando and a cleric standing in the doorway.

“Now that I have your attention, I would like to introduce you to your new tutor,” said Don Fernando as he walked over to the girls along with Father Baldwin. “Lucía and Isabella, this is your new tutor, Father Baldwin. He has come all the way from Rome to tutor you.”

The girls were wide-eyed as they examined their new sage. “From Rome, where the pope lives?” asked Lucía.

“The very same,” responded Father Baldwin.

“Do you know the pope?” asked Isabella.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” said Father Baldwin with his kind smile.

The two girls were impressed that they were in the midst of a cleric who actually knew the pope and had traveled so far.

“What are you going to teach us?” inquired Lucía.

With a smile and a twinkle in his eye, Father Baldwin opened his saddle bags and pulled out two heavy thick leather-bound books and placed them on a side table. The girls curious opened them and only found blank parchment.

Lucía laughed along with Isabella. “Is this what you are going to teach us?” asked Lucía.

“Precisely,” responded Father Baldwin.

The two girls looked at each other in confusion. “How could blank parchment teach anything?” asked Lucía.

“By itself, nothing,” responded Father Baldwin, “but you will be filling the blank pages with the knowledge I will soon be imparting to you on a whole variety of subjects.”

The two girls were then put on a daily schedule that was heavy on learning, as well as their continued lessons on manners and etiquette, how to dance and ride, archery, proper dress, and household management. The two girls looked at each other and realized they would have little time for else.

A couple of days later, Lucía and Isabella were working in the vineyard with Don Fernando, who felt that physical labor was as important as mental labor. Also, it was important for Lucía to continue to learn about the family business. While they were busy at their tasks, Lucía heard what sounded like shouting in the peasant village, along with her father and Isabella. Lucía started to panic and thought it was another raid. Don Fernando, after he told Lucía and Isabella to stay quiet, ventured out of the row of grapes, up the incline beyond five more rows of grapes from where the group had been working, and onto vineyard road.

Suddenly, a man turned off the main road by the village and onto the vineyard road and shouted, “Jerusalem has fallen! Jerusalem has fallen!” as he galloped past Don Fernando. He watched the man as he turned down another side road a distance away at the other end of the vineyard and then made another turn and onto the Madrid road, which eventually led to the bridge over the River Duero and beyond. All the time he shouted, “Jerusalem has fallen!”

Lucía and Isabella came running up the incline after the man had passed and were reassured by Don Fernando there was no additional danger.

“Papa, who was that man?”

“I don’t know, Lucía,” said Don Fernando as his eyes still scrutinized the horizon where the man had just disappeared out of sight.

“Why was he screaming so loud?” interjected Isabella.

“To let us know that the Holy City has fallen,” said Don Fernando.

“Papa?”

“Sí, Lucía.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that the Holy City has been captured by the Saracens,” said Don Fernando, somewhat lost in thought, “and I fear another crusade.”

“What’s a crusade, Papa?”

Don Fernando smiled at Lucía’s inquisitiveness. “Later, mi pequeño sol, but now it’s time to head back to the palace.” Both Lucía and Isabella mounted their horses, along with Don Fernando, and they headed home.

At supper, Don Fernando enjoyed much company, as Father Baldwin and Isabella had joined Lucía and Yamina as regulars at the head table on the dais.

Don Fernando turned to his right to speak to Father Baldwin. “I fear another crusade is at hand, Padre.”

“I quite agree,” said Father Baldwin in a gravelly voice. “I have witnessed and heard about the greed and avarice for the quest of land and power among certain Christian nobles in the Holy Land and the attacks on the caravans heading west by Christian knights. Certainly, this is not the type of behavior that would inspire continued peace in the region,” said Father Baldwin with a sly smile.

Within days, Don Fernando’s fear was realized, as priests and clerics were crossing Europe to find men to take up the cross and go on crusade to the Holy Land and free it from the Saracens who had captured Jerusalem.

Most people were alarmed at the fall of Jerusalem, except for Don Raimundo, the Conde of Donato. He had been planning for a long time an ambitious move that would propel him to the highest position in the land to become king, and perhaps this event might play into his hands. Don Raimundo had felt for many years that the Reconquista was moving too slowly under King Alfonso and therefore wealth and booty were eluding him. Raids along the border towns of al-Andalus were of little value since most had been well culled over time, and to truly gain any real wealth, a large force would be needed to penetrate the interior where the true treasures were hidden, such as in Seville or the real prize, Cordoba. Without the manpower or authority to do so, it remained, in his opinion, nothing but a dream.

First, he must take the throne before such an ambitious plan could be implemented, yet he should not appear too ambitious and raise any suspicions. Such a plan would require a great deal of gold. He would need to raise an army large enough to take and hold the major cities of the kingdom and to persuade the major noble houses to support him. Where would he find such wealth? Over time, he came to the conclusion the only way to accumulate the additional wealth needed to accomplish his objective was to seize the wealth of one of the wealthiest young nobles in the land—that of Doña Lucía Alvarado. But how would he accomplish this objective? He rationalized there would be only two ways to do so, either by marriage or by death. Unfortunately, the latter would most likely fall into play.

Don Raimundo was a patient man, having waited a long time for events to fall into play, and it was now the time to strike. He had to find a way to rid the king of his most trusted allies, mainly Don Fernando and Don Alfonso Coronado and, eventually, Ávila. The crusades would be this opportunity. The bishop of Segoia would be of help in this matter to convince the two men to take the cross and go to the Holy Land. He knew the bishop to be corruptible from his practice of skimming off the top of the collection plate each Sunday and during weekly services. He had an idea of what to do, which would work out satisfactorily for all involved, but first he had to have a meeting with the bishop, as this was a crucial part of his plan.

“The Bishop of Segoia,” said the servant as he announced the arrival of the bishop to Don Raimundo, who was seated at a table in the antechamber of the great hall.

“Ah, my Lord Bishop,” said Don Raimundo as he stepped away from the table to greet the bishop and kiss his ring. “Gracias for coming. I trust your short journey from Segoia was a pleasant one?”

“As pleasant as can be expected,” said the bishop.

“Some refreshments, my Lord Bishop?” asked Don Raimundo, who motioned to an awaiting servant.

“That would be delightful,” voiced the bishop, already smacking his lips.

Don Raimundo nodded to a servant. “Bring tapas, sweet tarts, and wine for the bishop.” The servant curtsied and left.

“What is this all about, Don Raimundo? You said it’s a matter of urgency.”

“Of course. Please sit down, and I will explain myself fully.”

The bishop listened patiently as Don Raimundo explained his plan to the bishop. “Now let me understand. You want me to persuade Don Fernando and Don Alfonso Coronado to take the cross and go to the Holy Land and for me to become your ally in a plan to take the crown?”

The conversation suddenly stopped, as the servant came in with tapas of olives, cheese, strips of sliced cured ham, sweet tarts, and wine. The servant poured two goblets of wine, curtsied, and left the room. It didn’t take the bishop long to help himself. As he took a piece of ham, the bishop said sarcastically with a slight laugh, “This separates us from our Jewish brethren.”

Don Raimundo did not think the remark humorous and was not in the mood for amusement as he tried to continue the conversation with the bishop, who kept feeding his chubby face. His face was so rotund that it appeared to turn his dark eyes into slits, which didn’t miss a crumb of the sweet tarts he quickly devoured. He had already stained his red garment with olive oil.

“My Lord Bishop, with all due respect,” said Don Raimundo, who was becoming irritated at the bishop’s eating habits.

“Of course, Don Raimundo. You must forgive me, but this is the first meal I have had all day,” said the bishop as he tried to talk while he drank his goblet of wine, which caused wine to spill from his mouth onto his garments, further staining it.

“Sí, I wish for you to be my ally in my pursuit of the crown,” continued Don Raimundo.

“What’s in it for me for taking certain risks mainly that of committing treason?” asked the bishop.

“If I am king, I will appoint you the archbishop of Toledo, a very powerful and rich office. Imagine, you will have jurisdictional authority over all the bishops under your domain, and I will overlook you pilfering the pockets of your flock,” said Don Raimundo with a smile of contempt.

The bishop sat up straight in his chair, as Don Raimundo hit a nerve. “What do you mean by such an accusation?” protested the bishop.

“Come now, Bishop. Don’t pull the look of innocence on me. I know that you steal from the collection plate after every service to live in a vainglorious manner. Remember, I’ve been to your palace and seen your silver candleholders, gold goblets, and expensive tapestries. In many respects, you live better than the king,” said an angry Don Raimundo, who attempted to quickly put an end to any misconceptions that the bishop might have in not backing his plan. He continued, “Don’t ever underestimate my abilities, Bishop, as it might be your last.”

The bishop sat back in his chair, took a drink of wine, and said with a smile as he put his goblet down, “Relax, Don Raimundo, what cleric would turn down an offer of being made the archbishop of Toledo? Just one more thing, since I am taking a great risk in helping you, I would expect to be paid a small percentage of the booty gained in your raids into the interior, as you have so boldly stated.”

Don Raimundo took a deep breath. “How much of a percentage?” he snapped.

“Oh, I’m not really a greedy person, Don Raimundo—say, fifty percent.”

Don Raimundo laughed. “Fifty percent? That’s outrageous! And you call yourself a cleric, a man of God.”

The bishop took a final gulp of wine, stood up, and said, “Everyone has his price, Don Raimundo, and that is mine. After all, without me to put the crown on your head, you will have no real legitimacy among the people. Also, once king, you will need my continued support, especially in clearing your name with His Holiness if he should decide not to recognize you as a legitimate king, even though your claim to royalty goes back to the Visigoths.”

Don Raimundo laughed. “Congratulations, my Lord Bishop, I have clearly underestimated you. All right, fifty percent. Just make sure that you turn out to be the ally who warrants such a fat price. Remember, I have spies in Segoia.”

The bishop laughed again. “So do I in Donato.” With that, the bishop walked to the door, turned back to Don Raimundo, who was eying him suspiciously as he walked out of the antechamber to leave, and said, “Until we meet again. Buenos días, señor.”

Don Raimundo was furious that he had been exploited by a cleric of all people, but the plan must go forth, and if it was costly, well, so be it.

Again thinking to himself, Don Raimundo realized that the amount of gold to pay for the size of the army needed to meet his objective would be more than he could currently put his hands on, but Doña Lucía’s wealth added to his own would make the difference. He must first obtain her wealth and her royal bloodline. This would take time. After all, she was only six years old, and to ask for her hand in marriage at such a young age, without the arrangement of a parent, would seem odd, if not suspicious. He must wait until she is at least twelve years old, the legal age of consent, and then make his move. Meanwhile, he would, over time, plan a strategy and find mercenaries to carry out his objectives when needed. Above all else, he must appear above suspicion at all times.

Both Don Fernando and Don Alfonso Coronado were convinced by the bishop to take the cross and go to the Holy Land for the greater good of Christianity despite the fact that much was still needed to be done to rid the peninsula of the Moors. Don Raimundo, to avoid suspicion, also agreed to take the cross as well and, most importantly, to ensure that his plan to have both of the above captured, which he had put into play, would be successful.

The king hated to lose his most trusted advisers and reluctantly gave his blessing but realized that he would still have Ávila by his side. The king was thankful that only a few thousand men had agreed to take the cross to go abroad to fight the Saracen, as the rest was needed to fight the Moors at home. The king appointed Don Fernando, Don Alfonso Coronado, and Don Raimundo to lead their countrymen to the Holy Land, and now plans were underway to organize the expedition.

Don Fernando decided to have Father Baldwin, whom he had come to trust, as Lucía’s regent, along with the king and queen, Lucía’s uncle and aunt. Avraham ben Shmuel, a Sephardic Jew from the royal court at Burgos, would assume the role of financial minister and ensure that all contracts were properly carried out until Lucía reached the age of consent. Zito would be in charge of the peasants in the vineyard, and Captain Gómez would remain in charge of the army of Segoia.

Don Alfonso Coronado decided to allow Isabella to stay in Segoia, to the glee of both Lucía and Isabella, as the two were now inseparable. Both would be under the tutelage of Father Baldwin. The Condado of Gustavo would be put under the direction of an alcaide appointed by the king.

The time to say goodbye was getting closer, as the camp of crusaders had been building outside the city walls for weeks. Tents of all sizes, shapes, and colors could be seen for miles. The scent of cooking food could be smelled throughout the city, along with the scent of rather nasty-smelling latrines.

Each day, Lucía and Isabella, when not doing their studies or other duties, went to the highest tower of the palace to watch as knights and soldiers, priests and bishops, along with an entourage of pages, squires, and servants from all over Castile, came to Segoia to make camp outside the city before they left for the Holy Land. In total, there would be five thousand souls to journey to the Holy Land, and for those who fought, the promise of penance and booty awaited. Many of the knights and soldiers wore a white surcoat over their chain mail embroidered with a bright-red cross.

The night before Don Fernando left for the Holy Land, the great hall was filled with barons and knights from all across the kingdom for a banquet. Lucía and Isabella, who were each seated next to each other and next to their fathers on the dais at the head table, engaged in their own conversation.

After the bishop gave a long-winded blessing, all partook in the feast. Father Baldwin, who was seated next to both Don Fernando and Don Alfonso Coronado, attempted to explain some of the conditions they could expect to find while in the Holy land, as to geography and climate, which could be quite unsuitable for some Europeans not accustomed to a hot, dry climate full of dust and sand flees. The king and queen were busy speaking to the bishop, and the Infanta, Doña Berenguela, was joining in the conversations with Lucía and Isabella. Everyone was having an eventful time, trying to forget their coming departure and whether or not they would ever see their homeland again.

The next day, Lucía went to the stable to say goodbye to her father. Don Fernando hoisted his daughter on top of a barrel. “Now remember what I told you, mi pequeño sol.”

“Sí, Papa, to obey, study, do my duties, and be good and not to cause any trouble, especially with Yamina, as she is getting up in age and can’t swing the spoon as hard as she was once able to do.”

Don Fernando laughed at her response.

“Papa, when will you be back?”

“Just as soon as I can, but in the meantime, I want you to be brave. Can you do that, Lucía, no matter what happens?”

“Sí, Papa. I promise.” She gave her father a final embrace. “Adiós, Papa,” said a tearful Lucía.

“Adiós, mi pequeño sol.”

Don Fernando took his daughter off the barrel, put her down, and mounted his horse with his barrel helmet tied to his saddle horn. Lucía used this time to study her father one more time to make sure that he was engraved in her mind so as to never forget his face. Don Fernando also paused for a couple of seconds and took one last look at his daughter, and then he rode off to join the very long column of men, along with supply wagons and various sundry varieties of animals, servants, and household staff who followed behind.

Everyone patiently waited for their leader to give the order to advance. Lucía waved as he left, and she wiped away her tears and joined King Alfonso, Queen Leonor, who was pregnant again, the nine-year-old Infanta Berenguela, the three-year-old Infanta Urraca, and the baby Infanta Blanca, along with the Bishop of Segoia, Father Baldwin, Father Piña, Captain Gómez, Yamina, Isabella, and the entire household staff, to say goodbye in the courtyard. Isabella started to become emotional, afraid she would never see her father again.

Comforted by Father Baldwin and Lucía, Isabella started to feel better and joined Lucía on the high tower to see the army march off to a strange land that was little understood. Lucía moved an empty wooden box to the opening in the curtain wall so both could stand and see the vast army lined up for miles, with their fathers in the lead, disappear from view over the horizon.

“‘Do you know where they are going, Lucía?”

“Papa told me first to Toledo to be blessed by the archbishop. He said that it had to do with an ancient Visigothic tradition before going into battle,” said Lucía in an assured tone.

“Wisagopic?”

“No, Isabella, vis-i-goth-ic,” responded Lucía, trying very hard to sound out the word.

“Visagopic,” repeated Isabella one more time.

“Oh, never mind, Isabella.”

“Then where do they go?” asked Isabella, who began to fidget with her head resting on one elbow on the curtain wall and her other hand tapping on the cold stone wall of the tower.

“I think Papa said to Barcelona, where they will board ships to the Holy Land,” said Lucía, as she stretched out and rested her head on her elbows. Both girls stood there until the entire army departed over the horizon.

After a while, Father Baldwin joined the girls. Lucía turned to Father Baldwin and asked, “Papa said that the army was headed to Toledo for a blessing from the archbishop. Is that correct, Padre?”

“Sí, Lucía, and from there to Barcelona, where they will join the rest of the army from other parts of Spain to board ships to Tyre in the Holy Land.”

As it was late, the two girls and Father Baldwin adjoined to the great hall for supper.