Chapter 1 Our march to the Royal Court
-United of Aragon 1364-
I still vaguely remember when was the year of Our Lord 1364, and received the news that was to accompany the Court as a maid company my friend Doña María games. Our Queen Eleanor of Sicily and Aragon had advised well and thought that Maria de Luna was the ideal medium for was the wife of his youngest son Martin candidate.
We had to leave our family and our Segorbe: our orchard, forest and water spring the days of childhood. He was forced to leave my beloved playground, where together, Dona Maria and I knew the smell of lavender and rosemary, the song of a goldfinch and where our stories came to life, alluding to the love of a Christian princess, and deeds his beloved gentleman.
In the evenings, after tea that sweet pumpkin baked in the Palancia river, the washerwomen heard stories of love and fear. How, King Pedro I the Cruel of Castile, our eternal enemy; a young cocky and arrogant bastard who wanted to conquer our kingdom, had sent a ballestero to Medinasidonia Prison where his wife and Queen Doña Blanca de Bourbon was captive. Sagittarius He had the royal order to execute it. They also said that the Castilian King gave the Torre del Oro to some of its hispalenses lovers. Cruel nickname he had earned for sending Don Fabrique murdering his brother and his bloody crusade in search of conspirators in his kingdom.
That year, we were under siege in Valencia the young King Cruel of Castile. Our old King; Pedro IV Ceremonious of Valencia and Aragon, also called the Punyalet had been collecting 50,000 pounds on behalf of the Generalitat in Valencia, to restore and strengthen the plaza. Together, they had melted the jewels of the city by weighing a value of 537 frames and 6 ounces, all to cover the expenses of the war. The news says that our King, The ceremonious, had managed to enrage the Cruel conquistándole lands to Alicante, leaving him still, this city and Orihuela by besieging.
My friend Dona Maria descended from a noble lineage. His parents were Don Lope, Count di Luna, and Brianda d'Agaout, gentlemen of the House of Segorbe, was noble house, he belonged to the lineage of the Moon Aragon. I could say it was a lucky girl, as the Countess of Segorbe; my city, was my dearest friend Maria de Luna. By Royal Order she had been chosen to marry the Infante Don Martin, second son of our King Pedro IV The Ceremonious. Your name; Martin was the first to the house of Aragon, its origin was French, the Caudillo and head gala dynasty Charles Martel, Charlemagne 's father, Carlos "Hammer".
Just eight years we had when we were called to the Court. Barcelona was our first destination. Queen Leonor wanted to direct the education of their future daughter. I was taken as a chaperone of Dona Maria. A sense of awe and fear embargaba us and together emprendiamos the trip. Between tears and laughter, we came to Barcelona lured by tales Riders War and Death. Were the Queen herself Leonor and the Franciscan fathers our teachers.
Upon arrival gave us some Valencians chapines, they were of fine silver in the iron and nail on the rods with silk ribbons in capellanas. We were told when we were a true courtesans could walk with them. That was only the beginning of the uncomfortable pomposity we had to put up as clothing.
Two years finally King Pedro I the Cruel of Castile had given up and left Valencia. In his kingdom, he grew dwarves and Count Henry of Trastamara had hired the White Companies from France. His intention was to avenge Doña Blanca de Bourbon and his brother, and thus wrest the kingdom of Castile.
Therefore, this summer, and for ten years we returned to Segorbe Maria and me. I remember accompanying us the Infante Don Martin and it was the best time of our life. I come to mind as bright and fragrant memories, our baths in crystal and fresh river and snacks stuffed fritters dipped in Higo that goat milk, ambrosia and divine nectar mimicked. Mixed with these flavors, bitter aroma of Apocalyptic Horseman Plaguelands is to flavor. He was making havoc across the kingdom. He had reduced the population from 40,000 to 25,000. We were not aware, in our games there was no place for the tragic, just for dreams and games. The Infante Don Martin was traveling with us at that desired return to the origin.
His father, the king, regarded as a safe district Segorbe. Martin was a timid, a little plump blond child, however exuded an aura of majesty while goodness, that wanted to pinch his cheeks. Shared recreation and illusions protected under the cloak of naivete core of childhood, parnaso soul. Those days our parents took us to see the puppets and the bigheaded they represented. The troubadours in the Plaza Mayor, seemed rhapsodists today. We admired and curious among those legends, ate dates and soaking in the script of the stories sung by minstrels. I remember Martin liked El Cantar del Mio Cid, Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was our idol and Doña Jimena our ideal lady and wife of hero.
That summer engrosábamos all some kilos. Oven threads Sopeña and the slaughterer güeñas and black pudding made us salivate. Mary was a great eater, though demure, Martin and I were nothing demure and quite greedy. That August learned to ride horses at the ejido of Sisterre. In our walks along the Cerro de San Blas Infante he played the king with his wooden sword called Tizona. We were very happy. To me, covenant of vassalage, I granted the Duchy of Peñalba, behind the river, where I grew up and where my father was training young champions, the sons of knights and barons and where my mother baked loaves and tended the animals. Maria was granted to be his queen and Segorbe, the capital of the Kingdom.
That same summer a farmer named Pere Granyana found a plaster image of the Virgin under a lledoner or almiz in Castellón. Hence its name, Virgen del Lledó. Swiftly we went to visit her to ask, if you had the plague and war, we will'd make a chapel in the Cathedral of Segorbe. Meanwhile, with the speed with which just happy times, summer dissipated. That farewell appeared to me in dreams, crying embraced our families, to the Infante also cried though they were not her blood.
Already in the lap of the Court we were attending the celebration of the 17 years of the Duke of Gerona, Infante Juan. It was born of the king and promised brother of Mary, the Infante Martin. The days are promised happy. The Royal Library was a torrent of wisdom. Mary and hidden from the Franciscans, when the agape, we went into that pantheon of knowledge to our enigmas looking replicas. There we met the classics and myths, those treaties to which the human being was the center of all things. Our readings will be projected depues in our way of being and thinking humanist.
But the Rider War lurked the Kingdom. The Virgin of Lledó not listen to us because English Black Prince Edward, had decided to help King Cruel, now an ally of King Mohamed V. Granada Najera would fall under the multiracial Orda. You can hear us something virgencita since early in 1369 Enrique de Trastamara killed his stepbrother Pedro I Cruel Cruel in Montiel.Tenía 35 years. The kingdom of Aragon and Valencia celebrated those days, with stuffed pheasants blackberry and apple dipped in wine, the Montpellier branch of the Royal House Castellana rule on the Plateau.
The following year our monarch announced his eldest son the Infante John should marry a gala princess named Juana de Valois. They did not even know. Mary said that at least Martin was familiar and well liked. They were the protagonists of our songs. A prince and a princess, Prince John Hunter. That more than a story of love was a misadventure, constantly he made us mourn. Prince Juan, married by proxy did not know his wife and new gala court said he was very ill.
John crossed clandestinely across France to reach the bed in which knew the love and the death of his princess. She had been widowed in one day. We scared we began to think that marriage was something unpleasant. Although, my companion and lady, could not choose their destination and had to marry the Infante Don Martin. We only had 14 years. Sunday June 13, 1372 at the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia of Barcelona the link between my friends Martin and Mary in the same city where we spent our formative years being held.
The Infante Don Juan, the Hunter, would soon marry again, Doña Armagnac Mata was the one. From this marriage back memories of how we impact the bullfight organized by butchers in the Market Square, equipped with "barreres i cadafals" remained. The bullfighter danced red cape in hand with the bull. In the end, he nailed his sword into the heart of the Minotaur. For some he was a hero, he applauded Martin Infante excited. For me, it was just another butcher. Gush of blood that irritated me so much that I imagined jumping into the arena and driving a flag to the Puig Xiquet that, in their backsides.
In 1375, two years later, the Queen Leonor died and left the King Pedro IV. Two years later the king marries for the fourth time at 58 years, Sibila of Fortia. The actual wiles did their effect, preventing the war. Leonor, sister of Martin and Juan was used as currency. The regent, his father had sent her to marry with Fernando II of Castile and consolidating peace in Almazan between the two kingdoms. Fernando II died later in 1379. The end of the war marked the rest of Apocalyptic Rider, we still had three active.
Chapter 4th
Young Martin, son of Mary.
Maria de Luna in 1376 had their first child. He was called Martin, History Martin know him as the young king of Sicily and Sardinia. His father Infante Don Martin allowed little to be brought up in Segorbe. Among the Franciscan Fathers, Mary and I educábamos Martin. At that time The Travels of Marco Polo, allowed us to dream about those places in Asia; Princesses, dragons and golden roofs. Maria and I knew the perfumes of Asia. The Infante had bought some Venetian merchants. Spent long periods in our city between Sierras, along the river. María de Luna at that time already married and had become a noble woman, descended from the house of the Moon, charitable and lover of justice, of deep religious convictions, without superstition, and fond of music and reading. Elegant and austere pomp and frivolity of the Court did not influence her, beat her husband appeared in the ability of government. Valencia received by those new shield by the King with two eles, loyal twice by the sieges of 1363 and 1364. He used to sign by placing a crown on ele Valentia.
Misfortune preyed on the poor Infante Don Juan; our prince lost two years after Dona Marta, which had suffered the expiration of his four children. He had only survived her little Juana, who suffered physical handicaps. The Death Rider just taking their delicate life. That same year Maria de Luna had been chosen to inaugurate the Hospital Mayor Seo Segorbe. Built to meet the needs of many poor families and encourage both the city and its region. That day the atmosphere exuded happiness. Her husband Infante Don Martin and 22 years, not accompanied us, he was lieutenant general of Aragon during the reign of his brother.
In 1380 the King of Aragon Pedro IV Ceremonious guarding and protecting commanded twelve armed men Acropolis of Athens. Love of classical culture considered Universal Heritage, hence the amount of pagan books from his library.
During those happy and bitter years, God pressed but not suffocating. Maria de Luna gave birth to three children: Jaime, Juan and Margarita. The joys crying became. The Rider of Death snatched them to their young children at the time that God was going to give. Mary and Martin and buried in the Cartuja de Vall of Christ, were days of rage and tears in the Valley of Christ. Dark nights the walls of the Alcázar seemed eternal purgatory intramural tears and sobs. Jinxed, some said the streets, zigzajeando and brandy soaked to Alba, outside the walls.
In court, King Pedro IV began to distance himself from his firstborn El Infante Juan by disagreements with his stepmother, by the plots of Power. He had married with Violante of Bar without your consent. The family dislike the great debt that the Royal Family had contracted with Jewish individuals and Catalan traders it added. All this, to sustain wars Sardinia and the havoc that the Apocalyptic Horseman Plaguelands had sown by Valencia, in the form of death known that like "Dead Chelva."
EN1384 genius Regent ended his Joana daughter of a strong slap for political sake of discussion. Their marriages had not been what Pedro VI had planned and so ended the life of the Countess of Ampurias. Her husband the Count of Ampurias had agreed with the Count of Armagnac invasion of Catalonia, Cerdagne and Roussillon. The Infante Juan prevailed against them, quelling the rebellion of his brother, at the Battle of BURBAN.
Chapter 5th De Infante Juan Rey Juan I the Cazador.
We spent a long time in the Royal Palace in Barcelona Border Romances reading books, courtly love, of the Human and the Divine. I remember The Book of Good Love of the Infante Don Juan Manuel was our favorite. In those days we knew Fray Eiximenis, lived in the Convent of San Francisco de Valencia, Franciscan and friend accompanied us for many times guiding Mary. In his latest book, "The book of women", we recommended remedies for the weakness of the soul and the danger of vices.
Our dear little Martin Young, had been named King of Sicily by his father King Martin of Aragon and Valencia. That precious child of my games and lullabies was a king. But it seems that the joys attract penalties. The Dance of Death began to collect his debt to the Moon in Sicily. The young king who had just lost before his eyes to his son Peter, widower was in 1401 losing his wife Queen Maria, Queen of Sicily. News of the Court of Sicily said that the weak queen could not resist the death of their young. Those opened new wounds in the Queen Maria de Luna, it seemed that our prayers did not reach the ears of the Virgin. I thought, as well as many others, that the Pope Moon was an anti-pope and his name Luna was jinxed. Maybe our prayers were not heard by this. Meanwhile, Juan consoling the young man, wrapped between sheets and Petticoat, with the young Sicilian who had a bastard son to marry the beautiful Doña Blanca de Navarra, heiress of Charles the Noble.
The Horsemen of the Apocalypse came and went, the dance of death revolved around rich and poor without discrimination, all the same. Hunger and death, war and the terrible plague was rampant in our city and throughout the kingdom. Although not prevent the courts of Segorbe be held. In those days the Portacoeli Aqueduct, which brought water from the Fountain of the Mine in the Sierra Calderona, until such Charterhouse Area was opened.
All the Lordship of Segorbe wept in mourning the loss of his Queen, crepes, half cuatribarrada, half Crescent inverted and black ribbons, filled the facades of houses next to the flower pots of carnations and daisies that added a touch of color. The Queen of Segorbe had died. A feeling of fear and grief washed over me, should not let the melancholy enveloped my life, his shadow was wet and cold. I ran to my home pay. Only my people and my custom in my estate Penalba, getting rescue of such a state. Under the north face of Star Castle in Segorbe, along the river. He spent the cold winter days in front of the fireplace. The oak logs crackling fire and the embers were my company. I, pen in hand trying to draw letters that had been of those years of culture and power. In the Hacienda, objects; as daggers and sword of my father, the work fabric that my mother had embroidered reminded me of my dearest childhood, she also remembered that my parents had not resisted the scourge of the Riders, War and Plague had brought while I was away at court. At that time devoted all my effort to write this diary, Chronicle of Dona Maria.
My peaceful rest came news of the Court. The Dominican friar Fray Vicente Ferrer, brother of Fray Bonifacio, communicated to the King Martin I the Human the biggest blow of his life. His son King of Sicily Martin the Younger, had died at the age of 36 years, after putting down the rebellion of the Sardinians at the Battle of San Luri in 1409, the result of a malignant fevers. The inheritance of Wifredo the Hairy, Count of Barcelona first extinguished; with his bleeding fingers drew on the floor, grab a handful of earth: cuatribarrada, blood red and yellow earth, symbol of our kingdom. The lineage of Navarra, founded in 809 by Iñigo Arista also coursed through the veins of the king also disappeared. The king told me in a letter he remembered crying as their correspondence with her son, she urged the young king of Sicily to take care of epidemics and dangerous allies, encouraging them especially to have offspring that would ensure the continuity of lineage and marriage of their kingdoms. Aires conspiracy by the struggle of succession furrowed the kingdom.
This news reminded me again with anger and tears in his eyes, the satanic idea that the Moon cursed. Not only had carried María de Luna in the prime of his life, also the Riders arrasararon with the life of my little prince Martin, child of my desires, one to which I myself had trained in the art of reading and writing. Tears fell endlessly on paper ink running talked about the greatness of his mother, while I wanted to write how unhappy she was family. The spots were drawing shapes simulating souls in purgatory. Frightened, I got out into the street. Sitting on the edge of the door with eyes waterlogged thought the obituary of King Martin in telling me that only kept him alive the idea of their offspring and stalking of vermin.
In 1412 the Caspe in the Kingdom succession was decided was held. Fray Vicente Ferrer after officiating a Mass recalling the Apocalypse announced in his sermon in the main church of Caspe, the succession to the kingdom and the arrival of Peace result of an agreement emerged in the Commitment; Fernando de Trastamara King of Castile and Aragon now became the chosen one. Catalan interests of the Castilian Mesta wool and figures like Vicente Ferrer or Papa Luna himself favored that surrender the eternal rival. The people kneeling sang the "Te Deum laudamos" in honor of the new king of kings. The spectrum of Wifredo cried in his mausoleum. A major step was taken with the Union of the most important kingdoms of the Peninsula. The concept of Spain began to take shape and it was straightforward Segorbe viewer.
Dona Pilar de Penalba and promised Chronicle.
is said that the Evil One ,
a pact with the moon;
. Seeks to settle
And Death and dance
lurked Mary
. In his crib
Pope alive followed.
the destination with its moon,
nor could.
End
Pedro Jimenez Soria