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“Thank you, Your Highness, for the good memories of my father and your trust in me,” Isabel said with a curtsy.

Having completed all her planned audiences by noon, Isabella decided to visit Pedro to share her impressions with him. At the door to her husband’s office, she instructed the guard to notify His Highness of her arrival.

She entered the office, saying, “Dear, if you only saw how charming Isabel Zarco is. I can’t get over it. She inspires with her external beauty, sensitivity, freshness, courtesy, and ability to communicate. She is an angel sent from heaven. I am sure she will not only teach your nephew, Fernando, how to dance skillfully but will turn his head with her charm and attractiveness.

“But I am also concerned,” Isabella continued. “What if the prince becomes overly fond of her? Will there be undesirable consequences? What do you think?”

“I’m now more concerned about my nephew, Afonso,” Pedro answered anxiously, pointing to the parchment lying on the table in front of him. It was tied with a cord trimmed with gold threads.

“What is it?” Isabella asked.

“It’s a message from Castile 28 from the former queen, Eleanor of Aragon, to her son, Afonso. We have intercepted several messages like these. She continually tries to turn her sons against me. She has not learned anything from her actions that almost ruined the country.

“Instead of being grateful that I solved all the problems, calmed the public down, achieved peace, organized her departure to Castile, and allowed her to bring up my nephews there, she continues to sow discontent,” he said.

“She is acting behind my back,” he continued. “She can’t wait until Afonso inherits the throne so she can complete her plans through him. How can I explain to Afonso the dangerous plans of his mother? When I try to discuss it with him, he reacts negatively. I am very afraid that, through Afonso, Eleanor will be able to harm both – our family and the country.”

“I understand, my beloved,” Isabella said sympathetically, “but let me tell you one thing. What a man cannot do, a woman can do. I think I know what we can do to prevent Eleanor from harming us.” Isabella immediately noticed the fear in the duke’s eyes. “Oh, no, dear,” she continued with a grin. “I will not advise you to do what others usually suggest in this situation. I hope you do not think that a person of nobility such as I could even consider assassinating anyone.”

“I would not even dare to think anything like that,” the duke declared in his defense.

“I propose, my dear, that Afonso marry our daughter. Infanta Isabella could be a worthy match for the future king of Portugal. Don’t you agree?”

The duke thought about it for a minute. “That’s quite tempting, my dear, but very risky,” he said. “In my opinion, the prince and infanta are indifferent to each other. This would be very difficult to do.

“I am also worried that by doing that, we can acquire another enemy,” Pedro said. “Afonso, Duke of Braganza, 29 is the illegitimate son of my grandfather, King John the Good. His granddaughter is already betrothed to Prince Afonso.

“But the thing that worries me the most,” he continued, “is what happens to our daughter if Eleanor does manage to set her son against his spouse. And no one knows how all this will end.”

He concluded: “We should consider your suggestion carefully and make a final decision as soon as possible. However, we should not rush it. We should look at the situation, consider all the advantages, and decide what tactics and strategies are better, so we are prepared if Eleanor attempts anything.”

He continued, “Your suggestion, my dear, is probably the most logical and the only way to solve both governmental and our family problems.”

“In that case, my dear Pedro,” Isabella said, “let me know what you decide as soon as possible. And don’t worry about the consequences. After all, when a player is shortsighted and mad, he will inevitably lose. Eleanor is such a figure.

“And you don’t have to worry about Isabelle either,” the duchess continued. “We will be diligent and attentive. She will always receive timely instructions from us. We won’t lose. Since the coronation of Afonso is very close, we have very little time left.

“We must create the correct atmosphere for Isabella and Afonso,” she continued. “They must fall in love without knowing they received any help. This is what I think will be the hardest thing to accomplish.”

“And you will be playing the part of Cupid, my dear,” the duke said with a laugh.

After his sword fighting lessons, Prince Afonso headed to his brother’s apartments. At the door, he heard his brother’s voice. As he listened, he heard the words: “Senhorita, allow me to introduce myself. I am infante Fernando. Please allow me the honor of inviting you to dance. Thank you.”

“What’s this?” Afonso asked in bewilderment. “Dancing in a bedchamber without music? Weird.”

Afonso knocked on the door and asked, “Fernando, can I come in?”

“Come in, Afonso. The door is not locked.”

Entering the room, Afonso found his brother at the mirror. Fernando was pacing back and forth in his dancing costume and admiring himself.

“What do you think of my new dance costume?” Fernando asked.

“Ah, so you’re rehearsing. I thought you had a young lady in the room with you,” Afonso said. “The costume is very original and suits you very well.

“I came to see if you are well. Usually, you volunteer for additional lessons in wooden sword fighting. Today, you disappeared without waiting for the final battle with me. I looked everywhere, in the hall and the dressing room. But instead of finding you, I found your page collecting your armor that was strewn all over the dressing room.”

“I am sorry I could not tell you I had to try on the dance suit I had just received before class. I was in a hurry,” Fernando said.”

“Oh, you are so excited,” Afonso said. “You are looking forward to meeting your dance teacher. Why does she inspire you so much? Is it her dancing skills or something else?

“Tell me, dear brother,” Afonso continued to tease his brother. “Oh. What do I see on your teenage face? Are you embarrassed? So, she inspired you with her beauty.”

He continued, “What is that paper on the table next to the mirror? Your new poems?”

Afonso picked up one and read it aloud: “Oh, Isabel, you are perfect!”

“Stop making fun of me, Afonso,” Fernando finally said. “I do not hide that she inspires me. That event, the organization of the contest, was to find her. But it’s not just because of her beauty and dancing ability.”