Secrets & Mysteries of the Sephardim

“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.”

“What else then?” Afonso asked.

“It’s not something I can explain. You must see it,” Fernando said. “I am sure you have never seen such charm and perfection as Isabel possesses. I can see by your mocking smile that you don’t believe me. You will have the chance to see for yourself. I have a dance class today. Come to the dance hall, and you’ll see what I mean.”

“Thank you for the invitation,” Afonso said, “but I have a busy schedule today. I still have three lessons: Cosmography, geography, and Latin.”

Afonso paused for a moment and asked, “What time does your dance lesson end?”

“Shortly before the ringing of the bells for Vespers,” Fernando said.

“Oh, great!” Afonso said as he walked toward the door, “I will try to come toward the end of your classes to see what cannot be described in words.”

Although he was tired after his lessons, Afonso headed to the dance hall as promised. As he approached the door, he heard the sounds of a flute and a harp and felt his fatigue begin to disappear. He carefully opened the door and peered inside to see Fernando and Isabel were the only ones in the hall. The musicians were sitting behind the curtain. Isabel stood with her back to the door so Afonso could not see her face. “Of course, her figure was impeccable,” Afonso admitted, looking at her from head to toe. Isabel motioned toward the curtains, and the music stopped.

Afonso liked the smooth, graceful movement of Isabel’s hand. He opened the door wider and heard her melodious voice; that was all it took to make his fatigue disappear.

“Your Highness,” Isabel turned to Fernando. “The sarabande30 is not a street dance. Although it was created for commoners, it was adapted into a court dance. And many elements of the dance have changed.

“For example,” she explained, “instead of lively jumps, you should make a light low jump and, at the same time, watch your hands. Your hands should always move smoothly and resemble the movements of a conductor conducting to the beat of the music. You and your partner must simultaneously start and end the dance, dancing in circles.

“Also,” she continued, “it would help if you did not stay too close to your partner but not too far. There must be a respectful distance between you.

“And when several couples are dancing at the same time, you will also have to ensure you are in line with everyone in your row. Am I making my thoughts clear, Your Highness?”

“I understood everything, senhorita,” Fernando said. “Just call me Fernando in class.”

“All right, Infante Fernando,” Isabel said. “Then, with your permission, we will repeat the beginning of the dance.”

Having returned to their starting positions, Isabel signaled the musicians to start the music again. Now Afonso could see Isabel from all sides. “Her name is not Isabel; her name is ‘Grace,’” Afonso concluded, silently admiring her gracious movements.

Fernando was more than right. Her perfection was indescribable. It must be seen to be understood.

When the dance was over, Isabel said: “I think, infante Fernando, you did much better this time than last time. Next time, we will work on different movements and try to perfect them. You are learning very quickly. If you continue at the same pace, you will become one of the best dancing cavaliers in the kingdom by the time your brother is crowned.

“Let us finish our lesson for today, infante,” Isabel said. “We can meet here tomorrow at the same time.”

As she finished her words, Afonso opened the door wide and went to Isabel and Fernando with a stately gait.

“Am I too late for Fernando to introduce me to the most beautiful dance maestro in our palace?” he asked.

Stepping toward them, he said, “Let me introduce myself. I’m Prince Afonso, Fernando’s older brother.”

Isabel curtseyed and introduced herself.

“Oh! Is your name Isabel?” Afonso asked. “We already have several Isabelles in the palace, the daughter and wife of our uncle, Duke Pedro. May I call you Grace? This name fits perfectly with your personality.”

“Your Highness, I am very flattered, but I like my name,” Isabel said.

“You know, Isabel, I just realized you have the most beautiful name. You don’t look like the average Portuguese senhorita at all. Where are you from?”

“I was born on the Portuguese island of Madeira and live in Funchal, the island’s southern port.”

“Oh, so, on this island, all the senhoritas are as blonde and blue-eyed as you?”

Oh, no, Your Highness! The island is west of Morocco and southwest of Portugal. The island’s main population is dark in complexion. The people have dark hair and dark eyes.

“I look different than the islanders because my ancestors come from Judea,” she continued. “Many tribes of Israel once lived there, and the people had different skin color, eyes, and hair.”

“Oh, yeah. I learned something about ancient Jewish history from my tutors,” Afonso said. “And your family has not lost its lineage?”

“My ancestors were very noble people from the dynasty of the kings of Israel. My recent ancestors are of Marranos origin.

“How interesting!” exclaimed Afonso. Please, tell us more. How did your family come to be on the island?”

“My father discovered it a quarter-century ago and founded settlements there,” Isabel said. “In honor of this and other military deeds, which brought great glory to Portugal, my father was rewarded with the possession of half the archipelago.”

“What other military exploits did your father have, Isabel,” Afonso asked.

“My father began serving as a sailor at a young age, " Isabel explained. “During his service, he showed courage and proved to be a talented strategist. He soon received a high rank and became the commander of the navy. He commanded caravels31 and participated in many battles with the Moors, where he constantly won unprecedented victories.

“During the conquest of Ceuta in northern Morocco, he lost his eye. Only after this did he decide to leave the military and become a navigator and explorer. In this venture, he also achieved great success.”

“Your father is a real hero, Isabel,” Afonso said. “I have always dreamed of being a hero like your father and my father, King Edward I.

“When I become king, I will no doubt glorify my name with many heroic deeds and discover many islands and uncharted lands. I will make Portugal the greatest country in the world.

“You will see, Isabel, what our country will be like after a few decades of my reign,” Afonso said. “But, for now, it is enough to dream about the future.”

Afonso changed the subject.

“Let’s talk about you, Isabel. I have heard about your talent for ballroom dancing. Do you mind if I ask Duchess Isabella to include some time in your schedule for additional lessons for your most humble servant?”

“Oh, Your Highness, please don’t call yourself a servant,” Isabel said. “We are YOUR servants. It would be a great honor for me to give a few lessons to our country’s future ruler.”

“Thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you and talking with you, senhorita,” said Afonso with a friendly bow.

It was also a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness,” Isabel curtsied.

“In that case, I will leave you with Fernando. I’m sorry, but I still have much work to do before tonight.”

Isabel curtseyed silently with a welcoming smile as the prince hurried away.

After meeting Isabelle, Afonso was in a good mood for the rest of the day. Later in the evening, he decided to visit his brother.

“Good evening, Fernando,” Afonso said as he entered his brother’s chambers. He noticed from Fernando’s face that he wasn’t happy with his visit.

“Oh, I’m sorry I interrupted you,” Afonso said. He noticed the papers on the table and the quill in Fernando’s hand. “I didn’t realize you were doing your homework so late.”

Afonso came closer to the table, looked at the papers, and exclaimed, “Oh, this again! More poems? Are you so enamored by Isabel that you write poetry at night?

“I can understand you, though,” Afonso continued. A person like you admires beauty and all sorts of art and cannot stay indifferent toward such an attractive and skillful dancer. I admit I was wrong when I doubted her indescribable angelic beauty. You were entirely correct. I even felt a bit inspired talking to her.

“You are not jealous of that, are you?”

“Isabelle is so beautiful that any admirer of beauty would experience what you felt when talking with her,” answered Fernando. “I have nothing to be jealous of, Afonso, because she treats you as respectfully as she treats me.

“I must tell you, though,” he continued, “that Isabel ended up in the palace because of me. It was I who first noticed her on stage. And it was I who told Duchess Isabella who my choice was. Therefore, although you are older than me and will be higher in title when you are king, I have the right of superiority to close relations with Isabel.”

Afonso answered: “No one disputes that, Fernando. I only asked her to teach me a few lessons so I could get to know her. I am not interested in having a relationship with her like what you wrote about in your poetry.”

Afonso noticed the embarrassment on Fernando’s face and said: “I wish you success both in poetry and in love.”

At noon, Duke Pedro went to the royal residence immediately after a meeting on important matters of state, intending to find the duchess in the audience chamber. At the door of the meeting hall, Pedro ran into Afonso. He looked unusually happy and cheerful. Afonso greeted his uncle in a pleasant singsongy voice and respectfully stood aside to let him enter. The duchess was sitting on her throne. Seeing Pedro enter, she stood up and approached him.

“You don’t have any more appointments?” Pedro asked.

“No, dear.”

“Then would you release the servants so you and I can discuss something privately?”

Isabella waved her fan to her ladies-in-waiting, and after bowing, they left.

“My dear, I have good news,” Pedro said. “The council has discussed your proposal for a marriage alliance between Prince Afonso and infanta Isabella. And all members unanimously approved the enterprise. There was one condition, however. They would like the engagement to be announced before the coronation and the wedding to be after the coronation.

“So, my dear, since you want to play Cupid, nothing is preventing you from thinking about ways to make our daughter and our nephew fall in love,” the duke continued, laughing.

“Oh, Pedro, you are so witty,” Isabella answered with a smile. “However, I have some unpleasant news that concerns this conversation. And it could complicate our plans.”

“What is this unpleasant news?” Pedro asked.

“Afonso had come to see me before you came in. Guess what he asked me? He said he wanted to continue his dance training with Isabel Zarco. He said he thought her teaching methods were more progressive than that of our chief royal dance master.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Pedro. “Perhaps Afonso is right. I also noticed the head dance master is a great dancer and skilled teacher, but he is very conservative and doesn’t know any of the modern dances or movements.”

“Perhaps you are right, Pedro, but I’m not talking about that,” Isabella said. “It seems to me your nephew is very interested in this dancer.”

Pedro said, “It looks like you might be right, my dear. I just ran into him at the door. I have never seen him so excited before. It was like he was falling in love.

“And I agree with you that this may complicate the situation,” he said. “As long as Isabel Zarco is here, he will not pay attention to our Isabella.

“What should we do?” he asked Isabella.

“We have some options,” Isabella said. “We could grant Senhorita Zarco’s request to teach only at the art school because of her workload. But this may make Afonso suspicious. We can try this scenario later if needed.”

She continued: “We need to come up with a scenario that will have our daughter going to another city or country for some reason. We could ask Afonso to do us a favor and accompany her. We could also ask him to stay with her to ensure she is safe. After all, he always dreams of doing something chivalrous. So let him prove himself by doing this for us.”

“It’s a good idea,” Pedro said. “I even know the right place to send them: To my sister, Isabella,32 Duchess of Burgundy.33 I received an invitation from her yesterday. She has invited our family to her son’s fifth wedding anniversary.

“I am sure you have not forgotten that five years ago, at the age of 7, Charles married Catherine, daughter of Charles VII, King of France,” he said. “My sister would like our children and my late brother’s children to participate in this celebration.

“I can say you and I are currently very busy with important government affairs. However, we have decided to send Isabella and Afonso. She is their aunt and was always kind to Edward and me. I’m sure she will happily receive her niece and nephew and host them with love.

“We should inform her immediately so she can prepare for their arrival. And, we will have to reveal our secret to her so she can create the conditions for the youth to help them get closer to each other,” the duke continued. “Burgundy has many beautiful and romantic places where young people can spend time together. And by the will of heaven, the role of Cupid will pass to my sister. That way, Afonso won’t be suspicious.

“We will pray our plan comes true. Do you agree, dear?”

“Oh, that is an excellent, well-thought plan, Pedro,” Isabella said. “I could not suggest anything better.”

“In that case,” Pedro said, “I will prepare a message for my sister and get permission for this trip of the prince and infanta at the council’s next meeting. And if it’s approved, I will send an urgent message to my sister.

“After the council’s decision, we should share our plans with Isabella,” Pedro said. “We must explain to her that our family’s safety depends on her. I’m sure she’ll understand.

“I am assigning you so many tasks, my dear,” he continued. “Will you find some of them to be uncomfortable?”

“I am happy to deal with such important state matters,” answered Isabella. But, Pedro, she asked, “Do you think it prudent to discuss this important matter at the council’s next meeting?”

“You have a point, my dear. It won’t be at the next one. Because this is an urgent matter, I will convene the Privy Council again tomorrow. And, the day after, at our family breakfast, we will tell Afonso and our family of the decision.”

After saying goodbye to Isabella, Pedro left the hall and went to his office to prepare a message for his sister.

The next day, after the council approved the trip, Pedro informed Isabella. Isabella went to her daughter’s chambers. Entering her room, the duchess asked Isabella to excuse the servants and invited the infanta to the table for a conversation.

“My darling, you are 12 years old, and I have waited a long time for you to reach an age when you could discuss our family’s problems and offer solutions. The opinion of every family member is very important to us in any discussion. I know you are a very responsible and conscientious person. And you will always try to do everything you can to keep our family safe. Am I right?”

“Oh, Momma,” the infanta said, “it is so unexpected to hear your flattering opinion of me. Of course, I love everyone in our family very much. And I would never advise anything that would bring harm to our family.

“But I must ask, Momma. You said someone could harm our family? I am confused. I have always believed our high position protected us. No one would dare try to harm us.”

“I, too, thought that was the truth when I was young,” the duchess said. “Unfortunately, the higher your status, the more instability there is and the more envious your enemies are. And the higher your status, the more you get injured when you fall. Therefore, we must always be vigilant.”

“I now understand, Momma, what you have said,” the infanta responded, “and I am grateful you would like me to be involved in family affairs. Tell me, Momma, what dangers do we need to be aware of, and what should we do to prevent them?”

The duchess smiled. “I don’t want to burden you with all the problems our family faces or may face right now, and I don’t want to tell you who our enemies are. However, I want to tell you who our most important enemy is and the trouble this person can cause if we do not take appropriate measures.”

“I’m ready to listen, Momma.”

“Everyone knows the most dangerous enemies are not strangers but relatives. One of these people is Afonso’s mother. You have probably already heard about how she tried to make changes in our country after the death of her husband, King Edward.”

“I thought it was just gossip, Momma.”

“Oh, how I wish it were, my precious. Unfortunately, it is all true.”

“Why would she want to harm us, Momma?”

“She wanted Portugal to be ruled by Aragon. That’s where she comes from. She wanted to do this while serving as regent for Prince Afonso. Thank God we did not allow this to happen.”

“Now I understand, Momma. But how can she harm us? After all, my father is the regent of her sons.”

“That’s just the point. What will happen to our family after Afonso’s coronation?”

“Momma, Afonso will not allow anyone to harm our family,” the infanta said. “After all, you and my father have done and are doing so much for him and Fernando. And you have a genuine love for them. Because of this, Afonso will never allow anyone to harm us after he becomes king.”

“You do not know his mother,” the duchess said. “She is a villainous and vindictive woman who has no trouble misleading her victims. We have evidence she is continuing her despicable schemes.”

“Like what, Momma?”

“I cannot tell you,” Isabella said.

The infanta protested. “You said I will now be part of solving our family’s problems. So tell me all the secrets.”

Isabella smiled at her daughter. “OK. You must never tell anyone what I am about to tell you, especially Afonso. He will consider you an enemy if he learns about it from you.”

“I swear, Momma.”

Isabella explained the situation to her daughter.

“Government officials intercepted letters sent by Eleanor to Afonso. In them, she attempts to turn him against your father. She slanders him, our family, and even some officials. Afonso is very naïve, and if the letters got to him, he would not be a loving cousin for much longer.

“If that's so, Momma, it's only a matter of time. She can do whatever she wants after Afonso's coronation.”

“You are right in your thinking, my little sunshine. I'm very glad you came to that conclusion yourself. But a close-knit family is unbeatable. If everyone in our family, regardless of his or her whims and ego, tries to do his or her best, no evil force can defeat us. That is why our family must take steps to prevent it from happening.”

“What do you suggest, Momma?”

“There is only one way to save us, my child. It depends on one person in our family.”

“Really? Who’s that, Momma?”

“That’s you, my angel!”

“It depends on me? What do you mean, Momma? I can't believe it’s up to me to save our whole family.”

“Hear me out, my dear. The monarchs of various states use a centuries-old, justified method to create and maintain friendly relations between monarchs. Both sides benefit by maintaining trade, economic ties, and political alliances. It is also used for many other benefits. In our case, we can use this method against our present enemy, Eleanor of Aragon. I will tell you in a moment what this method is and how you will play a major part in it.

“First, I want to assure you that you will not be a victim of this political scheme,” Isabella said. “Your father and I are doing this to save our family. But first and foremost, we are doing it for your own sake. We want to see you as every mother and father dreams of seeing their child.”

“So tell me, Momma. What did you come up with?”

“We decided to have you marry Afonso and, after his coronation, become the queen.”

“What? Me? But how is that possible, Momma? We only have the usual family relationship. I don’t have feelings for him, and neither does he for me. Besides, he’s a man of principle. You can't force him to marry me.”

“We don't want to force him to marry you, just as we don't intend to force you to marry him without mutual love.”

“Then I don't understand, Momma. There is no mutual love between us.”

“Oh, my dear, Isabelle. Listen to what I'm about to tell you,” the duchess said. “The feeling of love comes and goes. It is temporary for most people. Only a small number of people claim that love is permanent. I'm not sure that's true, though. At least I haven't met such people yet.”

“How come, Momma? Don't you and my father truly love each other?”

“Your father and I have true love, my angel, but only at the end of life can one come to a definitive conclusion. For some people, love is the fruit of their illusions. For some, love is a real hot flame in the soul that can ignite itself. But it is also possible to ignite it in someone else. Conditions, desire, and time play a big part in this.

“We, our little angel, will create the conditions for you and Afonso. You show your desire to see him as a conqueror of your heart and to enchant him. The rest is a matter of time.”

“Is it really that simple, Momma?” the infanta asked.

“Oh, no, my darling. It's not,” the duchess responded. “To ignite a flame in someone's soul, you must have that flame yourself. Love is infectious and overwhelming. Love is an art. Art is exciting, but it's never easy. And whether this art becomes a masterpiece depends on the talents of the master who creates it.

“And remember one more thing: ‘A woman's strength is her weakness.’ Men like to feel superior in strength and courage. Once you learn to show your weakness and timidity, success will be inevitable.”