Il Principessa

slobberinbear · Jul 8, 2008

La Principessa

The tribes had gathered at the funeral of Ferdinand and his children. Respectful silence and repressed anger filled the air as the pyres burned in the Iberian night.

The accused was brought before the widow, Isabella.

“You poisoned the chief and his children. The hemlock was found in your hut!” one of the elders spat, pushing the bound man to the ground. “What do you say to that, you foreign pig?” The gathered crowd jeered.

“Ferdinand was my Lord and benefactor. I had no reason to harm him. But justice,” the slight man replied, struggling to rise, ”is not yours to dispense, warleader.”

A kick in the ribs sent the foreigner sprawling. Isabella spoke clearly, passionately.

“My husband and precious children, his heirs, are dead. Their killer will be brought to justice most severe,” she added coldly, raising her voice , “but the needs of our people must be met first. We will settle this land as our home. In the meantime, bind him to that stone! If the wolves spare him tonight, he will have justice in the morning,” she ordered.

The assembled tribes left Niccolo Machiavelli to his fate.

Spoiler :

slobberinbear · Jul 8, 2008

La Primero Decision

The men threw Machiavelli to the floor of Isabella’s home. He was beaten badly -- but alive. She regarded the man, once the counselor to her husband and, possibly, his killer.

“Leave us,” she commanded.

“But he is mucho peligroso, Lady.”

“Hardly. It appears he was set upon by more than wolves last night,” she said dismissively, indicating his bruises and broken nose. The men left him tied to a stake next to the cold hearth.

“You are fortunate to be alive,” she observed at length.

“Fortune is only the judge of half our actions, Lady. We have control over the other half. I determined that I was safer at the rough hands of your Spaniard bravoes than at the sharp teeth of the wolves of the night.”

“So you goaded the men into beating you through the night, after I left.”

He smiled carefully. “A painful neccessity. I did not believe they would kill me for fear of your wrath.”

“And do you fear my wrath?” she yelled.

“Of course I wish to live, so yes.”

“Did you poison my husband and children?”

“No.”

She tried to read his face to find a lie. He was a stone. “I will order an inquest here, in this place of Barcelona. In seven days, if the killer is not found, you will be hung,” she stated.

Machiavelli nodded.

--

"Let the fishermen build boats, Diego, to explore the coast of Spain and feed our people. And we must find other ways to survive. Send the men out to gather the meat of the wild beasts, so that we may in time learn to tame the herds to our west," Isabella said. The minister bowed and left hurriedly.

Spoiler :

Commodore Nate · Jul 9, 2008

Hooray, you're starting a new one! Although I will admit I was a little curious as to how Texas would've ended.

Regardless, can't wait for the next post!

slobberinbear · Jul 9, 2008

Commodore Nate said:
I was a little curious as to how Texas would've ended.

I still have that saved game ... the muse left me on Texas, at least for now. I may return to it. Thanks for reading!

slobberinbear · Jul 9, 2008

Il Sovrano

Machiavelli was tied to a post in the middle of Barcelona, under the watchful eyes of two guardsmen. Though he was quiet and unthreatening, the piercing eyes of the Italian missed nothing. And so he noted that one of his fellow countrymen, a corriere, hastened into town bearing a message for Isabella.

"It begins," he said, with a wry smile.

Her face turned dark red after reading the sealed letter, and her eyes flared with rage.

"You tell your king, this .. Caesar ..." she fumed, straining to control herself, remembering the lessons of her grandmother. In a moment, Isabella was back in her nursery, listening to her abuela instruct her on the manners of a lady.

"Yes, Principessa?" the courier asked nervously.

"Tell him I will reply by letter shortly. And safe journeys on your return," she said, smiling coldly.

She sent away her servants and cried for a short while. Isabella had been bred for civility, for motherhood, for nobility, and for rulership. But she was new to statecraft, and her best teacher had burned on the pyres two days before. She had little choice, she knew. She summoned Diego.

"Bring me the accused," Isabella said.

--

Niccolo was bound to a chair and said nothing as she paced before him.

"Your Caesar is a cur," Isabella spat.

"Gaius Julius is not my sovrano, Lady. I serve you, as I did your Lord," he said carefully.

Her face flushed briefly. "Who is this Julius to offer himself to me! To Spain! The ashes of my beautiful Ferdinand and children still fall from the sky, and this pig makes this ... proposal!" She shouted, throwing the letter at him.

He raised his eyebrows inquisitively and she nodded. Machiavelli read the letter quickly. Caesar's prose matched his demeanor: direct and powerful, with a hint of charm. A matter of state, but perhaps more.

"Your position is tenuous, Lady."

"Why do you call me that!" she spat. "I am Queen!"

"Perhaps, and perhaps not. I call you that to draw your attention to it. Ferdinand was King. His heirs are no more. By laws of succession, you may have lost the throne of Spain. Others know this ... yes, even in distant lands. Caesar makes this offer of marriage to solidify your rule."

"And to expand his dominion!"

"Of course. But there will be many who seek this opportunity to aid you and enrich themselves. Princes of nations will call upon you, until you have taken a suitable husband or another has succeeded Ferdinand."

"Another? Who else makes a claim to Spain's throne?"

"My tormentor yesterday: Rodrigo, for one. His lineage is strong. Do not think that his public treatment of me was for the sake of justice only."

"And what of my lineage? I am noble in my own right, before I took Ferdinand's hand in marriage."

"But you are a woman. You are weakened by emozione, by the loss of your family. Rodrigo will wait until you have finished grieving, and then he will come to you, with other nobles, and ask you to step aside for the good of Spain."

"You lie!" she yelled. "You poisoned my children and now you poison me with your words! Your guilt will be judged soon."

The guards returned for Machiavelli.

"Who gains by Ferdinand's death, mm?" he said lowly.

She opened her window overlooking the bay and summoned her serenity, aided by the spring day and the warm sea wind flowing through her hair.

Froggie818 · Jul 9, 2008

slobberinbear said:
I still have that saved game ... the muse left me on Texas, at least for now. I may return to it. Thanks for reading!

I was wondering why Texas ended so abruptly. Here's hoping you recover your muse for that story, and hold firm to the muse for this one!

slobberinbear · Jul 9, 2008

El Tuno y la Misterio

The garishly dressed outlander preened his way down the streets of Barcelona to Isabella's dwelling.

"Another italiano?" one of his guards queried.

"A Frenchman," said Machiavelli absently, still tied to the post in the town square.

"How can you be sure? The clothes?"

"The Garlic."

"Tell Louis that his offer is most ... abundant," she said, smiling kindly and showing the messenger the door. As soon as the man had left, the flowing, perfumed letter was thrown into the fire.

"The gall!" she fumed, beseeching the heavens. "Would that I had perished with you, Ferdinand, than to tolerate such flowery buffoonery!"

--

"The settlers have arrived at the northwest coast, my Queen," Diego said, bowing.

"Good. Let us pray that the fishermen there have strong nets. Spain grows and she is hungry!"

Spoiler :

"Another message has arrived from afar, my Queen," he said, handing her a papyrus scroll.

"At least this one came without an infernal courier. Read it to me, Diego."

"It appears to be written in Italian, and in an odd script."

She sighed heavily. "Fetch him to me, then."

--

"The Queen of the Nile, Hatshepsut, sends condolences for your lost family," Machiavelli began haltingly.

"What does she want?" Isabella demanded.

"On the suface, nothing, Lady. This is merely a letter of comfort, and an invitation to visit Egypt this winter."

"And under the surface?"

"A sisterhood of nations, perhaps. Or a discourse on the faith of the Egyptians. Hatshepsut shares your interest in ... sprituality."

"Travel abroad would do me some good, away from the suitors of Europe," she mused, and started to call for the guards to remove him.

"The inquisitor has not spoken to me yet," Machiavelli interrupted.

"Indeed?"

"But then, the weight of Rodrigo's gold must burden him, preventing him from visiting my secluded prison," he said sarcastically.

"You dare accuse my inquisitor of this bribery?"

He raised his hand, beseeching her momentary patience. "I have heard the men speak of the herding of animals, the sheep to the west of glorious Barcelona."

Spoiler :

"Yes, yes. We will feed and clothe our children from the bounty of these animals. What of it?"

"And who controls the largest herd? None other than Rodrigo. Whose animals strayed out of their pens into a small patch of cultivated herbs, and died after eating them..."

Her mind raced. "Hemlock?"

"Si, mi patrona."

slobberinbear · Jul 9, 2008

De Planto Peligriso

"You are certain of this?" Isabella asked, shaken.

"Si, Reina," said the old herbalist, indicating the two small bottles before her. "They are of the same plant, deadly hemlock."

"But how can you be so certain?" demanded Duarte, the inquisitor. "How is this hemlock different from any other? Is not this plant something that grows in the wilds of Spain?"

"The extract of hemlock found in the hut of the italiano is the same as the extract I prepared from the plants growing on Lord Rodrigo's property. The color, the smell. It is the same. Every plant and its extract bears the signs of its origin, inquisitor. The earth in which it grew. The dung which fertilized it. The water that fed it. This hemlock was cultivated, senor. Compare that to hemlock found near Barcelona," she lectured, holding up a third bottle. "It is not the same as these."

"This evidence ..." Duarte began.

"Is most enlightening!" Isabella interrupted. "You will hold the inquest tomorrow. All parties shall attend."

Sofista · Jul 9, 2008

Very very nice. If you ever need double-check for the Italian, count on me

slobberinbear · Jul 9, 2008

La investigación

The inquest began at dawn. All of the nobility were present. Machiavelli, in chains, was flanked by guards as Duarte began, looking nervously between Isabella and Rodrigo.

"Eight days past, King Ferdinand and his four children were foully murdered. Hemlock in their soup was the cause of their most painful and tragic deaths. A search of the defendant's dwelling found this," he said, holding aloft a small greenish glass bottle. "A bottle holding the extract of Hemlock."

He turned to Machiavelli.

"Are you Nicolo Machiavelli, counselor to Ferdinand?"

"Yes."

"Do you admit to the crimes of murder as I have described?"

"No."

Rodrigo spoke up. "You are Italian, yes? And is it not true that not two days after the murders, an agent of El César, Julius of Rome, came to Barcelona to press an offer of marriage, to bolster Isabella's claim to the throne?" The crowd murmured.

"Yes."

"Do you know the laws of succession in glorious Spain, cur?"

"Yes."

"Then tell us all, senor," Rodrigo drawled, bowing in mock deference, "whether Isabella, Ferdinand's Queen, can now by law hold the throne alone against the claims of others."

"That remains to be seen. You have a claim. But Isabella is noble in her own right. She is a daughter of kings past."

"So! Clearly, her claim to the throne is not certain. On this we agree," he purred, then turned on the Italian, yelling. "Admit then that you are in fact an agent of Rome, dog! Admit that you murdered Ferdinand and his heirs so that Julius could assume the dual thrones of Spain and Rome!"

"I do not. I serve Ferdinand alone," he said calmly.

"His motive is clear," Rodrigo said, wiping the spittle from his chin. "The hemlock was found in his possession. His guilt is certain."

Isabella had remained strangely detached during the examination. "The witness, Inquisitor," she said firmly. "Bring her forth."

"What can this crone possibly say to alter your judgment?" Rodrigo laughed and looked meaningfully upon Duarte.

The wizened herbalist clearly spoke for ten minutes about the properties of hemlock, its color, its smell, where it was grown, and how hemlock of one area could be differentiated from that of another. At every turn, she parried Duarte's verbal thrusts challenging her memory and veracity.

"I fail to see how this testimony is of assistance," Duarte said in frustration.

"It is not clear, Inquisitor? Ferdinand was poisoned by hemlock cultivated in the fields of Senor Rodrigo," she said, pointing. A gasp filled the hall, but none spoke a word.

Isabella arose. "I find the defendant inncocent. Release him!"

Rodrigo stood, furious. "This is outrageous! Your own husband dead by his hand, and you free him! I will have none of this. Come," he said, turning to his retainers to leave.

"Stop!" Isabella shouted. "Guards, seize that man and place him in chains!"

At length Rodrigo was restrained, joined by a bewildered Duarte.

"Who will lead the Inquisición against these defendants?" Isabella called out to the gathered nobility.

"If I may, mi Sovrana," Machiavelli replied.

slobberinbear · Jul 10, 2008

La Sentencia

"Outrageous! This Italian pig cannot accuse me! I am a prince of Andorra!"

"Silence!" Isabella said. "Preserve what little dignity you have remaining and honor this Inquisición."

Rodrigo's eyes flared with desperation and malice. "This Machiavelli has three times been in the chambers of Isabella since Ferdinand's death! Three times! Perhaps she should be the one in these chains!"

Isabella rose from her chair, and struck him hard in the face with her open hand. A trickle of blood flowed from his mouth. "My children are dead," she said coldly. "I would give my throne to have them back."

"Gag him," Machiavelli said, and it was done. He turned to the terrified Duarte, the Inquistor himself on trial.

"What is the sentence for treason?" the Italian asked.

"Death, by hanging."

"The Queen will consider ... lightening your sentence, signore, if you speak the truth here. Now." Isabella nodded. "So tell us now, Duarte, how much you were paid by Rodrigo to prosecute me."

"It was ... ten coins of silver."

"Your candor is most appreciated. And for this money, you did nothing this week to investigate."

"True," the man replied, his eyes cast down in shame.

"And it was you who placed the vial of hemlock in my room, so that I would be accused of the crime."

"Yes! But he told me it was you! I swear it! He said that you would wiggle your way from the accusation without this evidence!"

"Did you know of Rodrigo's hemlock cultivation?"

"No! I swear my Queen, I did not," he beseeched Isabella.

"I have heard enough from this one," Isabella interrupted. "Duarte, I strip you of your title and lands. You are cast from Spain forever more. Return to my lands, and you will be executed most painfully. Guards! Take him to our eastern border at once!"

The grateful, teary ex-Inquisitor was dragged from the hall.

"Continue," she said. Machiavelli nodded. He stripped the gag from Rodrigo.

"You grow hemlock on your lands."

"It is for medical treatment only."

"You have a claim to the vacant throne of Spain."

"I do," he said proudly.

"The laws of succession are clear on the subject of regicida, are they not? One who kills a sovereign cannot take the place of the sovereign."

Rodrigo's bulging eyes were his only answer.

"Were you aware that the only reason Isabella did not die eight days past was that she was ill that very night?"

Rodrigo mumbled under his breath.

"A pity, you say? My Queen, I have no other use for this witness."

She arose. "Rodrigo Delgado, I find you guilty of both treason and murder of my husband, Ferdinand of Spain, and of our four children."

Isabella strode to the table, and gathered the bottle of hemlock extract, placing it before him.

"I sentence you to die as you killed them. Drink, and take your lust for power to the Devil in Hell!"

Rodrigo took one last look at the assembled aristocracy of Spain. His friends and supporters. None looked him in the eye.

"The Devil is not in Hell," Rodrigo said gravely, and quaffed the foul brew in one gulp. The numbness spread up his legs and through his abdomen, and he fell limp against the guards. "No, Isabella, the Devil stands beside you," he said, looking at Machiavelli, and died.

Commodore Nate · Jul 10, 2008

If the muses left you with Texas, it's clear that they're back for this installment. Truly enjoyable!

slobberinbear · Jul 10, 2008

La Coronación

Spoiler :

With the founding of Lisbon in the southwest of the peninsula, Spain was unified. To celebrate the occasion and end the question of succession, a grand coronation was held in Barcelona, and all of Spain was invited.

A new crown was forged from the purest silver; her dress, crimson and white in the colors of her noble house, was sewn from the finest wool. Isabella was elegant and strong, regal yet beautiful upon the throne in the new royal palace of Spain. She was undeniably the Queen, and all bowed before her; and if she was kind one moment, melancholy the next, and enraged after that, none blamed her.

The nobles began to ask quietly about an heir to her throne. As if in response, suitors from faraway lands continued to advance their pursuit of her. She forced herself to entertain their proxies in her court.

"Are all these men so arrogant? Surely his head cannot contain his gigantic ego! To this Greek, I am but another conquest," she lamented.

"Alliances must be formed. They are necessary for survival in this world," Machiavelli said.

"You cannot advise me to marry this Alexander! I will not be a royal concubine and leave my people to his whims! How could you suggest that? Am I not still beautiful enough to attract a worthy man, a decent man?"

He held up a hand. "It is not my place to comment on your beauty, mi sovrano, for I am but your servant. You should avoid the counsel of flatterers. An advisor who cannot speak truthfully has no advice other than that supporting his own gain."

"Emissaries from England arrive, your majesty," a page announced.

"I have heard of this Elizabeth. 'The Virgin Queen.' Such pride. She will never know the love of a good man and the joys of children," Isabella said.

"England is an island. They will seek to control the seas for their defense. Spain should build a fleet, maestà."

"Let it be done."

Spoiler :

"Welcome this English emissary and show him the beauty of Spain, Nicolo. But what of Louis and Julius? They court Spain still."

"They are Spain's greatest threats, are they not? Open the borders to trade with them. With peace and commerce to his west, the lust of conquest of Il Cesar will be directed ... elsewhere."

"And what of Louis' lusts?" she demanded.

"They are of a more ... personal nature."

She chuckled in disgust.

slobberinbear · Jul 10, 2008

Commodore Nate said:
If the muses left you with Texas, it's clear that they're back for this installment. Truly enjoyable!

Thanks for reading, Nate!

slobberinbear · Jul 11, 2008

La Fede del Egitto

The Royal Galley had sailed far along the southern Mediterranean coast. The crew was anxiously awaiting dry land and the exotic pleasures of the East. The Queen was unusually calm, however, which did not escape Machiavelli's attention. It had been many days since her last fugue and the muffled cries of grief from the loss of her husband and children.

"You are most ... serene for this, your first visit of state to another land," he observed.

She stood on the forecastle and looked ahead to the Nile delta on the horizon. "The sea. It has always brought me peace. Though we are far from Spain, these waters flow there to my home."

--

A host of fierce men with spears and bows mounted upon chariots greeted the Spanish upon their arrival. The proud warriors of Egypt looked with disdain upon the sailors and marines, tired and unwashed from their travels. Yet even the soldiers of the east bowed their heads in respect when they saw Isabella; for though she was foreign in dress, her nobility was apparent to all.

"Their horses are fleet," Machiavelli noted.

"Ah, but they would be trampled by a Spanish charger, eh?" Diego replied proudly.

A short, fat Egyptian walked forward and bowed low. "Queen Hatshepsut, Ruler of the Nile, welcomes you to her kingdom. I am Mekul. Please to follow me with your retainers."

Great works of stone and marble were in abundance from the riverside dock to Thebes. Nicolo and the rest gazed in wonderment at the sights -- but not Isabella, who warmly greeted and smiled to the welcoming Egyptians, who had presented her with a bouquet of river lotus.

At length, they entered the Palace of Kings, whose entry was guarded by two giant marble statues of alien Egyptian gods, half-man and half-beast. The friezes and abundant gold statuary were even more impressive on the inside. Two columns of guards in feathered headdresses and tunics of gold and cobalt stood at attention as Isabella made her way towards the alabaster throne of Egypt.

The monarch of the Nile stood.

"I welcome you to my home, Isabella of Spain. I am Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms, daughter of Thutmose. My home is yours."

--

The two rulers walked in the royal gardens of Thebes.

"Tell me of your beliefs," Isabella asked at length, smelling an unusual tropical flower that caught her attention.

"We reach the gods through meditation. Through relaxation and contemplation, we transcend ourselves and enter the realm of the heavens. Let me show you."

Hatshepsut led Isabella to a gazebo-like structure in the garden and sat.

"Clear your mind of thoughts. Think of something calming, relaxing."

She thought of the sea, rhythmically flowing and washing against the coast.

"Allow the gods to speak to you. Focus ..."

--

"It is a method of ... relaxation, Nicolo. Nothing more," she explained as they walked through the streets of Thebes, led by Mekul as their guide.

"The ways of faith are a mystery to me, mi sovrano. If this ... buddhism gives you peace and clear judgment, it may be a boon for your rulership, if I may say."

They rounded a corner and saw a gang of nearly naked slaves hauling a gigantic cube of cut stone through the streets.

"These workers -- they are not Egyptian?" Isabella asked.

"No," Mekul said. "They are slaves of an inferior race to the north. Pay them no attention, Queen Isabella, for they are barely human."

But she caught the eye of one who looked at her openly, without accusation or malice. It was a face of hope, of peace, of redemption.

It was the face she saw in her meditations.

The whip cracked and the men resumed their labors.

slobberinbear · Jul 11, 2008

Una Cara de Dios

Thus did Isabella bring back the ways of Buddhism to Spain, but through her meditations, she clearly saw the face of the slave in Thebes. What can it mean, she thought.

"You have been most reflective since your visit to Spain," Machiavelli said.

"The slave-man. His face. There was ... la davinidad in his face. The face of God. I cannot explain it."

"Faith is inesplicabile."

"Is it any wonder that Queen Hatshepsut is at peace and untroubled? Her nation has uplifted their gods through great works," she said. "Spain must do the same. Spain will do the same. We will build a great monument of prayer and meditation, so we may learn the nature of God. For I have seen him, Nicolo."

"A lord earns honor by completing such great feats," Machiavelli said, nodding.

Spoiler :

"A messenger from the desert lands to the South brings word from Mansa Musa, lord of Mali, Queen," Diego said, bowing and handing her a letter and small trinket of an odd white stone.

"What is this stone? It is soft and light. Odd."

"It is ivory, from the horn of a great African beast."

"Greet the emissary, and send the our ships to scout to the south. Our people are prolific, and we are destined to tame the land!"

Spoiler :

"Who is he to dictate Spain's relations and beeseech us for our ways of learning?" she said, irritably.

"Alexander perhaps angered Mali and much as he angered Spain. And Greece is far from Spain, with Il Cesar in between. Agree to his terms, and gain an ally for little cost."

She scowled. "Let it be done then. Close our borders to Greek ships. Send one of the priests to Mali with the messenger, to teach them in the ways of the gods," Isabella ordered, and Diego hastened off. When he had left, she continued. "But let us settle North Africa quickly then, and deliver its riches to Spain, not Mali."

Machiavelli nodded and smiled. "Mansa Musa will no doubt be pleased with your course of action, mi sovrano. He soon will want to trade, and the wealth of Africa will flow to Barcelona."

Spoiler :

slobberinbear · Jul 12, 2008

La Crucifixión

Spoiler :

Diego, Isabella's faithful minister, rushed to the palace, breathless.

"Su Majestad! The slaves of Egypt, they have sent you a message!"

Trembling, Isabella took the scroll and opened it. "The slaves seek asylum from their oppressors! They want to come to Spain!"

"Who sent this?" Machiavelli asked.

"It is from Him," she said. "The God of my prayers and meditations. We will deliver Him and his people from bondage!"

--

Three squadrons of galleys were stripped of their armaments to make room for their human cargo. Diego was sent ahead to make the arrangements.

"Hatshepsut will never forgive you for interfering in the affairs of Egypt," Machiavelli warned.

"She sits in her gardens and prays to her ancestors and grotesque false gods while the Divine labors building her misguided monuments! I will not stand for it! Did you give Diego everything needed for my plan?"

He nodded, holding his tongue.

--

"So you see, Queen Hatshepsut, our people wish to build a glorious harbor in Thebes, to forster trade between our peoples. This gift of silver will build its foundation, deep in the Nile," he said as his men laid down heavy coffers of Castillian silver.

Hatshepsut nodded and clapped. "Let it be written. Let it be done!"

--

The slaves, under the watchful eyes of their masters, were allowed to camp near the river during the construction. Diego walked among them. Hearing the groans of an injured man, he quickened his pace to investigate.

"Suffer no more," the kneeling man said, touching his hand to the shattered leg of the injured worker. Before Diego's eyes, the bone mended and the leg straightened. The Spaniard fell to his knees in awe.

"Who are you?" was all he could ask.

The man, clad in simple slave's robes, rose and looked to Diego. His face was that of a man, yet it contained all the world's love, hope, and suffering. He smiled kindly and helped Diego to his feet.

"I am here to teach to those who would listen. Hear now the word of God, Diego De La Garza."

--

Later that week, the plan was ready.

"Let me feed your men tonight, Mekul, give them a taste of Spanish cooking," Diego purred to the taskmaster.

"Very well. We will eat this lamb that you speak of."

Diego returned to his ship and sought the cook. "It is time," he said. The cook nodded.

Within an hour of the tasty meal, the Egyptians were retching violently. Diego and his men raced to the slave camps.

"Quickly, friends! We are taking you to freedom and a new life! Gather your wives and children! Hurry but be silent!"

The slaves were already prepared. Within an hour, most of Thebes' slaves were aboard the stripped down Spanish galleys.

"They will catch us easily," Captain Gomez said as they began to pull away in the night. "We are low in the water. And unarmed."

"They cannot chase us if the harbor is blocked," answered the slave Mattias. "Sunder the middle pier!" he ordered. Several of the slave men returned to the pier briefly and pounded at the pier's supporting stones. A horrible creaking sound was the harbinger for a torrent of rock and water as the massive stone pier crumbled. Paddling back to the ships, the slaves left their hammers and mattocks behind for the last time.

It hit Diego suddenly, sickeningly as they slowly sailed further from the pier.

"Where is He?"

A murmur went through the ships.

"He was tending to a sick child in the camps," Mattias said. "We begged him to come."

"What did he say?"

"My place is here, with those without hope," he cried, then his eyes grew wide. "Now I understand! Last night, he gathered a few of us to him and we shared a simple meal. He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to us, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, 'this cup is the covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'"

"He knew he would be left behind?" Diego said, bewildered.

"That, and more, Spaniard."

--

12 days later, the fleet arrived in Barcelona. Isabella and her entourage greeted them at the dock, her eyes darting to find Him.

Diego, in tears, told her. "He would not come. He stayed with the sick and infirm."

--

The next day, a small Egyptian ship flying a white flag arrived. The ambassador to Spain disembarked and stiffly requested an audience with Isabella.

"Queen Hatshepsut asked that I deliver this to your personally."

Machiavelli took it and opened it carefully. "You have thrown away our friendship and stolen my property. Know that the King of the Slaves has been crucified for his crimes of sedition."

Isabella fainted.

--

A trickle of escaped slaves flowed from Egypt to Spain over the following months. Those who survived the journey told tales of His life, from his birth, kindness in life, his miracles, his final suffering, and his resurrection. In time, Isabella gathered them into a conclave for learning, discourse, and worship.

"We are a nation of Christ," she proclaimed. "Let all in the world hear our voices of praise!"

Spoiler :

slobberinbear · Jul 12, 2008

La Guerra Grecia

"The peoples of Europe have settled the continent. Now, the great games of nations will truly begin," Nicolo Machiavelli explained, rolling out a map of Europe and the Mediterranean.

"To the north are the Buddhist English, Confucian French, and Christian Germans. To the east are the Buddhist Romans, Greeks, Russians and Egyptians, along with the Hindu Arabs. To the south are the Buddhists of Mali."

"Hatshepsut has done well spreading her false faith," Isabella spat. "Their shared faith is her shield."

"Mi sovrano, the faith of Christianity can be as your sword."

"How?" she asked, intrigued.

"Gather Christians from across the world to Spain, to form a heirarchy, a leadership of the Church. By controlling this Church, you control the hearts and minds of all Christians in every nation."

"I will not use my faith to manipulate, Nicolo!"

"Of course not," he said, smiling. "You merely wish to show them the glory of God, and to protect your blessed rule from their efforts to harm Spain."

She raised her eyebrow and laughed. "No wonder the other ministers fear you."

"And I thought I was loved," he answered, sarcastically. "The answer is of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved -- most of all, a Prince of a nation.

Spoiler :

"The game has begun," he said, introducing Rome's ambassador to the Queen.

"And so Rome requests your assistenza," the ambassador concluded.

"You will have your answer in a moment. If you please," she said, indicating a side room for the Roman to wait.

"The Greeks are powerful warriors," Diego began.

"But they are reckoned as one of the lesser nations, are they not? And they are far from our lands. Why not aid our neighbor? It will surely help in his conversion to our Faith," Isabella said.

"I concur. But be wary. Il Cesar is powerful, and you see that he regards a shared faith with little credence. He and Alexander both honor Buddhism as their state religion," Machiavelli opined.

"Then we will use this war as a reason to improve our influence with Rome and build our army, to show our strength," she countered.

"At the very least, we could capture the Greek outpost on the north coast of Africa."

Isabella summoned the Roman ambassador to the throne room.

"Tell Il Cesar that Spain stands with him against Greece."

Spoiler :

"Greek warships have been sighted near Libia! To your ships!" Admiral Gomez yelled.

Crowqueen · Jul 15, 2008

Brilliant, and a very well planned out story

. I like it very much...not a good remedy for insomnia, but good to keep me going nevertheless.

slobberinbear · Jul 15, 2008

La Guerra Grecia

"Let loose the perros de guerra!" Isabella cried.

Spoiler :

"Word of our successes has spread, mi sovrano. The advisor of Il Cesar is here," Machiavelli announced.

"Ah, to congratulate us," she said, nodding.

"No, to demand a share of the spoils."

She gripped the arms of her throne tightly. Her knuckles turned white, but her face was pure composure.

"Let him share, while Spain trains its army. When we are strong, Rome will stop demanding," he reasoned.

"When my army is trained, Spain will make the demands!"

Spoiler :

The German delegation had arrived weeks before, to plan for the arrival of His Majesty Frederick, who was planning a personal visit to Spain.

"What have you heard of this Alemán?" Isabella asked.

"He is a noble, a gentleman, a decent man by all accounts, and a devout Christian," Diego replied. "He seeks not just an audience with you, but to travel to Santiago and worship at the seat of Christianity!"

"Then we shall welcome him. It will be a pleasant change to have a visitor that is not a boor."

--

The monarchs enjoyed a late lunch on the veranda of the Palace overlooking the sea. They were alone, and their talk of matters of state had fallen away to a comfortable silence, a shared quiet moment of reflection amid the distant sound of the pounding surf.

"I have enjoyed myself immensely," Frederick said. Isabella smiled warmly but remained silent. Frederick was a married man.

"You are a woman of faith," he continued, "and feel an obligation to serve your people. This duty is at the heart of nobility. It is what we are, and who we are to remain. I feel a close kinship with you."

"Your sincerity is refreshing."

He smiled. "Our neighboring rulers are ..."

"Pigs?" she interrupted.

"Ha! I was going to say 'simpler creatures,' but you have it better. My point, though, was that Julius and Louis care little for their people. Yet when I come to spain, I see that all respect Queen Isabella for her fairness, faith, and devotion to her people."

She thought a moment and decided to trust the German. "You have learned the ways of priesthood, the organization of the Faith. I will instruct Diego to show you the texts of the sacred coronacion, that you may be crowned King of Germany under God."

He kissed her hand. "Germany will ever be your ally."

The German traveling party had finished its preparations to return home.

"Our gathering place for Christians is nearly complete, my friend. Stay and help me welcome our fellow faithful to our Apostolic Palace," Isabella said.

"I would be honored to attend the inaugural conclave," he replied.

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