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.
Chapter VII
Several months had passed since Don Fernando left for the Holy Land, and Lucía and Isabella, after predawn prayers in the small palace chapel, were busy with their studies. Father Baldwin taught a variety of subjects, such as grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, and music, along with languages such as Latin, French, and English, with a strong dose of Greek and Arabic mixed in. Since Lucía owned property in England, the English language would prove very beneficial to her. Father Baldwin knew that time was short but had great ambitions for both girls, as they were both very bright and he was a fountain of knowledge. Since girls were not allowed in the major universities, he would bring the knowledge of the universities to them. He would speak, and the girls would write their daily lessons in their large leather-bound book, thus creating their own texts.
After Father Baldwin was through with the lesson of the day, the two girls would have to recite the lesson and keep reciting it until they got it right, especially languages, where Father Baldwin emphasized the importance of diction and the practice of repeating phrases over and over until the girls sounded like natives to a particular language. Lucía over time became so precise in her English diction that she sounded like a native girl. Father Baldwin went a step further, where each night at supper a different language would grace the table conversation on the dais. He also enriched their studies by teaching practical subjects that would affect their lives, such as the knowledge of basic medicine and the use of medicinal herbs.
On certain days, Captain Gómez, to his horror and dismay, tried to teach the girls the basics of weaponry, such as how to shoot a bow and how to use a sword. One day, Lucía asked Captain Gómez, as they entered the armory to practice their bow skills, why the soldiers who were there all ran out in a hurry each time they entered the armory. Captain Gómez did not say a word but shook his head in frustration.
Lucía and Isabella could never shoot straight; perhaps it was the weight of the bow or poor eyesight. However, Captain Gómez didn’t care except to proceed as quickly as he could with the lesson and hope no one, including himself, got hurt. Each day was long and began before dawn and ended at supper.
On Sunday, it was Bible stories, and every night, Yamina would tell a story in Arabic about tales of her native land before the girls went to sleep. Life was busy and, at times, intense, as Lucía had no time for anything else, including the vineyard, which she missed. Saturday was the day both girls enjoyed. It was the day of dance lessons, proper etiquette, embroidery, and riding.
In the early evening after supper, before being told to go to bed by Yamina, the girls would go to their favorite spot in the high tower, where they could look out onto the horizon, scout the peasant village far below, and just talk and giggle about the day’s events. Here, they felt safe and uninhibited and to speak as they chose.
One day, Father Baldwin was lecturing on a particular subject matter involving rhetoric when Infanta Berenguela joined Lucía and Isabella to learn more about the subject. It was a warm day, and the sun was shining through the double arcade window. Lucía was having a difficult time concentrating on the subject matter and started to daydream. She rested her head on her elbow and became completely mesmerized by the mountains on the horizon. The girls were seated at a table, with Lucía on the end of the bench next to the window. Father Baldwin was standing at the front of the table as a professor would at a university, lecturing, and was oblivious to Lucía’s lack of attention. At some point, Father Baldwin called Lucía to answer a question but could not attract her attention, as Lucía was completely absorbed in her daydream. Berenguela was seated next to Lucía, and she wiggled her arm to get her attention.
“Lucía, are you listening to the lecture?” inquired Father Baldwin, who did not appear to be upset by Lucía’s bout with mindlessness.
“Well,” said Lucía, startled by the sudden interruption from her daydream. “I guess… No no. I’m sorry, Father Baldwin. I guess I just withered in the warm sun.”
Father Baldwin thought for a second and put his finger to his lips as in deep thought. “I would like to speak to Lucía alone.” He glanced over to Isabella and Berenguela and then, with a smile, said, “Why don’t both of you go out into the courtyard and enjoy the warm sunshine?” It didn’t require much prodding to get the two girls out the door and into the warm air outside.
“Am I in trouble?” asked Lucía with a worried look on her face.
“No, Lucía, but I am interested what you were dreaming about.”
“Well, it’s a little personal, Padre.”
“Didn’t you know I am the master of all things personal?” said Father Baldwin with an infectious smile that quickly put Lucía at ease and brought a smile to her face.
“I don’t know. It is rather silly, I fear.”
“It’s all right. Everyone has silly thoughts on occasion. Even I have silly thoughts.”
“Really?”
“Really,” responded Father Baldwin.
“Well, maybe it’s okay then,” uttered Lucía. “I was thinking about Mama riding over the mountains, coming home to stay with me.”
“I see.” Father Baldwin suddenly found himself in a pensive mood. “You must really miss your mother,” he said in his perfect English accent. Then after a pause, he continued, “Lucía, I want to tell you something important you should know. I have been waiting for the right time, and I believe you are old enough to understand.”
Lucía looked at Father Baldwin, curious as to what he was about to say.
“I was at the court in Poitiers when your mother was born, as a priest and papal legate assigned there by His Holiness.”
“What?” said Lucía, who was in complete shock and surprise.
Father Baldwin went on to explain the situations surrounding Lady Margaret’s birth, why she