Read Online The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C. W. Gortner - Free Book Online Page B

brightening as she said, “We are most grateful for your assistance, Don Cabrera.”
    “It is my pleasure. Please, come this way.” It was only then that I realized Alfonso wasn’t with us. I glanced past the servants collecting our belongings to see Carrillo taking my brother in the opposite direction. Carrying Alfonso’s personal coffer, Don Chacón trudged obligingly behind.
    Fear coiled in me. “Where is my brother going?” I asked. Though I tried to sound calm, I heard the ragged edge in my voice.
    Cabrera paused. “His Highness has his own rooms, of course.” He offered me a gentle smile. “Do not worry, Your Highness. You’ll see him at the banquet.”
    “Oh.” I forced out a chuckle. “Of course, how silly of me.”
    It made sense; Alfonso must live as befitted his rank now that we were at court. He’d no longer be just a few doors away; we could not meet up at a moment’s notice. But the suddenness of our separation clung to me as we moved away from the palace and into the labyrinthine
casa real
next door, Beatriz close at my side. We passed under fluted arcades that opened onto citrine patios, our heels clicking on the polished floors of jasper and emerald-tiled
salas
dripping in painted alabaster lace. After the noise of the city, the silence was luxurious, enhanced by the diamond-clear trickle of water in unseen fountains and the soft rustle of our skirts.
    I was doubting that I’d ever be able to find my way around this place on my own when we entered a spacious room with fluted windows—framed by carved wooden jalousies—that opened onto an expanse of garden. From somewhere nearby I heard the muted roar of a beast and gave a start. “What is that?”
    Cabrera smiled again. “His Majesty’s leopards; they must be hungry. It’s almost time for their feeding.”
    “Leopards?” echoed Beatriz, in astonishment. “The king keeps wild animals here?”
    “Only two,” said Cabrera. “And I assure you they’re well caged and fed. In his forest lodge of El Balacín in the foothills, he has many more lions and bears, as well as big strange birds from Africa, and an assortment of other creatures. His Majesty is a great lover of animals; here, he usually oversees the leopards himself, but tonight that duty falls on me.”
    “And does he use these animals to hunt?” I asked, wondering how close these exotic leopards were to my rooms. “I’ve heard he is quite fond of hunting.”
    Cabrera frowned. “On the contrary, His Majesty rarely hunts and never with his own animals. He abhors bloodshed; he’s even forbidden the corrida in Segovia.”
    “No bullfights?” Beatriz glanced at me; she had heard Villena tell Alfonso that Enrique wanted to show him the pleasures of the hunt. Apparently, the marquis had misled us. It made me wonder what other untruths he and his uncouth brother had told us, though I was secretly pleased to hear that Enrique disliked bullfights. I did, too, intensely; I had never understood how anyone could find delight in the blood and pandemonium of the arena. Though I’d been raised in a rural area where animals were regularly slaughtered for sustenance, it seemed unnatural to me to turn a creature’s suffering into a crowd-pleasing spectacle.
    “Are Alfonso’s rooms far from us?” I asked, unclasping my cloak.
    “Not too far,” answered Cabrera. “His Highness will reside in the alcazar, which is rather crowded at the moment. My lord the archbishop thought it best if you resided somewhere more private. However, if you do not care for these rooms, I could try to secure apartments closer tothe infante’s. Alas, they will be smaller. All the large rooms are currently occupied by the grandees who have come to see the new princess.”
    “No,” I said, “do not trouble yourself. These rooms suit me fine.”
    He stepped aside as two men brought in our clothes chests and set them on the tiled floor. “You’ll find a basin of fresh water and cloths on the stand by the