‘I would suggest,’ went on the Archbishop, ‘that if you should decide it was your duty to go to your father’s help, we of Castile would provide you with men and arms.’ He turned to Isabella. ‘I know that Your Highness would put no obstacle in the way of this help to your father-in-law, and that I speak with your authority.’
Ferdinand was torn between his emotions, and he was too young to hide them entirely – much to the amusement of the Archbishop. He was delighted at the prospect of helping his father, and at the same time he was annoyed that the Archbishop should imply that he could only be provided with men and arms at Isabella’s command.
Isabella drew a deep breath. She was so happy with her husband and her two-year-old little daughter; and the thought of Ferdinand’s going into battle terrified her. She looked quickly at Ferdinand.
He had turned to her. ‘How could I bear to leave you?’ he said.
Isabella answered: ‘You must do your duty, Ferdinand.’
Ferdinand thought of riding into Aragon, where he would not be treated as the consort of the Queen but as the heir to the throne. It was tempting. Moreover he was fond of his father, who was too old to engage in battle.
There was the Archbishop smiling at them benignly. He would delay changing sides for a while. With Ferdinand out of the way he would feel much happier, and Ferdinand would go to Aragon.
‘Yes,’ said Ferdinand slowly. ‘I must do my duty.’
It was long since Beatriz de Bobadilla had seen Isabella, and she often thought of her and longed for the old companionship.
Life had changed for Beatriz since those days when she had been Isabella’s most intimate maid of honour. She found herself in a difficult position, because her husband was an officer of Henry’s household, and there was such a wide division in the country – on one side the supporters of the King, on the other those of Isabella.
Andres de Cabrera had been made Governor of the town of Segovia, and the Alcazar which he occupied there was the depository of the King’s treasure. Andres was therefore in a very trusted position; so it was very difficult for his wife to communicate with Isabella.
Beatriz fumed incessantly about this state of affairs.
She was devoted to her husband, but she had a great affection for Isabella, and Beatriz never did anything by half-measures. She must be a devoted friend as well as a devoted wife.
Often she discussed the country’s affairs with her husband and forced him to agree that there could be no prosperity in a land which, while there were two factions disagreeing as to who was the heiress to the throne, must continually be trembling on the brink of civil war.
On one occasion when Andres was smarting over the overbearing behaviour of the Marquis of Villena, Beatriz seized the opportunity for which she had been looking.
‘Andres,’ she said, ‘it occurs to me that, were it not for this man Villena, now Grand Master of St James, there might be an end to this strife.’
‘Ah, my dear,’ replied Andres, shaking his head, ‘there are still the two heiresses. You cannot have peace when there is a division of opinion as to whether the Princess Isabella or the Princess Joanna has the right to the title.’
‘The Princess Joanna – La Beltraneja!’ scoffed Beatriz. ‘Everyone knows she is a bastard.’
‘But the Queen swore...’
‘The Queen swore! That woman would swear to anything, just for a whim. You know, Andres, that Isabella is the rightful heiress to the crown.’
‘Hush, my dear. Remember we serve the King, and the King has given the succession to his daughter Joanna.’
‘Not his daughter!’ cried Beatriz, clenching her right fist and driving it into the palm of her left hand. ‘Nor does he believe it. Did he not at one time make Isabella his heiress? The people want Isabella. Do you know, I believe that if we could bring Isabella to Henry – in the absence of Villena – we could make him accept her as his heiress, and there would be no more nonsense about La Beltraneja. Would this not be a good thing for the country?’
‘And for you, Beatriz, who would have your friend with you.’
‘I should like to see her again,’ mused Beatriz almost gently. ‘I should also like to see her little daughter. I wonder if she resembles Isabella.’
‘Well,’ said Andres, ‘what do you plot?’
‘Henry comes here often,’ said Beatriz.
‘He does.’
‘Sometimes without Villena.’
‘That is so.’
‘What if Isabella were here too? What if we arranged a meeting between them?’
‘Isabella! Come here... into the enemy’s camp!’
‘You would call my house the enemy’s camp? Any who sought to make her their prisoner in my house would have to kill me before they did so.’
Andres laid his hand on his wife’s shoulder. ‘You talk too lightly of death, my dear.’
‘It is Villena who rules this land. He rules the King. He rules you.’
‘That he does not. That he never shall do.’
‘Well, then, why should we not invite Isabella here? Why should she not meet Henry?’
‘It would be necessary to ask Henry’s permission first,’ warned Andres.
‘Well, I would undertake to get that... provided he came here without Villena.’
‘You would play a dangerous game, my dear.’
‘That for danger!’ cried Beatriz, snapping her fingers. ‘Have I your permission to speak to the King when he next comes here alone?’
Andres laughed. ‘My dear Beatriz,’ he said, ‘I know that when you ask for my permission it is merely a formality. So you have decided to speak to Henry at the first opportunity?’
Beatriz nodded. ‘I have decided,’ she said.
She knew it would not be difficult.
She asked the King for permission to talk with him when next he came to stay at the Segovia palace and Villena was busy in Madrid.
‘Highness,’ she began, ‘will you forgive my boldness in raising a certain question?’
Henry was alarmed, immediately afraid that his peace was about to be disturbed.
Beatriz ignored his worried expression and hurried on. ‘I know Your Highness, like myself, loves peace beyond all things.’
‘You are right in that,’ agreed Henry. ‘I wish for no more conflict. I wish those about me would accept what is, and leave it at that.’
‘Some would, Highness, but there are others, close to you, who make strife. Yet it would be quite easy to have peace throughout Castile tomorrow.’
‘How so?’ Henry wanted to know.
‘Well, Highness, I am not skilled in politics but I know this: there are two sides in this quarrel. Part of the country supports Your Highness, and the other part, Isabella. If you made Isabella your heir you would placate those who are against you. Those who are with you would still remain with you. Therefore there would be an end to the conflict.’
‘But my daughter Joanna is the heir to the throne.’
‘Highness, the people will never accept her. As you know, I served Isabella and I loved her dearly. I know that she longs for an end of hostilities. She is truly your sister. There is not a doubt about that. But as to the Princess Joanna... at least there are great doubts as to her legitimacy. If you would only meet Isabella... talk to her... let her tell you how grieved she is by the conflict between you...’
‘Meet her! But how? Where?’
‘Highness, she could come here.’
‘It would not be permitted.’
‘But Your Highness would permit it – and those who would not, need not know of it.’
‘If I sent for her they would hear at once.’
‘Highness, if I fetched her and brought her to you they would not hear of it.’