165 - How the King of Castile left for Elvas and how he took the Portuguese princess to wife

Summary

When the agreements had been signed in this way, the King of Castile left the following day and set out for Elvas, where a large number of tents were already pitched in the valley of fertile agricultural land known as the Chinches Riverside, very near to the tents of the Portuguese great lords and nobles. The queen was staying in the town with the princess, but before she left to take her daughter to a very large and handsome pavilion belonging to King Fernando, her father, Prince Fernando, a little boy not much more than two years old, was handed over into her keeping as a hostage because one of the agreements was that King Fernando should keep him until his daughter, the princess, was coming up to twelve years of age. At that time, the marriage could be sanctioned, and the prince would then be taken back to Castile, once the king had married the queen his wife again by verba de praesenti.

Then the princess left the town and proceeded to the Portuguese encampment, well arrayed and attended by some of the masters [of the Military Orders], great lords of the highest rank, knights and many other people who were accompanying her on the journey. As they were calmly following their way, they happened to meet the King of Castile, who similarly came with a large company. When he drew level with the princess, he bent his head, bowed to her and went on his way. Further ahead, he went to receive his mother-in-law, Queen Leonor, by the gate of the old wall, which is close to the monastery, on the road to Badajoz. He lowered his head in a bow and took the rein of the mule she was riding, and they made their way towards the pavilion to which the princess was being taken.

Queen Leonor was dressed in very beautiful cloth of gold; her demeanour, face and eyes were so pleasing that all the great Castilian lords and knights, who were approaching, praised her beauty and grace. As soon as the King of Castile reached the pavilion where he was to be married, a papal dispensation fully appropriate to this occasion was shown by Don Pedro, the Cardinal of Aragon, who was in attendance.