Rodrigo struggles to put one foot in front of the other. Just a few days earlier, he had not hesitated for one second to enter the jousting lists, mounted on his uncle’s horse. Now, he is anxious, dazed. When Rodrigo’s uncle, a knight, became injured before the competition, he asked his young nephew at the last minute to replace him. Lord Alvarez, who organized the contest, authorized the substitution, forgetting to ask his age. Before long, the teenager had won the most prestigious tournament in the kingdom, defeating full knights, even though he is only a squire. What more could a boy want? Yet now, he cannot help feeling strange. With victory behind him, Rodrigo approaches the lord’s podium and bows to his daughter. The young lady, wrapped in a sumptuous dress, hands him a golden cup and a sword made of Toledo steel. She lightly kisses a rose and then holds it out for the champion to take. Rodrigo, looking down, blushes. 19
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