The Last Song

voice was stern. “I want what’s best for you.” He sat down heavily in his chair.
    I turned to my mother. “Mama, I beg you, please tell Papa that he is wrong. I don’t want to marry Luis. I don’t like him!”
    “Lower your voice,” Mama said. “Your father is not wrong. You can’t possibly dislike the boy. You just met him. We know what’s best for you. Luis won’t be returning with his father to Aragon. He will remain in Toledo so that the two of you can get to know each other. He will make you a good husband. You must do your duty.”
    “But Mama –”
    She cut off my words with a wave of her hand. “The marriage ceremony will not take place until you turn fifteen. You will be used to the idea of marrying him by then.”
    I fell to my knees, my hands clasped in front of me. “Please, Papa! Please, Mama! I beseech you. Don’t do this to me!”
    My mother turned her head. My father twirled his cup around in his hands, over and over again, but would not meet my eyes.
    “The betrothal ceremony will be one week hence,” he said.

C HAPTER 2
 
M ONDAY , N OVEMBER 14, 1491 –
S UNDAY , N OVEMBER 20, 1491
    N o matter how hard I tried, I could not change my parents’ minds, so I decided to follow Mama’s advice. I told myself that Luis was actually quite handsome, except for the meanness of his eyes. Perhaps if I gave him a chance and got to know him, I might grow to like him.
    The rose garden was a riot of color. Red, yellow, and white roses lined our path. Wild, rambling roses climbed up the stone walls that enclosed the garden, their sweet scent overwhelming.
    “My mama spends much of her time with the flowers,” I told Luis as we wandered down one of the paths leading to an arboretum in the center of the garden. Sofia was chaperoning us, following behind, out of earshot. “Does your mother have a garden, too?”
    Luis snickered. “Indeed, she does. Like all women, my mother devotes too much of her time to frivolous pursuits. I will make sure that any wife of mine will not waste her time in such a manner. There are more important things a wife should do – such as supervising the lazy servants for her husband’s comfort and providing heirs to her lord’s property.”
    “But the flowers are so beautiful – ”
    His cold look silenced me.
    We walked beside each other without speaking until a small salamander ran across the path. It must have been a baby for it was very small. It stopped on the path directly in front of us.
    I picked up my skirts, ready to step over it, when Luis stomped on the poor creature with the heel of his boot. The little animal writhed in pain. Luis kept stomping and stomping on its body until it stopped quivering. He finally kicked it off the walk, into the bushes.
    I began to tremble. “Why did you kill it? It did you no harm!”
    “I hate those slimy creatures,” he said in a self-satisfied voice.
    I no longer could bear to spend more time in his company. I shaded my eyes with my hand and looked at the sky. “It’s getting late. I must bid you good-bye. My parents are awaiting me.”
    He shrugged his shoulders. I could see that he didn’t care that I wanted to leave. “As you wish.”
    Before I could move, he turned on his heels and knocked against me. Suddenly I felt his cruel fingers pinching my breast.
    “Ouch! How dare you.”
    Sofia ran toward us. I did not wait for her. I slapped his grinning face with all my might.
    He stepped closer and grabbed my wrist. His fingers were like a vice, but I stood my ground. “You will soon find out how much I dare!” he snarled. “You will pay dearly for your behavior, my lady.”
    He made a deep, exaggerated bow and strode off toward the house. I hurried, almost running, down the path in the opposite direction to meet Sofia.
    Once we were safely through the garden gate, we leaned against it to talk about what had just happened. Sofia handed me a handkerchief and I wiped away my tears.
    “He is no good,” she said, gesturing in Luis’s direction with her head. “He whips his slaves. You better tell your papa what he is like.”
    Papa would not listen to me. I begged, I cajoled, I raged – but to no avail. My father was deaf to my pleas.
    “You are innocent of the ways of the world. Luis is no different from other men. I know what’s best for you,” he said. “The betrothal must take place.”
    Mama took Papa’s side. She repeated constantly: “You must do your duty. The boy will make you a good