Chapter 2191 - 1579: Whom to Choose? The Fado of Fate
"Dong! Dong! Dong!..."
The bells of the evening prayer tolled from the Lisbon Cathedral, once again reverberating throughout the entire Alfama Noble District. Bishop Diogo de Sousa left Marquis Nuno’s noble residence with a smile, just as when he arrived. Before stepping into the carriage, he made a pious sign of the Cross, reciting a passage from the Latin Scripture of Romans.
"Stipendia enim peccati mors est; gratia autem Dei, vita aeterna in Christo Iesu Domino nostro."
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"Marquis Nuno, the Lord’s teachings are worth a lifetime of reflection! I sincerely hope you can attend the blessing mass three days from now. Amen!..."
"Yes! My Lord Bishop, praise the Almighty!"
With his head bowed in prayer, Marquis Nuno avoided making eye contact with Bishop Diogo and was no longer smiling. With a compassionate smile, Bishop Diogo boarded a luxurious four-wheeled carriage, gradually disappearing at the end of the street. In the direction he traveled, the spire of the cathedral glistened in the sunset, while the stone top of the Saint George Castle fort in the distance dimmed in shadow, merging into the silhouetted mountains.
"The sun is setting..."
Marquis Nuno remained silent, watching until the sun fully set, finally letting out a long, mournful sigh.
"Saudade! Ah, Your Majesty... King Joao! You are still so young, only forty years old..."
The greatest sorrow of a king is the constraint of a limited lifespan despite being born great. After all, loyalty in this world never comes without reason, it requires a clear objective and prolonged reward. Once the king whom they serve passes away, the loyalty that vassals pledged at life risk loses its object and potential reward. No loyalty can transcend life and death!
The court nobles, who are the king’s confidants, are different from the eunuchs of the Sultan’s Court. They have families with the prospect of noble continuity and development. The cost of choosing the wrong side in the succession struggle is something they could personally bear, but what about their descendants? One could die for the King, but could an entire family do the same? Moreover, the Duke of Lancaster’s origin is too low, lacking support from the Church and the Great Nobility... But what about King Joao’s trust and the favor shown to him?
In the wine-red dusk, Marquis Nuno turned around, leaving only a lengthened silhouette and deep brown hair. He entered the residence with a changing complexion. After sitting for a while, he abruptly rose and instructed his confidant through gritted teeth.
"Prepare the carriage!"
"Master, are we going to?"
"To Duarte’s residence! I must ask that fellow in person what he truly thinks?! He personally suppressed the nobles of Braganza, his hands stained with their blood..."
"Ah! Yes..."
Soon, the four-wheeled carriage was brought to the courtyard, with both coachman and retainers ready. But before boarding, Marquis Nuno hesitated again, his face varied with uncertainty. If Duarte indeed decided something, with the knights and armed retainers he commands, would he dare to act if they disagreed?...
"Master?"
"Wait, we won’t go yet."
After pondering for several moments, Marquis Nuno whispered another command.
"Send a messenger to the port! Locate the naval fleet resting at the harbor camp... Call over that man named Bruno, yes, the one who brought me the mahogany chair and called me Godfather! Be discreet, don’t alert others!"
"Yes!..."
"Hurry now!"
"Yes!..."
The servant rushed off, as the night descended like a veil, covering everyone’s eyes and hearts. In the long wait, Marquis Nuno’s ears suddenly twitched, prompting him to gaze at a nearby small building.
"Saudade..."
Under the moonlight, a plaintive song emerged from a Moorish-style building. It was unclear whether it was sung by a courtly courtesan or a summoned gypsy girl. She sang the "Fate’s Lament" beloved by the Portuguese, akin to the future "Fado," but lighter and more perceptive of the passage of time.
"Cantando vou, porque viveré tão breve, como uma vela acesa no vento do mar."
"I sing as I go, for life is so short, like a candle lit in the sea wind."
"Escolher dói, mas não se vê, quem fica perde, quem vai por quê?"
"Choosing is painful but unseen, those who stay lose, why do those who leave depart?"
Marquis Nuno stepped a few paces, listening to the ethereal melody in the veiled moonlit night, and closed his eyes. Tears began to brim and fall at the corners of his eyes. The woman’s mournful singing, that "candle in the wind," involuntarily reminded him of the ailing King Joao, coughing blood in his bed.
Only the King’s close confidants knew how little time His Majesty truly had left, unable to even rise. Such a prime ruler, about to depart prematurely—this is indeed the inescapable fate of Fado! And the entire power of the Portuguese Court, the entire power of the Kingdom of Portugal, is set to undergo rapid and complete changes under such uncertain destiny!
Although King Joao wished to pass the throne to his illegitimate son George, to the young Duke of Lancaster, the sudden death of Prince Afonso left him with little preparation. In the current political climate, could such a transfer of royal power indeed succeed? Those in power must face the backlash of power transition. Everyone must make choices, however painful, as it is an inevitable destiny, right?