© Mark Wade
| Toledo Panorama © Mark Wade |
Palace in Toldeo.
And the King said unto him, I have ordered you to be lodged in my Palaces of Galiana, that you may be near me.
When you hold your Cortes let it be in those Palaces of Galiana, for there is better room there than in the Alcazar.
So when they had dined, they made the seat be taken up, and went with it to the Palaces of Galiana, and placed it near the seat of the King, as the Cid had commanded; and all that day and night they remained there guarding the ivory seat, till the Cid should come and take his place thereon; every one having his sword hung from his neck.
My Cid and his company alighted at the gate of the Palaces of Galiana, and he and his people went in gravely, he in the midst and his hundred knights round about him.
Then was the whole Cortes in an uproar by reason of that blow, and many swords were drawn, and on one side the cry was Cabra and Granon, and on the other side it was Valencia and Bivar; but the strife was in such sort that the Counts in short time voided the Palace.
Then the King sent to call those Counts who had been driven out; and they came again to the Palace, though they fain would not, complaining of the dishonour which they had received.
Now when all this had been appointed, as ye have heard, and while they were all in the court, there came into the Palace messengers from the Kings of Aragon and of Navarre, who brought letters to King Don Alfonso, and to the Cid Campeador, wherein those Kings sent to ask the daughters of the Cid in marriage, the one for the Infante Don Sancho of Aragon, the other for the Infante Garcia Ramirez of Navarre.
And the Infantes went away from the Palace full sadly, and went to their lodging, and prepared to go to Carrion that they might make ready for the combat, which was to be in three weeks from that time.