Know that in January 1054 a tourney will take place in Leon, in celebration of the coronation of Bella as Queen of Leon, to get to know Our Iberian neighbors and in order to strengthen ties new and old. The knights of Aragorn are invited as Leon's guests of honor. Should Castile manage to conclude the war with Zenata in a speedy manner, they will be most welcome as our guests, too.

Likewise Leon’s doors will be open to whatever other wandering knights find the time to travel to this event, as will be our larders and wine cellars.

Know that if any nation causes trouble for our guests, while they enjoy our hospitality, they will incur our displeasure.

QUOTE:
To Queen Bella of Leon

I hear congratulations are in order indeed, none of my sources have told me that it was you who has rebuilt the Kingdom of Leon. You may not know of me, I'm Gross-Emir of Zenata, I'm currently invading Castille on a matter of revenge basis, they have invaded my lands as soon as I got there, not to mention pillaging poor villages and tribes that weren't under our protection. The war could be ended immediately should Castille apologize, but I suspect they won't because of their pride.

If you do not mind Muslim knights at your tourney then some of my knights or even I personally would venture there, that is if we conclude the war with Castille quickly.

Since I think you invited Castille as well, it would be somewhat of a gift from me to you if I could conclude peace with Castille in order for their whole nation to celebrate your coronation tourney, if I manage to do that I would happily attend the tourney as well, that is if you're allowing Muslims into it.

Other than that, congratulations on your coronation and I certainly hope we'll have better relations with you than with your bloodlusting neighbor the Castille.

From one Christian to another, since I'm only leading the Muslims on their own request.

With much respect

Gross-Emir of Zenata also know as the Moorish Horde
Ban Matej Moreplovac

*signed and sealed*

- My sultan! The enemy approaches! - Says the soldier as he's gasping for air.

As I look toward the messenger that has just left for Leon I turn to the soldier, and with a grin on my face say.

- At least they have the courage to defend their own people, summon all of the knights, there is a meeting to be held.

QUOTE:
To Ban Matej Moreplovac,

Finally we meet on the battlefield because last time you were hiding behind your castle walls and send only your knights to face us on the battlefield. Now will see what you can.
Since you want to participate to a tourney I will organize one specially for you in my prison.

Demonium King of Castile.

QUOTE:
To Demonium King of Castile

Your sins will not go unpunished you sick little bastard. Killing and plundering weak tribes and small nations is the only thing Castille can achieve under your rule. Also thank you for the silver materials from Sevilla, you little bastard. Can't even mount a defense of your most precious provinces, I highly doubt your leadership skills.

And you won't catch me alive, I'll pillage Castille until you admit your sins of killing innocent people around Zenata, in Zenata and in Sicily.

By the way, how in the hell do you know I intended to go to the Leon tourney? Well if you won't agree to peace, I think then your head will be a good present for Queen Bella of Leon.

Now let our swords do the talking.

Gross-Emir of Zenata also know as the Moorish Horde
Ban Matej Moreplovac

*signed and sealed*

To Ban Matej Moreplovac

It was my guess that you won't miss it such an important tourney in Leon.

Maybe your head will be a better present for Queen Bella of Leon and about sword talking only castilian sword will speak because I think you do not even know from which side is holding a sword.

Demonium King of Castile.

A message from the Gross-Emir of Zenata, said the messenger handing it over to Bella, as she sat in the audience hall of the royal castle of Leon hearing petitions.

"Zenata, the very Zenata, whose armies are even now battling the Castilians in South Iberia I hear." Bella mused aloud.

"Zenata," a merchant in the receiving line cried, "the very Zenata, that has beggared me - they have conquered Sevilla, the silver mines of Sevilla and currently control the markets of Sevilla, too. The prices are ruined - my consortium, which had speculated on the silver prices is ruined - and you Your Majesty were a personal a shareholder in that venture."
"What," Bella exclaimed, half rising.

"The Gross-Emir of Zenata, must be that Ban Matej Moreplovac, who used to be a Papal Candidate, before he fell under a cloud and run off to parts unknown - and now he rules a nation of Muslims," interjected Ramiro, who had participated in the Papal Elections as secretary to Bishop Fenwick and had witnessed it all.

Frowning even more Bella opened the message.

"Whatever else can be said of Ban Matej Moreplovac, he does have a facile tongue," Bella remarked after reading the message. "And in fact he is the very first monarch, to send official congratulations to Leon on my ascension to the throne. I have received a few notes from friends, but this is indeed the first official missive from a foreign head of state. That is very gratifying, as is his desire to attend the tourney, but still...

Hand me quill and ink."

QUOTE:
To Ban Matej Moreplovac, Gross-Emir of Zenata,

my thanks for your well wishes.

Regarding the tourney, single knights, no matter where they come from, will be welcome.

"No matter where they come from? What if they are heathens?" Ramiro, reading over his queen's shoulder interjected.
"Leon's coffers need filling," Bella said. "We must be practical. If their silver is good, they are welcome in Leon. Besides it will be a wonderful opportunity for you to convert them to Christianity.
Also some strayed Christians may come desiring to make their reverence to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, you yourself have devoted yourself to promote the worship of Santiago and to protect all pilgrims. The more sinful the man, the more urgent becomes such a pilgrimage surely."

QUOTE:
However be informed that in light of your current conflict with Castile, if you come to Leon by land, before you have made peace with your opponents, fleeing from Castile, then we will have to insist that after the tourney is concluded you would also have to leave by land and not via the Leonese port, since anything else would make Leon partisans in this war.

Also there are some points of contention Leon and Zenata will eventually have to discuss, but that might wait till after the tourney.

Bella, by God’s will and Grace Queen of Leon

Guests began to trickle in for the tourney at the royal castle of Galicia.

The queen being yet absent from the castle, the castellan personally hurried out to greet the column of Aragonese knights, Leon's guests of honor, who had just set over from the mainland and were now riding towards the castle gates. Happily he eyed the many heavily laden porters in the Aragonese baggage train. What generosity. He had not expected Aragon to bring so many gifts for Leon's queen.

After having made his bow to the Aragonese king, the castellan turned towards the Aragon quartermaster. "About the baggage,..."
"Yes," the quartermaster interrupted, "please store it carefully for us. We will collect it on our way back and expect to find no damage or spoilage."
The castellan's face fell. No gifts... But then he mastered his disappointment and pasted a smile on his face: "Of course, of course. Leon's guests shall find no reason for complaint. Never yet has a guest of the queen found himself robbed, while enjoying our hospitality."

Only one week later a very special visitor arrived at the castle of Leon: The queen's own betrothed Nivek. Who kindly agreed to provide some entertainment for the guests by fighting a show-fight with King Farhad Ibn Bahram forthwith.

In light of the fact that Nivek would not remain there long - the wedding was to be held as soon as the queen returned - the castellan felt no compunction though in temporarily lodging Nivek in a somewhat drafty curtained off niche - it was only for a few days after all.

No sooner had this round of visitors arrived, than further guests arrived from Castile. "I have not had five minutes to sit down in the last month," the castellan mourned, "but I will make some time to watch the duel between the queen's betrothed and the Aragonese king" he vowed, before hurrying off to greet the Castilians.

"We have arrived early Stephanie" Nivek addresses his squire.

"Let us take the opportunity to walk the grounds and see where this Tourney will take place"

"This will be quite a week in my life. My first Tourney and my first Wife. Hopefully there will be lots more of the former and no more of the later heh girl"

"As you say My Lord"

Nivek silently walks the grounds and is filled with trepidation. He cannot work out what is making him this way is it the forthcoming wedding or facing so many opponents in the tournament. He accidentally passes by Galicia Abbey and it looks magnificent in all its glory and there are men everywhere tending the grounds and buffing up brass and cleaning everything or so it seems.

"My God I get married tomorrow..............I need a drink, come Squire and find an Inn where we can sup"

The rain that had fallen the last days had stopped and the sun shone brightly on that day in January, as the trumpeters blew a fanfare and the tourney herald rose from the stands to call:
"The Iberian Games, Leon's tourney in honor of it's neighbors in Iberia and the marriage of the Queen is hereby declared open!"



Bella watched the fighters gathered for the melee, there were a great many knights milling about, it seemed to her.

Then start the trumpets blew. Bella charged into the fray, crossing weapons with a number of knights she did not know; recognizing Castile's chancellor euclide, as she aimed a blow at him; knocked out a Leonese knight - a pity, but there could only be one victor in the melee.

Finally the ranks thinned, as more and more knights had to capitulate and leave the melee - till only the three Iberian monarchs, Bella, queen of Leon, Demonium, king of Castile, Farhad Ibn Bahram, king of Aragon and one other Castilian knight were left.

Bella grinned behind her great helmet and charged them with a yell. A heated brawl ensured, till finally she landed a decisive hit against Farhad Ibn Bahram.
"You're out", she told him.
She looked about her, but there was no opposition left - she had won the melee.

A few knights sat, groaning a bit about sore heads, at the border of the field. They were lucky the melee had been fought with blunted weapons provided for the purpose or surely there would have been deaths in the savage fight.

As it was, they should be mostly recovered, by the time the duels and jousting started, which were scheduled a few days hence.



Bella's own duelling opponent, assigned to her by the luck of the draw the tourney herald had supervised, gave her little trouble in their duel. Afterwards she settled on the spectators stand to watch the next knights, approaching the ring to duel.

It was the young Leonese knight Sir Ein Nacht and her own husband Nivek. Bella looked from one to the other. Now whom should she cheer on? Her knight - or her husband? Enthralled she watched the match - till finally the last telling blow landed - "Sir Ein Nacht is the victor of the duel", the herald proclaimed.

Bella stepped down to the ring.
"That was well fought Sir Ein Nacht. Leon can be proud of you", she told him.

Then she turned to her husband. "Nivek, dear, are you all right? Surely I must have kept you up too late last night", she said, taking his hands.

A bit surprised that he became the second in the melee, Farhad smiled to queen Bella while he arised arduous. "You're a powerful warrioress, queen Bella. My gratulations to the performance, you showed."

Some days later, Farhad was still part of the tournament after defeating Tehalon of Huesca and one of the queens lifeguards. The king of Aragon wondered about the circumstance that Tehalon fought with a sword and not with a halberd as usual. He was a good fighter with the halberd, but had no chance with a sword.

Farhad have to fight queen Bella again. In the joust he defeated Blobby and Matthias Corvinus, while Bella won against Bedivere and Euclide. With the premonition of loosing again, he orders a cup of vine and drinks with relish.