| 1 | [[WMG:[[center: [- ''Series/ElCid2020'' '''[[Characters/ElCid2020 Main Character Index]]'''\ |
| 2 | [[Characters/ElCid2020RodrigoDiaz Rodrigo "Ruy" Díaz]] | '''The Kingdom of León''' | [[Characters/ElCid2020TaifaOfZaragoza The]] ''[[Characters/ElCid2020TaifaOfZaragoza Taifa]]'' [[Characters/ElCid2020TaifaOfZaragoza of Zaragoza]] |[[Characters/ElCid2020ChristianKingdoms The Christian Kingdoms]] | [[Characters/ElCid2020MoorishTaifas The Moorish]] ''[[Characters/ElCid2020MoorishTaifas Taifas]]'']]]]-] |
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| 4 | ---- |
| 5 | |
| 6 | !The Kingdom of León |
| 7 | |
| 8 | The largest Christian kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula at the start of Season 1, as well as the most powerful and wealthy. At the beginning of the series, León is ruled over by Fernando I "The Great.", who came to power after a fratricidal civil war that resulted in the death of his the previous king, Bermudo III, and later the death of his brother, García Sánchez of Navarre. In Season 1, León must contend with both the kingdoms of Aragon and Navarre, as well as a conspiracy of Leonese nobles who wish to depose Fernando. Season 2 then shows that the greatest threat to the kingdom may just be Fernando's [[CainAndAbel own children]]. |
| 9 | ---- |
| 10 | |
| 11 | * AHouseDivided: [[spoiler: In Season 2, Fernando's division of the kingdom among his three sons only results in the three brothers going to war with one another, with Sancho and Alfonso ultimately vying for ultimate control of the kingdom]]. |
| 12 | * BalkanizeMe: [[spoiler: Fernando's will at the end of Season 1 splits León into three separate kingdoms, each ruled by one of his sons: Galicia is left to García, León is left to Alfonso, and Castile is given to Sancho. by the midpoint of Season 2, both Alfonso and Sancho start working to un-balkanize the kingdom]]. |
| 13 | * CivilWar: [[spoiler: The bulk of Season 2 focuses on the civil war fought between Sancho, Alfonso and García after the kingdom is divided]]. |
| 14 | * DecadentCourt: King Fernando outwardly rules a united kingdom, but his wife is involved in a plot led by his second son's own tutor to oust him from power (and unknown to her, have him assassinated to boot). Meanwhile, his children have complicated relationships with one another, with two of them - Sancho and Urraca - being outright [[CainAndAbel enemies]]. |
| 15 | * HeirClubForMen: León's inheritance laws are presented as being patrilineal, with Sancho being set to inherit the kingdom as the eldest ''Infante'', with his brothers next in line. This situation is a major part of why Fernando's first-born child, Urraca, is TheResenter, as she feels she's been cheated out of a kingdom solely for not having been born a man. |
| 16 | * RoyallyScrewedUp: The royal family of León in a nutshell. To whit: Urraca is an [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitious]] schemer with [[TheResenter resentments]] to spare, Sancho is [[{{Pride}} prideful]] and sometimes his [[HotBlooded anger gets the better of him]], Alfonso has a combination of ambition and MiddleChildSyndrome, and García gives the impression of being [[ShelteredAristocrat sheltered]] and unprepared to rule. King Fernando, for his part, won his kingdom through conquest and then secured it by [[CainAndAbel going to war against his brothers]], while queen Sancha is a member of a plot that [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen aims to overthrow Fernando]]. Thus far, Elvira seems to be the only [[TokenGoodTeammate genuinely good and]] [[OnlySaneMan sane member of her family]]. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 19 | |
| 20 | !!The Royal Family of León |
| 21 | [[folder:King Fernando I of León]] |
| 22 | !! King Fernando I "The Great" of León |
| 23 | !!!'''Played by:''' José Luis García Pérez |
| 24 | [[quoteright:227:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fernando_image_01.png]] |
| 25 | [[caption-width-right:227:''"The throne '''demands''' violence. Sooner or later it must be defended by force."'']] |
| 26 | King of León and Count of Castile. Once a fierce conqueror, he took the throne in 1037 by defeating and killing the previous king of León, Bermudo III, and marrying Bermudo’s sister Sancha. In 1054, he defeated his older brother, García Sánchez of Navarre, in a battle that resulted in García’s death, a fact that still haunts him to this day. As king of León, he receives annual tribute from several Moorish ''Taifas'' – including Zaragoza – in return for guaranteeing their safety. He keeps a suspicious eye on the Kingdom of Aragon and his boisterous half-brother, Ramiro. Though his days of conquest are behind him and he's perhaps past his prime, he remains an astute ruler and the most powerful Christian monarch in 11th Century Spain. |
| 27 | ---- |
| 28 | * AbusiveParents: He's the emotional variant, being demanding and not showing much affection towards his children. This is particularly true towards Urraca, whom he verbally puts down several times due to his [[StayInTheKitchen sexism]]. [[spoiler: This ends up costing him ''everything'']]. |
| 29 | * AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler: Whether or not he was poisoned, or simply died from complications from a stroke / heart attack, in Season 1. Season 2 definitively confirms he was poisoned, though his emotional stress at the time can't have helped]]. |
| 30 | * AntiHero: Despite his [[{{Jerkass}} jerkassery]], he's doing his best to keep León together and maintain the peace in the Iberian peninsula, and he prefers to keep the Moorish ''Taifas'' intact, if only for their economic value. Also, despite warring with both his brothers, he was distraught at García's death, [[spoiler: As well as Ramiro's]]. |
| 31 | * ArchnemesisDad: To Urraca, with whom he has the most antagonistic relationship out of all his children. |
| 32 | * AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to have been this in the past through his conquest of León and defeating his brother at Atapuerca. By the time of the series, he delegates authority to Sancho when Ramiro invades Zaragoza, and while he'll still go on the field of battle, he stays behind the lines and tries to find an alternatives to mass bloodshed. |
| 33 | * AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: [[spoiler: When he learns of Sancha's involvement in the plot to overthrow him, he prepares to oust her, but this plan is abandoned once he falls deathly ill. Their final scenes have him forgiving her and he even dies in her arms, much to her grief. It helps that she became involved in the plot specifically to prevent Fernando's death, as well as the death of her children, at the hands of the conspirators]]. |
| 34 | * BigBrotherWorship: Surprisingly, despite his [[CainAndAbel antagonistic relationship]] with both his brothers, he's shown to be shocked and distraught at García's death [[spoiler: and ''devastated'' when told Ramiro's also dead]]. |
| 35 | * CainAndAbel: Unwillingly, the Cain towards García’s Abel at Atapuerca, though not by his hand. [[spoiler: At the end of Season 1, he considers himself to also be this towards Ramiro’s Abel, and even screams about seeing "The mark of Cain" on his forehead when looking at his reflection]]. |
| 36 | * TheChainsOfCommanding: At the ''Infantes''' cavalier attitude when suggesting killing off García's infant son to prevent the Kingdom Navarre's attack, he grimly tells his sons that [[{{Foreshadowing}} he hopes they never have to experience what it's like to face one's own brother on the battlefield]]. |
| 37 | * CoolCrown: An impressive gem-studded one which is inherited by Alfonso [[upon Fernando's death]]. |
| 38 | * CruelAndUnusualDeath: [[spoiler: His death by poisoning is slow and agonising, stretched out over what's implied to be days, if not weeks, and he's often visibly awake, aware, and suffering. In his final scenes, his breathing is laboured, the left side of his face droops (implying partial paralysis) and he has more difficulty speaking]]. |
| 39 | * DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler: Passes away peacefully in the night, in the arms of Sancha, while she sings to him and he caresses her hair]]. |
| 40 | * DeliberateValuesDissonance: His sexist attitudes towards women in power is presented as negative, but not all that unusual for León. |
| 41 | * EtTuBrute: [[spoiler: When he learns of Sancha’s involvement in the plot to overthrow him, he's visibly shocked and hurt. Despite at first maneouvering to have her removed and sent to a convent, he ultimately forgives her]]. |
| 42 | * TheGoodKing. [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]]. One the one hand, he governs the ordinary folk of León justly according to the rule of law, and doesn't seek unnecessary wars with the Moors, something that Bishop Bernardo considers heinous enough as to justify his removal from power. On the other hand, his {{Jerkass}} moments make his relationship with his family difficult while many of the Leonese nobility consider him an illegitimate usurper. It's also implied that his takeover of León was brutal, and could have been worse if not for [[MoralityChain Sancha]]. |
| 43 | * HappilyMarried: Perhaps surprisingly, and despite everything, he and Sancha appear to truly love each other and are shown to still have a healthy sex life. |
| 44 | * HeirClubForMen: He intends to pass the kingdom onto his sons while foregoing his daughters, partly in accordance with standard medieval practices and partly because of his own sexism. [[spoiler: However, thanks to Urraca's intervention, he ends up naming her and Elvira as Ladies of Zamora and Toro respectively]]. |
| 45 | * {{Jerkass}}: He's often short with his family, being demanding of his sons and argumentative with Sancha. It's especially bad with Urraca, with whom he verbally spars - and puts down - more than once. When ordering Ermesinda [[spoiler: to spy on Flaín for him]], his tone is threatening and harsh, despite Ermesinda being just a frightened girl going through a hell of a time. |
| 46 | * JerkassHasAPoint: He makes a few correct observations during Season 1, due to him being an experienced and skilled ruler: |
| 47 | ** He shuts down Sancho's idea of conquering the Moorish ''Taifas'' by pointing out that they have access to foreign markets that the Christian kingdoms don't, and make a valuable monetary contribution to León's coffers through their payment of ''Paria'' tributes. |
| 48 | ** When Navarre attacks, he [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the folly of preaching holy war against the Muslims when the Christian kingdoms are frequently at each other's throats, {{Foreshadowing}} the events of Season 2. |
| 49 | ** When Sancha [[WhatTheHellHero angrily calls him out over sending Sancho to defend Zaragoza against the might of Aragon with only his numerically inferior Castilian host]], he retorts that keeping the majority of his forces behind will dissuade the Leonese conspirators from trying to depose him by force. |
| 50 | ** His speech to Urraca is overlaid with [[StayInTheKitchen sexism]] and MightMakesRight, but he ''does'' make two good points in it: Royal authority has to be defended by force sooner or later, and attaining power often requires sacrificing that which one loves. He's proven right on both accounts in Season 2. |
| 51 | * KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Poisoned by Urraca, the child he most consistently derided and didn't consider strong or ruthless enough, due to her being a woman]]. |
| 52 | * KickTheDog: He harshly, and threateningly, orders Ermesinda to serve [[spoiler: and spy on]] Flaín. This, despite Flaín's [[DirtyOldMan intentions]] being plain as day, Ermesinda being visibly frightened at the prospect, and even Urraca [[EveryoneHasStandards objecting to it]]. |
| 53 | * KingOnHisDeathbed: [[spoiler: The last episode of Season 1 has him as this, as Urraca's poisoning has ensured a slow but sure death]]. |
| 54 | * TheKingslayer: Is said to have killed Bermudo III in battle in order to take his throne. [[spoiler: However, he insists to Bishop Bernardo that he's not responsible for Bermudo's death, and it's revealed that ''Sancha'' was, though the exact details remain unknown]]. |
| 55 | * KlingonPromotion: Gained the throne of León by opposing and killing his predecessor, Bermudo, in battle and marrying Sancha. |
| 56 | * TheMagnificent: Called "Fernando the Great" by several characters in show, and history will remember him as such. |
| 57 | * MightMakesRight: The essence of the speech he gives to Urraca in the throne room in episode 4. As he says, he conquered the throne of León by force, and sooner or later one has to use force to defend a throne in order to preserve legitimacy and authority. |
| 58 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: He's horrified by García's death at Atapuerca, even though he was not directly responsible for it, and it still haunts him years later. [[spoiler: Ramiro's death is an even ''more'' pronounced version of this, causing him to collapse and suffer a crisis of conscience, despite neither him nor Sancho having dealt the killing blow]]. |
| 59 | * NonActionGuy: By the time of the main series, he's no longer the warrior king he was when younger. When Navarre launches its campaign, he stays by his tent and is the one to suggest resolving the matter via CombatByChampion. Later, when Aragon invades Zaragoza, he sends his son Sancho to deal with the threat. |
| 60 | * OnlySaneMan: To an extent. He [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the Christian Kingdom's tendency to squabble incessantly amongst themselves despite the a rhetoric of uniting in holy wars against the Moors, and points out that it's more economically profitable to preserve the ''Taifas'' as paying vassals rather than conquering them. Unfortunately, these moments don't extend to his relationship with his family, particularly [[AntagonisticOffspring Urraca]]. |
| 61 | * ParentalFavoritism: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]], not towards Sancho but ''Alfonso'', despite the latter believing his father favours the former. He appears to approve of Alfonso's knowledge of the law in episode 1, refuses to allow him to put himself in harm's way during the Navarrese invasion and, [[spoiler: on the eve of his death]], he grants Sancho his lands of Castile while giving León, the largest, richest and strongest of the three kingdoms, to Alfonso, as well as the Imperial title "King of the Goths", implicitly granting him sovereignty over ''all'' the Christian kingdoms of Spain. [[spoiler: Season 2 has Urraca imply that she had a hand in it, so it's unclear how much of this was truly Fernando's will]].[[labelnote:''Historically'':]] Fernando giving León to Alfonso, his second-born son, instead of to Sancho, has often been taken by historians as a sign that Fernando favoured Alfonso over his more hot-headed older brother.[[/labelnote]] |
| 62 | * PetTheDog: A literal example with his favourite hound, to whom he's affectionate and regularly feeds it his table scraps at mealtimes or banquets. [[spoiler: In fact, it's this same habit that helps clue Abu Bakr into the nature of his death, as he notices the hound dead in Fernando's chambers, showing evidence of having been poisoned]]. |
| 63 | * PlotTriggeringDeath: [[spoiler: His death and division of the kingdom among his three sons sets up the events of Season 2, though Sancha's death is a more direct trigger]]. |
| 64 | * ProperlyParanoid: As he himself states in Season 1, he suspects ''everyone''. And he's right. [[spoiler: He's able to discover that Flaín is the main figure behind the conspiracy, as well as his wife Sancha, and it's implied that he already had suspicions about both of them]]. |
| 65 | * RealMenLoveJesus: As is typical for his time period, he's a religious man. [[spoiler: But it's heightened considerably when Ramiro dies as he enters an existential crisis and fears for his soul. As his health deteriorates, he symbolically renounces his worldly possessions and authority and dresses a hairshirt in penance, has holy relics brought to him, and panics about seeing the mark of Cain on his forehead in his reflection]]. |
| 66 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Played with. In public, he governs León according to the rule of law, delegating authority when appropriate and, when getting his sons involved to teach them governance, listens to their different opinions and input to see what they've learned. He also tries to avoid unnecessary and potentially costly wars, and argues that it's more profitable to preserve the Moorish ''Taifas'' as vassals rather than destroy them as enemies. In private, he has visible moments of being a [[StayInTheKitchen sexist]] {{Jerkass}}, and Ruy considers him an UngratefulBastard for spurning his father Diego (while cursing him no less) after the battle of Atapuerca, despite Diego being mortally wounded while fighting for Fernando. |
| 67 | * RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: He's actively involved in the day-to-day running of his kingdom, dealing with petitions and affairs of state in person while trying to involve his sons as much as possible. When Navarre attacks, he personally goes to the battlefield, and when he learns of the conspiracy against him, takes steps to counter it. He was also this in the past, conquering León and securing the vassalage of the Moorish ''Taifas'' of Zaragoza, Toledo, and Badajoz (among others). |
| 68 | * StayInTheKitchen: Despite owing his legitimacy to his marriage to Sancha, he doesn't appear to hold a particularly high opinion of women, believing they need to know their place and role in society and stating outright to Urraca that they don't have the necessary strength or ruthlessness to rule. [[spoiler: Unfortunately for him, [[{{Patricide}} Urraca proves just how ruthless she can be]]]]. |
| 69 | * TheStrategist: Is this in the present day, preferring to plan ahead before moving against his enemies or to outmaneouver them while keeping as much of an advantage as possible: When he learns of the conspiracy against him, he first sets [[spoiler: Ermesinda]] to spy on them so as to confirm his suspicions and prepare a plan of action. When Navarre attacks, it's he who suggests CombatByChampion so as to minimize the bloodshed, and when Ramiro invades Zaragoza he sends Sancho and his Castilian force while keeping the bulk of his army behind to act as a deterrent against the conspirators. |
| 70 | * TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: [[spoiler: On the receiving end of this. It's heavily implied in Season 1 that Urraca successfully poisons him, resulting in his death, and it's confirmed in Season 2 by Abu Bakr]]. |
| 71 | * TragicKeepsake: [[spoiler: He gifts Sancha a necklace as a reminder of his love for her. She's wearing it at both the moment of her death and burial in Season 2]]. |
| 72 | * TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: The last episode of Season 1 gives his full name and title as: "Fernando the Great, King of Castile and León, son of Sancho, King of the Pyrenees and Toulouse, Count of Castile." |
| 73 | * UngratefulBastard: What Ruy considers him to be, in Season 1, for cursing out his father Diego after the battle of Atapuerca and leaving him to die of his wounds at his humble manse in Vivar instead of granting him any sort of reward, help, or even thanks. Though to be fair, Fernando was still visibly distraught by the death of his brother García, which Diego was responsible for. |
| 74 | * UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler: While it was the best way to thwart Flaín's plans at the time, his dividing the kingdom among his sons sets up the events that will lead to the civil war of Season 2. He appears to be aware, to an extent, of that risk, and tries to have Ruy swear to do his utmost to prevent it from happening, though it's ultimately for naught]]. |
| 75 | * TheUsurper: Considered to be this by many Leonese nobles, which is what fuels the conspiracy to overthrow him and the assassination attempt in the show's first episode. |
| 76 | |
| 77 | [[/folder]] |
| 78 | |
| 79 | [[folder:Queen Sancha of León]] |
| 80 | !! Queen Sancha "The Beautiful" of León |
| 81 | !!!'''Played by:''' Elia Galera |
| 82 | [[quoteright:260:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sancha_image_8.png]] |
| 83 | [[caption-width-right:260:''"Your father left you a legacy. I hope you will live up to it."'']] |
| 84 | The Queen of León and sister to the previous king Bermudo III, who died during Fernando's conquest. Her marriage to Fernando legitimised his claim to the throne of León, a claim which was further strengthened by the children the two of them had together. Now, unknown to Fernando, Sancha has an agenda of her own and has become an active member in the conspiracy to overthrow her husband. While she doesn't want him dead, there are other members of the Leonese nobility who are much less squeamish about shedding blood. |
| 85 | ---- |
| 86 | * AngerBornOfWorry: In Season 2's flashback scene, she snatches an infant Sancho away from the window sill where Urraca had him perched on while she sang to him, and angrily tells her to ''never'' go near Sancho again, [[AbusiveParents and calls her a monster to boot]]. Judging from Urraca's face, she genuinely didn't mean Sancho harm, but the damage is done. |
| 87 | * AntiVillain: In Season 1. While she's part of the conspiracy to overthrow Fernando, she only wants him banished, not dead, and is adamant that no-one be harmed, [[MamaBear especially not her children]]. [[spoiler: She ultimately abandons the conspiracy when she discovers that Flaín only intended her to be a pawn from the start, and will likely ignore her when it comes to not killing either Fernando or her sons]]. |
| 88 | * AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Her and Fernando genuinely care for one another, and she only joined the conspiracy against him to ensure he, and their children, wouldn't be harmed. [[spoiler: He forgives her while on his deathbed, and when he dies she's griefstricken]]. |
| 89 | * BadassBoast: [[spoiler: When Flaín tries to {{Blackmail}} her into marrying him in order to still be able to rule, and her involvement in Bermudo's death not being revealed, she retorts: "''Never''. One who was married to a lion cannot settle for a rat."]] |
| 90 | * CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Is revealed to have been the Cain to Bermudo’s Abel, though the exact circumstances aren't explained]]. |
| 91 | * TheConsigliere: As Queen Mother of León, she attempts to fulfil this role at first for Alfonso, only to be sidelined by Urraca and sent away. Afterwards, she acts as Sancho's most experienced advisor [[spoiler: Until her death]]. |
| 92 | * DyingDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: Not intentionally, but her last words while struggling with Urraca are a loud, angry declaration that she loved Fernando]]. |
| 93 | * HappilyMarried: Surprisingly, her and Fernando. They have genuine affection for one another and still appear to enjoy an active sex life. |
| 94 | * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Not that she was much of a Heel to begin with, but she abandons the conspiracy the moment it becomes clear that neither Flaín, nor Bernardo, intended to spare Fernando's life, and possibly not even the life of her children]]. |
| 95 | * HotConsort: Considered to be this by many, with Ramiro commenting on her beauty in Season 1. |
| 96 | * TheHighQueen: As Queen of León, she is seen as regal, dignified, and still beautiful by many, and it's frequently said in Season 1 that whatever legitimacy Fernando has comes from her. The truth of her is a bit more complex. |
| 97 | * InelegantBlubbering: [[spoiler: During Fernando's funeral, where at one point she's wailing in grief]]. |
| 98 | * LockedOutOfTheLoop: Believes that Flaín and Bernardo will obey her wishes and spare Fernando's life, and that of her children. [[MurderIsTheBestSolution They have other plans]]. |
| 99 | * TheMatchmaker: To both Sancho and Alfonso. She helps organize Sancho's union with Oiubreda, which fortunately turns out to be a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage. She tries to convince Alfonso to consider one of William of Normandy's daughters, [[spoiler: but nothing comes of it due to her sudden death]]. |
| 100 | * MoralityChain: According to Fernando, he's this to her. When speaking to Urraca, he outright says that the only reason he didn't execute all the nobles of León after he took the throne was due to her intervention. Her attempts to be this for the conspiracy against her husband are... less successful. [[spoiler: Season 2 also has her be this to her sons. The moment she dies, there's nothing to stop Sancho from starting a war against García and later Alfonso]]. |
| 101 | * MyBelovedSmother: Has shades of this in Season 2, with her attempting to become TheConsigliere to Alfonso, and then effectively becoming one to Sancho, as well as her [[TheMatchmaker matchmaking]]. |
| 102 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When the reality hits of just how ruthless the conspirators against her husband are, and how she was never going to effectively control them, she's horrified and dismayed. [[spoiler: In Season 2, when Abu Bakr informs her that Fernando was poisoned, she has a moment where she looks at all her children - now more powerful and more resentful than ever thanks to the division of the kingdom - and murmurs to herself "What have we done, Fernando?"]]. |
| 103 | * NotTheFallThatKillsYou: [[spoiler: She and Urraca grapple on an upstairs balcone, and she's accidentally thrown off it. She dies instantly upon hitting the stone floor of the throne room]]. |
| 104 | * OnlySaneWoman: |
| 105 | ** She tries to be this to the conspiracy, if only to ensure that Flaín bloodlust doesn't put them all in the crosshairs. [[spoiler: It's for naught when it becomes clear that Flaín won't allow himself to be controlled or restrained]]. |
| 106 | ** In Season 2, she's a straighter example of this regarding her children: While she has shades of MyBelovedSmother, her efforts are primarily directed at keeping the peace between her increasingly belligerent sons, while her [[TheMatchmaker matchmaking]] and political advice are generally solid. [[spoiler: Little wonder, then, that as soon as she's dead and buried everything comes crashing down]]. |
| 107 | * ParentalFavoritism: Urraca believes she favors Sancho, as the first-born son, more than her, her eldest child and daughter. While Sancha denies it, she ''does'' show more leniency and patience towards Sancho than her other children, and in Season 2 her words of reproach towards Urraca become increasingly hostile in a way that they are not towards him. |
| 108 | * PlotTriggeringDeath: [[spoiler: Her death in Season 2 directly leads to the civil war between her three sons]]. |
| 109 | * SilkHidingSteel: She's as elegant and dignified in public as one would expect a monarch to be, and in Season 1 she's not shy about firmly putting the other conspirators in place and refusing to be cajoled by them, and in Season 2 she has a firm hand when dealing with her children while acting as their advisor. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, her attempts to keep Flaín and Bernardo in line don't work because neither is sufficiently intimidated to fully respect her wishes. When she dies in season 2, it quickly becomes apparent that her steel was the one thing preventing her sons from going to war with each other]]. |
| 110 | * SilverVixen: Despite being in her middle age, she's considered beautiful. Ramiro laments that she wasn't given to him in marriage, and she and Fernando are shown to have a healthy sex life. |
| 111 | * StayInTheKitchen: Technically forced to become a consort rather than regnant queen in the aftermath of her brother's death, despite being his only surviving relation, while her husband usurped the position for himself. She abided by this and helped him do so because she was in love with him, and everyone more or less followed because a regnant queen was unprecedented. |
| 112 | * SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler: Her death at the end of the second episode of Season 2, when she's thrown off a balcony while grappling with Urraca]]. |
| 113 | * TemptingFate: In Season 2, when tensions between Sancho, Alfonso and García are at boiling point, she manages to get them back in line and forcefully declares: "Nobody's going to war, ''not while I live!''" [[spoiler: [[SurprisinglySuddenDeath Later that]] [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou same episode...]]]] |
| 114 | * TokenGoodTeammate: She attempts to be this in the conspiracy against Fernando, trying to make sure the coup against him is as bloodless and non-violent as possible. Flaín, however, has other ideas. [[spoiler: When she sees the folly of trying to control both him and Bernardo, she abandons the plot]]. |
| 115 | * ToughLeaderFacade: In public, she's as regal and dignified as TheHighQueen ought to be, and often takes on the role of [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]] when tempers flare at court. As a member of the conspiracy, she's firm that her involvement depends on ''her'' wishes being respected and her orders followed, and in general presents herself as both a formidable monarch and woman. In private, she's keenly aware she's walking a razor's edge due to her involvement in the plot against her husband, and is notably worried and cautious among others. [[spoiler: Towards the end of Season 1 she can't help but break down in front of Urraca when it's clear Fernando is going to die. In Season 2, her mask cracks completely during her final confrontation with Urraca, especially when realizing that ''she'' was the one responsible for Fernando's death]]. |
| 116 | * TheUnreveal: Flaín says that [[spoiler: ''she'' is [[WhamLine to blame for Bermudo's death]]]], and she is taken aback by his comment - but this is never confirmed, so it is unclear if she is really to blame, thinks so, or is just scared that Flaín will use the claim against her regardless. [[spoiler: As pointed by both her and Fernando in the show, Bermudo died in battle when he invaded Fernando's land, so it's hard to imagine how it could be Sancha's fault]]. |
| 117 | * WhamLine: An InUniverse example to Urraca in Season 2. [[spoiler: "You don't think I know that you tried to seduce your brother?" Urraca is visibly surprised at her and Alfonso's incestuous attraction being known, and she fumbles for an answer before being interrupted]]. |
| 118 | * WidowsWeeds: [[spoiler: Her mourning dress during Fernando's funeral is a medieval version of this]]. |
| 119 | * YouMonster: Called a young Urraca this in her AngerBornOfWorry moment. [[spoiler: When confronting Urraca at the end of Episode 2 she once again calls her a monster, shortly before her death]]. |
| 120 | |
| 121 | [[/folder]] |
| 122 | |
| 123 | [[folder:King Alfonso VI of León]] |
| 124 | !! King Alfonso VI of León |
| 125 | !!!'''Played by:''' Jaime Olías |
| 126 | [[quoteright:269:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alfonso_image_10.png]] |
| 127 | [[caption-width-right:269:''"Sancho won’t stop. Not until he takes from me what father left me."'']] |
| 128 | Second-born son of Fernando and Sancha, tutored by Count Flaín. Alfonso is more prudent, diplomatic and even-tempered in both his demeanour and how he approaches matters of state than either his brothers. While he may lack Sancho’s skill with a blade, he does not lack for courage, and he is not without secrets and ambitions of his own. |
| 129 | ---- |
| 130 | * AbdicateTheThrone: [[spoiler: Urraca and Bernardo make it seem like he's doing this at the end of Season 2, taking up a friar's vows instead of being executed by Sancho. In reality, the ceremony is a sham and a cover for getting him out of León and to the relative safety of the ''Taifa'' of Toledo]]. |
| 131 | * BrotherSisterIncest: He and his sister Urraca are plainly attracted to one another, and they they may have begun a physical relationship in Season 2, though nothing is explictly confirmed. |
| 132 | * CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Comes dangerously close to being the Abel to Sancho's Cain, after he's captured at Golpejera and faces imminent execution. It's only [[AvertedTrope averted]] thanks to Urraca and Bernardo's intervention]]. |
| 133 | * CombatPragmatist: [[spoiler: His and Sancho's forces agree to fight a pitched battle at Golpejera to determine the fate of their kingdoms. Alfonso then ambushes Sancho's army while it's marching through a valley, catching the men of Castile while they're still in column formation and unable to form battle lines while hitting them from both sides. If Mundir and the Zaragozan Moors hadn't intervened, it's likely that Sancho's ambitions would have ended then and there]]. |
| 134 | * CoolCrown: Wears the gem-studded crown of León [[spoiler: when it's passed on to him after Fernando's death]]. |
| 135 | * CowardlyLion: Is brave enough to lead armies personally on the battlefield and fight on the front lines, but when faced with immediate, personal danger, he noticeably hesitates. [[spoiler: At Golpejera, he doesn't dare to fight Sancho one-on-one, and when imprisoned at awaiting execution, he confesses he's afraid of death but hopes he can still [[FaceDeathWithDignity face it with dignity]]]]. |
| 136 | * CruelMercy: Ends up inflicting this on a captive [[spoiler: García]] in one of his few KickTheDog moments. [[spoiler: He won't harm his brother, but he also doesn't want him staying in León and continuing to press his claim to the throne of Galicia, so he exiles him, telling García outright that he doesn't care where he goes, so long as it's far away]]. |
| 137 | * EstablishingCharacterMoment: In Season 1, when faced with the case of a woman who'd been cheating her customers by tampering with her scales, Sancho and García suggest punishing her by [[DisproportionateRetribution beating]] and [[MakeAnExampleOfThem hanging her]] respectively, showcasing the former's [[MightMakesRight predilection for aggressive solutions]] and the latter's [[DidntThinkThisThrough inexperience and tendency to make the wrong call]]. Alfonso, after listening carefully, asks further questions about how the woman was detained, and with his knowledge of Leonese laws, concludes she should be set free as her own arrest was illegal according the very laws that the king is meant to enforce. This showcases Alfonso's knowledgeable nature and more even-tempered approach to matters of state. |
| 138 | * TheExile: [[spoiler: At the end of Season 2, he's fled León to take refuge at the ''Taifa'' of Toledo]]. |
| 139 | * TheGoodKing: [[PlayingWithTropes Played with]] in Season 2. His moments of being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, and [[PetTheDog Petting the Dog]], mean that he’s as close to this trope as one can be in this show. He even mentions having passed what are essentially Health & Safety laws for León's markets to make them more sanitary and appealing. That said, he’s still willing to engage in dirty {{Realpolitik}} and is one of the season's primary antagonists to Ruy and Sancho, [[spoiler: at least until his capture]]. |
| 140 | * KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler: When surrounded and held at swordpoint at Golpejera by Sancho and his men, he considers making a LastStand but, at Sancho's forceful urging, wisely puts down his sword and surrenders]]. |
| 141 | * ALighterShadeOfGrey: [[spoiler: The end of Season 2 casts him in this light. While he's hardly blameless in the war between Castile and León, there's no indication that he would have executed Sancho after defeating him, or that he would have become so consumed by a desire for {{Revenge}} that he would have undergone BigBadSlippage. Sancho, on the other hand...]] |
| 142 | * LockedOutOfTheLoop: Had no idea that Urraca had schemed to take Zaragoza's tribute away from Castile and make sure it went to León. Ruy's intervention, and the failure of that scheme, leads to Sancho angrily accusing Alfonso of trying to undermine him before their reigns have properly begun. When he discovers the truth, he's less than happy about it. |
| 143 | * MiddleChildSyndrome: Tells Orduño in Season 1 that he feels like TheUnfavorite, saying that his father "Only has eyes for Sancho." He also seems to have doubts about whether or not he'd be a good ruler, despite it being clear that he does want to be king. This is likely why he's as shocked as everyone else when he's named King of León [[spoiler: before Fernando's death]]. |
| 144 | * PetTheDog |
| 145 | ** His EstablishingCharacterMoment, where his knowledge of the law and even temper saves a woman from being beaten, or even hanged, for a relatively minor crime. |
| 146 | ** [[spoiler: After Rodrigo Álvarez is released from Orduño’s service and spirals into hard-drinking depression, Ruy asks Alfonso to take him on as a knight. Alfonso does so with no argument, and subsequent episodes have Rodrigo sober and serving Alfonso faithfully]]. |
| 147 | ** [[spoiler: While imprisoned and knowing he’s to be executed, he tells Orotz he was always a good Master-at-Arms, and hopes he won’t disappoint him in the moment of his death, showing that he holds no ill-will towards the old knight despite his service to Sancho]]. |
| 148 | * RealMenLoveJesus: Present, but [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] when compared to Sancho. [[spoiler: When he’s imprisoned and awaiting execution, he demands from Sancho the right to confess his sins before death]]. |
| 149 | * {{Realpolitik}}: He starts to engage in this actively in Season 2. [[spoiler: First, he allows Sancho to march his army through León while maneouvering to have the Castilian force destroyed either before or after they defeat Galicia. Afterwards, he coerces the Galician nobles into renouncing their fealty to Sancho and instead pledging themselves to him, deliberately escalating tensions with Castile to bring about a conflict in which León has a noticeable advantage]]. |
| 150 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Has visible moments of being this, the clearest example being his EstablishingCharacterMoment. In Season 2, he allows both Urraca and Orduño to speak freely and considers their points before deciding his next course of action, even when their advice is diametrically opposed. [[spoiler: He also accepts Rodrigo Álvarez into his service at Ruy’s request]]. |
| 151 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [[spoiler: Gives one to Sancho in the Season 2 finale, utterly rejecting his IDidWhatIHadToDo mentality in trying to justify Alfonso’s execution as anything other than kinslaying. It’s effective enough that Sancho has no retort, suggesting that his points hit home]]. |
| 152 | * RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Like his father, he's actively involved in the daily affairs of the kingdom. Despite his lack of combat experience (at least, compared to Sancho), he still [[FrontlineGeneral personally leads his army on the battlefield]]. |
| 153 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: Is able to escape León at the end of Season 2, with help from Urraca and Bernardo, and take refuge in the ''Taifa'' of Toledo]]. |
| 154 | * SiblingYinYang: Him and Sancho are polar opposites: Sancho is HotBlooded, has a bad tendency to [[DidntThinkThisThrough not think things through]], and is a [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Warrior King]] through and through. Alfonso is more of a statesman, more careful in his actions, and has more moments of being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure. It's even reflected in their relationship with their sister Urraca: she and Sancho are outright hostile to one another, while she and Alfonso and love each other [[BrotherSisterIncest perhaps a little]] ''[[BrotherSisterIncest too]]'' [[BrotherSisterIncest much]]. |
| 155 | * SpareToTheThrone: As Fernando's second-born son, he was keenly aware he was this while he was an ''Infante''. It left him feeling he was TheUnfavorite compared to his older brother Sancho, and unsure of whether he would ever be able to reign. Imagine his surprise upon bieng named King of León at the end of Season 1. |
| 156 | * TookALevelInJerkass: Slowly but surely in Season 2, as he becomes a more [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] and [[TheChessmaster machiavellian ruler]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist who prioritizes León's interests over the well-being of his siblings]], and becomes more aggressive in his interactions with Sancho. [[spoiler: It comes to a head when he wins the support of the Galician nobles away from Sancho, intentionally leading to a war with Castile]]. |
| 157 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: [[spoiler: After ambushing and routing the army of Castile at Golpejera, Alfonso considers the war to be as good as won and Sancho to be defeated, and doesn't pursue his enemy. As a result, he's totally unprepared for the Castilian night attack on his camp, which results in his defeat and capture]]. |
| 158 | * UnexpectedSuccessor: As the middle child of Fernando's sons, he wasn't expected to inherit after his father's death. Instead, he becomes king of the largest and wealthiest portion of León, and is even given the imperial title "King of the Goths", granting him symbolic authority over ''all'' the Christian kingdoms of Spain. He's just as shocked as everyone. Historically, Alfonso becoming king of León instead of Sancho has led many historians to believe that Fernando favoured him over his other children. [[spoiler: In the show itself, Urraca implies in Season 2 that this was largely her doing]]. |
| 159 | |
| 160 | [[/folder]] |
| 161 | |
| 162 | [[folder:''Infanta'' Urraca]] |
| 163 | !! ''Infanta'' Urraca of León, Lady of Zamora |
| 164 | !!!'''Played by:''' Alicia Sanz |
| 165 | [[quoteright:262:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/urraca_image_8.png]] |
| 166 | [[caption-width-right:262:''"Being true to one’s wishes entails making difficult decisions. [[AmbitionIsEvil No-one understands that better than me]]."'']] |
| 167 | The first-born daughter of Fernando and Sancha, and the eldest of Fernando’s children. Urraca is young, cunning and hungry for power and recognition. Her mind is full of great dreams and great ambition, born from a lifetime of being passed over in favour of her brothers, especially Sancho, with whom she has a particular rivalry which is slowly growing into outright hostility. Her brother Alfonso, on the other hand, holds a special place in her heart... |
| 168 | ---- |
| 169 | * AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler: Unintentionally throws her mother, Sancha off a balcony during a heated argument in Season 2, killing her. She's horrified by her death, and undergoes a VillainousBreakdown before spending the rest of the season trying to limit the devastation caused by her brother's war]]. |
| 170 | * AmbitionIsEvil: Urraca craves the power and recognition that her brothers have, and feels she was cheated out of her right to rule by León's patrilineal inheritance laws. Consequently, many of the show's conflicts, [[spoiler: and not a few deaths]], can be traced either directly or indirectly to her ambitious scheming. |
| 171 | * AntagonisticOffspring: Towards her father, Fernando. The two have a difficult relationship, and at times appear openly hostile towards one another. [[spoiler: Perhaps fittingly, she becomes the one to fatally poison him. However, she unwillingly also becomes this towards her mother Sancha (despite desperately wanting her approval), and she ends up murdering her as well, though not intentionally]]. |
| 172 | * TheAtoner: [[spoiler: After Sancha's death in Season 2, she becomes existentially terrified for her soul. She spends the rest of the season trying to win the war for Alfonso as quickly and cleanly as possible, and when that doesn't work, to limit Sancho's vengeance when he claims the throne of Léon, even going so far as to offer herself to suffer Sancho's wrath in order to spare Alfonso and, later, the people of Zamora]]. |
| 173 | * BeneathTheMask: Beneath her façade of a power-hungry schemer, she's a lot more insecure and vulnerable than she lets on, and [[AllOftheOtherReindeer admits in Season 2 that she's always felt like an outsider]]. She also has more respect for Ruy than she initially lets on. [[spoiler: Her accidental killing of Sancha leaves her terrified for the sake of her soul, and in a later conversation with Alfonso she indirectly [[IAmaMonster calls herself a monster]], indicating her self-loathing and how she's come to believe what her mother said about her]]. |
| 174 | * BigBadWannabe : Season 2 initially appears to set her up as the series' BigBad, and her scheming has far-reaching consequences, causing the conflict in the first episode while she maneouvers to become Alfonso's NumberTwo. She even admits to [[spoiler: encouraging the disgruntled Mendes to march on Toro, making her partly responsible for the war between Castile and Galicia]]. However, [[spoiler: her AccidentalMurder of Sancha inflicts such a severe VillainousBreakdown that she spends the rest of the season trying desperately [[TheAtoner to atone]] for what she's done, and minimize the damage caused by the war. It's Sancho, meanwhile, who undergoes BigBadSlippage]]. |
| 175 | * BreakTheHaughty: [[spoiler: After accidentally killing Sancha, she's no longer the smug, villainous schemer she was. It only gets more pronounced after Sancho's defeat of Alfonso and conquest of León. Interestingly, it goes hand-in-hand with her becoming a more sympathetic character]]. |
| 176 | * BrotherSisterIncest: She and Alfonso are plainly attracted to one another. Said attraction is still present, though downplayed in Season 2, where they may or may not have begun a physical relationship.[[labelnote:''note'':]] Alfonso makes a sexual advance on Urraca in episode 2, though she rebuffs him with what appears to be simple annoyance.[[/labelnote]] |
| 177 | * CainAndAbel: Her and Sancho's relationship is anything but friendly, starting off with her trying to humiliate and degrade him in favour of Alfonso and only [[FromBadToWorse detereorating further in Season 2]]. |
| 178 | * TheChessmaster: She's a schemer, a manipulator, and often thinking how she can turn a situation to her advantage. This may be why Ruy admits, in a private conversation with her in Season 2, why she's been the only one at court he's ever been honestly scared by. |
| 179 | * DidntThinkThisThrough: Going hand-in-hand with her TooCleverByHalf nature. Her schemes can be truly insidious, but they often show a lack of long-term planning: |
| 180 | ** [[spoiler: She apparently didn't realize that poisoning Fernando would ''not'' please her mother, and only leave the kingdom more vulnerable to Flaín's ambitions]]. |
| 181 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 2, she's revealed to be one of the causes behind the war between Castile and Galicia. She evidently didn't count on the (very real) possibility that Sancho would be the victor, and would then come after León]]. |
| 182 | * DramaticallyMissingThePoint: [[spoiler: Justifies to Sancha her poisoning Fernando by claiming that he wouldn't have shown her mercy for her involvement in the conspiracy against him, all while being totally unaware that Fernando not only knew of Sancha's involvement, but was actually planning to spare her life by having her sent to a convent, and later forgave her]]. |
| 183 | * EvenBadWomenLoveTheirMamas: For all that she's a {{Jerkass}} to her family, and others, she clearly adores her mother. That said, their relationship becomes more strained in Season 2 due to her political maneouvering and Sancha's suspicions. [[spoiler: After Sancha's death, however, this trope is reinforced as Urraca suffers a crisis of conscience and breaks down crying in front of her tomb in the final episode]]. |
| 184 | * FemmeFatale: Has shades of this in Season 1, particularly when convincing Orduño to sabotage Sancho at the joust while caressing him seductively... [[ImpliedDeathThreat with the point of a knife]]. |
| 185 | * HannibalLecture: [[spoiler: Delivers a particularly nasty one to Elvira and Jimena in Season 2, after García's capture leads her to realize that both of them foiled the plan she put in motion to defeat Sancho. She focuses particularly on Elvira, [[DidYouReallyBelieve mocking her wish to marry Ruy]] and pointing out that neither Sancho nor Alfonso would consent to the union]]. |
| 186 | * HiddenDepths: In Season 2, she privately admits to Ruy that she's always felt like an outsider and a bit of a freak, showing a vulnerability and loneliness that she otherwise keeps hidden from everyone else. [[spoiler: Later, she looks deeply ashamed when Elvira calls her out on using her for a deception during Sancho and García's war, suggesting that, deep down, [[BeingEvilSucks she honestly doesn't like the depths she sinks to]]]]. |
| 187 | * HistoricalBadassUpgrade: Armours up and fights in defence of Zamora in the last episode of Season 2, managing to set fire to an oil-soaked battering ram with a flaming arrow and even kicking Ruy off a siege ladder. The historical Urraca ''was'' at Zamora during the siege, and would not doubt have been involved in overseeing its defence, but there's no evidence that she physically fought during it. |
| 188 | * HistoricalVillainUpgrade: There's no evidence that suggests the historical Urraca was the scheming, manipulative [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] the show portrays her as. [[spoiler: She also ''didn't'' kill both her parents, as both Fernando I and Sancha died of natural causes in RealLife]]. |
| 189 | * HypocriticalHeartwarming: In Season 1, she's consistently mean to her Ladies-in-Waiting. When [[DirtyOldMan Flaín]] spies one of them, Ermesinda, and wants her for himself, it leads to Urraca's first PetTheDog moment wherein she intervenes on Ermesinda's behalf to try and spare her from being at Flaín's mercy. |
| 190 | * IAmAMonster: Obliquely refers to herself as this when she comments privately to Alfonso: "Mother and father didn't raise children, but monsters.", showing that she's internalizing Sancha's harsh words. [[spoiler: The fact that one of the last things she did to Urraca was to call her a monster before her AccidentalMurder certainly had a hand in it]]. |
| 191 | * IAmNotMyFather: I am not my ''mother'' in this case. Sancha was HappilyMarried to Fernando, and just as happy to let him use their marriage to effectively usurp the throne of León, despite Sancha being the only surviving relation of the late King Bermudo III. Urraca resents both for this: she considers Sancha the legitimate monarch, and herself the legimitate heir due to being her first child. As for the marriage part, she's happily single and willing to stay so if marrying means losing the one city her father left her. |
| 192 | * TheInsomniac: [[spoiler: After her AccidentalMurder of Sancha, she starts having episodes of fear-fuelled insomnia, complaining about the sound of a pick chipping away at stone that only she can hear]]. |
| 193 | * IndyPloy: When her back's against the wall, she demonstrates an impressive ability to come up with clever plans on the fly: |
| 194 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 1, on realizing that Flaín's ambitions mean that both her and her mother are at risk, she's one of the main architects behind the division of the kingdom and thwarting him, seemingly improvising it in a single night]]. |
| 195 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 2, she and Bernardo come up with the idea to help Alfonso escape by way of falsely making him a friar, then helping him escape to Toledo]]. |
| 196 | * ItsAllAboutMe: She will go on, at length, about the great injustice she's faced her entire life. What is said injustice? Not being allowed to rule León as its monarch. This, despite the fact that as an ''Infanta'' (and, later, as Lady of Zamora) neither her political power nor the luxuries she's enjoyed her entire life are anything to sniff at. [[spoiler: She starts to grow out of this in Season 2 after Sancha's death, and in the last episode she's willing to offer herself up to Sancho in exchange for him sparing the lives of others]]. |
| 197 | * {{Jerkass}}: She's often snide, petty and scornful towards others, not least her own family, with the exception of Alfonso, [[BrotherSisterIncest for obvious reasons]]. |
| 198 | * KickTheDog: |
| 199 | ** [[spoiler: Delivers a HannibalLecture to both Elvira and Jimena on realizing they foiled her plan to defeat Sancho at Galicia, and focuses particularly on Elvira, pointing out that she'll never be able to marry Ruy as she desires as ''none'' of her siblings would consent to such a union. [[VillainHasAPoint While she has a point that Ruy becoming inducted into royalty would make him be seen as a potential threat]], it's clear that she's acting more out of spite than anything else, and she seemingly feels no guilt at tearing down Elvira's romantic dream]]. |
| 200 | ** [[spoiler: During the siege of Zamora, Vellido declares his both his UndyingLoyalty and [[AllLoveIsUnrequited unrequited love]] for her in a desperate attempt to convince her not to surrender to Sancho. Her response is to coldly state that he's ''expected'' to serve her and doesn't deserve any special thanks for it (oof), that his love for her is insignifcant compared to the lives of the people of Zamora ([[JerkassHasAPoint fair]]), and caps it off with: "I wish you were to me what Ruy is to my brother." (''ouch'')]]. |
| 201 | * LadyOfWar: During the siege of Zamora, she dons armour and actively takes part in the defence of the fortress walls. |
| 202 | * ManipulativeBitch: Part and parcel of her characterization, particularly as it goes hand-in-Hand with her [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] tendencies. |
| 203 | * MommasBoy: Somewhat gender-inverted. Far more devoted to her mother than to her father. It's made explicitly clear in Season 2 that it's a case of [[WellDoneSonGuy "Well Done, Daughter!" Gal]]. |
| 204 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Two examples in the series thus far: |
| 205 | ** [[spoiler: When Fernando collapses after having been poisoned, her immediate reaction is to leave the banquet to hide in her room with a look of horror on her face]]. |
| 206 | ** [[spoiler: Her killing of Sancha is an even more severe case, sending her into a full-blown spiral of guilt and insomnia. It's so strong it even makes her start attempting to undo the worst of the damage she's caused, but by that point it's too late]]. |
| 207 | * NotSoHarmlessVillain: While she's certainly a schemer in Season 1, she generally gives the impression of being impulsive and somewhat in over her head, and her actions regarding Ermesinda indicate she has a HiddenHeartOfGold. Fernando, in particular, doesn't take appear to take her seriously at all. [[spoiler: Then she ends up poisoning Fernando and setting into motion the division of the kingdom. In Season 2, her AccidentalMurder of Sancha kickstarts the war between the brothers, with all the devastation it entails]]. |
| 208 | * OhCrap: Has a subdued version of this in Season 2, when Alfonso declares during a banquet that he'll send her from León to take stewardship of Zamora. [[spoiler: It gets ''much'' worse after her AccidentalMurder of Sancha]]. |
| 209 | * PetTheDog: |
| 210 | ** In Season 1, she calls out both her parents against them gifting her Lady-in-Waiting Ermesinda to [[DirtyOldMan Flaín]], being the only one to intervene on her behalf. She's eventually able to work out a deal to get her back. |
| 211 | ** She then offers the tramuatized Ermesinda support [[spoiler: upon learning she was raped, and tries to keep it a secret so as to avoid Ermesinda being seen as DefiledForever and still be eligible for marriage, though HarmfulHealing has to come into play]]. |
| 212 | ** In Season 2, [[spoiler: she becomes TheAtoner as the war between her brothers becomes increasingly destructive: She urges García to flee into exile and, thus, preserve his life. She later tries to intervene on behalf of Alfonso and the people of Zamora when both are at Sancho's mercy, offering herself as a captive in both cases. While she's not successful, the attempt appears genuine]]. |
| 213 | * RebelliousPrincess: Has shades of this, railing against León's patriarchal laws that prevent her, and other women, from ruling and making their mark on the kingdom. |
| 214 | * TheResenter: A great deal of her actions are driven by her resentment over the fact that, despite being the eldest of Fernando and Sancha's children, she is not meant to inherit the throne of León simply because of the fact she wasn't born male. |
| 215 | * RoyalBrat: Classist, scheming, entitled, and smug. She's easily the least immediately likeable of the ''Infantes''. |
| 216 | * RulingCouple: She's this in all but name with Alfonso in Season 2. |
| 217 | * SiblingYinYang: Not with Sancho, to whom she's TooMuchAlike, but rather to her sister Elvira: The two are as different as night and day, with Elvira being quieter, more demure, less manipulative, and much less interested in ruling than her sister. |
| 218 | * SmugSmiler: A frequent facial expression of hers, particularly when she spies an opportunity or knows things are going her way. |
| 219 | * TookALevelInKindness: [[spoiler: After Sancha's death, Urraca's guilt causes her to act in a less selfish and destructive manner. Her advice to Alfonso is aimed at ending the war quickly with minimal damage, and when Sancho takes over León, she's willing to surrender herself so she can be punished or executed, in exchange for Alfonso (and later, the people of Zamora) being spared. Her {{Jerkass}} tendencies also become less prominent]]. |
| 220 | * TooCleverByHalf: Urraca is a legitimately skilled schemer with true potential to be a great ruler. Unfortunately, she knows this about herself and, consequently, tends to overestimate her own ability to keep control of the situations she creates, leading to much of the conflict and destruction in Season 2. See DidntThinkThisThrough for more details. |
| 221 | * TooMuchAlike: To her brother, Sancho. They're both mutually hostile to one another and both more similar than they care to admit: They're first-born children (she's the first-born daughter, he's the first-born son, though Urraca is older) and determined to gain what they believe is their birthright. They're both convinced that the whole world is against them and that they must continually struggle to triumph, and will use their talents to get what they want. [[spoiler: To top it off, towards the end of Season 2 Sancho starts developing a ruthless streak to rival or even exceed Urraca's]]. |
| 222 | * UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Twice over. |
| 223 | ** [[spoiler: Season 2 reveals that she was one of the main players who convinced Fernando to divide León between the three brothers. In doing so, she sowed the seeds for Sancho's resentment and anger, and the war that would follow]]. |
| 224 | ** [[spoiler: More immediately, her being ultimately responsible for the conflict between Galicia and Castile led to Galicia's defeat, Sancho becoming more aggressive and ruthless, and ultimately León's defeat, along with Alfonso's exile to Toledo and her own escape to Zamora]]. |
| 225 | * UsedToBeASweetKid: Implied in a Season 2 flashback, where she's shown singing to a baby Sancho while having him propped up on a windowsill. While Sancha is frightened and angry at Urraca putting her brother in such physical danger, the expression on Urraca's face implies it wasn't done out of any genuine malice. It's also a marked contrast to the enmity the two siblings have in the present. |
| 226 | * VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Accidentally killing her mother causes her self-assured, smug demeanour to crumble. Apart from becoming TheAtoner, she's also seen desperately praying for her soul, suffering from bouts of insomnia, and breaking down in tears in front of Sancha's grave]]. |
| 227 | * VillainRespect: During a conversation between her and Ruy in episode 2 of Season 2, both parties express mutual respect for one another, and she appears to sincerely appreciate his frankness while talking to her. |
| 228 | * VillainHasAPoint: More than once. |
| 229 | ** Her resentment at being passed over for inheritance of the kingdom is understandable given that she ''is'' the eldest of all Fernando's children, and is not only intelligent but also shows she has some genuine political and administrative talent. |
| 230 | ** She rightfully calls out both her parents for giving her Lady-in-Waiting, Ermesinda, to Flaín, whose DirtyOldMan intentions are plain as day. |
| 231 | ** [[spoiler: While she's revealed to have been the one to have pushed Mendes into occupying Toro, and thus being one of the causes of the war between Castile and Galicia, she correctly points out that García already earned Mendes' resentment by thoughtlessly snubbing him in favour of naming Nuño his advisor]]. |
| 232 | * WellDoneDaughterGal: In contrast to her hostility towards her father, it's clear that she's devoted to her mother. In Season 1, [[spoiler: she's ecstatic to learn she's conspiring to depose Fernando, and later poisons him believing her mother would not only be protected, but would also approve. This becomes explicit in Season 2, as despite their growing mutual hostility, Urraca admits in front of her mother's grave that she just wanted to be shown the same love that Sancho had]]. |
| 233 | * WorthyOpponent: In Season 2, she's grown to view Ruy as this. Her schemes include attempts to tempt Ruy over to her and Alfonso's side, and she no longer underestimates him as she did initially in Season 1. |
| 234 | |
| 235 | [[/folder]] |
| 236 | |
| 237 | [[folder:''Infanta'' Elvira]] |
| 238 | !! ''Infanta'' Elvira of León, Lady of Toro |
| 239 | !!!'''Played by:''' Lucía Díez |
| 240 | [[quoteright:261:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elvira_image_6.png]] |
| 241 | [[caption-width-right:261:''"I don’t want an estate, I want to get married!''"]] |
| 242 | Second-born child to Fernando and Sancha. Despite her high status and the environment of political manoeuvring she has grown up in, Elvira outwardly exhibits none of her other sibling’s fiery tempers, scheming, or secret ambitions. |
| 243 | ---- |
| 244 | * AllGirlsWantBadBoys: In the first episode of Season 1, she briefly appears to find Beltrán of Aragón's flirtatious signals at a banquet charming. This, despite Beltrán being her [[KissingCousins cousin]] (and obnoxious to boot). |
| 245 | * AllLoveIsUnrequited: Season 2 reveals that she's in love with Ruy, to Jimena's surprise and dismay. [[spoiler: With Toro taken from her, she thinks she can renounce her lordship of the city in order to marry him. Urraca tears down that notion in Episode 3, pointing out that neither Sancho nor Alfonso would want Ruy as a potential rival to the throne]]. |
| 246 | * FlatCharacter: Doesn't receive as much characterization in Season 1 as her siblings, though she becomes more fleshed out in Season 2. |
| 247 | * LoopholeAbuse: [[spoiler: Exploits this to foil Urraca's plan to defeat Sancho in Galicia. Once she learns what she's planned, it's revealed she's forbidden from leaving the castle and, thus, unable to warn Sancho or Ruy. ''Jimena'', on the other hand...]] |
| 248 | * NiceGirl: Perhaps the only straight example out of her ''entire'' family: She's polite, genuinely friendly, and doesn't appear to have a mean bone in her body. |
| 249 | * OldMaid: [[spoiler: Unwillingly forced to become one by her father in the Season 1 finale. Her and Urraca becoming Ladies of Toro and Zamora respectively depends on them ''never'' marrying. Unlike Urraca, [[BrotherSisterIncest to whom this isn't exactly a problem]], Elvira is dismayed by this condition, and in Season 2 wants nothing more than to renounce Toro so she can marry]]. |
| 250 | * OnlySaneWoman: Lacks Urraca's resentment, Sancho's [[HotBlooded wrathfulness]], Alfonso's [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]], and unlike García genuinely ''doesn't'' want to rule. She even [[BigScrewedUpFamily lacks her parent's hangups]]. It's sometimes hard to believe she's related to them. |
| 251 | * OutOfFocus: In Season 1, she receives much less characterization than any of the other ''Infantes''. Season 2 remedies this somewhat by putting a bit more focus on her. |
| 252 | * PrincessClassic: The straightest example seen in the series thus far. |
| 253 | * RefusalOfTheCall: [[spoiler: In Season 2, she wants this regarding her lordship of Toro, especially once it's occupied by Mendes. Unfortunately, all her attempts are quickly shot down by Sancha and, later, Urraca]]. |
| 254 | * ShelteredAristocrat: Definitely gives off this vibe, as well as being a SpoiledSweet. In general, she comes across as more naïve and [[WideEyedIdealist idealistic regarding the political realities of Léon]]. Case in Point: [[spoiler: her belief that she can renounce Toro in order to marry Ruy]]. |
| 255 | * SiblingYinYang: To her sister Urraca: The two are as different as night and day. Urraca is a [[TheResenter resentful]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitious]] [[TheChessmaster schemer]]. Elvira is none of those things, and shows ''much'' less interest in ruling. |
| 256 | * SilkHidingSteel: You wouldn't think it, but she's tougher than she lets on. [[spoiler: She's calls out Urraca for using her in her scheme to defeat Sancho in Galicia, is able to improvise with Jimena a way to foil said plan, and later tries to stand up to Urraca when she shows up to deliver her HannibalLecture, at least initially]]. |
| 257 | * SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: As revealed in Season 2, she's in love with [[spoiler: Ruy. She hopes to renounce Toro so as to be able to marry him, though it's unlikely she'll be able to]]. |
| 258 | * SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: To Urraca's plan to have Sancho defeated during his invasion of Galicia. Urraca counted on her delivering false information to Ruy that would result in Sancho dividing his forces. She ''didn't'' count on her realizing the truth and using Jimena to undo her deception]]. |
| 259 | * ThoseTwoGuys: With García in Season 1, due to the two of them receiving the least amount of focus. This changes in Season 2. |
| 260 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Along with García, and arguably a truer example than him. All she wants is to marry the man she loves ([[spoiler:Which Season 2 reveals to be Ruy]]), and is the only one of the ''Infantes'' to not desire power or recognition. |
| 261 | * WideEyedIdealist: Sincerely believes in the romance of marrying for love despite her political status meaning that such a thing is extremely rare ''at best''. [[spoiler: In Season 2, she thinks she can renounce Toro so she can marry Ruy, with whom she's secretly in love. Urraca [[HannibalLecture cruelly puts that notion down]]]]. |
| 262 | |
| 263 | [[/folder]] |
| 264 | |
| 265 | [[folder:''Infante'' Sancho]] |
| 266 | !!''Infante'' Sancho of León |
| 267 | !!!'''Played By:''' Francisco Ortiz |
| 268 | |
| 269 | See ''[[Characters/ElCid2020ChristianKingdoms King Sancho II "The Strong" of Castile]].'' |
| 270 | [[/folder]] |
| 271 | |
| 272 | [[folder:''Infante'' García]] |
| 273 | !!''Infante'' García of León |
| 274 | !!!'''Played By:''' Nicolás Illoro |
| 275 | |
| 276 | See ''[[Characters/ElCid2020ChristianKingdoms King García II of Galicia]].'' |
| 277 | [[/folder]] |
| 278 | |
| 279 | !!!'''Retainers to the Royal Family''' |
| 280 | [[folder:Jimena]] |
| 281 | !! Jimena |
| 282 | !!!'''Played by:''' Lucía Guerrero |
| 283 | [[quoteright:266:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jimena_image_0.png]] |
| 284 | [[caption-width-right:266:''"Sometimes, duty comes before our desires."'']] |
| 285 | The daughter of the Count of Oviedo and engaged to be married to Orduño Flaínez, Jimena is also Lady-in-Waiting to the ''Infantas'' Urraca and Elvira. Her kind demeanour belies a formidable will, and despite her engagement to Orduño she finds herself drawn to Ruy Díaz, and he to her. The time may soon come when she will have to choose between her duty to her family and her feelings towards the young man from Vivar. |
| 286 | ---- |
| 287 | * AdaptationNameChange: To her surname, though it's not been said yet in the series. Historically (and in [[Film/ElCid previous adaptations]]) she was Jimena Díaz. This was because her father was Diego Fernández, and Spanish naming conventions of the time meant her surname would be Díaz. In the show, her father has had his name changed to Celso, meaning that her surname is no longer Díaz. |
| 288 | * AntagonisticOffspring: To her father, Celso. The two plainly do not get along. [[spoiler:and Jimena is perfectly willing to {{Blackmail}} him into not laying another hand on her mother in exchange for her not telling Fernando of his involvement in the plot]]. |
| 289 | * ArrangedMarriage: She and Orduño are pormised to one another at the start of Season 1, though it's clear that she and Ruy have feelings for each other. [[spoiler: After Orduño's AttemptedRape, she tries to have the engagement anulled, and though Flaín was willing to do so, neither Orduño nor her parents are in Season 2. By the end of the second season, she's still promised to Orduño, though she and Ruy have declared their love for one another]]. |
| 290 | * BettyAndVeronica: The more chaste and demure Betty to Amina's sensual and vivacious Veronica. |
| 291 | * GoodIsNotSoft: Make no mistake. For all that she's good-hearted and kind, she's also ''tough'' and not afraid to stand up for herself. For more details, see SilkHidingSteel. |
| 292 | * HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: One of the most consistently-good characters in the series. |
| 293 | * IWillWaitForYou: PlayedWith, regarding Ruy in Season 2. [[spoiler: When they finally acknowledge their feelings of mutual love, they promise to wait for each other until she's found a way to escape her engagement to Orduño and they can be together. However, when she learns of Ruy and Amina's tryst, she goes into full WomanScorned mode and goes ahead with her engagement. Ultimately, the pair end the season as they began: wishing to be with each other, but unsure of how they can be given her engagement]]. |
| 294 | * LadyInWaiting: To the ''Infantas'' Urraca and Elvira, whom she serves. |
| 295 | * MoralityPet: To Orduño. He tries to mitigate his worst tendencies when around her, and consistently treats her better than any other character [[spoiler: Until he drunkenly tries to [[AttemptedRape have his way with her]]]]. It starts to creep into MoralityChain territory in Season 2, when he outright tells her she's the only one who can stop him from [[IAmNotMyFather turning into his father]]. |
| 296 | * NiceGirl: She's kind and gentle to other Ladies-in-Waiting, and even to Orduño despite his {{Jerkass}} tendencies. Like Ruy, however, she ''does'' have her limits, and is a lot more formidable than one might initially assume. |
| 297 | * OneTrueLove: To Ruy. The two are clearly attracted to each other in Season 1, and by Season 2 they declare their mutual love, though they still don't know how they can be together, given her engagement to Orduño. |
| 298 | * PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: [[spoiler: A variation of this when she pleads with Ruy to intercede with Sancho to spare Orduño's life after his capture at Golpejera. It's ultimately successful, as revealed by Sancho]]. |
| 299 | * ProperLady: As straight an example as can be found in the series, being elegant, kind, strong and self-sacrificing. She ''does'' have her moments of pettiness, though. See WomanScorned. |
| 300 | * SilkHidingSteel: As much as she's a ProperLady and a NiceGirl, she also has an iron core. [[spoiler: When she learns her father's been beating her mother, she unhesitatingly [[{{Blackmail}} blackmails]] him into never laying a hand on her by threatening to tell Fernando of his involvement in Flaín's plot. When Orduño attempts to force himself on her, she fights him off and promptly tries to have the engagement anulled. In Season 2, she's instrumental in helping Elvira foil Urraca's plan to defeat Sancho in Galicia. She's not even shy about giving Ruy [[WhatTheHellHero a piece of her mind]] when needed!]] |
| 301 | * SlapSlapKiss: Develops this dynamic with Ruy in Season 2 [[spoiler: due to his involvement with Amina. While she sees their relationship as a betrayal and tries to push ahead with her engagement to Orduño, the two are still strongly attracted to one another]]. |
| 302 | * SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: To Urraca's plan to divide and destroy Sancho in Galicia. Urraca counted on Elvira delivering false information to Ruy which would lead to Sancho splitting his forces, and took the precaution of ensuring Elvira couldn't leave the castle if she learned the truth of the deception. She ''didn't'' count on both her and Jimena exploiting LoopholeAbuse to ensure Jimena would leave the castle to deliver said warning]]. |
| 303 | * UnresolvedSexualTension: With Ruy in Season 1. It becomes BelligerentSexualTension midway through Season 2 [[spoiler: Due to her discovering Ruy's involvement with Amina and taking it poorly]]. |
| 304 | * UptownGirl: The uptown girl to Ruy's poor guy, given she's from high-ranking Leonese nobility and he's the son of a disgraced and impoverished knight. |
| 305 | * WhatTheHellHero: Is not afraid to let Ruy have it when she thinks he's out of line, particularly in Season 2. [[spoiler: She calls him out on his relationship to Amina, and later on his apparent willingness to let Sancho execute Orduño in order to inherit his lands, titles, and even Jimena's hand]]. |
| 306 | * WomanScorned: In Season 2, she learns of Ruy and Amina's relationship, and takes it as an outright betrayal. [[spoiler: She not only burns the token of their love, but also moves ahead with her and Orduño's engagement, seemingly out of jealous spite. When Amina abandons Castile and defects to León, it's implied that Jimena's distrust of her is partially motivated by her jealousy and resentment towards her. She grows out of it by the final episode as she and Ruy fully acknowledge their love for each other]]. |
| 307 | |
| 308 | [[/folder]] |
| 309 | |
| 310 | [[folder:Velarde]] |
| 311 | !! Velarde |
| 312 | !!!'''Played by:''' Rodrigo Poisón |
| 313 | [[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/velarde_image_75.png]] |
| 314 | King Fernando I's ''Privado'', or Privy Counsellor, Velarde is in charge of delivering his king's proclamations, giving important news and, if necessary, being the one man at court that can be trusted unequivocally. His loyalty is limited not just to Fernando, but to his entire family, which makes him a particularly valuable ally to have. |
| 315 | ---- |
| 316 | * ADeathInTheLimelight: [[spoiler: Receives more characterization and focus in Episode 3 of Season 2 than at any previous point. He also dies by the end of it]]. |
| 317 | * DualWielding: Briefly does this in episode 3 of Season 2 [[spoiler: when fighting in Galicia against García]]. |
| 318 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: Goes out with calm dignity after being mortally wounded, telling Sancho that his father would be proud of him and giving a final quiet prayer before dying]]. |
| 319 | * TheGenericGuy: In Season 1, before he got more focus, and more characterization, in Season 2. [[spoiler: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the season he's more fleshed out is the season he dies]]. |
| 320 | * TheGoodChancellor: Reliable and loyal to a fault, it's no wonder that Fernando trusts him. [[spoiler: This becomes even more prominent in Season 2 when he tries desperately to talk Sancho out of going to war against Galicia. When he fails, he refuses to harm García in battle]]. |
| 321 | * HiddenDepths: [[spoiler: Is particularly affected by Sancha's death, reaching out to caress her tomb. Later, he begs Sancho not to go to war with García, and when he fails he refuses to harm García when the latter attacks him on the battlefield. All this suggests that his loyalty towards Fernando, and his family, runs deeper than simple political gain]]. |
| 322 | * InTheBack: [[spoiler: He’s mortally wounded in Galicia, by Mendes, with a vicious sword slash to the back]]. |
| 323 | * MyMasterRightOrWrong: Loyally serves Fernando throughout Season 1, never once questioning his king's decisions. [[spoiler: When serving Sancho, he tries to talk him out of going to war with his brother. When he fails, he still accompanies him to battle and fights to the best of his abilities. Sancho is, after all, his king]]. |
| 324 | * NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler: He refuses to take the life of García in battle and tries to get him to back down before merely keeping him immobilized at swordpoint. He gets cut down for it]]. |
| 325 | * NumberTwo: To Fernando. Comes with the territory of being his ''Privado''. [[spoiler: In Season 2 he becomes this to Sancho before dying at the end of Episode 3. Ruy assumes his position thereafter]]. |
| 326 | * OnlySaneMan: He becomes this in Season 2 while at Sancho’s court, along with Orotz, [[spoiler: as he tries to convince his king not to attack Galicia against his father's last will]]. |
| 327 | * TheReliableOne: To Fernando, being the man he can consistently count on when he becomes aware of Flaín's plot against him. |
| 328 | * SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler: Tells Sancho, as he's dying, that he's proud of him, and that his father Fernando would be as well]]. |
| 329 | * UndyingLoyalty: To Fernando in Season 1. [[spoiler: Season 2 reveals that this extends to Fernando's entire family, as he desperately pleads with Sancho not to go to war against his brother García, and then refuses to harm García in battle, at the cost of his own life]]. |
| 330 | |
| 331 | [[/folder]] |
| 332 | |
| 333 | [[folder:Ermesinda]] |
| 334 | !! Ermesinda |
| 335 | !!!'''Played by:''' Sara Vidorreta |
| 336 | [[quoteright:252:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ermesinda_image_5.png]] |
| 337 | Lady-in-Waiting to the ''Infantas'', Ermesinda catches the eye of Count Flaín at a banquet, and soon finds herself forced into a nightmarish situation as she is unwillingly drawn into León's dangerous political battleground. |
| 338 | ---- |
| 339 | * BeautifulSingingVoice: Has a lovely singing voice, and can also play the lute, which she demonstrates during the banquet held in the first episode of the show. Unfortunately, it gets her noticed by [[DirtyOldMan Flaín]]. |
| 340 | * BreakTheCutie: An accurate summary of her [[TraumaCongaLine storyline]] in Season 1. By the end, she's barely able to talk. |
| 341 | * ButtMonkey: Season 1 is ''rough'' on this poor girl. To whit: Count Flaín takes a [[DirtyOldMan liking]] to her after she sings at a banquet, and she's gifted to him soon after despite Urraca's protests, [[spoiler: Fernando threatens her into spying on Flaín for him, Flaín rapes her off-screen, and then her hymen is 'repaired' by the scarred healer through ''painful'' HarmfulHealing]]. |
| 342 | * DefiledForever: [[spoiler: She breaks down in tears as she confesses her rape to Urraca, seeing herself as this and fearful that her prospects for any respectable marriage are now ruined. [[PetTheDog Urraca decides to help her]], but it's... [[HarmfulHealing unpleasant]]]]. |
| 343 | * ExactEavesdropping: [[spoiler: Fernando orders her to spy on Flaín and report anything suspicious she sees to him. She becomes the one to discover that Sancha is involved in the plot against Fernando, much to his dismay]]. |
| 344 | * HarmfulHealing: [[spoiler: Subjected to this by the scarred healer on Urraca's request, with a gruesome helping of GroinAttack: The intention is to have her hymen 'repaired' and thus preserve the illusion that she's still a virgin, avoiding her being seen as DefiledForever and keeping her eligible for marriage. The process involves ''stitching the hymen back together''.[[labelnote:note]]This is, incidentally, a a pretty glaring case of ArtisticLicenseMedicine. For details why, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ikXim4wevc see here]].[[/labelnote]]]] |
| 345 | * LadyInWaiting: To the ''Infantas'' Elvira and Urraca. She appears to be a favourite of Urraca's, given that she tries to intercede on her behalf when she's to be given to Flaín [[spoiler: and then successfully gets her back]]. |
| 346 | * MotorMouth: [[InformedAbility According to Urraca, anyway]], who claims that Ermesinda chattering never stops. [[PetTheDog It's one of the things she claims to miss about her when Ermesinda's forced to serve Flaín]]. |
| 347 | * RapeAsDrama: [[spoiler: After Urraca releases her from Flaín's service, she reveals that the Count of León had his way with her off-screen. While she says she didn't resist, it's clear from her tone and body language that it wasn't consensual]]. |
| 348 | * ThrowTheDogABone: She appears in Season 2, looking healthy and much happier than she did at the end of the previous season. She even gets a cute moment where Alvar [[ShipTease playfully flirts with her, to her delight]]. |
| 349 | |
| 350 | [[/folder]] |
| 351 | |
| 352 | !!The Church |
| 353 | [[folder:Bishop Bernardo]] |
| 354 | !! Bishop Bernardo of León |
| 355 | !!!'''Played by:''' Juan Echanove |
| 356 | [[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bernardo_image_5.png]] |
| 357 | [[caption-width-right:204:''"Patience is the virtue of the successful."'']] |
| 358 | The elderly Bishop of León is a devout man of the cloth with a sharp mind, able to deliver words of advice and spiritual guidance to the Leonese royal family while being shrewdly aware of, and involved in, the political goings-on of the kingdom. Who better to appeal to the Pope on matters of royal succession, and who better to have on your side when hatching a plot against the very king? |
| 359 | ---- |
| 360 | * AffablyEvil: Yes, he's an intolerant ChurchMilitant who preaches holy war and acts as Count Flaín's [[TheDragon Dragon]] in Season 1, working to have King Fernando overthrown and killed because he believes he's neglected his duty to wage war against the muslims of Spain. He's also generally polite, unfailingly formal to those he speaks to and seldom raises his voice against anyone. |
| 361 | * AmbiguouslyEvil: He's not to be trusted, to be sure, but at the same time his actions in season 1 & 2 muddy the waters on ''how'' evil he actually is. |
| 362 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 1, he supports Flaín right up until the moment the Count of León indicates his ambitions to become king himself. Then he smoothly switches allegiance and helps Urraca thwart his plans. It's unclear if it's a case of EvenEvilHasStandards or PragmaticVillainy]]. |
| 363 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 2, he tries to convince Ruy to intervene and prevent the war between Castile and Galicia, and soon after he suggests that Alfonso destroy Sancho as soon as he can. Whether he was trying to use Ruy to get Sancho to lower his guard, or was sincerely pleading and then decided to opt for the path of a swift victory after Ruy didn't seem willing to intercede is also unclear]]. |
| 364 | * ChurchMilitant: He preaches holy war against the Moorish ''Taifas'', and believes Fernando has failed as a king because he prefers to keep them as tributary vassals rather than conquering and converting them. |
| 365 | * TheComicallySerious: His stoicism and perpetually-calm manner occasionally results in some of his lines being funny thanks to his actor's bone-dry delivery. Case in point: |
| 366 | --> '''Bernardo:''' The ancient deposed Byzantine emperors were given the choice between the habit or having their eyes removed. [[DeadpanSnarker We have progressed]]. ''[[OffWithHisHead Your]]'' [[OffWithHisHead alternative is decapitation]]. |
| 367 | * CompositeCharacter: Bernardo is ''the'' Church in the show, doing anything worth of note that a clergyman did in real life. He is presumably named after Bernard of Sedirac, a Cluniac monk that arrived in León in 1080; he fills for the Astur-Leonese church reluctantly supporting Fernando's takeover and rule of León in Season 1; and in Season 2 he convinces Sancho to spare Alfonso (said of St. Hugh of Cluny) and [[spoiler:helps him escape]] (said of the Leonese abbot of Sahagún, [[spoiler:where Alfonso was forcefully interned as a monk]]). |
| 368 | * TheDragon: To Flaín in Season 1. [[spoiler: That is, until Episode 5, where Flaín's ambitions are implied to exceed Bernardo's standards, and he's thereafter instrumental in helping Urraca thwart his plans]]. |
| 369 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: |
| 370 | ** [[spoiler: When he realizes that Sancha did indeed instigate the death of her brother Bermudo, he utters a quietly horrified "Good God.", suggesting that he considers kinslaying to be beyond the pale. This is reinforced in Season 2, where his dialogue indicates that he thinks that Sancho executing his brother Alfonso is a legitimately horrible act]]. |
| 371 | ** [[spoiler: When Flaín openly talks about taking the throne of León for himself and asks if he can count on Rome's support, Bernardo is notably silent and pensive. Considering he's later instrumental in frustrating Flaín by legitimizing the kingdom's division, it's [[AmbiguousSituation possible]] that Bernardo was involved in the conspiracy for reasons other than simply fulfilling Flaín's ambitions, and refused to continue supporting him when the Count's personal desire for the throne became more nakedly obvious]]. |
| 372 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 2, he tries to get Ruy to intervene with Sancho to prevent a war between the three brothers. Once again, it's [[AmbiguousSituation unclear]] if this is because he sincerely desires peace, because he's trying to make Sancho let his guard down before suggesting a surprise attack, or because he doesn't want León to be any more weakened than it already is]]. |
| 373 | * EvilOldFolks: Elderly and involved in a treacherous conspiracy to have King Fernando deposed and, unbeknownst by Sancha, murdered. Not to mention that he's a ChurchMilitant and PoliticallyIncorrectVillain to boot. |
| 374 | * TheFundamentalist: Perhaps unsurprisingly. He's a devout Catholic, and absolutely opposed to any sort of co-existence with the Islamic city-states of Spain. |
| 375 | * HannibalLecture: When Sancha realizes that Flaín and Bernardo's true goal is to assassinate Fernando and not simply depose him, she goes to confront the Bishop. What follows is a quiet but ''brutal'' lecture from Bernardo: |
| 376 | --> '''Bernardo:''' Add another sin along with pride: '''Folly'''. (...) You have confused your wishes with reality. Did you really think King Fernando would be content with Castile? That he wouldn't try to take León, and get revenge on those who betrayed him? If you don't respond, it's because you yourself ''know'' that King Fernando must die. [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Or did you perhaps think being Queen of León didn't entail sacrifices]]? |
| 377 | * HazyFeelTurn: [[spoiler: At the end of Season 1, he abandons Flaín and helps Urraca thwart his plans, and has thus far remained loyal to León. It's unclear if he did so out [[EvenEvilHasStandards because he has standards]] or because [[PragmaticVillainy he saw no further benefit in further supporting Flaín]], but in any case it's clear it wasn't because of a change of heart]]. |
| 378 | * HiddenDepths: Season 2 not only gives him visible moments where what he says [[VillainHasAPoint is either reasonable or right on the money]], he also admits to being "Plunged into deepest darkness" in the final episode, revealing he's much less self-assured and prescient than one would assume. He can also make some surprisingly philosophical observations on the nature of faith and God: |
| 379 | --> '''Bernardo:''' We tend to blame God for all our ills, when they almost always come from our own decisions. |
| 380 | * IndyPloy: [[spoiler: Urraca comes up with the plan to free Alfonso, but Bernardo helps put it into motion by pretending to conduct a ceremony wherein Alfonso takes a friar's vows, but in reality subtitutes the vows for an admonition of Lucius Seneca, allowing Alfonso to keep his life ''and'' his claim to the throne]]. |
| 381 | * KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Ends Season 1 suffering no consequences for previously having supported Flaín's conspiracy. Continued in Season 2, where he helps Alfonso escape León and then holes up in Zamora with Urraca]]. |
| 382 | * KnightTemplar: Staunchly believes in waging holy war against the muslims, and wishes Fernando gone primarily because he thinks he's 'failed' in his duty as a Christian king in not trying to conquer the Moorish ''Taifas''. |
| 383 | * OnlySaneMan: Has visible moments of being this in Season 1, most notably when he has to shout at Ramiro and Fernando to remind themselves that, as kings, they're expected to set an example instead of screaming at each other in public, [[spoiler: as well as being cautious about allowing Urraca to know the full details of the plot against Fernando]]. This trait becomes increasingly prominent in Season 2 [[spoiler: as Fernando's sons go to war with one another and Sancho rises to take the throne of León for himself. Bernardo tries to have Ruy intercede and prevent the conflict from escalating, and advises Alfonso to destroy Sancho quickly to end the fighting as soon as possible]]. |
| 384 | * PassiveAggressiveKombat: Briefly engages in this with Abu Bakr, masking his contempt for the Moorish sage behind a paper-thin veil of politeness and wordplay. That said, when Abu Bakr shows he can give as good as he gets, [[VillainRespect Bernardo responds with a respectful nod]]. |
| 385 | * PetTheDog: [[spoiler: Appears to sincerely wish to avoid a war between the three brothers in Season 2, and even asks Ruy to prevent Sancho from seeking conflict after Sancha's death. How sincere he is is debatable, but if his desire for peace is genuine, then it counts as this. A more genuine example happens in the last episode, where he quietly implies that he thinks Sancho wanting to execute Alfonso is a terrible thing]]. |
| 386 | * PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Wants the Moorish ''Taifas'' conquered, and is vehemently opposed to any peace or co-operation with the Muslims of Spain. He tells Alfonso that al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza is his worst enemy, despite him being León's vassal ([[spoiler:[[VillainHasAPoint He turns out to have a point, though]]]]). He also tells Ruy that he doesn't like him being seen with Amina, outright saying: "I don't like seeing you with that Moorish girl." |
| 387 | * PragmaticVillainy: |
| 388 | ** [[spoiler: If him deciding to help Urraca thwart Flaín at the end of Season 1 wasn't due to any standards, then it was undoubtedly this trope: It's a much safer and surer bet to continue supporting the current ruling family than Flaín, who at the end of the day, despite his high rank, has a tenuous-at-best claim to the throne and ambitions that are increasingly exceeding any careful planning]]. |
| 389 | ** [[spoiler: Despite his hostility towards the Moors, he allows Alfonso to be escorted by Amina and make his escape to the ''Taifa'' of Toledo, with nary a word of protest or argument]]. |
| 390 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: After helping Urraca free Alfonso and facilitate his escape, he flees to Zamora with her]]. |
| 391 | * SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: The crux of his HannibalLecture to Sancha. He quietly lambasts her for believing that the throne of León could be won in a bloodless coup, or that [[MightMakesRight Fernando]] would simply accept being deposed without wanting vengeance. |
| 392 | * SinisterMinister: Goes with the territory of being both a Bishop and an important member of a conspiracy to depose and murder the current king while preaching holy war and religious fundamentalism. |
| 393 | * SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: To Sancho's attempts to secure his takeover of León in the Season 2 finale. Specifically by aiding Urraca and conducting the bogus friar-initiation ceremony that allows Alfonso to both stay alive and still have a legal claim to the throne of León]]. |
| 394 | * TheStoic: Maintains a calm, emotionally-detached demanour in his scenes. The ''only'' time he's raised his voice thus far is in the first episode of Season 1, where he loudly calls out both Ramiro and Fernando for having a shouting match in the middle of a royal banquet. |
| 395 | * VillainHasAPoint: He's not exactly likeable, but he is ''sharp'', and is shown several times to be correct in his observations during the show: |
| 396 | ** In Season 1, when Fernando and Ramiro's hostility boils over into a shouting match while in the middle of a royal banquet, Bernardo shouts at them to at least act like ''kings'' when they're in public if they can't act like brothers. [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness This is also the only time thus far that the Bisop has raised his voice at anyone]]. |
| 397 | ** His HannibalLecture to Sancha (see above) makes a valid point: With Fernando's MightMakesRight beliefs, and the fact that he conquered León by force, it would be ''extremely'' unlikely that he'd simply accept being Count of Castile after being deposed and not harbour a murderous, vengeful grudge that he'd want to satisfy. |
| 398 | ** [[spoiler: He warns Alfonso in Season 2's wedding banquet that al-Muqtadir is his worst enemy, despite ostensibly being his vassal. While Alfonso dismisses the warning, that same night al-Muqtadir notes the hostility between Sancho, García and Alfonso, and has Abu Bakr deliberately fan the flames of conflict in the royal family with the express intention of having the three kingdoms war with one another to, presumably, [[{{Realpolitik}} further weaken them while seeing who comes out on top]]]]. |
| 399 | ** [[spoiler: He tells Orduño that his deceased father Flaín would not be proud of his pledging loyalty to Sancho and fighting for him during the siege of Zamora. Given Flaín's hatred for Fernando, and the fact he was planning to have Sancho ''murdered'' in the Season 1 finale, it's hard to say he's wrong]]. |
| 400 | * VillainWithGoodPublicity: As the Bishop of León and Rome's representative, he's well-respected by many, up to and including the royal family. |
| 401 | * WickedCultured: Ecclesiastically cultured, anyway. Apart from being able to speak Latin fluently, he has a breadth of knowledge on religious and liturgical matters, and by the standards of his time is one of the most educated men in the kingdom. |
| 402 | |
| 403 | [[/folder]] |
| 404 | |
| 405 | !!Nobility of León |
| 406 | [[folder:Count Flaín of León]] |
| 407 | !!Count Flaín of León |
| 408 | !!! '''Played By:''' Carlos Bardem |
| 409 | [[quoteright:243:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/flain_image_8.png]] |
| 410 | [[caption-width-right:243:''"Victory should never depend on luck."'']] |
| 411 | Orduño’s father and Alfonso's royal tutor. In public, Count Flaín is an experienced and sensible politician who has served the Leonese court since before Fernando’s rule and is a man who has the ear of many influential noblemen, including the Bishop of León. In truth, he is secretly conspiring against King Fernando, and has been preparing his plan to depose and kill him for some time, enlisting the help of even Queen Sancha. Now the time has come to act, and the effects of his machinations will have far-reaching consequences for young Ruy… |
| 412 | ---- |
| 413 | * AbortedArc: [[spoiler: Done intentionally. After his plans to assassinate Fernando and usurp the throne of León are foiled, he puts into effect ''another'' plan to sieze power for himself, which is swiftly abandoned when he's abruptly killed at the end of the Season 1 finale. Afterwards, the primary conflict in the show comes from Fernando's sons warring with each other]]. |
| 414 | * AbusiveParents: He's emotionally abusive towards Orduño, demeaning him when he's not demanding he do something for him, and Orduño's interactions with him are almost always laced with a twinge of fear. [[FreudianExcuse This probably goes some way towards explaining why Orduño is the way he is]]. |
| 415 | * AndNowYouMustMarryMe: [[spoiler: With a healthy heaping of {{Blackmail}}. Upon learning that Sancha is responsible for Bermudo's death, he tells her her only option is to marry him. When she flatly refuses him, he burns the papal bull that would have granted her the authority to rule as Queen of León]]. |
| 416 | * ArcVillain: Of Season 1. [[spoiler: His SurprisinglySuddenDeath in the final episode leaves the position free for Urraca during the initial episodes of Season 2]]. |
| 417 | * AristocratsAreEvil: The Count of León and, by extension, one of the most powerful (if not ''the'' most powerful) nobleman in Fernando's court. He's also Season 1's ArcVillain and thoroughly despicable. |
| 418 | * BadBoss: In order to show to his men the type of wound a stiletto dagger can cause (so that they can find the one who foiled Fernando's assassination, given that they know they were wounded while doing so) he ''stabs one of his own men'' with said dagger. This action comes across as [[StupidEvil especially pointless]] given that there was a deer carcass in the same room as Flaín at the time, and could have been used for said demonstration. |
| 419 | * BaitTheDog: In his first appearance in Season 1, he looks on with pride at the ''Infante'' Alfonso correctly knowing the laws of León and coming up with a wiser solution to a petition than either of his brothers, which could make one think he has a soft spot for his pupil. It's ultimately revealed that he views Alfonso with as much contempt as Fernando and the other ''Infantes'', and ultimately just as expendable. |
| 420 | * BeardOfEvil: A stylish goatee that accentuates his bastardry. |
| 421 | * TheChessmaster: The main figure behind the conspiracy against Fernando, and the one whose machinations fuel much of the conflict in León in Season 1 as he tries to gain allies against the king. |
| 422 | * CompositeCharacter: Takes the role of Alfonso's tutor from his AdaptedOut relative Pedro Ansúrez, who became Count of León and Duke of Astorga after Flaín was dispossesed of these titles. |
| 423 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He starts the series already a secret traitor to Fernando, working to have him assassinated. [[spoiler: By the time of his death, he's also turned on Sancha, is planning to murder Sancho and Rodrigo Álvarez, and considers even his pupil Alfonso to be nothing more than an expendable puppet]]. |
| 424 | * DirtyOldMan: Becomes interested in Ermesinda, Urraca's Lady-in-Waiting, and requests that she serve him. [[spoiler: When Urraca is able to get Ermesinda released from his service, it's revealed that he forced himself on her during her time with him]]. |
| 425 | * EvenEvilCanBeLoved: Despite everything, Orduño still loves him as his father and Alfonso still respects him as his tutor. [[spoiler: When he's killed, they're both at his side, and Orduño goes into a [[VillainousBreakdown screaming fit]] when he thinks Ruy is the one responsible, and spends most of Season 2 trying to avenge him]]. |
| 426 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: ''Very'' deep down, he appears to have some affection for his son Orduño, as seen when he looks surprised, and even somewhat proud, at the announcement that Orduño is to be knighted. Unfortunately, it's marred by his AbusiveParents tendencies. |
| 427 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: His accepting Jimena's request that her engagement to Orduño be anulled could be seen as PragmaticVillainy, given the implication that he plans to wed Orduño to Urraca once he gains power. However, when informing Orduño of the broken engagement, he seems genuinely infuriated that he tried to force himself on her. Ironic, [[{{Hypocrite}} given that he himself raped Ermesinda off-screen]] (though it could be that he views Jimena as having more worth than Ermesinda, hence his anger at Orduño)]]. |
| 428 | * EvilIsPetty: |
| 429 | ** [[spoiler: With Fernando dead and buried, Flaín ''still'' takes the time to spit on his tomb, simply out of petty spite]]. |
| 430 | ** [[spoiler: Even with Fernando's death and León being divided amongst his sons, he attempts one more time to grab power for himself. It's implied he's fuelled as much by his ambition as by his resentment at being OutGambitted. [[AbortedArc He's killed before anything comes of it, though]]]]. |
| 431 | * EvilMentor: Is Alfonso's tutor, and has arguably done a legitimately good job in instructing the young ''Infante'' in the ways of ruling a kingdom. [[spoiler: Ultimately, though, he views Alfonso as expendable when it comes to his own plans]]. |
| 432 | * EvilWearsBlack: Dresses predominantly in dark clothing, which goes nicely with his evilness. [[spoiler: After his death, his son Orduño starts to adopt the same wardrobe]]. |
| 433 | * FauxAffablyEvil: In public, he comports himself with the dignity and courtly manners expected of a nobleman. It's a thin veneer that doesn't hold up in private, where he's much more threatening, nakedly ambitious, and cruel. |
| 434 | * HiddenDepths: He's seen visiting Bermudo's tomb and even caressing the stone relief on it, hinting that he may have been genuinely loyal to the deceased king, and that there may be [[ItsPersonal more]] to his plot against Fernando. Later episodes, however, show that there's a healthy heaping of [[AmbitionIsEvil personal ambition]] in his actions. |
| 435 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: Is killed with the same stiletto dagger he tried to have both Fernando and Ruy assassinated with]]. |
| 436 | * InTheBack: [[spoiler: How he's ultimately killed in the Season 1 finale: The stiletto dagger he wanted to use to assassinate Fernando, and later Ruy, is driven deep into his back, killing him almost instantly]]. |
| 437 | * KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: He spends all of Season 1 attempting to have Fernando, and later Ruy, treacherously assassinated via stiletto in the back. He meets his end when said dagger is plunged into ''his'' back in a way he never saw coming. Making it more ironic is Season 2's reveal that he wasn't killed by Ruy, but by Rodrigo Álvarez, his supposedly-loyal vassal, whom he was already planning to betray and murder]]. |
| 438 | * KickTheDog: |
| 439 | ** Belittles his own son several times during Season 1, [[AbusiveParents often for no good reason]]. |
| 440 | ** His BadBoss moment (see above) counts as well, if only because of how unnecessary it is. |
| 441 | ** [[spoiler: Is revealed to have raped Ermesinda while she was in his employ, presumably because he wanted her and could]]. |
| 442 | ** [[spoiler: Burns the Papal Bull that would allow Sancha to rule as sole Queen of León after she rejects his [[{{Blackmail}} blackmail-laden]] [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe marriage proposal]], just to rub in her face how powerless she is]]. |
| 443 | ** [[spoiler: In the last episode, he was planning to have Rodrigo Álvarez murdered despite the latter's loyal service to him, presumably because he felt his kinship with Ruy no longer made him trustworthy. Ironically, he didn't expect that Rodrigo would [[UnderestimatingBadassery get to him first]]]]. |
| 444 | * LastDisrespects: [[spoiler: Takes a moment to do a SpitefulSpit on Fernando's tomb once the old king is finally interred]]. |
| 445 | * ManipulativeBastard: At the start of the series, he's managed to manipulate Queen Sancha onto his side by convincing her he'll respect her wishes when in reality he sees her simply as a pawn in his schemes. Later in the series he makes concerted efforts to tempt both Urraca and Jimena's father onto his side. |
| 446 | * MurderIsTheBestSolution: His go-to solution for Ruy foiling the attempted assassination on Fernando's life is to have ''him'' assassinated as well, presumably to cover his tracks. He never stops to consider how his vassal, Rodrigo, would react to knowing he attempted to have his grandson murdered [[spoiler: which turns out to be a fatal mistake. This, without mentioning how his last coup attempt in the Season 1 finale (had it been successful) would have resulted in the deaths of Sancho, Ruy, and even Rodrigo]]. |
| 447 | * NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He claims that his intention is to avenge Bermudo's death and return the kingdom of León to its rightful ruling family by allowing Sancha to claim it. By the end of the series, it becomes increasingly apparent he's out to fulfil his own ambitions of taking the throne. |
| 448 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: [[spoiler: His VillainousBreakdown is the only time when he looks legitimately surprised, then enraged, at the show's turn of events. It results in him preparing ''another'' coup attempt, expanding his list of targets and even stating that he considers Alfonso an expendable pawn]]. |
| 449 | * OutGambitted: [[spoiler: Urraca getting Bernardo on her side, and convincing her father to divide the kingdom between his three sons [[DidntSeeThatComing legitimately catches Flaín by surprise]], as it robs him of the chance to seize control of a united kingdom, leaving him yelling in impotent anger as the decision is announced in court]]. |
| 450 | * PetTheDog: |
| 451 | ** When it's announced that Orduño is to be knighted, he looks surprised and, after a moment, even proud of his son, and embraces him. |
| 452 | ** [[spoiler: When Jimena requests that her and Orduño's engagement be anulled due to him trying to force himself on her, he acquiesces without much of an argument. It's heavily implied in this case that the reason he agrees is because he plans to marry Orduño to Urraca once he's secured the throne of León]]. |
| 453 | * PragmaticVillainy: [[spoiler: Allows Jimena and Orduño's engagement to be broken off with minimal fuss. The implication in the scene is that, once he has the throne of León under his control, he intends to marry Orduño to Urraca, a much more valuable match than Jimena]]. |
| 454 | * SmugSnake: Slimy, utterly sure of the eventual success of his plans, and very hateable, Flaín fits this trope to a T. |
| 455 | * SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler: The last minutes of Season 1 have him prepare to enact a bloody coup against the royal family of León during Fernando's funeral, and he's even prepared to pull a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on Alfonso. Then he's unexpectedly stabbed in the back with the stiletto dagger and dies with his ambitions unfulfilled]]. |
| 456 | * TreacherousAdvisor: As Alfonso's tutor and one of Fernando's inner circle of trusted advisors, his word is always listened to and considered, even when Fernando becomes suspicious of him. And, of course, Flaín has no love or loyalty towards Fernando [[spoiler: or even Alfonso]]. |
| 457 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: Is dismissive of Ruy, even when he learns that he foiled the assassination attempt on Fernando's life and even after Ruy's fame starts to grow after Graus. [[spoiler: Ironically, it's not Ruy that's his eventual undoing, but rather Urraca and, more lethally, Rodrigo Álvarez]]. |
| 458 | * VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: The only time he significantly loses his cool is on the announcement that the entirety of León will be divided between Fernando's three sons. It leads to him exclaiming, in a mixture of shock and rage: "''YOU ARE DIVIDING THE KINGDOM!''" Not surprising, considering the division effectively torpedoes his plans to sieze the throne of a united León for himself]]. |
| 459 | * VillainWithGoodPublicity: He's Alfonso's tutor and the Count of León, and has been around since the time of Bermudo III, meaning he's been active at court for two-and-a-half decades. As a result, he's well-respected and even liked, all while he leads the plot to have Fernando killed. |
| 460 | * WickedCultured: Inferred. He's often seen reading in his quarters, and as Alfonso's tutor he would have been well-educated and knowledgeable about León's laws and its governance. Understandable, considering he's been around since before Bermudo's death in 1037. |
| 461 | |
| 462 | [[/folder]] |
| 463 | |
| 464 | [[folder:Count Orduño of León]] |
| 465 | !! Count Orduño Flaínez of León |
| 466 | !!!'''Played by:''' Pablo Álvarez |
| 467 | [[quoteright:208:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/orduno_image_8.png]] |
| 468 | [[caption-width-right:208:''"No-one will remember your name, while '''mine''' will be associated with great feats."'']] |
| 469 | Count Flaín’s son and squire to the ''Infante'' Alfonso. Orduño is an impulsive young man, accustomed to his status while still trying to figure out his place in the world. Engaged to Jimena, he's drawn into an almost-inevitable antagonism towards Ruy, both by their difference in station and by their mutual attraction to Jimena, even as events shape his life in ways he could never have expected. |
| 470 | ---- |
| 471 | * AntiVillain: He's not exactly pleasant, but he's not nearly as evil as his father. While he's a [[TheBully bully]], he also gets several PetTheDog moments and is alluded to having HiddenDepths. [[spoiler: However, his father's death leads to him slowly becoming darker in Season 2]]. |
| 472 | * ArrangedMarriage: He and Jimena are engaged to be married at the start of the series. [[spoiler: After his AttemptedRape she tries to have the engagement anulled, but events in Season 2 scupper that plan. At the moment, they're still set to be married, though Jimena and Ruy have confessed their love for one another]]. |
| 473 | * AttemptedRape: [[spoiler: While at a banquet, he gets drunk after it's announced he's to be knighted and soon after attempts to sexually assault Jimena, displaying a more EntitledToHaveYou attitude than he'd previously shown. She's able to fight him off, and to his credit he appears to be genuinely ashamed of his actions]]. |
| 474 | * AvengingTheVillain: [[spoiler: Starts Season 2 fully intending to avenge the death of his father, either by bringing Ruy to justice or just having him assassinated outright]]. |
| 475 | * BeardOfEvil: Like his father, he has a goatee rather than a full beard, albeit a thicker one. |
| 476 | * TheBully: As squire to Alfonso, he's this to the pages under his charge, giving them demeaning tasks while treating them with contempt for not having the same noble background as him. |
| 477 | * ButtMonkey: Neither season has been particularly kind to this {{Jerkass}}. To whit: |
| 478 | ** Ruy [[TalkTotheFist breaks his tooth]] in the first episode, leading to him gaining the EmbarrassingNickname ''Boquituerto'', his father [[AbusiveParents intimidates and belittles him]], [[spoiler: his jealousy causes him to drunkenly attempt a sexual assault Jimena, leading to her fighting him off and angrily anulling their engagement. More tragically, at the end of the season his father is unexpectedly assassinated just a short distance away from him]]. |
| 479 | ** Season 2 downplays it somewhat, but it's still present: [[spoiler: Ruy handily deals with his assassins, Rodrigo Álvarez knocks him out cold at Golpejera after revealing that ''he'', not Ruy, killed Flaín, and he's captured by Sancho's army. He's almost executed before he's given the chance to serve Sancho in exchange for his life, an offer he accepts and which Bernardo calls him out on]]. |
| 480 | * CompositeCharacter: Sort of. As lifelong enemy of Ruy, he replaces García Ordóñez, who was Count of Nájera and a Castilian, while Orduño is the son of Count Flaín of León, and succeeds him as de-facto head, and representative of the anti-Castilian Leonese nobility in the second season. The historical Count Flaín had a son named Martín [[spoiler:who fittingly died fighting side by side with García Ordóñez at the Battle of Uclés]]. |
| 481 | * TheConsigliere: Becomes this to Alfonso in Season 2, which is unsurprising considering his status as Count of León and the fact he was previously Alfonso's squire. Alfonso even calls him "The first of my knights." |
| 482 | * DoggedNiceGuy: His interactions towards Jimena, particularly in Season 2, are strongly reminiscent of this trope. He appears to sincerely believe that if he continues to treat her kindly, she'll eventually come round and love him back, [[spoiler: even after his AttemptedRape]]. |
| 483 | * EmbarrassingNickname: Due to [[TheToothHurts Ruy breaking his tooth]], he's often referred to as ''Boquituerto'': "Wry-Mouth" or "Crooked-Mouth". |
| 484 | * EntitledToHaveYou: While he appears to be sincere in his love for Jimena, there are times when his attitude towards her carries shades of this trope. [[spoiler: This becomes especially apparent when he attempts to sexually assault her while drunk]]. |
| 485 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He appears to be nothing but sincere whenever he professes his love for Jimena. Additionally, he genuinely loves his father, Flaín, despite the fact that he's a horrible parent and person by any objective standard. [[spoiler: So much so that he's determined to avenge his death in Season 2]]. |
| 486 | * EvilWearsBlack: [[spoiler: Slowly starts to slip into this in Season 2, due to him dressing more and more like his late father]]. |
| 487 | * {{Foil}}: He's this to Ruy: Orduño comes from an aristocratic family and is the heir to both a title and lands, while Ruy is the son of an impoverished knight with only his father's sword to his name. Orduño's father, [[BigBad Count Flaín]], is [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]] and [[AbusiveParents abusive]]. Ruy's father Diego, on the other hand, appears to have been a stern yet kind parent. Both Orduño and Ruy come to increasingly resemble their parents, but Orduño [[IAmNotMyFather desperately wants]] ''[[IAmNotMyFather not]]'' [[IAmNotMyFather to]]. Orduño is a [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain classist]] {{Jerkass}} with shades of [[EntitledToHaveYou entitlement]] towards Jimena, while Ruy is a HumbleHero and, generally, a NiceGuy whose love towards Jimena is more chaste. Interestingly Orduño shows no interest in any woman other than Jimena, and [[MoralityChain appears to consider her his last chance at not falling into further darkness]]. Ruy, despite loving Jimena, falls for Amina of Zaragoza and has a sexual relationship with her, at least for a time. |
| 488 | * FreudianExcuse: For all that he's an asshole, it ''can't'' have been easy to have had [[BigBad Flaín]] as a father. His interactions with him are always laced with an undertone of fear [[spoiler: and he reveals to Jimena in Season 2 that, above all, he doesn't want to turn out like him]]. |
| 489 | * HiddenDepths: In Season 1, he confesses privately to Jimena that he sometimes just wants to grab a horse and ride far away from León, [[ImpliedTrope implying]] a desire to be free from his father's hold, the responsibilities of his station, and all the stress that goes with both. |
| 490 | * IllKillYou: [[spoiler: During his VillainousBreakdown in Season 1's final scene, he screams this repeatedly at Ruy, convinced that he's the one that murdered his father, while having to be restrained by several onlookers]]. |
| 491 | * IAmNotMyFather: He outright tells Jimena in Season 2 that she's the only one who can prevent him from turning into his father, revealing that on some level he acknowledges what a bastard Flaín was and doesn't want to follow him down the same path. |
| 492 | * {{Jerkass}}: To Ruy and the other characters he considers beneath him, he's a rude, condescending bully. While he's nicer to Jimena, he still has moments in Season 1 where his jealousy of her and Ruy gets the better of him while around her. |
| 493 | * JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: His advice to Alfonso during the war against Sancho is almost-uniformly aggressive and primarily motivated by his hatred of Ruy (as correctly pointed out by Urraca). Nevertheless, he ''is'' correct that Alfonso holds a distinct advantage over Sancho, who's still weakened after his invasion of Galicia, and should use that advantage before Sancho recovers his full strength and turns his attention to León]]. |
| 494 | * KickTheDog: |
| 495 | ** In Season 1, his treatment of the pages under his charge is unnecessarily dickish, particularly towards [[NewMeat Lisardo, the newest arrival]]. [[spoiler: It gets particularly bad when he spears Lisardo at the battle of Golpejera, though thankfully it's not fatal]]. |
| 496 | ** [[spoiler: In Season 2, he does away with Rodrigo Álvarez's service, ruining him economically and dealing a severe blow to the elderly knight's morale, simply because he's Ruy's grandfather and he suspects Ruy of murdering Flaín. Though it's revealed that it was actually Rodrigo who killed Flaín, Orduño didn't know that at the time]]. |
| 497 | * LeeroyJenkins: This trait becomes particularly apparent in Season 2, he tends to advise Alfonso and Urraca to take the most aggressive and direct actions to deal with threats. Tied to his VillainousValour, he doesn't shy away from battle and hurls himself into the fray more than once. Even in Season 1, he was willing to pick fights with Ruy when it would have been in his interest to let things lie. |
| 498 | * LikeFatherLikeSon: For all that he doesn't want to turn into him, he slowly starts to resemble Flaín more and more in Season 2. |
| 499 | * ManipulativeBastard: Tied into the above, Season 2 indicates that he may have the same skill at manipulation as Flaín. [[spoiler: With Jimena's parents, he's able to pull a combination of this and BrutalHonesty to convince them to not agree to Jimena's request that their engagement be broken off: He admits outright he tried to sexually assault her, asks for forgiveness, and affirms his desire to make up for his actions, all laced with a convincing air of humility]]. |
| 500 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler: When Jimena fights him off after his drunken sexual assault and threatens him to never touch her again, he appears to sober up immediately and looks legitimately shocked and ashamed at what he tried to do]]. |
| 501 | * OneSteveLimit: Very likely why he's named Orduño and not García Ordóñez, avoiding confusion with King García of Galicia or the deceased King García Sánchez III of Navarre. |
| 502 | * PetTheDog: |
| 503 | ** [[spoiler: When he discovers that Ruy is the one his father is looking for, he chooses not to give him up despite their mutual antagonism]]. |
| 504 | ** [[spoiler: He appears sincerely regretful of his AttemptedRape of Jimena. He repeatedly expresses his shame over the action, and despite convincing her parents not to annul their engagement, tells her he won't go ahead with the wedding and is willing to wait, because he can't bear the thought of her looking at him with hatred at the altar]]. |
| 505 | * PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He's a classist, and lords his aristocratic status over the pages under his charge, frequently acting as TheBully to them and generally being an asshole. His dislike of Ruy seems to be linked partly to their mutual attraction to Jimena, and partly to Ruy's low-born status. |
| 506 | * RedRightHand: His broken tooth, caused when in the very first episode of Season 1 he provokes a confrontation with Ruy, which gets him punched in the mouth hard enough to break it. It also earns him his EmbarrassingNickname. |
| 507 | * TheQuisling: [[spoiler: When offered the opportunity, he ends up pledging loyalty to Sancho in the Season 2 finale, in exchange for his life being spared]]. |
| 508 | * RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler: His desire to avenge his father in Season 2 steadily grows: He goes from swearing to Ruy that he'll legally bring him to justice before Alfonso, to ''[[MurderIsTheBestSolution hiring assassins to kill him]]''. Even when he and Ruy are both fighting for Sancho in the finale, he still tries stoke Sancho's hostility against him]]. |
| 509 | * TheRival: To Ruy, not just in their mutual love for Jimena but also in teh fact that they serve the two most prominent ''Infantes'', Sancho and Alfonso. |
| 510 | * SingleTargetSexuality: Outside of a scene in the first episode where he appears to fall for Urraca's FemmeFatale move, he's only ever shown interest in Jimena. |
| 511 | * SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: While he was definitely [[{{Jerkass}} kind of an asshole]] in Season 1, Orduño still had some redeeming moments. Come Season 2, and he's slowly starting to take a darker turn, [[spoiler: particularly as his RevengeBeforeReason mentality against Ruy grows as he works to avenge his father's death]]. |
| 512 | * SmugSnake: LikeFatherLikeSon indeed. |
| 513 | * TheSquire: He starts Season 1 as Alfonso's squire. By the end of the season he's made the jump to knighthood. |
| 514 | * UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler: Ruy convinces Sancho to offer Orduño, and other captured nobles, the chance to save their lives if they pledge their loyalty to him. Orduño accepts the offer... And in his final scene he whispers to Sancho to have Ruy punished for abandoning the siege of Zamora. It's unclear if he's aware that Ruy convinced Sancho to make the offer, but if he ''is'', he then falls firmly into this trope]]. |
| 515 | * VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: At the end of Season 1, when Flaín is murdered, he flies into a mad, grief-fuelled rage, screaming accusations and threats at Ruy while having to be physically restrained]]. |
| 516 | * VillainousValour: Becomes noticeable in Season 2: For all his faults, he ''is'' brave, often throwing himself to where the fighting is thickest and holding his ground. [[spoiler: PlayedWith when awaiting execution after his capture at Golpejera: it's evident he's frightened but is still prepared to face the axe, at least until he's given the chance to serve Sancho in exchange for keeping his life and titles]]. |
| 517 | * YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler: The main reason he wants Ruy either killed or brought to justice at the start of Season 2 is that he's convinced Ruy murdered his father, Flaín. It was, in fact, Ruy's grandfather Rodrigo]]. |
| 518 | |
| 519 | [[/folder]] |
| 520 | |
| 521 | [[folder:Count Celso of Oviedo]] |
| 522 | !! Count Celso Fernández of Oviedo |
| 523 | [[quoteright:234:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/celso_image_0.png]] |
| 524 | Jimena’s father, and Count Flaín’s vassal. He arrives in León to request aid to face Viking raiders threatening his lands. As he gets more than he bargained for, Jimena is forced to confront an unpleasant truth about him... |
| 525 | ---- |
| 526 | * AdaptationNameChange: Named Celso in the show, when historically he was Diego Fernández (hence why the RealLife Jimena was Jimena Díaz, as per naming conventions of the time). Presumably this is to enforce OneSteveLimit as Ruy's father is also named Diego. |
| 527 | * AbusiveParents: He's never particularly affectionate or warm to Jimena [[spoiler: and his first reaction to her {{Blackmail}} is to roughly grab her by the throat, apparently in an attempt to intimidate her]]. |
| 528 | * ArchnemesisDad: To Jimena, once she discovers he's a DomesticAbuser. Even before then, their relationship was noticeably cold and distant. |
| 529 | * {{Blackmail}}: [[spoiler: On the receiving end from Jimena: She spies on him and Flaín discussing the plot against Fernando, and later presents him with a simple ultimatum: Either he never lays another hand on her mother again, or she goes and tells Fernando ''everything'' she knows, which would - to put it mildly - be bad for Celso's health. He appears to comply, and isn't shown to be involved in Flaín's conspiracy from that point on]]. |
| 530 | * DomesticAbuser: He's revealed to be physically abusive towards his wife, Cristina. |
| 531 | * DirtyCoward: [[spoiler: When Jimena [[{{Blackmail}} blackmails]] him into never laying a hand on her mother, and his initial attempt to physically intimidate her doesn't work, he silently backs down. In Season 2, he meekly acquiesces to Orduño's desire to maintain the engagement between him and Jimena, despite Jimena's objection]]. |
| 532 | * HistoricalVillainUpgrade: [[spoiler: Not much is known about the historical Diego Fernández. However, as the plot against Fernando is unique to the show, then it's safe to say he was not involved in any such scheme]]. |
| 533 | * HateSink: He's a DomesticAbuser, an [[AbusiveParents abusive parent]], a [[DirtyCoward coward]], and has yet to have a single sympathetic moment in his scenes or show any HiddenDepths, something even ''Flaín'' had. |
| 534 | * {{Jerkass}}: Apart from his other [[DomesticAbuser charming]] [[AbusiveParents qualities]], he's just not good company: he's never warm or smiling with either his wife or his daughter, and isn't shown to be particularly friendly towards anyone except maybe [[BigBad Flaín]] (and even ''then'' it's debatable, as he's still his same unsmiling self around him). |
| 535 | * JerkassHasAPoint: Cristina forces Jimena to see this about him in Season 2: His position as Count of Oviedo was given to him by Flaín [[LeonineContract on the specific condition that Orduño and Jimena marry]]. [[spoiler: Even though Flaín is dead, Orduño ''is'' the Count of León, and Celso is his vassal. Despite Jimena's wishes,]] if Celso terminates the engagement, he and his ''entire'' family could be stripped of their title [[spoiler:by Orduño]], and lose their positions and privileges among the nobility of León. |
| 536 | * LaymansTerms: Flaín at first tries to get him to join his plot through flowery and allegorical language ("The lion has awoken."). Celso reacts by bluntly asking Flaín to speak plainly and just tell him what he wants. |
| 537 | * LeonineContract: Is revealed to be in one in Season 2, when Cristina reveals he was made Count of Oviedo by Flaín on the condition that he marry Jimena to Orduño. If he were to renege on that agreement, he could potentially lose his standing among the nobility. |
| 538 | * SocialClimber: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] to be the reason why he took Flaín's LeonineContract in Season 2, when Cristina tells Jimena that, in exchange for his promising his daughter to Flaín's son, Celso was given his land and titles. |
| 539 | * WouldHitAGirl: Apart from beating his wife, [[spoiler: his first reaction when Jimena [[{{Blackmail}} blackmails him]] is to aggressively seize her by the throat]]. |
| 540 | |
| 541 | [[/folder]] |
| 542 | |
| 543 | [[folder:Countess Cristina of Oviedo]] |
| 544 | !! Countess Cristina of Oviedo |
| 545 | [[quoteright:208:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cristina_image_9.png]] |
| 546 | Wife to Celso and Jimena’s mother. The Countess arrives in León with her husband after Viking raids threaten their lands. Through her, Jimena is forced to confront an unpleasant truth about her father. |
| 547 | ---- |
| 548 | * ClothingConcealedInjury: Her headscarf, a very common medieval fashion item, helps hide the bruises that Celso leaves on her. |
| 549 | * DomesticAbuse: She's on the receiving end of this, as it's revealed that Celso physically abuses her. |
| 550 | * GoodParents: In stark contrast to her [[{{Jerkass}} husband]], she's this to Jimena, being affectionate and warm to her, and even bringing her a gift of seashells which Jimena loved as a child. |
| 551 | * StepfordSmiler: Puts on a smiling front around others, particularly her daughter, while being married to an [[DomesticAbuser abusive]] {{Jerkass}}. |
| 552 | * SympathyForTheDevil: An InUniverse case for Celso when she [[JerkassHasAPoint explains his situation to Jimena in season 2]]. She reveals that Celso became Count of Oviedo thanks to Flaín, in exchange for Jimena's engagement to Orduño. If he backs out of the arrangement, he and the entire family could lose every privilege and social standing they currently have. |
| 553 | |
| 554 | [[/folder]] |
| 555 | |
| 556 | [[folder:Arias Gonzalo]] |
| 557 | !! Arias Gonzalo, Governor of Zamora |
| 558 | !!!'''Played by:''' Roberto Álvarez |
| 559 | [[quoteright:202:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arias_image_8.png]] |
| 560 | [[caption-width-right:202:''"Zamora does not surrender!"'']] |
| 561 | The governor of Zamora and loyal vassal to the ''Infanta'' Urraca. |
| 562 | ---- |
| 563 | * DemotedToExtra: Hard to say how much since his history is [[ShroudedInMyth mixed with legend]], but his real counterpart is said to have resided in León until the death of Fernando I, been involved in the education of his children (and El Cid himself), acted as executor of Fernando's will, and moved to Zamora with Urraca. In the show he apparently was in Zamora all along and does not appear until she arrives. |
| 564 | * MyMasterRightOrWrong: Unquestionably loyal to the royal family of León, and to the ''Infanta'' Urraca, the Lady of the city. |
| 565 | * OldSoldier: A more [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] case but still present. He refuses to abandon Zamora when it's besieged by Sancho's army, and stands by the decision of the people of Zamora to not allow Urraca to give herself up and surrender the city, calmly stating: "Zamora never surrenders, my Lady." |
| 566 | * TheReliableOne: Apparently has this reputation InUniverse. In Season 2, Urraca justifies her decision not to leave the court of León by pointing out that Zamora was well-governed by him before, and continues to be so. |
| 567 | * RememberTheNewGuy: Despite being the governor of Zamora, an important city with a formidable defensive castle, he's not mentioned in the show until Season 2, and doesn't appear in person until the last episode of that season. |
| 568 | * ShrugTake: His reaction when the people of Zamora refuse Urraca's offer to surrender and spare them the siege, yelling "Zamora does not surrender!" He shrugs and repeats the words to Urraca, silently telling her to go with the flow. |
| 569 | |
| 570 | [[/folder]] |
| 571 | |
| 572 | !!Men-at-Arms of León |
| 573 | !!!'''Knights of León''' |
| 574 | [[folder:Rodrigo Álvarez]] |
| 575 | !! Rodrigo Álvarez |
| 576 | !!!'''Played by:''' Juan Fernández |
| 577 | [[quoteright:260:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rodrigo_image_2.png]] |
| 578 | [[caption-width-right:260:''"The devil has already done his work with me."'']] |
| 579 | Ruy’s grandfather on his mother’s side. The elder Rodrigo is stern and unsmiling, and has taught Ruy the values of loyalty and service, with the promise of rewarding him with his father’s sword when the time is right. Ruy soon finds himself applying his grandfather’s teachings in a way he never thought he’d have to, while Rodrigo is forced to choose between family and duty. |
| 580 | ---- |
| 581 | * AntiVillain: In Season 1. He serves Flaín loyally not because he's cruel or wants to further the Count's ambitions, but because he's his vassal and, thus, duty-bound to serve him. Among Flaín's co-conspirators, he has clear moments of being an OnlySaneMan and TokenGoodTeammate, and it's clear he doesn't want any harm to befall Ruy. [[spoiler: Not to mention his HeelFaceTurn and the fact that he ends up being the one who kills Flaín]]. |
| 582 | * CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler: Starts Season 1 as a {{Jerkass}} and Flaín's [[TheDragon Dragon]]. As the series progresses, his PetTheDog moments become more numerous until he finally abandons the plot and kills Flaín in retaliation for the assassination attempt on Ruy. He's solidly sympathetic in Season 2]]. |
| 583 | * DarkIsNotEvil: Dresses primarily in dark clothing, but beneath his GrumpyOldMan exterior is a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold man with a good heart]], who loves his family. |
| 584 | * DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: He becomes terminally ill late in Season 2 (see SecretlyDying). Aware his time is running out and in pain, it's heavily implied he wants a quicker and more dignified death in battle, and tells Ruy he'll show him no mercy because he wants ''him'' to be the one to do it. When he's disarmed by Ruy at Golpejera, he doesn't bother to defend himself or flee, but instead silently pleads for the killing blow, and thanks him for it]]. |
| 585 | * DrowningMySorrows: [[spoiler: Unwillingly released from Orduño's service and impoverished, he devolves into alcoholism. Although Ruy is able to curb this behaviour by successfully getting Alfonso to take him on as a vassal, it's implied that his heavy drinking leads to long-term health problems which culminate with him SecretlyDying by Episode 4]]. |
| 586 | * TheDragon: To Flaín, in Season 1, being as he is the Count's most senior and important vassal.[[spoiler: That is, until his HeelFaceTurn and eventual assassination of Flaín]]. |
| 587 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: [[spoiler: Accepts, and even welcomes, the moment of his death. It helps that he was [[SecretlyDying already dying before]], and that it's Ruy who does the deed]]. |
| 588 | * GetItOverWith: [[spoiler: A variation of this happens at Golpejera where, disarmed by Ruy and at his mercy, he simply nods to him several times, silently urging him to strike the killing blow]]. |
| 589 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: Has a visible scar on his cheek. This, along with his long hair and beard, helps give him a rugged appearance and alludes to him being a battle-hardened OldSoldier. |
| 590 | * GrumpyOldMan: Gruff and dour, but not without moments of softness and affection towards his family members. |
| 591 | * HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: By the end of Season 1, he abandons the plot to kill Fernando. He then further cements it by being the one to kill Flaín at the end of the final episode]]. |
| 592 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He took Ruy to León over his daugher's objections when Ruy was just ten years old, doesn't allow Ruy to inherit his father's sword until he's "earned it", and often comes across as a GrumpyOldMan. Yet he can also be affectionate (in his own way) to Ruy and isn't quite as mean as he first appears to be. [[spoiler:He also pulls a HeelFaceTurn in Season 1 and ends up being the one to put a stop to Flaín's ambitions once and for all]]. |
| 593 | * JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler: Berates Ruy for getting involved in the plot against Fernando and foiling the assassination attempt. While Ruy is right in [[CallingTheOldManOut calling him out over his involvement in the plot]], Rodrigo is also right that Flaín is a dangerous man, and that Ruy will be in danger if the Count discovers it was he who foiled his plan. He's proven right when Flaín learns the truth, [[MurderIsTheBestSolution and promptly tries to have Ruy assassinated]]]]. |
| 594 | * TheLastDance: [[spoiler: By Episode 4 of Season 2, he's dying of an unknown disease (possibly a severe infection of the kydneys). It's heavily implied he decides to die fighting in battle rather than resign himself to a longer and potentially more agonising death]]. |
| 595 | * MyMasterRightOrWrong: He's Flaín's vassal, and serves him loyally even though the Count of León is plotting to betray and murder his king. Then again, it's not like Rodrigo has a lot of love for Fernando (see WellIntentionedExtremist). [[spoiler: Flaín trying to have Ruy assassinated is a step too far, however, and Rodrigo ends up abandoning the conspiracy and killing Flaín in turn]]. |
| 596 | * OldSoldier: A senior knight with years of service to León under his belt. He's already white-haired when the show starts in 1054, and is still able to hold his own in battle in 1073, ([[spoiler:until his death at Golpejera]]). |
| 597 | * OnlySaneMan: Gives this vibe in Season 1. When Flaín realizes his assassination attempt on Fernando at the joust has failed, he ''still'' tries to go through with giving the signal for the coup, an action that could have resulted in a chaotic war with Aragon, a chaotic civil war in León, and things generally going FromBadToWorse. It's Rodrigo who restrains Flain and points out that not only is the endeavour ''a lot'' riskier now, it also has no guarantee of success, which Flaín has to grudgingly concede. |
| 598 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: [[spoiler: Ends up outliving his daughter María, but only for a little while]]. |
| 599 | * PapaWolf: Old, badass, and Season 1 reveals he's ultimately protective of Ruy. He gets bonus points for literally being Ruy's maternal grandfather. [[spoiler: Not to mention he ultimately ends up taking Flaín's life after the latter tries to have Ruy killed]]. |
| 600 | * ParentalSubstitute: It soon becomes apparent that he's this to Ruy, with Season 2 emphasizing how he sometimes still fondly sees Ruy as the little boy he brought to León so many years ago. |
| 601 | * PetTheDog: |
| 602 | ** One of the first signs he's not as bad as he appears is when he catches Ruy practicing with his father's sword, having snuck into his chambers to do so. Instead of berating his grandson, he just gently chides him for thinking he has to sneak in at all, and doesn't hold him at fault for wanting to see his father's sword, implying it's not the first time it's happened. |
| 603 | ** In Season 2, he finally gives Ruy his father's sword, and sincerely tells him [[SoProudOfYou how proud he is of him]]. |
| 604 | ** [[spoiler: When he discovers that it was Ruy who foiled the assassination attempt on Fernando, he doesn't reveal the information to Flaín in an attempt to keep his grandson safe from the Count's wrath. When he learns that Flaín tried to have Ruy assassinated, [[PapaWolf he kills Flaín in return]]]]. |
| 605 | ** Despite speaking harshly to his daughter María in Season 1 and taking Ruy away from her when she'd just lost her husband, [[spoiler: he mourns her death, and [[SecretlyDying promises he'll join her and Diego soon]]]]. |
| 606 | * SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: In Season 2, he develops what appears to be a severe UTI which is implied be symptomatic of a terminal disease (possibly a kydney infection). Knowing that his time is up, he keeps his illness a secret, only giving cryptic hints at most, and [[TheLastDance prepares to die in battle]]]]. |
| 607 | * SuicideByCop: [[spoiler: Or rather, suicide by Ruy. He grimly promises his grandson he'll kill him if he meets him on the battlefield, knowing he'll defend himself and, thus, be the one to kill Rodrigo. He gets his wish at Golpejera]]. |
| 608 | * SoProudOfYou: He tells Ruy how proud he is of him when he finally lets him inherit his father's sword in Season 2. |
| 609 | * ThickerThanWater: As loyal as he is to Flaín, he loves his family more. [[spoiler: The knowledge that Flaín tried to have Ruy killed seems to have been what convinced him to turn on his lord and assassinate him]]. |
| 610 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Plays this role in Flaín's plot against Fernando, mainly due to his OnlySaneMan role. [[spoiler: He also winds up ultimately abandoning the plot and killing Flaín]]. |
| 611 | * WellIntentionedExtremist: He holds no love for Fernando, and appears to sincerely believe that killing him and returning León to Sancha is a legitimately good thing for the kingdom. [[spoiler: He moves past this by the end of the season]]. |
| 612 | |
| 613 | [[/folder]] |
| 614 | |
| 615 | [[folder:Orotz]] |
| 616 | !! ''Maese'' Orotz |
| 617 | !!!'''Played by:''' Daniel Albaladejo |
| 618 | [[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/orotz_image_5.png]] |
| 619 | [[caption-width-right:270:''"It matters little who attacks who. In the end, the brothers will tear each other apart. [[SeenItAll I’ve seen it happen before]]."'']] |
| 620 | A veteran knight and Master-at-Arms at León, Orotz has personally trained many of the squires and pages in his charge, among them young Ruy, preparing them for the moment they must go to war. |
| 621 | ---- |
| 622 | * AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: A more [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] case: As the ''Maese'', he's able to hold his own in battle and it's clear that he has years of military experience to back up his skills, but he can still be bested by an opponent who's younger and stronger than him. [[spoiler: He nearly meets his end at Graus at [[TheBerserker Varo's]] hands, because of this]]. |
| 623 | * BaldHeadOfToughness: He's an OldSoldier who's more than capable of fighting in the chaotic melee of medieval battles despite his advanced age. [[spoiler: In Season 2 he continues to fight on the front lines [[HandicappedBadass even with a maimed right hand]]]]. He's also the only other prominent character in the show, apart from [[ScaryBlackMan Sádaba]], to be completely bald. |
| 624 | * CareerEndingInjury: [[spoiler: He considers the loss of his fingers at Graus to be this, since he can't hold a weapon with his right hand anymore, even going as far as to call himself a cripple. Thankfully, Sancho keeps him as Master-at-Arms, and Ruy is able to teach him how to fight with his maimed hand while making use of a leather strap to keep his sword fastened in place]]. |
| 625 | * CoolSword: [[spoiler: Ruy gives him Sádaba's sword in Season 2. There's a very practical reason for it: the sword's made from Damascus Steel and is considerably lighter than most weapons, which makes it ideal for Orotz to use with his maimed and weakened right hand]]. |
| 626 | * DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler: He attempts this at Graus with Varo, when his fingers are cut off and he's at the Aragonese champion's mercy. Rather than try to escape or grovel, he just grabs the end of Varo's sword and points it at his throat, shooting him a DeathGlare while daring him to take the strike. [[NotWorthKilling Instead, Varo spares him]]]]. |
| 627 | * AFatherToHisMen: Cares for the men he trained and commands in battle, particularly his favourite student, Ruy. |
| 628 | * FinGore: [[spoiler: Loses the index and middle fingers on his right hand fighting Varo at the Battle of Graus. He considers it a CareerEndingInjury and comes ''very'' close to crossing a DespairEventHorizon, until Sancho and Ruy are able to lift him out of his funk]]. |
| 629 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: Has noticeable scars on his face, alluding to his long military experience. |
| 630 | * HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler: He becomes this in Season 2. Ruy gifts him Sádaba's Damascus Steel sword, lighter than the one he had previously, and teaches him to fight with a leather strap fastening the sword to his crippled hand]]. |
| 631 | * TheMentor: He's in charge of training the squires and pages at León. This includes Ruy, and Season 1 has him giving the young man private training in swordfighting. |
| 632 | * MyMasterRightOrWrong: [[spoiler: He's not happy about Sancho's decision to have Alfonso executed after taking León at the end of Season 2, but he continues to serve him diligently. Sancho is, after all, his king]]. |
| 633 | * OnlySaneMan: He becomes this in Season 2 when serving at Sancho's court. Along with Velarde, [[spoiler: he tries to convince his king not to go to war with García. In the Season 2 finale, he appears uncomfortable with the fact that Sancho has his former pupil Alfonso imprisoned and awaiting execution]]. |
| 634 | * OldSoldier: He's a veteran knight who's been around long enough to remember Ruy's father, Diego, from before he died at Atapuerca in 1054. Presumably, he was made Master-at-Arms because of his experience. |
| 635 | * ShellShockedVeteran: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]]. After the Battle of Graus, he sits motionless on his horse with a ThousandYardStare, and snarls at Ruy to leave him alone. Taking into account that he believes WarIsHell, it appears his own experiences have left him with both physical and mental scars. |
| 636 | * VeteranInstructor: The ''Maese de armas'', or Master-at-Arms, of León. Given his experience, he presumably earned the position after years of service. |
| 637 | * WarIsHell: As an OldSoldier, he holds a much more pessimistic view of war than Ruy. He explains to Ruy in Season 1 that despite fighting and dying for kings and princes, they'll never truly be seen as anything other than their servants. [[spoiler: In Season 2, he grimly uses his own maimed hand as an example of how war can lead to someone losing everything]]. |
| 638 | |
| 639 | [[/folder]] |
| 640 | |
| 641 | [[folder:Trifón]] |
| 642 | !! Trifón |
| 643 | !!!'''Played by:''' Ignacio Herráez |
| 644 | [[quoteright:253:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trifon_image_45.png]] |
| 645 | [[caption-width-right:253:''"My sword is thirsty for blood."'']] |
| 646 | King Fernando’s personal champion. His duty is to fight duels in the name of the king and ensure the survival of the ''Infantes''. |
| 647 | ---- |
| 648 | * ArtisticLicenseHistory: [[spoiler: After he dies, he's revealed to have a wife and several children. They're shown living in absolute poverty and are all but stated to have depended on him for their livelihood as, with winter approaching, his widow now fears for their survival. As mentioned on the main [[ArtisticLicenseHistory/ElCid2020 Artistic License - History]] page, owning armor, weapons and a horse would already place Trifón and his family among the ranks of the nobility, not the commoners. Especially more so since he was in the prestigious position of being the king's personal champion]]. |
| 649 | * TheBigGuy: Physically large and imposing, it's little wonder he's Fernando's champion. |
| 650 | * BloodKnight: See his image quote. |
| 651 | * BodyguardingABadass: Acts as Sancho's personal guard when he takes his host to defend Zaragoza. Sancho is more than badass enough to look after himself, but Trifón's aid is still welcome. |
| 652 | * TheChampion: To King Fernando. |
| 653 | * ForeheadOfDoom: Thanks to a receding hairline, he has quite a prominent forehead. |
| 654 | * GoodScarsEvilScars: Noticeably scarred, but on the side of the heroes. |
| 655 | * HappilyMarried: [[spoiler: Something that's only revealed posthumously. Given the grief his wife shows at seeing his decapitated corpse in León (not to mention the sheer ''number'' of children they had), it can be inferred theirs was a happy marriage]]. |
| 656 | * MauveShirt: Gets a few more lines and screentime than many of the other [[{{Mook}} Mooks]] in Sancho's host, with the exception of Ruy's companions. [[spoiler: He doesn't survive the season, however, as he's killed by Varo at Graus]]. |
| 657 | * OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler: Is mortally wounded, then decapitated by Varo at the Battle of Graus]]. |
| 658 | * PetTheDog: Towards Ruy. He gives the young man a solemn nod before the Battle of Graus, indicating genuine respect for him [[spoiler: despite the fact that Ruy helped knock him out, then assumed his identity to fight the duel with Jimeno]]. |
| 659 | * TheReveal: [[spoiler: A posthumous one: He was married, and with his death the fate of his widow and their many children is now left dangerously uncertain]]. |
| 660 | * TooManyBabies: [[spoiler: After his death, his widow reveals they had ''nine'' children together. With him gone and winter approaching, she's justifiably fearful for their survival]]. |
| 661 | * TheWorfEffect: [[spoiler: On the receiving end of this at Graus where, after an intense fight, he's defeated and killed by Varo]]. |
| 662 | |
| 663 | [[/folder]] |
| 664 | |
| 665 | [[folder:Pedro Vela]] |
| 666 | !! Pedro Vela |
| 667 | !!!'''Played by:''' Juan Codina |
| 668 | [[quoteright:223:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pedro_image.png]] |
| 669 | A knight who owes his loyalty less to the king and more to [[BigBad Count Flaín]], and is willing to carry out his orders, particularly if it means eliminating the count's enemies. |
| 670 | ---- |
| 671 | * AssassinOutclassin: [[spoiler: Killed by Sádaba when he was on the verge of attacking Ruy before the battle of Graus]]. |
| 672 | * AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Unlike Flaín, whose VillainWithGoodPublicity status meant that he was mourned and buried in León's cathedral, no-one in Sancho's host seems particularly upset at Pedro's death. It's possible that he never bothered to get close to any of the other warriors, leading to this (see TheQuietOne)]]. |
| 673 | * BeardOfEvil: Has a noticeably scraggly beard, in contrast to the more heroic characters in Sancho's host. |
| 674 | * KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Tasked with assassinate Ruy, he was going to stab him from behind when he wasn't expecting it. He ends up getting his throat cut from behind by Sádaba, whom he wasn't expecting]]. |
| 675 | * TheMole: Despite being part of Sancho's host, he's loyal to Season 1's Big Bad, Flaín. He can be seen at the tourney in episode 1, presumably prepared for the coup that was supposed to happen. |
| 676 | * PerpetualFrowner: Usually has a sour expression on his face. |
| 677 | * TheQuietOne: Doesn't speak much, nor does he really interact or joke around with the other knights and squires in Sancho's host. |
| 678 | * SlashedThroat: [[spoiler: Suffers this at Sádaba's hands, right when he was on the verge of attacking Ruy]]. |
| 679 | |
| 680 | |
| 681 | [[/folder]] |
| 682 | |
| 683 | [[folder:Vellido]] |
| 684 | !! Vellido |
| 685 | !!!'''Played by:''' Alfons Nieto |
| 686 | [[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vellido_image.png]] |
| 687 | A young knight in the service of Léon and unshakeably devoted to the ''Infanta'' Urraca. |
| 688 | ---- |
| 689 | * AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: In Season 2's finale he confesses to Urraca that he's in love with her, and it's why he's so loyal to her. [[AllLoveIsUnrequited She doesn't reciprocate, and bluntly tells him so]]]]. |
| 690 | * BearerOfBadNews: [[spoiler: He's the one to deliver the news to Fernando of the death of Ramiro at Graus. Fernando, devastated, collapses from shock, the stress only aggravating the effects of the poisoned food he'd eaten]]. |
| 691 | * CourtlyLove: [[spoiler: Is in love with Urraca. In keeping with this trope, he doesn't appear to expect her to reciprocate and instead his love is what spurs his loyalty and devotion to her]]. |
| 692 | * TheGenericGuy: Outside of his SmallRoleBigImpact, he doesn't receive much characterization in Season 1. Season 2 fleshes him out more. |
| 693 | * NumberTwo: Becomes this in Season 2 to Urraca, as the knight she relies on most to do the tasks she can't. Such as travelling to Zaragoza to try and persuade al-Muqtadir to cease paying tribute to Castile (and, by extension, to Sancho) [[spoiler: or helping her free Alfonso from captivity]]. |
| 694 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: Despite being a minor character in both seasons, he still impacts the plot noticeably. |
| 695 | ** In Season 1, [[spoiler: He delivers the news to Fernando of the victory at Graus and, critically, of Ramiro's death. The news so shocks Fernando that he collapses. While it's eventually confirmed that Fernando was poisoned, the emotional anguish caused by the news certainly couldn't have helped]]. |
| 696 | ** In Season 2, [[spoiler: He helps Urraca free Alfonso from captivity and flee from Toledo, then accompanies her to Zamora, thus ensuring that both Urraca and Alfonso remain active threats to Sancho, particularly since Alfonso still has a legitimate claim to the throne]]. |
| 697 | * UndyingLoyalty: To the ''Infanta'' Urraca, something that becomes more evident in Season 2. He outright tells Ruy, during the siege of Zamora, that he'd die for her. |
| 698 | |
| 699 | [[/folder]] |
| 700 | |
| 701 | !!!'''Ruy's Companions''' |
| 702 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 703 | * BashBrothers: All three are able to hold their own in battle, particularly Alvar, and if they can they'll look out for each other. |
| 704 | * FreudianTrio: The louder and more boisterous Alvar acts is the Id. Lisardo - being quieter and more cautious - is the Superego. Nuño strikes a balance between the two as the Ego. [[spoiler: After Nuño's death, the dynamic between Alvar and Lisardo shifts to being more RedOniBlueOni, with Alvar as the Red and Lisardo as the Blue]]. |
| 705 | * TrueCompanions: They're good friends and fiercely loyal to one another, and to Ruy. [[spoiler: One of the things that distresses them most in Season 2 is the very real danger that they may have to face each other on the battlefield as Castile and Galicia go to war and Nuño remains loyal to Galicia, though his sudden death prevents that from happening]]. |
| 706 | * UndyingLoyalty: Alvar and Lisardo outright say that their loyalty is to each other and to Ruy. Nuño, on the other hand, maintains his ultimate loyalty to García, for whom he squired. [[spoiler: It gets him killed, though to his relief, not at the hands of his friends]]. |
| 707 | |
| 708 | [[/folder]] |
| 709 | |
| 710 | [[folder:Alvar]] |
| 711 | !! Alvar |
| 712 | !!!'''Played by:''' Adrián Salzedo |
| 713 | [[quoteright:264:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alvar_image_7.png]] |
| 714 | [[caption-width-right:264:''"With Nuño, with Ruy, with my friends. '''That's''' where my loyalty lies."'']] |
| 715 | Ruy’s best friend. A boisterous joker, like Ruy he starts the series as a page, and thanks to his talents rises through the ranks. |
| 716 | ---- |
| 717 | * BadassBoast: Says in Season 2, to Sancho: "Give me weapons and clothing, and I swear I will fight with the strength of ten men!" He's not wrong either. |
| 718 | * TheBerserker: He becomes this come Season 2, going full-on ScreamingWarrior on the battlefield and fighting with wild abandon. |
| 719 | * TheBigGuy: While not notably physically larger than his friends, he fulfils much the same role, being more combat-oriented and impulsive than either Ruy or Lisardo. |
| 720 | * BoisterousBruiser: Loud, jokey, and impulsive, and in Season 2 he becomes a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. |
| 721 | * DrowningMySorrows: [[spoiler: He engages in this during the campaign in Galicia. It leads to his NakedPeopleAreFunny moment, but it's also indicative of the mental anguish he's going through at the thought that he may have to face Nuño on the battlefield]]. |
| 722 | * HeadsOrTails: When Ruy confesses to him that he knows of a plot against Fernando, and that his grandfather is involved, he's the one who comes up with the idea of a coin flip to help Ruy decide what to do. |
| 723 | * NakedPeopleAreFunny: Almost naked, anyway. [[spoiler: After getting blind stinking drunk and gambling away all his armour and weapons the night before battle, he stumbles out of his tent the next day wearing only his breeches and boots while wondering where his clothes and armour are [[OhCrap before the realization sinks in]]. [[FromBadToWorse Then Sancho sees him]]. Thankfully, he's able to recover all his equipment before battle]]. |
| 724 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: [[spoiler: His heavy drinking, and gambling away his armour and weapons, while on campaign in Season 2 indicate his grief at potentially having to fight Nuño, and how he's trying everything he can to not think about it]]. |
| 725 | * PluckyComicRelief: The straightest example in the series: His reactions to the situations that occur, as well as his habit of cracking jokes, provide most of the show's moments of levity. Not to mention his NakedPeopleAreFunny scene ([[spoiler:though the context leading up to it isn't [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness particularly funny]]]]). |
| 726 | * ShipTease: In Season 2, he not-so-subtly flirts with Ermesinda, and she responds favourably. |
| 727 | * ScreamingWarrior: In Season 2 especially, where he bellows like a madman while fighting in battle. |
| 728 | * UpThroughTheRanks: An offscreen example of this. At the start of Season 1, he's a page, like Ruy and Lisardo. By the mid-point of Season 2, he owns armour, weapons and a horse, implying that he's become a knight in the intervening years. |
| 729 | |
| 730 | [[/folder]] |
| 731 | |
| 732 | [[folder:Lisardo]] |
| 733 | !! Lisardo |
| 734 | !!!'''Played by:''' David Castillo |
| 735 | [[quoteright:253:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lisardo_image_1.png]] |
| 736 | [[caption-width-right:253:''"I wasn't born for this. I want to be a troubadour."'']] |
| 737 | A young man, recently entered into service in the court of León, with a talent for song and music. While he has no skill as a swordsman, he can still find other ways to defend himself. |
| 738 | ---- |
| 739 | |
| 740 | * ArmorIsUseless: Notably [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in Season 2. [[spoiler: Orduño spears him in the gut at the battle of Golpejera, however, his chainmail slows the blow enough that the wound, while grisly, is relatively shallow and is stitched up afterwards. While he's still pained by it, he's able to recover reasonably well]]. |
| 741 | * TheBard: In both seasons, he reveals himself to be a skilled musician and singer, and in Season 1 improvises a ballad during the celebrations after the battle of Graus. He also states in background conversation that he wants to be a troubadour. |
| 742 | * ManlyTears: [[spoiler: Bitterly weeps when he learns of Nuño's death]]. |
| 743 | * NewMeat: He's this in Season 1, being a new arrival at León and one one of the youngest pages there. While this leaves him open to Orduño's bullying, he [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level in badass]] over the course of the show. |
| 744 | * TookALevelInBadass: Slowly but surely over the course of both Seasons, he grows from a nervous and insecure NewMeat page, to a seasoned warrior and skilled crossbowman. |
| 745 | |
| 746 | [[/folder]] |
| 747 | |
| 748 | [[folder:Nuño]] |
| 749 | !! Nuño |
| 750 | !!!'''Played by:''' Álvaro Rico |
| 751 | [[quoteright:258:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nuno_image_6.png]] |
| 752 | [[caption-width-right:258:''"[[UndyingLoyalty García has always been my lord.]]"'']] |
| 753 | A friend of Ruy's who squires for the ''Infante'' García, and whose loyalty to said ''Infante'' will have unforseen consequences for his friends and for himself. |
| 754 | ---- |
| 755 | * BathingBeauty: A rare male example. Season 2 gives him a scene where, stripped down to his underwear, he washes himself, [[FemaleGaze with several shots lingering on his body]]. |
| 756 | * BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[DefiedTrope Defied]]. [[spoiler: He prays to the Virgin Mary to not have to face his friends on the battlefield when Galicia and Castile go to war. Mendes and the other jealous Galician nobles stab him to death before that happens. He's ''grateful'' for it, and his last action is to murmur that the Virgin heard his prayers]]. |
| 757 | * CharacterDeath: [[spoiler: He's stabbed to death by Mendes and other members of the Galician nobility midway through Season 2, and his friends are quietly devastated by his death]]. |
| 758 | * ADeathInTheLimelight: [[spoiler: Gets more focus and screentime in Season 2 than he did in Season 1 as he continues to serve García as king of Galicia. He's [[SurprisinglySuddenDeath unexpectedly]] stabbed to death in episode 3 before the battle against Sancho and the army of Castile]]. |
| 759 | * DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler: García cradles him as he bleeds out after he's stabbed by Mendes and the Galician nobles]]. |
| 760 | * TheGenericGuy: Doesn't get quite as much characterization or focus as Alvar and Lisardo in Season 1. Season 2 [[AvertedTrope averts]] this by fleshing him out more. |
| 761 | * IncompatibleOrientation: [[spoiler: Possibly, with García. García is in love with him, and as the situation between Galicia and Castile degenerates into all-out war, he confesses his love for Nuño and kisses him. Nuño seems more surprised than anything by the action, and while he doesn't appear to reciprocate, he also does not react with outright hostility as one might expect. In any case, he remains loyal to García, even to his death]]. |
| 762 | * LongHairedPrettyBoy: The straightest example in the series, particularly as he's the closest to being MrFanservice among Ruy's friends. |
| 763 | * NumberTwo: He becomes this to García in Season 2, rising from being his squire to his most favoured knight [[spoiler: and later his ''Privado'', or Privy Counsellor. This last position ends up sealing his fate]]. |
| 764 | * SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: He's the first of Ruy's companions to be killed in the show, with his death coming after receiving more focus and characterization than he had previously, establishing that (apart from the historical figures) AnyoneCanDie]]. |
| 765 | * TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: [[NiceGuy Kind]], loyal and brave. He doesn't scheme or lust for positions of power, but doesn't shirk his responsibilities when they're given to him. [[spoiler: He doesn't survive to the end of Season 2]]. |
| 766 | * UndyingLoyalty: To García, whom he squired for. In Season 2, he briefly calls out Alvar over him stating he's more loyal to Ruy than to the king, and ultimately chooses to travel to Galicia with him. [[spoiler: Even as Castile and Galicia go to war and there's a real danger that Nuño will have to face his friends in battle, he stays loyal to García. He winds up paying with his life for it]]. |
| 767 | |
| 768 | [[/folder]] |
| 769 | |
| 770 | [[folder:Telmo]] |
| 771 | !! Telmo |
| 772 | !!!'''Played by:''' Pascual Laborda |
| 773 | [[quoteright:246:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/telmo_image_2.png]] |
| 774 | [[caption-width-right:246:''"Let me go with you my lord Rodrigo, to serve you."'']] |
| 775 | A companion of Ruy and Alvar who makes his debut in Season 2. |
| 776 | ---- |
| 777 | * ArmorIsUseless: Like Lisardo, an [[AvertedTrope Aversion]]: He takes an arrow to his chainmail-armoured torso in Galicia. Other than being knocked off his feet and winded, he suffers no ill effects from it. |
| 778 | * TheBigGuy: Slightly larger and more physically imposing than Alvar. |
| 779 | * TheGenericGuy: Doesn't receive much characterization or focus when compared to Ruy's other companions. |
| 780 | * RememberTheNewGuy: Appears in Season 2 and is treated as a regular fixture of the group despite not being present, or mentioned, in Season 1. |
| 781 | * TheQuietOne: Has few lines in his appearances, and in general seems to be the quiet type, particularly when compared to Alvar. |
| 782 | * TheSquire: Appears to serve as one for Alvar, fetching him his horse after his embarassing NakedPeopleAreFunny moment. [[spoiler: He also tries to pledge his service to Ruy when Ruy abandons the siege of Zamora]]. |
| 783 | * SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[spoiler: After Nuño's death, he fills the role the latter often filled among Ruy's friends as the quieter middle ground between Alvar and Lisardo]]. |
| 784 | |
| 785 | [[/folder]] |
| 786 | |
| 787 | !!Commoners of León |
| 788 | [[folder:María Rodríguez of Vivar]] |
| 789 | !! María Rodríguez de Vivar |
| 790 | !!!'''Played by:''' María Cotiello |
| 791 | [[quoteright:264:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maria_image_5.png]] |
| 792 | [[caption-width-right:264:''"[[SoProudOfYou You have become everything your father dreamed of]]."'']] |
| 793 | Ruy’s mother, the daughter of Rodrigo Álvarez. A kind and pious woman, circumstances see her lose both her father and her son: One to death, the other to service in the court of León. Despite being so far away, Ruy still adores her, and she loves him unconditionally. |
| 794 | ---- |
| 795 | * ArmorPiercingQuestion: In Season 2, when Ruy speaks to her of how he'll accomplish what his father wanted by becoming a knight, with a title, land and castle, she asks him: "What about you? Is that what ''you'' want?". This is enough to stun Ruy into brief silence. |
| 796 | * BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: She gets more scenes and dialogue in Season 2 than she did in Season 1. She also dies in Episode 4]]. |
| 797 | * BloodFromTheMouth: [[spoiler: One of the indicators she's not well is blood appearing on her hand after a coughing fit, indicating she's developing either tubercolosis or a severe form of pneumonia]]. |
| 798 | * TheBusCameBack: After disappearing in Season 1 after the opening, she reappears in Season 2 and gets more scenes with Ruy than she did previously. |
| 799 | * CallingTheOldManOut: Does a subdued version of this with her father Rodrigo, stating that he's going to take her son away to León almost immediately after the death of her husband, leaving her alone. Rodrigo is unmoved, and she doesn't press the issue further. |
| 800 | * DiesWideOpen: [[spoiler: When she dies, her eyes are still open and staring at Ruy]]. |
| 801 | * GoodParents: Appears to be one, being protective and caring towards Ruy while also supporting him while he gains fame and recognition in León as he grows. |
| 802 | * HappilyMarried: Implied to have been this with Ruy's father, Diego, given her grief at his death [[spoiler: and her dying words to Ruy that he's [[TogetherInDeath waiting for her]]]]. |
| 803 | * IncurableCoughOfDeath: [[spoiler: The first episode of Season 2 reveals she's developed one, complete with BloodFromTheMouth. She dies before the end of the season]]. |
| 804 | * PutOnABus: Gets only a couple of scenes at the opening of the series before she's left behind in Vivar as Ruy is taken to León, and doesn't reappear for the rest of Season 1. She returns and gets more scenes in Season 2. [[spoiler: She doesn't, however, live through it]]. |
| 805 | * SecretlyDying: [[spoiler: She keeps her BloodFromTheMouth hidden from Ruy and dismisses her cough as [[DefinitelyJustACold just a cold]], presumably to prevent him from staying in Vivar to look after her and possibly hinder his [[RagsToRiches rise]] in León]]. |
| 806 | * SoProudOfYou: Tells Ruy she is proud of him and all his accomplishments in the first Episode of Season 2, and that his father would be as well. |
| 807 | * TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: Tells Ruy, as she's dying, that his father is waiting for her]]. |
| 808 | * TragicKeepsake: [[spoiler: Her handmade wooden cross, which she gave to Ruy as a child when he left for León with his grandfather, becomes this after her death in Season 2]]. |
| 809 | * WomenAreWiser: Shown to have a level head on her shoulders, such as when she quietly [[CallingTheOldManOut calls out her father Rodrigo]] for taking her son away almost immediately after the death of her husband. In Season 2, she asks Ruy an ArmorPiercingQuestion as to what he really wants, and correctly points out that for however loyally and skillfully he serves his king, he'll only ever be seen as a bargaining chip to gain more lands. |
| 810 | |
| 811 | [[/folder]] |
| 812 | |
| 813 | [[folder:The scarred healer]] |
| 814 | !! The scarred healer |
| 815 | [[quoteright:245:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/healer_image_1.png]] |
| 816 | [[caption-width-right:245:''"You shouldn’t feel sorry for me. This mark is a gift that no woman enjoys among men."'']] |
| 817 | A mysterious woman, scarred by fire, who makes her living as a healer. While her methods may appear crude, they are often effective. Not only that, she has a breadth of knowledge as to the effects of herbs and the creation of poisons. And she is, above all, discreet... |
| 818 | ---- |
| 819 | * BackAlleyDoctor: What she essentially acts as in the story. [[spoiler: She helps [[WorstAid 'mend']] Ermesinda's hymen on Urraca's request, and given how calm she is during the scene, it's easy to imagine she's done this sort of thing before]]. |
| 820 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: [[ImpliedTrope Implied]] by her burn scars. The only detail given are vague hints that it may have been due to a man in her life, possibly a husband or lover. |
| 821 | * DontYouDarePityMe: A downplayed example: She notices Urraca looking at her burn scars and, rather than snap at her angrily, simply tells her not to feel sorry for her, as she considers them a gift. |
| 822 | * FacialHorror: Has visible burn scars on the left side of her face. Rather than hide them, she's ''proud'' of them, saying that they're a "Gift of freedom." (presumably from the attentions of men). |
| 823 | * HarmfulHealing: Inflicts this on [[spoiler: Ermesinda, 'fixing' her virginity by ''[[GroinAttack stitching her hymen back together]]]]''. |
| 824 | * LackOfEmpathy: [[spoiler: Reacts to Ermesinda screaming in agony during her HarmfulHealing with only mild annoyance, quietly shushing her while continuing her work]]. |
| 825 | * MasterPoisoner: She's knowledgeable about different herbs and their properties, including which ones can be potentially dangerous, and what doses are necessary for them to become lethal. [[spoiler: It's this knowledge that leads her to play an integral part in Urraca's plot to poison her father]]. |
| 826 | * NoNameGiven: Not named in the show, nor in the credits. |
| 827 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: Only appears in a single episode in Season 1, [[spoiler: but it's by talking to her that Urraca gets the idea to poison her father. It's also heavily implied that ''she'' was the one who administered the poison to the sheep brains that Fernando ate during a banquet, which ended up killing him]]. |
| 828 | * SolitarySorceress: While she doesn't have any magical powers, she fits many of the visual elements: She appears to live alone in a witch-y hut, away from Leonese society, and has knowledge of healing and herbs. [[spoiler: WickedWitch comes into play as she appears to have a sinister side due to her knowledge of how to prepare and administer poisons]]. |
| 829 | |
| 830 | [[/folder]] |
| 831 | |
| 832 | [[folder: The tumbler]] |
| 833 | !! The tumbler |
| 834 | !!!'''Played by:''' Eduardo Fedriani |
| 835 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumbler_image_0.png]] |
| 836 | At first glance, a humble acrobat performing at the banquet organized by Fernando on the occasion of Ramiro of Aragon's visit. In reality, he's a skilled assassin, hired by Flaín to kill Fernando at the tourney, and is the first challenge that Ruy must face and overcome. |
| 837 | ---- |
| 838 | * AssassinOutclassin: He's charged with assassinating Fernando, and to be fair, not only was the assassination carefully planned, the man is sufficiently skilled to ''almost'' pull it off. As it is, he winds up being Ruy's first on-screen casualty. |
| 839 | * ChekhovsGunman: He's first seen at the banquet, performing acrobatic flips for the assembled nobles and royalty, and other than a close-up, doesn't get much focus. It isn't until the next day that Ruy notices a man with a [[RedRightHand very familiar facial mark]] accepting a dagger from his grandfather... |
| 840 | * CombatParkour: Presumably his skill as an acrobat and climber was the reason he was chosen for the job, as he's able to near-effortlesly climb the back of the stands to reach Fernando's throne. When Ruy surprises him, he's a deft and nimble opponent, making use of the scaffolding to evade and attack him, briefly gaining the upper hand in the process. |
| 841 | * DidntSeeThatComing: When he drives his dagger into the back of Fernando's throne, he's visibly surprised when it strikes wood rather than flesh, not knowing that Ruy had already discovered the plot and reinforced the back of the throne with sturdy planks. |
| 842 | * NeckSnap: Breaks his neck when he falls from the scaffolding, and we get a [[{{Gorn}} lovely]] close-up of the result when Flaín and Rodrigo discover his body. |
| 843 | * NotTheFallThatKillsYou: He's momentarily distracted by the crowd suddenly cheering during his and Ruy's struggle, which Ruy takes advantage of to knock him off the scaffolding. He breaks his neck on the wooden supports as he falls (there's even a SickeningCrunch still audible in between the sound of cheering and breaking wood). |
| 844 | * NoNameGiven: Never named in the show. His character is credited simply as ''Saltimbanqui'' - a Spanish term for an acrobatic street performer. |
| 845 | * ProfessionalKiller: He's an assassin, hired to kill King Fernando during Episode 1's tourney. |
| 846 | * RedRightHand: Has a noticeable red mark on his face, most likely a birthmark. It's what allows Ruy (and the audience) to recognize him when he spies him taking the dagger from Rodrigo with which to assassinate Fernando. |
| 847 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: He's only in a few scenes and doesn't live past the first episode, but in his limited screen-time he nearly assassinates Fernando, manages to wound Ruy, and Ruy killing him eventually makes Flaín set his sights on him, setting up a significant part of the plot that dominates the rest of Season 1. |
| 848 | * TheVoiceless: Never speaks during his time on-screen, other than a few grunts when struggling with Ruy. |
| 849 | |
| 850 | [[/folder]] |
| 851 | |
| 852 | !!Posthumous Characters |
| 853 | [[folder:Diego Laínez of Vivar]] |
| 854 | !! Diego Laínez de Vivar |
| 855 | !!!'''Played by:''' Gonzalo Kindelán |
| 856 | [[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/diego_image_3.png]] |
| 857 | [[caption-width-right:225:''"[[FinalSpeech Be loyal to the king. You have nothing else]]."'']] |
| 858 | Ruy’s father, who was mortally wounded at the battle of Atapuerca in 1054 and died when Ruy was just a child. The circumstances surrounding his death, and how Fernando I repaid his loyal service with disgrace and exile, will lead to Ruy being forced to choose between his duty and his feelings as the plot against Fernando becomes increasingly more deadly. |
| 859 | ---- |
| 860 | * ButtMonkey: To an extent. While he was a knight and, thus, enjoyed the respect and privilege that comes with the rank, at Atapuerca and afterwards nothing went right for him: He was mortally wounded, Fernando was incensed by his killing of García Sánchez and sent him in disgrace to Vivar, a poor frontier settlement. To make matters worse, he didn't die at Atapuerca, but lingered in agony just long enough to see his reputation and favour with the king destroyed. Little wonder he urges Ruy to be loyal above all else. |
| 861 | * CoolSword: Which he passed on to Ruy as his last act. |
| 862 | * FinalSpeech: One that continues to resonate with the adult Ruy even years after his death. |
| 863 | --> '''Diego:''' Ruy... I can't give you a title, but I can give you this: My sword. With it you can achieve anything, but you have to be the best. [[UndyingLoyalty Be loyal to the king. You have nothing else]]. |
| 864 | * GoodParents: He appears to have been one to Ruy: Flashbacks show that he trained Ruy in combat when he was a child, and taught his son sayings about birds. Not to mention how young Ruy was absolutely devastated at his death. |
| 865 | * HappilyMarried: Implied to have been this with Ruy's mother, María, given her grief at his death. |
| 866 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: A flashback at Atapuerca shows that he was mortally wounded when a Navarrese man-at-arms ran him through with a sword. Somehow, he was not only able to keep fighting, he ended up ''killing'' the King of Navarre. |
| 867 | * TheKingslayer: Killed García Sánchez III of Navarre at the battle of Atapuerca. |
| 868 | * LikeFatherLikeSon: Like him, Ruy is a skilled combatant with knowledge about birds and sayings related to them. The parallels get stronger, yet also darker, in Season 2, when Orotz notices Ruy [[OOcIsSeriousBusiness acting unusually dour and more eager for war than he had previously]], and [[NoodleIncident cryptically mentions that Diego "Had the same look in his eyes"]] before he died. |
| 869 | * MadeOfIron: Got ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice with a sword at Atapuerca. He ''pulled the sword out'', kept fighting, killed García Sánchez, was still conscious when Fernando cursed him, and then lingered on long enough that he died at Vivar, far from the battlefield, after leaving his sword to Ruy. Man was ''tough''. |
| 870 | * NotQuiteTheRightThing: He killed King García Sánchez of Navarre at Atapuerca, demoralising the Navarrese and winning the battle for León. Unfortunately, Fernando ''didn't'' want his brother dead, and was furious with Diego for doing so. As a result, Diego was disgraced and sent to live out his last few days at the unimportant and poor settlement of Vivar. |
| 871 | * PlotTriggeringDeath: His death prompts Rodrigo Álvarez to take Ruy to León to start serving as a page, thus kickstarting the events of the series. |
| 872 | * PosthumousCharacter: Died from wounds he sustained at Atapuerca in 1054. The show even opens on his grave. |
| 873 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: He died years ago, but his FinalSpeech left an indelible mark on Ruy and he's still frequently thought of by both him and Fernando (Ruy because he strives to make him proud, Fernando because he remembers his brother's killer all too well and, to an extent, fears Ruy for it). |
| 874 | * SpiritAdvisor: In a sense, he is this to Ruy in Episode 2 of Season 1, as he remembers his training while duelling [[GiantMook Jimeno]], and he even seems to appear in what could be either a vision or a flashback to give advice at a critical moment. |
| 875 | * SternTeacher: Flashbacks to him training Ruy show him as one: He's tough on the kid, but never cruel or demeaning, and his advice is good. |
| 876 | |
| 877 | [[/folder]] |
| 878 | |
| 879 | [[folder:King Bermudo III of León]] |
| 880 | !! King Bermudo III of León |
| 881 | |
| 882 | Sancha's brother and the previous ruler of León, Bermudo was killed in battle against Fernando in 1037. After his death, Fernando assumed the title of King of León and married Sancha. Despite having died twenty-six years before the main events of the series, the memory of his defeat at Fernando's hands still serves to drive the conspircy to overthrow Fernando. |
| 883 | ---- |
| 884 | * CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Revealed to have been the Abel to Sancha's Cain, at the end of Season 1]]. |
| 885 | * PosthumousCharacter: Killed in 1037 at the Battle of Tamarón against Fernando. Historically, he also died quite young - only twenty years old in fact - and was referred to as ''El Mozo'', or "The Boy", due to his youth. |
| 886 | * SmallRoleBigImpact: Dead for years before even the first scene of the show, yet Fernando is still seen as TheUsurper of Bermudo's throne, Sancha is seen by many as having a more valid claim to the throne by virtue of being his sister and Flaín, the main architect of the plot to overthrow and assassinate Fernando which dominates season 1, appears to have some genuine loyalty towards Bermudo's memory. |
| 887 | * TheUnreveal: According to Flaín [[spoiler: ''Sancha'' is to blame for Bermudo's death, not Fernando]]. however, this is never confirmed. As pointed by both Sancha and Fernando in the show, Bermudo died in battle when he invaded Fernando's land, so it's hard to imagine how it could be Sancha's fault. |
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