This charming Moor, who, without exception, was the most engaging beauty in the kingdom of Granada, was named Daraxa; she was the daughter of the governor; and having learnt that the Moors had been driven back into the suburbs, she had endeavoured to regain the town, but finding the gates closed, had been obliged to return to this garden.
Though she was very fortunate in having fallen into the hands of Don Alonso, yet the thoughts of becoming a captive to the Christians sadly afflicted her. In spite of her courage she could not refrain from tears; she was not able to make any other reply to the obliging offers of her generous enemy than by giving him her hand, to shew the confidence she reposed in him. The young warrior, moved by the tears of his fair prisoner, tried all he could to console her; and as he spoke from the abundance of his heart, what he said was so tenderly expressive, that in any other situation it might have had more effect on the beautiful Moor; but, although she felt most sensibly his endeavours to sooth her under her misfortune, the acknowledgments that she made were but very inadequate as a return for the lively interest he took in her behalf.
As soon as he was informed that a retreat was sounded by order of the king, and that the Christians were already filing off to regain the camp, he yielded his own horse to the lady, who vaulted into the saddle entirely unassisted, and knew well how to manage her steed. He then assembled his soldiers in haste, in the midst of whom he placed the beautiful Moor and her women; and putting himself at the head of this little corps, which looked more like a cavalcade than an escort, he followed the other troops in the retreat.
The king was already acquainted with his adventure before he arrived at the camp, and was the more rejoiced at it as he entertained a particular regard for this cavalier, whom he considered to be a young man of great promise. Impatient to see so illustrious a prisoner, he did her the honour to advance to receive her, as soon as he perceived Don Alonso approaching his tent to conduct her into his presence. She advanced towards his Majesty with so majestic a mien, and so gracefully, as to charm all who beheld her; and would have fallen on her knees before him, but he prevented her so politely, and received her in such a manner, that she uttered, in a sort of extasy, “Ah! my lord, what charms would the honour of saluting the great Ferdinand have had, had it not been annexed by fate to one of the most cruel misfortunes that could have happened to me!” “Madam,” answered the King, in a most gracious manner, “you have no reason to consider it a misfortune to have become the prisoner of Don Alonso de Zuniga, who is an amiable young man, and who will pay you every attention, and spare nothing which may alleviate your misfortune; and, for my own part, I will take care you shall be so well entertained that you shall soon cease to have occasion to repine at fortune.”
His Majesty added, that she might write to her father the Governor, assuring him she should meet with the treatment due to her birth. He then desired Don Alonso, with a smile, to continue to take good care of Daraxa. “Conduct her,” said he, “to my own tent, where she can rest this night with her women, and to-morrow you shall yourself escort her to Jaen, where she will be better received and entertained by the Queen than she can be in a camp.”
Those officers in the army who had seen the beautiful Moor spoke of her to the others in such high terms that they were all curious to see her, and applied to Zuniga, to whom she was confided, to gratify their curiosity; but Don Alonso, jealous of his happiness, would not grant their requests, but managed to keep them from the royal tent by all sorts of excuses; for they persecuted him in such a manner, to afford them this satisfaction, that he was much troubled to resist their importunities. The next morning, according to the King’s orders, he set out for Jaen, where he arrived in the evening with his charming captive, whom he presented to the Queen. Her Majesty, to whom the King had dispatched a courier the preceding evening, was already informed of every thing. She received Daraxa most graciously, and was extremely pleased to see her. She was particularly struck with the elegance of her appearance; and when she had conversed with her for some time, was convinced that her good sense and wit were at least equal to her beauty.
In the mean time, Don Alonso, having performed his commission, and being obliged to return to the army, found now for the first time, that if love has its sweets, it is not unaccompanied by chagrin; and that that deity makes us pay dearly for the least favor. He could not reflect without extreme pain that he was on the point of leaving his beautiful Moor; but what most afflicted him was, that he had not yet disclosed his sentiments to her, though he had had more than one favourable opportunity; either from a timidity, which the bravest lovers sometimes feel, or from want of experience, he had resolved to take no other mode of declaring his passion than by his actions; nevertheless, as he knew that men ought to speak first on such occasions, he made up his mind at length to declare himself. He had only now to think of the manner in which he should make this avowal; and having reflected for a long time on the subject, but not being content with any thing he could think of, he resolved to leave it entirely to his passion to inspire him with words.
With this intention he repaired to the Queen to receive her commands, and asked permission to take leave of Daraxa. The Queen, who well knew that this young lord could not have passed two days with so lovely a person as the beautiful Moor with impunity, wished to have the pleasure of witnessing their separation: “What you desire is reasonable,” said she to Don Alonso, “since Daraxa is your prisoner; but as she is under my protection, I must watch over all her actions; you can only converse with her, therefore, in my presence.” This embarrassed him, and he now almost despaired of being able to acquaint his captive, that in leaving her he quitted what was dearest in the world to him.
What he viewed as so great an obstacle to the accomplishment of his desires, served, however, to promote them. The Queen having sent for the beautiful Moor, said to her: “My daughter,” (for so she already called her from friendship) “behold a young warrior, who I fear is more to be pitied, and more a prisoner than you are; he has considered it a duty to take leave of his captive previous to his departure for the army; I am his friend, and I permit him to disclose, in my presence, the tender sentiments that he cannot but have conceived for you.” Daraxa blushed: she had been till now so much taken up with her own misfortunes, that she had not once thought of endeavouring to distinguish the motives of Don Alonso’s actions, or if she had observed any attention more than ordinary in his behaviour, she had attributed it solely to pity, which is never without a degree of tenderness: besides which, her heart was already prepossessed in favor of another, so that she could but look upon Zuniga with an indifferent eye.
She replied to the Queen: That she should never forget her obligations to that cavalier; and that not having it in her power to acknowledge them, otherwise than by her wishes, she hoped that it would not be his fate to be taken prisoner; or should he be so unfortunate, she trusted that he would meet with as kind treatment as she had experienced. The Queen, curious to hear what answer Don Alonso would make to this compliment, made no reply, to afford him an opportunity of speaking. But this young nobleman, whose quick repartees, on other occasions, had been much admired at Court, now stood confused, either because he felt too violently the emotions of love, or under restraint in the presence of the Queen. He replied only to Daraxa, that whatever misfortunes might befal him, he should consider himself but too happy under them, if he might presume to call himself her champion, and that the object of his visit was to solicit this honor. “This is a favor never refused in this country,” said the Queen, desirous of keeping up the conversation to gratify Zuniga, “and Daraxa will surely find more reasons than one for granting this request.” “Madam,” answered the beautiful Moor, “I should be well content to have for my champion a man of Don Alonso’s high birth and accomplishments; but if the laws of Chivalry are the same among the Christians as with us Moors, how can I thus strongly interest myself in favor of a warrior who hears arms against my country?”