Page 190 - Microsoft Word - Belicena respaldo

Here the surprise was painted in all the countenances. Vrunalda, a young woman of
fifteen years old who since the thirteen was novice in Franjeaux, reddened. Rodolfo explained
his plan:
–Don’t be surprised, that soon you will know the reason. I understand that it seems
crazy the idea to send Vrunalda to Spain, after the risks that I have confirmed and the Strategy
that I have proposed, I will tell you how that it can be possible. If we work with caution and
take a prudent time to adjust details, for example some four years, nothing permits to
anticipate more dangers or difficulties; on the contrary, the presence of Vrunalda in the lands
of the House of Tharsis is necessary to make that the charismatic Power of the Stone of Venus
act over her seed. Of course, we won’t send her unprotected, because we dispose of the power
to give her a new identity, whose change would be hardly noticed by the Golem. The case is that
one of the German members of the Circulus Domini Canis is a Territorial Lord vassal of the
House of Swabia, widower since many years ago and consecrated to the preaching inside of the
Order. When his wife died, this Noble trusted to us his little daughter of nine years old as
novice of the monastery of Fanjeaux, who died three years later, more or less for the date when
entered Vrunalda. I have spoken with him, and he is agreed to swear that she is his legitimate
offspring and to die rather than betray such oath. He will take Vrunalda with him to his Castle
in Austria and he will present her as his daughter, that he has abandoned the religious life for
have been promised to a Catalan Earl. For four years he will integrate her to the German
customs and he will provide her all the information about his recent family. I hope that after
that time, Vrunalda be able to pass as a German Lady and to respond all the interrogations of
the lineage. For now here, we have already substituted the graves and adulterated the death
certificates of the monastery, being that who died, and was buried three years ago, would be in
that moment Vrunalda de Palencia. What do you think about this plan?
–In regard to Valentina, I will tell you that I have not decided anything and that we will
have to search her husband who collects the requested conditions by us. But, anyway, must
disappear definitely as member of the House of Tharsis. Therefore, I announce you also that
Valentina de Palencia, Dominican nun of the Convent of Fanjeaux, for the legal effects died
that night in which the Pestilence swept the House of Tharsis: her death is written in the
certificates and has her own sepulture in the cemetery of the Order. While we prepare her
future, she will be occulted in a farm that we have in San Félix de Caramán. Such property
belonged to a Noble of the lineage of the rajmunds, who was burnt by Simon de Montfort
during one of his advances to Tolosa: the unique alive heritor, confessed heretic, was obeyed to
pass his lifetime in one of enclosed monastery of the Order of Preachers. After his dead, the
rights passed to the Order, that now has decided to sell them to a Roman Knight willing to live
in these regions and owner of much gold to pay. This Knight, «Arnaldo Tíber», is no one else
than our recently arrived from Bologna, here present: his mission will be, then, to carry out the
production of the farm and rebuild the Castle, that now is in ruins; also he shall marry with a
chosen Lady amongst the families of the Domini Canis. Valentina will have to pass as his sister,
or niece, until the situation be solve. Momentarily, will be housed there a Man of Stone who
comes from Toledo, and he will help in everything to the supposed Roman Knight. You must
have present that you will be vassals of the Count of Tolosa and, therefore, of the King of
France; but, as the Order of Preachers will reserve the religious rights of the donation, your
sword will be really at the service of the Pope and the Church. And I suggest you to

190