Estancia Santa Cruz de Orduño, ducado de Aldana,
10th day of Septimus, 1668
My Dear Melisandre,
By the time this letter reaches you, I will be gone
again. I have received word from a very dear friend of mine
that he requests my help. I do not yet know how I may be of assistance
to him, but I know there can only be one answer and so I set sail tonight
on the Maris Stella. Our reunion must
wait, but I will look forward to it all the more.
I pray you, take great care in these dangerous times.
I do not like the thought of my friend all alone, exposed to the fury of
war. I am glad that you will get to meet the King. His Majesty
is a charming young man, and I believe he will one day be remembered as
one of Castille's greatest kings. For now, however, he can use all
the help he can get in this turmoil, pushed and pulled this way and
that as he is. No doubt he will be accompanied by his advisors, for
example, Cardinal Verdugo, who hardly leaves his side. I am
sure, as the consumate lady you are, that you will rise to the occasion
and show great care in every word you say and everything you do.
Your Ever Faithful Friend,
Constanza Aldana y Orduño
P.S.: Be careful of snakes, I understand
there are many of them near El Moro. C.
