The civil war continues to ravage Castile with King Enrique losing more and more territory to Pacheco's faction. Pacheco's grungy brother, Giron, is leading the troops and happily slaughtering away.
An old man and his daughter are pulling their cart through the forest when they're set upon by Giron and his gang who abduct the girl. After Giron graphically rapes her, the girl gets hold of a knife and cuts her own throat.
The suggestion is made to Enrique to win Pacheco back to their side by arranging a marriage between Giron and Isabel. (All these young girls nowadays like to play at being princess having no idea how really crappy the job has historically been.)
There's a secondary story going on concerning Isabel's handmaid, Beatriz. Cabrera, the royal butler (and a converso), has made an offer for Beatriz's hand in marriage. She's not too thrilled at the idea but won't go against her family's wishes.
Young Alfonso is anxious to be taken seriously by the older men who are really in charge of the war. He wants to be in a battle. They brush him off with a "It's too dangerous" excuse.
Pacheco agrees to meet privately with Enrique. The proposal of marrying his brother to Isabel is intriguing but Pacheco wants more. He wants his archenemy, Beltran, banished from court and Alfonso named as Enrique's heir. In an effort to end all the bloodshed and destruction, Enrique agrees to everything. At least he seems to, that is. The king never does tell Beltran he has to leave.
Giron is recruiting peasants to his army. We're introduced to Juan, a man who claims to have fought for King Enrique but now wants to change sides since it looks like Pacheco will win. Giron takes a shine to Juan and keeps the new guy close to him.
Isabel is understandably unhappy to hear about the suggested marriage between her and Giron. She thinks if she can get to her brother Alfonso he can say no to the marriage. With only Beatriz by her side, Isabel sneaks out of town to try and reach the enemy's territory. Almost immediately the women are set upon by bandits. Before there's a repeat rape scene, Cabrera and his men come riding to the rescue. Beatriz starts seeing the butler in a whole new light.
Juan secretly meets with a Jewish doctor to pick up some powerful and untraceable poison.
Alfonso is disappointed the war is over and he never got to see any fighting. Pacheco persuades the boy to approve of his sister's marriage and to put it in writing. Isabel is shocked when she's shown the proof that Alfonso has given his stamp of approval for the nuptials.
While traveling on his way to formally propose to Isabel, Giron begins to fall ill. Juan goes to fetch a doctor who diagnoses Giron as having the black plague. Juan pretends to nurse his ailing commander and when he gets the chance simply pours the rest of the poison down Giron's throat.
Pacheco appears to be truly sad to learn about the death of his grungy brother. He immediately suspects Giron was murdered but who ordered the hit? He suspects Chacon, Isabel's man, but then Pacheco realizes Enrique never planned to keep any of the promises he made so the king is also a suspect. Or was it his archenemy Beltran? So many suspects!
The truth is more simple than that. Turns out Juan is the brother of the young woman who was raped and he was out to avenge the wrong Giron did to her.
The civil war erupts again.
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