Toledo, Kingdom of Castile, October 1511
The two men glared at each other in the town square. By the neatly trimmed, if unimpressive beards that they sported, and the clean, yet cheap woolen tunics they wore, Catalina could tell that they were middling farmers. Prosperous, if hardly rich, the men were in a dispute over goats of all things. Apparently, Señor Muñoz had been careless with his animals, and they had trampled some crops owned by Señor Garcés. Things had escalated, and the two men had come to blows, quite literally, outside of the local tavern. Señor Muñoz raised his voice, pointing at his rival,”You sir, are a knave, worth less than the manure of my animals.”
The other man, short yet burly, rushed towards the other, until stopped by one of the guards. Catalina shook her head, and gave the two farmers a stern rebuke,”How dare you conduct yourselves so! I thought I was to dispense justice for men, not small children!”
Some of the crowd chuckled at this, amused to see the two criticized by their Regent.
She continued,”I do have a solution for your dispute though. The two of you shall build a fence separating your farmsteads.”
Señor Garcés nodded, yet spoke up nonetheless,”Milady, perhaps
he should build it all himself, it is his animals that ruined my crops.”
Catalina shook her head,”No he shall not. Were you calm during these proceedings I may have passed such judgment, but alas you were not… In any case, the both of you are to build the fence, and live in peace or your lands will be taken by the crown.”
The two men bowed their heads, apparently accepting the compromise.
As the first pair left, another man was roughly dragged forward by the guards. This one was younger than the other two, perhaps five years her junior. He had a black eye, a bald head and a small trail of stubble on his chin. As the young man sprawled to the ground, his limbs in chains, Catalina realized this was likely more serious than the cases she had already dealt with today. The herald announced,”Don Mateo Sánchez was found breaking into a convent. He then strangled a young novice before the Santa Hermandad arrested him.”
The woman pursed her lips, before looking upon the accused,”Have you anything to say for yourself?”
That he had even answered her was a shock and the words that he uttered added to it,”Yes actually… My uncle is a Bishop, and he would be most displeased to find that I was harshly treated. So, I ask that you be lenient.”
Catalina’s nostrils flared in anger, and she shouted at the prisoner,”You presume to make demands of me? I who rule in the name of his most sovereign majesty, my nephew? No! You will be hung by the neck until dead, and should your uncle voice any complaints, he shall by investigated the Holy Office of the Inquisition.”
As the man was dragged away, protesting, Catalina mused,
To enforce God’s law is a heavy burden, but one I that I must do so with zeal to ensure this land remains in good order.