Description
The Spanish provinces of Castile, Leona, and Galicia were in upheaval. King Ferdinando, who until his death six years ago had reigned over these northern territories, had divided his kingdom amongst his three sons, bequeathing them a political muddle.
Sancho, the eldest received Castile; Alphonso, the middle son, inherited Leona; and Galicia went to the third and youngest son, Garcia. The arguments between the princes began almost as soon as the funeral was over.
Greed led to squabbles and distrust between the sons of Ferdinando. Pledged to Sancho, Rodrigo Ruy Diaz of Bivar - El Cid - soon founded his reputation as a warrior par excellence. He enjoyed the status of a legend even while he lived.
Politics and power dictated his life, but not necessarily his need to love...
Immortalised in ballad, play and film, the life of Rodrigo Ruy Diaz - El Cid - has fascinated storytellers through the centuries. Tender Warrior explores the possibility that El Cid would have loved the woman he chose for himself, rather than the woman politics chose for him.