Transcription
[Music] The conquest of the Muslim territories is practically over, and only the kingdom of Granada remains. Due to the Strait of Gibraltar being under Christian control, the Muslim kings lose the military support provided by the allies in North Africa. In order to stay in Christian territories, Muslims now have to pay vassalage taxes to the Castile kingdom.
The Christian king, Alfonso XI, the legitimate successor to this room, bedroom first, is in jeopardy by Alfonso's illegitimate children. Thus, Castile is heading towards a civil war, whilst Aragon is suffering from the consequences of her Black Death and other epidemics. With the lack of any direct enemies, Granada enters a period of relative peace and great cultural flourishing under the command of Yusuf the First. This will be a period in which powerful characters will converge in a Muslim kingdom, defining incredible occurrences with unforeseen consequences.
However, even though Castile is heading towards a fatter side war, Yusuf the First is dealing with his own fears of Christian weapons reaching Granada. For this reason, he orders a mysterious magician who lives in the realm to construct a warlike contraption so that Granada is protected against all addresses. The king, Yusuf the First, is about to announce something, and the rumors are already spreading all through the streets and patios, noble areas, and retreats. People gather around to speculate about the construction of the new tower, the Tower of Comares. Something extraordinary is about to occur.
The construction, managed by the unknown magician, is about to be finished. The king is impatient to see the result and has been waiting years for this moment. On the other hand, the Grand Vizier, the king's right-hand man, does not welcome this ingenious plan. The magician announces to the king that his construction will eliminate any enemy who dares threaten the kingdom.
In the outskirts of the Albayzín, a fortune-teller known as El Ma, who is unable to concentrate on his reading, rests. He looks through the window with a thoughtful expression and observes the new tower being built by order of the king. Far away in the region of Murcia, a powerful Christian noble has fallen into disrepute after showing support to one of Alfonso the Eleventh's illegitimate children. Pedro the First's troops invade and conquer the noble's castle, executing all the soldiers and imprisoning the noble along with his daughter.
Deep in the dungeons, after a few weeks, the maid is visited by the king's first of command, who offers to release her if her father can help him with his secret plan. This is only the beginning of a story that would challenge the future of the kingdom of Granada and the world.
The great day has arrived. All is prepared to unveil the magician's ingenious construction in front of the crowd. He declares that a new era has begun, in which the kingdom of Granada will never be under threat by any enemy.
[Music] The magician invites the king to choose his favorite piece, and play. The pieces begin to move by themselves, offensive or dance. The Moors' pieces soon threaten the opposing pieces on the board. The magician and his supernatural power appear to have taken hold of Granada.
Somewhere near Guadix, the entourage of the Christian princess is attacked by an unexpected storm. It seems like a nightmare, but the effects are so real they cannot be denied. At dawn, the survivors search for the princess, but she is nowhere to be found. The only visible trail to follow are horse tracks leading towards Granada.
[Music] The day after the storm, in the surroundings of the Moorish city of Granada, a military patrol finds the Christian princess, stunned and unable to explain how she came to be there. She is only able to identify herself as the daughter of a Christian noble and requests an audience with the king. Everyone in the throne room is astonished by the beauty of the princess, especially the king. Throughout the occasion, he speaks to her with gentle manners and not in his usual authoritarian tone. The king is so enchanted that he wishes to spend time alone to think only of the princess. Since the magician appeared, the Grand Vizier is no longer a close confidant of the king and is suspicious of the princess's return.
[Music] Day by day, the king becomes more enamored with the princess, but is unaware that in turn, her eyes are becoming more and more enamored with the magician. Isaac Abulafia fears his position as the king's confidant is in danger, and so he approaches the wise men of the Madrasa. In the meantime, in the dark streets of the Albayzín, a group of unknown people move silently among the shadows. They are the soldiers of the princess who have reached the lion's den.
[Music] The close relationship between the magician and the princess becomes more and more undeniable. The king becomes jealous and full of rage. After consulting with his Grand Vizier, who has regained the royal favor, the king orders the magician to be isolated in his bedchamber and to remain under watch by the armed guards. In another part of the city, the detached Christian soldiers are preparing themselves for a secret mission.
The magician's magic is more powerful than the measures taken by the king. The watching guards become useless. The magician and the princess continue to see each other despite the king's methods to prevent this. Late one night, the Grand Vizier is found dead in his bedchamber. Although a determined effort by the king to find the culprit is made, no one is arrested. Choosing a new Vizier becomes an urgent matter. Yusuf accepts the candidate proposed by the Madrasa, who happens to be General Jafar, head of the army. Jafar promises to investigate and expose all those who dare destabilize the kingdom of Granada.
In an abandoned building in the Albayzín, Christian soldiers divide themselves into pairs to fight each other in simulated combat. They are elite warriors and have honed their skills through dozens of battles.
[Music] The recently appointed new Grand Vizier is a village peasant. This humble bloodline gives him the courage to approach the fortune-teller El Ma, a unique man who holds the respect of the common folk. When most modest people are looking for advice and prophecy, it is him they go to see. After the murder, security measures around the king have been doubled, and also the forces watching the magician. The magician evades this vigilance with a simple spell, which allows him to continue his visits to the princess without hindrance.
The magician is consumed with love for the princess. During one of their encounters, he reveals his plan for the both of them to rule as king and queen. Her smile and knowingness tell of her ambition. In the Castilian house, a knock at the door raises the alarm. A man opening the door finds a peculiar individual who gives him a ring and requests to be taken to his commander. This is a woman's ring and shows the Salathiel shield. There is no doubt that the owner of the ring is the princess.
The king and the Grand Vizier go secretly to the Madrasa. Once gathered with the authorities, the king gives the word to Jafar to announce his certainty that the Kingdom of Granada will be under attack.
[Music] Visiting El Ma, who has convinced the Grand Vizier that the kingdom is under threat, the fortune-teller advises he must beware of foreigners, not only those living in the palace but also of others who have recently arrived in the city. Jafar gathers together his spies and orders them to obtain as much information as they can. The informers enter the Albayzín in groups and spread silently through the streets.
On the very same day, Yusuf's guards spoil an attempt against him in the patio of a mosque. Unfortunately, he asylum runs and escapes, avoiding capture by several men. Upon evading his pursuers, he uncovers his face. The man is one of the allies of the magician. After being duly informed by his spies, the Grand Vizier readies his attack to storm the Christian camp. He finds, however, that upon his arrival with his soldiers, the foreigners are all gone. The Christians had already left and set up a camp in the surroundings of Granada to examine their weapons and ready themselves for the next move.
The day had finally arrived. Conspiring with the allies of the magician, the Christians attacked the palace but are immediately discovered, as if someone was awaiting their arrival. The magician's plans had failed, making him the prime suspect responsible for the attack. With her chances of gaining power to the kingdom of Granada now gone, the princess had lost all interest in the magician.
With the kingdom no longer under threat, the Grand Vizier's troops focus all their efforts on the capture of the magician. He has finally been found next to the Gate of Justice, trying to escape with the princess as his hostage. Yusuf orders the magician to release the princess. However, he claims the princess as his reward for the building of the magical artifact. With a swift movement of his hands, the ground opens up, swallowing both himself and the princess, and he declares, "You shall never find her."
"This her hand should reach down and grasp the key." The king is devastated, and each day he orders the excavation of the ground where the magician and his loved one disappeared. The effort is futile, for each area dug one day, they are found to be covered the next. His hopelessness grows deeper over time, as he is unable to find any consolation for his loss.
A few weeks later, all returns to normal. El Ma finds the peace of mind needed to begin again his writings, one in particular is the tale growing in his head, which he has called "The Magician and the Princess."
[Music]