Ines de Castro and Prince Pedro of Portugal shared a tragic love. Ines was the lady in waiting to the prince's new wife, Princess Contance Castile. The Castile line had connections and power, so Prince Pedro's infatuation with Constance's maid threatened the unity in the kingdom. So, Pedro's father, King Alfonso forbid the couple to be together. Ines was exiled from the kingdom.
When Constance died, Prince Pedro sought out Ines and brought her back to the kingdom. His father, the king, still forbid them to marry. Undaunted, the couple lived together openly, resulting in four children. This open defiance, and Ines' powerful influence over Pedro, angered the king, so while Pedro was out of the country, he had Ines killed.
When Pedro returned, in his fury, he launched a war against his father's throne. His mother was able to bring peace to the father and son, but Pedro never forgot. When the king died and Pedro took the throne, he hunted down Ines' killers. He found two of them and both were executed by ripping their hearts from their chests. He also proclaimed Ines was rightfully the queen, and legend has it, he had her body exhumed and forced the court to pledge their allegiance to her dead body.
Pedro and Ines are interred in a monastery, their coffins side by side with the promise: até ao fim do mundo...until the end of the world. And ironically, Constance and Pedro's son, Ferdinand, was the last of the First Dynasty. The new king to take the throne married the great-granddaughter of Ines and it was their children who reigned during the Age of Discovery when the countries of Europe started looking across the seas to the new world.
The Blurb:
Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.
Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock.
Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities.
Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands.
A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth is a multi-published author of books for people who are believers in happily-ever- after, true love, and stories with a bit of fun and twists with their plots. The mother of four young men, she tackles laundry daily and is the keeper of the kitchen. She lives along the shores of the Ohio River in West Virginia, but dreams daily of the beach.
20 comments:
Forgiving the murder of the love of your life would be really difficult...
That is one screwed up family dynamic
Yeah, I think I'd rip out some still-beating hearts to avenge my wife's honor.
That is sad. I can't imagine what it would be like to love someone your family can't accept and then your family has that person killed.
That's some story. Talk about a nasty would-be father-in-law.
I don't think I could handle that kind of family drama. I'm too much of a pleaser and couldn't handle the contention.
I'm a little confused by this post followed by the book blurb. Is Defying Reason about Pedro and Ines? Or is it about Jo Leigh Harper and Tanner Coulter?
Oh wow! What an incredible story and so very sad. It's a shame Ines and Pedro could not really be together because of his father.
This is a great story, however sad it may be. I love the historical tales; especially, when most people are unaware of tale.
Thanks for having me over Nicole!! Much appreciated.
@Elizabeth, sorry to confuse you. No, Defying Reason has nothing to do with Pedro and Ines. I just wanted to make sure each blog stop had an interesting love post and not just a book promo readers have seen already. I should have mentioned that.
That is definitely a Shakespearean story. So sad, and a bit gruesome. I am drawn to find out more. Hopefully Elizabeth's story has a happier ending?
Forever revenge!
Really sad story. :-( What a rotten dad that king was, but it was heartening that Prince Pedro was steadfast in his devotion.
I'll have to flag this one to use when we study tragic love stories during Valentine's week in my classes :-) Good to see you everywhere--this is quite the tour you've got going!!
Wow, what a sorrowful story. Hope you're having a lovely Monday!
Defying Reason sounds great! And maybe a little less tragic. ;-)
["...the promise: até ao fim do mundo...until the end of the world."
"...it was their children who reigned during the Age of Discovery when the countries of Europe started looking across the seas to the new world."] - Nicole Zoltack
Beautifully, hauntingly, ironic... these words... this epic love, and the epic journey to the new world, thought to be the end of the world. Nicole tells the story well. The things we for love. A most intriguing story that certainly defys reason - the perfect backdrop to host Elizabeth's romance novel.
My good wishes to both authors - Nicole and Elizabeth! Lovely sharing.
Oh dear. So very sad. I'm watching Downton Abbey and this makes me think of some of the story lines there... Interesting and wonder if anyone has ever written their story?
What a sad story. At least Pedro and Ines were able to spend some time together, though not nearly long enough.
Wow, what a story, of Ines and Pedro. Best wishes to Elizabeth for her book! The quest for true love is always a great thing. :)
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